One Summer: An uplifting, feel-good summer romance

by Jenny Hale

  Alice had asked her dad to stay the night, knowing that he and Melly might still be there talking in the wee hours of the morning. Alice, too, had a lot of catching up to do with Melly—she had so many questions for her new sister. But she knew that they had all the time they’d need, and she couldn’t be happier for that gift.

  “Oh!” Alice said suddenly, remembering her promise to June. She went over to the door and opened it to look at the restaurant windows at the end of the pier. They were all still bright. “I know it’s late, but I promised June I’d come by after the concert.”

  “It is really late,” Sasha said. “You could probably go tomorrow.”

  “She made me promise. I’ll just run over there quickly. I’d feel awful telling her I’d come by and then not showing. I’ll let her know she doesn’t have to entertain me, that I just popped by for a quick second, and we can catch up tomorrow. I’m sure she saw how busy we were and she’d understand.”

  Alice set her champagne down and slipped her shoes back on. “I’ll be right back.” She left them all filling their glasses again.

  The pier was still lit up under the black sky that was like a bowl of stars, the darkness completely hiding the ocean. Alice wouldn’t even know it was there, except for its roar as the waves came tumbling onto the sand below her. The restaurant windows were open when she got to the door and tugged on the large brass handles.

  “Hello?” she called inside, noting the doors were unlocked, so they couldn’t have all gone home yet. She walked in and stood in the empty space that would soon be their dining room. It was a large expanse, with gleaming wooden floors and high ceilings, and she was willing to bet that, in the light of day, every window would offer an amazing view of the Atlantic.

  “You made it!” June said, coming in, her shoes clacking, sending an echo through the room.

  She went over to a stack of chairs on the far wall and pulled two down, dragging them to the center where Alice stood. “Have a chat with me.” She shifted one of the chairs toward Alice, the leg squealing as it made contact with the floor.

  “Oh, I only came by to see the place since I promised. I know it’s late and I wouldn’t want to keep you…”

  “I know. I’ve been waiting forever. Have a seat. I have some news.”

  News? Alice sat down across from June, not asking any questions, though her curiosity was getting the better of her. She placed her hands in her lap, her eyes on June.

  “The good news is my daughter Emma is pregnant.”

  “Oh, wow!” Alice said, scooting forward and leaning on her knees to share in June’s excitement. “Congratulations. That’s wonderful.” She had no doubt that June would be the very best grandmother.

  Obviously proud of that news, June looked elated. “Thank you. We’re thrilled. It was a surprise for us all.” She was talking with her hands, her eyebrows bouncing up and down.

  Then June pressed her lips together, and Alice wondered, by the look on her face, if there was more to the story than she’d divulged. There was something else behind her smile.

  “Emma was running the restaurant and we’ve just moved to this new building. The baby has changed the game. Emma doesn’t want to run it full time anymore.”

  Her face became serious, causing Alice to sit up straight, already wondering about the fate of Seagull’s Cove.

  “She’d always said that when she had a baby, she wanted to stop working and raise her children. I’m ready to retire, and I know what goes into running this place. I don’t have the energy anymore.”

  Oh, no. If the restaurant closed, the pier wouldn’t survive and Seaside Sprinkles would definitely feel the blow of that. Alice wished she’d listened to Sasha and waited to come over until tomorrow. She would’ve liked to have at least one night of happiness, but now all her fears were sliding back in. They’d come so far, only to fall now.

  “I’ve sold the restaurant, Alice,” June said, pulling her from her worry.

  Sold it?

  That’s not closing it. That could work.

  This was an unexpected development. She knew the dangers of changing management. Seagull’s Cove might not survive if the new owner didn’t keep up June’s high level of performance. It meant the door hadn’t shut entirely; although it certainly didn’t ease Alice’s mind a whole lot.

  “Do you think it will be as successful under new management?” she asked, all this new information, mixed with the champagne, giving her a throbbing sensation at her temples.

  “Will you wait right here for a quick second?” June said. “I’ll go get the new owner.”

  It was late. Alice was tired. Did she have to do this now?

  She looked up when June returned, but it wasn’t June.

  It was Jack.

  “Hey,” he said with that crooked grin. “I hear you have some questions about the new management.” He walked over toward her while he spoke and she wanted to throw her arms around him, but she didn’t trust the situation yet. She needed to find out what was going on. He couldn’t have…

  “What do you know about running a restaurant?” she asked, overwhelmed by his presence, but trying her best to keep her cool.

  He broke into an enormous smile that sent her heart pounding. “Absolutely nothing.” He chuckled, his gaze never leaving hers. “But June’s going to show me the ropes.” He reached her, looking down at her, his scent making it hard to focus. She swallowed to avoid breathing in large gulps of it like she wanted to do.

  “You’ll work all hours,” she worried aloud, keeping herself composed, still not believing it completely.

  Jack pursed his lips in contemplation, his smile returning. “I’m used to that.”

  “You’ll be exhausted at the end of the night.”

  He took the last step closer to her. “I can just walk across to Dad’s if I’m that tired. I’ll have things there.”

  “And where will you live?”

  “With him.”

  “So you just gave up your regular job to run a restaurant?”

