Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Alissa pushed open the front doors of Sandy’s Grocery and stepped inside the cool store, taking a deep breath of the smells of bakery and produce. She’d been driving home after working at The Outlet all day when she’d suddenly felt overwhelmed by a craving for garlic bread.

Pregnancy is wild, she thought, adjusting her glasses with a wry smile as she made her way down the familiar aisles of Blueberry Bay’s grocery store. One minute I’m driving along deciding that Dane and I should just eat leftovers for dinner, and the next moment, I’m like a wild woman for a specific kind of food.

She decided that she wanted to make fresh garlic bread, using a loaf of French bread from the bakery. She got a shopping basket and began to make her selections, feeling excited about getting to enjoy the garlic bread when she got home.

She smiled as she approached the register, happy to see that her friend Sandy was working the check-out line.

“Sandy!” she said warmly as she started to unload her items onto the conveyer belt. “How are you?”

“Oh my goodness, Alissa! Let me give you a hug.” Sandy stepped over to where Alissa was for a moment to give her a quick embrace. “How excited are you for the baby to arrive?”

“Practically beside myself,” Alissa admitted, laughing. She could feel that her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were shining. “I’m so jittery and nervous, but I couldn’t want anything more than I want Oscar to be born.”

“I know the feeling,” Sandy said, her eyes shining. Sandy had recently had a baby as well, and Alissa knew she understood what she was experiencing.

“I know you do,” Alissa said. “Speaking of, how is Chandler doing?”

“Amazing,” Sandy said. “He’s the sweetest baby, and not fussy at all most of the time. I think his big brother’s calm energy rubs off on him.”

Alissa grinned. Just before Chandler had been born, Sandy and her husband Daniel had adopted a teenager that they’d been fostering. Tommy was an outstanding young man—helpful, kind, and hardworking. “I can imagine those two men of yours are a lot of help,” she said. “I’m so glad you have that support system.”

“I am too. I’m so lucky,” Sandy said. “And it’s so sweet to be a family together. Most nights after Chandler’s gone to sleep, we play board games or watch a movie. And Tommy’s been learning how to cook, which has been such a godsend. He keeps making these amazing pizzas and pastas. It’s like living in Italy—well, a teenage version of Italy.”

Alissa laughed. “That’s great.”

“Speaking of meals, we’re definitely going to make you some when Oscar is born,” Sandy said. “Maybe Tommy will make this baked cheesy chicken alfredo that he’s invented for you. I’ll have to ask him if he will—it’s so delicious.”

“Ooh, that sounds incredible. Thanks, Sandy.”

“Of course! I can’t wait to meet your baby. A whole new Taylor. He’s going to light up your world.”

“I know he is.” Alissa clasped her hands. “Got any advice for me?”

“Oh, absolutely.” Sandy’s eyes took on a faraway look for a moment, as if she was remembering the days when Chandler had first been born. “Give yourself grace, that’s for sure. You don’t have to do everything perfectly to still be a good parent. And expect to be tired, but try to maintain a positive attitude. Staying positive will make everything easier in the long run. And try not to be nervous,” she added with a laugh. “I know it’s hard, but it’ll all work out okay. Lean on Dane when you’re feeling jittery.”

“I’ll try.” Alissa laughed. “But we’ve been trading off being the nervous one. If I’m nervous, he reassures me, and then if he’s getting nervous, I reassure him.”

Sandy laughed too. “That sounds like me and Daniel. We kept switching between reassuring and needing to be reassured.”

For a moment, the two women smiled at each other, and then Alissa felt the baby kick in her stomach.

“Well, hey, you,” she said, looking down at her stomach and talking to Oscar. “You want to say hi to Sandy?” She looked up and grinned. “He’s kicking.”

“Oh!” Sandy placed a hand on her heart, delighted. “It’s such a wonderful feeling, isn’t it? Like he’s saying hello.”

The two women continued to chat for a while longer, and the subject of Caitlin’s wedding came up.

“I’m so excited about it,” Sandy said. “I love weddings. I’m practically counting the days at this point—just a few more weeks!”

