“Isn’t it great?” Avery asked. “She’s so talented.”
“I love drawing,” Josie said. “But I want to be a vet now.”
“Oh,” she said. “It’d be nice to have two on the island.”
“I told Josie that she’s young yet and will change her mind many times, but to keep it open for all possibilities.”
Which was exactly why she was here and thrilled to have Avery’s ear.
“So,” she said. Dinner was done, the baby was sleeping, Josie was in her room doing homework. “I need advice.”
“Man advice?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m your lady,” Avery said, getting comfortable on the couch. “Are you dating someone?”
“No. But I’ve got a date on Sunday.”
“Good for you. Who is it? Anyone I know or have heard of on the island? Or is it off the island?”
“It’s on the island. Someone I went to college with. He’s staying at The Retreat and we ran into each other.”
“Oh, this just got more interesting. First, that you would date a guest. Second, that it’s someone from your past. Three, that you’d even consider something long distance.”
“That’s where things are tricky. He’s here for a month.”
“At The Retreat for a month?” Avery asked, her eyebrows lifted high.
“Yes. I was surprised too.”
She explained Arik’s situation without going into too much detail, just that he could easily afford it thanks to some smart investments. He wasn’t working at the moment, and honestly, she wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing with his time.
“So long distance can be taken off the table because it sounds as if he doesn’t even have a home.”
“It sounds like that. We didn’t get that far. With the amount of traveling he’s done, if he owns one—or even has an apartment—he’s not there often. He mentioned his grandmother and that he stayed with her at times.”
“That’s kind of sweet.”
“I thought so. So yes, the long distance thing isn’t on my mind much. And he’s here a month with no timeline after that. Again, not something I’m too worried about.”
“Okay. But you’re worried about something. You knew him in college. Did you date?”
“No. I think he wanted to, but I was focused on getting out of there. I crammed so much into that last semester to only need three classes over the summer and be gone for good.”
“Was it really so horrible for you at college?”
“No. I didn’t feel as if I fit in. I wanted to try it but shouldn’t have gone so far or even to such a big college.” She waved her hand dismissing her feelings of being left out and thinking of the Davey situation. “It’s in the past. Back to Arik. He’s always made me laugh and I let my guard down around him.”
“Now we are getting somewhere. You rarely cut loose. How did he do that?”
“I have no idea, but it happened. I say things to him like I do to the family. He has this quiet confidence that brings mine out like no one else does. Probably sounds weird, huh?”
“Nope. Carter was the same with me. You end up not giving properly appropriate responses and replies?” Avery asked primly.
Natalie sighed. “You make me sound cold.” She never thought she was, but there’d been times she’d heard things best left away from her ears. That she was often robotic and dull in college and it was what helped her navigate the rest of her time there.
“You’re the least cold person I know. Truly. But you’re always so... perfect. You say nothing negative to anyone or around people.”
