Go Away, Darling - Alexis Anne Page 0,57
beach? Polo shirt. I was almost positive he didn’t own a regular old t-shirt, let alone an athletic shirt or even a UPF shirt, which nearly everyone wore on the island. Heck, I’d even take a Hawaiian shirt at the point.
She waved her hand in a “go on” gesture.
“Well, he’s rigid. He’s not an islander. He can’t seem to relax or change or adapt.”
“He’s learning.”
Is he? “It just feels like a square peg in a round hole. Does he want this kind of life? Really? Or is he twisting himself up to fit you?”
She blanched. “I don’t know.”
“I think, more than anything, that’s what worries me. If he doesn’t want to wear swim trunks to the beach that’s fine. That’s his quirk, we all have them. But if he lives on land and you live in the sea, then one of you has to grow legs or a tail to make this work.”
“Are you Little Mermaiding my relationship?”
I shrugged. “Maybe?”
She groaned just as our regular waitress, Annabella, came up with our waters and Red Tourist garlic cheesy bread. “How are we today?” Her gaze caught on Berlin and darted back to me.
“We’re good. We’ll have the usual.”
“Of course. Dressing on the side, Berlin?”
“No. Drench it. Give me all the calories.”
Annabella shot me another wary gaze before darting off.
“What about you? What’s happening with Chris?”
Berlin was still skeptical of my relationship as well. I think the only thing that kept her from giving me a hard time was the fact that Chris and I were in the friend zone again.
“I’ve come to the conclusion we’re both square pegs.”
“He’s still a professional athlete.”
I didn’t bite back immediately like I wanted to because the last thing we needed was a tit for tat fight over men when really we just cared about each other so much we got emotional. “Maybe baseball players are just different. Chris isn’t like Beau or Jack.”
Berlin watched me as she sipped her water and selected a slice of the delicious bread. “Football and hockey are both aggressive contact sports. Baseball is not.” She chewed as she thought through her theory. I liked where this was going. “I suppose there’s a lot of individualism in the sport as well.”
“Most of the guys are like Chris. There are absolutely a few Beau’s, but by and large, from Chris’s teammates to all the former players I interviewed over the winter, they all had a different attitude. Calmer, more introspective. A desire to be both a teammate and individually excellent. Plus, baseball is just not as glamorous as football.”
“I can see that. So you’re happy?”
I took a moment to breathe, to think through all the swirling emotions and possibilities. “He loves it here. He’s not an islander by birth, but by spirit. This is his home and he’s become so a part of our lives I can’t imagine him not being here.”
“He really stepped up while you were traveling.”
My heart skipped a few beats at the thought of how devoted Chris was to Linc. He was the kind of father I dreamed of. Attentive, funny, and he took the time to learn about Linc’s interests, even if they seemed weird. “You think so?”
“Yeah.” She pushed her melting glass of water around, creating a pool of water on the table. “I saw them a couple of times. Once with Summer at the ice cream shop, and another time when he was picking Linc up from baseball. He’s...well, he’s a natural. They both looked so happy. I realized I was being judgmental and putting my own crap on your relationship. Plus, I caught a couple of games where the camera panned to Linc, you, and Summer, and it all just looked so right. Every single one of you was smiling and happy.”
“Linc wants us to get married. He informed me last night over dinner.”
Berlin laughed loud and clear. “I love that kid.”
“So will you give him a chance? For me?”
“He plays ball because he loves the game, not because he wants the fame.” She snorted. “That rhymed. That’s awesome.” She chuckled again, pleased with her word play. “Anyway, Chris looks at you the way my dad looked at my mom. Like you’re a gift in his life and every day is a present he can’t wait to unwrap. Let him unwrap you, Olivia. And enjoy it.”
“That’s beautiful.”
She shrugged. “I was wrong.”
I noticed she didn’t ask me to support Ryker. I would if she asked, but I firmly believed they were too different for this