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“That’s what Violet said this morning. I figured I would go, and it’s always nicer if you know someone.”
“You want to go with me?” He probably shouldn’t have asked, because he didn’t think that she was saying it as a hint, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity. What was the worst that could happen? She’d tell him no, and he’d be disappointed but not deterred.
“I’d love to,” she said, and the pink that stained her cheeks made her look adorable and cute. He wasn’t quite sure where it came from.
She wasn’t stiff-arming him, pushing him away, so it encouraged him to push a little.
“I usually walk. Is that okay?”
“Absolutely. Even if it’s raining, I think I have an umbrella around here somewhere.”
“There’s one in the closet. I’ve used it a time or two.”
“All right. Oh! I meant to ask you if the dishes here are yours.”
“Some of them. Some of them were here. I wasn’t going to try to differentiate between the two. It’s not that big of a deal.”
She nodded, and a small cloud passed over her face, like him mentioning that buying a few dishes wasn’t exactly a hardship for him made her sad somehow.
“Money isn’t completely evil.” He wasn’t sure if that was the issue or not, but he threw that out there.
“I know. I guess...” She sighed. “I just wish life were simple, you know? That people said what they meant, instead of trying to flatter you and take advantage of you when you’re not suspecting it. That you just knew whether people liked you or not, and they didn’t pretend to if they didn’t, or... I don’t know.”
“I think I get it. But it’s wishful thinking, because life is never going to be simple. Even the idea of simple times is really an illusion. Because those sweet sunsets on the porch still come after a day of work, which is done because you have a mortgage on the place and you don’t have a choice.”
“I know. But they’re pretty pictures to look at and to think about, aren’t they?”
He nodded, liking that she understood what he was saying.
They chatted a bit more, with him expressing surprise at how good the strawberry coffee cake was and with silences that did not feel uncomfortable or awkward.
As they sat at the table with their empty plates in front of them, Kim said, “Did you have plans? Because, even though it’s been a busy morning, I guess I’m kind of eager to get started on our business plan and trying to figure things out. I... I’m excited about it. Violet and I talked a little, and I admitted to her that I was scared, and she had some great words of encouragement for me.”
“You don’t need to be scared,” he said right away, feeling bad that he hadn’t been the one to reassure her, although he was glad that she had someone. And he was glad that she was admitting it now.
“I know. I just... I know you’ll help me however you can, but that in itself makes me nervous, you know?”
“How?” he asked, suspecting he already knew the answer.
“We already talked about how a partnership is a lot like a marriage. I guess... I guess I’ve just been burned before, and I feel like the only person I can depend on is myself, and the idea that I’m depending on you makes me feel not just like I can’t do it on my own, but also like I don’t want to be constantly wondering whether or not the person who’s doing business with me, like the person who was doing life with me, is going to quit on me.”
“Would it make you feel better if we sign a contract between us?” He couldn’t think of how else to ease her mind.
“There was a contract between Todd and me. He broke it.”
“Right.”
“I’m sorry. It must be really insulting to you to think that I’m comparing you to Todd. I’m really not.”
“Thanks. Because yeah. I appreciate the fact that you acknowledge that there’s a difference between the two of us.”
“For sure. I just know I need to proceed with caution. I feel like the divorce really messed Alyssa up. I don’t want to do that to this baby.”
“Of course not. I appreciate the fact that your baby is an important part of your consideration.”
“She is for sure. Actually, I wondered if I’ll even be able to do a boarding stable with a newborn. How am I going to go out and muck stalls this winter?”
“That’s a good question.” He’d be willing to muck stalls, but she had just said that she didn’t want to depend on him, so that offer wasn’t what she needed. Not until she could believe that he would stay. But he couldn’t force that belief for her.
