His brows rise. “That’s her?” Oh yeah, I’ve mentioned the mystery woman to him a few times. Borderline unhealthy how much she has occupied my mind.
Taking a deep breath, I’m utterly lost. “I didn’t think I would see her again. I’m kind of caught off guard in this moment.”
In the corner of my eye, I notice that Julian tips his head to the side. “Wait… did you say about three years ago?”
I take a long swig from my beer as my feet are cemented to the ground.“Yeah, why? Wait, you mentioned Savannah and the office? Tell me she doesn’t work for you.” I already know the answer, but it doesn’t hurt to check.
The sound of a little girl giggling snaps my gaze to her as she wobbles during her run. She’s smiling, part of her darker blonde, almost-brown hair up on top of her head, very cute, and races straight to the woman I now know is Elodie. She lifts her and tickles the girl’s belly.
Huh.
I turn to my friend, and a feeling itches me, my forehead scrunching.
“She has a kid?”
Julian takes a very long drink from his bottle as though he is delaying the seconds. "Uh, yeah. Lola’s a little over two years old, so plus nine months is… math, right?" His voice lacks his usual confident tone.
Math.
That’s all it takes for me to drive my vision straight back to Elodie and Lola.
And the moment that Elodie’s eyes tip up to meet mine, her smile wilts.
My chest gets tight like I’ve been stabbed in the heart.
2
ELODIE
It's like a knife cutting through me and pure elation. One moment I see him and our past flickers in my mind. I never thought I'd see him again. But then I remember Lola, this tiny human, binds Hale and me forever. I could have searched harder.
Fear fills me as he appears unexpectedly, one fact flooding his eyes—those same eyes that haunt my dreams.
He never knew he had a child.
And his fierce gaze, with his brown eyes turning stormy, tells me that I won’t need to confirm what he just discovered.
Even with his hard face, chiseled jawline, and sandy-brown hair, he's undeniably handsome. His black sweater and dark blue jeans show he takes life seriously but can let loose. It's a crazy impression, but it's what I feel.
His breathing changes, chest rising rapidly. My heart pounds.
Did I ever imagine this day? Maybe in my dreams, but never at a BBQ with ranch dip in hand.
My daughter grabs my hair, snapping me into action.Quickly, I hand her to Savannah, my best friend and Lola’s godmother, who’s oblivious but senses my urgency.
I dart back inside to the kitchen. Salads line the counter. Running my hands through my hair, I claw my head and exhale, flooded by memories.
The moment I saw Hale, I was entranced. The conversation led to the discovery that we approach life differently but both value a strong work ethic. I can easily sink into vacation time and relax. Him? He’s adjusting, but there is a natural piece inside him that enjoys downtime.He even turned off his phone that was pinging with email notifications. He’s well into his career, with ten years on me. It isn’t exactly clear what he does, but he is definitely business-savvy.
Our groups wouldn’t return until well after dinner. Our conversation continued on the beach and then for a bite to eat.
“You really should be out there, merman,” I say as we continue to eat a late lunch at a bistro along the seafront.
“Hey, I said I was on the swim team in high school, but that doesn’t mean I want to stay in the sea all day.” He cuts into a piece of chicken.
"Disappointed you weren't captain of the hockey team? You'd have scored points on and off the ice.” I've learned things about him, and I've shared things too.
His suave grin is infectious. I can’t stop smiling. “My parents are good people. They never pushed me, even if hockey parents had better fundraisers. Enough about non-island life. Look at us—eating chicken on an island with fresh seafood,” he says.
