Seven o'clock that evening rolled around rather quickly. I was sorry I didn't mention anything about eating earlier. My stomach usually started talking to me like clockwork every day around five. I popped one last cracker in my mouth while slipping into a pair of high heel sandals.
"Good Lord, help me walk in these things."
I swooshed mouthwash around my mouth a couple of times and proceeded to head downstairs.
"Cole. I didn't realize you were here already."
"Mrs. Matthews caught me outside, just as I was pulling up. You look stunning."
"Payton does clean up well, doesn't she?"
She stood admiring my transformation like a proud mom.
"Thanks, you look really nice."
"Well, get out there and have fun, you two. Cole, keep her out as late as you want. It's about time she learned how to have a little fun."
I widened my eyes at the remark, but my mother didn't pay me any mind.
"After you."
Cole was the perfect gentleman. I had butterflies in my stomach just being near him. He wore jeans and a sports jacket, which was the perfect outfit to match my fitted summer dress. If only I could manage to make it to the car without falling flat on my face. The last thing I needed was to wind up on the ground on our first date.
"Do you mind if I put the top down?"
"Not at all." Heck. If he didn't care about my hair looking like I was electrocuted, why should I?
"I may as well get this out of the way early… I hate dating,” Cole said.
"So do I! I thought I was the only one."
"No. Not at all. It's so awkward when it's new. I'm that guy who likes to skip past anything weird and uncomfortable and get straight down to being relaxed. I just want to be my normal self."
"Minus all the nervousness, right?"
"Right. See, I knew you would understand. So let's make a pact."
"Okay."
"We're not doing the whole nervous thing."
"You will get no complaints out of me. Agreed!" I was darn near ready to change into my flats after that invitation. But I thought better of it for the moment.
"Good. Besides, we all know each other already. That puts me a step ahead of the rest."
"The rest?"
I looked around, pretending to figure out who the rest could be.
"I'm sure they're lining up at the door waiting to get your name and number, Payton. If they aren’t, give them just a little while longer to figure out you’re back in town, and they will be."
He pulled into the parking lot at The Cove.
"This place looks nice."
"It does. Plus, it looks like we're going to have a beautiful sunset to enjoy from our table. Perfect night with the perfect lady."
Cole took me by the hand and let the valet park the car.
"There's only one thing needed to make the night complete."
"What's that?"
"Do you have a pair of flat shoes in your purse?"
Can you say Godsend? Who is this man, and why did it take me so long to meet him?
"Cole Miller, you know me a lot better than I thought."
"I was just thinking you might be a lot more comfortable if you weren't trying to walk around on stilts."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Payton, look at me. I think you're beautiful just the way you are."
His words were like music to my ears. I reached in my bag and pulled out a pair of flat sandals that I was saving for the end of the evening.
"Thank you, Cole. You just made me the happiest woman on the planet. I'm starting to wonder if you've been learning secrets about me from my mother."
"If that's all I had to do to make you happy, then you're pretty easy to please. As for the shoes, past experience has definitely been a teacher. I used to be married, remember?"
We were seated outdoors with a romantic view of the sunset and the water.
"How long were you married? If you don't mind me asking."
"Not at all. I was married for seven years. Laura passed away when Emmie was just three years old."
"Wow, that breaks my heart."
"It was a difficult time. She had a rare form of cancer that spread with a vengeance. Emmie was way too young to remember or understand what was going on. Before that time, we had a great marriage. We were both getting established in our careers and had big dreams together. Unfortunately, we never had a chance to pursue our dreams. Except for having Emmie, of course."
"She seems like such a sweet girl."
"I'm probably bias as her father, but I think so. She has a big heart, like her mother. She looks after her grandmother and me just as much as we look after her."
"Aww. She'd probably be a great role model for my niece Maggie and her brother. They're a bit younger then Emmie, but Maggie longs to have a girl to play with. She begs her mom for a sister all the time."
"Emmie would welcome her with open arms. We should get them all together sometime."
"That would be nice."
"If you don't mind me asking, how long were you married?"
"We barely made it to year five before things finally fell apart."
"Wow, that was a short-lived marriage."
"It's funny you should say that because, to me, it felt like an eternity."
"What happened?"
"You sure you want to know? We might be here for a while."
"I'm not in a hurry, but I don't want you to feel pressured if you don't want to talk about it."
"I'm an open book. Besides, I find talking about it to be rather therapeutic. When I met Jack, he seemed to be in love with the idea of settling down and getting married. He even talked about how many kids he wanted. On and on, he would go, and I believed every word of it. About a year or so after we were married, we had trouble getting pregnant. We went to see a fertility specialist and tried everything possible, but nothing ever came of it. It was right around that time that I noticed he started growing distant. His work hours grew longer and slowly, but surely we became more like housemates rather than husband and wife. I felt ashamed when I finally learned of his affairs. The writing was on the wall, but I didn't want to accept it. I forgave him the first time thinking if he was sincere, we could heal from it and move on. The second time, not only did he cheat again, but he served me with divorce papers. I thought surely he believed he found "the one." My heart was torn to pieces, but I signed on the dotted line and gave him his freedom."
