by Kay Correll
“Sure. That’s fine.” He sat down and picked up the menu. “No menu for you?”
“I have the thing memorized. Though nine out of ten times I get the grouper. The only decision is blackened, fried, or baked with lemon sauce.”
They ordered their meal and sat and sipped their drinks.
“The cafe is interesting. Never saw a restaurant that flows right onto the sand.”
“Yep, my favorite tables are the ones out here on the edge. I’ve already kicked off my sandals and I’m digging my feet in the sand.” Julie grinned at Reed.
“Tally is doing a good business for off-season, isn’t she?”
“Tally does a fairly good business all year round. In the winter if it turns cold, she has roll-down sides for the deck and some ceiling heaters. This is a favorite of locals and tourists. You’ll love it, trust me.”
“I’m sure I will.” Reed leaned back in his chair and looked out at the ocean. “Nice view.”
“Just wait until sunset. It looks like with those clouds out there we might get quite a show tonight.”
Reed turned his attention back to her. “So, a baker. How did you learn to bake?”
Julie bit her lip and looked away for a moment, always hating to talk about her past. “I… well, I lived in this one foster home for about a year. The grandmother lived next door. She was great. She taught me to bake. Pies, breads, fancy desserts, muffins, you name it.” She shifted and looked away for a moment. “Then… I had to leave.”
“You grew up in the foster system?”
“From eight until the day I turned eighteen.”
“To be honest, I’ve never known anyone who grew up in foster care. Did you move around a lot?” Reed stopped and peered at her. “Or are my questions too personal?”
As a rule, Julie never talked about living in foster care, but for some reason she didn’t mind talking to Reed about it. Well, at least talking about part of it. There were some things about living in foster care she’d never told anyone, and she never planned to. “I did move a lot. I think I had a total of about fifteen placements. Some group homes, some foster parents. The longest I was ever in one place was a year.”
“That has to be rough.”
Reed’s eyes were filled with pity, the exact thing she didn’t want from him.
“I learned to be independent, had that great year where I learned to bake—which made it possible for me to have my dream now, my own bakery. So, it’s all good.” She probably wasn’t fooling him. It honestly had been horrible growing up. New homes, getting lost in the shuffle, new schools and always, always, struggling to fit in. Something she’d never quite accomplished. Hoping against hope she wouldn’t be sent away yet again.
Luckily their meals were delivered and Julie moved the subject to the grouper and hush puppies.
* * *
Reed carried on a conversation about the food when Julie changed the subject from her past, but his mind churned around Julie’s comments about growing up in foster care. His parents were gone now, but he’d grown up in an honest to goodness white picket-fence home with family dinners most nights. Okay, the home had been more like an estate, but still. He’d been an only child and attention had been showered on him. Maybe that’s why the solitude hit him so hard now.
But look at all Julie had gone through. He wanted to ask what had happened to her parents, but he could tell she’d been eager to change the subject, so he kept up his half of the fish and hush puppy conversation.
When the bill came Julie reached for it. “Here, I’ve got it. Island friendly and all that.”
“No, let me get it. It was nice to have someone to talk to during my meal.” That very thought startled him. It had been nice. He was so used to eating alone, he’d forgotten how pleasant chatty dinner conversation could be. At least they’d gotten past the awkward silence.
He paid the bill, they said goodbye to Tally, and headed out onto the beach.
The evening darkened, and just as Julie had promised, the sky burst into orange and pink flames, wrapping around the thunderhead clouds out over the ocean. He’d never seen a sunset quite as spectacular.
Julie sank to the sand at the edge of the beach, and he sat beside her. This time their silence was in awe of the magnificent painting nature sprawled across their view. He could feel the heat of her arm as it brushed against him. Julie randomly scooped up handfuls of sand and let the grains sift through her fingers as she sat watching the sunset.
“It’s so breathtaking, isn’t it?” Julie’s voice was low, filled with wonder.
“It is one of the most remarkable sunsets I’ve ever seen.” Not that he stopped to watch sunsets—like ever.
The ocean lit up with the reflected colors, like watercolor splashed across the waves. They sat quietly as the evening sky darkened and random stars began twinkling in the night.
“We should probably head back before it gets too dark to see. Although I sometimes walk the beach at night when there’s a full moon. It’s all so peaceful then.” Julie stood and brushed the sand from her shorts.
He stood beside her, mimicking her motions and swiping the sand from his clothes, too. They walked the few steps to the water’s edge, of course. By now he knew this was Julie’s trail of choice. As they walked back towards the inn, they fell into an easy rhythm of matching steps. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so at ease and comfortable with someone. Well, he knew exactly how long it had been… and that thought burst his mood into a million shards of pain.
* * *
Julie didn’t know what happened, but she could feel Reed pull away and distance himself from her. Not in actual inches, but it was like his mind pulled away. They continued down the beach until she couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Are you okay?” She stopped and tugged gently on his arm to stop him. “You seem… distant now.”
“I just… sorry. It’s not you. It’s me. I’m a horrible date, I guess. I mean if this is even a date.” Reed raked his hand through his hair. “I’m just not used to… this.”
