by Kay Correll
She stood on the shore and stared out into the ocean. Random thoughts flicked through her mind. Orders that needed to be placed. Tally’s birthday coming up—she should talk to Susan about doing something for Tally. The curtains she was sewing for her cottage. All these thoughts surged through her mind. She took a deep breath, quieting her mind, lulling her breathing into matching the pace of the slowly rolling waves. The spring heat washed through her. Yes, this beach, this was her happy place.
She closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the moment.
She opened her eyes and took a few steps back to sit on the dry sand. A lone woman in the distance stood staring at the sea, and then her arm came up and Julie saw her toss a shell into the ocean. Ah, another person sucked into the legend.
A man strolled up the beach, getting larger and larger in her vision as he approached, slowly coming into focus until she recognized him.
It was the man from the inn. That man who had unsettled her so. What had Susan said his name was? Reed Newman. That was it.
He got closer and her heart skipped a beat. Why did this stranger have such an unexpected effect on her? She drew in another deep breath and forced herself to look at the sea instead of the man slowly approaching her.
She was sure he’d pass by with a brief smile, like nearly all of the beach walkers, each interested in their own journey, their own time on the beach.
As he got close she couldn’t help herself, she looked up at him, catching his eye. “Hi.” She hadn’t meant to say anything, to stop him.
The man paused, staring at her. “Hi. Aren’t you the person I ran into on the steps of the inn?”
“Uh, yes. I think we did see each other there.”
He stood looking like he was waiting for more.
“I was there meeting my friend Susan. She owns the inn.”
“Ah.”
Not much of a conversationalist, was he? She pushed her foot into the sand, wondering if it were possible to just slip away into the grains of sand.
“Are you here for very long?” She knew darn well he was here for a month but didn’t want to let on that Susan had told her.
“For a bit.”
Well, that was noncommittal.
“I should let you get on with your walk.” She was running out of things to say to him.
* * *
Reed stared at the woman on the beach, the one no longer wearing a stained t-shirt. This t-shirt said The Sweet Shoppe on it.
Quit being such a jerk. You know how to talk to women, don’t you? What’s my problem?
“I, um. Would you care to join me on my walk? I’m just headed to the lighthouse, then back to the inn.”
Why had he asked her to join him?
“I could do that. I live near the inn, so I go back that way.”
He reached down, and she placed her tiny but strong hand in his. He lifted her effortlessly to her feet.
“I don’t know anyone on the island.”
Stating the obvious, old boy.
“Well, you know me now. Julie Farmington.” She smiled at him.
He realized he was still holding her hand in his. “Newman. Reed Newman.”
Julie reached up and grabbed a handful of her thick, chestnut hair, trapping it from the wind’s efforts to cover her face in random flyaway locks. “Glad to meet you Newman Reed Newman.”
“Sorry, force of habit.”
He was a dunce.
He dropped her hand, started walking, and she fell into pace by his side. It was nice to have company on the walk, although he was used to being alone. But this whole vacation thing was so new to him, uneasiness had settled over him. He’d worked long and hard to feel like he was back in control of his life and didn’t like the off-kilter way he was feeling here on Belle Island.
“So, did you come to Lighthouse Point to make a wish?” Julie sidestepped a wave coming in and bumped into him. “Oops, sorry.”
“No, I’m not much into the make-a-wish thing.”
“So you did hear the legend.”
“Read about it in a brochure about the island.”
“I’m not much into it either, but I do love the beach here. The water is such an amazing shade of azure blues and emerald greens, depending on the lighting.”
“I don’t blame you, it’s beautiful.”
They walked on in silence for a few minutes. A sense of comfortable peace drifted around him, one he hadn’t felt in a very long time. In fact he could count the exact number of days but he wasn’t going to go there. Not now.
“So, what do you do?” Julie’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Software engineer.”
“Oh, sounds interesting.”
“It is sometimes. Sometimes it’s frustrating.”
Like when his boss sends him away from his job for a month.
“Where are you from?”
“Seattle area.”
“Wow, you came a long way for a vacation.”
“I did. It was a spur of the moment decision. Saw something about the island on TV. Looked nice, so I booked a trip.”
“I hope we live up to your expectations.”
“So far, so good.” He paused at the end of the point. “Should we turn around?”
“Probably. I have things I really should be doing, but I keep wanting to play hooky while I can before the summer crowds take over my life.”
“What do you do?”
“I’m a baker. I own The Sweet Shoppe.” She pointed to her t-shirt.
“Really? I can hardly heat up leftovers.”
“I learned to bake… well, a long time ago. I used to bake for Tally at Magic Cafe. Tally Belle, she’s another friend of mine.”
“Belle as in Belle Island?”
“One and the same. Her family settled the island. Rumor has it that it was her whatever-amount-of-greats grandmother who made that first wish.”
“That’s kind of cool to be connected to all that history. Does her family still all live here?”
“Tally is the last of the Belle family line.”
“That’s too bad.”
“It is kind of sad. It will be strange to no longer have a Belle on the island after… well, after Tally is gone. I expect she’ll be here for a really long time, though. She’s an amazing woman. Like I said, she owns Magic Cafe. She grew it from a tiny stand on the beach to this fabulous restaurant. She did it all by herself. She’s just… amazing.” Julie grinned.