"You gained your freedom from the dirtbag. That's what matters most."
"Yeah, I guess that's a good way to look at it. The only problem is since then he's made a couple of appearances. I don't know if it's remorse or what. The whole thing is just crazy. But I'm glad it's finally behind me."
"Me too. I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"That makes two of us. I'd like to believe that it's making me stronger. Besides, now I'm back here with the family, and I have a bright future ahead of me. I wouldn't trade that for anything."
"Speaking of your bright future, I have a surprise for you. By any chance, are you free to take a quick little ride on Saturday morning?"
"I can be. Surely you're not going to keep the surprise a secret all the way until Saturday, are you?"
"Sorry, I have to. I'm sworn to secrecy, what can I say?"
I swatted my napkin playfully at Cole.
"That's not fair."
"I know, but trust me. It will be worth it."
"It better be." I teased.
"I'm not very good with surprises. I should warn you in advance that I have a strong tendency to ask at least a thousand and one questions until I figure out what it is."
"A thousand and one? Really. Well, thanks for the heads up. You can ask as many questions as you like, but I'm not going to budge."
"We'll see about that."
We finished our meal and talked for hours that evening. It was amazing how much life had turned a corner for me. No more late nights waiting for my
husband to come home, or tears and sleepless nights. Instead, a date with a man who seemed to be everything I've ever dreamed of. That didn't mean I didn't have questions still lingering in the back of my mind. Was I really ready to date again? Perhaps this was too good to be true.
Payton
The usual Saturday morning breakfast was canceled due to everyone's busy schedule. It worked out perfectly for my morning date with Cole. Getting ready didn't take nearly as long as I put on my favorite yoga pants, racerback tee, and lipgloss. I tied my hair in a ponytail, but didn't throw all caution to the wind when it came to appearance. The look I was going for was effortless beauty. If mom were home, she would totally scold me for it.
"So, you're still not going to give me a hint?"
Cole closed my passenger door and made his way to the other side.
"Come on; you've made it this long. Just another five minutes won't kill ya."
"I guess you’re right. I just can't hardly imagine what kind of surprise you could have up your sleeve."
"I found something pretty fascinating, and I thought you'd like it too."
"Hmm. Well, the suspense is killing me, so let's change the subject until we get there."
"That's more like it."
"Where's Emmie this morning?"
"She's at the house with my mom. We have a special daddy, daughter date planned for later on."
"That should be fun."
"Before I left, she managed to convince her grandmother to bake a cake. A cake with lots of chocolate icing were her precise words."
"I'll bet she didn't have to do much convincing. Grandparents have a way of giving in easily."
"Oh, you bet. By the time I get home, she'll be on a sugar high."
I enjoyed hearing the way Cole talked about his daughter.
"Do you think you would ever want more children if you remarried?"
"I always thought about how nice it would be for Emmie to have a little brother or sister. But I'm also in my forties now so…"
"It's not impossible to have more kids in your forties."
"I know. I'm open. Just more realistic if that makes sense."
"It does."
"Do you know what else I'm realistic about?"
"What?"
"The fact that it's time to close your eyes. No peeking allowed."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, Ma'am. Come on. Eyes shut."
"Okay. I'm going out on a limb and trusting you, Cole Miller."
"Don't worry. You're in good hands."
Cole stopped the car and made his way around to lead me by the hand. I could tell we were in the heart of town in Pelican Beach by the sound of the church bells ringing.
"Okay, I want you to stop right there."
"This is so exciting!"
"Before you open your eyes clearly, you heard the church bells, so you may have a little inkling about what street we're on, but you still don't know exactly where we are."
The suspense was driving me crazy.
"Alright. On the count of three open your eyes. One… two… three…"
I opened my eyes to the site of an old white house nestled among other retail shops. It had an inviting front porch with a sign in the window that said retail space for rent.
"What do you think?"
"Well, it's nice. But I don't get what you want me to see."
"Take a closer look. It's your vision. It may not be exactly as you saw it in your mind, but it has great potential. Come here."
He took me by the hand and led me up to the front porch.
"It's an older house built in the 1940s. Not quite the 20's but still. I looked up an old listing online, and the 40's still gives it that older feel. If you look in the front window, it's set up parlor-style with lots of display shelves for your photo albums."
I peered inside the front window. One thing's for sure, Cole was definitely a good listener.
"I spoke to the owners, and they said the place used to be a retail shop for jewelers. And, look, before I go any further, I know you're dedicated to helping your parents out at the Inn right now. I just wanted to show you that your dream exists right here in Pelican Beach. If it's not this place, then some other retail spot, but whenever you're ready, your dream awaits you."
