Page 20 of Moonlit Harbor Nights

She smiled, feeling as though she was filled with butterflies. “I mean—well, yeah.” She laughed. She didn’t want to tell him what was really on her mind, in case she was reading too far into things. “Where in the yard do you think we should put it?” She asked a question to distract him, because she didn’t want him to keep noticing the way she was suddenly flushed and starry-eyed.

“Oh, wherever you want, I think. I would recommend that stretch of lawn between the oak tree and the back porch. It gets plenty of sunlight during the first part of the day, and it’s close to the hose so we wouldn’t have to get a hose extension.”

“Good idea.” She nodded, liking the idea very much. Cooper’s yard was already beautiful and cozy, and she felt that adding a vegetable garden in the spot he’d mentioned would make it even more so.

They continued to talk about the garden, discussing what kinds of vegetables they might like to plant and how many. Cooper seemed almost as excited about it as she did.

Although she was engaged in their conversation, part of her mind was somewhere far away. She felt almost like a puppy wriggling around in circles, she felt so excited about the prospect of Cooper proposing. She still felt nervous about the idea, but now her excitement was so intense she could hardly feel anything else.

Could it really be true? Was he genuinely going to propose to her soon?

She hugged a pillow and watched Cooper with admiration as he started to sketch out a garden plan similar to the one in the magazine. His hands moved quickly, and with an expert precision. She liked the eager smile on his face, finding it adorable. She wondered what he was thinking about, and if it had to do with what she was thinking about.

She was thinking about what it would be like to be married to him, and to live in the house with him and Macey. She was thinking about what it would be like to wake up with them every morning and be able to kiss them goodnight every night. She thought about making them breakfast, or snuggling on the couch while watching a movie, or making snow angels in the backyard. Most of the things she thought about were things that she already got to do with them sometimes, but somehow theywere sweeter seen through the lens of a forever partnership. She wanted to make Cooper dinner knowing that she would be there to take care of him for the rest of her life. She wanted to be kissed by him while they were snuggling with Macey on the couch knowing that she was his wife, and that Macey was her daughter. She wanted to start her day with him, knowing that he was her husband and that he’d vowed to love her and protect her for the rest of his life.

“You like that?” Cooper asked her, looking up and seeing her enraptured expression.

She turned to him with a smile and kissed him. “Yes. I love it.”

Dean settled down into his armchair with a sigh. His muscles ached a little, but he was feeling generally all right physically. He’d worked a long shift at the auto repair shop and had just made it home. He’d cooked himself a quick couple of sloppy joes and was sitting down to eat them along with a side of steamed broccoli and a reheated dinner roll from a batch that Noelle had made him.

He was hungry, and he let out another sigh as he chewed his first bite of food. He’d become a slightly better cook since starting to date Noelle. He’d watched the way she whizzed about the kitchen, whipping things together at what seemed to him to be an almost super-human speed, and he’d come to have a new appreciation for how fun cooking could be. Now he had a better grasp of how to use spices, and he’d started to cook with onion slices to add more flavor to his meals. The sloppy joes he’d made had been cooked with onions slices, minced garlic cloves, and several other spices. Once the ground beef had beenfully cooked, he’d added ketchup and some of the Owens’ secret family sauce, which he had in a bottle from his mother.

He felt sleepy as he continued to eat. Although the food was delicious, and he was glad to be resting, he felt discouraged that he’d come home so tired again. He missed his girlfriend, and even though they hadn’t made any plans for that night, he still felt as though he was letting her down by not being more available for companionship.

He knew that the more he did his physical therapy, the better his symptoms became. He also knew that he wasn’t taking as many breaks as he should have been at the shop, and he needed to be better about doing that. Still, he wished it was easier to live his life the way he wanted to. He did his best to stay optimistic about his osteoarthritis diagnosis, but sometimes it was difficult.

He picked up the remote and began to flip through TV channels, looking for something interesting to watch while he ate his food. He soon stopped paying attention and continued to click listlessly while his mind wandered elsewhere.

He thought about all of the challenges he had to face because of his condition. He realized after a few minutes of reflection that the thing that bothered him the most about it was that it prevented him from being the kind of boyfriend to Noelle that he wanted to be. Everything else in his life, he felt he was handling well. He was still a supportive brother and son, and he was still able to run his business successfully and do his work. But when it came to Noelle, he wanted to be able to surprise her with outings or have the energy to see her after work almost every day. He didn’t have the energy for that, and he found it discouraging and disappointing.

I want to be the best boyfriend possible to her,he thought, a smitten smile appearing on his face when he thought about her.She’s so wonderful—she deserves the best I can be.

He thought about the way he’d slept through their dinner plans with a sigh. He set down the remote and took another bite of his sloppy joe, closing his eyes for a moment to relish the taste.

All at once, the channel he’d paused on started to play an ad for a nearby cabaret. Dean looked up at the commercial with interest, thinking to himself that the venue looked beautiful and the performers who were featured in the ad sounded like incredible jazz singers.

He took another bite of the sloppy joe, an idea beginning to form in his mind. He felt his excitement growing as he considered it. After a few moments, he nodded, feeling satisfied that it was an excellent plan.

I’ll make it up to Noelle by planning an evening out for us, he thought, smiling and staring into space.I’ll take her to that cabaret. That town isn’t too far from here. We’ll have a fun, romantic night out.

He set down the sloppy joe and wiped his fingers off on a napkin. He picked up his cell phone and dialed Noelle’s number, smiling happily to himself while he listened to it ring.

“Hey, Dean!” Noelle’s voice sounded as sweet as ever, but slightly less energetic than usual.

“Hey, sweetheart. How’s your night going?”

“Oh, good. I’m curled up on the couch eating chicken alfredo and watchingGilmore Girls.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“It is. I’m nice and cozy under a blanket and everything.How’s your night going?”

“About the same.” He laughed. “Except I’m eating sloppy joes and I don’t know what I’m watching yet. I just saw an advertisement for something cool though, and I wanted to talk with you about it.”

“Yeah? Is it a tool?” she teased.

Dean got so excited about fixing cars that he talked with her about tools the same way other people might talk about a book or a movie that they’d loved. She found it adorable, she’d told him, and she liked to tease him about it.

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