"I would hope not for Emmie's sake."
"There's that smile. I was afraid you were about to kick me to the curb."
"I'm sorry about the way I reacted. This just proves what I was trying to tell you the other day. I have baggage from my past, and apparently, I'm still raw from it."
"And what did I tell you in response? We all have baggage. Don't we?"
"Yes."
Cole extended his hand to me.
"You can trust me. I promise I'm not going to make a fool of you or play with your heart."
"I'm still getting to know you, Cole."
"Fair enough. In the spirit of getting to know each other, let's take this walk down the beach.” We took our shoes off and walked along the beach under the bright moonlit sky. The high tide sent crashing waves over our feet, but it felt good on such a hot summer evening.
"So tell me about this big dream of yours. What do you really want to do?"
I considered whether or not I should share but decided to take a leap of faith.
"I'm a photographer at heart. I haven't had a chance to use my equipment since I returned to Pelican Beach. Everything's all packed away in storage, and it's just as well because I've been pretty busy at the Inn. When I was married, I worked as a freelance photographer, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It was my escape from everything that was falling apart in my life. Taking pictures in places with scenic views and watching people experience such joy from the photos filled my cup. It was my passion, my gift, and in a lot of ways, it provided comfort during a time when I felt so broken.”
"That's amazing. Have you ever thought of starting your own photography business?"
"Have I? Only a thousand times. I can totally see myself setting up a shop and consulting with my clients over their photos. I've even sketched out plans about the different kinds of party and wedding packages I could offer."
"So, you just want to photograph weddings and parties?"
"Oh, no. Weddings, graduations, retirement parties, destination events. The sky is the limit. One time I visited this photography shop that was set up in an old house built in the 1920s. The place was completely renovated on the inside to look like an old parlor. It gave me that cozy feeling of visiting at someone's home while looking through photo albums and pictures. I'd love to create something special like that."
"Wow, it seems like you've put a lot of thought into this."
"I have. Photography is so much more to me than just taking a picture. It's capturing a moment in time that you can never get back. It's hearing my client's vision and bringing it to fruition. I get excited just thinking about it."
"You know the only way to satisfy that yearning on the inside is to put your dreams into action."
"I don't disagree with you. It's just … right now, timing is everything."
I turned to the water and allowed the wind to blow through my hair.
"Enough about me. Are you living out your dreams?"
"For the most part, I'd say so. I've always wanted to be a father, so I consider it a blessing to have Emmie. I just never envisioned this version where my child would be without a mother. As for the business, I always knew I was good with my hands. Starting the renovation company was like a dream come true. Now that we've expanded, it's even better."
"I can tell it's your passion. Thinking back to the day you were taking measurements in the front lobby, you definitely looked like a man who was on a mission."
Cole laughed.
"No, seriously. You didn't even realize I was standing there waiting to get your attention."
"Yep. That's about right. Hey, I love what I do. What can I say?"
Cole looked deep into my eyes. I was tempted to lean in closer to him. Instead, I quietly cherished the moment wishing it would never end.
"You think we should head back to the Inn?" Cole asked.
"We probably should. I'm sure my parents could use an extra hand with the guests. This was a nice little break. I enjoyed it."
"Did you enjoy it enough to join me for dinner?"
"Cole Miller, you are one persistent man, aren't you?"
"Only if I think it's worth it."
I avoided making the same mistake twice. "I'd love to join you for dinner."
"Really? I thought surely you might shoot me down again."
"I can change my answer if you want me to." I teased.
"No, no, we're good. As a matter of fact, let's seal the deal before you change your mind. Do you have plans on Thursday evening?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Okay, well, there's this new place in town called The Cove. I heard they have great food and play music outdoors if you're interested in going."
"I'd love to go."
"It's a date then."
As we returned to the Inn, we ran into Rebecca in the front lobby.
“Payton, do you have a minute?”
I could tell from the tone of her voice this wasn’t going to be good.
“Sure.”
I followed Rebecca to the conference room in the back. As soon as the door shut behind me she began to let me have it.
“Would you mind explaining to me what I just saw outside?”
She caught me off guard by raising her voice at me.
“I don’t know. What did you see?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You must think I was born yesterday, Payton. I saw you two walking together like a couple. I saw you giggling and looking at each other with that look. You know the look I’m talking about.”
I could tell she was ticked off but the way she was coming at me was comical. It felt like she was fighting for her man. Except last time I checked she didn’t have a man.
“Rebecca, are you going to let me talk to you? Or are you just going to keep yelling at me?”
“What could you possibly have to say. I already saw you with my own eyes. The nerve of you to think…”
Just then Mom swung open the door and gave the two of us a look.
“What on God’s green earth is going on in here?”
I looked at Rebecca. I thought perhaps she’d like to explain since she was the one making all the loud fuss.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Rebecca said. “You’re the one who has some explaining to do.”
Mom closed the door and asked, “Explaining about what?”
“Well, Mom.” I started walking around the room to keep from going off on Rebecca.
