Page 69 of Flashback for the Forward

Bridget’s nose wrinkled. “You’re not gonna put protein powder into the mix again, are you?”

My laughter couldn’t be contained. “I’ll make you your own batch.”

“Deal.”

With our pinkies looped, we headed downstairs, and it struck me that this could very well be the first morning of our forever.

“Wanna go for a walk?”

Bridget looked up from where she was seated on the floor, playing with Cinder. Flashing me a brilliant smile, she dipped her chin. “Fresh air sounds nice.”

“Might want to grab a sweater,” I suggested. “The breeze coming off the ocean is a bit chilly this afternoon.”

A temperature in the high fifties in November wasn’t exactly considered freezing in most places, but for those of us native to Southern California, it was cold. Believe it or not, I saw someone bundled up in a ski jacket earlier.

“I’ll be right back.” Bridget rushed up the steps.

Slipping my feet into my shoes, I tugged on a hoodie just as she made it back downstairs.

When I saw she carried Cinder in her arms, I arched an eyebrow in question.

“Can we take him with us?” Bridget batted those long eyelashes at me. “Please?”

I sighed. It was impossible to say no to this woman.

But despite my desire to do whatever it took to make her happy, there was one problem.

“I have a leash for him, though I doubt he’ll be too thrilled about walking on sand.”

“Wait right here.” Passing Cinder off to me, she disappeared around the corner to the living room, only to return a few moments later carrying some type of backpack with mesh sides.

To my ultimate surprise, the cat eagerly jumped into the unzipped opening, purring as he made a nest of the blankets inside.

Chuckling, I said, “Not his first time, I take it?”

Bridget shook her head. “Maisie and Austin got this for him the last time I stayed at their place.”

That didn’t shock me in the least. Those teens were head over heels for Cinder and, more than once, had spent their entire allowance buying him gifts.

“You wanna carry him?”

I took the backpack from her hands. “Sure. You ready to go?”

Bending down to tie her sneakers, she popped up with a smile. “I am now.”

We walked through the neighborhood to reach the path that led to the beach. The minute our feet touched the sand, Bridget removed her shoes, and I did the same. Together, we trudged the uneven terrain toward the waterline, where the wet sand provided better traction, and let the rolling waves wash over our toes.

Our pace was lazy, the white noise of the ocean soothing. And like she did often these days, Bridget linked her fingers with mine while we strolled along the shore.

After a stretch of silence, I asked, “Do you think when things settle down, you’d like to go back to teaching?”

She mulled it over for a minute. “Maybe. I loved working with kids.”

I’d had the pleasure of watching her with Austin and Maisie, so it was easy to see that she had been incredible at her job.

“Is there another career path you’re considering instead?”

A corner of Bridget’s lips twitched. “Actually, there is.”