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Ben complied and headed off to his room. When he was safely out of earshot, before the other girls could speak, Kate took a deep breath and said quickly, “Okay-don’t-even-ask-me-what-is-happening-because-I-have-no-idea-and-I-don’t-know-what-I’m-thinking-and-I’m-not-sure-what-this-means-and…” She trailed off to nothingness.

“AND?” squealed the girls.

“And…he thinks I’m amazing,” she said. Her whole face lit up. Even her eyes had a joy in them that hadn’t been there for a long time.

Amy and Brooke started talking a mile a minute, trying to analyze what this all meant and arguing over who knew first that Kate and Ben would hit is off. Kate just smiled and stirred the waffle batter, remembering how good it felt to be in Ben’s arms.

The friends had breakfast out on the patio, since it was turning into another lovely day that was just begging to be enjoyed. Ben and Kate secretly held hands under the table as everyone ate and laughed. Amy started the perfect man/perfect woman game, which always left them in tears.

“Perfect man, but every time you ask him what time it is, he lies,” said Amy.

“Perfect woman, but she has feet for hands and hands for feet,” offered Rick.

“Perfect woman, but she wears burlap from head to toe every Tuesday and Thursday,” said Darren.

“Okay, perfect man, but he has this weird compulsion to wear tap shoes and dance when he walks up and down the stairs at your house,” chimed in Kate.

“So what does he do when his tap shoes are upstairs and he’s downstairs?” asked Darren.

She considered the valid question and said, “Well…obviously, he owns multiple pairs. He keeps them in baskets at the top and bottom of the stairs.”

At this suggestion, the group burst out in laughter. Since no one could top it, they began to clean up from breakfast and get ready for a day at the beach.

The group stepped out onto the beach armed with towels, chairs, and a cooler of drinks. Kate was wearing her wide brimmed hat and had lathered up with SPF 70. (“You will not attack me today!” she yelled up at the sun, shaking her fist.) They stopped at a spot halfway between the house and the shore and set up camp. Rick and Ben took off with a frisbee, Amy and Brooke went down to the ocean to put their feet in the water (and undoubtedly gossip about Kate and Ben), and Kate plopped down on a chair beside Darren, who had opened up the latest legal thriller bestseller that he brought to read.

“Darren? Can…can I talk to you?” said Kate.

“Sure. What’s up?” replied Darren, still focused on his book.

“Um…well…so, I don’t know exactly how to say this, but…I mean…”

Darren could sense that this was a conversation that needed his full attention. He put down his book and turned his chair to face his friend. “Talk to me, Kate Henry. What’s going on?”

“Well, you see, I think there’s something happening between…between me and your brother.”

Darren stared at her for a moment, but his expression did not change. “Oh really? You just met yesterday and all of a sudden something is happening between you? Wait, I get it. The two of you teamed up and are playing a prank on me. Nice try, but I’m not that stupid.” Darren smiled and picked up his book again.

“Darren?” said Kate.

Darren looked up and saw from the look in her eyes that this was no prank.

“I’m being serious,” she said.

“Okay…wow. So…wow.” said Darren, speechless.

“I know.”

“Start from the beginning. How did this happen?”

Kate began to describe to him how Ben had found her phone number and lured her out of bed that morning with the promise of coffee and how they had walked on the beach. She didn’t go into too much detail, but told Darren just enough to fill him in on the events that had transpired. When she had finished, Darren had a big goofy grin on his face.

“You know, I wondered if this would happen!” he exclaimed. “When I realized that the two of you would both be on this trip together, I knew you would become fast friends. Of course, I didn’t think you’d get this friendly this fast,” Kate smacked him on the back of the head, “but I’m so excited! I think it would be so great if you got together.”

“This isn’t…weird for you, right? I mean, I know we’ve been great ever since The Great Two Day Romance of Darren and Kate, but you’d tell me if this wasn’t okay. Wouldn’t you?”

“I absolutely would tell you. And I’m being totally serious. I love the idea of you and Ben together, and it’s not weird for me at all.”

“Okay, I’m glad to hear that. Because I would walk away from this if it was going to jeopardize our friendship. Seriously.”

“Well I should hope so! I expect you to care about my feelings above all else,” he said with a wink.

“I do have a question for you actually,” said Kate. “You know how cautious I’ve been since everything that happened with Ian. Now, from what I can tell, your brother is a great guy, but I don’t want to be naïve. I just met him yesterday and I barely know him. He’s obviously very charming, so I want to know if you think he’s being sincere, or if he’s just looking for a weekend fling?”

Darren replied, “Ben hasn’t had a girlfriend for the past couple of years, and I don’t hear him talk about girls very often. I think he’s been really focusing on his work. Now I know he’s a charming guy, but Kate, you need to know that Ben is one of the best guys I know. I mean that. You know how much I care about you, and I wouldn’t tell you that if I didn’t believe that his actions and words are sincere.

“You deserve to be happy,” Darren continued, putting his hand on top of Kate’s, “and there’s nothing I’d rather see than you and Ben get together. I think you’re perfect for each other.”

