by Kay Correll
Then she lost all thought of chores and helping and everything else when Noah’s lips closed on hers.
Chapter 24
Sara went to pick up Aunt Lil the next morning. Aunt Lil was sitting by the front door of the rehab center with Ashley, waiting for her.
“There you are.” Aunt Lil glanced at her watch.
“I’m early,” Sara insisted.
“I’m anxious to get home. I’ve had enough of hospitals and rehab.” She turned to Ashley. “Not that you didn’t take excellent care of me.”
“Remember what I said and take it easy.”
“I’ll make sure she does.” Sara turned to her aunt. “You will take it easy. I’m going to make sure of it.”
“I’m feeling fine now. There’s a lot I can do even with this silly walker Ashely insists I use.”
They got Aunt Lil settled in the car.
“I’m going to stop by the inn and check on you.” Ashley closed the car door.
“Don’t you have other patients to take care of? I’m fine.”
“Thanks, Ashley, for everything you’ve done for Aunt Lil.” Sara walked around the car and slipped in.
Ashley waved to them as she pulled away.
When they got back on the island, Aunt Lil’s face broke into a smile. “It’s so good to be back here.”
She pulled around the inn and up to The Nest, laughing when she saw Jay, Robin, and Charlotte waiting for them. “Look at your welcoming committee.”
“There’s no need to make a fuss. And what’s that ramp?”
“So you can get inside. Ashley said no stairs for you for a while.”
“That’s just silly. I can do stairs.”
“Aunt Lil, do not argue with me. I’m going to hover around and drive you crazy and make sure you take things slowly.”
Aunt Lil rolled her eyes. “Well, that sounds like fun for both of us.”
Jay opened the car door and reached in his hands for Aunt Lil to take. He carefully helped her out of the car, grabbed her walker from the back seat, and handed it to her.
“I really don’t need that.”
“I’m sure you don’t, but let’s use it for a while, anyway.” He stood by her side as she maneuvered her way up the ramp.
She hugged Robin and Charlotte as she got up to them. “It’s so good to see you girls. I hope you’ve been keeping Sara company.”
“It’s been great having her back home.” Robin opened the door for Aunt Lil.
Aunt Lil went inside and looked around. “Oh, it’s so good to be home in my own space.”
Sara thought Aunt Lil looked tired from all the commotion. “Do you want to nap for a bit? Or at least sit?”
Aunt Lil turned to her and gave her a stern look. “Do not treat me like an invalid. I won’t have it.”
She grinned. There was the old spirited Aunt Lil she knew and loved. “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Now I’m going to go sit in my recliner. Jay, could you bring in my suitcase and put it in my room? And how about some tea for everyone? Sara, can you make some?”
“I’ve got the tea already made.” Charlotte walked into the kitchen.
They all sat and laughed and drank tea and Sara felt at home, at peace. The only thing missing was Noah.
Sara threw herself into helping at the inn and taking care of Aunt Lil. And by taking care of Aunt Lil, she meant trying to keep her aunt from overdoing it. Aunt Lil was sitting in her office by the first day, sorting through paperwork with Robin. Robin insisted she could still do the ordering and talked to Lil about getting a newer software system for running the inn, which Aunt Lil agreed to look into.
By the next day, she took a couple short stints at the reception desk. Then she insisted on helping in the kitchen, but Jay sat her at a table and gave her apples to peel for pies he was making.
Sara stood in the kitchen, hands on her hips. “You’re supposed to be taking it easy.”
“I am. See? I’m sitting down.”
But Sara could see the tiredness and a bit of pain in her aunt’s eyes. “After this, you’re going back to The Nest. I’m going to make you dinner and you’re going to rest.”
“You’re cooking?” Jay eyed her.
Sara grinned. “Well, by me cooking, I meant I would grab some food from you and Lil and I will eat it at The Nest where’s it’s quiet and she can’t pop up and work.”
“Great idea.” Jay nodded.
“I’m fine. Quit hovering,” Aunt Lil insisted.
“Please?” Sara wasn’t above begging.
“I’m going to finish up these apples first.”
“I’ll help.” Sara sat beside her aunt. She managed to peel one apple for every three Aunt Lil peeled.
Once they finished the chore, Aunt Lil stood up slowly. Sara handed her the walker and her aunt sighed. “Don’t really need that thing.”
“Humor me.”
They slowly walked the distance through the dining room, through the inn, and down the hall to their private wing. Sara was fairly certain this wasn’t what Ashley had meant when she said short walks…
When they got to The Nest, Aunt Lil settled into her recliner. “Oh, Sara, can you hand me my e-reader? I’m in the middle of a great series.”
Sara handed her the reader and the teal throw from the back of the couch. “Now if I go check on how the yellow cottage is coming along, will you stay there and rest?”
Aunt Lil rolled her eyes. “Don’t you have a job to get back to in Boston?”
Good question. Did she? But she just sent her aunt a glare. “I’ll be back later and I’ll bring our supper.”
Sara walked out the back door, down the ramp, and around the corner. As she passed the sunroom, she glanced inside. Charlotte was standing in front of the easel, paintbrush in hand, working on her painting.
