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Elizabeth walked along the beach on Thursday afternoon, heading to Will’s house. She’d just finished running wedding errands with Jane, and upon returning to Charles’s house, they were both surprised to find their father there, deep in conversation with his future son-in-law.
Jane had told Elizabeth about what happened with their parents the previous day, beyond what Lydia had told her, and confided that Charles was worried he’d overstepped. But Jane didn’t see it that way; it was just as much Charles’s wedding as it was hers. Elizabeth hoped her father was at Charles’s house to make amends; she knew Janewantedtheir parents at the wedding, and had always envisioned their father giving her away.
After saying a brief and awkward hello to her father, Elizabeth had quickly excused herself and now, upon nearing Will's yard, she was surprised to see him sitting in one of the Adirondack chairs. His head was back and his eyes were closed, and when she was within about twenty feet of him, she stopped to stare. He looked deliciously rumpled in a pair of khaki shorts and a faded Harvard T-shirt.
His eyes opened suddenly, and when he noticed her standing there, he smiled and rose from the chair. “I thought I was hallucinating. I didn't expect to see you so soon. Come sit with me.”
They strolled back to the chairs, and he positioned them closer together before they sat.
“I thought you were napping,” she said. “I was going to sneak up on you.”
“Just thinking.” He sighed. “I have to go to California again.”
“Oh. I didn't know you had another trip coming up.”
“I didn't want to say anything until I knew for sure.” He reached for her hand. “Richard thinks it's important for me to be there for FRD’s first official day, which is Tuesday.”
“He's right.”
“He wants me to make a motivational speech or something.” His face suddenly lit up. “Why don't you come with me?”
“To–to California?”
“We could fly out early Monday, and come back late Tuesday. You have Monday off for Labor Day, right? So you would only miss one day of work.”
His excitement was contagious, and she smiled. “Okay. Um, I just need to get the okay from work.”
He stood up and tugged her with him. “Come on, you have a phone call to make.”
“Wait. Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“It’s agreatidea. I know it’s spur of the moment, but it's just one night in California. I want you there with me, if you want to be there. What do you think?”
She took in his hopeful expression, and her decision was made. “I think I'm going to California.”
As they walked to the house, she filled him in on everything Jane had told her while they were out shopping, and then mentioned her father’s unexpected appearance at Charles’s house. Like Elizabeth, Will hoped her father was there to apologize and straighten things out, and not to make things worse.
Elizabeth disappeared into his office to call work, and emerged a few moments later, grinning happily. “I can’t believe I just fibbed to get a day off. They asked if it was for a doctor’s appointment, and I said yes.”
“You know, I could give you a physical,” he said, and waggled his eyebrows. “Then it would be legit.”
“Promises, promises,” she said and laughed when he pulled her close for a thorough kiss.
After a long moment they separated, and he grinned. “Your lips work just fine.”
“The rest of me does too,” she said breathlessly. “Which begs the question…when we were on the couch, before Bill showed up…why were you trying to stop what I was so obviously trying to start?”
He shrugged. “I thought you might have been upset about Lydia and maybe you were just trying to distract yourself. I didn't want us to do something you might not have felt so good about after.”
She frowned. “Wow. I don’t know if I should be offended, or you should be insulted.”
He tugged her over to the couch, and they sat down. “You shouldn't be offended. And I'm certainly not insulted.”
“It wouldn’t be very nice if I was coming on to you because I was upset about Lydia, would it?”
“Anytimeyou're coming on to me foranyreason is very nice.”
