Page 22 of The Marrying Kind
Closing up my tenth or so box of the day, I grabbed the next tray to set to work. “Are you responsible for his education?”
She shook her head. “He learned that all on his own this year. He’s been getting more domesticated over the years. Much less feral.” She chuckled. “If only my boys would have been like that growing up. But I guess that happens as they get older and mature.”
“And yet no girlfriend to spoil with those talents,” I said carefully, probing with the subtlety of a brick flying through a glass window.
I shouldn’t even care because I wasn’t in town to find a man and settle down. Settling down was the very last thing I’d consider. Settling down was what had led my parents to a life on the couch, and I was determined to avoid that fate.
Natalie eyed me curiously for a moment before answering. “When he was younger, he was a little wild, and not ready to settle down. Now though?” She made an agreeable sound. “He’s such a catch, but the problem is no one has caught his eye yet.”
Her words made me feel more confused than ever. My growing attraction to Austen was clouding my brain about everything else. I was supposed to be here focusing on myself, not pining over some man. And yet, I found myself wanting to be the girl who caught his eye.
“At least I can say my son isn’t the kind of young man who has vowed to be single forever, because I want grandbabies already.”
Her words made me realize that Austen wasn’t lying or baiting me in some way. He was being honest. According to his mom, he really would be the type to settle down and want a wife and kids someday.
Maybe that was a dream most girls had, and it might have even been mine from time to time, but not anymore. A husband meant cementing yourself to one place. Babies meant a body that would cooperate on such an endeavor. It meant a life of routine. Of work, dinner, chores, homework, soccer practice, repeat. There was no room for adventure in that. And all of that scared the crap out of me.
Maybe he was wise to suggest we not get entangled during my short time here. Even if that kiss was a scorching twelve out of ten. I flushed just thinking about it.
When Natalie and I finished, we loaded the boxes into her van and drove them to the hospital. I’d never felt so popular as I did handing out boxes to the staff on each floor. Free baked goods were clearly the way to people’s hearts.
After many hugs from the nursing staff, and more thank-yous than I could count, we were all out of boxes. Natalie and I headed to the elevator bank together.
“I’m glad you came.” She smiled at me.
“Thanks for inviting me along.” My heart felt full. There was something about serving others that made you forget about your own troubles.
Once outside, I was heading toward my car when Natalie called out to me, “You coming to dinner tonight?”
I shook my head. “I booked a horse-drawn sleigh ride tonight.”
“Oh, that will be a blast. What about Christmas dinner?”
I couldn’t believe how quickly the days had passed since I’d arrived at Kodiak Canyon. It was almost Christmas Eve.
I didn’t answer right away as I studied Natalie’s expression. The way her face looked all kind and hopeful, I couldn’t say no, even though I wasn’t really looking forward to celebrating my first Christmas without my parents. The distraction might be a good one.
“Can I bring anything?” I asked.
Her smile grew even bigger. “Just your lovely self!”
• • •
This upcoming experience was close to a bucket-list item. Number nineteen,ride horses on the beach.
Instead of being on a beach, though, I was in the freezing cold, wearing the borrowed parka and boots Natalie insisted I use while in town. And instead of being on horseback, I was snuggled under a blanket in the back of a sleigh that was set to be pulled by a team of horses named Dennis and Cinnamon. They were Clydesdales with brown-and-white markings and terrifyingly large bodies.
A man named Chip climbed into the front seat and turned to me with a frown. “Is your husband almost here? We should get going soon.”
“It’s just me,” I said, brushing off the comment casually.
“That’s a shame,” he said in a low voice and turned back around. “It’s a very romantic ride.”
His words bounced around in my head as I did my best not to think too hard about them. After all, this was a very beautiful ride along a secluded trail, the sound of bells ringing with each step the horses took, the steam rising from the beasts’ noses after they took an especially big huff of air. Even the trees looked otherworldly, encased in thick snow that looked a lot like frosting on a cake.
Every second of the experience was amazing, even if a little part of my mind wondered what it might be like to be snuggled up against Austen during it. Each time he intruded into my mind, I gave myself a mental slap in the face. This trip wasn’t about falling in love.
Niagara Falls is the honeymoon capital of the world, my self-doubt reminded me. So what? The Eiffel Tower was romantic too. So were the cherry blossoms in Japan. Heck, I was sure petting a kangaroo could be romantic with the right person.
