Sweet Beginnings

by Nicole Ellis

  She entered the house and nestled in the thick cushions of Aunt Ruth’s living room couch. Images of a lifetime spent in the house flitted across her mind like a movie, from jumping off the couch as a toddler, to late-night movie marathons with Aunt Ruth, all the way to more recent memories of girls’ night gabfests with Maggie and Gretchen. A photograph of Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ed hung on the wall above the TV. Normally, Aunt Ruth’s image comforted her, but today, she avoided it.

  If she wanted to get things wrapped up at the bookstore by evening, she needed to finish the packing. She planned to leave early the next day for Seattle. The faster she got out of Dodge, the fewer questions she’d be asked about her future plans. With the exponential power of gossip in Candle Beach, who knew how many people would hear of her departure by morning. It didn’t matter though. She’d made up her mind and no one could make her stay.

  Dahlia was ensconced in the back office of To Be Read when she heard knocking at the front door of the bookstore. The ‘Open’ side of the sign had been turned toward her, so it shouldn’t be a customer. She peeked around the door to see who had knocked.

  Darn it. She should have expected this. Gretchen and Maggie peered in through the window with their hands cupped against the glass. She tried to back away from the door before they saw her, but they spotted her and jumped up and down, waving their hands like crazed fans at a rock concert. She knew she’d eventually need to tell them she planned to leave, but she’d hoped to do so at the last minute. Confrontations terrified her, and she knew they wouldn’t understand her reasons for leaving.

  She dragged her feet all the way to the front door and turned the deadbolt.

  Gretchen burst over the threshold, her eyes flashing. “When were you planning to tell us you were leaving?”

  Dahlia sighed and opened the door wide enough to allow them to enter. “I decided a few hours ago. I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet. News travels fast in this town.”

  “Agnes told the Ladies right after you called her and they spread it around town. Gossip doesn’t keep for long here,” Maggie said as she followed Gretchen inside. “For once though, I’m glad they did. Gretchen is right—were you going to tell us?”

  Maggie’s eyes misted over and motherly concern filled her face. Her son, Alex, was a lucky kid to have her for a mom.

  “What happened?” Gretchen asked.

  “Yeah. You were so excited at the wine bar on Friday night,” said Maggie. “What changed your mind?”

  Dahlia led them over to the seating area that she’d rearranged in preparation for the remodel. They sat down in the armchairs and Dahlia pulled the tall stool out from behind the front desk and brought it over to their circle. Her friends waited in silence for her to speak.

  “I was excited.” She perched on the stool and thought for a moment. Things had happened so quickly and she didn’t know where to start. She had experienced a rollercoaster of emotions over the last few days. “I went into Haven Shores to check out the Book Warehouse and figure out how I could compete with them. I picked out new furniture for the bookstore and had so many plans for To Be Read.”

  She stopped to make a mental note. Talking about the sofa reminded her she still needed to explain Wendy’s lease of the upstairs apartment to Agnes. She couldn’t keep avoiding it and she hoped Agnes would be reasonable about honoring the lease. After promising the space to Wendy, she couldn’t renege on the deal, even if she wouldn’t be around for Wendy’s tenancy.

  “Everything got to be so expensive.” She slumped on the stool. “I figured out I’d need to have Agnes give me at least five thousand dollars out of the trust to finish the remodel.” She nodded at the back wall where she’d pulled the tea area away from the wall. “I’m guessing the coffee bar alone will cost several thousand between the additional plumbing and the bar itself. It would have been so cool though.” That reminded her—she needed to cancel the furniture delivery. She gazed wistfully at the space. For a brief instant, the bookstore filled with the aroma of brewing coffee and the chatter of customers.

  “Okay. So did she give you the money?” Gretchen said, shattering Dahlia’s vision. She leaned forward in her seat to hear Dahlia’s response.

  “No,” Dahlia answered. “She refused to give me anything. She said I needed to work with what I had already and that Aunt Ruth wouldn’t have wanted me to waste money.”

