Sex—even the mind-blowing sex she was sure she’d have with Gabe—wasn’t worth it.
Nathan turned a month old, his doctor’s appointment celebrating the four-week mark since the accident. The buds were beginning to swell on the lilies and the clematis was winding its way around the garden trellis. Days grew longer and Carly spent the evenings on the back deck with Nathan, or over at her parents’ house so they could play with their grandson. On the last day of school she dressed Nathan in his best outfit and went to the staff potluck. The meal was bittersweet. She missed the camaraderie of her coworkers and yet the idea of leaving Nathan with a sitter to go back to work made her heart catch.
She was driving down Main Street after lunch when she spotted Gabe along the sidewalk. She passed him and then reconsidered, pulling into a parking spot. Were they going to ignore each other now? It seemed ridiculous. She rolled down the window as he approached. “Going my way?” she called.
His head swiveled and a smile broke out on his face, warming the afternoon. “Oh, hey. Just left my truck at the garage, and thought I’d walk home.”
“All that way?” He had to live a good three miles from here, out past the Greenwich turnoff towards Port Williams.
“I don’t mind,” he answered, resting his elbows along the door frame and smiling through the open window. “It’s nice out.”
It was nice—the sun was warm but not hot, the air perfumed with the flower baskets overflowing at nearby businesses. Full summer was just around the corner and after weeks of being housebound, Carly wanted to spend an afternoon being frivolous. She’d enjoyed being out today, and she was tired of avoiding Gabe because that’s what she thought she should do. Hadn’t they been friends forever? Why should that change? She was a grown woman. She could control herself.
“You on shift later?”
He shook his head, taking a moment to peer in the back at the sleeping baby. A gentle smile softened his face and made her all marshmallowy inside. Between the weather and Nathan, it was almost as if the tension between them had never existed.
“Get in, Gabe. Let’s go do something fun. I got out of the house today and discovered I liked it.” She sent him what she hoped was a cheeky smile.
After only a brief pause he opened the door and got in. “Okay, so where are we going?”
Carly thought for a minute. “To Fox Hill. It’s on the way to your place, and I want a scoop of gelato, for starters.”
“Sounds good.”
Instead of turning on the air conditioning, they left the windows down as Carly made her way towards the turnoff. In only a few minutes they were driving into Fox Hill, a local fromagerie . When she came around the back of the car, Gabe already had the door open and the baby carrier in his hand. Nathan was still out for the count, exhausted from being passed around at the potluck. Carly had a queer feeling looking at Gabe holding her son, but only smiled. She wasn’t going to think of whys and why nots today. She just wanted to enjoy the afternoon with him. She wanted to keep it simple. She opened the door to the store and was faced with the cooler of gelato flavors. What could be more simple than this?
They both chose their flavors and Carly bought a brick of fresh havarti for her mom, knowing it was her favorite. Outside, they sat at a table in the deserted gazebo, the breeze from the sea ruffling their hair. The wind rippled through the hayfield below and Carly took a deep breath, enjoying the outdoors and the cool, creamy taste of coconut.
“Today has been a good day,” Carly announced, tilting her head back to the beam of sunlight creeping under the gazebo roof.
Gabe’s hand halted on the way to his mouth, the spoon stuck in mid-air with a bit of melting peanut butter gelato on it. The way Carly tipped her head back revealed the column of her throat and he wondered if he pressed his lips to it if he’d
Nathan turned a month old, his doctor’s appointment celebrating the four-week mark since the accident. The buds were beginning to swell on the lilies and the clematis was winding its way around the garden trellis. Days grew longer and Carly spent the evenings on the back deck with Nathan, or over at her parents’ house so they could play with their grandson. On the last day of school she dressed Nathan in his best outfit and went to the staff potluck. The meal was bittersweet. She missed the camaraderie of her coworkers and yet the idea of leaving Nathan with a sitter to go back to work made her heart catch.
She was driving down Main Street after lunch when she spotted Gabe along the sidewalk. She passed him and then reconsidered, pulling into a parking spot. Were they going to ignore each other now? It seemed ridiculous. She rolled down the window as he approached. “Going my way?” she called.
His head swiveled and a smile broke out on his face, warming the afternoon. “Oh, hey. Just left my truck at the garage, and thought I’d walk home.”
“All that way?” He had to live a good three miles from here, out past the Greenwich turnoff towards Port Williams.
“I don’t mind,” he answered, resting his elbows along the door frame and smiling through the open window. “It’s nice out.”
It was nice—the sun was warm but not hot, the air perfumed with the flower baskets overflowing at nearby businesses. Full summer was just around the corner and after weeks of being housebound, Carly wanted to spend an afternoon being frivolous. She’d enjoyed being out today, and she was tired of avoiding Gabe because that’s what she thought she should do. Hadn’t they been friends forever? Why should that change? She was a grown woman. She could control herself.
“You on shift later?”
He shook his head, taking a moment to peer in the back at the sleeping baby. A gentle smile softened his face and made her all marshmallowy inside. Between the weather and Nathan, it was almost as if the tension between them had never existed.
“Get in, Gabe. Let’s go do something fun. I got out of the house today and discovered I liked it.” She sent him what she hoped was a cheeky smile.
After only a brief pause he opened the door and got in. “Okay, so where are we going?”
Carly thought for a minute. “To Fox Hill. It’s on the way to your place, and I want a scoop of gelato, for starters.”
“Sounds good.”
Instead of turning on the air conditioning, they left the windows down as Carly made her way towards the turnoff. In only a few minutes they were driving into Fox Hill, a local fromagerie . When she came around the back of the car, Gabe already had the door open and the baby carrier in his hand. Nathan was still out for the count, exhausted from being passed around at the potluck. Carly had a queer feeling looking at Gabe holding her son, but only smiled. She wasn’t going to think of whys and why nots today. She just wanted to enjoy the afternoon with him. She wanted to keep it simple. She opened the door to the store and was faced with the cooler of gelato flavors. What could be more simple than this?
They both chose their flavors and Carly bought a brick of fresh havarti for her mom, knowing it was her favorite. Outside, they sat at a table in the deserted gazebo, the breeze from the sea ruffling their hair. The wind rippled through the hayfield below and Carly took a deep breath, enjoying the outdoors and the cool, creamy taste of coconut.
“Today has been a good day,” Carly announced, tilting her head back to the beam of sunlight creeping under the gazebo roof.
Gabe’s hand halted on the way to his mouth, the spoon stuck in mid-air with a bit of melting peanut butter gelato on it. The way Carly tipped her head back revealed the column of her throat and he wondered if he pressed his lips to it if he’d
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