Page 13 of Worthy of Sunsets and Second Chances

I walk slowly toward her, crossing my new backyard, our side-by-side driveways, and so many lines. “I’d like to introduce you to my daughter,” I say, stopping right in front of her frozen form. Her bright blue eyes, shining in the morning light, dip down to take in my baby girl fully for the first time. Kendra’s breath hitches. Her hand is clamped over her heart.

Wet eyes cast up, finding mine, and Kendra whispers, “Congratulations, Eli. She is really beautiful.”

Swallowing the boulder in my throat I say, “Thank you.”

We stand there, trapped in a web of our own history, odd newfound loathing, years of bickering with each other, and so many unanswered questions.

“I’m really sorry, um, about that night at Sutton’s. I was a real dick.” My apology is lackluster, long overdue, and I hate myself for not giving her more. She deserves so much better.

“Don’t worry about it, you have more important things to focus on than my hurt feelings, Eli. I’m over it,” she claims, unconvincingly.

“Can we talk about it?”

“No, I said it’s fine. Let’s just move on, okay?” Her eyes dart around, looking anywhere but at me.

“Sure, if that’s what you want,” I say, resigned. Wren starts to cry and I adjust her in my hold, resting her on my shoulder, patting her back softly.

Kendra’s eyes are like saucers, her attention drawn like a magnet as she watches me maneuver fatherhood.

“Sorry, she’s probably getting hungry. I should get back over there and make her a bottle. I’ll see you around, neighbor.” I give Kendra a wink as I walk away, but I don’t feel anywhere close to my carefree self.

Kendra is right, my focus does need to be on Wren . . . but there is something I’m missing with Kendra and can’t let it go. I am like a dog with a bone, but unfortunately I think I’m going to have to dig up the past with Kendra to find what I am looking for.

11

Kendra

NINETEEN YEARS OLD

This summer is going to be so different. Not in a bad way, just in an unusual way, I guess. Hannah Hargrove, my best friend in Fox Grove, was away working at a summer camp for the first time. Normally we hung out, were at the library together, went to the beach, parties she knew of. I was her tagalong. She made summers here easy because I didn’t have to make any real decisions, I could kind of be numb and follow her lead. Now I had the summer totally open, unplanned, in my control, and it was . . . weird.

One thing that was the same—going to the library daily with Nana. This was such a special place. Our love of books ran deep, so spending a majority of my time here and helping her was not ever a burden. Even less of a burden this summer was when Eli Hargrove walked in the doors with a tool belt and a wink, telling me he was going to be working on a whole wall of new bookshelves for Nana in the back of the library.

For the romance section. Oh the irony.

I have had the biggest crush on Hannah’s older brother since the first day I saw his dimpled smile. Now I would get to see him do manual labor, daily, in my favorite place? In the name of helping books? Praise the Lord.

Over the years I had gotten used to Eli’s teasing ways. His big personality. I also got used to the simple truth that I noticed him, but he certainly never noticed me.

I was organizing all the books that were going to be reshelved once the new project Eli was building got completed. Some of the books were older, damaged, or needed to be re-covered. It was my job to make sure all the books in the romance section were in tip-top shape to go back in place, in their newly built home. It made me have a strange thrill to know that I was kind of working on this project alongside Eli, even if I was the only one that put that train of thought on those tracks.

Anything to tie myself to him, as usual.

Lost in my own daydream, I don’t hear him come up behind me. Eli clears his throat, which startles me, making me drop the three books I have in my hands.

“Crap,” I yelp.

Scooping the books up in his massive hands, Eli smiles at me, dimple flashing, and says, “Want to have dinner with me after we get done for the day?”

My brain goes numb.

Tongue dry as the sand at the beach.

A bead of sweat runs down my back.

I just stare at him. Immobilized. Shocked.

“Uhhh, Kendra?” Eli dips his face down closer to mine, probably wondering if I am going catatonic.