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He tilted his head from side to side.
“My body is adjusting to real work again, but my coworker is hostile.”
“I’m sure it means a lot to him that you’re here to help out.”
“He has a funny way of showing it.”
Adam’s relationship with his father has always been a bit strained. I imagine the fact that he hasn’t been home in nearly a decade hasn’t helped that. But it’s not my business anymore.
Thea jumped down and sniffed around the truck. I took that as my cue to wrap things up here.
“Dr. Madden gave me some bungee cords to put on the gate so hopefully Thea won’t be able to escape anymore and bother you.”
“She’s not a bother.” He glanced at Thea then shifted his eyes back to me. The corner of his mouth kicked up in an adorable smile. “We always planned on getting either a Golden Retrieiver or a Lab.”
I made the mistake of looking directly into his eyes as he uttered that last sentence. We’ve been over for a long time, so I shouldn’t be so thrown off balance by meeting his gaze, but I am. And even though that pissed me off, it took Thea barking for me to snap out of it and look away.
She jumped up on the drivers’ side door again and this time licked Adam’s cheek.
“What’s the matter?” he asked. “Are we ignoring you?”
Thea’s tongue lolled to the side as he rubbed her ears. While Adam focused on her, I thought about what he said before I got lost in his eyes. We’d planned a lot of things, but they just weren’t meant to be. And that’s exactly what I should have said to him instead of just standing there like an idiot.
“Thea is actually a Golden-Irish.” My tone was a bit too harsh so I tempered it when I spoke to Thea. “What do you think, girl? Should we go get a drink then work in the yard?”
Thea hopped down and sat next at my side, looking between Adam and me.
“You ladies enjoy yourselves,” Adam said. “I’ll see you later.”
Not if I can help it, but instead of saying that, I nodded and turned toward my house. Adam waited until Thea was inside before slowly backing down his driveway. She peeked out the door just before I closed it, looking forlorn.
Apparently my girl and I need to have a heart-to-heart about her fascination with the boy next door. I mentally snorted at that thought. Once upon a time Nanny Jules had a similar conversation with me and look how that turned out.
* * *
Adam
I slowly mademy way to my brother's house, taking in the scenery around me. The last time I was here, the road was lined with trees, but now many have been cleared and there are several houses along the way. As I turned onto Andrew’s driveway, I saw more changes. The small shack he and Maggie had bought solely because of its location and acreage has been remodeled into a beautiful two-story house. In the distance, there are now also stables, a round pen, and some horses scattered through the field. I’ve seen pictures of the transformation, but they didn’t do it justice.
As I took in the space, an article I read years ago about a musician came to mind. When he discussed being on the road, he said how surreal it is sometimes. While he was traveling the country or even the world, people got married, divorced, had kids, and some even died. But in a weird way, time stood still for him, like he was living in a weird type of bubble. That’s exactly how I feel being back in Seaside.
I’ve moved from city to city, climbing the corporate ladder, working in cookie-cutter offices, and living in short-term rentals while my friends here have been building lives and having families.
I pushed those thoughts away as I got out of the truck and walked toward the house. My sister-in-law Maggie opened the door as I stepped onto the porch.
“Hey stranger,” she said and pulled me into a hug.
“How are you, Mags?”
“I’m good.”
“It’s so good to see you.” She released me and stepped back, then punched me in the arm. “Why have you stayed away so long? We’ve missed you.”
“I honestly didn’t plan on staying away, but work keeps me busy.” I shrugged. “And time just slipped away.”
“Now that you’re living in Dublin, maybe we’ll come visit you.”
“Sure. Anytime.” She didn’t seem to believe I’d welcome them, but instead of trying to convince her, I said, “You’ve done a lot of work here. The place looks great.”