“Rebecca brought me back here to ever so loudly ask me what I was doing outside with Cole.”
“Don’t do that, Payton. Don’t make it look like I’m the one to blame. You gave me this whole talk about being professional, and not putting myself out there. Now I see it was just because you wanted Cole for yourself.”
“It’s not like that at all, Rebecca.”
Mom jumped in before we could go any further. “I’ve heard just about enough. The both of you sit down.”
“But…” Rebecca tried to get a word in but Mom wasn’t having it.
“Sit down.”
The three of us took a seat at the conference table.
“Rebecca, your sister didn’t do anything wrong.”
“How are you taking sides with her?” Rebecca said.
“Hold it. Let me finish. A few weeks back Payton actually refused Cole’s invitation to dinner because of you and her commitment to being a professional. I encouraged her to do otherwise because I think they would make a good match.”
Rebecca’s eyes bulged in disbelief and I felt like hiding under the table.
“So this was a team effort?”
“No, of course not. Would you listen to yourself? A team effort to do what, Rebecca? Steal your boyfriend? No! For goodness sake. You don’t even know Cole Miller. And if you did, you’d probably lose interest.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because I’ve actually spent time with the guy. When he did the renovations at the cottage I got to know him pretty
well. Did you know one of his favorite hobbies is to go fishing?”
“No.”
“Of course you don’t. And you hate anything that has to do with fish. Here’s a good one. Did you know he has a daughter named Emmie?”
“No.”
“Hmm. How many times have you told me that the idea of having kids is not for you for many years to come. Maybe years after you’re married you said. Did you know…”
“Okay, Mom. I get it.”
“Do you? Because I could go on.”
I wanted to hear more but I didn’t dare say anything. Besides, Mom was on a roll and Rebecca was starting to have that look of regret in her eyes.
“You don’t have to go on. I believe you. I still think Payton could’ve said something to me.”
I placed my hand on hers. “You’re right. I let time slip away without saying anything and I’m sorry for that. However, everything Mom told you is true.”
Mom wasn’t finished yet. “This is your sister, Rebecca. Not some random stranger. Next time give her the benefit of the doubt before going after her like that.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Of course I’m expecting there won’t be a next time. I’ll consider all that yelling in our place of business to be a temporary moment of insanity. Hopefully now you’ve come back to your senses?”
Rebecca and I looked at each other and laughed. Mom was pretty funny with her analogies. However, we both knew she meant business.
“Well, good. That’s behind us and now we can finish taking care of our guests.”
Rebecca turned to me. “Okay, so I was being a little jealous.”
“Oh my, was that an apology?” I teased.
“I’m sorry… Annnnd… you guys actually do look cute together, Pay.”
“Thanks, Sis.”
I still kind of wanted to knock her into next week but I’ll keep those thoughts to myself. Sisterhood. What can I say? Even as adults we still quarrel sometimes but we still love each other just the same.
Payton
"It's rare that Mom and Dad would be home at noon on a weekday. I wonder what's going on?" Abby paced around the living room as we waited for Rebecca to arrive.
"I'm not sure what's going on, but they've been off their normal routine for the last couple of days."
"You guys live and work together. I'm surprised you don't know what's going on."
"Abby, at times, it gets so busy at the Inn we barely have time to speak."
"True. Hey, you never called me about seeing the rental this week. Whatever happened with that?"
"I completely forgot to tell you that the landlord called and said he ran into a few issues with the repairs. He's not going to be able to rent the place out for another month."
"Oh, that's too bad."
"Initially, that's what I was thinking. But maybe I dodged a bullet if the place needs that many repairs."
Mom and Dad joined us in the living room, followed by Rebecca, who just arrived from work.
"This must be pretty important if we're having a family meeting." Rebecca was just as curious and clueless as the rest of us.
Dad began to explain while Mom sat by his side.
"I should start by saying we wanted you all here today because we're about to make a big decision that will impact the future of the Inn."
We looked at each other with expressions of deep concern.
"Your mother and I have thought long and hard about this, and we wanted you to hear everything from us first. Helen, would you like to tell them?"
"We've decided to put the Inn up for sale. We have a meeting with the realtor this afternoon to go over the details."
"What?" I was shocked.
Abby and Rebecca sat on the couch with blank stares. After us, the Inn had always been near and dear to their hearts.
"Trust me when I tell you this decision wasn't an easy one to make. We always thought we'd be able to keep the Inn and pass it down to the next generation of kids or grandkids."
I had to ask about the obvious. "Is it Dad's health?"
"Yes and no, Honey. That has a lot to do with it, but it's not the entire reason. Initially, I thought we would still carry on, and your father could work as much or as little as he wanted to. Depending on how he felt, of course. I assumed that would be enough to keep things afloat. But now that we've had time to really think things over, it's just not a realistic plan."
