“I’m glad you made it,” Bella said.
“Sorry we’re a little late. Evan got home later than he expected.” Evan hadn’t called to tell him he was going to be late, and though Caden wrote it off as Evan wanting to seem cool in front of his new friends, he had given Evan a long talk about the importance of checking in. Evan took it well, and by the time they left for the barbeque, he seemed in good spirits again.
“That’s okay. Come on. I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
Caden touched her arm. “Can we just talk for one minute first?”
“Sure. What’s up?” She said it so flippantly that he realized she must have been just as nervous as he was.
“I’ve been thinking about what happened earlier today.”
Bella waved her hand dismissively. “Forget it. It’s no big deal.”
“It might not be a big deal to you, but it was to me. I just want you to know that I totally dig you, and I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
“First of all, no hurt on my end. Second, you totally dig me?” Her eyes widened with amusement. “Well, that’s good to know. I think you’re pretty far out, too.”
“Cripes.” He shook his head. How did she joke so easily when what happened between them had eaten him up all afternoon?
She grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the others. “Come on, hippie boy. I’ll introduce you around and we can eat.”
Dinner was delicious and conversation came easily. Caden was happy to see Evan enjoying himself. He had a million questions for Jamie, who was patient and, Caden noticed, didn’t speak to Evan as if he were just a kid. Evan was quite computer savvy, and the two were in a heated debate over the future of something technical that Caden couldn’t follow. Although he wasn’t as technically inclined as his son, he was pretty sure he wasn’t following their conversation because he was sidetracked by Bella. She laughed unabashedly, and she kept touching his leg, like they’d been together forever. He wondered if she did that with all of the guys she dated or, if like him, she felt something more between them.
“So, Bell, does Caden know about your rebellious side?” Tony’s devilish grin piqued his curiosity.
“Shh.” Amy swatted him on the arm. “We don’t want to make the man hightail it out of here.”
Bella looked up at Caden and nibbled on her lower lip. “I am a little bit of a rule breaker, but not with bad things. Just…”
Jenna got up to refill her wineglass and lined up the condiments while she was at it. “Just things like wanting to climb over the fence and get to the top of the South Wellfleet fire tower, you know, the one that’s about a mile from here and off-limits to residents. That kind of not-bad stuff.”
“Why the fire tower?” Caden asked.
“Because climbing a water tower is too scary.” Bella swirled her glass, then finished her wine.
She was flippant and coy, and Caden had never met anyone quite like her. He listened as they recanted stories of walking down to the tower throughout the years, trying to figure out a way over the barbed wire. He could envision Bella and her friends standing before the fence that surrounded the sixty-eight-foot tower, contemplating the options: Over? Under? Through?
She leaned in to him. “Forget the fire tower. Let me tell you about Vera.”
“Are you trying to change the subject?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Of course, but really…Vera is a violinist, and she’s performed all over the world. I swear, once you hear her play, violin music will never sound the same again.”
“Oh, Bella, dear, don’t lie to the poor man.” Vera patted her short pixie cut. It framed her face in varying shades of silver with flecks of battleship gray at the roots. Her skin held the look of softness that came with age despite the fine lines and deep grooves.
“She’s gifted and modest,” Bella said.
“That’s kind of you, dear. But how about you go back to telling Caden about your playful ways while I share my little secret with Evan.” Vera turned her attention to Evan. “Evan, dear, did I hear correctly that you have an affinity for computers?”
Evan nodded. “Well, at my old school, I was in the technology club, and we were learning to program. So, yeah, I like them.”
Vera patted the chair beside her. “Why don’t you come sit here and I’ll tell you about Dr. Samuel Masterson, the man who created the first personal computer. I was seventeen, and he was fifty-six. He worked with my father.”
Evan moved quicker than Caden had seen him move in the last year, and he hung on to every word she said.
“Looks like you’ve been outdone by your grandmother, Jamie.” Bella patted him on the shoulder.
“I’ll happily step aside for her. She enjoys kids so much, and rarely has a chance to interact with them,” Jamie said. “Evan’s a bright boy, and he really has an interest in technology.”
“Thank you. I wish I knew more about computers so I could help him in some way.”
“I can teach him a few things when I’m here on the weekends,” Jamie offered. “In fact, I’m not leaving until late Monday night this week, so if you want to bring him by tomorrow evening, I’d be happy to work with him for a few hours.”
“That would be great. I’ll ask Evan after he’s done talking with Vera. Thanks so much.”
An hour later, plans for the next evening were solidified and Evan was excited to spend a few hours with Jamie. Caden helped Tony and Jamie bring the tables and chairs back to their rightful owner’s decks; then he followed Bella into her cottage with a stack of dishes. He’d expected her cottage to reflect her personality, a little loud with flashes of a softer side. As he stood on the pale and thinly planked hardwood floors in the cozy living room, he was struck by how wrong he was. A cream-colored sofa, layered with pastel, lace-edged pillows, was pushed against the wall to his right. Fresh flowers filled a vase on an end table, and frilly curtains hung around the kitchen window.
The bedroom door was open, and a quick peek revealed a beautifully made bed with a fluffy pink comforter and another vase of fresh flowers on the white dresser. He felt as though he was seeing her most intimate side, and he wondered why she worked so hard to repress her love of femininity.
Bella took the dishes from him and set them on the counter. “I’m really glad you and Evan came tonight, and I know Evan will learn a lot from Jamie. He’s a really nice guy.”
“Yeah, he seems it. All of your friends seem really nice.”
He’d been fighting the urge to reach out and touch her all night. He’d wanted to drape an arm over her shoulder, to feel her pressed against his side, but those were things people did when they were dating—and he didn’t know if they were dating or not. She’d been sending conflicting signals all day, but then tonight she’d touched his leg a hundred times even after he’d turned her away earlier in the day.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.