Page 32 of Picking Pismo

“Impossible,” Alexis stated. “Mom’s will always be the best.”

Alexis used a spatula to scoop out an enchilada for each of them, placing one onto their plates.

Picking up her fork, Claire dug into her enchiladas. Claire hoped for Alexis’s sake they turned out. She took a bite, allowing the rich tangy sauce along with the meat and cheese to hit her taste buds. It melted in her mouth. Sighing, Claire said, “Mm.” She pointed to her mouth. “These taste exactly like Mom’s.”

Wiping her face with a napkin, Alexis replied, “I agree. These taste like how I remember.” She took another bite of her enchilada before she continued, “I can’t believe it.”

“High five.” David held his flat palm up. Alexis high fived him. “I knew you could do it.”

Still smiling, Alexis declared, “We did it!”

They ate in contentment until their bellies were full of the deliciousness of homemade enchiladas.

Once done, Alexis pushed out her chair. “I need to get my homework done.” Standing, she grabbed her plate. “The cooking ate up my entire evening.”

Waving her off, Claire said, “Go. I’ll clean up. It’s the least I can do.”

With a slight spring in her step, Alexis placed her dirty plate in the sink then left.

David stretched then patted his belly. “I might need to get more into this cooking thing. I’m better at this than I thought.”

Laughing, Claire replied, “Hey, it can’t be denied. You’re a talented cook. Please don’t let it go to your head. I don’t need you getting extra cocky about it.” Claire grabbed her plate and stood, taking it to the sink. David gathered up his plate and the glasses and joined her. “And now I know you can cook.” Claire nudged him with her shoulder. “I’ll be expecting a lot more of it.”

“You bet,” David grinned, making her middle pool with warmth. “I’d be happy for another excuse to spend time with you.” He took a step closer, his arm brushing against hers.

Kissing him quickly on the cheek, Claire flipped on the faucet. “I’m holding you to that.” She squirted soap on the sponge, feeling happiness. Happiness like she had experienced before Mom died. David slid right into the huge gaping hole in her heart, and she wondered how she ever existed without him. Whoa, chill. You’re leaving soon. Be careful. Her mood instantly soured, vigorously she scrubbed the stuck-on cheese off a plate.

Under her breath she muttered, “Or at least until we have to move.” Claire didn’t look over at David, but instead focused on making sure each plate was squeaky clean before placing it into the dishwasher.

Silence. It made her skin crawl.

Shifting, David leaned against the kitchen counter facing her. He crossed his ankles and folded his arms. Claire didn’t glance over at him, but kept her eyes trained on the Pyrex pan she was tackling to clean. Feeling his gaze on her, Claire’s cheeks burned. Certainly, David could have any woman he wanted. Why was he wasting his time on her? Her life was nothing but a web of grief and baggage. She was leaving Pismo, and he needed to stay. The roadblocks weren’t going away no matter how much she wanted them to.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, David cleared his throat. “Can I help you load the dishwasher?” He ran a finger down the length of her arm, searching for her gaze. “Or would you prefer for me to dry the pots and pans?”

Claire didn’t look over at him but handed him a dripping cup to put in the dishwasher.

His hands lingered over hers. “Everything okay?” Slowly, David put the glass onto the top rack of the dishwasher. “You are being awful quiet, plus you won’t look at me.”

Sucking in air, Claire paused in place, gripping the sink with both hands. “No, everything isn’t okay.” Her voice cracked, revealing everything trapped inside of her. Losing Mom, being forced to take an unwilling Alexis back to Los Angeles, meeting David at the worst possible time, but falling for him anyways, everything spun rapidly around in her head. “I’m leaving in like six weeks. What are we even doing together? I mean I’m playing with fire.” She slammed a plate into the dishwasher without bothering to hand it to David.

“Claire…” David’s was voice soft. He reached over and flipped off the faucet. Claire leaned against the sink, touching her shoulder to David’s. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, David continued, “Let’s talk about this.”

“Why did you have to be so wonderful?” Claire shrieked. Then she pinched the bridge of her nose. “You waltzed in here being Mr. Perfect. You are so easy to love. I mean you cooked dinner with my sister for crying out loud. And then right when things start to get good, we’ll have to leave. Then what?”

David squeezed her shoulders. Shifting, Claire wrapped her arms around his middle. Melting against his chest, she listened to the steady beat of his heart. David’s hand roamed down her hair and back in a rhythmic motion, making the nerves in her gut loosen.

“I thought,” David said into her hair, “we decided we’re going to enjoy spending time together while you’re still here.” His breath tickled her neck, sending goosebumps down her back. “Let’s not worry about any of the things we can’t control right now.”

This didn’t solve their issue. These weren’t the words Claire wanted to hear.

With a quivering voice, Claire whispered, “I don’t know if that’s enough for me.”

Deep down she knew the ticking clock of her departure wasn’t going away. If anything, she wanted David to come up with some resolution on the spot. A miraculous way for them to remain together. So, what if she was thinking twelve steps too far ahead. Deep down, Claire knew this thing with David was different—special.

David’s chest heaved under her cheek. “It isn’t enough for me either.” He shrugged. “But right now, it’s all we have.”

For a moment, Claire squeezed her eyes closed, focusing on the feeling of being in his arms without the worry of what tomorrow held. His spicy cologne tickled her nostrils while his strong arms held her steady. When she needed to leave Pismo, it would hurt, no question. It might gut her completely, leaving her heartbroken and alone. Even with the guarantee of heartache, today, Claire wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Today, she wanted David. Six weeks left. She wished it was more, so much more, but some of David was better than none at all.

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