I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been nervous about tonight, but now I realize that was a waste. We don’t just have sexual chemistry; we’re also comfortable with each other. That makes him even more appealing to me.
After we put potato and macaroni salad on our plates along with handfuls of chips, we dig into our food. One bite into my sandwich and I know I’m going to be driving out to the touristy side of the Cove more often. Swallowing, I grin at Tyler. “I didn’t know sandwiches could be this good.”
“So worth the drive,” he says. “The real shitty thing is that during high season the line to pick up food was out the damn door every single day.”
I moan as I swallow a bite of the potato salad. “For this, I’d say it’s worth it.”
“You saying that makes it worth it,” he answers.
My stomach flutters, the butterflies back in full force. I’d probably be too keyed up to eat if this food weren’t so delicious.
“Tell me about California. Do you miss it?”
I’m shaking my head before the question is even all the way out of his mouth. “I miss my cousin Rob and his girlfriend Karen, but other than that, no. I’d lost touch with my friends because of my job, and by the time I got my head out of my ass about that, it felt like they’d all moved on. We email, text memes, and like each other’s posts on Instagram, but that’s about it. My girls are still hanging out together, still clubbing every weekend, but that never felt like me, even when I had the time to do it. I’ve always gravitated to quieter stuff. Big crowds aren’t my thing.”
He nods. “I get that. Not overfond of them myself.”
“My grandfather always said the Cove called to me, and I think he was right. This place, it’s in my blood. I love that I know all the people on my street. I love that if I go into Al’s Drug Emporium when I’m sick, then Nettie will come out from behind the counter and tell me what I need. I further love that most of the things she suggests are home remedies. I love that this is a town where your neighbors look out for you and you look out for them. Most of all, I love how peaceful it is. There are no billboards telling me to take a medication with nine million life-ending side effects. No one drives down the block at three a.m. with their bass turned all the way up, people don’t throw trash out onto the road while they’re driving, and there’s no thick, gray layer of smog hanging over us. Oh, and I love that nothing much has changed since I was little. This is a community full of people who love where they live, know what they have, and are invested in preserving it. To me, Charlotte’s Cove is perfect.”
Holding my gaze, he smiles. “I agree with everything you said, and I dig that you love it here. Every time my sister drives out here for lunch or something, she can’t wait to leave, because—and I quote—‘it’s too quiet.’ Didn’t know that was even a thing, but according to Eve, it is.”
“My grandmother was a little bit like that,” I say. “She loved it here, but only in small doses. My grandfather would’ve moved back in a heartbeat, but Gram would’ve lost her mind after a few months. She always said daily sunshine, a pool in the yard, and proximity to a good mall were all she needed to feel right.”
“The indoor pools at the Country Club on the other side of town and the high school are the only ones I’ve ever seen around here.”
“It never gets warm enough here to justify having one. I mean, I’m sure it’s possible, but the expense of having to heat it would be a pain in the butt. Plus, it’s not like there’s a pool supply store nearby, so regular trips into Seattle would be necessary and pools aren’t cheap.”
“So you don’t need a pool to feel right. And, going by the fact that we get cloudy days and a good amount of rain, I’m thinking constant sunshine ain’t on that list either. Taking a shot in the dark here, I’m also thinking you couldn’t give a shit about a good mall.”
I snicker. “That’s because there’s no such thing as a good mall.”
His eyes go comically wide. “Are you telling me you don’t like to shop?”
“I love to shop; I just prefer to do it online.”
“Shit, babe. You really are the full package.”
I roll my eyes as I look at him over the top of the water bottle I just opened. “That was all it took?”
He shrugs. “What can I say? I’m a simple man.”