Forgetting Yesterday (13 page)

“Looks like we won’t be heading to the game,” Alex said.

I glanced at the dashboard clock. “We stayed at the restaurant so long we missed most of it anyway.”

“I guess we did,” he said as we pulled out of the lot. “Maybe we’ll have to catch a game another night.”

With thunder and lightning in the area, it would be canceled now.

“I guess I should just take you home,” Alex said.

“I guess so,” I agreed as the rain spilled across the windshield.

“I had a good time tonight.”

“Me too,” I honestly said.

He sliced a glance at me while he pulled onto the road.
“Since we had to cut tonight short, any chance you’d want to get together again tomorrow night?”

“Definitely.”

As it turned out, we got together every night that week.

I cooked him dinner one night, we went out for burgers the next. We managed to catch one of Sean’s ball games. By the time Friday night came around, we decided on pizza and a movie.

On Saturday morning, I woke up with a smile on my face. I knew Alex had plans for us today but he’d been very secretive about them.

“Good morning,” Claire said when I padded out into the kitchen.
She was sitting at the bar flipping through a magazine and finishing off a piece of toast. “You look happy this morning.”

I just grinned at her as I pulled a mug out of the cupboard.

“Things must be going well. You’ve been together every nigh this week,” she unnecessarily pointed out.

“Yeah, it’s been really nice. And we didn’t even really plan it. It just kind of turned out that way. But I’m not complaining.”

“What do you have planned for tomorrow? Have you got something going on with Alex? Or do you maybe want to hang out?” she asked.

“No, no plans with Alex,” I said. “I think tomorrow, I’m going to go see my dad. It’ll have to be just a quick trip but it’s long overdue.”

“Want some company?” she asked. “I could get away
for the day if you don’t want to make the drive alone.”

“That would be great,” I agreed. I’d been talking to Dad frequently, so that was a definite start
in mending our relationship, but I had yet to sneak in a visit. “I plan on leaving pretty early though.” It was a three hour drive and I wanted to make it worth my time since it was just a day trip.

“
I can be ready—”

The phone rang, cutting her off. She leaned over, glancing at the caller-ID. She hesitated a moment before picking it up.

“Hello?” I heard her say as I poured myself a cup of coffee. “
Hello
?” she repeated as I turned around.

I looked at her with raised eyebrows.

She frowned as she leaned over to hang it up.

“Wrong number?” I guessed.

“Probably but I have no idea,” she said. “The number comes up ‘blocked’ and then they don’t say anything.”

I rested my elbows on the
breakfast bar across from her. “You say that like it’s happened before.”

She shrugged. “That was only the second time. It could be just a prank. Remember when we were kids? Before caller-ID? We used to prank people all the time.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Oh, yeah, so mature of us,” I said sarcastically. Only we hadn’t hung up. We’d said the most ridiculous things.

“
So, back to Alex,” she said with a wink.

Smiling, I shook my head. “What about him?”

“Do you think it’s going somewhere? Or is it too soon to tell?”

“Well…” I pretended to think it over though I had my answer. “Yeah, I think it could definitely go somewhere.” I paused, trying to get a handle on my emotions. Finally I said, “I really like him a lot. He’s easy to talk to. He’s fun to be around. He’s such a gentleman. I mean, he opens doors
.” Not just for me, but when we’d been out, he had a habit of opening them for everyone. “He pulls out chairs. He also insists on helping me clear the table and do the dishes.”

Granted, my dad was from an entirely different generation but until Mom had gotten sick, I’d never once seen him help her out in the kitchen. Hell, I’d never seen Sean help Claire out in the kitchen.

And Jason? Yeah. Right.

I thought of ou
r date at Bianca’s, how he’d ordered the dessert sampler because he’d wanted me to be able to try everything. I had also realized that he was a big tipper, and not just when his meal was comped. “He’s really thoughtful, too.”

