Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“She caught you, didn’t she?”
His cheeks flushed. “Yep. She stood there for,” he paused and shook his head. “I don’t even know how long before the girl I was with noticed her. After I yelled at her, she went into the other room and waited and then asked me if I planned to marry the young woman I was helping reach the height of her religious experience.”
Eloise’s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth. “No!”
“Oh, yes. She thought I should talk to the girl's father and let him know how interested I was in being with his daughter.”
“Oh, my.”
“That night, my dad called, and I got to listen to how irresponsible I am and how my mother was scared for my life—you know, for entering my room without knocking.”
“Wow, I’m sorry.”
Kiel shrugged. “That’s nothing compared to what you went through.” He leaned closer and kissed her. “Maybe we should get some sleep.” He held his arm out and Eloise snuggled into his embrace.
A few minutes later, she was asleep, and he stared at the ceiling, contemplating his future. The smart thing was to go to grad school and come out with his masters in something. What that something was—plagued him. He didn’t want to take out the loans for a career he wasn’t sure he wanted and any chance of getting a job now went out the window when he agreed to come on this family vacation.
Looking down at Eloise, he smiled. She was worth not having any prospects, but summer would be over soon and then what—what happens to them? He had a feeling she wouldn’t stay in Seaport. She didn’t seem like the type to put down roots anywhere, at least not permanently.
Would she want him to come with her wherever she went?
Would he go?
For a moment, he thought he would. Then he remembered his dad. There was no way Kiel would leave his mom and sisters.
fifteen
Eloise came downstairs and stood in the middle of the room, with her hand on her hip, watching as Kiel took her in. His smile formed slowly.
“What are you wearing?”
She looked down at her clothes. “Today’s fashion comes from Old Navy. My shorts are in the shade olive green, and my shirt is the very basic and often bought color of black.” Eloise smiled and then bent to scratch a speckle of paint from her leg. “You don't like my outfit?” She knew it wasn't her outfit that caused him to question her attire.
“No, your outfit’s fine. It’s the hat.”
Eloise touched the brim of her floppy hat. “It’s a sunshade.”
“Do I fit under there?” Kiel stood, went to her, and then crouched down to fit under her hat. “This is going to be awkward. I’m not sure how I’m going to walk.”
Eloise pushed him gently and laughed. “You’re a laugh a minute Kiel Collier.”
He stood and his expression turned serious.
“What?”
With a slight shake of his head, he said, “Nothing. It’s just that you haven’t used my last name in a while, and I remembered how much I liked it. Still do.”
She beamed but didn’t know how to respond. Instead, she reached for his hand. “When the water reflects off the sun, you burn easier and I’m out of sunblock. We can always stop at one of the stores on the way, but they jack the prices, and we don’t have time to go to the pharmacy.” They were going whale watching this morning and hadn’t had time to prepare, which wasn’t saying much about how she lived since she spent most of her time outside, under the sun. She should own stock in sunblock.
Without letting go, he turned and reached for something on the table, and then he handed her a bottle of sunblock. “I saw it in your bathroom.”
She held the bottle in her hand. “Odd, I don’t remember buying this.”
“It’s not expired either.”
“Sunblock expires?”
Kiel nodded. “I didn’t know either until my mom lectured us about it years ago. I think it’s a thing.”
“A thing?”
“You know, another way the government makes us spend money year after year. I haven’t actually looked it up online, so I don’t know all the facts.”
“Interesting.” She popped the cap, squeezed some into her hands, and began lathering her skin. “I’m still wearing a hat,” she told him.
“This one in particular?” He took it off her head and placed it on his. “I think I should wear it.”
Eloise apprised him and saw how ridiculous he looked. “Point taken. I’ll grab a baseball cap.” She ran back upstairs, found a hat, and then returned. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“Perfect. How are we getting there?” he asked as they walked out of her apartment. He waited for her to shut the door before he reached for her hand.
“Let’s walk.”
Kiel linked his arm with hers. “Walking it is.”
They walked from Eloise’s to downtown. It took them an hour and while most would balk, it was the scenery that they couldn’t pass up. They walked along the seawall and stopped to take some photos. Mostly selfies, with the ocean in the background. The sky was the perfect shade of blue and the bright sun still rose in the sky. They had truly lucked out with the weather. After they crested the hill, they bought breakfast from one of the food trucks and then finished their trek to downtown.