by Rachel Hanna
Danielle nodded. “Sure.”
They turned and headed down the beach toward her cottage. For the first few minutes, they said nothing, just walking in silence with the ocean waves as their backdrop. It was almost sunset, although if they wanted to see it, they needed to look toward the marsh and not the ocean.
“That was fun,” Bennett finally said.
“Yeah, it was.”
“Listen, about that hug…”
“I’m sorry, Bennett. I shouldn’t have done that.”
He stopped. “Danielle?”
“Yes?”
“Are we friends?”
“I think so.”
“Friends hug, right?”
“They do,” she said, smiling slightly.
“Then stop apologizing. You can hug me anytime.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, laughing as they started walking again.
“So, do you think we made a love connection?”
She stopped again. “What?”
“With Edwin and Berta.”
“Oh. Yes, I think so.”
They started walking again. “It’s good to know it’s never too late.”
“Why? Do you think it’s too late for you?”
“I’m starting to,” Bennett said. He stopped and sat down on a small outcropping of rocks.
“Why do you think that?” she asked, sitting down next to him.
“It just feels that way. It’s hard to know the motives of the women I date. My bank account makes me very attractive, but it also makes me very untrusting.”
“I can see how that might be a problem.”
“Except with you.”
“What?”
“You seem unimpressed.”
“Well, I grew up with money. I mean, not on the level you have it, but I guess money isn’t something that attracts me to a person.”
“You dated a doctor,” he said, chuckling.
“But not because of money. It was more out of convenience and a shared interest in our career paths.”
“Again, super romantic.”
Danielle laughed. “I won’t ever get a job writing greeting cards, will I?”
“Probably not.”
“You know we can’t do this, Bennett.”
“Do what?”
She looked at him. “This.”
He was silent for a moment. “Why?”
“Because it’s a bad idea, and you know it.”
“I don’t know that.”
Danielle smiled. “Look, I’m not going to lie and say I don’t have feelings for you, Bennett, because I do. Strong ones that I don’t know what to do with.” Why was she being honest? That was only going to lead to uncomfortable conversations.
He turned slightly and looked at her. “Then why not give this a shot?”
“How is it going to look if I’m dating my boss?”
“Fun?”
Danielle smacked him on the arm. “Be serious.”
“Look, this is the least judgmental place you’ll ever live.”
“Are you kidding me? It’s taken forever to get them to trust me even a little bit.”
“They aren’t trusting, but they also aren’t judgmental. Nobody cares if we date, Danielle. The only person who cares is you.”
She turned back toward the water and stared. “Richard really messed with my head. I’m not sure I’d be good for anybody right now. I can’t afford to mess this job up, Bennett.” He chuckled. “And why is that funny?”
“Because it means you care about your job, and I never thought that would happen.”
She laughed. “Me either.”
“Look, I would never do anything to mess up your ability to do your job.”
“And what if this ends badly?”
“It won’t. No matter what, our relationship will never affect your job. I promise.”
She stood up and walked toward the water, allowing it to lap at her feet. Bennett followed her.
“If we do this, it would be a big risk.”
“And what if we don’t do it? What if we’re meant to be together, Danielle?”
She turned and looked up at him, her heart pounding in her chest. “You know I don’t believe in that stuff.”
"Well, maybe I believe enough for the both of us," he said. Then it happened. The thing she had wanted to happen in her heart, but was too afraid would happen in her mind.
He kissed her. And it was a good one. Warm and welcoming and felt like home.
When they pulled apart, his hands still on her cheeks, he stared down at her.
“Was that okay?”
She smiled. "I'm not sure. Let's try that again and see.”
It seemed like they’d been together forever, and yet everything felt completely new. Danielle didn't know what to make of any of it, only that she didn't want it to stop.
Nothing had ever felt this way with Richard. It always felt forced, monotonous. In this moment, she questioned herself as to why she would've ever settled for anything less than this. She didn't even know what to call this. She’d never experienced it before.
They finally came up for air yet again, both of them laughing.
“Woo hoo!" They heard someone say. They turned around to see Morty jumping up and down and clapping about twenty feet away from them.
"Morty! You shouldn't be eavesdropping on people!" Bennett said, wagging his finger.
Morty grinned from ear to ear and did a little dance. "I knew this was going to happen! I knew it!"
"Go away!" Bennett yelled back to him, waving his hand. He watched Morty as he trotted away, walking his little brown fluffy dog further up the beach. "Sorry about that."
Danielle giggled. "It's okay. It's Morty. Did you expect anything different?"
"What do you say we go get something to eat?"
"That sounds great."
He reached out and took her hand as they turned and walked toward the street, and Danielle knew she was in trouble.
