Me: Me too.
Me: I also want to go on a date.
Dermot: Noted.
Me: With you.
Dermot: Thank God.
Me: So yeah.
Dermot: Yeah.
When nothing else comes,I inhale deeply to keep myself from tossing my phone. I set my phone down slowly, just as Mom and Willa back up, acting as if they didn’t read all that.
And then I promptly drop my face to the counter.
“Maggie! You’re still concussed.”
“Not enough since I keep saying dumb shit.”
“That was painful,” Willa said, shaking her head. “You’re so weird.”
“Eat ass, Willa,” I mutter against the cool surface.
From the living room, Sadie yells, “She wishes she could!”
Willa sighs deeply. “It’d be nice.”
With that, Mom yells, “Girls!”
nine
. . .
Dermot
“I just want it known,I’m utterly obsessed with her,” Tessa announces.
Same.
I roll my eyes playfully as I shut her car door behind her in front of the clinic. I usually park in the back during business hours, but after we’re closed, I park out here. We elected to drive back to Holiday Ridge after the wait times in Lake Placid were outrageous. We got our meals to go from the local diner and decided to eat at my place since Kip is home alone. According to my sister, I’m emotionally dependent on him.
No comment.
Even though we drove separately, we talked the whole way back.
About Maggie.
“Why haven’t you asked her out?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug as we start up the walking path that leads to the clinic. The stone walkway has very dead bushes that are covered in snow at the moment instead of flowers. “I wantto,” I say softly. “I just love what we have right now. It’s so fucking perfect, and I don’t want to ruin it if she doesn’t feel the same.”
She gives me a look of exasperation as I take the food from her. She glances over at the circle of Holiday Ridge. I have the best view of Promise Pond, in my opinion, and behind it in the distance is God’s masterpiece—the Adirondack Mountains. It’s a breathtaking view, and sometimes I wonder why Tessa won’t just move here. I may not get out to experience everything, but I know she would. She’d love it and could live with me to enjoy the views daily. Low black iron fences surround each business along the outer perimeter of the downtown area, and another set of iron fencing rings the pond. It makes a perfect circle around Promise Pond, which is great for the tourists. They can do the whole loop, and on Saturdays, the market is set up. No matter the temp or the weather, everyone is out.
“I was going to ask her to the market this weekend,” I answer shyly. “I want to show her who I am before I rush into anything.”
Tessa gives me a sidelong look. Her hair is in two braids with her knit hat pulled down over her ears. She’s wearing her pink Carhartt jacket, and her cheeks shine the same color. “Give her a chance to not want you before you allow yourself to want her?”