She was overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions. With such a resounding endorsement from Darren, whom she trusted with her life, what did she have to be afraid of? Maybe she would actually be able to open herself up to another man. Maybe he was a good enough man to take the gift of her heart and be gentle with it. But this was ridiculous. She had just met him less than 24 hours ago! Kate laughed and shook her head for letting her thoughts get ahead of her, and was brought back to reality when Darren spoke.

“You know, there is one big thing to consider, though,” he said with a serious tone and a straight face. “My brother Ben is a
major
slob. I know how much you like things neat and tidy, so that’s something you’re going to need to work through before you start making wedding plans.”

Kate scooped up a handful of ice from the nearby cooler and felt completely satisfied upon hearing the screech Darren let out when that handful of ice was suddenly down the back of his shirt. Darren grabbed his own handful to retaliate, but as Kate curled up into a little ball to try to protect herself from the impending attack, Darren laughed, let the ice slip through his fingers, and said, “You see? We were meant to be brother and sister.”

~~~~~

“Jacob, what are you still doing here? Didn’t I tell you not to work on Friday nights? You should be out having fun.”

Jacob wiped the sweat from his brow and continued to tend to the vegetable patch that he was bent over. “I think growing vegetables is fun, Mrs. Henry.”

“Well so do I, but I’m a fifty-four-year-old woman. How old are you?”

“Thirty-one.”

“Thirty-one. A thirty-one-year-old single man who would rather spend time with vegetables than try and find a wife. You’re not normal.”

Jacob chuckled at Olivia’s bluntness. “That’s very true. I’m almost done here. I won’t spend my entire Friday night with vegetables, I promise.”

“Oh? So you have big plans later? A hot date, perhaps?”

“Nope, sorry to disappoint. I’ll probably grill up some dinner and play some chess with my dad.”

“Have you ever grilled squash before?”

“No ma’am, can’t say that I have.”

“Come inside. Let me give you a recipe for grilled squash that is to die for. Go ahead and pick a couple to take with you,” she said, pointing to the bed of yellow squash that had just ripened just enough for picking earlier in the week.

Jacob followed Olivia inside the house and poured himself a tall glass of lemonade as she dug through a pile of recipe cards. “Aha, I found it!” she said. She copied down the recipe and handed it to Jacob. “The seasoning makes all the difference. You let me know how you and your dad like it.”

“Thank you.” Jacob took a long sip from his glass of lemonade. “It’s not that I don’t ever want to get married, you know.”

“Oh?” asked Olivia nonchalantly, because she knew that seeming too interested wasn’t the right way to encourage Jacob to open up. She had learned a lot about the young man over the months that he had been working for her, little by little.

“Of course I want a wife and a family. But I just don’t know if it’s in the cards for me. Maybe I’m too picky, but it just seems like there are no good and honest women out there. Everyone woman whom I’ve met recently just seems so shallow. I don’t know, somehow I would just rather be alone than be with someone who is less than amazing.”

“Good for you for not wanting to settle,” said Olivia. “Keep the faith, son. She’s out there for you.”

Jacob put his empty glass in the sink. “Thanks for the lemonade. And the recipe. And the squash. You know, I can’t remember a time when I’ve left your house empty handed.”

“That’s the way I like it.”

“I’ll be seeing you.” Jacob walked out the back door and got into his truck, dropping his handful of yellow squash on the seat next to him.
I don’t know
, he thought.
Maybe I’m just better off alone.

~~~~~

As the men finished up the dishes from a late dinner as their punishment for being on the losing team the previous night, the woman sat around the table over tall cold glasses of sweet tea. When the last dish was dried and put away, Rick came over to the table and grabbed his wife’s hand.

“Let’s go to bed, babe,” said Rick.

Amy hopped up from her seat and said, with a wink, “Yes, sir!” The couple walked off and Brooke got up from her seat and said, “I’m a little tired myself. I think I’ll go read in bed.” Darren, realizing that he was alone in the room with Ben and Kate, started to back away toward his room. “Yeah…reading. I am also going to do the reading…I mean…read…my book. I’m going to read my book!”

Ben and Kate found themselves alone in the main room of the house. It was so quiet; the only sounds they could hear were the waves lightly crashing against the shore and the breeze tickling the wind chimes on the patio. Kate and Ben both stared out the french doors leading out to the patio at the beach, neither one daring to speak first.

Still gazing out the window, Ben broke the silence. “Should we watch a movie?”

“Sure,” she replied.

“You pick the movie,” said Ben. “I’ll go and get us some water.” He returned from the kitchen with two tall glasses of water and sat down in the middle of the couch. Once Kate had started the movie, he motioned for her to come and sit next to him. She took her spot on the couch next to him and he immediately put his arm around her. They sat there staring at the TV for at least an hour, while Kate leaned against his body and Ben caressed her arm and played with her hair. Ben leaned forward and took a big gulp from his glass of water and picked up the remote to turn down the volume on the television. “So, I heard you had a little conversation with Darren today,” he said casually.

Kate’s heart jumped in her chest but she tried to remain calm on the outside. She didn’t want Ben to see that she was embarrassed.