Sweet Success: A Candle Beach Sweet Romance

by Nicole Ellis

  “You are looking a little pale,” Dahlia said. “You need to get out more.”

  “I know. And when things settle down, I will. For now, I just have to deal with the long days. More days of work means more money in my bank account.”

  “I know the feeling.” Dahlia motioned for her to sit down.

  “So what’s this all about?” Gretchen asked.

  “Can’t I want to see my friend for no reason?”

  “Sure, but you sounded like it was important.” She leaned back in the chair and smelled the warm air. From off in the distance, seagulls chattered, their voices competing with the crowds at the summer market. In the park, beyond the market, picnickers lay lazily on blankets spread out across the green grass. Summer at the beach couldn’t be beat.

  “Remember how you wanted me to ask my mother about jobs at her real estate firm?”

  Gretchen sat up. “Yeah. What did she say?”

  “Well…” Dahlia said, drawing it out.

  “What?” Gretchen asked eagerly. “Does she have anything for me?”

  “Actually, she does.” Dahlia smiled smugly. “She said if you can start in two weeks, there’s an opening for an apprentice at her firm.”

  “Oh my gosh,” Gretchen wrapped her arms around her friend. “That’s amazing. Thank you, thank you.”

  “So that’s a yes?”

  Two weeks. Was that enough time to wrap things up here in Candle Beach? And what about her job at Oceanview Estates? She’d fought so hard for the job and made a commitment to Martin. Could she really give that up? And what about Parker? Things had been strained between them after their kiss on Memorial Day, but a little part of her wondered if maybe someday they would rekindle things. Her elation deflated.

  “Yes…no. I don’t know. Can I think about it?”

  “Sure. But she needs an answer by next week. Here’s her number.” She pulled out a business card imprinted with her mother’s name and contact information and handed it to Gretchen.

  Gretchen held up the card, staring at it as though it were made of gold. “I really appreciate this, Dahlia.”

  “No problem.” She looked thoughtful. “If you decide not to take the job, don’t feel bad. I of all people know how hard this town is to leave. It really grows on you. And certain people do too.” She blushed.

  “Thanks. I’ve got to grab a sandwich before I get back to work, but let’s get together sometime soon, okay?”

  A customer approached the To Be Read booth. Dahlia nodded to Gretchen and waved goodbye.

  Gretchen rubbed her fingers across the smooth cardstock. Like the sales job with Martin, the job offer from Dahlia’s mother had the power to change her life. But was leaving town really what she wanted?

  Gretchen stared at herself in the mirror. Friday had come all too fast. For her date with Adam, she wore a knee-length skirt and a short-sleeved blouse. Nothing too revealing. Butterflies flitted around in her stomach, but she tried to push them back.

  She heard footsteps on the carriage house’s exterior stairs. She took another look in the mirror and smiled at her reflection. You’re going to have a good time, she told herself. Adam is a great guy. Reilly sighed from the bed. Even he had his doubts about this date.

  Adam really was a nice guy though, and was one of her oldest friends. Although there had never been a romantic spark between them before, it could happen, right? They’d both changed over the years.

  She opened the door before he had a chance to knock.

  “Hey,” he said warmly. “You look beautiful.”

  She smiled at him and smoothed her skirt. “Thanks. Where are we going tonight?”

  They walked down the stairs together.

  “I was thinking Arturo’s in Haven Shores. They’re supposed to have excellent food. Have you heard of it?”

  Her heart dropped to her knees and she stopped mid-step, grasping the railing. “I have. I went there a few months ago. The rumors were right, it was great.”

  It pained her to remember her date there with Parker. Everything had seemed so magical that night and now things between them could be classified as strained at best.

  “Do you mind going again? I’d hoped to review it for the newspaper.”

  “Sure, no problem,” she lied. She was over Parker. Maybe eating at the restaurant where they’d had their first date would help her prove it to herself.

  “Great.” Adam whistled as he walked to his car parked in the alley. He stopped next to the passenger side and opened the door, motioning for her to take a seat.

