Sneak Peek of When Doves Lament
After paying the bill, Max led her outside and they walked along the streets until the came to the beach. The water of the Patuxent River lapped gently against the shoreline as the sun sank low on the horizon.
“We always seem to end up near water on our dates,” Carissa said, taking his hand and entwining their fingers.
“It’s hard to find a place in Maryland that doesn’t have access to water. We’re kind of surrounded by it.”
“Touche.”
“But that sounds like a fun challenge. I’ll have to find a place away from the water for our next date.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Who said anything about another date?”
“I did,” he said with conviction. “Besides, the cat’s out of the bag. Lanie knows, and she’s okay with it.” He brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “You’re stuck with me now.”
Her responding laugh warmed his heart. “You’re quite sure of yourself.”
“I know what I want.” Wrapping an arm around her waist, he bent to kiss her.
“And what’s that?” she murmured against his lips.
“You.”
He kept the kiss short, not wanting to cause another public scene. But it was difficult to let her go. As they continued walking along the small beach, his heart was full for the first time since he’d lost Melody.
“I’ve never been here at night,” she said. They stopped at the edge of the beach and watched the sun slowly descend into the water. “Chuck didn’t like being so far from home in the evening.”
Normally, he might be put off with how much she talked about her late husband, but since losing Melody, he understood. It wasn’t the same as someone who was still in love with their ex. Death gave a finality that nothing could overcome, and grief was a testament to the strength of love.
“I prefer it.” A chilly breeze made her shiver and Max wrapped an arm around her. “But we should probably get going. It’s a long drive back.”
“Just one more minute,” she said, leaning into him. “I’m not ready for this night to end.”
“Me either.”
Time seemed to stop, even as the sky changed from orange to pink and then a deep purple. Her scent wafted over him with the breeze, and he closed his eyes, savoring the moment.
“Have you ever thought about getting married again?” she asked softly, her voice barely a whisper.
That wasn’t a question he was expecting, and he spoke without thinking. “No.”
She stiffened in his arms. He grimaced. Clearly, that was the wrong answer. It might have been the truth, at least, up until recently. But even since things between them had changed, he’d never thought once about marrying again. For one thing, it felt too soon. And for another, he’d been a bachelor for so long, he wasn’t sure how he’d feel about having a wife again.
“Never?” she asked, turning to look at him.
“Uh, I mean, I never really expected to date again either, so I haven’t given much thought to marriage.” Ugh, he wasn’t making much sense. “I guess I haven’t had much of a reason to think about marrying again, if that makes sense.”
Though she nodded and smiled, there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes. “I get it.”
“What about you? Have you thought of remarrying?”
She sighed. “At first, I didn’t. I couldn’t imagine ever finding what I had with Chuck again, and anything else would just be a poor substitute.” She gestured toward the street and he nodded, taking her hand and leading her back up the beach. “But after a few years, I started thinking it might be nice. I’ve still got a lot of life to live, God willing. And I’d like to share it with someone.”
Wanting to share your life with someone doesn’t have to mean marriage.But he didn’t say that out loud. A comment like that would likely ruin what had otherwise been a pleasant evening.
“It’s not something I’m looking to rush into,” she continued when he hadn’t responded. “Right now, I want to focus on my business.”
“That makes sense, and it’s where your focus should be.”
She frowned, but didn’t contradict him. They walked the rest of the way in silence, but it wasn’t as comfortable as before.
When they arrived back to his truck, he opened her door. She searched his face for a moment before climbing in. As he drove her home, he tried to think of a way to salvage the night, but he kept coming up empty.
Finally, she broke the silence. “I’m sorry if I spooked you with the marriage talk.”
“Not spooked,” he corrected quickly. “Just caught off guard.” He glanced at her before turning his attention back to the road. “I’m not necessarily against getting remarried. It’s just not something I’ve had occasion to think about since I haven’t dated anyone in over ten years, until you.”
“I understand.” She rested a hand on his knee. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“No, I’m glad you did.” He squeezed her hand briefly before returning his to the steering wheel. “If we’re going to keep seeing each other, I think it’s important that we are both honest about what we want now, and in the future.” He cleared his throat. “And it’s okay if that changes, as long as we talk about it.”
Coming Autumn 2024