“Ah,” she said with a
silly, dreamy sigh, “what’s not to love?” Then she sat up straight, serious again. “Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. We ran into Dane and Morgan last night. We’re meeting them for drinks at The Bear’s Den. Morgan said we should invite you and Alex to come along.”

“Really?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise. I barely knew them. It took me a few seconds to realize that it probably wasn’t me that warranted the invitation. “I forgot that they know Alex. They all went to school together.”
Now the invitation made sense. “I’m not sure what he has planned but I’ll mention it to him.”

“What time is he coming to get you?” Claire asked.

“In a little over an hour,” I said. “I should probably finish this cup of coffee and hop in the shower, if you’re sure you don’t need me to work today.”

She waved a hand at me dismissively. “This is one of the rare, quiet Saturdays.
I just have a small wedding to deliver to. Trust me, you don’t want to offer to give it up. I’m sure Dottie has everything completely under control but even so, I should really get moving.”

We both set about getting ready for our days.

Picking out an outfit today wasn’t too difficult. While Alex had been secretive about our date, he’d given me one monster-sized hint: Wear a swimsuit.

I opted for a simple black bikini with a matching bandeau cover up. It was just long enough to make me feel as
if I wasn’t showing off too much skin. After some rummaging around, I found my beach bag and tossed in a towel and change of clothes for good measure.

Alex was right on time and instead of waiting for him to come in, I went out to meet him.

“Someone’s in a hurry,” he said as I slid into his truck.

“It’s just such a gorgeous day, and we’re obviously going to the beach. So yeah, I guess I am,” I admitted as I buckled up.

“You think we’re headed to the beach, huh?” he asked.

Actually, I had no idea. It made sense, but so did the waterfall
s at the state park. Maybe we were going there. He was trying to be secretive but really, there weren’t a lot of options. I hadn’t been back up to the waterfalls since the first day he’d shown them to me. That day, the rain had come back in, sending us on our way. I wanted to explore the park more thoroughly but hadn’t found the time yet.

Alex was aware of that and I could see him wanting to make it happen.

Maybe that’s where we were going? It could also warrant a swimsuit.

“
The waterfall was nice so I wouldn’t mind going there, either,” I pressed.

“Well, you’re wrong on both accounts,” he said.
He glanced at me and I realized I was pouting when his laughter rippled through the cab of the truck, sending tingles down my spine. “You really don’t have a lot of patience, do you?”

I
shrugged. “Does any female?”

He nodded
contemplatively. “True. Okay, we’re going to my parents’ house for the day.”

I
felt my eyebrows shoot up. Meeting his parents? That’s the kind of thing a girl would like to have a little bit of warning about. Not to mention, I would have definitely rethought my attire. A bikini and a simple cover up didn’t quite seem appropriate. Neither did the change of clothes I’d packed. I’d just tossed in a tank-top and a cut off pair of jeans, assuming the whole day was going to be a casual event.

“Your parents’?” I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral.

“Yeah.” He glanced at
me and must’ve seen the slight trepidation on my face. “Oh, hey, we’re going to their house. But they’re not home.” He chuckled again. “Are you that against meeting my parents?”

“What? No, it’s just…I would’ve tried to look more presentable, that’s all. I mean, you did say today would be private and casual.”

“It will be,” he assured me. “My parents’ house is on a lake. I thought if you’d like, we could take the boat out for a few hours. Their beach is also pretty private. I packed some steaks in the cooler. They’re marinating now but I thought I could grill them later. I also stopped at the deli and got a few different kinds of salad. So, I thought we could make a day of it? Having the beach to ourselves?”

I
nodded, smiling. “That sounds fabulous. Where are your parents, if that’s not too nosy of a question?”

“Not at all,” he said. He flipped his blinker on, readying for a turn that would take
us off the main road. “Every summer they take a road trip to visit some friends out east.”

Minut
es later, we pulled onto a long, tarred driveway. It curved through the trees, ending in front of a structure that seemed to more closely resemble a mansion than a house.

