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It’s only two when we get to town, but the hotel has our room ready so we’re able to check in early. It’s one of the big chains, and I reserved a suite with a direct ocean view.
It’s December—hardly the time of year for sunbathing—but it’s still exciting to get a great view. I take a blanket and wrap it around me so I can sit on one of the lounge chairs on the balcony.
North Carolina weather is variable in December. Some years it’s up toward seventy and sunny. Today it’s in the low fifties with some big, thick clouds blowing over. The ocean breeze is chilly, but it’s fine with the blanket.
After Chase calls his grandma to check in, he comes out to the balcony to join me, wrapped in a blanket of his own.
I giggle at the sight of his sober face above his bundled-up form.
“Why is it funny for me but not for you?” he asks as he situates himself on the lounge chair beside me.
“I don’t know. It just is. How’s Grandma?”
“She’s good. She’s been following our agenda step by step as we predicted, and she’s excited about the lights on the beach tonight.”
“I’m excited too. Is she missing you a lot?”
“I don’t know,” he admits, gazing out at the crashing waves. “She wouldn’t tell me if she is. Wouldn’t want me to worry.”
“Oh. I guess that’s true.” I frown. “She does sound all right though, right?”
“Yeah. She does. I think I’d be able to tell if something was wrong. She might miss me a little—I mean who wouldn’t?—but I think she’s doing just fine.”
“Does she get on you a lot for not getting out and doing things?”
“Yeah. That’s why I think she wouldn’t let me know if something was wrong. She’d be afraid I’d turn around and come back home.”
“Well, if there was an emergency with her, Darlene or someone else would call and tell you. And we would definitely turn around and come back home.”
“Yeah. I know. She just worries about me. She thinks I’m giving up too much to take care of her.”
“She was telling me the same thing.” I pause. Then decide I want to say it. “You have given up a lot.”
He shrugs and avoids my eyes. “Not that much. So I didn’t go to college. I wasn’t superexcited about that anyway.”
“You were always planning to go when you were younger.”
“Just because everyone else was. The idea wasn’t special to me. I’ve been fine.” He finally turns his head to hold my gaze. “I’ve been fine, Paige. Don’t you start up all that too.”
“I’m not starting anything up. Honestly, I’d be kind of sad if you had moved away.” When he looks surprised, I add, “Well, if you lived somewhere else, I wouldn’t be able to see you every day. I wouldn’t have liked that at all.”
His shoulders shake a couple of times in dry, silent laughter, but I can tell from his expression that he likes what I said.
It made him happy, so I’m glad I said it.
LATER THAT EVENING, we head down to the beach, walking south to the start of the lights and then heading north on the sand.
I didn’t make any definite plans for dinner tonight since there are a number of small eating places and food vendors along the beach strips because of the light displays. We wander slowly, admiring every elaborate light sculpture and vignette. There are a lot of other people around, but that just makes the feeling in the area active and festive. It’s very chilly now, but we’re both wearing our heavy coats, and I’ve got a cute red set of matching gloves, scarf, and stocking cap to wear.
Chase is wearing his regular cap and a pair of heavy mittens that his grandmother knitted for him.
I’m pretty sure he’s wearing them because he knows they’ll make me laugh.
For the past two days, I only occasionally think about that hot kiss between us. I’ve always been pretty good at disciplining my mind, but it’s impossible to keep that memory completely at bay.
Sometimes it makes me squirmy and excited.
And sometimes it makes me incredibly worried.
