Page 11 of Serendipity

The texting had been fun, and tomorrow she’ll likely be slightly embarrassed, but when I explain that I wasn’t even in the least bit bothered, hopefully she’ll not be too upset with me.

We walk to the truck, my arm wrapped around her waist and hers tucked in a praying position beneath her chin as she looks up at me.

“The girls think you’re sexy.”

I chuckle. “Oh, yeah?”

“Mm hmm.”

After getting her buckled in, I get behind the wheel and reverse out of Carissa’s driveway and head in the direction of her house. I may have said I was going to have her in my bed, but I’m a gentleman and right now, she needs her own bed.

Besides, before we arrive at the house, she is curled up in the front seat, legs tucked under her and her head is on the console between us. And she’s snoring. Not slightly, but loudly. It’s friggin’ adorable. She sounds like my bulldog Jerry when he was a puppy.

Keeping one hand on the wheel, I run my fingers through her hair to keep it out of her eyes with my other.

Leah and I have known each other for years. I lived in Red Oak for about ten years then got a job in Michigan that took me away from here for five years before returning two years ago. When we first met, we were both married and I knew her through her ex-husband. We worked together at a company that manufactured furniture. We were both managers of separate departments and I liked him well enough, but I would have been blind to miss his flirtatious nature.

When I was offered a position with a company that creates custom handmade furniture, I jumped at the chance. My ex-wife and I were looking for a change, mainly because our marriage was in trouble. We had the stupid idea that a change of scenery would be the fix. We’d gotten married too young, her becoming pregnant at eighteen being the primary reason. We stayed together until our daughter, Malina, was twenty and had an amicable divorce. Danielle, my ex-wife, and I get along better now than we have in ages. She’s seeing someone I worked with in Michigan and I’m happy for her.

Malina came to Tennessee for college and ended up falling back in love with the state. I approached Handcrafted Collection, the company I discovered I loved working for, about moving to Red Oak and potentially leaving my position, but they did me one better. They made me a partner and opened a second factory which I run. I didn’t know it was my dream job until I landed it.

I still get to use my hands and come up with my own creations but it’s back in Tennessee, where I feel most at home. It’s a win-win. Then I ran into Leah at the grocery store, of all places, and discovered she was divorced also. We talked for only five minutes but in those five minutes, I had this feeling in my gut that told me life was about to change forever. In the short conversation we shared, we clicked. So much so, that I couldn’t get her out of my head for well over a week. Then we ran into each other again. This time at the gas station. We were at the pumps next to each other, pulling in only a minute apart. Two chance meetings. Two moments of time that stuck with me in a way that I knew it was meant to be. Too many stars aligned. God’s handiwork at His finest.

But she needed time to feel ready for something more than friendship. That was okay with me. In fact, if that’s all she’s ever ready for, I’ll be good with being her friend. But I won’t deny that I want more. The alcohol in her system might be telling her one thing, however I’m not convinced. I won’t accept anything less than complete sobriety when she tells me she’s ready for more.

Although, to be fair, I haven’t really made my intentions or hopes clear. Call me a wuss, but I don’t want to scare her away or have her thinking that I’m only her friend because I want more from her. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s probably time to have that discussion, leave the ball in her court.

I resist the urge to groan in frustration. I’m acting like a sixteen-year-old juvenile with a crush on the prettiest girl in school. I even took the long way to Leah’s house, not wanting to say goodbye to her just yet, which is ridiculous because she’s been sleeping the entire time. It’s just proof of how strong my feelings are for her. Any minute spent with her is better than none.

This time I do groan. I sound pathetic, even in my own head. Obsessive, even.

Beneath my hand, she stirs and tries to sit up.

“How ya doing over there, Loopy Leah?”

She snorts. “I may or may not have had a few glasses of wine.”

“And by glasses, I assume you mean bottles.”

Leah, now sitting up – well, slumping a bit but still sitting – in her seat slowly turns her eyes to me and narrows them. I know she’s trying to look tough, but all it does is make me laugh.

“We had snacks,” she says.

“And they made you thirsty?”

“Apparently,” she mumbles. “I’m going to hurt tomorrow, aren’t I?”

“There’s a possibility of this, yes.”

“I told the kids I wouldn’t need a ride home tonight. Probably shouldn’t have been so cocky, huh?”

The corner of my mouth tips up. “They won’t care.”

“They’ll make fun of me fordays.”

“Another strong possibility,” I reply, nodding. Her kids are great, but they love to tease their mother. I’m sure they won’t go easy on her, all in good fun, of course.

“What was I thinking?”

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