Whether it involves Denver, that’s to be determined.
I grab Grandma’s laptop and then cozy up in the bed with it. The strange urge to hug Elias and the change in how I feel about Denver are too much to think about right now. I’d rather read what I can about her love story. It seems so pure and intense. Something worth digging into and trying to understand.
I get lost in reading some of her early Budgie Bay Gazette lifestyle columns. After a few, I realize she ends them all the same way.
The strawberries are ripe and ready for picking, Amos. Grab some chocolate on the way home.
My heart aches at her words. I can almost see her typing them, a tear streaking down her cheek, and a toddler asleep on her chest. There was hope that he’d be back, and through her letters, postcards, and columns, she kept his memory fresh and alive.
That kind of love is tangible and real.
It’s something I realize I want for myself.
It’s something Denver hasn’t been able to give me, and I don’t think he ever will.
Chapter 16
Elias
I’m pretty sure I ticked Nora off last night. I don’t regret telling her that her boyfriend is a piece of schnitzel, because he is. My feelings haven’t changed on that.
I do, however, feel bad about ruining the end of her day.
It was nice, with our new partnership, though, to have her tell me a little about her life. What I didn’t expect was to enjoy it so much and want to know more. When she’s talking about something that brings her joy, her whole face lights up and her blue eyes flicker with excitement. Alternatively, when she’s talking about the sad or frustrating things in her life, her eyebrows pinch and her shoulders curl inward. She’s expressive. It makes reading her a heck of a lot easier.
And why do you want to read her?
I’m curious, dagnabbit.
“Dagnabbit?” A giggle erupts from the passenger seat of my truck.
I let loose an exaggerated sigh, annoyed with myself that I said it out loud. “Goldie bleached my brain.”
She giggles again and my chest tightens. “Grandma was full of sass. There was no getting anything past her. All those summers I came to stay, there was always something she was getting after me about.”
“Try living with her day in and day out. It was easier to modify my language than to listen to her lectures about it.”
We get stuck in an early-morning traffic jam on the way to the post office. When we get close to the accident, a big truck carrying bird seed and millet comes into view. It’s on its side and the contents have been spilled onto the road. The police, including Monroe, are helping redirect the traffic as the fire department does their best to get the mess cleaned up. Seagulls have found the wreckage and are dive-bombing the firefighters.
When Monroe sees my truck, he trots over to it. I roll down the window and he leans in.
“We’re trying to get to the post office,” I say with a grunt. “What’s the ETA on this?”
“It’s going to be a while,” Monroe says. “Your best bet is to go back home for a few hours.”
“We don’t have a few hours,” Nora blurts out, panic in her voice. She leans closer to me so she can see Monroe and her warm breath tickles over my arm. “I have to get my utilities turned back on.”
He nods in understanding. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do to make this go any faster. You’ve got a place to stay still, right?”
She blows out a breath of air. “Yeah.”
“Can you call me when this clears out?” I ask, wanting to get past all this so Nora can giggle some more.
Really, man?
I’m not sure how or when I went from extremely agitated at this woman to enjoying her presence, but it’s happened. I’m not a fan.
“Sure thing,” he says and then nods at Nora.
