Page 37 of Reaching Roland

The minute we were on the sand, I wanted to kick off my flip-flops and wiggled my toes in the grainy brown substance. “I wish it wasn’t so hot out.”

Roland barely hid an eye-roll. “You’ll burn your feet if you try walking across the sand right now. It’ll be scorching.”

I scanned the area and pointed toward a less-populated spot down a little. “Let’s go that way.”

He made a sweeping after-you gesture with his arm, and we wove our way through the beachgoers already set up. Once we reached an open spot, we laid out the sheet and sat down. Leaning back on my hands, I inhaled deeply. “This is the life.” When Roland didn’t respond, I opened my eyes to find him staring at me intently. “Are you okay today? Do you really hate this?” I asked, feeling bad that I dragged him along with me if he was miserable. It would’ve been easy enough for me to drive down to Little Beach and meet up with my parents or the guys.

“No. I’m actually loving it.”

Pleased with his response, I laid back and closed my eyes. “I wanted to at least take a quick dunk in the water, but I’m so sleepy.”

Roland chuckled. “I wouldn’t let you go in yet, anyway. Your belly’s too full.”

“Yes, Daddy,” I said with a pout in my voice. Such a worrywart.

“Here.” He lifted my head and slid a folded-up towel under it. A ghost of a touch slid over my forehead before my hair was tucked behind my ear. I hoped he didn’t notice my breath catch in my throat. The last thought I had before I drifted off to sleep was why did he have to be so perfect?

“Shortcake, wake up. Fireworks are starting soon.”

I jerked, opening my eyes to find that the sun had descended. I sat up quickly, flipping my glasses off and rubbing my eyes. “Holy crap. Did I fall asleep?”

“You did.” He pressed my unfinished bottle of water into my hands.

“I’m so embarrassed. I’m sorry. I’m the worst company ever.” I couldn’t believe I left him hanging on the beach by himself when he hadn’t even wanted to come. I probably wouldn’t have to worry about moving now. Our adventures were probably over. Worst company ever.

He slung an arm around my shoulders. “I don’t know about that. You’re cute when you sleep.”

What? “Uh. Oh. Was I talking in my sleep or something? Or drooling?” Horrified, I wiped around my mouth.

He snorted. “No storytelling or drool, but you make the cutest little whistle sound.”

“I do?” No one had ever told me that before, and I’d had my fair share of bed partners.

He pulled back and turned his head toward me, so I tilted mine back. “You do.”

We were so close that it wouldn’t take much to press my lips to his. Not that kissing him was on the table or anything. But why was he so close? He smiled slowly, softly, and whether I made a fool of myself or not, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Uh. What’s happening?”

“That’s what I kept asking myself.”

That cleared up exactly nothing. “What?”

“First, I wondered why I kept making appointments for you to basically remove all my hair from the top of my head. Then we added the shave, and I thought, okay, this makes sense. I’m treating myself. It didn’t seem odd to invite you to The Tap that first night, either. We’d gotten friendly over those few months, and we had so many mutual friends in common, why not? Even the Strawberry Festival. It was fun. There was no reason we shouldn’t go together. But you know when it got confusing for me?”

“No,” I whispered, scared to hear what else he had to say, terrified not to. My heart was beating so fast I thought I might pass out or rattle apart.

Like he knew I needed to be grounded, he held me a little tighter. “After the first family dinner. As the next week drew closer, I’d look at my kitchen table, and I couldn’t picture a family dinnerwithout you there. So I created reasons to coax you to come and dismissed how adamant I felt about it by convincing myself that it was because you seemed as lonely as me, and I could fix that, so I should.”

“That…” Was so not what I was hoping to hear. What the hell had I been thinking? Straight plus forever in love with his deceased wife equaled completely unavailable. “That sounds reasonable.”

He huffed. “It does, doesn’t it? It even explains why I started making plans for when we both have free time. However, it doesn’t really solve why the sound of your voice soothes me, or why I think your blushes are so adorable, or how my pulse speeds up whenever I pick you up, and you bound down the stairs with a smile on your face. How you’d become so dear to me, shortcake.”

“I am?” I asked.

He turned enough where I was cradled into his body and ran a finger down my cheek. “And my son seems to think that maybe I’m important to you, as well. Is he right?”

I gulped, nodding hesitantly. Was this happening? Was I still asleep and dreaming?

He grinned. “Good. I was hoping so.” His gaze went over my shoulder, and he cleared his throat. Then, with an insecurity I’d never seen in his baby blues, he said, “I know that this might be a little confusing to you right now. I’ve had days to come to terms with where I want what’s happening between us to go, but would you allow me to take you to dinner on Saturday night after you get off of work? We can have a nice meal and talk it all out.”

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