“If it makes you feel better, Susan said she couldn’t remember the last time I had a date. You know, if this is a date.” Julie grinned up at him. She was pleased to see the side of his mouth crook into a smile.
“Yep, let’s call it a date. We’ll have bragging rights and can mark our calendars that we’ve finally had one,” Reed teased.
“Perfect. I’ll let Susan and Tally know so they can quit bugging me to go out. Not that either one of those two has time for dating either.”
“Well, a person has to eat, don’t they? We could do this again. You know, sometime when you have to eat.”
“I eat every single day.” The corners of Julie’s mouth twitched into a smile.
“That makes it easier on us, doesn’t it?” Reed started walking and Julie fell into step beside him.
As they got close to the inn, Reed turned to her. “Can I walk you home? I hate for you to walk on by yourself.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I’d like to, though. It’s the way my mom raised me.” Reed looked shocked. “I’m sorry, is that a rude thing to say to you? I know your parents didn’t raise you.”
“You’re allowed to have parents. Good ones, even.” Julie tugged his hand. “Then we’ll cut through here if we’re going to my house. It’s just up this road.”
She led him up the side road and crossed over to her street. Should she invite him in? Did she want to? She wasn’t quite ready for the night to end, but she was at a loss on this whole dating thing. She climbed the steps to her front door and turned to him. “I had a good time.”
“I did, too. A really nice time.”
Ask him in.
No, maybe I shouldn’t..
Ask him.
Before she could finish her argument with herself, Reed stepped away and onto the sidewalk. “I’ll see you soon, then. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” Julie turned and unlocked her door.
Foolish woman, you should have asked him in.
Chapter 7
Susan made sure she was waiting at the kitchen door to the inn when Julie arrived with her deliveries the next morning. “How was your date, not date?”
Julie handed her a tray of baked goods. “It was fine.”
“Fine. That’s what I’m getting? Come on, help a friend out. Give me some details. Let me live vicariously through you.”
“Okay, it was really nice. I think we’re going to go out again.” Julie paused. “Though we didn’t set anything up. I wonder if he was just saying that.”
“Tally called last night after you left Magic Cafe. She said it looked like you two were having a good time.”
“So you’re talking about me behind my back?” Julie grinned and grabbed another tray, this one loaded with pies.
“Of course. We always talk about you. What are friends for?”
Julie walked into the kitchen and Susan pressed a cup of coffee in her hand. “Here, give me five minutes.”
Julie glanced at her watch, then took a sip of the coffee. “Okay, five minutes. Then I have to run. I have the new worker starting today.”
“So did you find out what he does?”
“Some kind of computer geek, I think.” Julie crinkled her forehead. “We actually talked more about me than him.”
“Tell me it isn’t so. That never happens.” Susan sipped her coffee as she leaned against the steel counters in the immaculate kitchen. That was one thing she was a stickler about. Absolutely everything was ship shape in the inn’s kitchen, even if most of it was outdated and worn.
“I know. He was just kind of easy to talk to. We talked and walked. Oh, hey, did you see that sunset last night? Wasn’t it fabulous?”
“I did. Jamie came and dragged me out to the deck to watch it. It was gorgeous.” Susan cocked her head. “So, do I get any more details?”
“He walked me to my cottage.”
“Did you ask him in?”
“By the time I finished arguing with myself about whether I should, he’d already walked away.” Julie shrugged. “Don’t know if that’s good or bad. It might have been nice to sit up on the widow’s walk and talk a bit more.”
“Well, if you do go out and he does walk you home again…” Susan paused and gave Julie her best don’t-mess-with-me look. “Decide in advance to ask him in.”
“I should clean my cottage, shouldn’t I?” Julie laughed.
“Might be a good idea.” Susan pushed away from the counter and reached for Julie’s cup. “I’ll let you go now.”
“You’re going to call Tally as soon as I leave, aren’t you?” Julie raised her eyebrows and laughed.
“You betcha.”
* * *
Reed decided he could kick himself for not going ahead and setting up another date with Julie. Why hadn’t he just asked her out again last night? He’d left in such a hurry because he hadn’t known whether he should stay or leave. He tilted his head from side to side, loosening the muscles. He must have been tense last night on the date, because today his neck and shoulders were screaming at him. He reached a hand up and massaged the muscles.
He walked over to the small desk in his room and poured himself another cup of coffee, trying to decide if he wanted to go downstairs for the breakfast buffet or take a walk first. He was reluctant to admit it, but he was beginning to enjoy this beach walk thing. He never had time in his hectic life in Seattle to just relax and take a walk. Or relax and do anything. He always pushed himself to stay busy. It helped him forget…
He shook his head, unwilling to start down the path of feeling sorry for himself. He glanced over at the stack of brochures on the desk. He absentmindedly flipped through one of them until he saw an ad for The Sweet Shoppe. That was Julie’s place.
In a burst of decision he set down his coffee cup and headed to get dressed and go to The Sweet Shop. He’d ride the bike he’d finally gotten around to renting yesterday. If Julie was at the shop, he’d ask her out again. Another plan, a bit of purpose to his day. It beat standing in front of the coffee pot rifling through island brochures.
