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“Well, maybe I’ll have to go over and check, just to make sure.”
“You go ahead and do that. My room is your room.”
“I don’t think that’s quite how that saying goes.”
And there they were, laughing again. Even though they really shouldn’t be. Or maybe they should be. They had something hard to face, but instead of getting all worried and concerned about it, she felt okay with Mark beside her. Better than okay, confident.
Even if she was a little nervous about what was going to happen once they got to his room. Talk about messing up a friendship. They’d certainly never done anything like that before. She had no idea how they’d handle it, but... She supposed that they would do it...very similar to the way they just handled it now. With some humor, talking it out a bit, and dealing with it, the way they always did.
Except, she was probably fooling herself if she thought that this was the same as everything else they faced. It had the potential to shift their relationship in a seismic way.
They didn’t say too much for the rest of the ride, and although Pam enjoyed it, there was still something that nagged her the entire way.
But they thanked Rodney as he grinned from ear to ear, opening the little door to the carriage and pulling the steps out and helping them down.
“I’m just happy I have something that I could give you. A wedding gift.”
“I appreciate it. It was the best carriage ride I’ve ever had,” Mark said with a grin and a wink.
Pam and Rodney both laughed, knowing that he meant it was the only carriage ride he’d ever had too.
But she loved it, and she would love to go back for another one. Mark made her feel special, and it was romantic as well.
“We’ll have to make this a yearly thing on our anniversary. A carriage ride to mark the day.” Mark looked down at her, and she got caught with her mouth open, unsure of what to say.
She supposed she hadn’t thought about their anniversaries in future years. She hadn’t really thought this whole thing through at all. Which was kind of funny, because usually she thought everything through, but for the last week, she’d thought nothing through.
Then she smiled. At the idea of them having more anniversaries and having something to mark them.
She nodded. “Rodney, you count on it.”
“Well, I’d definitely like to. But I’m probably going to college next year. But I have an idea of someone to take my place. So the horses will be here, and the carriage, hopefully, and maybe once I’m done with school, I’ll be back.”
“I hate to see you leave Strawberry Sands, but I understand.” Mark held his hand out, and Rodney looked surprised, then he grasped it and shook it, and Pam smiled as it seemed like his chest puffed out even more.
She appreciated Mark doing that, making the kid feel so good. But he was used to working with kids that age. He hired a lot of high school and college kids who were on break over the summer to help in his business.
It had helped him know how to relate to her girls, even though he usually worked with boys. It showed character to be teachable, to learn how to deal with people, to know that he was the boss, but instead of leading from a position of power and authority, leading by relating to people and working with them. Pulling rank when he had to, of course, because there was never any doubt that he was the boss, but making sure that each of his employees knew that they were valued and wanted.
She’d often wished she worked for such a great boss.
They bid farewell to Rodney, and as they turned to walk up the sand to the sidewalk, Mark took her hand again.
It felt natural this time, and she threaded her fingers with his easily. Loving the way it felt, loving what it said, and wondering if maybe they were moving toward a shift in their relationship, but a good one. One that...felt natural, the way the rest of their relationship would surely feel.
She hoped so.
