said, nodding. "I think he's coming on the boat."
I smiled excitedly at her and we both got out of the car. I ducked and glanced back at Mac before I closed the door. His legs were stiff and his little feet were going ninety-to-nothing in a small paddling motion like he was swimming.
"Did you know Drew was coming here?" I asked him. "Is that why you're all excited?"
He nodded.
"You little rascal," I said, shaking my head and smiling at him like he had pulled one past me. "Bye, my love. Have fun with Nana. I'll see you in a little bit."
"Bye, darling!" Mac said, laughing.
"You are a silly goose," I said, widening my eyes at him, which made him laugh even more. He was too funny. He had never called me darling in his life. I wondered where he got it from. I absentmindedly thought it might be from watching television.
"See you later, darling," he said, unable to stop himself from saying it one last time before I moved away from the door. He cracked himself up with that. He was delirious with excitement. It must've been surprising me along with the promise of going to the taffy store.
"See you later, darling alligator," I said, interjecting his new favorite word and causing him to laugh even more. I stepped away from the car, shaking my head and smiling at my mother. "Why's he calling me darling?" I asked her.
"I have no idea," she said. She urged me along, switching places with me so that she could take the car. She reached out and hugged me before I could step away.
"I love you, my girl. Have fun, okay?"
"I love you too," I said. I leaned over and said goodbye to Mac before jogging off, searching for the trail that led to the dock.
The dock wasn't visible from the road, but it was only a short distance down a trail. It took me a couple of minutes to get to the spot where the trail opened up and I could see Drew's boat. It was tied to the dock. I recognized it from a distance, and I jogged that way, feeling like I couldn't get over there fast enough.
I saw Drew when I got closer. He was sitting on the end of the dock, and he stood up when he heard me approaching. Boy, was he a sight for sore eyes. He was barefoot and his jeans were rolled up, and seeing him standing on that dock made me realize how much I missed him.
There was a quilt spread out over the end of the dock with what looked like a basket. The whole scene was inviting, but all I really cared about was the man coming my way, smiling at me. Drew slowly made his way to me, coming closer to where the dock met the land. I was moving quickly and I had some momentum by the time I made it onto the dock.
I didn't hesitate. I flung myself into his arms. He saw me coming, and he braced himself, turning with me in his arms, both of us laughing as we collided.
"I missed youuuu," I said. "I'm so happy you're here. I thought you had to help Brian and Michelle. What happened?"
He let me down on my feet, but he kept a hold of me, smiling at me before leaning down to place a swift but soft kiss on my neck. "Yeah, no, they are moving this week, but they have movers. I wasn't even in Houston. I just wanted to surprise you."
"I see that. This is so cool. It looks like Evelyn's in on this." My mom's friend, Evelyn, had eclectic, expensive taste, and I recognized the quilt and knew it was hers.
"She got all this together for me. That basket's full of food—all sorts of stuff. She did that, too. She made us a picnic."
I didn't even respond. I was relaxed and feeling so happy to see him. I leaned into him, gently resting my head on the side of his chest. His chest rose and fell. It was cool out, but his coat was thin and I clearly saw and felt his chest moving as he took a deep breath. I stretched up and kissed underneath his jaw. "I missed you so much."
"I'm so nervous," he said. "I didn't think I would be this nervous." His tone was serious, and for a second, it worried me. I actually wondered if he brought me there to break