  Maggie spoke up. Her voice shook and a slow fire burned in her eyes. “This is exactly what Ruth would have wanted. She knew how important the bookstore was to the community and it was her life’s work. She would have wanted it to grow and for you to do what you needed to do to make that happen.”

  “That’s what I thought too.” Dahlia pulled a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed at her eyes.

  “So what now?” Gretchen asked. “You’re just giving up on it?”

  Dahlia had no patience left. Garrett had questioned her about her reasons for leaving and now her friends were too. It wasn’t her choice to leave. Agnes had given her no choice in the matter.

  She looked at Maggie. “When you and Alex moved back to Candle Beach after your husband died, your family took you in and helped support you until you could get back on your feet.”

  Then she turned to her other friend. “And Gretchen, you moved back here after college, knowing there was always room for you at your parents’ real estate company. Not everyone has family they can depend on when things get tough. My mother has her job in Seattle and I don’t want to ask her for the money. I’ve been the screw-up daughter for too long. Getting money from Agnes was my only opportunity to make this work.”

  She regretted her outburst as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Maybe her friends weren’t offended. But one look at them and her heart sank. Maggie’s lips were pressed into a thin line and she had furrowed her brow. Her fingers twisted together in her lap. Gretchen stared at Dahlia, her face stony as she traced a circle on the floor with her feet.

  “It took a lot of hard work on my part too,” Maggie said in a level voice. “I wasn’t exactly lounging around at my parent’s house, watching TV all day.”

  “That’s not what I’m saying,” Dahlia said. She put her head in her hands. She’d royally messed this up. How was she going to get them to understand her predicament? They’d both grown up in Candle Beach and had the support of the community. Everything for her seemed to be an uphill battle. She turned to Gretchen, who said nothing.

  At last, Gretchen spoke. “You have us.”

  She rose from her seat and hugged Dahlia. Dahlia smiled faintly as she attempted to hold back tears. Having good friends was one of the things she’d miss the most about living in Candle Beach. She had difficulty staying in touch with people when not in frequent contact with them. If she wasn’t careful, when she moved back to Seattle, they’d probably return to being nothing more than friends on social media.

  Maggie got up from her seat as well and joined in the group hug. “Gretchen’s right. If there’s anything we can do, please tell us.”

  “Unless one of you has thousands of dollars lying around, there’s not much you can do to help,” Dahlia said.

  “Sorry, I can barely make my rent as is,” Gretchen said. “I wish there was something I could do.”

  “I could probably pull together some money, but the café has me pretty tapped out,” Maggie said.

  Dahlia shook her head. “No, I couldn’t let you do that. You’ve got a kid to support. This is my mess and my decision to make.”

  Maggie nodded and relief passed across her face.

  “Thanks, you guys,” Dahlia said. “I’ll miss you both so much.”

  They made plans to meet for breakfast the next morning before Dahlia left, then Gretchen and Maggie exited the bookstore, pulling the door closed behind them. Dahlia had never felt so alone, not even in the days and weeks following her divorce.

  She walked back through the bookstore to the office and sat down in Aunt Ruth’s chair, spinning around in a lazy
circle while dragging her feet on the carpet. This couldn’t be the end. Planning the bookstore remodel had filled her with joy and a sense of purpose. Had she made the right decision to leave?

  She put her feet down flat on the ground. Living in Candle Beach had changed her. Wallowing in self-pity and doubting her abilities wouldn’t help. There was still a lot of life left to live, even if it didn’t involve To Be Read or Candle Beach.

  She organized the financial files she’d created and straightened the desktop. When Agnes took over management of the store before she sold it, she wouldn’t find anything to disapprove of in how Dahlia had left things.

  She returned to the sales floor for a final look around. What would Garrett do with the store if he bought it? Would he continue with her plans for an espresso bar or children’s area? What would his displays look like? Her eye caught on a Susannah Garrity book facing out from the shelf and she grinned. Who would have thought Garrett was a bestselling romance author? Even though she now knew his secret identity, he remained a mystery to her. She would have liked to stay in Candle Beach to get to know him better.

