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HENEEDEDTOchat with Tess.
Which would be easier if he knew what to say. He still had no idea what was happening with these new feelings for Carly appearing out of nowhere, but something in him had shifted. And before he could explore what that was, he needed to talk to Tess about their future. Did she envision it being just the two of them forever? Or was she open to him finding happiness again with someone? With Carly?
He shook his head. Where on earth had that sudden deep desire for his friend come from? Did she return the feelings? In the shed earlier that day, there had definitely been chemistry, a sexual tension that had never existed before—or maybe he just hadn’t noticed? Or chose not to notice? He’d always admired and respected her. She was the only person in town he trusted—the only person in his life, really. He’d always loved being around her, but now that attraction seemed to be pulling him a different way. He still longed to be around her easygoing, caring, upbeat nature, but now there was also a desire to touch her, kiss her, see what those lips tasted like, feel the soft silkiness of her skin, breathe in the scent of her hair...
He felt his body stir and he cleared his throat as he headed down the hall toward Tess’s room, where the sound of a new pop album floated out into the hallway.
As he neared the door, he heard her singing off-key and grinned.
Tess was so much like her mother. Alison loved to sing too. She couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, but she didn’t care. She said a singing person was a happy person. Tess was the same. Spirited, full of life and uninhibited. In Tess, he would always have a piece of Alison.
His gut tightened. Would Tess ever be okay with someone else being in their lives? Taking over that role? No one could replace her mother, but maybe his daughter could learn to love and respect someone else. Someone she already did love and respect in a different way.
He tapped on the door and waited for her “come in” before entering.
“Hey, Dad,” she said.
Inside, she was packing items into her backpack for the weeklong summer camp at the Marine Life Sanctuary starting the next day. She’d attended the camps at the conservatory every year since she was four years old. She loved learning about marine life and the environmental efforts that Dr. Ann Sweeny and her small team of researchers were implementing and studying here in Port Serenity. Every year, there was a new focus for the camp and the kids learned something different. Dr. Ann kept the learning fun with games and activities, but she also taught the kids some complex things. She took them out to the observation cabin across from the docks to study creatures in the wild, as well as teaching research methods in the lab.
Tess always enjoyed the camp, and each time it ended, she was more convinced than ever that a career in marine biology was the future she wanted. Oliver thought his daughter would be perfectly suited for the job, but knowing she would be choosing a life near the water and its unpredictability made him slightly uneasy. He’d never deter Tess from following her dreams, but he secretly hoped that as she got older, that dream might shift to something safer, something preferably on land. He watched her pack her hat and sun cream into the bag and felt the same pride he always felt seeing his daughter be responsible.
He did a few awkward-looking hip-hop dance moves to the upbeat music before saying, “Can I turn this down just a bit?”
Tess nodded, a slight frown appearing on her face. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, we just need to talk for a sec,” he said, suddenly second-guessing if they really did need to talk. Nothing was going on between him and Carly, except some supercharged sexual tension, and he still wasn’t sure he was going to act on it in any way—or if she was even really up for it. Maybe they should figure it out before they talked to Tess.
Tess looked sheepish as she lowered the volume on her music. “I know what this is about, and before you get upset, I couldn’t just leave it out in the cold.”
Couldn’t leavewhatout in the cold, exactly? He quickly scanned the room. “What are you talking about?”
Tess’s expression changed to one of wide-eyed innocence. “Nothing. What areyoutalking about?”
Oliver sighed, his own topic on hold. “Tess, what kind of animal do you have hiding in here?” Could be a dozen animals hiding among this mess. Even ones she knew nothing about. Clothes littered the floor. Magazines, papers and books were strewn everywhere except where they belonged on her desk. Her bookshelf was in disarray and he didn’t even dare look under the bed.
“I’m finding him a home, but I couldn’t just leave him outside,” she said, slowly opening her closet. Inside, a tiny, frail white-and-orange kitten lay curled up on a T-shirt, a bowl of milk beside him. In Oliver’s favorite cereal bowl. Mystery solved as to where it had gone.
Oliver’s heartstrings tugged involuntarily—the thing was adorable, but he had to stay strong. They weren’t adopting a kitten. Even if it was the cutest little thing he’d ever seen.
Shit.
He moved closer and peered at the sleeping, purring animal. His fur looked matted and he was far too thin. “How long has he been in here?”
“Two days. I found him in your shed...when I was absolutelynotsnooping for my birthday gift.”
Oliver rolled his eyes.
“But just off topic, my favorite color is teal green—in case you ever need that information.”
He sucked in a breath. Wow, his planned conversation had taken two quick detours in record time. “Acknowledged. Now, you say you are trying to find him a home?”
“I told Darcy about him and said if anyone mentioned a missing kitten, to let me know right away.”
Didn’t sound like she was trying too hard. “Tess, you know we can’t keep him.”
“Why not?” she asked.
Unfortunately, he had no real answer. It wasn’t like a dog that required daily walks and took up a lot of space, or a guinea pig that needed a cage and a place to set up. A kitten couldn’t be that much work...
