by Nicole Ellis
Kyle nodded. “He and Amanda want to explore some of the tide pools, so I was going to head down the beach with them to that big rock that’s usually half underwater. Do you want to come with us?”
Cassie stood and brushed the sand off her pants. “Sure.”
Jace and Amanda had already taken off at full speed in the direction of the large black boulder, but Cassie and Kyle followed at a more leisurely pace.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the tide this low,” Kyle said.
“Me neither.” Most of the boulder that normally peeked just above the waves was visible, and the kids were already clambering around it. It was good to see Jace enjoying something other than Legos or video games.
“What did you find?” Kyle called out as they neared the big rock.
“I found a jellyfish,” Amanda shouted with glee. “Come see it!”
Cassie and Kyle dutifully trotted over to see the creature, then stepped back to allow the kids room to continue their exploration.
“How are things going at work now?” Kyle asked. “You haven’t said anything about it for a while.”
Cassie eyed her ex-husband. It was like he’d turned over a new leaf in the last few months and become a more considerate, courteous version of his old self. Or maybe they’d just reached a point in their divorce where they could be friends again. Whatever it was, it was nice to be on better terms with him.
“About the same. Lara’s still making messes, and I can’t say anything to George about them.” She sighed. “I miss having Zoe there, and Meg’s counting down the months until she can quit. Everything’s different.”
“What about your side business?” Kyle asked. “Maybe you could do that full time?”
She snorted. “Unless I find a space of my own, I’m pretty much at capacity. I can’t use Debbie’s catering kitchen forever because they’re taking on more jobs now. Besides, what would I do for health insurance?”
“I’m sure you could figure something out.” He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket and looked into her eyes. “If you could do anything for a career, what would you do?”
She didn’t hesitate. “I’d own a bakery.” After Celia had brought up the possibility last month of Cassie opening her own bakery, Cassie hadn’t stopped thinking about it. She’d even gone so far as to make an appointment at the local Small Business Administration office, but she’d chickened out and canceled it.
“Then you should do that.” Kyle searched her face. “If that’s your dream, you should go after it.”
“But where would I get the money for it? Starting a business isn’t cheap.” She looked out at the water, her thoughts spinning in her head like the waves swirling around the boulder.
“I’ve got a little money saved up,” Kyle said. “I’d be willing to invest in your bakery.”
Cassie stared at him. Seriously, who was this guy? She shook her head. If she was going to do this, she needed to do it on her own. Their divorce had taught her that she needed to stand on her own two feet and not always be dependent on someone else, even if they meant well.
She smiled at him. “I appreciate the offer, but I’d like to look into some other options first.” She straightened her spine. “I’m going to go down to the Small Business Administration office this week to talk to them.”
Kyle nodded his head slowly, then gave her a small smile. “I think that sounds like a good plan.”
“Dad.” Jace came over and tugged at Kyle’s arm. “Come see the sea star! One of its arms is shorter than the other.”
Cassie and Kyle followed him over to a pool of water in a large crevice in the rock. Sure enough, a red sea star clung to the rough surface.
Cassie crouched low to see it closer. “It’s beautiful.” Jace had been correct – one of the arms was about half the size of the others. “I wonder what happened to it?”
“I’m sure it can’t be an easy life for them out there.” Kyle turned to Jace. “Did you know that sea stars can regenerate their arms? It can take a year or more, but they’ll eventually grow a full-size limb.”
“They sound like pretty resilient creatures,” Cassie said. “It’s cool that even when bad things happen to them, they just keep going and eventually overcome it.”
Jace stopped and stared off into the distance for a moment, then looked over at his parents. “Kind of like you, Mom. Your life is really different than it used to be, but you always keep going.” His face lit up. “Hey! If you open a bakery, you should name it the Sea Star Bakery.” At that, he walked away to inspect the other side of the boulder.
Cassie and Kyle looked at each other.
“Did he hear our whole conversation?” Kyle asked. “I didn’t think he was listening. He was so intent on checking out the tidepools.”
She laughed. “His hearing is amazing when he wants it to be.” She sobered. “I hope he didn’t hear too much though. I don’t want the kids to worry about us having enough money, or about my job.”
“I’m sure it’s fine,” Kyle said. “I wouldn’t be too concerned about it.” His attention turned to Amanda. “I’m going to make sure she doesn’t go out any further, or she’s going to swamp her rainboots.”
He walked over to where Amanda was wading in the shallow water, and Cassie moved closer to Jace. Her son was a constant mystery to her. One moment he could be distant, then loving the next. His comparison of her to a sea star had come out of the blue, but it was an astute observation. She rolled the name around on her tongue. Sea Star Bakery. It did have a nice ring to it.
Kyle, Amanda, and Jace were now looking at something together. Cassie thought about joining them, but decided not to. Even though she and Kyle weren’t together anymore, it was still nice to see him interacting with the kids and for the four of them to spend time together as a family.
The last two months had been so full of changes, both in her own life and those of her friends. Cassie had never expected to see workaholic Zoe quit her job at the Lodge, but her friend seemed deliriously happy now, both with her decision to buy the Inn at Willa Bay and with her newfound romance with Shawn. And though Cassie had secretly hoped Meg would stay in town, it still surprised her that Meg would give up her dream to be a chef in a big city.
Like it or not, life was full of changes, both good and bad. Cassie glanced back at her kids and ex-husband. As the tide swirled higher around the boulder, she knew the tidepool exploration portion of their day would soon be over, but she resolved to enjoy whatever came next in her life. No matter what the future may bring, she would always be there to support her family and friends.
Thank you for reading The Inn at Willa Bay! I hope you enjoyed reading the first book in the Willa Bay series as much as I did writing it. If you’re able to, I’d love it if you left a review for it.
Wondering what’s in store for Cassie? Find out what happens next with Book 2, The Sea Star Bakery.
If you haven’t read the Candle Beach series, check out Book 1, Sweet Beginnings.
Happy reading!