Page 62 of Picking Pismo

Claire blinked rapidly. “I— I— don’t know what to say.”

David replied, “Say you love me too. Say you want what I want too.”

“You know I love you.” Claire repeated the words slowly. She exhaled, making her chest heave. “I’ve loved you since the day you came to my house and helped me with that garage sale.”

Grinning, David replied, “Your words mean the world to me.” He kissed her quickly on the lips then continued, “I’ll say it again until I’m blue in the face. I love you. Please, pick me. Pick Pismo. Marry me, and I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to make this thing between us work. I’ve already failed once at marriage, and I don’t plan on repeating it. Because I’ve fallen completely, can’t live without you, head over heels, in love with you. And I’m sorry I let you go. I wish I hadn’t. I regret it, but I don’t want to live any longer with regrets. We both know life is short. There are no guarantees we will have tomorrow. So let’s not wait.”

“Do you mean it?” Her voice shook as her hand found his chest. Her fingertips picked up the steady beat of his heart. “You’d love me enough to marry me… even with me having Alexis?”

“Yes,” David kissed her then pushed her unruly hair over her shoulder. “I love you. I love Alexis. So please, marry me.”

“Then, yes,” Claire grinned. “I’ll marry you.”

His breath tickled her neck. “Then I’ll be the luckiest guy ever.”

With a fist of his cotton tee, Claire yanked his body closer to hers. “Let’s call it a tie for who’s the luckiest.”

Then under the brilliant blue sky, with the sounds of the waves crashing beside them, Claire skated her lips across his, an addicting thrill skimmed down her spine. Remembering all over again, the feeling of his stubble against her cheek, the glide of his jaw under her thumb, and the support of his arm around her waist.

His cologne made her nostrils flare and body buzz. Soon, she was transported elsewhere to a place where the worries of the future withered away, and it was only her and David. Everything before had brought them to this place, holding one another, kissing, in Pismo, like it was the first and last time all wrapped up into one. There they were, together, picking each other, picking Pismo.

EPILOGUE

Loading the stroller into the back of the minivan, Claire asked, “Did you grab the diaper bag?”

Holding up the bag, David came around the van. “I have it right here.” He placed it in the back of the van.

Claire kissed him lightly on the lips. “Thanks.” She wiped her sweaty brow with the back of her wrist. “I knew you had it. I’m just nervous. I don’t want to be late.”

David squeezed her shoulders. “I know but you don’t need to be. Alexis is going to crush her graduation speech.”

Her chest heaved. “Let’s hope so. Alexis wouldn’t even let me read it. I really don’t know how this is going to go.”

A cry from inside the van interrupted them. Claire closed the back of the van.

David went around to the side, opening the sliding door. “And what’s wrong missy?” He leaned over their eighteen-month-old daughter, twisting around in her car seat. Her face was bright red. Slowly, he stroked the side of her face, and with the other hand he searched for her pacifier. After locating it on the floor of the van, he held it up. “Is this what you wanted?” David popped the pacifier back into the baby’s mouth.

Claire almost lunged for the pacifier. “That was on the floor.” Her eyes widened.

Their daughter stopped crying and happily sucked on the pacifier. David handed her a favorite stuffed animal. She gripped it in the crook of her elbow. He hit the button to close the sliding door.

“It’s fine.” David tugged Claire close, wrapping his arm around her waist. He kissed her lightly on the lips. “She’ll live. You look beautiful by the way.”

Claire laughed, waving a finger at him. “Don’t you change the subject.”

“What?” David kissed her temple. “Can’t a husband tell his wife how gorgeous she looks.”

“I hate how much this is working.” Claire smirked and put a hand on her hip. “But we’ll talk about dirty pacifiers later.”

“Sure thing.” David opened her door, gesturing to her to climb in. “Later. We don’t want to be late to Alexis’s graduation. It’s not every day your sister will be graduating from high school.”

After settling in her seat, Claire wrung her hands together. “I can’t believe this day has finally come. Thank you for your help in raising her. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Yes, you could have. But I appreciate your gratitude.” David shut the door and walked around to his side, climbing in.

So many changes in the last five years, David never realized how much his life would improve for the better. His heart filled with gratitude as he started the van, pulling onto the road. He reached for Claire’s hand, interlocking their fingers. Even after all this time, he still yearned to feel her close.

“I can’t believe Alexis is attending Boston Conservatory at Berklee in the fall.” Claire glanced over at him. He could feel her studying him. “It’s way on the other side of the country.”

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