Before she leaves the room, I catch her hand and pull her back to me gently. She laughs and stumbles into me.
I take my time, kissing her, breathing in her vanilla-and-coconut scent. “Have fun at yoga.”
“I will. I’ll plan dinner tonight,” she says.
“I like doing life with you,” I say.
Her expression softens. “I like doing life with you, too.”
She kisses me again and then pulls back, giving me that smile I feel all the way in my soul. I stand there watching as she heads out.
I don’t know how this will work yet. I just know I don’t want to go back to the version of my life that didn’t include her.
Tonight, Silvie planned dinner at the Seashell Diner. Silvie, I have discovered, is not much of a cook. And when she says she’s going to take care of dinner, she means either picking up or choosing the place we’ll get takeout from. And I don’t mind, because every day feels like an adventure with her.
Silvie, wearing cutoffs, sneakers, and a tank top, is as casual as ever.
We peruse our menus, and I glance over at her, still unable to believe that this is my life and my wife.
“How was work today?” I ask after we place our orders and our menus are collected.
She leans across, and her cleavage is on full display. I can barely focus. Jesus, she’s stunning.
“It was good. I had meetings all day. Wilby is coming tomorrow. He’s going to stay at Birdie’s until I can find a place for him to rent,” she says. “I’m glad he wants to come back. He says he loves it here. Who would have thought?”
“Good. I’ve missed him, too,” I admit. “You think you can work here and back in the city and make it work?”
She nods. “Listen. It’s a double standard. My father has traveled all over the world while running that company. It’s no surprise that he did it to avoid my mother. He ran it by doing meetings over video and calls. And I picked up the slack back home. Now it’s my turn. I can be wherever I want in the world, and he can pick up the slack back home.”
I listen, and she continues. “It’s insane that he is trying to get me to come back by telling me that I need to be there to run the company. That’s simply not true. And also, I don’t need to work eighteen to twenty-hour days as he did. I believe a good CEO has a work-life balance. Sure, we’ll have calls later in the evenings and travel. But it doesn’t have to be all-consuming. It’s just not necessary.”
Our burgers and fries arrive, and we dig in. I can’t stop staring at her.
“What?” she asks when she notices.
“I just like seeing you so casual. Happy. Being you. Knowing what you want and going after it and not taking crap from anyone.”
She smiles. “Thanks. I’m not sure I have everything quite figured out. But I do know what I don’t want. And I don’t want my dad’s life. He doesn’t seem to ever be happy.”
“Have you heard anything about your mom and sister?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Wilby said she hasn’t come around, and my dad has been working even longer hours. Tyler and Belladonna have moved into my parents’ house.”
I shudder. “That’s so wild that they are married. And rubbing it ineveryone’s faces. I don’t like the way he talked to you, and I don’t want him near you. He has no respect for you.”
She grins. “Look at you being so protective. It’s sexy, hot husband.”
I shake my head at her and change the subject. “I have a surprise for you after this.”
She pops a fry in her mouth. “I like your surprises.”
I like her.
Hidden Cove is a local’s best-kept secret. One that few tourists know about. Locals guard it and rarely share. It’s about a mile to get to, but worth it. The views along the way are spectacular, and once you arrive, the waterfalls are the best. I know Silvie will love it.
She walks behind me, humming softly, stopping every so often to touch a leaf or comment on the light filtering through the branches. She looks relaxed and happy. Like the noise fell away the second we entered the trail. I’ve always found peace here, and now I’m happy to share it with her.
“You bring all your girls out here?”
