“A football field?” She crossed her arms too. “Are you mansplaining?”
“No, I’m demonstrating.” He gestured with his hands. “Just hear me out, okay?”
“I’m a little afraid of how you can possibly conceive of this event to be centered around a football field analogy, but go ahead.”
He grinned. Because going back and forth with her, not really arguing but, well, whatever they were doing, was fun. He waved his arms around and demonstrated, like a coach at the SMART Board before a game. “See, the ocean is one end zone and the start of the Petunia Street buildings is the other. Parking goes on that end, the tables go on the field, the podium is on the fifty-yard line, and the band and the food tent are on the sidelines. And the beach lot is not a problem because we won’t use it. See? Simple.”
She shook her head. “You’re…impossible. But…I get it. Sort of.”
He smiled. “See, I’m a good brainstormer. That’s why you like me. You do like me, don’t you?”
“Absolutely not. Although I was thinking that maybe there was a reason those kids stopped us. Like, now that we hit pause, we can have more sense.”
“I lost all my sense the moment I set eyes on you that first day in Pooch Palace.”
He could tell by the way her eyes softened that he’d thrown her. “I’m having my friends over tonight for ice cream,” she said so matter-of-factly he thought at first she was still talking about the benefit. She checked off something on her clipboard and glanced up. “Why don’t you come over?”
Come over? She was inviting him over? “Well, it depends,” he said. “What kind of ice cream do you have? And if I come, are you going to make me do more work on the benefit?”
Her mouth twitched. “Not if you let me set it up the way I want.”
“What did you think of the beach the other day?”
“It was beautiful.”
“No, I mean…what did you think of us on the beach?”
She shook her head and smiled. “Well, I’ve been thinking about it.” She pulled off her glasses. “Yes, I loved the kisses. Yes, I loved being with you. And, yes, you’re the most annoying man in the world.”
“Two out of three isn’t bad.” He leaned over and kissed her quickly on the cheek. “I’ll stop by tonight. But I’m not coming for the ice cream.”
Chapter 21
Is it time for ice cream now?” Ollie asked that evening as he used Gran’s low stone garden wall as a racetrack for his Hot Wheels. Every time a car crashed to the ground, Jagger jumped and Bowie ran to sniff it, something Ollie obviously found fascinating, as he did it over and over again. Hadley stood by with Kit and Darla, enjoying the dogs’ antics and the beautiful evening on the patio as the sun began to set.
Hadley felt like she was in a different world. Maybe she’d dreamed everything about the other day—the reckless feeling of freedom, the picnic lunch, Cam’s kisses.
Cam’s kisses. Oh, those kisses that made her head reel and her heart squeeze and made her feel light-headed, as if she were eighteen again. Those kisses put Cooper to shame and made her heartache over him fade into the background just like the setting sun in front of them that was currently preparing to plunge into the sea.
Yet she had to be smarter than to get swept away like when she was a girl. She knew it was too soon after Cooper to jump into another relationship, especially with a man who was grappling with his own issues. A man who’d left her before as a result of his own struggles.
Plus, she was in the middle of creating a dog rescue that would soon need a solid commitment if it was to continue. And what about her job?
“Right, Hadley?” Kit asked.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She was suddenly aware of her friends staring at her on the small patio. “What did you say?”
“Ollie’s haircut. Do you still have time to do it? Please?”
“No, Mommy,” Ollie said, shaking his head vigorously, which showcased his riot of curls. “No haircut.”
Hadley ruffled his mop of hair. “Is Ollie under all these curls? Hmmm. Let me check.” She pushed back the hair covering his eyes and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Oh my gosh, there you are.”
Ollie pushed his hair out of his eyes. “Aunt Hadley, I don’t want a haircut. I like my hair long.”
Kit said quietly to Hadley, “Look. I really believe that if he was older I would say he doesn’t have to follow the crowd and he could just be himself because that’s the way I feel. But I’d also like him to see what he’s doing and also show him there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Too bad Hadley hadn’t taken that lesson to heart herself. If she had, maybe she’d be heading up a whole bunch of dog rescues instead of enabling the bad behavior of celebrities.
Darla sat on the wall next to Ollie and said, “We’re going to make delicious sundaes and you can put anything you want on yours. After your haircut.”
Ollie stuck out his lower lip.
“I have chocolate ice cream,” Hadley said. “And hot fudge sauce.”
“I want vanilla,” he said, hugging Hadley and then giggling.
“…and a puppy,” Ollie qualified, still giggling. “One of your puppies,” he said, pointing at Hadley.
“Oh, one of my puppies, huh?” She glanced over at Kit, who had a stern look on her face. “Tell you what. Let’s do the haircut first and then the ice cream. The puppy you’ll have to take up with your mom.”
“She said no puppy,” he said, sticking out his lower lip again.
“Kit, this kid is so stinking cute.” Hadley kissed his head. “How do you ever discipline him?”
Kit rolled her eyes and laughed. “With everything that’s happened, thank goodness I got a kid who’s easygoing and lighthearted. For the most part.” She blew him an air kiss. “I love you, Oliver Wendell, but it’s time for a haircut.”
“No, Mommy,” her easygoing kid said.
Just then the sun decided to set, flaming down in a spectacular show of orange, purple, and salmon that made Hadley’s breath catch.
“You never forget about the spectacular sunsets when you leave here,” Darla said as she sipped some wine. “It makes it even better when you come back.”
“You’re right,” Hadley said. “I missed them too.” She stole one last furtive glance next door. No lights on. Where was Cam? Had he forgotten her invitation?
Meanwhile the sun plunged below the horizon in one last brilliant ball of light, mesmerizing all of them, even Ollie.
Except Darla, who whispered in her ear, “Why do you keep looking next door? Did I miss something?”
“Oh, no,” she said, downplaying all the rampant emotions that were threatening to burst out of her at any moment. “It’s nothing. Cam might stop over is all.”
“‘Cam might stop over, is all’?” Darla echoed, lifting her brows.
“I’d love to discuss this with you but I have a haircut to prepare for.” Hadley chuckled as she walked into the house and came back with a tall chair with a sturdy back.