  “Hello?” A woman’s voice came from behind her. Dahlia whirled around. She’d forgotten to lock the door after her friends left.

  “We’re closed,” she called out as she walked into the front room of To Be Read. Where were these customers when she was open for business? Irrational irritation shot through her body, but faded when she saw the perky face that peeked around the open door.

  13

  “Oh, Wendy. You made it,” Dahlia said.

  “Sorry, the door was open. Should I come back later to see the apartment?”

  “No, come in, you’re fine. I thought you were a customer.” She motioned for Wendy to enter.

  She breezed in through the door and embraced her, a cloud of flowery perfume following in her wake. “Oh good, I was hoping you’d be here. I lost your phone number, so I couldn’t call when I left Haven Shores. I’m so glad to see you and be here. Candle Beach is such a beautiful town.” She beamed at Dahlia. She’d piled her red hair into a ponytail and looked even younger than the day before. “Where should I park the truck to unload my stuff?”

  “The truck?” She looked through the open front door at the white panel truck parked outside the bookstore. It took up two parking spaces and stuck out into the street. A car honked as it swerved around the truck’s back end. Parking for a large truck hadn’t come up in their brief rental discussion. Why hadn’t it occurred to her that Wendy would have a truck to transport her furniture? Delivery trucks didn’t usually stick around town after dropping off their loads and finding parking in downtown Candle Beach for the oversized vehicle would be tricky.

  “Uh, you can pull it around to the alley to unload,” Dahlia said. “I’ll go open the back door.” They’d deal with the parking issue later.

  “Thanks!” Wendy bounced out of the bookstore, her ponytail bobbing behind her. Dahlia hoped she’d have half of her energy when she reached that age.

  In a few minutes, Wendy had the truck parked next to the bookstore in the back alley. Dahlia watched as she exited the vehicle, pulled open the back of the truck and lowered the ramp.

  “Do you need help?”

  “That would be great,” Wendy said. “Your sofa weighs a ton. They don’t make furniture nowadays like they used to.”

  The two women edged the sofa out of the truck and into the store using a furniture dolly and a lot of elbow grease. Wendy moved the stool Dahlia had used earlier out of the way and lined the sofa up perpendicular to the two existing armchairs.

  “It’s beautiful,” Dahlia said. The emerald-green velvet sofa lit up the bookstore and provided the charm she’d hoped for. Painful slivers twisted in her chest. Someone else would get to enjoy the sofa. Would the new owner keep it in the store?

  Wendy brushed her hands off and looked around. “Quite a place you have here. I see you’ve been doing some painting.” She motioned to the wall Dahlia had painted Friday night.

  “Yeah, I wanted to add some color in here.”

  “I think it’s fabulous. This place will look great when you’re done.”

  She smiled, but her heart wasn’t in it. How was she going to tell Wendy that she wouldn’t be around to see the completion of the remodel?

  “Let me show you to the upstairs apartment.” Dahlia led the way to the back staircase and they ascended the steep stairs.

  “Oh my, it’s nicer than I expected.” Wendy immediately ran over to the open window to check out the view. “I can see the ocean from here.” Wendy hugged Dahlia. “I love it!”

  She twirled around and clapped her hands like a child. She strode from room to room, the smile on her face growing wider with each step.

  “I knew it was fate when we met,” she exclaimed. She hugged Dahlia again. It should have been odd to be hugged by a stranger, but it felt natural coming from Wendy. Her exuberance was contagious.

  “Do you have a lot to carry in?” Dahlia asked.

  “Not too much. I try to travel light. Then I’m free to go wherever I want.” They went down the stairs and out to her truck. Wendy grabbed a few bags from the truck and deposited them in the back storeroom.

  “Where should I park the truck now that I’m done unloading?” Wendy asked.

  Dahlia assessed the options. “There’s a small parking lot across the street. Your truck should fit there.”

