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I sighed.
“Ok. So the Dunes. Do you know what you’re going to do next? Will you finish your engineering program?”
“How do you know about that?” Cole withdrew his hand.
I wasn’t sure if I had touched on a nerve that was better left alone, but I wanted to know what his plans were. “Lots of little birds on the island told me you were in grad school. I want to hear more about it.”
He laughed. “If I go into all the engineering stuff, I think I’ll bore you to death.”
“Try me. I’m a good listener.” I wanted to know the kinds of things that appealed to Cole. He was naturally gifted in fixing things, but I could tell he didn’t like it.
His military career was over. And he was a single dad. He had to have a passion other than motel.
He leaned across the table. “Ok, my concentration is in composite material development.”
He might have well just started speaking in Spanish again. But, I prodded him to continue.
I sipped the sangria. “Composite materials? Ok.”
“I picked up a lot in the Corps. I was cross-trained. So when Amber had Grayson I knew I needed to get back to school. I couldn’t be hired sniper and I didn’t want any of the government contract jobs.”
“Why not?”
He shook his head. “Those guys are gone more than guys on deployment. It wasn’t worth it with a new baby.”
I tried to picture Cole holding an infant. It made him instantly hotter.
“Anyway, I signed up for a design class and one of the professors sort of took me under his wing and introduced me to composite material design. Basically, we try to find ways to use the best materials that create the most energy, cost the least, and work. I saw a lot of programs like that in the Middle East. Work the most out of the little you have.”
I smiled. “Sounds a lot like Dune Scape.”
“Yeah, but on a different level.”
I was impressed.
“It’s kind of like a puzzle. I like trying new materials together to see what happens.”
“Like what kind of things?” I asked, liking the way his eyes lit up when he talked about engineering.
“I’ve been focusing on the composite of wind turbines. There are some grants in the works to start a wind power program for the island. I thought I could stay in South Padre and work for the company who lands the grant. It would be the perfect fit.” He lifted the sangria. “I can run the Dunes on the side. I can Grayson in a preschool. I think it will work.”
“It does sound perfect for you.” I tried to imagine Cole concentrating on blueprints and windmill specs instead of busted shower parts. “It had to be hard to put something on hold that you’re so interested in to take care of your grandfather. That couldn’t have been easy.”
Cole exhaled. “No, but I wouldn’t change it. He needed me. I can work on that program anytime.”
I edged closer to the table. “But will you? Are you going to finish it?”
“You have lots of questions tonight. What about you? What are you going to do with all of those accounting skills? What happens now?”
If he had asked me a week ago, my answer would have been the standard cookie cutter one I gave everybody about applying for jobs in business and waiting a year or two before entering the MBA program. Tonight, staring into Cole’s eyes under the string of lights made, all the realities of life back home fade into the farthest parts of my mind.
I couldn’t imagine anything ot
her than spending my life with him and Grayson.
“I—uh—I haven’t sorted it out yet.” I dodged his doubtful stare.
“I guess that makes two of us.” He finished his sangria.
