The Inn at Summer Island

by Rachel Magee

“Yup. Sophia and I are the only ones who know the password. I chatted with her earlier this week and she said no one has even asked for it since we added the restriction.”

  “Which means it’s probably the same person sending all the letters. Once he or she saved the first letter to their computer, it wouldn’t be hard to change the date and rewrite the violation.” Millie couldn’t decide if that new clue made her feel better or worse. It was starting to look more and more like only one person had a problem with her, not the entire HOA, which gave her a glimmer of hope. But if that person had enough of a problem to go to this much trouble, they’d likely not give up, meaning she could almost guarantee there would be more of those letters popping up in her mailbox before this whole thing was over.

  “I agree, which means we won’t be able to catch the culprit based on HOA server usage.”

  Millie slipped the letter into the envelope and added it to the pile of mail, letting go of her concerns before she fell too far down that rabbit hole. “Well, I’m in much too good of a mood to stress about that tonight.”

  She paused, taking in the scene in front of her. Braxton was wearing a heavy khaki apron and held long-handled metal tongs. The smell of wood fire and pepper floated around them. “Wait, are you grilling?”

  “I am.” A proud grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he held up the tongs, clicking them together. “I thought it was time to eat something that didn’t come out of the freezer for a change. And contrary to popular opinion, I do know how to cook.”

  “Painting, planting, and grilling? You’re a man of many talents,” she teased, and walked over to join him by the grill. She closed her eyes, breathed in deeply, and let the stress from the HOA letter drift away. “It smells amazing. What are we having?”

  “Steak, roasted corn on the cob, and grilled peaches from a local orchard. I like to call this menu Summer on the Patio.”

  “Aptly named.”

  He tossed his tongs on the counter next to his built-in grill and reached for a pitcher on the table.

  “And since neither of us is driving and I’m kid-free, I mixed up some margaritas. Would you like one?”

  “After having to read another one of those annoying letters from my uptight neighbor, I’d love one,” she joked.

  He grabbed one of the glasses that already had ice in it from the table and filled it. After handing it to her, he grabbed the second glass and poured one for himself. Then he held it up in a toast. “To uptight neighbors.”

  “And plastic mailboxes.” She clinked her glass with his and took a sip of the sweet and tangy concoction, keeping her eyes on him. Everything got quiet for a second except for the sound of the steaks sizzling on the grill. Or was it the air between them that was sizzling?

  Millie looked away, trying hard not to roll her eyes at herself. She was being ridiculous. Sure, they had fun together and these daily dinners after long workdays together had become the highlight of her week, but there was nothing more.

  In fact, even if she wanted there to be something more, it simply didn’t make sense. She’d been over this a million times. She wasn’t in the market for a relationship.

  She swirled her drink, letting the ice clink against the side of the glass, desperately looking for something else to think about. “I should be the one making you dinner to thank you for all your help this week. There’s no way I would’ve been able to complete all those projects without you.”

  “Happy to help.” He exchanged his glass for the metal tongs and turned back to the grill. “Your hard work is paying off. The house looks great. The board is going to love it.”

  Would they? It seemed like every time she turned around there was another violation notice. The familiar apprehension twirled through her like a brewing storm. She’d sunk every last penny into the renovations and dedicated six long, tiring weeks and countless scrapes, cuts, and bruises to transform Seascape into the bed and breakfast it deserved to be. And now all of it hinged on a group of people approving that what she had done was good enough for their aesthetics and neighborhood vibe.

  “Fingers crossed.”

  “Trust me. They’ll be blown away.” He turned back to her. “You exceeded all my expectations.”

  Perhaps it was his tone, or the way he peered into her eyes like he could see into her soul, but it felt like a wave crashed over her, sending tingles swirling through her body. Suddenly a little disoriented, she grabbed the back of the chair to steady herself.

  Luckily, he didn’t notice as he’d turned back to check on the grill.

  “I think it’s done.” He grabbed the two plates sitting on the counter next to the grill and held them out to her. “Hold these while I serve it up?”

  The sweet and savory scents mingled together as he plated the food, making her stomach rumble. But this was good. Focusing on the food and not on the intensity between them was good.

  “I don’t think I’ve been this excited to eat dinner since I moved here.” She turned away to place the full plates on the table.

  “Wait a second,” Braxton said. “I’m not finished. You’re missing the best part.”

  She stared at the plates in her hands, both looking pretty perfect. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Please tell me you’re not one of those people who ruins a perfectly acceptable meal by adding something weird like fermented beet salad.”

  Braxton chuckled. “Is that what you think of me?”

  Millie shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know what kind of bizarre health trends you South Carolina folks follow.”

  Braxton held up a bottle. “We like honey here. Just good ole honey, fresh from the hive. For the peaches.” He flipped the lid open and held the bottle over Millie’s plate. The golden liquid drizzled down over the hot peaches, sending a waft of summer sweetness into the air.

  Her stomach rumbled in approval. “I knew I liked it here. You’re not going to have a problem if I eat my dessert first, are you?”

