“I’d be happy to set it up,” Sarah told her with a smile.
Mara tapped Tessa’s arm. “Now that we have the medical stuff taken care of, let’s hear more about you and Micah. Are my cousins going to start moving to Amesport permanently? I’d love that.”
Tessa laughed. “Don’t get your hopes up. You know how Micah rolls. He always needs the next adrenaline rush. But I think he’s pretty happy in New York. He loves his company, and his passion is making extreme sports safer.”
Emily tapped her arm. “Does that scare you? The crazy stuff he does?”
Tessa thought for a minute before replying. “I care about him now, and I won’t say that I wouldn’t worry about him if he was doing something dangerous. But his passions are part of who Micah is, and he’s a good man. I wouldn’t want to change him. Besides, I went skydiving with him, and I loved it.”
She looked at the shocked expressions around the table and added, “What? You think a deaf woman can’t skydive?” Tessa was determined that she’d get her certification to go solo someday, even though Micah didn’t seem too keen to have her jump out of a plane unless she was attached to him.
All of the other women were shaking their heads, as though most of them wouldn’t even think about jumping out of a perfectly good plane.
Funny, she’d thought the same thing until she’d met Micah. Maybe she’d had a dream that someday she’d be brave enough to try, but everybody had dreams that would never be fulfilled. When it came right down to it, Tessa wasn’t sure if she would have really jumped with anybody except Micah. But after that experience, she could totally understand why he loved the adrenaline rush.
Their food arrived and all of them dug into their plates enthusiastically. Tessa slipped Homer a few pieces of chicken from her lo mein noodle dish, even though she knew she shouldn’t. He rewarded her with a worshipful doggie expression that made her chuckle.
The women managed to keep chattering while they ate, and the evening was over so soon that Tessa couldn’t believe that it was already ten o’clock when they left the restaurant. They all hugged like they didn’t reside in the same small town, and Tessa relished every minute of it. Physical contact was her bond with other people, and it felt good to feel this close to these women.
After everyone made sure that Tessa had their numbers in her phone, she beckoned Homer to jump into her little economy car. He took up the entire passenger’s seat, and he was watchful as she walked around the vehicle and got into the driver’s side.
“I’ll bet all that girl talk wasn’t much fun for you, was it, boy?” she said to Homer as she stroked his silky head. “Let’s go home. I’ll find you a real treat.”
The canine leaned over and licked her cheek before settling into his seat.
Tessa laughed as she started the car, thinking how pivotal the night had been for her. Not only had she bonded with four women she admired, but her dog seemed content just to be with her, too.
Her life had begun to change so much, so many of her fears so much easier to face because she realized that much of her anxiety was self-inflicted. They were her insecurities, her self-doubt.
“I’m done with all that,” she shared with Homer as she pulled out of her parking spot and headed back to Randi’s old home.
Years ago, she’d sworn that she was going to find herself again. Now she felt like maybe, just possibly, she was going to figure out exactly who she was for the very first time.
She drove home content with her epiphany, because she was pretty sure she was going to like the person she dug out from underneath her frightened, deaf exterior. Hopefully, she’d like that woman very much.
CHAPTER 17
Having a canine companion brought more joy into Tessa’s life than she ever could have imagined. She went for a run with her dog the next morning, and he actually kept pace alongside of her as she jogged at a steady speed. She slowed occasionally, worried that poor Homer might be exhausted, but the dog was full of energy. He spurred her on when she would have given him a rest.
When they were at the rink, her dog clambered up a few rows in the old stands so he could see her, watching her silently, his gaze always alert.
Tessa hadn’t bothered with the music because Micah wasn’t around to give her signals, but she skated her entire routine, including the extended position hold at the very end.
That was when she saw a man standing directly in front of her clapping his hands, applauding her performance. She moved closer to see who had been watching her, suddenly feeling apprehensive. It wasn’t Micah. She didn’t expect him back until tomorrow. She stopped at the wall, the only thing separating the two of them, when she realized who exactly she was seeing, although she still couldn’t quite believe it.
Rick? What the hell is he doing in Amesport, Maine?
She stared, noticing that even though he was only a year or two older than Micah, he looked older than that. He’d put on weight. Not that she’d say he was fat, but he’d definitely indulged in too much rich food and too much alcohol during the years they’d been apart.
Her eyes went automatically to his mouth when it started to move.
“I have to say, that was extraordinary, Tessa. You got your hearing back? I saw that you were on the performance schedule for New York. You skate as gracefully as you did years ago.”
Her mind whirling just from the impact of seeing her first love after so long, Tessa could barely find the words to say. This man had devastated her, but her heart didn’t seem to care. After a moment of surprise . . . she felt . . . nothing. No, maybe that wasn’t true. She felt angry.