And just like that, Cavin and Noel found themselves alone in the kitchen once again standing in nearly the same spot they occupied early this morning.
“I didn’t expect to see you again,” Noel mentioned honestly.
“I kind of owed the kids these jugs,” Cavin insisted, “and I owe you another apology.”
“Cavin, you don’t owe me anything,” Noel claimed, raising a hand as she spoke.“When you said what you said this morning, it triggered a memory.A good memory, just a sad one,” she explained.
“I know,” Cavin responded.
“I doubt you can know this,” she said.
“I know your husband passed away, and I am terribly sorry to hear it and that I hurt you, Noel.”
“You didn’t hurt me,” Noel replied.“But how do you know about Fletcher?”she questioned and frowned slightly.
“Your brother showed up at the house to pump up my tires.”
“What?”
“Wait, you did not send him?”Cavin asked, instantly assuming Keaton tricked him into thinking she did.He should have known the guy only showed up to cause more damage.
“Well, yes, I sent him,” Noel replied, trailing off for a moment.“But he told you...about Fletcher?”she checked.
“Yes,” Cavin answered.“Well, kind of,” he rephrased.
“I can’t believe it,” Noel remarked unable to hide the puzzle pieces trying to come together on her face.
“Did you not want me to know?”Cavin asked.
“It’s not that,” Noel answered.“It’s just that Keaton never talks about what happened to Fletcher, Lexi, and our parents.”
“Your parents?”Cavin questioned.“Lexi?”
“I guess he didn’t mention those details, huh?”Noel asked not surprised.
“Honestly, Keaton did not divulge much at all.He told me to ask you what happened.”
“It’s a long story,” Noel insisted, biting a fingernail.She gnawed on her nails more in the past year than in her whole life, and it wasn’t because she liked the taste of them.“And this isn’t the place or the time to tell it.”
“Will you share the story with me over dinner?”Cavin asked tenderly somewhat surprised by himself.
Noel’s bottom lip quivered as she felt a wall of tears pooling behind her green eyes.She never shared this story with anyone she didn’t know, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to do that quite yet or if she could ever reach that point.
18
Noel wanted to say no to Cavin.Why did he need to know how Fletcher and her parents died?Why would she even consider telling him?She didn’t know this man.He didn’t live here; he lived in Atlanta—500 miles from Beaufort.However, as these thoughts circled through her mind, something deep within Cavin’s caramel-colored eyes struck her in a way she hadn’t experienced since the accident.
Most people wanted to avoid the topic or they waited for her to bring it up, but Cavin asked her—with sincerity and empathy lining his voice—to share the story.He could have asked pretty much anyone who lived here, and they would have given him at least a synopsis of the story.Everyone talked about the accident for months, or at least she heard as much from friends and witnessed the whispers at the grocery store, the bank, and everywhere else she went in order to survive.Mrs.Madelyn ran errands for her for a while, but eventually she encouraged Noel to ease back into the public.She convinced Noel that both she and the kids needed to live their lives even though it was difficult.
Noel figured Cavin was intelligent enough to realize he could ask anyone he met in Beaufort about the accident, yet he showed up here with the courage to look her in the eyes after thinking he hurt her.
“When?”Noel uttered her shaky voice lined with uncertainty.“I have two kids and a candy shop to take care of around the clock; I can’t imagine when I would have time to have dinner with you.”
Mrs.Madelyn pushed back the door just in time to hear that last line Noel spoke to Cavin whose back faced her as she stood quietly hoping not to interrupt such a serious-sounding conversation.She came looking for Noel to let her know it was time to close the store, but customers were still shopping, and she didn’t want to hurry them out knowing Noel desperately needed every penny.Standing there, she thought for a moment about easing her way out, but then she thought better.
“Tonight?Tomorrow night?Next week?Anytime that works for you,” Cavin answered leaving the opportunity wide open.
“Tonight,” Mrs.Madelyn interrupted, knowing if Noel had time to think through the idea of going on a date, if in fact that was the case, she would back out.“Jack and I will watch the children.He would love to have them over since he rarely gets out anymore.”
