Page 40 of One Sweet Day I Found You

Eleven

The sun was setting as Courtney turned her attention to the cast of characters on the sidewalk. “Don’t you love to people watch? It’s one of my favorite pastimes.”

She took a sip from her glass of Pinot Gris and watched as a couple of kids sped by on scooters outside the roped-off patio. It was still the first week of June but already the mood at the The Hideout was lively.

Nick sat opposite Courtney at an outdoor table facing Heritage Bay’s charming Main Street. “You’re in the right place, then.”

A family with three small children and their Labrador retriever passed by on the sidewalk. A young couple holding hands came next, and a group of women in colorful scarves and bracelets, lost in spirited conversation, jingled past.

Courtney turned her attention back to Nick. “So, I’ve told you all about me and how I ended up here, but I hardly know anything about you.”

She pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. “Other than your farm animal vocabulary and your keen ability to keep a person afloat on the lake.”

Nick grinned. “Which is an exceptionally important ability. And a very useful vocabulary.”

“True, that.” Courtney grinned and sipped her drink again.

“Well, so, I work at the shop. Been there a year. I lead tours when I can—favorite part about it. Oh, and I already told you that my grandparents were from Heritage Bay, so I spent a lot of time here as a kid. What else do you want to know?”

“Well, what brought you to Wisconsin? You went to school in Chicago, right?”

“Yeah, University of Chicago. I love that area. I’m from the suburbs outside Chicago. But I needed something different for a while. A change of scenery.”

“I totally get that.”

He told her how he took the job at the shop on a whim after he finished a two-week bike ride early last summer with a friend.

“Okay, well I totally get that, too. I’ve done a few impulsive things, myself.”

They talked more about Chicago, discussing the nightlife, their favorite sports teams, the restaurants, and their favorite outdoor spots in and around the city.

“So, what’ a big-city girl doing in a place like this, then?”

“I’m not just a city girl.”

“I know. I saw that the other day. You didn’t even flinch when those chickens pecked at your hands.”

Courtney laughed and leaned forward on her elbows.

“My sister, Morgan, lives in Green Bay and when I found the job nearby I just thought I’d give it a shot. Plus, it’s only a few hours from home. Seemed like a good place to try next. How’d you find your place? Wait, I don’t where you live. Do you have an apartment?”

“Yeah, an apartment and a roommate.” Nick smiled. “When I decided to take the job and move up here, I met Tom through a guy who works at the shop. He said he was looking for a roommate. The rest is history. You like to move around a lot, don’t you?” He took a bite of his pizza.

“I don’t know. I feel like, well—like there are more places in the world than there is time to see them all, right? So, you have to take every opportunity you can, or you’re going to miss your chance.”

Nick looked thoughtful and took a swig of his beer. He leaned back and stretched his shoulders.

Courtney went on. “But then, it’s hard to spend very long in one place because new places are always calling. Maybe that’s why I started writing about travel. I can sort of get the wanderlust out of my system without actually going to all of those places. Even if it’s just a story about the best seat on an airplane.”

“Who says you can’t go see them all? You never know.” Nick sat forward again. “Especially if you can write an article about ’em. That’s what tax write-offs were made for, right?” He grinned.

“Well, sure, but it still costs a lot of money to fund the trips. My stories don’t pay that well.”

“Yet.” Nick smiled.

“All right—yet.” Courtney lifted her glass. “Cheers to that.”

Nick lifted his pint glass of beer and clinked it against Courtney’s wineglass. “Cheers.”

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