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“Jeez, she also stuck in a tray of mashed taters. Do you think there are enough carbs?”
“You’d better add some dinner rolls. Wait! Therearedinner rolls.”
“It figures. Let’s eat.”
He gave her a large white china plate and she unabashedly loaded up. Trying not to make her feel uncomfortable, he turned away when he saw the amount of food she was taking, a tiny girl eating like it was her last meal but not before she saw it amused him.
“Hey! I’m hungry.”
“I didn’t say a word,” he said defensively.
“You didn’t have to. You have the most expressive face I’ve ever seen on a guy.”
“My maw maw knew it was for you so she must know you like to eat,” he replied.
“Miss Spencer knows all my preferences,” Katy said, laughing.
She followed him out to the screened porch that stretched across the back of the shack, looking out upon an estuary that came alive at sunset with diving otters and feeding birds and mammals of every type, including wild horses. The sky turned a glorious range of oranges and purples as the sun sunk lower in the sky. Fascinated, Katy ate and observed, totally comfortable and at peace. They talked, mostly him asking her questions about school and what was next for her after graduation.
“This is amazing,” she finally said. “Thank you so much for inviting me to dinner. I could sit right here and look out at that view and be content for the rest of my life.”
“What do you want to do with the rest of your life?” Studying her face, Adam felt a growing attraction to her, wondering how that would work with her returning to San Diego at the end of January.
“I’m not sure, honestly. I thought I wanted to stay out west. I got accepted into medical school for next fall. I thought my parents would pass out they were so excited. It didn’t make any difference that I would be in debt until I died. I’d have to borrow every cent.
“And then last summer, working at the day care with my sister, I loved being part of the community again, getting to know the kids and their parents, seeing old high school buddies.” She looked into his eyes. “Making friends with the lifeguard at the pool was the highlight.”
“It was my highlight, too.”
“The problem is that my parents expect me to do something big. Like I’m going to be the ticket to pulling our family out of poverty.”
“In what way?” Adam asked, concerned. He understood it when families placed high hopes on overachieving offspring.
“Because of the scholarship and then getting accepted into medical school. And I don’t want that. I’m not interested in practicing medicine now. I don’t think I ever was; it was their dream for me.”
“You might just be going through a thing right now. You probably shouldn’t make any life-changing decisions.”
“But I like the day care!”
“Lucky for me this coming summer. I won’t worry about Adelaide for a second.”
“What about you? Your life changed pretty quick.”
“I guess you were pretty disgusted when you heard about my problem.”
“No, not disgusted,” she replied. “Sad. I know you hadn’t planned to start a family under those circumstances.”
He explained about Terry Marco, the husband, not allowing Ashlie to keep Adelaide.
“Her husband is a total asshole,” Katy said. “But I’m glad for you because you don’t need to worry about the way he’ll treat your daughter.”
“Exactly. I’m trying to be as accommodating as I can so Adelaide never has to go there for any length of time. Please keep that confidential.”
They reached for each other’s hands.
“I give you my word,” Katy said.
That moment sealed a deal between Adam and Katy, although they didn’t know it yet, where they’d be confidants and each other’s go-to person when they needed advice with no lecture forthcoming. The student/teacher thing turned out not to be a problem. Wise for her years, Katy had plenty of insight. Adam wondered if it was the sophistication of living so far from home or if she was just one of those women who were born wise.