Chapter 14
Danielle could hardly think of anything else, and she really needed to focus on her work. She had already seen three patients that morning, but thankfully nothing too serious. One lady with a urinary tract infection, a man who needed a refill on his blood pressure pills, and a woman who had an ingrown toenail. That one had been pretty disgusting.
The rest of her afternoon would be free, and she was looking forward to the date she had with Bennett that night. They had been spending a lot of time together recently, mostly eating lunch and dinner, taking walks on the beach and talking about their lives. Tonight, he said he had a surprise for her, and she couldn't wait to see what it was.
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
Danielle walked into the waiting room and was surprised to see Dorothy Monroe standing there. As always, she was fashionably dressed, this time in a royal blue pantsuit with a big gold brooch on the lapel. She had her nails painted a vibrant red and was wearing a large diamond ring Danielle was certain had to be real.
"Dorothy? Did you have an appointment today?"
"No, I didn't. I hope it was okay that I came by to see you?"
"Of course. Come on back and we'll go to room two."
Dorothy followed her into the back and then walked into the examining room, sitting in the chair rather than on the table.
"What can I help you with?"
"Well, I've been thinking a lot about our visit a couple of weeks ago."
"Really?"
"I realized maybe I do need some help."
"What kind of help?"
"I think I'm depressed. I understand that there may be some medication that can help me with that?"
“Absolutely. Why don't I schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist? You can actually do it over video chat."
"What is video chat?"
"I can come to your house and help you set it up so that you can talk to the psychiatrist on your computer. If they think you need medication, they will prescribe it."
"Can't you just do it?"
"I would if I could, but medications for mental health are really best prescribed by a psychiatrist because they're trained in that sort of thing. They'll be able to help you with dosages. I promise to find you someone wonderful."
"But I don't want anyone to know that I have this problem. I am sort of famous, you know."
"Doctors are held to a high standard, Dorothy. They are not allowed to reveal your personal medical information or they could get sued, not to mention lose their license. No worries about anyone ever finding out your personal business."
She thought for a moment and finally nodded. “Okay, let's do that."
"I'm so proud of you, Dorothy! You're taking a step in the right direction. I will come by in the next couple of days and help you get things set up and let you know when the appointment is. Sound good?"
"Yes."
Dorothy stood up and started walking to the front door. She turned around and looked back at Danielle.
"I should say thank you. Most people give up on me very quickly because I can be a bit high maintenance," she said with a slight smile.
"That's all right. I can be a bit high maintenance, too,” Danielle whispered loudly. She watched Dorothy wave and then walk outside, moving down the sidewalk alone. It made her sad when she thought about the fact that this woman had walled herself off to so many people. She hoped that medication and counseling would help Dorothy get a new start, even at her age. She deserved to suck every bit of happiness out of life that she could, just like anyone else.
"Don't let me fall!" Danielle said as Bennett led her toward the surprise. They had ridden all over the island on the golf cart with her blindfolded, putting her very close to getting carsick. Bennett didn't want her to know the surprise, so he purposely confused her by driving all around. Now, with his hand on the small of her back, he carefully led her inside of a building.
"I would never let you fall."
Danielle now understood what swooning meant. When people would say that they swooned, she never really understood it. Since going out with Bennett for the last couple of weeks, she understood better than ever.
There was a part of her that didn't want to be this vulnerable. The last time she had trusted someone, they had violated it in a big way. She was realizing that it wasn't fair to compare Bennett to Richard. They were totally different people, and she felt safe and comfortable with Bennett.
“Okay, we can take off your blindfold!" The happiness in his voice almost made her tear up. He was so excited to surprise her.
Danielle reached around and untied the blindfold, pulling it away from her eyes. There were lights everywhere, so it took her a moment to readjust, but then she recognized where they were - the island’s only bowling alley.
"We're going bowling?" she said, laughing.
"You don't enjoy bowling?"
"I like bowling. I'm just not very good at it!"
"What size shoe do you need?" Janice, who she remembered from square dancing, asked.
"I wear a size six and a half.”
"Good Lord! Let me go check and see if we have shoes that small."
Janice walked away. "I'm sure she can find something."
"So do we have the whole place to ourselves?"
Bennett nodded. "One of the perks of owning the island.”
They walked over to lane number three and Bennett sat down to put their names into the computer. The bowling alley was surprisingly high tech, much like one on the mainland.
When Danielle looked up, she noticed he had put her name in as Dani. For some reason, that didn't bother her anymore. She wasn't nearly as straight-laced as she had been when she arrived on the island.
"Here you go!" Janice said, handing a pair of shoes to Danielle.
"Thanks."
They both sat down and put on their shoes before picking out their bowling balls. Being petite, it took Danielle a little longer to find something to feel comfortable for her to hold.
"Do you need the bumper rails?” he asked.
She glared at him. "No. I do not. I'm not that bad."
As they played the first game, it was very apparent to Danielle that she really was that bad. Bennett played like he was on a bowling league, and she played like she actually did need bumper rails and possibly eyeglasses.