Perfect. Hopefully, she was finding her mojo again.
Things were coming together nicely. The teal cottage was ready for guests. The yellow cottage was at least moving along. Robin had sorted out Aunt Lil’s bookwork and was going to help her get set up on a new system. Aunt Lil was doing better than she’d hoped. Charlotte was painting.
And there was Noah. He’d gone to visit Zoe for a few days and she missed him. Which was silly because… well, soon she’d be headed back to Boston. So she shouldn’t let herself get involved with Noah.
A few kisses weren’t getting involved, right? They were just… friends. Friends who kissed. She rolled her eyes at herself.
Anyway, things on Belle Island were falling into place.
There was that one tiny detail though… did she still have a job or not?
Chapter 25
“How’d the interview go?” Zoe slipped into the seat across from Noah at their agreed-upon meeting place, a trendy cafe near her apartment.
“It went well, I guess? I mean, it’s been years since I’ve interviewed anywhere. I kind of fell into the community center job on Belle Island.”
“But you’d get to use more of your education with this job, right? More promotion and advertising? You like that, right?”
He did like the advertising business, and he’d enjoyed coming up with promotions for events at the community center. Not that it was anything like coming up with campaigns for their clients at the agency in Boston.
“It would be great to have you near. We could do a regular once a week dinner out. Try new places around town. We could even hit the theme parks just like when I was a little girl. I loved them.”
“You still do, don’t you?”
“I do. But I haven’t been since I moved here.” She leaned forward. “So, did you like the company? I heard they are really expanding. Who knew there were so many retirement communities down here and more of them going up every day.”
“It’s a competitive business in this area. Well, all of Florida, I guess.”
“Did it sound like something you’d enjoy?”
“I think so.” But it would be a big change. Instead of knowing most
of the people who came to the community center like on Belle Island, he’d be organizing events for the community and promoting them. He’d also be working on creative ideas for promoting the whole retirement center. It would be challenging and a big change from what he did now.
“I hope you get it.” Zoe bobbed her head enthusiastically.
He hadn’t sorted out how he felt about all of this, so he changed the subject. “Have you made many friends here?”
“Oh, work people. We hang out on Friday nights most weeks.”
Maybe she was lonely? Is that why she wanted him near? It had been hard being apart. When she’d gone to college, that had been a big adjustment, but Belle Island had still been her home and she’d come home often. Now she lived near Orlando. Really it was only a few hours away, but… his home was no longer her home. She had her own apartment, job, life. He hadn’t been prepared for how hard it had been to let her go…
Zoe looked up at him, her eyes twinkling. “Hey, can we split a dessert, too? They have a dark chocolate cake that sounds heavenly.”
He smiled at her. “But of course.” He couldn’t deny her anything. And he’d even take a new job, away from his beloved Belle Island, if it would make her happy or make her life easier.
The thought of her being up here alone and lonely tore at his heart. Oh, she’d find friends soon enough. She was a personable woman with a charming personality. But maybe this transition was as hard on her as it was for him.
Besides, he’d learned one thing through all of this. Family came first.
Sara walked into the sunroom the next day and found Charlotte staring at her easel, her head tilted to one side.
From this angle, she couldn’t see what Charlotte had painted. “Hey, mind if I take a look?”
Charlotte stood in front of the painting, considering. “I don’t know… I’m just so unsure.”
“Come on, let me see it.”
Charlotte nodded slowly.
She walked around to the front of the canvas and a small gasp escaped her throat. “Oh, Char… that is… wonderful. How did you capture all that emotion so perfectly?” She stared at a scene with Cooper leaping to catch a piece of driftwood and Noah laughing. The waves rolled in behind them, and the sun filtered through the palm trees scattered at the edge of the beach.
“Do you think so? It’s so different from what I’ve been painting.”
“Yes, I think so. It’s fabulous.”
“I used those photos I took of Cooper and Noah the other day for inspiration.”
“Well, I’d say you were inspired. This is just…” She spun around and hugged Charlotte. “This is so… fabulous.”
Charlotte grinned. “You said that already.”
“And I meant it.”
“It just kind of flowed from my brushes. I started and then… it seemed to just appear. I still need to work on where the sun hits the water and add a few more details.” She tilted her head to one side, critically appraising the painting. “But…” Her voice was tentative. “I think… I think I like it.”
Sara laughed. “You’re always the toughest judge of your work.”
Charlotte gave her a sheepish grin. “I know.”
They both turned at the sound of someone in the doorway.
“Noah.” She broke into a spontaneous grin. “You’re back.”
“I am.” He rewarded her with his slow, sexy smile.
“Come see Charlotte’s painting.”
“No, wait—”
“Come on, let him see it.”
Charlotte sighed. “Okay, go ahead.”
Noah crossed over, looked at the painting, and let out a low whistle. “Wow, Charlotte… That’s… fabulous.”
She and Charlotte laughed. “See, I told you.”
“That’s me and Cooper from the other day, right?”
“Yes, I took some photos and then kind of merged them into an idea for this painting.”
“You’re really talented. Your painting just pulls a person into the scene.”
Charlotte glowed with his praise.
