I
realize that by arriving early I will have to meet them. Maybe Will didn't want
me here early; maybe he told me an hour hoping that I would show up late. I
stand slowly, prepared to make a run for the cafe, when Will's eyes find mine.
A large smile lights up his face and he throws his free arm in the air, waving
enthusiastically.
I smooth down my shorts and push any stray hairs behind my ears. I
meet their group at the end of the dock, and Will's dad says good-bye to the
group of men traveling with them. When everyone except Will, his dad, and his
brother, has left, Will drops the cooler and steps to my side.
"Dad, James. This is Jane." He acts so casual whereas I
feel so inept.
His dad steps forward first, extending his hand to me. "It's
nice to meet you, Jane. Will tells me that you'll be joining us for dinner
tomorrow night."
"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Davey," I say. I blank on
what to say about dinner but his brother saves me.
"James," he says as he holds out his hand, and I shake
it firmly. "It's nice to finally meet the girl that my brother can't stop
talking about."
I just smile, trying to relax, but my nerves are buzzing around my
body like angry bees. Will gives his brother's arm a playful punch.
"Can you take the cooler up to the office?" Will asks
James.
James nods and he and Mr. Davey disappear into the small crowd walking
the boardwalk.
I turn to Will and raise my eyebrows.
"Dinner?" I squeak.
He gives me a tentative smile and rubs the back of his neck with
one hand. "My dad mentioned wanting to meet you, and I said that I would
bring you to family dinner tomorrow night. I guess I kind of agreed before
asking. My parents want to celebrate my birthday, too."
I nod slowly and he frowns.
"Do you not want to come? I can cancel, and come up with an
excuse. I should have called you first..."
I take his hand in mine and shake my head. "No, it's not
that. It's just, meeting the family...." I trail off.
"Walk with me?" Will laces his fingers through mine and
pulls me gently.
I think we’re going to walk the boardwalk but instead he pulls me
back toward the marina. We end up on Dock C, which holds speedboats and fishing
boats; none of the large, towering yachts. We are silent as we walk to the end
of the dock, and my mind is racing with the possibilities.
Will wants me to meet his family. His parents!
The wind is warm as it whips through the boats, picking up my thin
ponytail and blowing it over my shoulder. We reach the end of the dock and sit down
at the edge. The tide is high and I pull off my sandals so that I can dip my
toes in the cool water.
"I really want you to come to dinner and meet my family."
Will is the first to talk.
I peer over at him and have to cup a hand over my eyes. I
immediately wish my sunglasses hadn't sunk to the bottom of the bay. "I'll
come."
Will looks relieved. "Really? For a second I thought you were
going to bolt."
"I'm not afraid to meet your family, Will," I say
honestly. "I’m more shocked that you want me
to meet them."
Will looks down at our hands. His fingers are still laced through
mine. "Why wouldn't I?"
"It’s an important step, right?" I say. "I thought
we weren't going to take this so seriously, because of my condition."
Will brings my hand up to his mouth and kisses it. Light flames
trail down to my wrist.
He smiles. "I'm not trying to rush anything, Jane. I've had
enough relationships to know how true my feelings are for you, and at this
point, I'm tried of waiting. Even if moving so fast isn't wise given your
condition, I just can't bring myself to worry about that anymore."
My heart pounds as his words register in my brain, but I shoot him
a teasing look. "Enough relationships ,
huh?"
He purses his lips. "You know what I mean."
I push him playfully. "Yeah, lucky for you or you might be
diving head first off the dock."
"I would take you right along with me." He shoots me a
wicked grin.
"If you could catch me," I whisper in his ear before
realize that by arriving early I will have to meet them. Maybe Will didn't want
me here early; maybe he told me an hour hoping that I would show up late. I
stand slowly, prepared to make a run for the cafe, when Will's eyes find mine.
A large smile lights up his face and he throws his free arm in the air, waving
enthusiastically.
I smooth down my shorts and push any stray hairs behind my ears. I
meet their group at the end of the dock, and Will's dad says good-bye to the
group of men traveling with them. When everyone except Will, his dad, and his
brother, has left, Will drops the cooler and steps to my side.
"Dad, James. This is Jane." He acts so casual whereas I
feel so inept.
His dad steps forward first, extending his hand to me. "It's
nice to meet you, Jane. Will tells me that you'll be joining us for dinner
tomorrow night."
"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Davey," I say. I blank on
what to say about dinner but his brother saves me.
"James," he says as he holds out his hand, and I shake
it firmly. "It's nice to finally meet the girl that my brother can't stop
talking about."
I just smile, trying to relax, but my nerves are buzzing around my
body like angry bees. Will gives his brother's arm a playful punch.
"Can you take the cooler up to the office?" Will asks
James.
James nods and he and Mr. Davey disappear into the small crowd walking
the boardwalk.
I turn to Will and raise my eyebrows.
"Dinner?" I squeak.
He gives me a tentative smile and rubs the back of his neck with
one hand. "My dad mentioned wanting to meet you, and I said that I would
bring you to family dinner tomorrow night. I guess I kind of agreed before
asking. My parents want to celebrate my birthday, too."
I nod slowly and he frowns.
"Do you not want to come? I can cancel, and come up with an
excuse. I should have called you first..."
I take his hand in mine and shake my head. "No, it's not
that. It's just, meeting the family...." I trail off.
"Walk with me?" Will laces his fingers through mine and
pulls me gently.
I think we’re going to walk the boardwalk but instead he pulls me
back toward the marina. We end up on Dock C, which holds speedboats and fishing
boats; none of the large, towering yachts. We are silent as we walk to the end
of the dock, and my mind is racing with the possibilities.
Will wants me to meet his family. His parents!
The wind is warm as it whips through the boats, picking up my thin
ponytail and blowing it over my shoulder. We reach the end of the dock and sit down
at the edge. The tide is high and I pull off my sandals so that I can dip my
toes in the cool water.
"I really want you to come to dinner and meet my family."
Will is the first to talk.
I peer over at him and have to cup a hand over my eyes. I
immediately wish my sunglasses hadn't sunk to the bottom of the bay. "I'll
come."
Will looks relieved. "Really? For a second I thought you were
going to bolt."
"I'm not afraid to meet your family, Will," I say
honestly. "I’m more shocked that you want me
to meet them."
Will looks down at our hands. His fingers are still laced through
mine. "Why wouldn't I?"
"It’s an important step, right?" I say. "I thought
we weren't going to take this so seriously, because of my condition."
Will brings my hand up to his mouth and kisses it. Light flames
trail down to my wrist.
He smiles. "I'm not trying to rush anything, Jane. I've had
enough relationships to know how true my feelings are for you, and at this
point, I'm tried of waiting. Even if moving so fast isn't wise given your
condition, I just can't bring myself to worry about that anymore."
My heart pounds as his words register in my brain, but I shoot him
a teasing look. "Enough relationships ,
huh?"
He purses his lips. "You know what I mean."
I push him playfully. "Yeah, lucky for you or you might be
diving head first off the dock."
"I would take you right along with me." He shoots me a
wicked grin.
"If you could catch me," I whisper in his ear before
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