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“You look like you could use a drink,” she says as she pulls out a White Claw and hands it over.
“More than you know,” I tell her with a laugh as I pop it open and take a sip. Emily can’t come to a bonfire without a lot of snacks, so she pulls out several bowls and the three of us sit and drink and eat while the bonfire starts roaring.
Our friends like to build them bigger and bigger each time. My stress fades away as the excitement all around lifts my spirits. It doesn’t take long for more people to show up, and soon music is playing. People are dancing and laughter is all around us. It’s heavenly.
“Tall, dark, and handsome alert at three o’clock,” Jess whispers. I turn. She laughs. “The other three.”
I turn the other way and see Callan walking with purpose straight toward me, his eyes intense. He doesn’t so much as look at another person as he steadily moves forward. All of the noise fades as I gaze at him. All of the turmoil I’ve felt all day fades as well. It doesn’t matter how much pep-talking I gave myself, what matters is how I feel right here and now about the man moving toward me. It feels right.
“Hi, Callan,” I say, feeling unusually shy. It’s quite odd.
“Hi, Beautiful,” he says, a grin splitting his lips.
“Hey, are we chopped liver?” Jess asks. Callan laughs before looking at Jess.
“Hello, Jess, Emily,” he says, nodding at both girls.
“What brings you down to our little party?” Emily asks.
“I was seeking out the most beautiful women in town and my senses led me here,” he says.
“Oh, you’re smooth, City Boy,” Emily says.
“I try my best.” I like that he’s good to my friends, like how easy it is for him to joke with them. I don’t need more to like about this man, but it’s too dang late.
“As much fun as it is flirting with you, handsome, I think we’re going to go dance around the fire and see if we can get Poseidon to come out of the water,” Emily says. She takes Jess’s hands, and then the two of them dance away, leaving Callan and me somewhat alone. There are people all around us, but they’re at least ten feet away.
“They were real subtle about that,” Callan says as he sits down next to me, his leg touching mine. All feels right in the world. We take a moment to sit in silence looking at my friends who are all in great spirits. I focus on the dancing flames, peaceful in this gorgeous place beneath the stars.
“I spoke with my designer today,” he tells me. Some of my peacefulness evaporates. I try not to let it, but on this gorgeous night I don’t want to talk about the resort.
“Have you decided for sure to build here?” I finally ask.
He shakes his head. “Nothing is definite yet. But I want to present a plan and see how people feel,” he says. I want to argue with this, but it’s reasonable.
“I guess others might not feel how I do, so that’s not a bad idea,” I admit.
He gives me a grateful smile. “The longer I’ve been here the more it’s made me think about my family. I truly did enjoy spending time here with Gramps. My parents would leave us with him for a few weeks each summer during their worldwide tours. We were in heaven being with Gramps. He was always special to my brothers and me. We were all grateful for the bond when our parents died and we moved in permanently with him.”
My heart goes out to this man. I can’t imagine losing my parents when I was a hormonal teenager. “I’m sorry you lost them so young.” I reach out and place my fingers on his arm. I can’t be cold when he’s sharing something so personal.
“It was hell then, and I still miss them today, but something that’s always helped me through it is work. It’s why I fight so hard for everything I do. I don’t think I’ll ever retire,” he says.
“You have so much money, though. Don’t you want to just sit back and enjoy it?” I ask.
He chuckles. “I enjoy my work so it never feels like a burden. When I’m stressed out I can dive into a complicated project and it grounds me. I guess those who retire do it because they no longer love their work, or they aren’t capable of doing it anymore. I’ve spoken to doctors who didn’t want to leave, but they loved their patients so they had to do what was right for them. If I start screwing up, I guess I’ll semi-retire, but I don’t think there will ever come a day when I fully quit.”
I consider this for a moment. “That makes sense. I guess I haven’t found my passion yet. I know I’m too old for being so unfocused, but nothing has pulled me in that makes me want to do that same thing for the rest of my life.”
He gives me a long look that makes me want to squirm. “You’re certainly passionate about this community. Maybe you can figure out how to make that a career. You could run for mayor, open a nonprofit, you could manage the resort if it’s built and make sure it fits the vision of this town. There are endless options,” he says.
I immediately start thinking about his words. I like the ideas. “Those are all things to think about,” I tell him. “It seems people can get so caught up in unrealistic goals that they forget to live in the moment. I’ve feared that happening to me. But if I find a true love for something, maybe I won’t have to choose.”
“We can have goals and be free at the same time,” he says. The fire is absolutely gorgeous, and I’m drawn in even more to this man I fear caring for. It’s too late though. I realize that now. If I’m already attached, I might as well go all in. It’s going to hurt when he leaves. I simply need to accept it.
I look at him with a smile. “You’re asking me to stretch beyond my boundaries. What about you?” I challenge.
He gives me a long stare. “Fair enough,” he says, shocking me. “I have a difficult time being spontaneous, so tomorrow I’ll change that. Be prepared for spontaneity.”
