“We’re lucky our families found us,” I said, turning towards his big body folded up so awkwardly. “We’re lucky we have each other.”
He nodded, his own throat working hard. We were in a bubble, the two of us. A warm, soft, safe bubble. Where I could say anything, because no one would take care of me the way Nick always took care of me. Courage rose up in me out of nowhere. My hands went numb and my head was floating off my body.
I was going to do it. It was happening. Right now in this perfect gift from this perfect man. “We’re lucky we have all this love. Nick. I-”
My siblings and cousins came tearing out of the house, yelling and screaming, and smacking the windows as they ran around the car, demanding rides. Nick reached over and honked the horn, sending them racing away.
“Monsters,” he said with affection in his voice. “I’m glad you like the present, Nora. And I’m glad you’re feeling loved. You deserve that.”
“You do, too,” I said. “Feelings aren’t something you have to be afraid of.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” he joked. “I don’t have feelings.”
“You know that bullshit doesn’t work with me.”
He had a hard time with feelings. Talking about them. Feeling them. It was like he let me feel them for him.
“Yeah,” he said. “I know.”
“Don’t you ever wonder how different it could have all been if you didn’t find your way to Calico Cove? To Antony and Birdie. To me?”
The street light shone in his eyes, turning them into stars in the shadowy car. His skin was so pale, his hair so dark. He looked like a romance hero brought to life.
“I don’t want to think about it,” he said.
Honest to God – that was love in Nick Renard’s language. Accept things as they are, don’t wish for anything different.
I reached for his hand, linked our fingers together. He didn’t flinch away or think this was weird. I’d been holding his hand like this since we were kids.
There was no doubt that the car was my best gift so far today, but it wouldn’t be my last. There was something else Nick was going to give me tonight.
And something I was going to give him.
Just the thought made me bold.
“Thank you,” I said and pulled his hand to my mouth so I could kiss his knuckles. Putting every ounce of feeling into that simple gesture.
He swallowed, and looked away from me, like he was making sure my mom and dad and cousins weren’t all watching.
But he didn’t pull his hand away.
“I just wantto take it for a drive,” I told my parents as I slowly crept backwards to the front door. The party was long over. We’d all done our part to help clean up the mess. The dishwasher was humming and all the leftover food was in the fridge. The kids were asleep, including Charlie, who would never have let me go alone on my joy ride if she’d been up.
Something I was extremely grateful for, given my plan.
“She’s an adult now,” Mom said. She was curled up on the couch with Dad, blissed out on Pinot now that all the guests were gone. “We have to let her go.”
“I don’t have to let mybaby girldo anything,” Dad grunted.
“Dad. I’m eighteen. I’m going to drive around Calico Cove. That’s it. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Or was I? How long did sex take? I thought, feeling flushed and giddy and nervous.
“It’s her birthday. She wants a little freedom,” Mom cajoled with an elbow to his ribs.
“You text me if you have any issues,” he grunted.
“Absolutely,” I said.