"What you're mother is trying to say is we're getting older, and we want to get out there and enjoy our lives before we get to the place where we can't anymore. As for my health, some days are great. Just as if nothing were wrong. Other days are more frustrating and challenging. As it continues to progress, we want to be able to give our full attention to taking care of those needs without the stress of the business on our shoulders. Trust me. This wasn't an easy decision, but we think it's best. Hopefully, it makes sense to you."
"It makes sense, it's just so sad. Ever since I was a little girl, this is all you've ever done,” Rebecca responded.
"I know, Sweetheart. I like to think of it as bittersweet. While it's the completion of one era, the idea of having the freedom to do other things is something to look forward to as well."
Then Dad addressed me. "This also would be an opportunity for us to pay back any of the remaining funds we owe you and for you to start focusing on your dreams."
"Dad, your health is what's most important to me. The rest will fall in line in due time."
"Thank you, Sweetheart."
"There's only one thing left to do at a time like this." All eyes shifted to Rebecca as she stood to raise her hand. "Let's celebrate. Who wants a glass of wine?"
"Really, Rebecca. Is that all you can come up with?" Abby rolled her eyes.
Mom encouraged Abby to look at the bright side. "What's wrong with making a toast to new beginnings?"
"She has a point, Abby. We don't have to sit around here in mourning like somebody just died. If Mom and Dad are happy with the decision, we should be happy too. You heard your father. It's a new era,” I agreed.
"That's the spirit, everyone." Rebecca riled everyone up to celebrate but not before putting Abby in her place.
"I have to tell you, Abby, you might be the oldest sister, but you have a lot of growing up to do. You never miss an opportunity to belittle whatever I say. But today's not about you or me. It's about Mom and Dad. Grow up."
Abby opened her mouth as if she were going tear her to pieces but thought better about it as Mom gave her a look.
"Come on, everybody. Let's make a toast to new beginnings."
Everybody took a few celebratory sips before preparing to return to their regular day. Rebecca said her good byes so she could head back to work.
Mom startled me from behind by poking me in my back.
“We're not the only ones looking forward to new beginnings. I saw you and Cole at the Luau. You look good together, you know."
"Oh, Mom. Don't get excited. We're just two friends going to grab a bite to eat."
"Really? You didn't mention anything about going to eat. That’s what I call a date! When are you going?"
"I thought I mentioned it. We're going to The Cove this evening. He's supposed to pick me up around seven. I thought I'd head back over to the Inn for a few hours and then be back in time to get ready."
"You'll do no such thing. You'll take the rest the day off to pamper yourself and get ready for your special date."
"I have to get the maintenance orders in."
"Payton, you're not too old for me to put you over my knee."
"Okay, I surrender."
"What are you two over here making a fuss about?" William and Abby wanted in on the fun.
"Somebody has a date this evening with Cole Miller."
"Helen, didn't I tell you to stop meddling in their lives? They're grown women for goodness sake."
"Apparently, I'm not too grown for Mom to put me over her knee." I thought that was rather funny.
"I don't even want to know." He laughed at us and threw his hands in the air.
Dad made his way to his favorite recliner and left the ladies to talk amongst ourselves.
Abby offered to help me pick out an outfit for the evening.
"Are you excited about tonight?"
"I don't know how to feel, to be honest. I can clearly remember packing the car and leaving Connecticut just like it was yesterday. I don't know who I'm trying to kid by going out tonight. There's a part of me that wonders if this is all happening too soon."
"Payton, honestly, I think it's because you're putting a lot of mental pressure on yourself. You're overthinking the situation. Just go and have a good time. The least you'll get out of it is a good meal. Everybody needs to eat, right?"
Abby sifted through my closet, pulling out mostly new business clothes with tags.
"Okay, we may have a problem here. I either see business attire or yoga pants and sweats. What's wrong with this picture?"
"Before working at the Inn, I spent most of my days in casual wear."
"You and Jack never went out to dinner?"
"The first few years we did, but then the date nights stopped. Plus, I gained a little weight. All I really have is the Hawaiian dress that I wore the other night."
"No way. You're not wearing the same outfit. Come here. Let me look at you."
She twirled me around and sized me up.
"You don't look like you're more than 120 lbs soaking wet. Grab your bag. Clearly, we have a little shopping to do."
"Don't you have to get back to Wyatt and the kids?”
"I can head back as soon as we're done. Desperate times call for desperate measures."
"Oh, stop being such a drama queen."
"Hey! Be nice. This drama queen is going to make you look so good. Cole won't know what hit him."
I mumbled under my breath, "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."
"I heard that, Payton. Come on. Let's go."
"Coming."
The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping and treating myself to a mani-pedi.
"Yet another reason why I don't miss dating. All this pampering is for the birds."
I tried to patiently wait for my nails to dry. I was more into natural beauty than anything else. I figured as long as I kept my eyebrows shaped and a little color on my toes who cared about the rest? Shouldn't a man learn to like you just the way you are? Sweatpants and all. Somehow my philosophy always fell upon deaf ears among the women in the family.
The Inn At Pelican Beach (Pelican Beach Book 1) Page 6
