by Kay Correll
“Kind of. But the town rumors were that you rarely came back. And Zoe loved it here so much. I’d always choose Zoe’s happiness over worrying about feeling awkward running into you.”
The waitress came with their dinner and she slipped her hand back but suddenly missed the connection to Noah.
After dinner, Noah suggested a walk on the beach. She looked around and saw only a few tables that still held customers, so she agreed. “A walk sounds like a nice idea.”
They headed outside and down to the beach. The sun was just beginning to slip behind a ledge of fluffy clouds out over the water. She loved this time of the evening, with the breeze blowing and the colorful sunset sky.
They walked along the beach toward the lighthouse, which was washed in a golden glow from the sunset.
“I think the lighthouse is magical, too.” Noah’s words surprised her.
“What?”
“You always talked about how much you loved the lighthouse, almost like it was a living, breathing part of your life. Now that I’ve been here, I can see the draw. She’s a beaut, isn’t she?”
“I do love it. It’s just always there. Strong. Protective. Withstanding the storms.”
“Have you ever made a wish at Lighthouse Point? I’ve heard the town legend that if you make a wish on the point and throw a shell in the water, your wish comes true.”
She grinned. “That’s just a silly old legend.”
“Is it?” He eyed her.
“Yes, it is. I don’t believe in that stuff.”
He reached down and picked up a shell, closed his eyes for a second, and tossed the shell into the sea.
“Wait, did you just make a wish?” She stared at him in amazement. The Noah she knew wouldn’t believe in that kind of nonsense. But then, maybe she didn’t know this new Noah…
“Might have.”
“What did you wish for?”
“Can’t tell you. It won’t come true.” He shrugged.
She shook her head. “You’re crazy, you know that?”
“Maybe.”
He reached over and slipped her hand in his. She stood there looking at their hands, their fingers entwined. He smiled, turned, and led her back down the beach toward the inn.
The sun slipped below the horizon, tossing brilliant orange and yellow hues across the clouds floating above them. A swath of purple clung to the horizon. They paused for a moment watching nature’s glorious display.
“It’s beautiful.” She whispered the words so as not to disturb the beauty around them.
He turned and looked directly at her. “Beautiful.”
Noah liked the feeling of Sara’s hand in his. Liked talking with her. Liked… well, he’d liked every single detail about this evening. They reached the inn and climbed the steps to a back wing.
“This is what Aunt Lil and I call The Nest. It’s our little wing of the inn.” She opened the door. “Do you want to come in for a little bit?”
Yes, yes he did. Quite a bit, actually. He didn’t want the night to end. “Sure.”
They went inside and he took in the comfortable furnishings. All picked up and organized, just like Lil. He crossed the room and picked up a photograph. “Is this you?”
Sara grinned. “It was. All gawky with braids and braces.”
He smiled and set the photo down.
“Would you like a glass of wine out on the deck?”
He glanced at his watch. It was getting late for him, but he didn’t care. “Yes, that would be nice.” Tonight seemed like as good a night as any to break his early to bed, early to rise routine he’d gotten into since Zoe left. The nights were just so… quiet… now without her.
They took their wine outside and settled onto a loveseat rocker. A low light from a solar lantern cast a cozy glow around them. A cool breeze stirred the tangy night air.
“I had a nice time tonight.” He turned to look at her.
“I did, too.” She gave him a small smile.
He’d missed that smile. One side of her mouth always seemed to tilt up more and her eyes sparkled when she smiled. He reached over and covered her hand. He wanted that connection to her again.
“Noah?”
“Hm?”
“I… I’ve missed you.”
That shocked him. He’d always figured she hadn’t even thought of him over the years. He’d thought of her often, though. Very often. “I missed you, too. Missed talking with you. Laughing with you.”
And he’d missed kissing her. He’d really missed that.
She looked up at him with that crooked smile and he almost—almost—leaned over to kiss her.
But he didn’t.
Chapter 18
Sara got up early the next morning and sat at the table in The Nest with her laptop open and a full cup of coffee to get her motivated. She had to finish this presentation. She actually thought she’d come up with a pretty good idea for the campaign. Very different from the ideas they’d presented before. She still needed to get the presentation slides ready, but she had time. It didn’t need to be to Diane until this evening.
She took a sip of the hot coffee. She’d stayed up past midnight talking to Noah and she was dragging a bit this morning. She stood and crossed over to the window, looking out at the deck and the crystal blue water beyond it. What a night it had been. She’d actually thought he was going to kiss her at one point.
But he hadn’t.
And she didn’t know how she felt about that.
And she’d almost kissed him when he left… but she hadn’t quite worked up the nerve.
Her phone dinged, and she sighed. Diane.
Last day. I need the presentation by five.
As if she didn’t remember that fact. Diane had texted the deadline to her like ten times. Time to get back to work. She returned to her chair, determined to bang out the rest of the presentation and get it to Diane. Early, if possible.
Her phone rang later and she glanced at the clock. Where had the time gone? It was almost noon. She almost ignored the call, sure it was Diane with something else that just had to be said right this minute. She sighed, reached for the phone, and frowned. Not Diane. But a local area code.
