“Yes!” Oscar exclaimed, clapping his hands.
Chloe smiled. “That sounds nice.”
“Great,” Liam said, standing up. “It’s a date, then.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow. “A playdate.”
He chuckled. “Something like that. Does three-thirty at the park’s entrance sound okay?”
“That’s perfect.” The crowd in The Welcome Center thinned as people finished their coffee and headed home. Chloe gathered her belongings, making sure Oscar had all his things.
“Do you need a hand?” Liam asked.
“I think we’ve got everything,” she replied, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder.
They walked out of the meeting room with Trixie trotting alongside Oscar.
“Thanks for keeping us company tonight and for offering to help,” Chloe said to Liam.
“I’m glad I bumped into you.”
She looked at him and smiled. “Me too.” Oscar yawned, and she held his hand. “We’d better get going. Someone needs his bedtime story.”
Oscar tugged at Liam’s sleeve. “Will you read me a story someday?”
“I’d like that very much.”
Oscar’s smile made Chloe sigh. “Goodnight, Liam. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
After Oscar handed Liam Trixie’s leash, Chloe walked toward the large wooden doors with her son. Before they left the center, she glanced back at Liam. He stood watching them with a gentle smile on his face.
When their eyes connected, a surge of hope flared inside her. What if they could be more than friends? With all the new beginnings in Sapphire Bay, perhaps there was room for something more in her life. Even if it only lasted for a few weeks.
The next morningdawned bright and clear. After finishing her shift at The Welcome Center, Chloe headed to the park with Oscar.
“Do you think Liam and Trixie will be here soon?” Oscar asked, swinging his hand in hers as they walked toward the entrance.
“I’m sure they will be,” Chloe assured him.
As if on cue, Liam appeared farther down the street, Trixie leading the way. Oscar waved energetically. “They’re here!”
If she wasn’t holding Oscar’s hand, she was sure he would have run down the street to meet them.
Liam approached with a warm smile. “Hello, you two.”
“Hi.” Chloe had no idea how a pair of faded jeans, a blue sweatshirt, and a navy ski jacket could look so good on anyone, but Liam could have stepped off the pages of a magazine.
Trixie walked up to Oscar and sat in front of him, gazing at the stick in his hand with her chocolate brown eyes.
Liam handed Trixie’s leash to Oscar. “I think she wants you to hold her while we go for a walk.”
Oscar stood a little taller, taking his dog walking responsibilities very seriously. When Trixie stood on all fours, Oscar patted her back. “I brought a stick. Do you want to play fetch?”
With her tail flipping back and forth, Trixie gave a happy woof before following Oscar to the edge of the park.
Chloe looked around them. “Be careful of anyone walking past, Oscar.”
“I will.” With a big effort, he launched the stick into the air, laughing excitedly when Trixie chased after it.
