Tides and Tidings

Chapter 20

Charlie

“S o is this the one?” I finally made eye contact with Bee. Every fiber of my being hoped she hadn’t heard my slip earlier. It’s Freudian, right?

She beamed up at me; her eyes were twinkling. “Exactly as I remember.”

I’m not entirely sure if I’m buying this for Blythe or Wren at this point.

On our few steps to the cash register, I realized I never asked how much this thing was.

“Did you drive here?” the owner asked, the question directed at me.

“We’re from outta town. My truck is at the hotel. We can run there and be back in fifteen minutes.” I offered up.

“When are you kids leavin’?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Why don’t you just pick it up on your way home? It’s not botherin’ anyone here.”

“Are you sure? We don’t wanna imposition you.” I hated nothing more than having people go out of their way for me.

He placed a hand on my arm, “Happy to do it for you both.” The owner turned to look at Blythe, “Your daughter is going to love it.”

She nodded slowly, swallowing the lump in her throat, “I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little excited too.”

“You have fond memories of one of these?” He nodded towards the pink car.

“Yeah,” A small smile spread on her lips. “I spent lots of time in mine. I ran it until it wouldn’t go anymore. I also had a life-size plastic Barbie house in my backyard, so I had the whole deal.”

“Sounds like you had a good childhood.”

A knot formed in my stomach and I looked at Blythe to see her nod softly. I wanted to grab her and hold her tight. Her childhood was … complicated.

I spoke up to break the sudden silence, “How much do we owe ya, sir?”

A grin broke out on his face, “For y’all, no charge. Merry Christmas to little...”

“Wren.” Blythe and I said in sync.

“Merry Christmas to little Wren.” He turned towards Blythe and winked, “And to you too, miss.”

At that moment, I could tell he could see right through her faint head nod a moment ago.

“We couldn’t just take this. Please, just tell us how much it is.” Blythe tried.

“For you kids, it’s free. It’s been sittin’ here for over a year. Wouldn’t you know there’s no demand for these things anymore?” He placed his hand over his heart. “Trust me, the best gift you could give me would be knowin’ that this was getting used. I put so much time into restoring it.”

I was at a loss for words.

“Consider it a small Christmas gift.”

I looked over at Blythe as she wiped a tear away. “Thank you, sir. That’s very kind of you.”

“It’s truly my pleasure. We don’t often get people poppin’ in here, so talkin’ to y’all has just made my day. Weekend, even.”

“Do you not get many visitors? You have a really good spot.” Blythe observed.

That’s one thing about the love of my life—she will, without a doubt, try to help other business owners.

“I’ll get the occasional tourist that comes in, but they’re just lookin’ for souvenirs. They’re not searchin’ for the types of toys I have here. Breaks my heart.”

“I imagine you probably cater more towards locals…” Blythe trailed off, looking around. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

“I sure do. My wife and I opened this shop thirty-six years ago. Our kids were grown and out of the house and I enjoyed restoration, so she suggested we open the shop. She was the one who would sit out here and talk to people. I liked to be a recluse in the back while tinkering.” He turned towards Blythe, “You’re a lot like she was. Very driven, wants to help others, beautiful.”

A blush crept up her cheeks at the compliment, “Is she no longer with us?”

“She passed away a few years ago. Took my heart with me when she left.”

Blythe’s eyes softened, “If you don’t mind sharing, what was her name?”

“Dorie.” The owner paused for a moment, “I’m Dominic. She called me Dickie.” He laughed, the pain evident on his face. “I don’t know why. I loved it, though.”

“Well, Dominic, she must be so proud of how you’ve kept this place going. It takes a lot of strength to do that.”

Dickie shrugged, “I don’t think so.”

“What do you mean? The place that held so much meaning for you is quieter now. You’ve had to take on responsibilities you never thought you would. Give yourself some credit.”

Blythe’s words echoed in my ears. The first night we had a heart-to-heart and I shared my backstory with her, she said something similar. She told me that sometimes you have to step up to the plate when you’re not ready. You might strike out, but at least you tried your best.