“I know! I’m so excited too.”

“It’s not too overwhelming, is it? With so much happening at once?”

“Oh, not at all. I’ve been helping Caitlin when I can, but she’s such a powerhouse of efficiency that she hardly needs me! The most challenging thing has been shopping for a dress when I keep expanding,” Alissa joked, grinning. “I’m having trouble finding a dress that’s flattering and also big enough to accommodate me and the baby.”

“With your pregnancy glow, you’d be gorgeous in anything,” Sandy reassured her. “I’m sure you’ll find something you love.”

“Thanks.” Alissa smiled, grateful for the compliment.

At that moment, someone stepped up in line behind her, so she paid for her items and said an affectionate goodbye to Sandy. As she was walking back out to her car, thinking excitedly about the garlic bread she was going to make, Oscar kicked in her stomach again.

She smiled and rubbed her belly fondly, looking forward to his arrival. Her conversation with Sandy had been encouraging, and she felt much less worried about everything. She got into her car and made her way home, feeling lighthearted and filled with hope for the future.

Isaiah took a deep breath, staring out the window of his short-term apartment. It was a beautiful evening, and he had every window in his place open, allowing in a refreshing breeze from the sea. Outside it was balmy and serene—which was the opposite of how he felt.

I don’t know what happened to me , he thought, resuming the pacing that he’d been doing for the past twenty or so minutes. It’s like all of my chill has evaporated.

But he did know what had happened to him—Gwen had happened to him. Ever since he’d realized that he was developing feelings for her, his easygoing coolness had floated out the window as easily as the spring breezes. He felt indecisive, nervous, and restless. He wanted to ask her out, but he wasn’t sure if he should or not. He didn’t know how she felt about him, and he didn’t know if she might want more time before starting another relationship, since her last one had ended not that long ago.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and stared at it as he continued to pace. He kept having the impulse to text her, but then he kept talking himself out of doing it. He didn’t want to just ask her out over text out of the blue, but he was itching to have a conversation with her. He kept wondering what she was doing, and how her day had been.

Then he had an idea, and he grinned a little to himself. He paused in his pacing and sent her a text.

ISAIAH: Hey! Are we still on for painting tomorrow morning?

“This is good,” he muttered. “She likes scheduling. She’ll like that I’m thinking about scheduling too.” Then he groaned, realizing how much he sounded like a lovesick puppy.

He took a few more steps, continuing to pace, and then his phone buzzed. Delighted and surprised, he checked the screen and saw that Gwen had sent an almost immediate response.

GWEN: We’re still on. Why? Are you getting chicken?

He grinned, chuckling to himself, and texted her back quickly.

ISAIAH: Gosh, no. I’m an excellent painter. You should be feeling nervous, because you’re about to lose tomorrow’s painting competition.

In only a few more seconds, his phone buzzed with another reply.

GWEN: You might be good, but you’re not better than me. I’m efficiency incarnate.

He laughed, finding that he was grinning from ear to ear like a goof. He hadn’t expected her to be so funny, and he couldn’t stop chuckling as they continued to banter back and forth over texting.

Finally, he took a deep breath, deciding that now was the moment—now before he lost his nerve. He carefully typed out his next text.

ISAIAH: Would you be up for another jet boat ride with me, even after a long day of painting?

He waited, no longer pacing, staring at the screen as he waited for her response. He hadn’t made it entirely obvious that he was asking her out, but considering the flirtatious energy that had been happening between them, he felt as if she must have some inkling that he liked her. What if she read his invitation, and told him no? Wouldn’t that imply that she was telling him she wasn’t interested in him like that?

He swallowed, feeling his blood rush in his veins. He started to pace again, telling himself to take it easy, but he felt nervous as he waited for her to reply. Finally, almost five minutes later, his phone buzzed.

GWEN: Sounds great to me.

His eyebrows lifted, and the goofy grin returned to his face. He felt a rush of surprise that she’d said yes—he’d been telling himself that she was going to turn him down. He let out a huge sigh, his heart thumping.

All of a sudden, he couldn’t wait for tomorrow.