“I love them,” April assured him.
Cal added, “We’re sorry we couldn’t ask what your favorite cake is, but we felt it would ruin the surprise if we did.”
“It’s chocolate,” Owen excitedly chimed in.
“Well, that’s lucky,” April said. “Chocolate is my favorite.”
Once again, Owen looked so proud of himself, and April decided that no matter what, she was going to enjoy and appreciate this day more than any other birthday she’d ever had, just to see that pride on little Owen’s face. Cal was right. This sort of thoughtfulness should not just be rewarded but encouraged. April was determined to encourage it, and what seemed to make the kid happiest was seeing how much April loved all the little things he had planned for her.
Cal leaned over the counter with one of those long-necked lighters. When he was finished, he and Owen stood back and sang “Happy Birthday” to April.
“Make a wish,” Owen said after the song was finished. “You have to blow all the candles out, or it won’t come true.”
April grinned back at him. “Oh, I’m not worried about that at all,” she said. “My wish already came true today.” She blew out the candles and sat down with the Nolen family to eat the cake they’d made for her. Most of the conversation was driven byOwen, who talked endlessly about rocks he’d found, plants he’d grown, and wildlife he’d befriended.
Feeling like she was part of a family was something April knew she could easily get addicted to. There was something especially tempting about this one, though April couldn’t pinpoint it exactly. It was the polar opposite of her life in the city, which was busy, full, and loud. Time seemed to move more slowly here with these people. It was such a relief. This was what April had been looking for when she moved away from the big city. Summit Falls wasn’t quite this, but she still loved it. It was a good middle ground, she thought.
After they finished eating cake, Owen went outside to look for more rocks. Cal began to clean up after their little party, and April offered to help him. “It’s your birthday,” Cal said. Then he added, “Sort of. Sit down and enjoy the day. I can handle the dishes.”
“You guys are so sweet,” she said, sitting back at the table. “I mean it.”
Cal turned back and smiled. “We get it from each other.”
“I believe that.” She watched him wash, dry, and put away each dish. He worked slowly, like he didn’t have anywhere to be or anything else to do, and she realized that was because he didn’t. This was his whole life. And, of course, that made this Owen’s life, too. She couldn’t help wondering how much social interaction he got on average. The boy seemed overly attached to April, an adult he only just met. Was that because he didn’t see many other people? “Do you guys get into town much?” she asked.
Cal didn’t look back as he answered. “Only when absolutely necessary.”
“Oh?” She couldn’t tell whether he was joking with her or dead serious. “Where do you usually go?”
“Typically, we go to the hardware store and the grocery store to get some of the things we can’t grow here.” He dried another dish and put it away before turning around to face her.
“No… um…” She hesitated. What she wanted to ask next was going to be a boundary push, and she knew it. But they had made her so comfortable, and their home was so warm and peaceful that she couldn’t foresee this going so wrong that it wouldn’t be worth the question. She cleared her throat and started over. “No children’s events or anything?”
Cal leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms. “He’s gifted, as you’ve seen. He doesn’t enjoy the company of other children.”
April shrugged. “How could you know that if he never spends time with them?”
For a moment, she worried that Cal would be angry with her. His eyes narrowed and he looked offended. She felt terrible for having brought it up at all, but at the same time, the fact that a kid like Owen could go his whole life without having a friend his age made her so sad. If she didn’t at least try to change Cal’s mind, she would hate herself for being a coward. She was a nurse. Had they been in a clinic, she would have been more comfortable making recommendations about Owen’s mental health and development. It was just her job. For some reason, it was harder to talk about this sort of thing on a social call, but she was determined to do her best.
Cal’s response was a lot more relaxed than she’d expected it to be. “What sort of kids’ events would you recommend for him?”
April thought a moment. She hadn’t expected to be asked her opinion so quickly. She’d expected him to tell her it was none of her business. “Um…” she began, racking her mind for something. “I guess there’s a story time event at the local library every Thursday. He could go to one of those.” She paused before continuing. April had never been a shy person, but she did recognize she had come very close to crossing a line she could not uncross. At the same time, she decided, offering advice without assistance was less than kind. “I could take him one Thursday, if you were OK with that.”
Cal stood up straight and uncrossed his arms. “Look. I like you as a person, so don’t take this the wrong way. But there’s no chance in hell I’m letting you take my son anywhere without me joining you.”
She didn’t know quite how to take that, but she couldn’t blame him. He didn’t know her that well. If it were her child, she supposed she would have felt the same way. She decided to spin it into something positive. “So you’re coming with us then?” She offered her most charming smile, and if she wasn’t imagining things, he did seem to melt at it a little.
“Fine,” he said. “What time is the event? We’ll be there.”
CHAPTER 8
CAL
The ease with which some random nurse from Summit Falls had gotten Cal to attend a library event in town made him deeply uncomfortable. She’d asked, and he’d just said yes, like a dope. Cal had never been one to be weak for a pretty face. Of course, April wasn’t just pretty. She was beautiful, the sun itself. He wanted to bask in her presence all day, and if that meant he had to go to some ridiculous library story time, then that’s what he was going to do. Anyway, she had a point. Maybe Owen did need to see kids his own age a little more often.
Cal pulled into the library parking lot and stepped out of his truck to help Owen out of his booster seat. His palms had started to sweat, but he was keeping it together well enough. The sight of April’s little blue sedan in the parking lot several spaces over gave him some comfort. She’d gotten there before him. The library was a one-story, brick building with maple trees dotting the parking lot. They were only just on time, so Cal took Owen’s hand and led him inside to find this “story time” April was so keen on.
Cal had never been inside the Summit Falls Library. He expected something more like the libraries he’d been in as a kid—all fluorescent lighting, painted metal shelves, and a clinical atmosphere. This one was not at all like that. The lighting was warm. A large chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling. The shelves were dark wood, and everything felt welcoming. The librarians themselves were lined up behind a tall counter in front of computers. Some of them were on their feet, and some of them were sitting on stools. They seemed friendly, but Cal was still hesitant to approach. Eventually, he’d have to, though, because he had no idea where the event was being held other than somewhere in the library.