  She released her iron grip on the railing, took a big breath, and hurried down the remaining steps.

  “Thanks,” she said as she ducked around him to sit. She arranged her skirt around her legs. Give the guy a chance, she told herself. She’d dated someone new and look how that had turned out. Maybe dating a friend was exactly what she needed.

  He smiled over at her and turned on the radio. “Is this station okay?”

  “Yes.” She forced brightness into her voice. “So, how’s everything going at the paper? It’s been a slow news season this year, compared to last summer.”

  “It has. But there have been new businesses opening in Candle Beach and the surrounding areas. I’m also thinking about writing a feature about Oceanview Estates. Do you think you and your partner would be willing to be interviewed?”

  “My partner?” she echoed. Her stomach twisted at the mention of Parker. “Uh, yeah. We’d love the publicity. The development will be beautiful when it sells out. And with forty new houses, it should help the economy around here too.”

  “Exactly what I was thinking.” He smiled at her. “Great minds think alike.”

  They made polite chit-chat the rest of the way to Haven Shores.

  When they arrived at Arturo’s, he opened the door for her. They were seated immediately near a window with a wonderful view of the ocean. It should have been romantic, but all she could think about was how much she wanted the date to end. Not because he was bad company, but because he wasn’t Parker. Her date with Parker had been special and nothing could compare to it. She tried her best to shrug off the feeling, but conversation between them was stilted during dinner and they were soon on their way home.

  He followed her up the stairs to her apartment over the garage. “Well, goodnight,” Adam said.

  She unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Goodnight.” She stepped back into the room in case he had any ideas of a good night kiss.

  He smiled at her. “I had a nice time tonight.”

  “Me too. But Adam—”

  He cut her off. “I know. We’ve been friends for so long, I thought there might be something between us. But you’re still hung up on that guy you were dating in the spring, aren’t you?”

  She smiled at him sadly. “I don’t know. I’m sorry. I had a good time with you though.”

  He gave her a quick hug. “It’s okay. Friends?”

  She nodded and waved goodbye to him before closing the door. She watched through the window as he trudged down the stairs with his hands in his pockets. She hadn’t meant to hurt him, but it didn’t seem right to lead him on. There wasn’t a romantic spark between them and their date at Arturo’s had made that all too clear.

  The next week, Gretchen needed a gift for her cousin, so she visited Charlotte’s shop next to Pete’s Pizzeria for the first time.

  “Hey, you finally came to check out Whimsical Delights.” Charlotte bounced off the steps of the Airstream trailer to hug Gretchen, who put down the lawn gnome she’d been admiring outside. “Come in,” she said, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the shiny metal vehicle.

  “I love your store.” Gretchen’s eyes adjusted to the dim light as she followed the flower decals on the floor all the way to the back. “I can’t believe how much you’ve packed in here.”

  “Yeah, my brother says it’s too much, but I maintain there can never be too much merchandise in a store.” Charlotte looked proudly around he
r boutique.

  “How has business been?”

  “It’s been great. We got that huge rush of customers last weekend and it paid for my site rent for half a month. If this keeps up, I should be able to keep Whimsical Delights open year round.”

  “That’s great,” Gretchen said. “I’m happy for you.”

  “So what brings you in today? Are you looking for anything in particular?”

  “Something for my cousin, Nora. It’s her birthday next week. She always gets me something fun and I usually get her a boring gift like a bottle of lotion.”

  “What does she like?” Charlotte asked. “We have a little of everything here.”

  “I can see that.” She laughed. “She’s into frogs. Her kitchen is full of frog-themed items.”

  Charlotte snapped her fingers. “I’ve got the perfect thing. I got these on my last buying trip to a craft market in Oregon.” She opened a lower cabinet and took out a comical pair of princess and frog salt and pepper shakers.

  “Those are so cute.” Gretchen examined the pair. “She’ll love them.” She handed them back to Charlotte, who set the shakers on a piece of butcher paper.

