Tides and Tidings

Chapter 37

Charlie

W e took five steps outside Tequila Cowboys before the heavens opened. I ducked under an awning in the hopes it would stop quickly, while Blythe stood on the sidewalk, arms stretched wide.

“What are you doing? Get under here!” I yelled over the loud rain.

“I’m living life!” her smile was wide. “Come here!”

I hesitated, “There’s lightning. Get under here!”

Blythe bent down to unbuckle her shoes.

“Bee, you’re drunk. Don’t take your shoes off.” I sounded like a dad.

She spun in a circle. “I’m standing in water. I’ll be okay!”

I took a step forward, still under the awning.

“Charlie, come here,” Blythe crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. “Stop living with a stick up your butt. I love you, but damn . I won’t get struck by lightning. Do you know what the odds are?”

This woman knew how to keep me in check, one of the many things I loved about her. A smile danced on my lips as I moved forward from under the awning towards her, “What are they?”

“The odds of someone getting struck by lightning in their lifetime is 1 in 15,300.” Her eyes narrowed and her smile returned.

“I guess we could take the chance together,” I wrapped her up in my arms. The rain pummeled my face.

Blythe pressed her hands against my chest and looked at the drenched paper ring on her finger. “I forgot I had that on.”

I reached down to rip it off.

Blythe pulled her hand away, “What are you doing?”

“Helping you take it off.”

A loud clap of thunder rattled the street and Blythe jumped.

I held her tight, “You’re alright.”

She took a deep breath and stepped back out of my embrace. “I want to keep this,” she fiddled with the ring on her finger, not making eye contact with me. “I know it doesn’t mean anything, but it’s sweet.”

Did she want it to mean something?

Her explanation was met with silence. I wasn’t sure what to say. I could either tell her the truth—that I was going to propose. Or, I continue with the lie.

“Let’s dance!” Blythe was tired of the silence. She grabbed my hands and pulled me towards her. She laced her fingers around my neck and I wrapped my arms around her waist. We rocked back and forth slowly to the beat of music we couldn’t hear. “Thank you for this weekend. I didn’t know how badly I needed it.”

I could feel her body relax. “Me either.”

“We should do another weekend away in the Spring. I don’t know if we could rope your parents into watching Wren for the weekend quarterly, but we need to be better about setting aside time for the two of us.”

Her words landed like a ton of bricks. I know the two of us needed some “adult time.” Blythe makes an effort for quality time after Wren goes to bed, but by that point, we’re both too tired and end up watching television until one of us passes out on the couch.

“I don’t think they would mind one bit.”

Blythe looked up at me with raindrops dripping down her face. “Your parents are awesome.”

They both have been the biggest help to me since Wren was born. “They are.”

The rain started to slow to a steady drizzle instead of a monsoon. “We should make a mad dash for the hotel,” Blythe suggested.

I nodded toward her shoes on the sidewalk, “Do you want to put those back on?”

“Hell no. It’s not far. I’ll walk barefoot.” Her words were slightly slurred.

“That doesn’t seem safe…”

Blythe shook her head. “Listen,” she held her hand up to stop me right there, “I’ve walked through big cities without shoes on after a long night. This is nothing.”

“That just sounds like something bad hasn’t happened…yet.”

“Keep your negativity to yourself, you oaf.”

I love that when Blythe wants to call me out on something, she refers to me as an oaf. Most guys would take offense to it, but with Blythe, I know it’s her weird way of being endearing when she disagrees with my viewpoint.

Blythe reached down, grabbed her shoes, and walked over to me. She moved a piece of my dripping hair out of my face, “You’re drenched.”

The slight brush of her hand against my face sent an electric shock down my spine. No woman I had ever dated had an effect on me quite like Blythe has.

“No shit.” A small laugh escaped as I took her in. “The rain is washing your makeup off your face.”

Her hands flew up to her cheeks and she wiped away a stream of black mascara. “I should’ve spent three extra dollars and got the waterproof one.”

“Can we discuss your makeup once we get back to our room? I would love not to have this conversation while battered with rain.”

“So unadventurous.” Blythe deadpanned before taking off in a sprint towards the hotel.

“Wait for me!” I yelled behind her.

“Catch up!” Blythe started to jog backward so I could catch up to her.

I took a few large strides and was at her side. I wove my fingers with hers, “Want to make a mad dash for it?”

“Do you need to hold my hand so you can keep up?” She teased. Her green eyes sparkled under the streetlights.

“Are you challenging me to a race, ma’am?” I taunted back.

Blythe shrugged as the rain dripped down her face, “Maybe I am.”

I formulated a plan. “Let’s make this fun. We’ll race from that light,” I pointed to the lamp post at the end of the street, “to the entrance of the hotel.”

Blythe’s interest was piqued, “What does the winner get?”

I bit the inside of my cheek. I needed a good prize.

“Winner gets whatever sexual favor they want tonight.”

She raised a brow, “Is that so?” She thought for a moment. “Anything at all?”

“Anything at all.”

A small smile spread across her face as a thought washed over her brain. “I’m game.”

“Yeah?”

Whether Blythe or I win this race, it’s a win-win situation. It’ll be a good time for us both. We walked towards the lamp post and we each placed a hand on it. I moved behind her, my hand still on the pole.

“You better not let me get a head start. This has to be fair.” The rain started to come down harder as Blythe looked up at me.

Tiny raindrops hung from her lashes. She never leaves the house without mascara because she “looks dead without it”—her words, not mine. In my opinion? She looks better without it.

“It’s going to be completely fair.” I had a plan. “On the count of three?”

There was a loud clap of thunder.

She nodded. “One.”

“Two.” I challenged.