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He was such a great guy, but he wasn’t the right one for her.
Feeling a hand on her hip, she turned and grinned as Oliver dragged her away from the room and toward the back of the store. Dressed in faded jeans and a light gray Henley, rolled at the sleeves, his hair messy just the way she loved it and five-o’clock stubble along his jawline, he was the best thing she’d seen all day. She’d always found him handsome, but since they’d started making out, her attraction had doubled. He looked happier now, and while the brooding look had definitely worked well for him, this new expression increased his hotness rating. Or maybe it was because she knew she was the reason for it.
“You’re early,” she whispered, not wanting to interrupt Tess’s lesson.
“Wanted to sneak in a few kisses before I picked up Tess,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Carly moved them between several shelves, out of view of a few customers browsing. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoes to kiss him. Soft, gently at first, then with more passion. He tasted like peppermint gum and his cologne wafting on the air between them awakened her senses. Before that week, he never wore cologne, and while she’d always loved his natural scent, the effort with the cologne meant something to her. He wasn’t taking their relationship for granted; he was stepping things up a notch for her.
His hands slid up the length of her body to grip her rib cage, holding her tight against him as he deepened the kiss. She was out of breath and desperate for air, but she didn’t dare stop kissing him. This was new and exciting and her whole world seemed to have been turned upside down in the best way that week.
She could stand there, lost in Oliver’s embrace, all day.
“Hmm-hmm,” a voice interrupted, and the two of them broke apart quickly.
Carly’s cheeks flushed, noticing they had an audience of several browsers. Two older women, wearing matching Sealena T-shirts, looked at them with amused expressions as one pointed to the display of books they were blocking.
“Sorry. Excuse us,” Carly said, hiding a grin as she ushered Oliver out of the row and toward the counter. “That was close. Luckily it wasn’t Tess who caught us,” she said, still a little worried about what the little girl would think when she found out. They couldn’t keep this from her for long.
Oliver shook his head. “She already knows—or suspects, anyway,” he said.
Carly’s pulse raced. “Is she okay with it?”
He nodded. “Amazingly supportive.”
Relief flowed through her. Having Tess’s support meant everything. It was the next best thing to having Alison’s. Deep down, Carly knew her friend would want Oliver to move on and be happy, find a forever with someone else, give Tess another chance at the family she deserved. But it still made her heart lighter to know that there was no resistance from the other person most affected by their union. “I’m so glad. Maybe we could all go out to dinner tonight?” Really have a discussion about what was going on, be up front with Tess...
“Actually, Tess is sleeping at the wildlife conservatory tonight—it’s an end of summer camp thing that Dr. Ann has arranged, a sleeping under the stars kind of thing, for everyone who attended camp this summer. And I was wondering if I could take you on a date. A real one. A first one.”
Carly smiled, her heart feeling so full, she thought it might explode. “I’d like that, but don’t expect to get lucky on the first date,” she teased.
Oliver kissed her again. “Let’s pretend it’s the second one, then.”
AFTERDROPPINGTESSoff at the Marine Life Sanctuary that evening for the sleepover, Oliver drove across town toward Main Street, feeling more nervous than he’d felt in a long time.
Which was foolish.
He was going on a date with Carly. She was his best friend and someone he spent a lot of time with. They’d discussed practically everything two people could discuss and in recent days they’d grown intimate. So, being nervous about burgers and milkshakes at the diner seemed ridiculous, but his hands sweated against the wheel and his mouth was dry.
They were good at being friends. They were good at being intimate. But would they be good as a couple? What if they weren’t as compatible as they thought? What if they had different ideas about the relationship and how things should go? What if when they found themselves under the pressure of a label, things felt strained?
His heart raced and he swallowed hard, but when he pulled up in front of her house and saw her standing on the sidewalk, dressed in a beautiful, pale yellow sundress and strappy heels, her dark hair piled high in a loose bun on her head, exposing her long, thin, sexy neck, all anxiety melted away. She was beautiful and breathtaking, but still Carly. The woman he’d always cherished and depended on. The woman he trusted like no one else. The one who made him laugh on his worst days and who was there for him through so much.
He had nothing to worry about with things changing between them, because at the core of their relationship, there was a strong foundation of trust, respect and love. It took most couples a long time to build that and they were starting off with it. They were lucky.
He was lucky.
Parking next to the curb, he climbed out of the truck and hurried to the passenger side to open the door for her. “You look beautiful,” he said, almost wishing he’d worn something less casual, but he was a jeans and button-down type of guy and, hopefully, Carly loved him the way he was.
“Thank you,” she said, kissing his cheek before climbing into the truck.
He got back behind the wheel and turned to face her. “I was going to suggest the diner, but you look too amazing.”
She shook her head. “I’m craving a burger and a milkshake. I haven’t eaten all day,” she said, to his relief.
He wasn’t a fancy restaurant kind of guy and he appreciated that Carly wasn’t the type to insist on fine dining either. How many nights had they laughed for hours over burgers and milkshakes? Just because the relationship dynamic had changed didn’t mean he had to.
Only made him appreciate and feel comfortable about the situation even more.
