Page 31 of Picking Pismo

After they finished cleaning up the kitchen and setting the table, David wandered through the house looking for Claire. He called out her name a few times.

“In here!” Claire bellowed.

David followed the sound of her voice, finding her in a room which he assumed was an office. The room was practically empty. Only a desk and some packed boxes remained. Claire sat at the desk, typing on a laptop.

Claire glanced up at his arrival and stopped typing. “Are you done already?” Shifting in her seat, she stretched.

“We certainly weren’t fast.” David sat down on the corner of the desk, inches away from Claire. “It took us over an hour.” He reached out and ran a hand down the length of her arm.

Claire double checked the clock on her laptop. “I told you cooking wasn’t easy.” She leaned forward in her swivel chair. “Do you think you and Alexis have a future in cooking?”

Shaking his head, David replied, “Not a chance. But,” he held up a finger, “I was happy to spend time with Alexis. It gave me an opportunity to get to know her better. She is a great kid.” He couldn’t help but smile.

“I know. I’m lucky to have her, even with the extra responsibilities…” Her voice trailed off, and Claire stared out the window overlooking the side yard. Methodically, she ran her hands back and forth over the armrests. “I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have her.”

After a long pause, Claire swung her gaze back to him, and it almost unhinged him. Deep worry wrinkles stretched across her forehead and a sadness shone in her eyes. David knew the burden she carried was heavy, and he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and reassure her everything would be okay. But he couldn’t promise her that. Nobody could.

Claire continued, “It’s not like I have extra family in my life. My dad took off, and my grandparents are long gone. It’s only me and Alexis. She has kept me going.” Her voice cracked.

David realized how incredibly lucky he was to still have both of his parents in his life. A blessing he hadn’t recognized in a while. “I’m sure glad you have each other. Alexis loves you, even if she doesn’t always say it.” David reached out, covering his hand over hers. Then he yanked her up and toward him, wrapping his arms around her. He whispered into her hair, “Alexis told me at the store today she needed to not be so hard on you.”

Rapidly, Claire loosened their embrace enough to glance up at him. “She did?” She lowered her voice, “I don’t know how to get her to talk to me. You have a way with her. I wish she’d tell me more.”

Reaching out, David tucked a few of Claire’s stray hairs behind her ear. He cupped her neck. “She will. Eventually, she’ll probably tell you more than you want to know. Just give her a little bit of time. I’m an impartial party. Sometimes it’s easier to talk to an outsider than someone you know and love.”

Placing her arms around his waist, Claire gazed up at him. “You aren’t an outsider to me.” She quickly kissed him on the lips. “You belong right here with me.”

Grinning, David touched his forehead to hers. They stared at each other for a moment too long. His heart hammered. A fire raged in his gut. David gulped. How did this woman manage to create this reaction in him in such a short amount of time?

“Thanks for coming and cooking me dinner,” said Claire, breaking the silence.

With one finger, David swiped Claire’s hair over her shoulder, letting his fingertips run through the silky strands. Whispering into her ear, “Alexis practically did everything. But it’s our secret.” Kissing her cheek, David, for a speck of time, allowed himself to imagine his life with her. Imagine a world where they could be together, forever. He hadn’t dreamed in a long time, and he knew allowing himself to hope was a dangerous path to walk down. With a casual shrug, he added, “I just the read the steps off to Alexis from the recipe.”

Smirking, Claire replied, “Liar. I don’t believe you for a second.”

David wanted to kiss her twitching lips.

From the door threshold, Alexis loudly said, “Geez, you two.”

They both flinched, jumping a few inches apart and releasing one another’s embrace.

Leaning one shoulder against the doorway, Alexis continued, “Every time I stumble upon you guys, you’ve got your hands all over each other.”

“Calm down,” Claire fiddled with the ends of her shirt then pushed up her chin. “We weren’t doing anything that couldn’t be seen.”

“Says who?” Alexis raised an eyebrow. Then Alexis shook her head, pushing off the door frame, pivoting to leave. Over her shoulder, she added, “The food’s ready. Let’s eat.” Alexis wandered down the hall, leaving them alone.

Squeezing Claire’s hand, David motioned with a head tilt toward the kitchen. “You heard Alexis, we better get in there before she reports us to who knows who.”

Claire quickly gave him a peck on his lips. “Let’s go eat these enchiladas you’ve been slaving over.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Gasping, Claire stared down at the bubbling pan of enchiladas on the stovetop. She clasped her hands together. “These look exactly like Mom’s.” And they smelled as delicious as she remembered. A flood of happy memories of Mom in the kitchen cooking popped back into her mind. Her eyes misted. Claire cleared her throat, peering up at Alexis and David with a teary-eyed smile. “You both did a great job. I can’t wait to try them.”

“Maybe hold your praises until you eat one.” Alexis carried the pan to the table, setting it on a hot pad in the center of the table. “We still aren’t positive if we used the right tortillas or cheese.”

“Nonsense.” Claire went to the table, sitting down. David joined her, sliding into the seat next to her. Alexis sat across from them. “I think they might have turned out even better than Mom’s.”

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