Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Nate found himself beaming for one very special reason. He’d gone from just enjoying the weekend to stupid-happy. The wedding had been a success, his brother was married, and his family had been big and embarrassing and enjoyable. And then, of course, there was Tamara. The sweetest most wonderful cherry on top.
He hadn’t dared hope that things would go this well. He’d thought he might get a chance to show her in small, subtle ways how he cared for her. Maybe even say a little of what he felt. But he’d never dared imagine they might end up together, like this, so obviously in love, so obviously connected. The only thing left to do was actually say the words, and he wanted to find the perfect moment for it.
“Do you want to go down to the beach?” Nate asked. “It might be nice to have a walk before we drive back. Also, I bet it’s probably very pretty without a party going on.”
“I think it’s always pretty,” Tamara said. She glanced at her watch, but there seemed to be something a little stiff about the movement. “We probably don’t have much time.”
“I’m sure we could fit something in,” Nate suggested. He wanted to stretch this weekend out as long as he could, even if Tamara did have a good point. They both had jobs to get back to today.
Tamara shook her head. “We still need to say good-bye to your family and drive back.”
“Is everything all right?” Nate asked, realizing Tamara had been a little quiet since they’d woken up. He’d thought maybe she was the kind of person who didn’t like talking as soon as she woke up, but now he was a little concerned.
“I’m fine,” Tamara assured him.
“You sure?” Nate asked. “It’s not like you to miss out on a chance to go to the beach.”
For a moment, a flicker of something Nate couldn’t place crossed Tamara’s features. Then she smiled. “Nate, there’s really no time. I have a coffee shop to manage. I know the kids opened up this morning, but I don’t want to press my luck. Monday mornings are always busy. Besides, don’t you have a wedding that needs your help?”
Oh, right. The wedding! Nate had totally forgotten about Zach and Yuriko’s wedding. He’d been too busy thinking about Tamara.
“I guess you’re right,” Nate said, quietly disappointed. “We both have a busy week ahead of us. Maybe we can come back another weekend and really spend some time on the beach.”
“That sounds good,” Tamara replied. She turned back to her bags. “I’m just about ready. I’ve got a couple more things to pack.”
Nate stifled a sigh. As much as he loved the challenge Zach’s wedding presented, he didn’t want to think about it right now. He wanted to think about Tamara and only Tamara. Even so, he made himself get up, get dressed, and finish packing.
Ten minutes later, they hurried downstairs. In the kitchen, there were a few family members drinking coffee, but the house was quiet. Some people had returned home yesterday, and a few more had made an early start that morning. Still, there were enough family members around the breakfast table that it felt like glorious chaos. Seeing Tamara, a couple of Nate’s cousins cornered her and asked all about running a coffee shop.
“It’s great,” Tamara said. “I love coffee, of course, and I get to work right on the beach. I’m my own boss. And I meet all kinds of interesting people.”
“Like Nate,” one of his cousins suggested with a small wink.
“Yes,” Tamara said. “Just like Nate.” She smiled at him. “Well, I guess ‘interesting’ is one word for him.”
Her comment prompted the usual round of jokes. His family never got tired of teasing him about how boring his job must be, but right then, Nate didn’t care. The important thing was that Tamara was with him, and this weekend had been exactly the kind of step forward they needed.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Nate’s cousin said, dashing off toward the front door. She returned a minute later, “These came for you. It seems our Nate is a romantic.”
A beautiful arrangement of forget-me-nots was brought into the kitchen. In full bloom, the wash of color was incredibly delicate yet bright against the rest of the house. Nate had totally forgotten about the flowers he’d ordered for Tamara. In the rush of the weekend, it had slipped his mind to check on the delivery.
“Oh, Nate, they’re perfect,” Tamara said, taking them. She looked over at him. “Thank you so much. These are beautiful. I can’t believe you remembered they’re my favorites—you didn’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I did!” Nate gave her a kiss on the cheek, happy she was happy. He’d wanted to give Tamara something to show her how much he loved her. He’d wanted to turn this into the most romantic weekend ever. But it seemed that his flowers were going to be the punctuation to the weekend rather than signaling the beginning. If he and Tamara had been alone, this would have been the perfect moment to say how deeply he felt about her, but he couldn’t do it in front of his family.