Page 45 of Hide Away By the Sea

That caught my interest. “Does that mean you’ve tried to look for one?”

She shrugged. “Not seriously. I think it was more curiosity than anything. I never liked being away from my family, especially my grandmother.” Tears filled her eyes. “If I could go back and change things, I would’ve gotten a job closer to home. Thinking about it now, I should’ve just worked with my dad.” She averted her gaze and started walking again, so I kept in step beside her. “There are so many what-ifs that I don’t even know what I would’ve done if I had a chance to change things. We’ve made our choices, and this is where we ended up. I’m trying not to dwell on those what-ifs.”

“I understand,” I said softly. “I’m trying not to do the same.”

Our walk took us to her father’s medical practice and Everleigh’s face brightened. It was a Sunday night, so no one was there. Her father was my doctor and still is to this day. However, the man was getting older and had to be close to retirement.

Everleigh sat down on the stairs right by the door and I did the same. “Has your dad mentioned when he’s going to retire?” I questioned.

A single laugh escaped her lips before her expression became somber. “I have no clue, but it’s probably soon,” she replied sadly.

“Will he sell it to someone?” I wondered.

She hung her head. “I keep hoping he’ll work and live forever so I wouldn’t have to see him sell. It breaks my heart to see it go to someone else.”

Growing up, I always knew she wanted to be a doctor. Everyone thought she’d end up working with her father and one day, take over. So, it was a shock when she decided to go further into her medical career and become a neurosurgeon.

Everleigh’s sadness was almost tangible in the air.

I held out my hand and smiled warmly. “Come on. It looks like it might rain soon, and I should probably get you home before it starts.”

Her expression gradually brightened, and she chuckled. “Jensen, it’s only nine o’clock!”

I quirked an eyebrow in surprise. “Are you saying you can still stay out until two in the morning like when we were carefree twenty-one-year-olds?”

She took my hand, sending a jolt of electricity up my arm from her touch. We walked hand in hand until we reached my Ford Bronco, where I opened the door for her.

“Have I really turned into this old woman who needs to be tucked in bed so early?” Everleigh asked me with a mischievous quirk of her mouth.

A wisp of her hair floated across her face, and I softly brushed it away and tucked it behind her ear; my heart hammered against my chest as I willed myself not to kiss her right then and there.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly smirked at her before answering. “Yes, Everleigh—you are definitely an old lady now.”

The corner of her mouth twitched upward as she playfully smacked my arm and laughed. “You’re such an—”

With a chuckle, I shut the car door just as she finished the sentence. We listened to our favorite Jack Johnson songs on the way back to her house. It brought back so many memories of our past.

When we arrived, I grabbed the picnic basket from my back seat and followed Everleigh up the stairs to her back deck. Nyla was just inside, sitting on the couch, but when she saw us, she waved and disappeared down the hallway; I assumed it was to give us privacy.

Everleigh took the basket from me and set it down on the porch. “Thank you for tonight. I had a good time,” she stated happily.

I nodded. “So did I.”

I looked down at the walkway. “Your grandmother’s to-do list is almost done,” I said, focusing back on her. “Which means it doesn’t give me an excuse to come back here.”

Everleigh giggled and shook her head. “Are you saying I need to give you more things to do?”

I shrugged. “That or you can just say you’ll see me again tomorrow.”

She bit her lip and smiled. “I’m sure we can make that happen,” she murmured, stepping closer to me. “I plan on taking Nyla around town tomorrow, but after that . . .” She let her words trail off as if giving me an open invitation.

“After that,” I suggested, “would you be willing to let me choose what we do on the date?”

Her grin widened. “Sure. What do you have in mind?”

It was so easy to get lost in her hazel-green eyes. All I could think about was kissing her.

“It’s a surprise. Can you be at my house around two?”

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