“What? What is it? Are you okay? Do I need to call Vanessa? Or 911?”
“No, it’s just…” Another softer gasp.
“Olivia! Dammit, tell me what’s happening!”
“Roxie is kissing some guy!”
“Are you sure? That doesn’t sound like Roxie.”
“Oh, it’s her alright. She’s been sneaking off and meeting him. I just didn’t even consider that she’d be doing that this morning.”
“Wait, what? Roxie’s been meeting some guy? Who is he?”
“I kind of feel like a creeper standing here and watching them. Should I turn around and head back to the house?”
“Um…”
“I’m going to turn around and head back to the house. I’ll deal with her later.” Another small huff of breath is all I get for a moment.
“Liv?”
“Yeah, so…she met this guy when she went to the yarn shop. It belonged to his grandmother and now his parents run it. He lives here in Cape Breeze and has two dogs. They started talking when she noticed the dogs—a beagle and a Pomeranian. That led to her sharing pictures of her dogs, and he mentioned how he takes them walking every afternoon on the beach.”
“So she started walking with him?”
“Yup. And now she’s kissing him. She didn’t mention the kissing part. I just thought she was testing the waters by hanging out with a guy, I had no idea they’d moved on to this.”
“Maybe it just happened?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. But she asked me not to tell anyone, and now I feel bad because I’m telling you.”
“Yeah, but I’m not going to tell anyone. I promise.”
“Thanks.”
I try to distract her as she makes her way back to Vanessa’s house, but it doesn’t work.
“Look, you can’t say anything in front of the girls. And if she wants to talk to you about it, she will. Don’t push. This is kind of a big deal. Roxie’s been very anti-men for a while now.”
“I know, I know. It just sucks that we’re leaving today. I wish we didn’t have to. Or…that she didn’t have to.”
“She can go back any time she wants.”
“I suppose.”
By the time she gets back to the house, she’s more at ease with the situation.
Thankfully.
“Go and have lunch and be safe driving back to Raleigh.”
“Okay,” she says miserably. “I hate hanging up.”
“We’ll talk sometime tonight, I promise. Tell the girls I said hello and remember, let Roxie set the pace.”
“Ugh…fine,” she lightly whines. “Love you. Sorry I woke you up.”
“Love you too, and I’m not sorry you woke me up. I enjoyed walking on the beach with you too.”