“Hey, you know what you should do?” Noah stepped back, looking at the painting. “You should show that to Paul Clark. He has a gallery in town. Do you know him?”
“I kind of remember him. Friends with Tally?” Charlotte’s face crinkled up in concentration.
Sara turned to Charlotte. “You should do that. Show it to Paul.”
“Oh, I don’t think I’m ready to show this to a gallery owner. This style is so new to me.”
Sara put her hands on her hips. “I think you should. It’s…”
“Fabulous?” Charlotte laughed.
“Well, it is.”
Lil sat in her recliner, watching Sara closely as she chatted with Noah. Sara and Noah had come to check on her. Everyone was always checking on her. Hovering. Like she was some kind of old lady. Well, she wasn’t. She was going to get stronger. She’d already given up the walker for a cane, though she’d had to argue with both Sara and Jay.
She glanced back at Sara and Noah. There was something going on there, she was sure of it. Sara’s eyes sparkled when Noah told a story about the youth play at the community center. And she wasn’t a fool. She could see the way Noah looked at Sara.
She watched them closely as they talked. She wondered if either of them even realized how they felt about each other.
And how had they become so close in such a short time?
“So how did you meet Noah?” Lil leaned forward in her recliner—ouch, that didn’t work—and leaned back again.
Sara looked up with an almost guilty look on her face. “Oh, I knew him back in Boston. We… worked together.”
“Is that so?” What wasn’t Sara telling her? She looked at Noah, trying to read his expression to see if that would clue her in more.
“Then I saw him here on the island. Well, to be honest, Cooper found me.”
Lil smiled. “That dog, he’s a good one.”
“He is.” Sara seemed glad to change the subject.
“So, when are you planning on returning to Boston?” Lil enjoyed having her niece here, but she wished the woman would quit hovering and they could go back to how they were before. Without Sara acting like she was going to break. Maybe Sara going back to Boston and getting away for a bit would help things get back to normal between them.
“I’m… not sure.”
Lil frowned. Uncertainty creased Sara’s brow. “You’re not staying because of me, are you? I’m fine now. I appreciate how everyone jumped in and helped while I was gone, but I’m fine. Really.”
“It’s not that.” Sara sighed. “It’s just I’m not sure if I have a job or not.”
“You lost it because of me?”
“No, I was late for a deadline and then I took some much-needed vacation time.” Sara stood and paced the floor. “I needed a break. And I’ve loved being back on Belle Island.”
“But what about that big promotion you were up for? Weren’t you hoping for partner?”
“I was. But… we’ll see what happens now. I’m going to call my boss tomorrow and sort things out.”
“She’d be crazy to let you go.” Noah jumped to her defense.
Lil smothered a grin. Yes, that Noah McNeil had it bad for her niece. And she was fairly certain Sara was crazy about him, too.
Noah sat outside with Sara that evening on the deck overlooking the beach. Lil had said she was tired and was heading to her room to read for a bit, then early to bed. She hadn’t looked tired though. He was pretty sure Lil was just giving them time alone.
He should tell Sara about his job interview in central Florida, but it didn’t seem like the time to bring it up. It didn’t really matter, anyway. Sara was leaving soon. All the way back to Boston. It wouldn’t really matter if he was on Belle Island or near Orlando. They’d still be miles and miles apart.
Fate was funny sometimes. He’d lost Sara years ago over some stupid note and a phone message gone astray and too much p
ride to call her again. Now they’d found each other, but they had very different lives.
But he didn’t regret for a moment this time with her. He leaned over, tilted her face up, and kissed her.
She smiled. “What was that for?”
“That was for… I don’t know. I’m just glad you’re here where I can kiss you whenever I want.”
A bubble of laughter escaped her. “And I can kiss you whenever I want.”
And she did just that.
Chapter 26
Robin rushed across the entrance area of the inn and grabbed Sara’s arm as soon as she entered.
“Sara, you’re never going to guess who’s here at the inn.”
“Who?”
“Mr. Windsor. Mr. Lyle Windsor.”
“No, really?” Sara darted her eyes, looking for him.
“Yes, he was talking to the group he was with when he checked in. They were talking about Coastal Furniture. And he put the rooms on a Coastal Furniture credit card. I saw it when Lil was checking them in. They’re having some kind of small sales meeting here. He reserved one of the meeting rooms.”
“Wow, that’s some kind of coincidence.”
“No, it’s not coincidence, it’s serendipity. It’s fate.” Robin threw her arms wide in enthusiasm. “You should go talk to him and pitch your idea.”
“I couldn’t do that…”
“Why not? You said it was a good idea. And I heard them talking about still looking for an agency. It’s amazing the things you can hear just hanging out at the reception desk.” Robin grinned.
“You know what? I am going to talk to him. It was a good idea even if Diane didn’t bother to look at it.”
“Atta girl.” Robin shoved her in the direction of the dining room. “I happen to know he went in there to grab something to eat.”
Sara took a deep breath and started over to the dining room. She glanced back at Robin. Her friend gave her a shooing motion.
She could do this. She could. She walked confidently into the dining room and her gaze swept the room.