“Hello?”
“Sara, this is Ashley Harden.”
“Dr. Harden, is everything okay?” Her pulse began to race.
“It’s Lil. She’s spiked a fever and the rehab place called me. The fever is pretty high and we’re doing everything we can to bring it down. It’s probably a virus, but I’m running some blood tests to be sure. We’re a bit worried it might settle in her lungs. She’s developed quite a cough. I worry about complications such as pneumonia when the patient isn’t very mobile. I thought you’d want to know.”
She snapped shut the laptop. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I don’t want to alarm you, but she looks very weak. The staff here said she had a rough night.”
“I’m coming right now.”
She grabbed her purse and hurried through to the inn to find Jay. He was standing near the stove and Robin was lounging against the counter beside him. “I have to leave. Aunt Lil isn’t feeling well. She has a high fever they’re trying to break.”
Robin pushed off the counter. “Go, go. We’ve got everything covered here. Don’t worry about a thing.”
She gave Robin a quick hug. “Thanks. I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re the best.”
“Hey, what about me?” Jay teased her.
“You’re the best, too, Jay.” She assured him. “Seriously, we’d never have been able to keep everything running without you.”
“Good thing I had my coffee.” He pointed to his t-shirt. First coffee… then I’m awesome.
She grinned. “Good thing.”
“So, go. Get out of here.” Jay waved a spatula in the direction of the door.
“Call me and let me know how Lil’s doing.” Robin walked her over to the doorway.
“I will.” She hurried out to
her car and drove to the rehab center. She rushed inside and hurried down the hallway to Aunt Lil’s room.
Dr. Harden stood at Lil’s bedside. Sara nodded to her and crossed over to Lil.
“She’s sleeping now. I’m hoping the meds we gave her will break the fever.”
Aunt Lil’s face was flushed a rosy red and her hair was damp. “I just saw her yesterday.”
“She started feeling badly around dinner time and then last night her fever spiked.”
She reached over and smoothed the damp locks away from Aunt Lil’s face.
“If she wakes up, see if you can get her to take a few sips of water. You can put a cool cloth on her forehead to see if that helps. I’ll check in later today.”
“Thanks, Doctor.”
“Please, call me Ashley. I consider Lil my friend.”
Sara nodded.
Ashley left the room and Sara dragged a chair to her aunt’s beside. A rough cough wracked Lil’s body and she moaned.
“Ah, Aunt Lil. You’re having such a tough time of it. Don’t worry about anything. I’m here and the inn is fine. You just get better.” A lone tear trailed down Sara’s cheek. Aunt Lil looked so… fragile.
Charlotte sat back on her heels, eyeing the table she’d just finished painting. It had turned out pretty nice if she did say so herself. She’d painted it a dark teal as a base, then layered a pale teal on top. There were so many lovely shades of teal, some more green, some more blue. She loved playing with the shading and blending. When the top layer dried, she planned on sanding it to let some of the darker color show through. She planned on painting the two chairs with yet another shade of teal. Then she’d have to seal all of them.
She’d really enjoyed this chance to use her creativity with no pressure. No one saying she needed to come up with a new idea, a new concept. She just… painted.
The door swung open and Robin came into the cottage. “I thought I might find you here at the teal cottage. Hey, that looks really great.”
Charlotte stood, paintbrush in hand. “Thank you. I’m fairly pleased. Maybe I should change my career and paint furniture for a living.”
Robin shrugged. “If it makes you happy, you should. But I think you’re a fabulous, talented artist. You can do anything you want with your talents.”
She grinned. “You always were my biggest fan.”
“I don’t know. Lil is always touting your talents, too.” Robin frowned. “Lil’s not doing well. She’s running a fever. Sara headed to the mainland.”
“That’s not good.”
“No, it’s not. Lil is having a rough go of it. I hope she fights this off and gets back to her perky self.”
She walked over to the sink to clean her brush. “Let me get things cleaned up here, and I can come over to the inn to help out wherever you need me.”
“We can use you in the dining room. I swear, we’ve got to get more help hired. We have some interviews scheduled this afternoon. Hope someone works out.”
“I’m here to help where I can. I almost feel like Lil is my aunt too.”
“I hear you. I spent more time here at The Nest or the inn growing up than my own house.”
She smiled. “Those were some great times, great memories.”
“We’ll make more. We just need to get Lil all fixed up and better.” Robin grinned. “And make sure the inn is still standing when she gets back.”
Noah clicked on his email and scanned through them. One of them caught his eye. It was from a retirement village near Orlando where he’d sent his resume. Just two days ago after Zoe’s urging. It had seemed like such a great idea at the time, but now he wasn’t sure…
But it wouldn’t hurt to take an interview.
Besides, what was keeping him here in Belle Island when Zoe was in Orlando? He had his job and his friends, but no family here.
He picked up the phone and called to arrange to go there and talk to them about the job. Besides, it would give him a chance to see Zoe. He sent her a text to see if she could meet up with him after the interview.
He stood and walked over to the window of his office. The fronds on the palm tree danced in the breeze from the incoming storm that was predicted to blow in from sea today.
