Page 74 of Hello Handsome
But there was time for myself, too. For the first time in a long time, I felt like a kid again, exploring the beaches I could get to in Enzo’s car. I even got a set of snorkel goggles and flippers so I could swim through the salty water and discover things underneath.
I also had so much time in Hawaii to think about my life and what I wanted it to look like. Even though I loved Cottonwood Falls, I realized how much I missed having my kids around. Something about seeing Enzo day to day made my heart feel so much fuller. And I talked with Isabella almost every day sinceI wasn’t working evenings at the diner and that was her typical free time.
Maybe it was time to move closer to Isa. Especially since she would graduate in the next year and settle somewhere more permanently. Since Enzo’s recovery was going so well, there was a good chance he could return to active duty soon, and I knew I couldn’t follow Enzo around as he was stationed in different places. Eventually, he would want to find a wife and start a family of his own.
And Gray?
Well, he texted me almost every day to check on Enzo. We didn’t talk about us. Just my son and how he was doing.
I was sitting on the beach on one of my last days in Hawaii, watching the sun set on the water by myself since Enzo was going out to dinner with friends from work, when a text came through my phone.
I expected Gray’s usualHow’s Enzo today?text message.
But instead of a text message, it was a picture... of a wedding invitation.
I opened it up and zoomed in, and my jaw dropped open.
Hayes and Della were getting married just a few days after my return.
Gray: I’d love to see you there, Aggie.
My heart melted at his words. I could just picture him speaking them in that low, warm voice of his. But as I read them closer, I realized months had passed, but we were the same.
He hadn’t asked me to be his date.
He had simply invited me.
Like a friend.
Why did I feel rejected all over again when he was truly my best friend?
Hot tears of annoyance and embarrassment flooded my eyes, and I swiped at them uselessly. The sand on my fingertip dug at my skin. Luckily, this beach wasn’t very crowded, because there was no way to hide the emotion taking over my body.
Was that really all it took? One text message for me to feel stuck in love with him all over again?
Another text tone came through the phone, and I hated how my hand instantly shot out to get it from my beach towel and read the screen.
Gray: And before you ask, there’s no baby on the way. Didn’t take a shotgun to get Hayes down the aisle after all.
I laughed at that despite my tears and the jealousy now building in my chest. Hayes fell for Della and wasted no time making her his wife. I wanted a man to fall for me like that. To see me and to know that I was what he wanted in life. To be honest, I wantedGrayto fall for me like that.
I let out a sigh, drawing my knees closer to me in the sand. Even in this beautiful place, my heart was still with Gray in Cottonwood Falls.
How long would it take to stop loving him? I thought six months away would help me make progress, but now I wondered if years would be enough.
Enzo insistedon walking me into the airport, even though I told him he could just drop me outside. And now, I kind ofwished he had dumped me off because we were standing by the entrance to the security gates, and I didn’t want to say goodbye.
When he was dressed, the only evidence of his injury was the black brace he wore on his knee as he recovered from his last surgery. You could see the outline of it through his loose pants. He walked with a minor limp, and the doctors felt confident that would soon be gone and he’d be running in the next few months.
Even though he tried to act strong as we paused outside the security gates, I could tell he was having trouble, too. “Are you sure you have to go?” he asked, voice cracking. And suddenly, he wasn’t a twenty-year-old Marine. He was my baby boy again, crying at kindergarten drop-off.
“I don’t want to,” I admitted, sniffing back tears. I held his face in my hands, ignoring the people passing by us to go through security. “Getting to be here for you was the most precious gift. There’s nowhere I would have rather been.”
His lips quivered before finally sticking in a small smile. “I feel like I owe you after all you’ve done for me.”
I shook my head, running my hands over his arms. “Being your mom is a privilege. I’ve never done it to get something in return.”
Enzo nodded, understanding lighting his pretty brown eyes. “When you get home, can you eat a big order of biscuits and gravy for me? I miss getting that from the diner.”
