Page 95 of Whatever It Takes

It wasweird looking at palm trees decorated with Christmas lights, and hearing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” blaring from the red convertible next to us as we cruised down the highway. It reminded me of my time in California. Christmas without the cold and snow never quite felt right. We’d been in Florida for three days, and as much as I was enjoying the warmer weather, I was ready to head back north.

I spread the blanket we had packed and set the picnic basket down next to us. Charlotte and I sat side by side staring out into the ocean. Susan and Ryan had taken Emery to a Christmas play in downtown West Palm. This was the first moment we’d had alone together.

I took her hand and squeezed it. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Our bare feet sunk in the wet sand as the warm sun beat down on our backs. “In case I forget to tell you,” she tipped her head back and smiled, “thank you for this.”

I kissed her forehead. “No need to thank me. I needed this too. I forgot how much I missed the smell of fresh saltwater and the sound of the ocean.”

“Do you miss living in California?”

For a minute, I let my mind wander back in time. I was so focused on work and trying to prove myself that I never had the chance to enjoy the experience.

“The only thing I miss about LA is seeing the sun shine every day.”

She bumped my shoulder. “You never talk much about that time in your life.”

Charlotte was one of the most confident women I knew. But it was no secret that leaving her behind for my adventure had her questioning her self-worth.

“Honestly.” I looked over at the sky. The beams of light from the sun had me squinting my eyes. “There’s not much to tell. I spent my time there working and when I wasn’t, I was missing everything I threw away.”

“Quinn, you thought you were doing the right thing. As much as I hated it, I understand why you did it.”

“It’s just a time of my life that I don’t want to think about.” Her green eyes grew soft with understanding. I brushed back a piece of hair that had blown in her face. “I don’t want to think about the past. I just want to focus on the future.”

Even though there were parts of our past that were memorable, there was also a fair share of heartache. I wanted our future to be brighter and stronger. It wasn’t just about us anymore. We would always have our past, but our future belonged to our children. I just wanted to look forward with hope instead of backward with regret.

She stepped forward. “We can do that, but I want you to know one thing.”

“What’s that?”

She rested her head on my shoulder. “If you ever leave me behind again, I will hunt you down and you better hope that I never find you.”

My lips quirked up. “Oh really. Why’s that?”

“Because you may carry a gun, but it was you who taught me how to use it.”

I placed my chin on top of her head and laughed. “Sweetheart, I took you to the shooting range once and it was ten years ago.”

“Exactly, which means my aim won’t be very good which would be unfortunate for you.”

“Wouldn’t missing your target be a good thing for me?”

“Nope.” She shook her head. “Because while aiming at your leg, I might end up shooting you in the balls instead.”

I leaned back, placed my hands on her hips and tried to keep a straight face. “That sounds painful.”

“I imagine it would be. It would also be a lesson you would never have to learn twice.”

Leaning forward, I pressed my lips to hers. “My days of walking away from you are over. So, hopefully, my legs and balls are safe for now.”

She placed her hands around my neck and stared at me. “You know that I can be frustrating and stubborn sometimes, right?”

I rolled my eyes. “Sweetheart, I’ve known you for over a decade. Trust me when I say that I know exactly what I’m signing up for. Now let’s go eat, I’m starving.”

I led her back to our little spot on the beach where our cooler and blanket were set up.

The water washed against the shore as I set my sandwich down in my lap. There were a few beachgoers scattered around in their beach chairs, and an older man playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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