A Curve in the Road(68)

“I’d like that.”

The girls rise to their feet, and so does Winston. They all seem eager to get moving.

“Winston and I should probably mosey along,” I say, looking up at the twilight sky splashed with colorful bands of pink and blue.

“We should get a move on too,” Nathan replies.

Dorothy and the girls start off, leading him away. I start walking in the opposite direction, feeling pleased to have seen him, but at the same time regretting the fact that we didn’t have more time to chat, because there’s so much to catch up on and I really loved rekindling our conversation. My heart sinks a little.

Then Nathan calls my name. There’s a pleasant rush of heat in my belly. I stop and turn.

He hands the leash to Jen and approaches me. “Abbie. This feels weird and awkward . . . seeing you like this. I’d really like to catch up some more. No pressure, and feel free to say no, but would you like to have dinner with me while you’re in town?”

I’m surprised and flattered by his invitation, and I’m glad that I took Winston for a walk this evening. “I’d love to.”

“Great.” His eyes light up. “When would be good for you?”

“Well . . .” I pause and think about it. “Zack’s not coming until Saturday. How about tomorrow night?”

“Tomorrow’s great. I can pick you up at seven, if that works?”

“I’ll be ready. Do you remember where my mom lives?”

“Of course. I remember everything.” He turns to go. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Okay. I’ll look forward to it.”

As I continue along the boardwalk with Winston, I can’t stop smiling. Winston looks up at me happily.

“Oh, stop grinning,” I say with a smirk. “It’s just dinner.”

He starts to trot with purpose and exuberance, and I am keen to pick up the pace as well.





CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

I’m not sure where Nathan will take me for dinner, but I decide to gussy up a bit, just in case it’s somewhere nice. As it turns out, I’m glad I wore heels, because he takes me to my favorite restaurant on the south shore, which overlooks the yacht club in the village of Chester.

By the time we’re seated, I’ve told him all about my involvement with the narcolepsy organization and how I’ve been accepting speaking engagements all over the world.

“That’s fantastic,” he says with genuine admiration as he sits back in his chair across from me. “It sounds like you’ve found your true calling.”

“I know, right? That’s exactly how I feel about it.”

I pick up my sparkling water and take a sip. Then our waiter brings our appetizers, and we admire the presentation before we dig in.

Conversation with Nathan is easy. It flows because there’s lots to talk about, whether it’s our dogs, our careers, or the challenges of being single parents. And there have been so many extraordinary changes in both of our lives since we last saw each other—like my work and Zack going off to college. As for Nathan, his daughters are entering a new preteen phase, and every day brings new challenges for him as a dad.

We finish our appetizers and sit back again.

“How are you, on a personal level?” Nathan asks tentatively as the waiter clears away our plates.

I know what he’s referring to—the fact that it’s been almost a year since I lost Alan, and the last time Nathan and I texted each other, I’d admitted to being an emotional disaster.

“Well, you were right about one thing,” I say. “It has gotten easier with time. But there are still days when I struggle.”

“There probably always will be. You and Alan were together for a long time.”

I nod my head. “And I suspect it’ll always be hard not to feel hurt by the cheating. But I want to look forward now, not back. I still have the rest of my life ahead of me.”

Nathan raises his glass. “To the future.”

We clink and sip. Then he carefully asks me another question. “What about Zack? Did you ever tell him what really happened?”

I shake my head. “No. I just couldn’t do that to him. I didn’t see what good could come of it.”

Looking back on it, I’m surprised that I’ve managed to successfully shoulder the burden alone for so long, when there was a time I wasn’t sure if I could or if I was doing the right thing by keeping the truth from him.

Wasn’t that what Alan tried to do with me? Hide the truth to protect my feelings? Was there some form of humanity in that? Or did he just not want to get caught?

The waiter brings our main courses, and Nathan and I lean forward to pick up our forks.

“Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday is going to be different,” I say. “This time last year, I was living in a bubble of naivety. It’s going to be very quiet with just Zack, Mom, and me.”

“You’d be welcome to come and join us for dinner, if you like,” Nathan replies. “My mom would love to meet all of you, I’m sure.”

I smile at him. “Thanks, but I think we need to get through this first Thanksgiving on our own.”

And I’m still not ready to introduce a new man into Zack’s life. Not officially. And this is only our first date.