“Sounds like it. I’ll have to try it.”
“You should. Try the grouper if you go there. It’s the best thing ever.”
“I’ll do that.”
They turned and headed back the way they came. As they walked along, Julie entertained him with stories of the island and tidbits of its history. He had no concept of passing time—which usually only happened when he was engrossed in solving a software glitch—and suddenly they were back at the inn. Julie walked with him to the base of the stairs to the wide, welcoming deck.
“I guess this is your stop.” She smiled at him, the expression reaching all the way to her eyes, making them sparkle like emeralds.
“I guess it is.” But he didn’t want her to go. Didn’t want to go back to being alone, a stranger to the town. Before he could think it through he asked, “so, um… would you like to go to Magic Cafe with me tonight?”
She stood on the sand, shifting on her bare feet, seemingly hesitant to answer him.
He immediately gave her an out. “I just thought… you could show it to me. Get some of the grouper. I guess it’s really late to be asking though.”
“No, I don’t have plans.” Julie stood and looked at him for a moment. He could still see the hesitation. Of course. She barely knew him.
She turned her head so the wind would blow her hair out her face, looked at him, then nodded. “Yes, I’ll go.”
“Great.” Reed was surprised at the relief he felt about not eating alone again.
“I could meet you there?” Julie aske
d.
“Sure, that’d be great. Oh, wait, where is it?” Reed sounded like a fool.
“Oh, good call. Tell you what, I’ll meet you back here in the lobby at say, six? We’ll walk there. It’s just down the beach.”
“Sounds great.” He’d already said that. He could barely get a coherent sentence out around her.
“Okay, I’ll see you then.” Julie turned and headed down to the water’s edge.
He watched her walk down the beach before he climbed the wooden stairs up to the deck. He slowly took each step, feeling off-balanced again. That was silly. He was just going to dinner with a new friend.
Chapter 5
Reed stood at the window, again, looking out at the ocean. He felt like he’d spent half his time here on Belle Island staring out at this view. It was the down time, the nothing-to-do time that made him just… stare. He was going to have to find something to do with the hours and days that stretched before him.
At least he’d made plans to go to dinner. He’d been surprised that he’d asked her, it had just slipped out… and words never just slipped out with him.
This was not really a date though. He didn’t date. Ever. He’d pretty well perfected the art of seeming unapproachable, and that had served him well. It had been over fifteen years since he’d dated someone new, and he wasn’t ready to start now. But it didn’t feel like a date, since Julie was coming over here to meet him, then they’d walk to Magic Cafe. Maybe she’d even offer to split the bill. That would make it less date-like.
He sighed because he was fairly certain he’d turn her down if she did offer to pay. So did that make it a date?
No, he didn’t date, remember?
He was pretty sure he was losing it, talking to himself, staring out at the ocean for long periods of time. He’d become a crazy man.
He reluctantly pulled himself away from the window and dug through the clothes he’d brought with him. He had casual dress pants, but that almost seemed like overkill for a beach restaurant. He’d come right up to his room after Julie left and looked up Magic Cafe in one of the brochures. It had open-air seating right on the beach, along with another air-conditioned inside section. He’d a hunch Julie would be a sit-outside person.
He grabbed khaki shorts and a clean knit shirt, and in the next moment promised himself he’d go shopping tomorrow. More casual clothes. Sandals. Gym shorts. T-shirts. His face had a touch of sunburn, so he figured he’d pick up a ball cap to wear, too.
He grabbed his trusty brochure to look up the closest places to shop. A couple of clothing stores and lots of souvenir stores were nearby. He could definitely walk to them or ride a bike if he’d get around to renting one. He’d ask Julie where the nearest self-service laundry was, too. He’d need that soon. Or better yet, one where he could drop off his clothes and they’d wash them for him. Did they even have a place like that on the island? Back at home, his twice-weekly housekeeper did his laundry. He wasn’t sure he even remembered how to do it himself.
He grabbed a quick shower, got dressed in the clothes he’d finally decided on, and headed downstairs to meet Julie.
* * *
Julie pushed through the door to the lobby of the inn. She was early, but she was hoping to talk to Susan for a few minutes before Reed came down to meet her. She was pleased to see her friend working the reception desk. Julie waited for Susan to finish registering a couple, then hurried over to talk to her.
“What are you doing here?” Susan looked up from the desk.
“I’m… oh, just shoot me now. I think I have… a… date. Kinda.” Julie leaned against the long wooden desk and traced the grain with her finger.
“How can you kinda have a date? Who with?” Susan looked at her expectantly.
“That Reed Newman guy.”
“Really?” Susan’s eyes widened.
“I saw him again on the beach when I was over at Lighthouse Point. We walked back here and then all of a sudden he asked me to go to Magic Cafe with him tonight. I’d been talking about Tally owning it and… what have I done? I don’t even know the man.” Julie drummed her fingers on the reception desk. “No, it’s kind of crazy, isn’t it? I just met him. I mean, I’m just being island friendly, right? Just showing him around.”
