Page 51 of When There Was You
Kit emits an evil laugh. “Sure thing, Jax.”
At the restaurant, we share a pitcher of margaritas and nachos. And a few rounds of tequila shots. We reminisce, catch up on the latest in our lives, and soak in our last meal together…for a while.
We return to their apartment and stay up way too late. I crash on their couch, the same one from our condo that has comforted us all at one time or another. The one Mick slept on when Remy, Mick, and I were trying to remember how to be the Three Musketeers. The one Jas and I needed when we were recovering from our car accident. The one the three of us sat on watchingCheersandTaxiand nursing hangovers. It’s full of memories that seep into my mind as I sleep, fueling restless dreams.
In the morning,I share a rushed, fierce goodbye with the girls as they head to their respective jobs and leave me to shower and lock up.
I have one more stop on my way out of California, and I haven’t told a soul I’m making it.
My insides thrash as if a school of minnows swims in mybloodstream, darting one direction then another, the closer I get to Half Moon Bay.
When I pull up at the marina and spot Mick’s blue Mustang, my pulse pounds. I glance into the rearview mirror for vanity’s sake and apply a quick coat of lip gloss, then walk into the office.
A young woman greets me. She’s pretty in a modest, underdone way. Not a lot of makeup, no flashy clothes. Her curly beige hair is pulled into a ponytail and held by a ruffled pink scrunchie. The place looks the same as I remember—borderline cluttered, with brochures in racks to my left, advertisements for boat trips and rentals plastered along the wall behind the long counter.
“Can I help you?” she asks.
“I’m looking for Mick Callahan. Is he available?”
She glances at the open calendar on her desk, then to me again. “Did you book a rental or charter? I’m sorry, but it’s not listed.”
“No, it’s…personal. I’m an old friend.”That’s understating things a tad.
Her face falls before she catches herself, and her gaze turns assessing. “Sure, well, yes. Let me tell him you’re here.”
“Actually, if he’s in the marina and not with a customer, can I just walk out there to meet him? You can point me in the right direction. I, uh, know my way around.”
“Oh.” Pause. “I guess.” She appears to grapple with my request—maybe my whole presence.
“Thanks. So…where can I find him?”
She points me to the dock on the far left and I leave her, likely watching my every move. A twinge of jealousy spikes. If I were a betting woman, I’d say she’s dating my former lover.
I spot Mick working on a large sailboat, and drink him in. His muscles flex under his T-shirt, his hair’s shorter, and a circle beard hugs his face. It suits him. Mr. Incredible is onlybetter looking, if that’s even possible. Shouldn’t there be a law of physics against that?
“Hey, stranger,” I say.
Mick glances up, surprise registering before he tilts his head and offers me a genuine smile, one that lights up his spectacular face. “Jax.” His eyes scour me quickly, then he leaps from the bow of the sailboat onto the pier.
My heart pounds like the traitor she is, despite all the pain, anger, and angst Mick left in his tsunami wake. He moves closer until we’re standing at arm’s length. His skin is weathered from the sun, the lines at the corner of his lips slightly more pronounced in his smile.
“I’m leaving. California, I mean.”
“Yeah?” His hand rakes through his hair, distracting me. There’s a flicker of pain in his eyes but when he blinks, it’s erased.
“I just wanted to say goodbye. We didn’t…” My gaze shifts to the horizon, then back to him. “I didn’t want to split without letting you know.”
His gray eyes warm, filling me with a rush of emotion so strong that my heart jolts. “Where you headed?”
“East coast. I’m going to work for a magazine in Virginia. The Travel & Culture section, if you can believe it.”
His eyes shine with something like admiration—or knowing him, satisfaction. “That’s great, Jax. Good for you.”
I nod, offering up a small smile. “As a wise man once told me, I should be proud of myself. And I am.”
Mick smiles broadly enough to show me that dimple I love.
“Will you tell your mom, and say goodbye to her for me? She inspired me so much.”
