Page 110 of Ice Ice Maybe
After I ended the call, a spark of hope reignited in the kitchen as Rowan high-fived Nolan and said, “That’s my boy.”
“I’ve got high hopes, thanks to you,” I said, leaning toward Nolan and kissing him. “Your mom’s right. We make a pretty good team.”
He grinned. “Tell me something I don’t already know.”
As we waited for Dad’s call, the minutes crawled by slower than Nolan’s Zamboni. We’d polished off the entire box of donuts, too many cups of coffee to count, and Vivian was now trying to distract me by showing me Nolan’s baby photos.
“Look at that tush!” Vivian exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “This was Nolan’s first modeling gig.”
I couldn’t help but giggle. “Oh my, what a charmer! I bet he was the talk of the baby catwalk.”
Vivian nodded solemnly. “Oh, absolutely! He had all the other babies drooling.”
Rowan smirked. “I think they might have been teething, but still …”
“Great. You’re all a bunch of comedians,” Nolan said, shaking his head with slight amusement. “Stop looking at my assets.”
“Whoops—I hate to cut into the fun, but we’ve got to head to the airport,” Rowan said, glancing at his watch. “Good thing we’re already packed.”
Vivian gave me a knowing smile. “I’ll share more photos in the car.”
Thirty minutes later, Nolan pulled his car next to the curb at the terminal, then pulled their suitcases from the trunk.
He wrapped his arms around his mom. “It was a brief trip, but I’m glad you came, Mom.”
Vivian smiled. “Next time we’ll stay a month.”
“Okay—let’s not get crazy,” Nolan said with a chuckle.
Rowan bear-hugged Nolan. “Always good to see you, son.” Then he turned to me and said, “Zena, it has been an absolute pleasure. Please come visit us in Milwaukee.”
I beamed and hugged him. “I’d love that.”
“We’ll need to get something on the calendar before the holidays.” Vivian’s eyes twinkled mischievously before she hugged me tightly. “And no more fake engagements, you two. I want to see a real ring on that finger soon.”
Nolan sighed dramatically. “Gee, Mom, it’s a shame you’re so bashful and don’t speak your mind.”
“Oh, hush,” Vivian retorted, winking. “You and I know a good thing when we see it.”
As they disappeared into the terminal, Nolan pulled me close. “My parents adore you.”
I melted into his embrace. “The feeling is mutual.”
Our lips met in a kiss, only to be interrupted by a gruff voice. “Drop-offs only. You need to move your car.”
“Sorry, Officer,” Nolan said sheepishly as we scrambled into the car.
As we pulled away, I glanced at the time on the dashboard and felt my stomach clench. “Still no word from Dad. We’re down to three hours.”
Nolan took the exit out of the airport, then reached over and squeezed my hand. “Don’t worry, it’s going to happen. Hey, I know a place that might help us relax a little and clear our minds. You feeling spontaneous?”
I nodded. “Definitely.”
Twenty minutes later, we stood atop Mount Soledad, with a glorious panoramic view of San Diego sprawling before us. The Pacific glittered in the distance, a cool breeze carrying away our worries.
“This is incredible,” I breathed, leaning into Nolan’s side.
He wrapped an arm around me. “I come here whenever I need perspective. Somehow, seeing the entire city and the bay laid out like this makes everything else seem more manageable.”