“I suppose you’re right. Thank you.” A small smile spread across his face. “You kids don’t need to be hangin’ around here any longer. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon and evening and stop by on your way home tomorrow.”

I furrowed my brows, “You’re positive?”

He nodded fervently, “Absolutely. I’ve enjoyed our conversation so much. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

“Thank you, sir!” Blythe gave Dickie a hug.

I’m not a hugger, so I offered up a hand, “Thank you again. Your kindness will not go unnoticed by our Wren.”

As we exited the toy store and walked towards the water, I slipped my hand into Blythe’s. When our hands were interlocked, we felt like a unit. Like nothing could come between us.

“Where to next?” Blythe asked, looking around.

“I was thinking we could grab some coffee. If we’re planning on going out drinkin’ tonight, I’m going to need some caffeine to make it through.”

“Coffee would be good.” Blythe agreed.

I didn’t sleep well last night. Call it nerves or some shit, but as soon as I hit my pillow, my mind raced. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard “Don’t stress, it’s going to be fine” over the last few months, I would have been able to buy the ring two or three times over. Whenever I’ve spoken with my mom, she tells me not to stress. When I spoke with Blythe’s best friend, Rose, and asked for her blessing, she even told me not to stress. No matter what I do, the anxiety bubbles up.

Tonight needed to go well. If I ask Blythe to marry me and she says no, where do we go? Does she continue living with us? What do we do about the bookstore? Would she move back to Seattle?

I can’t lose her.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about returning the ring and leaving everything as it is. There’s no chance of ruining anything if I don’t ask. I ran this train of thought by my stepdad and he seemed to think I was being a bit of a chicken shit.

“Charlie, do you love Blythe?” Ron asked me last week when I picked up Wren.

“Of course I do. She’s made this life worth livin’.”

“Then marry her as soon as you can. Blythe’s one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. Please don’t let her slip through your fingers. We’ve all grown to love her very much. I don’t think anyone more than Wren if I’m honest.”

When he said those words, my heart squeezed. Wren deserved Blythe. They were the dynamic duo. The best of friends. Two peas in a pod.

“Charlie?” I noticed Blythe had stopped walking.

“Hmm?”

How long had I been lost in my thoughts?

“Are you alright?” Blythe’s face was painted with worry.

“Yeah. I’m good.” I lied. “Why?”

“You’ve just seemed off today. You’ve zoned out a ton.”

She’s noticed. Fuck.

“I’m just fine.” Lean into the lie . “I just have a small headache. I think the wine last night did a number on me.”

Blythe’s face changed from worried to concerned. “Do you want to head back to the hotel and take a little nap? We can skip dinner, hang out in the hotel room, and order room service. That could be fun, too!”

I ushered her a few steps over to the river’s edge. “That’s very sweet of you to suggest, but I’m good.” I pulled her knuckles to my lips. “Promise.”

“Okay.” Her eyes turned to slits, “But we should probably skip the clubs.”

“Why’s that?” I moved my body closer to hers.

She took a small step forward to close the gap entirely. “Because you,” she poked my chest. “Are old.”

My brow raised in amusement, “Is that so?”

“You can’t hang with us youngin’s.” Blythe spread her arms out and took a step back. A smile plastered on her face. I could’ve dropped to one knee right then and there. I love her more than I love my boat and that’s a lot.

I reached for my phone and opened the camera app.

Blythe cocked her head, “What are you doing?”

“I’m not sure if you’ve ever looked more perfect than you do right now. I just wanted to have a picture to remember today.” I answered honestly while snapping a few pictures.

“I want one of both of us. We don’t have many of just the two of us.”

I walked over to her, wrapped my arms around her waist, and rested my chin on the top of her head. “You know you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, right?”

I saw a flash of confusion on her face through the phone screen as she snapped a photo.

“Do you still want to get coffee?”

I nodded, “I need it. It’s right up there on the right.” I pointed to a small blue building.