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What the heck was this?
With trembling hands, I picked it up and held it out in front of me. It was a blue crop tank top. And in the drawer below it? A lace thong. It only took a second before I was hit with a memory of our night together a year ago. I’d worn these out that night, and I’d left them behind in my rush to get out of here. It was months before we bumped into each other again, and yet he’d held on to them?
Beneath the thong was a white slip of paper. No. It was a napkin.
No freaking way. Gently, I pulled it out and set it on the dresser. It was my awful drawing. The map I’d made of all my favorite places. The coffee shop with the best almond milk vanilla latte. Arti’s famous Thursday special—North Side roast beef. My favorite Hawaiian pizza place that does North End pizza on Fridays. And Mama P’s banana pancakes. At the top right corner was another drawing. A pair of lovebirds, and beneath it, the wordBlondie. It was the only part of the map that didn’t look like a kindergartener had drawn it.
I startled as a solid arm banded around my waist.
“You kept this stupid drawing?” I asked, resting my head on his shoulder.
“It’s not stupid.” He pressed his cheek to my temple. “For a while, it was all I had of you, and then it was insight into how to help you realize that I saw you.”
My eyes widened. He’d told me that he waited a year, and I believed him. But every day, he surprised me with the small clues that showed me how serious he’d been from day one. My eyes tracked over the blue and silver drawing.
“I asked you for a rose-gold Sharpie that night.” I surveyed the boxes.
He nodded. “And that’s all I carry now, because if you ever asked for one again, I was going to have it on me.”
The sentiment made my chest tight. I turned and pressed my lips to his and slipped my tongue into his mouth. He tasted like toothpaste and him and a future only he could give me. One that I’d always dreamed of, even if it had felt out of reach. At least until Chris had come into my life. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
“Blondie.” Groaning, he gripped just below my ass and lifted me so I could wrap my legs around his waist. “If you’re teasing me, you better stop now.”
I smiled against his full lips. “I think we have enough time.”
“Hell, yeah.” With a quick squeeze to my ass, he carried me back to the bed.
Dad: Time totally got away from me. Sorry, Avy, but I have to cancel lunch. I’m still at UConn and won’t be back until tonight.
I sighed at the message. I was used to it. His life was hectic during baseball season. The Revs were after a twenty-two-year-old senior from UConn who was killing it at first base. But Dad had promised that he and Cortney would be back by one today. As usual, baseball had taken over his life. He’d always been there for the things I needed him for, but often, if it wasn’t a necessity, he didn’t have time for it. I probably should have emphasized that I wanted to talk about something important. Then he would have made it happen. But I hadn’t wanted to answer questions until we were face to face, so I hadn’t even mentioned that I’d be bringing someone withme to lunch.
Me: Okay. Can we do breakfast Sunday morning? I really want to talk to you.
The team had a doubleheader on Saturday, and they were leaving for Seattle on Sunday afternoon. I didn’t want another week to go by without talking to Dad. Chris had let me lead when it came to him, but he was an open and honest guy. He didn’t like keeping secrets, and it would ease his nerves if we could get everything out in the open. I was the nervous one, but I also knew it was time.
Dad: Everything okay, Avy?
Me: No problem. But I want to catch up, so I’m enacting our non-cancel clause.
I stood from my desk and headed to the Puffin Penguin house, where I was meeting Chris. When I arrived, he was inside the exhibit, hanging out with Puff. He was sitting on a towel to keep his ripped jeans from getting covered in bird poop.
With one wrist resting on his knees, he had his head bent low, and he was talking to his bird. “You’re looking sharp again now that the colors on your beak are back. Puffette over there keeps looking your way. I think it’s time to make your move.” He glanced over at the female. “Don’t wait too long. I know from experience that you’ll regret it if she ends up looking at someone else.”
Chris held up a finger and twirled it, and in response, Puff twirled around on the rock next to where he was sitting. When the bird stopped, he waddled over to him and nudged his knee.
“He wants his prize,” I said, wandering their way with the small bucket that Chris never brought in with him.
Puff’s head snapped up, and he was in the air, then perched on my shoulder before I made it to Chris.
“I’m trying to talk him into going after the prize.” Chris tipped his head toward the female puffin with the pink band. Somewhere along the way, Chris had decided that she was Puff’s mate. Whether Puff was totally on board remained to be seen. He pushed to his feet andtook a few steps away from me. He knew what came next and preferred not to linger too close.
Shaking my head, I snagged a small fish from the bucket. Then I tossed it into the air. Puff launched himself off my shoulder, caught it in his beak, and dove into the water. Within seconds, all twenty of the birds in the room were swarming my feet. I tossed them all a few fish each before Chris and I left them to enjoy their lunch.
After washing our hands, Chris reached for mine. “Nervous?”
“He canceled,” I admitted.
He pulled me to a stop and frowned. “What’s he got going on that’s so important he had to cancel on his daughter?”
