Page 7 of Moonlit Harbor Nights

“It’s great that he’s back on track,” Cooper said, nodding. “When I talked to him, he seemed very energetic.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. I’m so happy he’s back on track. It’s important that he doesn’t overwork himself, but I’m sure that Noelle is keeping tabs on that.”

“I bet she is. Which is good. Sometimes men don’t know when to quit, no matter how smart we are. We need women in our lives to remind us to take care of ourselves sometimes.”

“Aww, you need me?”

He laughed. “I absolutely do.”

He leaned toward her and they shared a loving kiss.

“Cake?” Macey asked hopefully.

“Soon, honey.” Cooper grinned. “And then I think we should all cuddle on the couch and watch a movie.”

“Sounds perfect,” Julia said. “Happy birthday.”

He took her hand in his and kissed it, and the three of them continued to enjoy the birthday celebration.

Dean pushed open the back door of his house, stifling a yawn. It had been a good but long day at Main Street Auto, and he was exhausted.

He flipped on the light switch, illuminating his cozy kitchen. It had always been a fairly tidy, pleasant space, but now that he was dating Noelle it felt homier than ever. She’d bought him a cookie jar which she or Hazel often supplied with cookies, and there were photographs and colorful magnets dotting his refrigerator now.

He sat down in one of the kitchen chairs, wanting to take a rest before going any farther. It was rare that he became that tired since he’d started physical therapy, but he had to admit to himself that he’d pushed himself too hard that day.

Stop getting so cocky, Owens, he thought, chuckling a little as he massaged his temples.You keep thinking you can go forever like you used to whenever you start the day with a lot of energy.

He sighed, reflecting on how great he’d felt that morning. He’d started the day with an unusual amount of energy, but he’d soon gotten wrapped up in too many projects and the day had gotten away from him. He hadn’t quite realized just how exhausted he’d become until the shop closed for the day and he’d started to drive home.

He’d made great strides in maintaining his strength because of physical therapy, but he was supposed to take it fairly easy when working and take numerous breaks throughout the day.There were times when he pushed himself too hard, however, and then he had to pay for it.

His stomach growled, and he glanced at his cupboards, wondering what he was going to make for dinner. He had most of the ingredients for spaghetti—one of the few things he knew how to cook—but no meat to add to it, only cheese.

Maybe I could make myself a grilled cheese sandwich, he thought.It feels like that kind of night. I’ve got a can of tomato soup in the cupboards somewhere, I think. Or maybe once I feel a little more rested I could go out somewhere for dinner.

He sat straight up, remembering in a flash that he was supposed to pick Noelle up for dinner. He grinned, always excited about the prospect of seeing her, even though he was so tired.

He shook his head at himself, glad that he’d remembered their date on time. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d forgotten about plans they’d made. Sometimes when he came home too exhausted from work, he forgot about everything except sitting down—sometimes he even went straight to bed and slept without eating dinner first.

I’m lucky she’s so understanding, he thought.Not only is she such a sweetheart, but she knows what I’m dealing with and what I need so well.

He smiled, thinking of how his girlfriend kept tabs on his physical therapy progress and often helped him out with new exercises. He’d first met her through physical therapy, when she was his PT, and they’d started their relationship as friends. He’d soon realized he cared for her in a deeper way, however, and he’d transferred to a different physical therapist so that they could date.

He knew she’d known what she was getting into when she’d agreed to be his girlfriend, but he still felt bad about the way his illness interfered with their relationship. It often took all theenergy he could muster to simply get through the day. Because he rarely had the energy to do anything after work, they hadn’t had a chance to truly spend time together in a while.

Their date had been planned for that evening because they both knew they needed to make some intentional time to connect. He wanted to take her out to a fancy dinner and have a long, heart-to-heart conversation with her. Even though they texted and called often or dropped by each other’s workplaces or homes to say hello, he missed her. It had been too long since he’d gotten to spend a lot of time with her.

He yawned again, feeling his muscles ache with exhaustion. He glanced at the clock, noting that he didn’t need to leave to pick Noelle up for another twenty minutes or so.

He stood up, deciding to take a short nap in the living room. He had a recliner armchair that he liked to sit in, and he went over to it and settled down with a sigh of satisfaction. He pulled out his phone and looked at the time. If he slept for fifteen minutes, he would have five minutes to throw on nicer clothes and comb his hair. Maybe if he got even a little bit of sleep, he would have more energy for his date with Noelle.

He shut his eyes, telling himself that he should set an alarm on his phone, just in case. He took a deep breath in, letting himself become even more relaxed, and then?—

“Dean?”

His eyelids fluttered open. He’d been dreaming—he and his siblings had been on a walk with Noelle in the countryside, and there had been snow falling, and random baked goods hanging from the trees like fruit—but he was awake now, and he blinked in confusion at Noelle.

“Wh… what?” He rubbed his face, trying to become less groggy. “I thought I was coming to pick you up.”

---