Page 20 of Moonlight Feels Right
"It was good," Olivia replied. "I made a friend. Her name is Zoe, and she has a puppy named Pickles."
"Pickles? Really? Is he green?"
Olivia giggled at that thought. "No, but he ate a bunch of pickles her mom left on the counter, so that's his name. Zoe has a baby brother named Cam, and she likes monkeys, too. We made friendship bracelets. She gave hers to me, and I gave mine to her. See?" She held out her arm to show off her bracelet as the torrent of information came to a close.
"That's very pretty," she said.
"Can we get ice cream now?" Olivia asked, her gaze swinging to Hunter.
"Absolutely," he said, a somewhat bemused look on his face.
She couldn't help smiling at that. Clearly, Hunter was not used to the ramblings of a six-year-old.
"Are you coming with us, Emmalyn?" Olivia asked.
She glanced at Hunter. "Unless you'd rather go on your own?"
"Not at all. I was thinking we could just park at Ocean Shores and then walk down to Sandy Scoops. It's not far."
"That's a great idea. I love their ice cream," she said, hoping some ice cream would actually help her get her cool back because she was feeling way too hot and bothered.
Hunter couldn't believe how much Olivia had to say on the way back to Ocean Shores. She'd been shy and withdrawn yesterday, but not today, reminding him once again of Gary, jumping from one subject to the next, just like her father used to do. Fortunately, he didn't have to contribute much to the conversation, because she was more interested in talking than in listening.
As she told him the story her teacher had read about a frog and a cat making friends, his mind drifted to the woman whose car he was following into the parking lot of Ocean Shores. Emmalyn was a very attractive woman and so nice to Olivia and him. He wasn't used to such selfless generosity, and he probably didn't deserve it. He hadn't been friendly to her until he'd needed her, and he felt guilty about that. But once again, he had to remind himself he couldn't change the past, a fact he was being confronted with every time he turned around these days.
When he brought the car to a stop, Olivia finally quieted down. He told her to leave her backpack and lunchbox in the car, and they'd get them when they returned.
Once Olivia was out of the car, she skipped to Emmalyn, and the three of them headed down the beach path, which led into town and provided spectacular ocean views every step of the way. It was a warm September day, topping out in the high seventies, and there were many people sunning on the sandy beach or playing in the water.
On their walk, Olivia repeated the same story to Emmalyn that she'd shared with him, and he was happy to let them chat while he walked alongside, feeling oddly more relaxed than he had felt in a while.
The ice cream parlor had a line, but Olivia continued to entertain them while they waited for their turn. He was glad she'd had a good day at school, but he still needed Bree to call him and come back and get her daughter. One good day at school and an ice cream cone wasn't going to make up for the loss of her mother.
Finally, they stepped up to the counter, each of them ordering a different flavor. He went with his standard mocha fudge, while Emmalyn opted for an Oreo cookie crunch and Olivia asked for chocolate. They took their cones to the patio, where Olivia excitedly greeted her new friend, Zoe, who was also there with her parents, her brother, and the puppy named Pickles.
After introducing themselves to Zoe's parents and exchanging pleasantries, he and Emmalyn sat down at a nearby table while Olivia sat on the ground with Zoe and Pickles.
He was happy to have Olivia's rambling conversation directed at Zoe for a few minutes. "She is Gary's child," he said to Emmalyn. "He would talk my ear off, too."
"I didn't realize she was so chatty. She's clearly feeling more comfortable now than she was yesterday."
"I'm happy to see it. How was your day?"
"It was a good end to the first week of school. The kids who were nervous and scared the first day finally relaxed and had fun. I have a lot of personalities in the class, but that only makes it more interesting."
"How long have you been a teacher?" he asked curiously.
"I'm in my fourth year, the second at Ravenswood. I was at another school in San Diego before that. But I'm much happier where I am now."
"Did you always know you wanted to be a teacher?"
"I did. School was my savior. It was where I finally found myself."
He frowned at her intriguing comment. "Okay, I really need the longer version of your story. Why was school your savior? Why were you sent to live with someone else when you were a kid?"
"Why do you care?" she challenged. "You've never been interested in getting to know me or anyone else in the building."
"That's true," he admitted. "I know I've been rude to you and others in the building. I was caught up in my own problems for a long time, and I couldn't find the energy to be friendly. I apologize for that, and I'm sorry I asked for information. I like my privacy, and I should respect yours."