  “Oh, and I saw something that made me think of you.” She walked over to a rotating rack of magnets. “Here,” she said, handing one to Gretchen.

  It was a magnet the size of her palm with a boxer dog on it. “It looks just like Reilly,” Gretchen said.

  “I know! Reilly could have been the model. I think you should have it. It’s on the house.”

  “Thanks,” Gretchen said. “I love it.” To her surprise, over the last couple of months, Charlotte had become a good friend.

  “You’re welcome.” Charlotte beamed. “I love giving people things.”

  “Yeah, well, hopefully you don’t give all your customers gifts. You won’t make a profit like that.”

  “Only my friends.” Charlotte rang up the salt and pepper shakers. “Do you want these in a gift bag?”

  “Yes, please.” That would save her a step. Gift-giving wasn’t Gretchen’s forte.

  “So how are things going between you and Parker?” Charlotte asked nonchalantly.

  “Why do you ask?” She handed Charlotte her credit card.

  “No reason. Just wondering.” She shrugged. “I thought you’d have made up by now.”

  How much had Parker told his sister? Did Charlotte know about their kiss on Memorial Day?

  “We work together. That’s it.”

  “But it could be more,” Charlotte pressed. “He likes you and you like him.”

  “It’s complicated,” she said.

  “It doesn’t have to be.” Charlotte gave her a beguiling smile.

  “Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s really not any of your business. Parker and I have a professional relationship and that’s how it needs to stay.”

  Charlotte shrank back and Gretchen sighed. She hadn’t meant to offend her, but she was getting a little tired of her prying into her love life, even if it was to promote her brother. “I’m sorry. It’s been a rough couple of weeks at work.” She eyed the door. The narrow walls of the Airstream were making her feel claustrophobic.

  “How so?” Charlotte leaned forward on the tiny counter.

  “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

  After the kiss on Memorial Day, Gretchen and Parker had barely spoken. They’d communicated about sales opportunities and that was the sum total of their relationship. That was how it had to be if she wanted to keep him from being a distraction to her success. Sometimes though, he would catch her eye and smile and her resolve would weaken. Was she doing the right thing by shutting him out of her life?

  “Okay, but if you ever need an ear, I’m here.” Her expression turned serious. “I meant what I said. I consider you a friend and I care about you, even if there isn’t a future between you and Parker.”

  “Thanks.” She took the gift bag with the salt and pepper shakers and stepped out of the Airstream. Once outside, she took a deep breath of the warm, salty air. Whimsical Delights was a nice place to visit, but she didn’t know how Charlotte managed to be inside the small metal trailer for long periods of time.

  Gretchen couldn’t put off calling Dahlia’s mom any longer. The job in Seattle could be a huge boon for her career, but she wasn’t feeling one hundred percent ready to leave Candle Beach. Images of Parker kept entering her mind and muddling her thoughts. She’d assumed by now she’d be over him, but with the constant reminders from her friends of what they could have been, he was hard to forget. Not to mention seeing him almost every day at work.

  She picked the business card off her kitchen table and dialed.

  “This is Vanessa,” Dahlia’s mother said in clipped tones.

  “Hi, this is Gretchen Roberts, Dahlia’s friend in Candle Beach.”

  “Hi Gretchen, how are you? Are you excited about Dahlia’s wedding? I can’t believe she’s getting married. Her father and I are so happy for her.”

  “Yes, I’m looking forward to being a bridesmaid.” She fingered the sharp edge of the business card. “I was calling about the job in Seattle.”

  “Of course,” Vanessa said smoothly. “Does starting in two weeks sound good to you? We really need to get someone in here ASAP.”

  “Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” She hesitated. “Do you think there’s any way the job might still be open in a few months?”

  “In a few months?” Vanessa sounded puzzled.

  “Yes, I’m actually working as a sales agent for a housing development here and expect to be finished sometime in the fall. I was hoping the job could be held until then.” She crossed her fingers. It was a long shot, but worth a try.

  “I’m sorry, we can’t do that. It’s imperative we have someone start right away. Are you sure you can’t take the job? I know you’d be perfect for it and it would be fantastic experience.”