“Whatever you say.” Susan grinned. “I can’t remember the last time you had a date. Do you ever date? I mean, really?”
“Same back at you. When is the last time you went out with anyone?”
Susan scrunched her face. “I… don’t remember. Who has time for that anyway?”
“This is silly. I don’t know why I’m getting so worked up.”
“Don’t you think you can have a nice time with him? Sit and talk with him at dinner. You know, be a real-live adult person. The kind of person who actually has a life outside of their work.”
Julie laughed. “Are there really people like that?”
“I don’t know, because since I’ve hooked up with you and Tally, I’ve seen no sign of any of us having much of a life outside of our respective businesses. Glad to see you change that trend.”
“It’s one dinner.”
“It’s a start.” Susan looked past Julie. “Here he comes.”
Julie dragged in a deep breath for courage and turned around.
“Hi.” Reed walked up and flashed a smile that totally disarmed her.
Julie swallowed. Swallowed hard. Then told herself to get it together. “I don’t know if you’ve been formally introduced to Susan.” Julie cocked her head towards her friend. “This is Susan Hall. She and Jamie, her son, own the inn.”
“I’ve met them both, but didn’t catch their names. Mrs. Hall, nice to formally meet you.”
“Please, just call me Susan.”
“Susan. Then please, call me Reed.”
“Are you ready to go? We can take the sidewalk or the beach. Your choice.” Julie caught the wink Susan sent her behind Reed’s back.
“Whichever you prefer.”
“The beach then, always my first choice.”
“You two have a good time.” Susan turned to welcome a woman approaching the desk.
Julie led the way out to the deck, wondering what in the world she’d been thinking, saying yes to Reed, an almost stranger. No doubt Tally would be giving her the eye when they got there, too.
* * *
Reed had no idea why this woman stole all rational thoughts from his mind. He was a successful businessman. He could tame a computer program like no other. Find errors. Fix them. He was sought after by some of the biggest tech companies on the West Coast, heck in the whole U.S. But this woman reduced him to a stammering idiot.
He decided the better part of valor would be to just… not speak.
So they walked in silence down the beach. He wouldn’t call it companionable silence either. Just… silence.
He needed to get over himself. He cleared his throat. “So, ah… how far… is the Magic Cafe?” Well, it was a start at conversation.
“Around that bend.” Julie pointed in front of them. “Are you getting tired of walking on the soft sand? It takes some getting used to. It’s easier on the packed sand down by the waves, if you don’t mind getting a little wet.”
“I don’t mind.” Not that walking on the soft sand was bothering him either, but he’d noticed she liked to walk at the water’s edge when she left him earlier today.
They veered towards the water and he gently bumped into her before catching his balance. Okay, sometimes the dry sand was harder to walk on. She looked at him and smiled, then they were back to… silence.
He tried again. “So your friend Mrs. Hall, I mean Susan, seems nice.”
“She is. But it isn’t Mrs. She took back her maiden name after her divorce. Her husband left her. Never met him, it was before she came to the island, but I take it he was a jerk. She helped him grow his business, then he left her for some barely legal-aged woman. Okay, I exaggerated a bit there. But, anyway, she got nothing in the divorce. Nothing. I’m
not sure she wanted any of his money… but the thing is, it wasn’t just his money, because she was a big part of the reason he was so successful. She helped to make that business flourish.” Julie stopped abruptly and reached down to scoop up a small shell. She looked at it absentmindedly, then dropped it back to the sand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to rant. It’s just Susan works so hard, starting all over, trying to make a go with the inn. Doesn’t seem fair.”
He didn’t know what to say to that. It didn’t seem fair. But then, he knew better than most that life is not fair. It promised you nothing.
And in his experience, nothing was exactly what you received.
Chapter 6
Julie had no idea what had possessed her to go off like a raving maniac about Susan’s ex-husband, a man she’d never even met. For all she knew, Reed had an ex he’d left in the lurch, although somehow she didn’t believe that. Her instincts said he was a good man.
They rinsed their feet at the spigot at the edge of the low deck to the cafe and slipped on their shoes. Tally looked up and crossed over to greet them. “Hey, Julie. I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”
“I was tired of cooking. I brought my… friend… Reed.”
“Always glad to have a new customer. Nice to meet you, Reed. I’m Tally.”
“Good to meet you.”
“I have a table at the edge of the sand, would you like that? Or do you want inside?” Tally looked at Reed as if she were sizing him up, an outside diner or inside one.
Julie looked up into Reed’s sky-blue eyes and forgot what she was going to ask for a moment. What was it? Oh, yes. “Is outside okay for you?”
“Fine by me.”
Tally led them to a table and handed a menu to Reed. “I’ll send someone for your order. Can I get some drinks for you?”
“I’ll have a beer.” Julie sat in her chair and looked over at Reed.
“Tea for me.”
“If you order tea down here, it will be sweet tea, is that okay with you?” Julie always gave foreigners a heads up. She remembered how surprised she’d been when she moved down here and ordered tea. After a while she’d gotten used to the sweetness, and regular tea tasted funny to her now.