  Late on a Sunday afternoon, most of the day tourists would be on their way home, leaving parking spaces available. She crossed her fingers. Wendy thanked her and hopped in her vehicle.

  Dahlia’s good mood faded after Wendy left and she remembered her predicament. She entered the office and sat down in Ruth’s chair. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Agnes.

  “Hello, this is Agnes.”

  Dahlia’s spine straightened, as if ready to be scolded by a teacher. She couldn’t say anything.

  “Hello?” Agnes said again.

  “It’s Dahlia.” She paused. How was she going to tell Agnes about Wendy? Finally, she blurted out, “I rented the apartment in trade for some furniture. The new tenant, Wendy, moves in today. She’s really nice.” There was no response from Agnes.

  “Uh, she moves out at the end of September. Then you can do whatever you want with the space.”

  “I see,” Agnes said. “I take it you still plan to abandon the bookstore Ruth left you? You know, she thought it would mean something to you.”

  What, so now Agnes thought she should stay? The woman confounded her. Dahlia’s blood had reached boiling point.

  “I’m leaving because you’ve straitjacketed me. I can’t improve the bookstore, and without improvements, I can’t compete with the Book Warehouse in Haven Shores. If you hadn’t noticed from the financial reports, sales are down since the mega bookstore opened last month.”

  “Dahlia, I think—”

  “You can disapprove of me all you want, but I’m leaving tomorrow. I hope you can make the bookstore successful.” She hung up. She truly did wish for the bookstore to regain profitability. Ruth would have wanted that. But enough was enough. Agnes couldn’t control her anymore.

  Behind her, the back door clicked open as Wendy let herself in. She climbed the stairs with her two bags, her luggage knocking against the walls with every step.

  “Let me know if you need anything,” Dahlia called out to her.

  “I will. Thanks again.” The door at the top of the stairs banged shut.

  Her residual anger toward Agnes made the office walls feel like they were closing in on her. She placed a key and a note for Wendy at the foot of the stairs, grabbed a sketchpad and left the store, locking the front door behind her.

  Unlike the rainy day before, the weather was sunny and warm, a perfect July day. Dahlia passed through the middle of town on her way down the hill to the beach access, but didn’t allow her thoughts to dwell on any part of the town. She paused for a moment at the overlook. It seemed like a lifetime ago tha
t she’d stopped there and gazed at Candle Beach in the distance. And longer than that since she’d met Garrett. She shook her head to clear away any lingering thoughts of him and descended the stairs to the beach below.

  The tide was out and she had to walk several hundred feet from the base of the stairs to the compacted wet sand. On impulse, she pulled off her sandals and flung them up to dry ground. She rolled the cuffs of her Capri pants up above her knees and sprinted into the water.

  The freezing water rushed against her ankles and shins, splashing droplets onto her pants. The warm sun beat down on her as she waded in the shallows. Pebbles swirled around her bare toes as the waves flowed in and out.

  Things had to get better, right? She’d find a job in Seattle and an apartment. Anything had to be an improvement over the place she’d lived in before moving to Candle Beach.

  Near the creek that came off of Bluebonnet Lake, a small child ran amongst the waves, chasing a golden retriever. The girl’s giggles carried over the roar of the ocean. Had she ever been as carefree as that child? She’d always prided herself on being a free spirit, but had she ever truly been free?

  Although she didn’t like to admit it, she’d always been chained to a job, an apartment, or a relationship that didn’t bring her joy. Being in Candle Beach made her happy. She sat down in the dry sand and raised her face to the sun, basking in its warmth. Grabbing her sketchpad, she quickly drew the little girl, but couldn’t quite capture her carefree attitude. She dropped the pen and paper to the ground and lay back to relax against the firm sand.

  With the sand cradling her in its comforting embrace, her mind wandered to To Be Read. It was a pity that all her hard work would go to waste. There was still so much to do at the bookstore. But it wasn’t her problem anymore. After the store sold, she’d be lying on a beach on the French Riviera instead of on the Washington Coast.