  He snapped the lid shut, returned it to the counter, and grabbed one of the plates from Millie. “Isn’t that the best part about being a grown-up?” He shot her a devious smile, sending her pulse galloping through her veins.

  Millie took a seat at the table and focused on putting her napkin in her lap as she tried to rein in her surging emotions. She grabbed her knife and fork and sliced through the peach before taking her first bite. “This is delicious.”

  Braxton flashed her another one of his charming smiles, which didn’t help with the whole surging emotions thing. “I’m glad you like it.” He took a bite of his own and hummed. “Did you finish reading the love letters?”

  Welcoming any topic that would get her mind off whatever was happening with her neighbor, her thoughts switched to her young and in love Aunt Mildred.

  “I read the last one last night.” She took another bite of her peach. “Writing love letters really is a lost art form. Every one of them was so beautiful.”

  “Did you figure out what happened?”

  Millie shook her head. “The last one seemed as optimistic as the rest of them. It ended with, ‘Until tomorrow.’” She replayed the words from the final letter in her mind and shrugged. “I guess we’ll never know how it ended.”

  Braxton took another sip of his drink. “Or who he was.”

  “Yeah…” She sighed. “Even with everyone in the book club looking into it, nothing has turned up. I guess we might never know the true identity of Mr. C.”

  Millie looked out over the ocean. It was the same water her aunt had stared at with her mystery man, the same beach she’d walked on as she was falling in love. How did something as perfect as what was in the love letters just dissipate without so much as a trace?

  “You know, my aunt used to say love was a force more powerful than any other in nature. Used wisely, it could change the world.”

  “I hear Mildred-isms all over
town. But I think that one has to be my favorite.” Braxton’s gaze was fixed on her and something powerful surged through her.

  There were a lot of reasons Millie had come to admire Braxton. He was funny, kind, compassionate, responsible, and a great father. But the number one thing that made her heart soar was the way that he looked at her. For some reason, when his kind eyes focused on her, she felt seen. Known. Validated.

  She could feel heat flushing her cheeks and working its way down her neck, and she hoped the dim light would prevent him from noticing. She couldn’t be falling for Braxton. Yes, he was a great guy. But love had to be used wisely, and falling in love with Braxton was the opposite of wise. There were a million warning flags flapping all over that idea. For starters, they shared a fence. If things went south, she’d still have to spend the rest of her life connected to him.

  Not to mention she had no intention of getting involved with anyone. This was her turn to do her own thing on her own terms without anyone else telling her what to do.

  How on earth did she let herself get into this situation?

  Braxton motioned to her plate. “How is everything?”

  “Great.” Millie painted the politest, non-enamored smile she could muster on her face and did her very best to look at anything except his eyes.

  After all, it was just dinner, wasn’t it?

  …

  Dinner had been amazing, and it wasn’t just because the butcher happened to hook Braxton up with the perfect cut of steak or that the fresh South Carolina peaches he’d picked up at a local stand were at the peak of the season. No, what elevated tonight was the woman sitting across from him.

  Millie Leclair was simply beautiful. For the past two hours, he’d sat mesmerized by her. Her eyes sparkled with passion as she spoke and her warm, endearing smile pulled him in. Their banter was effortless and fun.

  For the first time in more than two years he felt alive. More than alive. He felt vibrant.

  True, the new emotions were enough to set off warning lights in the back of his mind, but tonight he chose to ignore them. He didn’t want to let anything stand in the way of their nearly perfect evening.

  “Oh, wow. It’s dark,” Millie said as their conversation finally came to a lull. “Where has the time gone?”

  Braxton had the same thought. Time had flown by and stood still at the same time. It was as if his patio was under a beautiful spell and he didn’t want to do anything to break it. But all good things had to come to an end.

  With a soft smile, she pushed away from the table. “It’s probably time for me to go home.”

  Braxton pushed back, too. “Can I walk you?”

  Millie met his gaze and the connection that they’d had all night crackled through him. “I’d like that.”

  They strolled down the steps to the bottom level and he unlocked his gate, pushed it open, and held it for her to pass through first.

  “Thanks.” She slid past him, leaving her intoxicating scent of coconut and tropical flowers trailing behind her, causing all his logical thoughts to scatter.

  For years, Braxton told himself he was off-limits. There were many reasons he had to back up his decree, and every one of them was valid to some extent. Losing his wife had scarred him, dealing with the guilt of not being able to save her crushed him, and raising a daughter on his own took every bit of his energy.

  Being emotionally unavailable to love was understandable. He had more than enough emotional obligations vying for the fractured pieces of his heart as it was.

  And then came Millie.

  If he was being totally honest with himself, he’d been enthralled by Millie from the moment he saw her animated smile when she opened the door the very first day they met. He hadn’t even known her name or anything about her, but the way joy danced in her eyes and life flowed of out her had captivated him.

  But being emotionally off-limits, he’d disregarded the feelings.

  Until the festival. Until this long week working side by side on her dream home. Until tonight.

