by Kay Correll
“He never mentioned a word of this to me.”
“I did make him promise. We just pretended Dad was around, or out of town on a brief business trip if anyone asked. I don’t think anyone knew how often Dad was gone.”
Ashley’s heart plummeted. She’d judged Will so harshly all those years ago. Here he’d given up everything for his sister… and in return, Ashley had broken up with him because of what she thought was his lack of ambition. She thought back on the day they’d broken up, all those years ago. He’d tried to talk to her, asked her to listen to him, but she’d cut him off. Then he’d gotten frostily silent and his eyes had glinted with anger. He’d turned and walked away from her and hadn’t said a word to her the rest of the school year. Then she’d headed to college and hadn’t seen him until he showed up in Indigo Bay a few weeks ago.
Ashley sighed. “Well, now I have another problem.”
“What’s that?”
“Now he’s going to think I only want him back because I heard he’s had such success with his life.”
Whitney grabbed a piece of paper and jotted down Will’s address. “You need to go and talk to him and sort things out. Talk to him.” Whitney handed the paper to Ashley. “But, you’ll probably find him at The Lucky Duck, anyway.”
“Thank you.” Ashley clutched the paper. “I’m headed out first thing in the morning.”
“What about the clinic?”
“Doc Browning is back.”
“I thought you wanted him to hire you on and you’d join his practice.” Whitney set her glass on the table.
“I thought so, too. It was my dream, my plan. Now the only thing I want is to make things right with your brother.”
“Well, he’s a stubborn one.” Whitney grinned. “But hopefully you can get through to him.”
Ashley gave Whitney a quick hug. “Thank you. You’re a great friend.”
“Good luck. Make him listen to you. Tell him I said not to be pigheaded and a chump.” Whitney laughed.
Ashley hurried out the door to go pack. She was going to get an early start in the morning.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow she was going to see Will.
Chapter 19
Will swiped at the countertop at The Lucky Duck. Not that it needed wiping off, but he’d tried to keep constantly busy since he’d returned. He looked up to see two regulars, Jamie and Harry, come into the tavern. They took two seats at the bar.
A group of three young women came in laughing and joking and took a table near the window.
“Go ahead.” Harry tilted his head towards the women. “We’ll wait.”
“Nope, I’m good.”
“Since when do you wait on us when some pretty ladies come into The Lucky Duck?”
“Since now. You were here first. I’ll get them in a minute.”
Jamie shook his head and turned to Harry. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him since he came back from visiting his sister.”
“I don’t either.” Harry said in an exaggerated whisper. “It’s like he’s forgotten he’s a lady’s man.”
“Knock it off.” Will banged a bowl of nuts down in front of his friends.
“Just teasing. How about one of your famous basil-mo-tonic drinks.” Jamie settled on the barstool. “I heard your concoction is going to become the rage all over Florida real soon now.”
“I’m sure it is, just you wait and see.” Will pushed all their friendly teasing aside. They were right. Just a few short weeks ago, he would have left them and hurried over to serve the women, possibly angling a date out of one of them. Now? Well, he just didn’t care. One customer was just like the next.
“One famous drink, coming up. And you, Harry?”
“I have a cold draft.”
“Sure thing.” Will got their drinks and placed them on the bar. “You guys eating, too?”
“Nah, I’m headed back to the inn, but promised Harry a quick drink tonight.”
“Well, glad you came in. I’ll be back to check on you in a bit.” Will walked over to the table the window and took the ladies’ orders.
He served the ladies their sweet, froufrou drinks… couldn’t convince them to try the basil-mo-tonic—and went back to visit with his friends.
“Who’s that? It looks like she’s looking for someone.” Jamie tilted his head toward the door.
Will turned to see and dropped the dish cloth he was holding. He stood paralyzed, afraid he was seeing a mirage.
What was Ashley doing here at The Lucky Duck?
Ashley stood in the doorway of The Lucky Duck, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light after being in the bright sunshine outside. She blinked a few times and took another step inside. Her glaze swept the room, looking for Will.
She froze when she saw him standing behind the bar, not moving a muscle, like an opossum trying to hide. She wasn’t having any of that. She took a deep breath and crossed the distance to the bar. “Will.”
“Ashley, what are you doing here?” Will’s voice was a low growl.
“I came to see you. To talk to you.”
“I don’t think we have anything to say.” Will reached behind him and picked up a clean dishtowel from a stack on the far counter.
“We do. Please.”
The two men sitting at the bar looked back and forth between Will and her. The red-headed man looked back at Will and grinned. “Don’t you think you should talk to the lady?”
“Stay out of it, Jamie.” Will glared at the man.
“Jamie boy is right. If the lady wants to talk, don’t you think you should listen?” The other man joined in.
“Aren’t you two about finished?” Will glowered at both of them.
“Nope, staying right here.” The red-haired man sipped his drink and relaxed on his barstool.
“Will, can we please talk?”
“Talk away. I don’t suppose I can stop you.” Will grabbed a glass and started drying it. Over and over.
“Fine. I’ll talk here.” Whitney had been right. Her brother was stubborn. “I’m sorry, Will. I am. I apologize. I know there’s no reason in the world you should believe me this time, but I came to ask you to give me another chance. I want us to try again.”
Will put down the glass.
“Please. I made a mistake sending you away. I’ve been so miserable. I’ve missed you so much. All that time chasing my dream of being the big doctor in town and everyone accepting me… well, none of that made me happy. You make me happy.”
The red-haired man stood and dropped some bills on the bar. “Um, come on Harry. I think we’re finished, aren’t we? Let’s leave these two to sort things out.”