When they finished the first game, Bennett had nachos and a large pepperoni pizza delivered to their table, along with a pitcher of soda.
"I feel like I'm on a date in high school," Danielle said, laughing.
"I just thought it would be fun to do something a lot more casual tonight. I hope you're having a good time."
She smiled. "I always have fun when I'm with you, Bennett."
He leaned across the table and gave her a quick kiss before grabbing a nacho covered in a huge mound of cheese and popping it into his mouth. She’d never seen him so at ease.
"And I always have fun with you. I think things are going pretty well, don't you?"
"So far."
"Do you ever just relax?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "This is how I act when I'm relaxed."
They finished eating and played another game, with Bennett beating her yet again. She had to think of something that she did better than him, so that her pride wasn't completely obliterated.
"What if I cook dinner for you at your house tomorrow night?"
"Oh, that sounds nice. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Well, a little birdie told me it's your birthday tomorrow. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Who let that slip?"
"I'll never reveal my sources," she said, knowing full well that both Morty and Naomi had told her.
"I'm not big on celebrating my birthday."
"Why is that?"
"When I was a kid, it just wasn't a big deal. We didn't have enough money to have birthday parties. Usually, my mom would take me to the local thrift store and just let me pick something out. I would almost always get a book."
"You know, you're not that little boy anymore, Bennett. You deserve to be celebrated. So I'm going to make you my famous Chicago deep dish lasagna with extra cheese and a secret ingredient."
"Oh, is that so?"
She grinned. "Trust me, you’ve never had anything like it. I'm also going to make my special garlic knots."
"Well, how can I possibly say no to all of that?"
"You can't. I'll come over at five o'clock to start cooking?"
"You can come over whenever you want," he said, running his finger across her cheek.
"Your boss?" Danielle's mother said from the other end of the phone.
"Yes, mother."
"Do you think that's wise, Danielle?"
"We're just seeing how it goes, Mom. It's no big deal."
"It is a big deal. Your career has already been so destroyed."
"What happened to that very positive, proud mother I talked to on the phone the last time?"
Her mother sighed. "I'm trying to be positive. I am proud of you. I just don't want to see you get your heart broken all over again."
"How will I ever meet someone if I'm too scared to see what happens?"
"I want you to meet someone. I just don't want it to be your boss!"
"Mom, at some point you have to let go. You must realize that I'm almost forty years old, and I can make my own decisions. I just need you to be there to support me. Okay?”
"I'm sorry. You're right. You're totally right. I used to hate when my mother would meddle in my business, and I'm doing it to you. I promise not to do it again."
"Thank you. Now, tell me how things are going in your life.”
For the next half hour, her mother regaled her with tales of research and germs and her new boyfriend. When they hung up, Danielle laid back in her chair and smiled. Tonight was the night she would celebrate Bennett's birthday, and she was looking forward to it.
Things were finally going well. She liked her job. She liked the residents. She liked Bennett. Maybe
more than liked.
Of course, he had no idea what she had planned for his birthday. It would definitely be a night he would always remember.
"Oh, no!"
"What's wrong?"
"You don't have any oregano."
"I don't? I thought I did…" He rummaged through the pantry and several cabinets before giving up. "I don't understand where it could've gone."
Of course, he had no idea that she had stashed it away in her purse as soon as she had gotten there. It was all part of her plan.
"I don't suppose you could run to the grocery store and get some? Otherwise, the meal will be ruined."
He smiled, slid his hands around her waist, and kissed her neck. "You don't have to go to all this trouble. We can just go out to dinner."
"Bennett, I've been excited about this all day. Please, just run to the store?" She looked up at him, batting her eyelashes.
He groaned and then laughed, pinching her on the side. "Fine. I'll run to the store so that you can make me this masterpiece of food. But only because you’re so dang cute.”
Danielle watched him take his keys and walk out the front door. She peered out the window until he was out of sight before running out the back door. Beside the deck stood about twenty very hot residents, all of whom she had invited to the birthday party. They were the people Bennett was the closest to, including Morty, of course.
"I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting. It took me forever to get him out of the house. Come on in!"
She led them all to the back guest room and instructed them to be very quiet. Bennett would only be gone for about ten minutes, since the grocery store was very close to his house.
Danielle also ran out into the living room and quickly started hanging up all the decorations she had hidden in a trunk he kept beside the sofa. By the time she was finished, sweat was running down her back from nervousness and activity.
As if on cue, she heard him putting the key in the lock, and she stood back, a smile on her face. When Bennett walked through the door, he saw all the decorations.
"What on earth?"
"Happy birthday!" She yelled loudly, causing all the residents to come storming out of the guest room yelling surprise. Bennett held his hand to his chest and started laughing. He definitely had no idea what was going on.