I could feel my eyes tearing up.
"Cole. This is amazing. Thank you. No one has ever done anything like this for me before."
"It's not a big deal. I just remember what it was like when I wanted to launch the renovation company. I had so many ideas and dreams, yet it felt like I had just as many obstacles in the way. If it wasn't for having the right people by my side to cheer me on, I might not be where I am today.
It may not be today, but don't give up. You can do this."
"I'm speechless. I mean… your timing is impeccable. So much has changed for me within the last couple of days. I don't know. Maybe this is something I can look into soon."
"Is everything okay?"
"Yes, yes. Oh my gosh. I don't mean to imply anything bad. I was going to mention it to you, but my parents have decided to sell."
"The cottage or the Inn?"
"The Inn."
"Wow. I can't imagine anyone else running that place."
"Neither can I."
We sat down on the porch swing to talk.
"I was going to mention it to you because we had the best intentions of having you back for renovations. However, when they sat us down and talked about my dad's health, and their desire to lift the pressure off, it made a lot of sense."
"I know it must be tough, but it's a wise decision."
"It is. As Dad would say, it's bittersweet."
“Before I forget, I’ll be sure to have Martha draw a check to return your father’s deposit.”
“Thank you, Cole.”
"It looks like this will give you a clean break to focus on what you want."
"I guess you're right. I haven't had a moment to think about it. The place that I wanted to rent fell through, and my parents will no longer need help at the Inn. It seems like I have so many options before me until I don't know what to do with myself these days."
It seemed stupid, but I had to laugh at myself to keep from crying.
"I guess I just need to be thankful that I'm not where I used to be."
"And thankful that you're one step closer to your future business."
"Yes. Thank you, Cole." I quickly dabbed the corner of my eyes to hide my pain and fears. Cole was right. I had so many options before me, yet I didn't know how to handle it. I was so used to my old life. The thought of embracing something this big was kind of scary.
"You can thank me by grabbing a quick bagel before we head back."
"Only if it's topped with cream cheese."
"One bagel and cream cheese coming right up. How about we make our way over to the little coffee shop across the street?"
"Sounds good. You heard my stomach growling, didn't you?"
"Nooo, not at all."
He looked at me from the corner of his eye and smiled.
"Hey, Payton."
"Yes?"
"I like you a lot. As if you couldn't already tell."
"That's so sweet."
"But…"
"I really think it's sweet. You're definitely not like any other guy I've ever met."
"Thanks for that, but I can still hear a hesitant sound in your voice."
"It has nothing to do with you. I think you're an amazing guy. You just happen to catch me at a time when I'm trying to figure things out."
"Ouch."
"Ouch?"
"Yep. It's the good ole, it's not you, it's me line."
"Cole."
"No, no. It's okay. I get it."
He held the door open for me. I was slowly starting to lose my appetite. What seemed like a lovely morning was slightly shifting as the conversation became uncomfortable.
"Hey, we agreed not to do awkward, remember?" I nudged him a bit.
"You're
right. Plus, I don't want to be selfish. Just know that I think you're a gem. Women like you aren’t easy to come by. I’m so sorry your ex-husband didn't value you. Even more so, I'm sorry that he ruined it for a guy like me. If you need more time, I get it. No pressure."
I appreciated Cole's support and believed he was sincere. However, I was too overtaken with fear to give in and admit my feelings for him.
The ride back was filled with general talk about our plans for the weekend. Before long, he dropped me off at my parents' house and thanked me for coming along for the ride. I walked around to his side of the car to say my final goodbyes.
"I'm the one who should be thanking you. Thank you for encouraging me, Cole. I meant it when I said no one has ever done anything like that for me."
He placed his hand over mine. "I meant it too. If you ever want to hang out again, you know how to find me."
I backed away from the car and watched him leave. On what should've been a wonderful start to the day somehow left me with nothing but feelings of sadness.
Payton
“How are you feeling, Dad?”
“I’ve had better days, Payton. Come in and sit with me for a while.”
I stepped into his office and made myself comfortable on the couch.
“Is there something I can do to make you feel better?”
“No, not really. I think I just needed a break. I have to be honest and admit I’ve been pushing myself too hard this week. It’s starting to catch up to me, that’s all.”
“Aww, Dad. I wish you wouldn’t. It isn’t worth it. Things should be getting easier at this point. Not worse. You and mom have a good offer on the Inn. I can’t even imagine what you could be stressing over.”
“I’m having a hard time letting go. Outside of raising you and your sisters, this place was our baby. It makes me sad to watch all of the guests come and go knowing that in just a short while, they will no longer be our guests.”
“Do you regret your decision?”
The Inn At Pelican Beach (Pelican Beach Book 1) Page 7