The other man took one last swig of his beer and slid off his barstool. “Listen to the woman, Willie. You’ve been a cranky old geezer since you came back from your trip. Should have known it was woman troubles.” He turned to her and nodded his head. “Ma’am.”
“He’s a stubborn one, but make him listen to you.” The red-haired man tossed over his shoulder as the two men walked away.
She slid onto a vacated barstool. “Will, I love you. I want to be with you.”
Will still looked doubtful.
“I told Whitney I didn’t care if you wanted to be a bartender your whole life if it made you happy. I’ve learned that doing what makes you happy is what is important. Not following a plan, not worrying about what people think of you.” She paused. “And I decided I wanted to be with you before Whitney told me you owned this tavern and some other places around town… so don’t think I’m being superficial and I’m here now because I know how much you’ve done with your life.”
Will came around the bar and sat on the barstool next to her, still not saying a word.
“Will… can you please forgive me? I promise I won’t waver again. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
Will’s eyes sparkled. “Really?”
“Really.” She reached out and took his hands in hers.
“I can’t
imagine my life without you, either. These last days since I left Indigo Bay… they’ve been the loneliest days of my life. You… you complete me and make me whole, Ash. You always have. Ever since we became friends as kids. You just… get me.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t set me straight all those years ago on why you dropped out of high school.”
“You know?” Will’s forehead wrinkled.
“Whitney told me. You should have told me back then. I was so self-righteous with all my big plans. But Whit said it was your secret with her and no one else knew. I get that. I just… I’m just so embarrassed at how I treated you then.”
“It’s okay.” Will’s voice was low.
She squeezed his hands. “So do you think we can try again?”
Will leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips. A thrill of joy raced through her as she kissed him back. He stood and pulled her from her seat, wrapping his arms around her. “I think there is nothing I’d rather do than spend my entire life working things out with you. It might take a long time. Years and years.”
“Yes, we should try for a very long time.” She whispered against his neck.
“We should try forever.” Will whispered back.
The next morning Will stood at Lighthouse Point with Ashley by his side, watching the sunrise. “The sun rises in the east, over the bay here at Belle Island, but the reflections in the clouds over the ocean are pretty great. We throw a mean sunset here, too.”
“I think this is the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever spent with you.”
Will smiled and pulled her closer. “You know, we have a town legend about Lighthouse Point here on the island.”
“What’s that?” Ashley snuggled up next to him.
“If you make a wish at Lighthouse Point and throw a shell into the ocean, your wish will come true.”
Ashley turned her face up to his and smiled. She pulled away, leaned down, and picked up a shell with her slender fingers. The morning light lit up her face and she turned a brilliant smile to him. “Let’s make wishes.”
He reached down and picked up a perfect shell near his feet.
He watched while she closed her eyes for a moment then opened them. She turned and threw her shell out into the waves. He closed his own eyes, then opened them and tossed his shell after hers.
“What was your wish?” Ashley looked at him.
“My wish?”
“Yes, tell me.” Ashley eyes shone with happiness, a good look on her.
“I…” He took a deep breath and dropped to one knee. “I wished that you’d marry me.”
Ashley’s face broke into a smile, her eyes glistened with tears. “I wished that we’d get married.”
“So that’s a yes? You’ll marry me?”
“That’s a yes.” She dropped to her knees beside him on the sand and leaned against him. He wrapped his arms around her while the sunrise exploded into brilliant colors around them.
Indigo Bay Series
Read all the books in this multi-author sweet romance series set in South Carolina. The books can be read in any order so jump in with any book!
Sweet Dreams - Stacy Claflin
Sweet Matchmaker - Jean Oram
Sweet Sunrise - Kay Correll
Sweet Illusions - Jeanette Lewis
Sweet Regrets - Jennifer Peel
Sweet Rendezvous - Danielle Stewart
Also by Kay Correll
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Comfort Crossing ~ The Series
Did you miss the start of the Comfort Crossing series? Click here to get the first book for free now! The Shop on Main - Book One
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COMFORT CROSSING ~ THE SERIES
The Shop on Main - Book One
The Memory Box - Book Two
The Christmas Cottage - A Holiday Novella (Book 2.5)
The Letter - Book Three
The Christmas Scarf - A Holiday Novella (Book 3.5)
The Magnolia Cafe - Book Four
The Unexpected Wedding - Book Five
The Wedding in the Grove (crossover short story between series - Josephine and Paul from The Letter.)
LIGHTHOUSE POINT ~ THE SERIES
Wish Upon a Shell - Book One
Wedding on the Beach - Book Two
Love at the Lighthouse - Book Three (summer 2017)
Click here to learn more about the series.
INDIGO BAY ~ a multi-author sweet romance series
Sweet Sunrise - Kay Correll
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Dedication and Acknowledgments
This book is dedicated to all the lovers of glorious sunrises.
Cover by Najla Qamber Designs
www.najlaqamberdesigns.com
About the Author
Kay Correll writes stories that are a cross between contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She likes her books with a healthy dose of happily ever after. Her stories are set in the fictional small towns of Comfort Crossing, Mississippi and Belle Island, Florida. While her books are a series, each one can be read as a stand-alone story.
Kay lives in the Midwest of the U.S. and can often be found out and about with her camera, taking a myriad of photographs which she likes to incorporate into her book covers. When not lost in her writing or photography, she can be found spending time with her ever-supportive husband, knitting, working in her garden, or playing with her puppies—two cavaliers and one naughty but adorable Australian shepherd. Kay and her husband also love to travel. When it comes to vacation time, she is torn between a nice trip to the beach or the mountains—but the mountains only get considered in the summer—she swears she’s allergic to snow.
Learn more about Kay and her books at kaycorrell.com
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