Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Olivia skipped up the front steps of her aunt Marsha’s cottage, taking deep breaths of the wonderful smell of her aunt’s flower garden. She was there to meet Isaiah and her aunt Marsha for dinner, and she was looking forward to the meal, which was sure to be delicious. She always loved going to her aunt’s house, since it had been her own for a while and it still felt like a second home to her.

Just before she knocked on the front door, she heard a car pull into the driveway behind her. She turned and saw that it was Isaiah’s truck, and she grinned and decided to wait for him.

After he’d parked, he hopped out of his truck, his eyes glued to his phone. He hadn’t seemed to notice her waiting there for him, and he was swiping his thumb across his phone screen as if he was texting someone. Across his face was a big goofy smile, and her heart skipped a beat, wondering excitedly what it meant. Her mind immediately began to whirl with optimistic suspicions.

“Isaiah!” she called, and he looked up and smiled at her.

“Hey, sis! What’s up?”

“Mm, I think you’d better answer that question first. Who are you texting?”

He froze for a second, his mouth popping open. He slid his phone into his back pocket and she crowed in triumph.

“It’s Gwen, isn’t it?” She grinned impishly at him as he finished his walk across the front lawn and stopped on the front porch beside her. “You’re texting Gwen.”

The tips of his ears were decidedly pink as he cleared his throat. “I might be texting Gwen.”

“You are!” she crowed. “And you like her! Look at the way you’re blushing.”

He grimaced playfully and groaned. “Fine. Yes. I do. So much. And I’m texting her.”

“I love this!” She clapped her hands, tickled by how bashful he was acting. It was clear that he was completely smitten with Gwen. “You should ask her out.”

He scratched the back of his neck. “I—um?—”

“Oh, come on, Isaiah! Ask her out. If she’s not up for starting a relationship again yet, she can tell you that and you can wait until she is ready. Then at least she’ll know you’re interested and maybe she’ll feel ready for a relationship that much sooner, knowing that you’re interested in her.”

He cleared his throat. “I can’t ask her out.”

“Isaiah! Come on,” she wheedled.

“I can’t because I already did ask her out.” A grin spread across his face. “Actually, we’re dating.”

Olivia’s jaw dropped, and then she squealed and thumped her brother’s back enthusiastically. “Isaiah! Congratulations! I can’t believe you’re dating someone!”

He laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised, it’s not very flattering.”

She laughed too. “Oh, you know what I mean.”

At that moment, their aunt Marsha opened the front door.

“What’s all the excitement about?” she asked.

“Isaiah has a girlfriend!” Olivia squealed, and he blushed.

“You do?” Marsha asked, gasping. “Is it Gwen?”

He nodded, and Marsha and Olivia exchanged a knowing smile. Olivia felt thrilled, knowing her aunt had been hoping this very thing would happen just as much as she had been.

“Oh my goodness,” Marsha said, pressing a hand to her chest excitedly. “Come on inside, both of you, so you can tell me all about it.”

“I also need the full update,” Olivia said, stepping inside the familiar, cozy house. “I just found out a few seconds ago. I demand every detail, Isaiah.”

He laughed. “Oh boy, I should have seen this coming. But I’m perfectly happy to talk about it.”

They sat down together in the living room, where Marsha had set out some crackers with cheese spread and a pitcher of lemonade. She poured a glass for each of them as Isaiah started his story.

Olivia listened, enraptured, as her brother told them all about realizing that he was developing feelings for Gwen and working up the courage to ask her out. She sipped the delicious lemonade, trying to repress a grin. She felt over the moon that Isaiah had found someone he was interested in, and she had a hunch that the practical, kind-hearted Gwen would prove to be an ideal match for him.

“I like her a lot,” he said finally, smiling that goofy smile again as he finished talking about his first date with Gwen. “She’s smart and funny and… well, we just seem to get along together really well. It’s surprising, I guess, considering how different we are, but we seem to balance each other out nicely.”

“Opposites attract,” Marsha said, shrugging wisely. “She brings out parts of you that have gotten buried beneath the surface, and you do the same for her. Everyone is complicated and multi-faceted, and sometimes we need someone to come along to remind us who we are. Well, more like who we’re capable of being.”

He grinned at her. “I like that. That makes a lot of sense. I don’t feel like I’m changing for her, I feel like she’s drawing new parts of me to the surface.”

“What happens when you’re done with your work on the school?” Olivia asked, unable to hold the question in any longer. She was squirming with curiosity. “Are you planning on dating Gwen long-distance, or…”

“Well,” he said, drawing out the world playfully. “Even before I asked her out, I was toying with the idea of sticking around here. I really like this town. It’s got pretty much everything a person needs to be really happy with their environment: a good community, things to do, not to mention access to the ocean.” He laughed. “I’ve been debating staying here in Blueberry Bay longer, and I’m very much leaning toward staying here now, as long as things continue to go great with me and Gwen.”

“Ah, amazing!” Olivia clapped her hands, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m so excited about the prospect of you sticking around.”

“I am too. And I’m so excited that you’ve found a woman you like so much,” Marsha said, her eyes shining. “This is a wonderful turn of events.”

“Now we just have to wait for Mom and Dad to move out here too,” he joked. “Then the whole family will be together.”

“They might!” Olivia gasped, thrilled by the idea. “They’ve always talked about moving after they retire, and why not move to this beautiful town where both their beautiful children are? I think it’ll be a no-brainer.”

“Oh, do you really think they might?” Marsha asked, her hand on her heart. “I absolutely love that idea. We could be like one big happy family again.”

“I really do,” Olivia said, taking a bite of a cracker. “They’ve both mentioned how much they like Blueberry Bay, and they keep talking about when they get to visit again. I think it’s got an excellent chance of happening.”

“I hope so,” Marsha said, looking overjoyed.

The three of them continued to talk for a few minutes longer. They spoke excitedly about the future as they sipped their lemonade and nibbled crackers with cheese. Soon a buzzer went off in the kitchen, and Marsha announced that the chicken pot pies were done.

They continued to talk as they sat around the kitchen table together, eating the delicious meal. Olivia’s heart felt full, and she couldn’t wait to hear about what happened next between Isaiah and Gwen.