“You know what I mean,” she said wearily. “And we don’t really hang out together. I just happen to go to McGee’s while you’re working once a week. It’s not the same as you sitting at the table with me and us spending the night together.” Then she gasped and blushed even more. “Oh, my gosh, that is not what I meant! I swear!”
Reaching out, he touched her hand again. “I know what you meant and I guess I don’t see much of a difference.” He paused for a moment and studied her. “Do you remember the night we met?”
“Ugh…I wish I didn’t…”
“Why?”
“Why? Levi, I was a total klutz who face-planted on the sidewalk!” She groaned. “I had a giant bump on my head, everything fell out of my bag, my phone screen cracked, one of my shoes came off, and I cried! I’m a grown woman who cried because she fell! It was mortifying!”
He thought she was cute as hell, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t appreciate that observation right now.
“You tripped on an uneven sidewalk, Willow. It wasn’t like there wasn’t a good reason for it.”
“I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. I was staring up at the clouds because they were incredibly fluffy that day.”
He wasn’t going to touch that comment with a ten-foot pole.
“Anyway…” He carefully began. “We sat and talked for almost two hours straight that day. We talked until your friends were able to get there, and then I kept coming over and checking on you. We may not be lifelong buddies, but I’d like to think we’re friends.”
“I know we’re friends, Levi…”
“Just a minute ago you said we barely know each other.” And yeah, he knew he was acting just a wee-bit babyish about the whole thing, but it kind of bothered him that Willow didn’t see him the way he saw her.
Hopefully, by the end of this trip–if she agreed to it–she would.
Her expression turned a little sad, and he knew he needed to get them to move on. “So, where does your grandmother live?”
“Um…Florida. She lives in a retirement community called The Villages.”
“I’ve heard of it,” he said and watched as she relaxed a bit. “Central Florida, right?”
“Yes. She’s lived there for around fifteen years now, and we always go down to visit for her birthday. This year she’ll be 75 so it’s kind of a big deal.”
“My grandmother just turned 80, and we threw her a big party at her favorite restaurant. She loved how so many people came out to celebrate with her. We have a very large family and pretty much took over the whole restaurant that day.”
“Well, our family isn’t all that large. This is my grandmother on my father’s side and he’s her only child.”
“What about you? Do you have any siblings?”
She nodded. “A brother and a sister. Both married with children. I’m the youngest, so now everyone’s wondering when I’m going to follow suit and settle down.”
“Settle down?” he repeated, laughing softly. “I didn’t think people said things like that anymore.”
“They do in my family,” she muttered before opening her little notebook again. “So, um…”
“What do your siblings do?”
“Do?”
“Yeah, you know…for a living?”
Willow let out a small groan and leaned back in her seat. “Other than being the perfect children, you mean?”
He had a feeling he’d just opened a can of worms.
“They’re your stereotypical over-achievers. My brother Miles is a doctor, and my sister Audrey is a lawyer. And then there’s me, the unemployed sibling with no high aspirations. Much to my parents’ chagrin.”
“Chagrin?”
“Yeah, you know…they’re embarrassed by the fact that their youngest child won’t fall in line and do what they want her to do.”
“Which is…?”
“Psychology. I hate it. I have a degree in it, but…it’s just not for me.”
“So, what is for you?”
“I wish I knew. I mean, I know I’m going to have to decide on something sooner rather than later, but for right now, I have no idea what that is. I keep thinking it’s going to just come to me in a dream or something, but so far, no luck.”
“Wow.”
“Did you always want to be a bartender?”
“Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
It wasn’t something he wanted to get into right now. It was a bit of a long story and he felt like they had more important things to discuss.
“When is this visit supposed to happen?” he asked instead of answering her.
“You’re avoiding the question, Levi.”
“Not really. Just postponing it for now because we have more pressing matters to cover. If we’re going to do this–and I really hope you’ll accept my offer–then I’m going to need to know specifics. If I’m going to take off of work…”
“Oh, my goodness…you’re right! That really should have been the first thing we talked about. Gammy’s birthday is at the end of the month, and it’s a two-day drive from here to Florida, so…”
“Wait, we’re driving?”
She nodded.
“But…why? Flying would give you more time to visit.”
“Like I said, I’m not really working right now.”
“Willow, you’re practically a nanny to Josh, and then there are the dogs…”
“Um, yeah. They cover the bills but…it doesn’t leave a lot for extras. Like travel,” she murmured and sighed. “If it’s okay with you, we’ll drive. It’ll cost less.”
“O-kay…and how long will we be gone for?”
“Two days driving there, two days to get home, and four days there, so…a little over a week. Will that be okay for you? Will your boss be okay with you taking that much time off?”
He waved her off. “Yeah, it won’t be a problem.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” He smiled. “Okay, so driving down. Where will we be stopping and staying along the way?”
“Someplace budget-friendly since I’ll be paying all the expenses,” she said, blushing again while not looking at him.
“Wait…why? I don’t have a problem helping to pay for stuff. There’s no reason you have to do it all.”
Now she did look at him. “Levi, you’re