“Wow,”
I muttered. “This is where you grew up?”

He shrugged sheepishly. “Yeah.”

“It’s gorgeous,” I said.

He glanced at it and then back
at me again. “I guess. It was one of the first houses my uncle built. Are you ready? Do you need help carrying anything?”

“No,”
I told him. All I had was my beach bag. Something I could easily sling over my shoulder. “Do
you
need help carrying anything? You mentioned you brought a cooler.”

“Nah, I got it all,” he said as he got out of his truck.

I opened my door as well. I was hit by warm, humid air. It was a completely perfect summer day. A light breeze flitted around my face, playing with a few loose strands of hair that had managed to slip out of the knot at the back of my head.

I
waited for Alex to lug the cooler out of the back end. Then I followed him down the sidewalk. A colorful array of flowers decorated the flowerbeds that lined the walkway. When we reached the front step, he set the cooler down as he dug out a key.

“What do you want to do first?” he asked as the door swung open. “Boat ride? Or just hang out on the beach?
I know you said it’s been a while since you water skied but that’s the real reason I brought you out here. You said you used to enjoy it. I thought you might have fun.” He hoisted the cooler up again and I followed him inside.

“
A boat ride first sounds great. And yes, I’d love to try water skiing again.” I was surprised he remembered.

“Good. W
e’ve got several different pairs out in the boathouse so I’m sure something will work for you.”

I glanced around at the house. It was amazing. Knotty-pine walls were decorated to perfection. Braided rugs covered the
dark tile flooring. The home was rustic, yet elegant. Woodsy, yet tasteful. I followed him into the kitchen where he emptied the cooler into the fridge.

From here, I could see across the dining area. A wall of windows looked out onto
the lake. The water looked calm and clear. The beach, sandy and warm. The sky above was cloudless, making for a picturesque setting.

A large boat was tucked in
to the boatlift next to the dock.

I already knew that today would be a good day.

*******

Mmm
, I said as I finished my first bite. “This steak is amazing.”

I was starving after spending so much time on the lake.
At first, I’d been worried I wouldn’t be able to stay up on the skis. In fact, I did go down a few times at first but Alex was patient. Once I got the hang of it, it was just like riding a bike.

Now, we were seated on the back deck. The scrumptious aroma of grilled steak lingered in the air. The
wooden picnic table was set with so much food that we’d never be able to eat it all.

Not only had he gone all out, buying several different salads, but he’d grilled potatoes along with the steaks. He’d purchased banana crème pie for dessert. As if we needed dessert after every meal. This relationship had the potential to be very, very bad for my waistline.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had steak on the grill. A real, charcoal grill. Not a gas grill that seemed like cheating. It had probably been years. Before Mom had gotten sick, actually. Dad had grilled once in a while but not often. The charbroiled flavor reminded me of summer and family vacations.

“Thanks, grilling is the one kind of cooking that I really enjoy. Especially if it’s steak or burgers.”

“Well, I’m open to letting you make either for me, anytime you want to,” I offered with a teasing smile.

“How very good of you,” he teased back.

“So how much longer are your parents going to be gone?” I asked.

“They won’t be back until the end of the month,” he said. “Maybe when they come back, we can all have dinner together.” He said the words casually but his expression had turned anxious. “Unless it’s too soon. I mean, maybe you’re not comfortable meeting them yet.”

“I would love to meet them,” I honestly said. It seemed that he was close to his family. I was honored that he wanted me to meet them. Honored and already slightly nervous.

“I’ll line something up when they get back,” he said.

“Bianca’s?” I guessed.

He smiled as he finished off his pie. “Possibly. Although Mom loves to cook so I wouldn’t be surprised if she would just prefer to have us come over here.”

We ate in silence for a while, finishing off our meal. When he asked me what Claire and Alex were up to for the day—Claire was working and as for Alex, I wasn’t sure—it reminded me of something else.