Yes, I think. It is. It got complicated the moment we ran into you at the concert on Monday. But that’s a lie. It got complicated the second I met her alongside the road in the rain. She made an impression on me—an indelible one—and it’s imbued everything that came after with a sort of special light. I like her. I like being with her. There’s no point in denying it.
“Life is complicated,” I say.
“We could…call it quits,” she says slowly.
“Hey!” I stop walking and grab her arm, turning her to face me. “Is that what you want?”
Her eyes scan mine in the twilight, gentle and kind. She shakes her head. “No.”
“Me neither.” I slide my hand to hers, entwining my fingers through hers as we continue walking. I want every second we have.
In fact, if I find the right moment, and if I can get up the courage, I’m going to ask her how she feels about staying in touch; how she feels about changing our relationship from a temporary fling to a possible long-distance…something.
“My sister offered to take the kids this weekend,” I say, knowing that Bonnie won’t mind looking after them. “See that island out there?” I gesture to a pocket of warm light shimmering in the distance. “That’s Apple Island. The lights belong to the Talon Lodge and Spa.”
“Sounds nice,” she says.
“It is. Real nice.” My own words come back to me: The Talon Lodge and Spa, for instance, is somewhere I’d take a sweetheart, if I had one. And no, Amanda’s not my sweetheart, per se, but she’s the closest thing I’ve had to one in a long, long time. Besides, if I’m going to ask her how she feels about staying in touch, about figuring out a way to pursue a romance between us, I may as well hedge my bets by asking her in the most romantic place in Sitka. “If you’re not doing anything this weekend, I’d love to invite you to go there. With me.”
She turns to look up at me, her eyes sparkling, her smile so lovely it tugs at my heart. A week from now, I’m going to miss that smile.
“I’d love that,” she says.
I exhale the breath I was holding. “We can fish. I bet we’ll see some bears, too!”
“Even better!” she says, throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me. “You’re so sweet, Luke! I can’t wait.”
Me neither, sweet girl. Me neither.
9
Luke
After I drop off the kids at Bonnie’s on Friday after work, I run home to pack a bag. I’m meeting Amanda at the Cascade Inn at five-thirty, where we’ll catch a charter across the bay to Apple Island.
The Talon Lodge is a five-star place and not cheap. And by “not cheap,” I mean it’s a thousand dollars per person, per night. But the lodge donated a two-night gift certificate to the City of Sitka Christmas Party two years ago and yours truly was the lucky winner. At the time, I considered declining the prize. Wendy had recently passed away and I couldn’t imagine ever having someone with whom to share a weekend there. Now I’m glad I kept it. I’m excited to have a couple of days with Amanda all to myself. God willing, this won’t be our last weekend together.
I’m standing in the parking lot when she pulls up in one of Jack’s cabs, so I step over to the driver’s window to cover her fare.
“Heading out to the Talon?” asks Jack with a cheeky grin. “Too rich for my blood!”
“Won an overnight stay at the civic Christmas-do two years ago.”
“Lucky bastard,” says Jack, giving me change for a twenty. “You going with her, huh?”
If the whole town didn’t know I was seeing Amanda, they will by Monday. Jack has the biggest mouth in Sitka.
Amanda circles behind the car to stand beside me, and I figure if I’m going to give Jack something to talk about, it may as well be good. I pull her into my arms and kiss her like I’ve never been more serious about anything else in my entire life. When I pull away, we’re both breathless and panting, and her eyes are dilated and hungry when she looks up at me. I nuzzle her nose gently, tucking her against my side before looking at Jack with a bored expression.
“Any other questions?”
Jack whoops, hitting the steering wheel with the palm of his hands. “No, siree! I guess that tells me everything!”
As he pulls out of the parking lot, Amanda chuckles. “You do know that the entire town of Sitka will have us married by the time we return?”
I kiss the top of her head. “Yep.”
“And you don’t mind?”