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NINE
HADLEY
“Do you think I could have the day off?” I hate asking Theo for time away since we’re living in close quarters these days until the house in Seaside is inspected and cleared. “My cousin Tanner is in town and invited me to the opening of his new restaurant.”
Theo settles a bowl of cereal on the dining room table in front of Colton and looks up at me, his blue eyes catching the sunlight. I must admit, I like seeing him so casual in a plain white T-shirt and a pair of running shorts. Even at home in Seaside, he manages to dress more formally, choosing to wear polos or short-sleeved button-down shirts with crisp khaki shorts. But not here. Maybe it’s the limited wardrobe. “Sure,” he says with a hint of a smile. “The kids and I will be fine without you for a night.”
“Thank you.” I haven’t seen Tanner and his wife Jolene since their wedding and this morning when I woke up, there was an email inviting me to dinner.
Heard through the grapevine you were in Oregon. If you’re close to Portland, Jolene and I are opening a new restaurant tonight. Would love to see you! Let me know ASAP and we’ll save you a seat! – Tanner
Theo and the kids spend the day exploring Portland, giving me a few precious hours of time alone. After spending weeks alone on the road, being around two noisy kids is unsettling at times, and makes me appreciate the quiet downtime. When I’m in my van, driving back to Georgia, I know the loudest moments with Piper and Colton are the ones I’ll remember most when I miss them.
In the middle of getting ready for a night out, the mechanic working on my van calls. “I wanted to give you an update,” he tells me. “Don’t get too many foreign-made vans around here but we finally found the part we needed all the way in New Jersey. It’s going to take a few days to get here, and then another week to get it in and do the rest of the repairs.”
“Okay,” I tell him. “Thank you for the update.”
“Sorry to keep you off the road for so long. It’s hard to find these parts.”
“There’s no rush. I’d rather have the repairs done right than have them rushed.”
Once the van is fixed, it’s going to sit on Theo’s property until the end of summer. Maybe he’ll let me take the kids on a camping trip before I leave.
They return just as I’m getting ready to leave.
“You look pretty,” Piper says, her eyes big saucers as she inspects every element of my outfit. I didn’t bring much with me from the house but luckily, I had enough sense to pack a black sundress. She turns back to Theo, who seems to be scrutinizing me with a darkened gaze and a tense jaw. “Doesn’t Hadley look pretty?”
“Yes,” he agrees with a growl.
“I don’t think I’ll be gone long,” I tell them both, but then realize I’m looking at Theo. “Maybe a few hours.”
“You’re an adult,” he says. “There’s no curfew. Stay out as long as you want.”
But there’s something about the harshness of his tone and the way his eyes narrow as I walk past him to grab my leather purse from the counter. When I turn back, his gaze is still intense.
“Bye,” I say awkwardly.
“Be careful,” he responds.
There’s an intense moment of tension between us. It’s quiet and I expect him to say something else or maybe even do something, even if it’s as inappropriate as kissing me, but nothing happens and I leave, heading down to the building’s lobby and the taxi waiting for me.
The ride to Tanner’s restaurant is short, so there isn’t much time to dwell on what’s starting to transpire between me and Theo, which is probably a good thing. I’m a notorious over-thinker when it comes to relationships, which is why I have had so few. I don’t want to deal with the pain I cause myself by obsessing over every little word, look, or touch. I don’t want to worry about whether a guy has lost interest when he hasn’t called me in a day.
So when I see the familiar faces of my cousin and his wife, I forget about Theo and any feelings that might be growing. Tonight is about family and catching up and eating kick-ass Southern food.
“This place is amazing,” I tell Tanner.
His restaurant reminds me of my granny’s kitchen. Growing up, it was my favorite place to be, and she always had a stool for me to stand on so I could help her bake or cook. All the tables have a retro style with chrome accents and each one is covered in a red-and-white gingham tablecloth. There are large paintings of farm animals decorating the walls and I spot a few black-and-white photographs of houses that look familiar.
He sips a beer and smiles. “It was a risk, but I think it might pay off. The local beer scene pairs nicely with our food.” He glances over at Jolene, who isn’t drinking because there is currently a human growing inside her.
“I’ll have to take his word for it,” she says with a smirk. “How did you end up in Portland?”
“Actually, I broke down in Seaside, which is a few hours away,” I explain before telling them about the electrical fire which forced me and the kids into the city.
“And now you’re spending your summer as a nanny?” Tanner’s tone reminds me of the patronizing way my brother Curtis talks to me.
“Yes, I’m the Franklin family’s nanny,” I tell him with a bit of pride. “If I asked Curtis for the money to fix my van, he would have forced me back home to Georgia.”