Within twenty minutes he was pushing through the front door of The Sweet Shoppe. A bell jangled above him. It was mid-morning, and most of the tables were filled. The bakery was painted a cheery yellow. It stopped him in his tracks. It seemed like the island was determined to throw the color in his face. He’d noticed last night that Julie’s house was painted a creamy yellow color, too. A color he studiously avoided when at all possible.
A young woman motioned to him to take an empty table near the window. He looked around, purposely ignoring the golden walls, but saw no sign of Julie. A wave of disappointment swept through him, which he quickly stomped down. No use being silly about the woman. He’d gone out with her once. If it took a while to connect with her again, it was no big deal. Not at big deal at all.
He glanced around the shop and saw the large chalkboard over the display cabinet. The specials of the day were listed. Peach muffins. Cinnamon rolls. Raspberry croissants. They all sounded tempting. The waitress came by, poured him a cup of coffee, and took his order for a peach muffin. “Want to look at today’s paper?”
Reed nodded and took the paper from the waitress. It was the Sarasota paper. He glanced through the headlines, realizing he hadn’t been keeping up with the news at all. Usually he was a watch the news, read the news, news alerts on his phone kind of guy. This week at the island he’d gone all off the grid as far as news went. He liked that. He folded the paper and decided there was nothing in it he needed to know.
He looked up and Julie was heading his way with a plate, an enticing-looking muffin balanced on it. “Hi, there.” Her smile lit up her eyes.
“I decided to come see your shop.”
“Glad you did. You picked a good choice. Peach muffins are one of my favorites.” Julie set his plate in front of him. “I’ve got to go in the back and help out with some baking, but I’ll be back to check on you.”
He wanted to say something to make her stay, to persuade her to sit and chat with him while he ate. But instead, he watched her walk away. He ate the very delicious peach muffin, wishing he’d ordered two of them. The waitress came back and asked if he wanted anything else, but he figured it would be wrong to say yes he did, he wanted Julie to come back out and chat with him. So instead, he shook his head no and she dropped his check on the table.
He stalled as long as he could, sipping on coffee, but Julie didn’t come back. He should have asked her out while he had the chance when she’d dropped by the table. He kept missing his opportunity.
He stood up to pay his bill. He fished some money out of his pocket, left the tip on the table, and headed to pay at the register. The waitress rung him up and handed him his change. “Oh, and Julie said for you to go on back to the kitchen and see her.”
So, all this time he’d been dawdling, and all he had to do was check out to learn she wanted to talk to him. The waitress nodded towards the kitchen, and he pushed through the swinging doors. The kitchen was bigger than he’d imagined, filled with stainless counters, two sizable sinks, a large industrial-looking dishwashing station and some huge ovens. It was also intensely hot.
Julie looked up from behind a counter. Flour dusted one of her flushed cheeks, and she shoved a lock of hair away from her face with the back of her wrist. “There you are. See that tray over there? Go try one of those. A new recipe I’m working on.”
Reed spied the tray of delicious-looking something or others, dusted with powdered sugar. Ah, maybe the white layer on Julie’s face was sugar, not flour. He refrained from reaching out to swipe a finger across her cheek to taste the white powder to find out.
“They’re almond scones.”
He tried one, and it was amazing. Melt-in-his-mouth amazing. “Wow, this is great.”
“Thanks. I tweaked the dough recipe a bit. I think it turned out nicely.”
“It sure did.” He
eyed the tray.
Julie laughed. “Go ahead, have another one.”
He took her up on her offer and watched as she made up another batch of the scones. “Do you do all the baking?”
“I used to, but now I have another baker, thank goodness. She’s in the back room right now.”
He watched her hands as she worked with the dough, added ingredients, all the while talking to him about her business. He was a bit in awe of her efficiency. She put a tray of scones in the oven and turned to him. “I’ve set the timer on my phone. Want to go out back while they’re baking? I need to get out of this hot kitchen for a few minutes.”
“I’d like that. I’m beginning to melt in here.”
“We have air conditioning units, but one of them is acting up this week. Need to get it looked at before it turns any hotter. There’s always something begging for a slice of my profits.” She walked over to a large refrigerator, reached inside, and grabbed a large pitcher of water. “Want some?”
“Sure do.”
She filled two large glasses and led him out back. Outside the door was a small oasis. A large tree provide shade over a small brick patio. A wrought-iron table and chairs were at one end of the patio, and a glider was placed across the other end. Julie sank onto the glider. He didn’t know whether he should grab a chair at the table or sit beside her. He was such a man of indecision when he was around her. Where was the self-confidence that surrounded him in the business world?
Julie patted the glider. “Come sit.”
He lowered himself beside her, careful to give her enough room. She pushed her hair away from her face and rubbed a hand across her cheek, leaving a trail in the dust of white on her cheek.
* * *
Julie looked at the back of her hand and saw the powdered sugar. She must look a mess. Her cheeks were flushed—she could feel their heat—and her hair was in damp ringlets around her face. She put the cold glass up to her cheek in an effort to cool off. She really need to get the air conditioner fixed, sooner rather than later.
