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“I hope so,” I said. “But it almost makes me more nervous being the one to take charge. I think I’ve gotten too used to letting the guy make the first move and he’s a lot older than me.”
“Fuck that, you’re a strong, independent woman and when you want to flex that by kissing a guy, you do it!”
She pointed at me, dramatically, as she spoke, and I giggled.
“That’s right!” I said. “Gosh, I’m glad you came up to see me today. I’m going to be coming down to return the favor soon. I promise. I want to see the kids and Neils and everything again.”
“Good,” she told me. “Libby talks about you all the time, too. I know she misses you.”
“And I miss her!” I cried. “And Connor. I’m sure he misses me, too, he’s just not old enough to put that into words yet.”
Erin laughed. “I’m sure of it.”
The conversation continued throughout the day without really getting back around to Gavin, but what else was there to say about it? I knew Erin had a point when she said I ought to be the one to make a move, and honestly, I could do it. It was just a matter of having the guts when the time came.
Erin stayed most of the day, and by the time she left, it was nearly sunset. I’d taken her with me to help Kim with her flowers, and the two had gotten along very well. Erin was one of those who got along with everyone, so I couldn’t say I was that surprised. But it made the day go by altogether too quickly in my opinion, and I hated seeing her go.
As the taillights faded down the road, I sighed. I was tired after the day, especially after being up so late the night before, but after spending the day with my best friend, I was way too keyed up to hope for sleep anytime soon. And I knew the worst thing in the world was lying in bed tossing and turning, begging for sleep, knowing it would not come.
So, I chose to take a walk. The beach was wide open, and if I stayed within sight of the complex, I wasn’t at all worried about running into any creeps. I just wanted to go watch the waves and think for a while. Reflect on the place I was in my life right now and what I wanted to do.
And, more importantly, who I wanted to spend it with.
Though I had a feeling I already knew.
Chapter Sixteen
Gavin
I lay in bed and stared up at the ceiling, listening to the vehicle outside.
I figured it was that girl who came to visit Krissy that day. She must have been getting ready to leave. When I heard it driving away, I felt satisfied in my deductions, though, without the hum of the engine outside, the night once again felt too quiet.
I was having another night dealing with bad insomnia, and I was tired of tossing and turning without actually falling asleep. I often dealt with insomnia when I was deployed, and I’d hoped that once I got out of the Navy, it would go away.
It improved but hadn’t gone away by any means, and I was getting frustrated with the night.
Finally, I gave up on sleeping and decided I would go outside to get some fresh air.
It was dark, and the sound of the waves crashing on the shoreline would probably do me some good. It would help clear my mind anyway, I was confident on that front.
I got out of bed and threw on some clothes, then I headed outside.
The night had a cool breeze, and the fresh air immediately gave me a small rush of relief. It was enough to prompt me to keep going with my idea, so I headed around the side of my bungalow and back toward the beach.
There were a few large logs lying around for the residents to sit on, and someone was already on the beach watching the waves. It didn’t take me long to realize it was Krissy. She’d already seen me coming, and she gave me a small wave when I was closer.
“Out here by yourself at night again?” I asked when I was close enough for her to hear me.
“I figured staying in sight of the complex was a safe bet,” she said. “If I saw anyone creepy, I would just start screaming at this point. I’m close enough to the bungalows I’m sure someone would hear me.”
“Unless they sneaked up on you,” I said.
“That’s creepy,” she replied. “You say shit like that, and it makes me wonder what’s going on in that brain of yours.”
“I’m not saying I’m going to sneak up on you. I’m just saying that there are creepy people out there. I’ve done my fair share of K & R work, so trust me when I say I know what I’m talking about here,” I told her.
“K & R?”