  Millie looked out over the ocean as they strolled down the sand. “I thought I’d seen beautiful night skies in the city, but I wasn’t prepared for this.”

  Braxton nodded. “There’s nothing like a clear night sky over the ocean.”

  She paused and breathed in deeply as if trying to absorb the moment. “I have to admit I love a full moon over the ocean, but without it, the stars are brilliant. It’s like being surrounded by thousands of sparkling diamonds.”

  Braxton looked out over the ocean too. While the stars did seem extra bright tonight, their brilliance wasn’t what enamored him. For better or worse, the only thing he could see was Millie, and the thought both energized and terrified him. He was swiftly moving into uncharted waters he wasn’t sure how to navigate.

  “It’s hard to imagine that there’s a storm raging out there.” He pointed to the southeast. “Right now, it should be somewhere in that vicinity.”

  Millie’s gaze followed to where he was pointing. “I’d almost forgotten about the hurricane.” She shivered. “I still can’t believe it’s so close to us but is going to pass right by. How does that happen?”

  “There’s no use trying to explain the weather. It does what it does. Something about high pressures and low pressures, so maybe if we all stand on the coast and blow at the same time…”

  Millie giggled. It was a beautiful sound. One that resonated with hope and joy. “You might be joking, but there’s no limit to the absurd things I’d do if it meant I didn’t have to drag out all those ancient storm shutters and try to figure out which window they belong to.”

  “What? Now that you’re reaching the finish line, you’ve lost your sense of adventure? Where’s the woman who climbs tiny ladders to the top of tall buildings?”

  “That woman had a leaky roof and no time to overthink things. Plus she’s addicted to the way those particular roof tiles turned out.” Millie gestured in the general direction of her house.

  “Fair enough.”

  Millie’s cheerful smile faded away and worry lines crinkled her forehead. “In all seriousness, I read everyone on the coast should have a hurricane preparedness plan. I don’t even know what that means let alone how to come up with one.”

  She let out a defeated sigh as her arms hung limply by her side. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m in way over my head here.”

  Insecurity echoed in her whispered words and Braxton realized that for the first time since they’d met, Millie was being vulnerable with him. Most of the time she walked around with the kind of fearlessness mixed with confidence that made her seem larger than life. She was strong, brave, and caring, a combination that put her on the winning side of almost any challenge. More than once his own vulnerabilities and insecurities had been strengthened by her words and actions. But she’d never shown her weak side before. At least not to him. And not on purpose.

  An urge so powerful he couldn’t stop it came over him, and he did something else they’d never done before. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest.

  “Batteries, flashlights, and water. Those are the basics,” he said gently, hoping to ease her worries. “Oh, and maybe some hurricane snacks.”

  “I like snacks. Snacks seem pretty important,” she mumbled into his chest.

  He softly chuckled. “See. You’re already prioritizing things.”

  Her arms wrapped around his waist and she relaxed into him. He stood there, holding her on their beach, marveling at how good she felt nestled against him. They fit perfectly, as if they belonged together.

  And as soon as the thought entered his mind, he pushed it away. He was barely past the point of adamantly denying she was anything more than a neighbor. He needed to take this one baby step at a time.

  “In all honesty, you’re killing it,” he said. “You took on a job that wo
uld’ve had most people running the other direction and you’ve knocked it out of the park.”

  “I think it probably helped that I’ve never done this before. If I knew what I was doing, I probably would’ve run the other direction, too.”

  “Well, I for one am glad you didn’t. What you’ve done to Seascape is remarkable. You’ve earned my vote, and I have a feeling the rest of the board will be equally impressed.”

  “I hope so.” Millie’s voice still lacked her normal unstoppable optimism, but there was a hint of confidence that wasn’t there before.

  “I know so,” he said. “And as soon as the renos settle down a bit, we’ll pull out all those shutters and figure it out.”

  Millie pulled away and looked up into his eyes, a bit of hesitancy in her voice. “We?”

  Braxton forced himself to release her and shoved his hands into his pockets. We? Now he was thinking in terms of we? Was his heart not listening to a single thing his brain was saying?

  “Y-yeah. I mean, I know you can do it on your own. I just thought you might want some help,” he said cautiously. “Or, you know, maybe you’d like the company?”

  Because the truth was, regardless of what he wanted to feel, he liked the company. He wanted to spend more time with her.

  She turned all her attention to the sand, chewing on her lower lip. Either she was really interested in her toes or she was giving his offer serious consideration.

  “Help is good.” She glanced up at him from under her lashes. “Though I gotta warn you, it’s kinda creepy inside that shed. Lots of spiders.” The joking glint in her eyes had returned.

  “Spiders don’t scare me.”

  “Really? Because I’m pretty sure I heard you squeal the other day when that big spider dropped down from the windowsill and landed on you.”

  “That…that was different. It just caught me off guard, was all.”

  She laughed, which echoed out over the waves. “Just wanted to give you a heads-up in case you need to find a hazmat suit before you come over.”

  He loved making her laugh. He loved how she took on the world with a sense of humor and a spirit that wouldn’t back down. He loved…