He’d hate leaving the island, though. It had become home to him. He’d raised Zoe here and learned to… what? Live? Relax? Take time to just enjoy the simple things. He walked back over to the desk, toying with calling them back and saying he wasn’t interested.
But he’d already texted Zoe that he was coming up. He’d at least go and hear about the position. Maybe a more challenging job would be good for him now. And Zoe sounded like she truly would love to have him closer.
And if he was being honest, part of the allure of the island right now was Sara. And she’d be leaving soon.
He raked his hand through his hair. Why hadn’t he kissed her last night? He’d wanted to. But then he’d thought it would make it all more complicated.
How did his simple life get this perplexing? Sara coming back in his life. A possible move and new job. Was it really just a week ago when he could just sit back and enjoy his simple, predictable life?
He sighed and sank onto his chair. Maybe they wouldn’t even offer him a job, and then he wouldn’t have to decide.
He grabbed the file where he’d jotted notes about next month’s calendar for the community center and started to add the events onto the center’s website. This was familiar. He knew how to do this. He grinned when he saw the town’s bake-off competition coming up. He loved judging that one!
Sara looked up as the door swung open to Aunt Lil’s room. Noah stood in the doorway, a sack in one hand, a cup in the other. Her heart did a quick flip-flop at the sight of him. She rose from her chair, careful not to make any noise, and crossed the room. “What are you doing here?” she asked in a hushed voice.
“Ran into Robin and she said Lil wasn’t doing well. She was worried you hadn’t eaten all day.”
She gave him a small smile. “She’d be right.”
“So, I brought you dinner from the inn. Jay packed you up a meal.” He handed her the sack.
“You didn’t need to come all the way over to the mainland.”
“I was worried about you, too.” He reached out and touched her shoulder and turned her around. “Sit and eat.”
She did as she was told and nibbled on the roast beef sandwich Jay had sent. She was hungry, but her stomach was in knots, worrying about Aunt Lil.
Noah stood beside the bed looking down at Lil. “She’s a tough one, you know. She’ll kick this.”
“She will,” Sara said as more of a wish than an affirmation.
“Noah, is that you?” Aunt Lil opened her eyes.
Sara jumped up. “You’re awake.”
Lil reached up and touched the cloth on her forehead, then another cough swept through her, shaking her body. “Ah…”
“Do you want a sip of water?” She reached for the cup beside the bed.
Aunt Lil nodded, took a sip of the offered water, then leaned back against the pillows.
Sara reached out and touched Aunt Lil’s face. It felt cooler.
A nurse entered the room. “I’m going to check on Lil now if you two want to wait outside for a few minutes.”
She and Noah went out in the hallway. “I appreciate you bringing me dinner.”
“Just wanted to check on you.” He reached out and squeezed her hand.
She clung to him for a moment, grateful for the support and the connection. She swirled in feelings of abandonment with fears of losing Aunt Lil.
“It’s going to be okay.” His low voice washed over her, giving her hope and strength. “Do you want me to stay with you?”
As much as she wanted to say yes, she didn’t. She had enough friends doing things for her now. Helping with the inn and supporting her. Noah didn’t need to think of her as another responsibility. “No, I’m fine. You go on back to the island. But thank you for coming.”
&
nbsp; He wrapped one arm around her in a half-hug. “Take care.”
Then his arm was gone, and she watched while he walked away down the hallway. He turned and waved before he turned the corner. She waved back and leaned against the wall, exhausted.
The nurse came out in the hall. “Her fever has broken. Hopefully, we can keep it that way.”
“Oh, that’s good news.” She went back into the room. Aunt Lil was already sound asleep. Which was good. That’s what she needed.
She sank into the chair and took a few more bites of her dinner and sipped on the soda while she watched the uneven rise and fall of Aunt Lil’s chest as she struggled with her breathing.
She stayed until late and Aunt Lil’s fever still hadn’t returned. The nurse at the rehab center told her to go home and promised to call if there was any change.
She walked out to her car, taking in deep breaths of the cool air. She looked at her watch. It was way past when Diane told her to turn in the presentation, but she was going to go home and finish it and send it in. It was a good idea. One of her best. Diane would still have time to read through it before her meeting with Coastal Furniture.
Though, the string of texts that had come into her phone this evening had shown her how mad Diane was that she’d missed the deadline. The first time she’d ever missed a deadline since she’d started working for the agency.
But that didn’t matter as much to her as it probably should have. All she’d wanted to do today was to be by Aunt Lil’s side.
Chapter 19
The next morning, after three hours of sleep and a rough start, Sara whirled around in the kitchen, looking for her cell phone. Its persistent ring taunted her. Where was it? There it was. Half under a stack of papers where she’d jotted notes last night. She snatched it up.
“We didn’t get the account.” Diane’s voice was frosty cold.
No hello. No good morning. Nothing. “Really?” Sara juggled her phone and a cup of coffee. “I thought my idea would really appeal to them.” She’d only gotten a few hours of sleep but had managed to send the presentation to Diane around two in the morning. That would have given Diane plenty of time to read through it before the ten a.m. meeting with the client.
