the living room where Easton was waiting. An hour later, we were flying to Monterey, and who would have known that Easton was a pilot? We were up in the air, the sky a deep blue and the clouds white and puffy.
“Charlotte never mentioned you had a jet,” I said, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. “I’m surprised she never said anything.”
“She knows better than to tell people. It’s something I prefer to keep secret. I consider flying my alone time.”
“You’ve taken Charlotte and your mom, though, right?”
“A handful of times. I took my dad as well, but no one else.”
My eyebrows flew up at that admission. “You haven’t taken any friends? Only family?”
“That’s correct, and I don’t take family often. They know they can go anywhere they want and I’ll always help fund their trips, but when I fly the jet, I prefer to be alone.”
“Then I feel honored that you’re allowing me to tag along. Thank you.”
He glanced at me and smiled, and there was a playfulness in the gesture. “It was my idea, remember? I have a small circle of people I trust, and you’re in that circle now.”
Whoa… Did he just say that? Warmth worked its way through my body, filling my gut with a giddy sensation that felt like I was as high as a cloud. And I literally was that high. I smiled back at him but didn’t say anything further because I didn’t trust myself to say the right thing.
How was it that my heart was bursting at the seams for this man I once hated? How had we gotten to this place? It was amazing and scary at the same time.
We touched down at a local airport and then took a rental car to one of the beaches in Monterey. The air was warm but not hot, and the light breeze felt good on my skin. It was perfect weather for a perfect day.
I glanced up at the sky, and it was so blue it seemed as if God had painted the hue just for us. Maybe I was seeing everything through the lens of rose-colored glasses, but I didn’t care. God’s creation was beautiful, and I hadn’t felt this ecstatic since… I couldn’t recall a time. Perhaps that was what love did to people. Made them see the world as perfect and wonderful.
I stopped myself. I could not allow myself to believe I was in love. We hadn’t defined our relationship and only fools rushed in before thinking. Wasn’t there a song about that? Bottom line…I needed to slow down.
The sound of the waves crashing back and forth in a rhythmic motion relaxed the tension in my shoulders, and I breathed in the sea air. We took off our shoes and dipped our feet in the warm sand, the grains sliding over our skin. It wasn’t summer yet so there weren’t many people laying out, but Easton threw down a towel and we placed our shoes on top of it and then ventured out to the water. We walked along the beach and stayed close enough that our ankles got wet when the waves rolled over the sand.
Easton took my hand and laced our fingers together, and the way he did it felt intimate and sweet. As if we were a couple. That urge to define our relationship crept up again, but I pushed it back, not wanting anything to ruin the moment. Relationships took time to build, and there was no need to rush this one. He’d kissed me and said I was on his mind, not to mention he’d taken me on a trip in his jet, and he didn’t do that with anyone other than family. That had to mean something.
He squeezed my hand and glanced at me as we continued to walk. “I love the beach. Love the way it relaxes me.”
“Is Monterey your favorite?”
“One of my favorites. Another is Newport Beach. I have a home there.”
“Oh, right. Charlotte talks about going there sometimes. I bet it’s nice.”
“One day I’ll invite you and Charlotte up to check it out.”
“I’d love that.”
We continued walking as the sun landed on our shoulders and the water lapped around our ankles. Easton appeared lost in thought and then turned to me. “I had the biggest crush on you in high school. Were you aware?”
“What? No.” I halted, shocked at his admission. “That can’t be true.”
He let out a laugh and stared straight ahead, his free hand going