Page 11 of Just Like This
Oliver tracked her as she walked through the room. It was clear that he loved her because it was written all over his face.Something just like that, I told myself. I wanted something just like that. Cami’s face popped into my mind. I wanted someone like her, and that made me nervous. Seeing her at breakfast the day after Palmer’s coming home party had me itching to touch her. I felt so out of control when I was around her, and that scared me. The first chance I got that morning, I ran.
“Come on over to our place tonight for dinner,” Oliver told me. “Sasha wants to meet her Uncle Bear.”
“Bear?”
“She can’t say Garrett quite yet.”
I smiled and accepted his invitation.
When the tasting room emptied of the last customer, Oliver and I worked silently to get everything cleaned up before leaving for the night. As we drove, I realized I hadn’t been to their house, and I had no idea where he lived. Sasha had been just a baby the last time I was home.
The moment I stepped into Oliver’s a house, a tiny ball of energy catapulted herself at me, wrapping her tiny body around my legs. “Unca Bear! Unca Bear!”
Surprised, I looked at Oliver and Tabitha for guidance. “We talk about you a lot. You’re her favorite bedtime story. She loves to hear about her Uncle Bear, the great hero.”
“We thought it was important that she know you, even if you’re not here,” Tabitha added.
I kneeled in front of Sasha who was dressed in some kind of frilly pink gown and scooped her into my arms. “Hello, Princess,” I greeted her, showering her face with light kisses. She giggled and squirmed as my rough beard scratched against her delicate skin until I set her down. She squealed as she ran around the house, resuming her reign of terror.
“Do you want a drink?” Oliver asked, brushing past me into the family room.
“Absolutely.” I followed him, taking in my surroundings. Oliver’s home was large and comfortable; there wasn’t a speck of formality to be found. I noticed a long table littered with pictures and walked over to inspect them. There were several framed photos of me that had been taken over the course of my service, including the picture that was taken right after I had graduated from boot camp. I cringed at how young and inexperienced I looked. The guy in that photo was just a scared kid.
“Unca Bear hero,” Sasha chirped. I looked down to see her smiling. I reached down and ruffled her hair before she reached up for me with an expectant look. “Uppie, Unca Bear. Uppie.”
It was hard to deny the little angel with a head full of blond curls, so I lifted her willingly into my arms. She immediately started to babble nonsense, which I pretended to understand until Oliver saved me. Watching them play together made me realize how much I had missed when I’d run away from family obligations.
“So, Garrett, do you have a girlfriend?” Tabitha boldly asked once we were seated for dinner. I choked briefly on a bite of chicken, surprised at her question.
“No,” I answered after taking a moment to catch my breath. They just stared at me.
“A boyfriend?” Oliver asked cautiously, which instantly made me laugh.
“No. There’s no one. I’m too busy, and I’ve seen too many of my buddies have their hearts broken during deployment.” I paused momentarily as Cami’s face flashed in my mind. Should I even bother to mention her? “But … I kind of met someone recently.”
Tabitha and Oliver exchanged smiles, which made me embarrassed. “How did you meet?” Tabitha wasn’t shy about prying.
“She’s a friend of Palmer’s. Her name is Cami.”
“Tell us about her,” Tabitha urged me excitedly.
“I don’t know that much about her really. But I’m hoping to change that when I go back to Gig Harbor.”
Oliver looked sick when I mentioned leaving. “I talked to Dad today, Ollie. I promised him I would come back when my current enlistment is done.”
“Oh, yeah?” Oliver muttered quietly.
“I’m not going to come back and take over. You’ve done an amazing job, and I’d never do that to you. But maybe I help manage the vineyard?”
Oliver nodded but most importantly, he looked relieved. “That’s great news, Garrett. We can discuss it when you come back for good.”
“Of course. I’m excited for us to finally work together, Ollie.”
“Me too, Garrett.”
A few days later, as I sat on the plane back to Gig Harbor, I felt content. I was proud of the decisions I was making for my future. I was done running from my family, from my grief, and from my father. But there was still time for one last selfish pursuit.
* * *