  Unbidden thoughts of Parker crossed her mind again, along with a feeling of sadness to be leaving her friends and family. She didn’t think she was ready to leave Candle Beach yet. It was something she needed to prepare for, not do on the spur-of-the-moment.

  “I’m sorry, I very much appreciate the offer, but I’ve already committed to this project in Candle Beach. I hope you understand.”

  “Of course. I admire your loyalty.” Vanessa cleared her throat. “If anything else comes up, I’ll be sure to think of you.” Someone said something on Vanessa’s end of the call. “Gretchen, I’ve got to go. Please say hi to Dahlia for me.”

  “I will. Thank you again for thinking of me. Bye.”

  She hung up the phone, still wondering if she’d made the right decision to turn down the job. Only time would tell.

  16

  Gretchen checked her reflection in the mirror and frowned at her pale skin. Splitting her time between two jobs had taken its toll. She shook her head upside down to add more body to her hair and brushed on more pink blush. She stared at the woman in the mirror. Now she looked presentable.

  The sales office had closed early at two o’clock for the fourth of July. Not that they’d had many customers. Everyone was focused on getting to the beach or to a party to celebrate the holiday. In fact, she was heading somewhere herself.

  Charlotte had invited her to a friend’s party. At first, Gretchen had declined the offer, but Charlotte had wheedled until she got her way. Gretchen would rather have taken a nap, but she knew it would be good for her to get out of the house. She hadn’t seen much of Dahlia or Maggie lately either as they’d been busy with work and family, and she badly needed a fun evening out. She made a mental note to set up a girls’ night to catch up.

  The carriage house’s upstairs apartment heated up far faster than her house did, and she had purchased a window air conditioning unit to cool the space down. She switched it on higher now to combat the early July temperatures.

  “You should be good now, Reilly.” He looked up from where he lay on the bed. His ears perk
ed up and he hopped down and ran to the door. She petted his neck and said, “Sorry buddy, humans only today. We’ll take a long walk later.” He slumped to the floor. She wouldn’t be surprised if she found him waiting in the same position when she returned from the party.

  She grabbed a light jacket off the hook next to the door and gave him a final pet. “See you, buddy.”

  In the yard between the carriage house and the main house, flowers of all types bloomed. Charlotte had turned out to have quite a green thumb and she’d helped Gretchen keep the large gardens weeded and watered.

  Charlotte waved at her from the main house’s back porch and Gretchen tromped down the carriage house stairs to meet her.

  “Hey, ready to go?” Charlotte was dressed in holiday-appropriate attire of royal blue capris and a red-and-white striped silk blouse. Gretchen felt underdressed in her denim shorts and tank top.

  “Should I change?” She pulled at her clothes and checked Charlotte’s reaction.

  “No, you’re fine. Anything goes at this party.”

  “You haven’t told me much about it,” Gretchen said. “Whose house is it at?”

  “Oh, just someone I know,” Charlotte said vaguely. She brushed a sprinkling of dirt from her white canvas sandals.

  “Should we bring anything?” In Gretchen’s family, it was customary to bring something to a gathering.

  “We’ll stop by the market in Haven Shores to pick something up.” Charlotte unlocked her car and they both climbed in.

  “Have you been to this party before?”

  “Oh yeah, every year. You’ll love it. The house is on the canal, so you can kayak or fish if you’d like. Mainly though, people sit around drinking and socializing. It’s lots of fun.”

  Fun sounded fantastic to Gretchen. She rubbed her neck and leaned against the car door.

  “You okay?” Charlotte asked. “You look exhausted.”

  “I’m fine. It’s been a long day.” Every day at work was a challenge. Parker had stopped actively pursuing her, but he had made it clear that he was still interested. They’d spent the summer with each of them fighting for the next sale. When a potential customer appeared, they took turns working with them, but Parker was two house sales ahead of Gretchen. She tried her best to avoid him, but working in close quarters made it difficult to keep him out of her mind.