Page 29 of Now and Forever

“You can brush them later.”

He’d never seen Daddy so nervous before. “Is everything all right?” Maybe he’d gotten a bad phone call or something. Seth sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh no. Are your folks okay?”

Daddy frowned, his hand resting on the door latch. “What makes you say that?”

“I dunno. You’re acting funny. Like, you’re anxious about something.”

“Oh!” He gave a shaky laugh. “No, nothing’s wrong. I’m just…excited. I’ve wanted to take you to this restaurant for a long time and I hope you like it.”

Must be an enchanted restaurant. “Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ve loved every place you’ve ever taken me.”

He gave Daddy what he hoped was a reassuring smile and he received a soft kiss and a smile for his efforts.

After making their way to the first floor then climbing into the SUV, it took them less than ten minutes to get to the Wayfarer. The quaint, seaside town was brimming with tourists, and Seth was glad they were staying somewhere to the south where they weren’t I the thick of things. Daddy had said they could come back the next day and do some exploring. Plus, there was a state park above the town where they’d have a view of the coast and rocks, as well as a lighthouse.

Cannon Beach was his second favorite place they’d stayed. He still preferred Florence and Heceta Beach, though. While those places were also busier in the summer, Cannon Beach was too chaotic for Seth’s taste.

An older man in a suit glanced up from the host station as they entered the small, crowded lobby area. “Good evening, gentlemen. Do you have reservations?”

Daddy nodded. “We do. Nash, party of two.”

The host glanced over his list. “Here we are.” He regarded them with a smile. “I’ll have your window booth ready in about five minutes. Would you like to wait at the bar?”

“No, thank you. We’re fine here.”

Seth had been taking in the surroundings while Daddy had been busy with the front desk, and even though he could’ve done without the press of tourists, the restaurant had a nice homey, yet elegant, feel. The style was reminiscent of many structures on the coast—classic seaside resort, but done in darker woods.

A group of four young women strolled in, laughing. They all wore light summer dresses, and only one of them carried a sweater. Seth shoved his hands into his pockets. He hoped they’d be seated soon so they could get away from all thesepeople.

Daddy turned to him. “When we go to Ecola Park tomorrow, maybe we’ll get lucky and see lots of bunnies.”

Seth gave himself a mental shake. Had he missed something Daddy had said before the bunny part? “I don’t understand. Why would we be seeing bunnies?”

Daddy chuckled. “They’re everywhere this time of year. But there always seems to be a cluster of them running around near the park.”

As Seth chewed on that unexpected bit of info, one of the young women approached them. She and her friends had been waiting by the host station, but the man who’d gone to check on his and Daddy’s table hadn’t returned yet.

“Excuse me, do either of you know how long the wait is?”

Daddy glanced up at her as if surprised that someone was speaking to him. He’d seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

“I’m sorry, I don’t. Do you have a reservation?”

“No, but it’s not even five yet. We figured if we got here early, we’d be okay.”

A man seated behind them on one of the waiting area benches interjected, “I heard the manager tell a couple a few minutes ago that it’d be four hours without a reservation.”

Seth almost choked and, from the sounds of it, so did the woman and her friends.

She huffed, “In other words, we’ll never get in. Will this place even beopenin four hours?” The disgruntled diner turned on her heels and rejoined her group.

Seth leaned into Daddy. “Did you hear that? It’s a good thing you made reservations when you did.”

“Huh?” Daddy seemed surprised that he was being addressed again.

Seth was about to respond when the host returned. He gave them a wide smile. “Your booth is ready. Please follow me.”

Once they reached the far end of the cozy dining area, they were given one of the roomy, dark wood booths that were separated by a privacy panel. The rest of the room was divided in two sections, and the side where they sat and the one facing the ocean were comprised of glass—windows that gave them a spectacular view of the beach and Haystack Rock.

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