  He smiled down at her. “I know someone else who did something similar.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  “Maybe. But if that’s the case, then you are too.” He leaned toward her, that cottony, spicy scent now assaulting her. “Remember that day when you first got here and you didn’t think you’d made the right choice? I thought about that a lot. Moving here makes no sense for me career-wise. There’s no place for me full time at the hospital here, although I do plan to help out now and then. I’m leaving the best team of surgeons in Chicago that I know.

  “Everything about working here is wrong. But what did I tell you that day? I said if you make the wrong decision, you just have to try a little harder to turn it into the right one. I didn’t become a doctor for me; I did it for my dad. It’s all I know how to do, but I’m ready for the next challenge. And I had all the motivation in the world because you are so right for me. I didn’t care what I had to do, because all I knew was that I needed to be with you, and if that meant coming home, then I had to figure it out. I love it here. I love you.”

  He put his hands on her waist and drew her close, their faces inches apart. “The minute June mentioned it to me, I knew it was right. I wanted to tell you what I was doing, but I didn’t want to get your hopes up, only to have something fall through. I had to wait for just the right time to tell you.”

  “You could’ve come for my opening,” she said, the idea suddenly hitting her.

  “I didn’t want what we had to work through to take away from your day.”

  “But I could’ve danced with you at the concert,” she teased, finally allowing herself to smile at him.

  “We’ll have the rest of our lives to dance.”

  Jack raised his hands to her face and gently pulled her toward him. Then, he pressed his mouth to hers, the sweet taste of summer on his lips, the sound of the ocean and all its answers crashing behind them.

  Chapter Thirty

  Two Years
Later

  The pier was empty except for Alice. She leaned on the very back railing of it, facing the waves, thinking of Gramps. This was where she had always come for answers: the sea. That beautiful coastal wind blew against the white chiffon of her dress as her newly manicured fingers gripped the old wood, which had been draped in magnolia garlands. The diamond that Jack had slipped on her finger after he’d hidden it in one of Butch’s birds shone, as she thought about the words he’d engraved on the band: “Let’s make you and me an us.”

  The rows of white chairs behind her had been full of her loved ones today. Melly had brought a brand-new date to Alice and Jack’s wedding, and she’d giggled all day long. He’d made her laugh, spun her around in the sunshine on the makeshift dance floor, her rose-colored bridesmaid’s dress fanning out around her just before he’d drawn her in for a kiss. He was a chef who’d moved to the Outer Banks to work at Jack’s restaurant. According to Melly, Steven’s crab bisque was to die for. Sasha agreed. She and Sam had tried it the night they’d introduced Melly to Steven. He happened to be Sam’s cousin, so they’d set Melly and Steven up for their first meeting as a double date with Sasha and Sam. The four of them had had a blast.

  A lot had happened for Sasha and Sam in the last two years. They’d eloped last year on the beach with Alice and Melly their only witnesses. Sasha had said she’d never been happier in her life, and Alice couldn’t hide her smile when she’d had to get the seamstress to loosen the stitches in the waist of Sasha’s bridesmaid dress at their last fitting. Her friend had sat her down, tears in her eyes, and told her that the doctors said this pregnancy was moving along just perfectly, and if she was really still, she could feel her little girl move in her belly. Sam had been beside himself with excitement when he’d found out, and he’d completely furnished a small room as a nursery, having a local artist paint a seashell mural in pinks and creams to surprise Sasha. When she saw it for the first time, he’d kneeled down in front of her and spoken into her belly, telling their little girl he’d do anything for her and her mother.

  The pier behind Alice was littered in confetti, the tables along the sides full of champagne glasses, Sasha and Melly’s bridesmaid bouquets left on top. The white satin bow that Einstein had worn for the ceremony was draped on a chair. Seagull’s Cove had outdone itself with the food for the reception. This day had been their day—hers and Jack’s. And now, after everyone had gone, Sasha having taken Henry home next door, Alice looked out at her world.

  The last truck had pulled away yesterday, the remodel of Seaside Sprinkles finished. The shop had been a hit right off the bat, and here Alice was, two years later, staring at the place where Gramps’s old fishing shack-turned-bike shop had been. The shack was still there, or its bones were—she’d made the builders keep the original frame—but now there was an addition off the back with an enormous covered patio with paddle fans and outdoor lighting strung along the ceiling; there were bright pots of geraniums and pink umbrellas at white tables for overflow when the indoor room got full. Although that would be a little more difficult now that the room was three times its original size.

  They’d also renovated the top floor into a suite for Alice, Jack and Henry, with small bungalows added to the property, each one with its own kitchen, living room, bedroom and bath. There was a bungalow for everyone: Melly, Sasha and Sam, Butch—and even Henry’s Grandpa Frank, who’d sold his home in Richmond and moved the minute he’d found out he could. When they’d gotten so busy they could hardly manage, Melly had sold her cottage across the street and invested all the profits in Seaside Sprinkles. With her contribution and a further outlay from Jack, they were able to achieve exactly what they wanted.

  Each bungalow had its own double doors that led out onto a porch facing the beach, with pebble paths between them lined with wildflowers. The ceilings were high, the spaces modern, with brand-new appliances and lighting, and they were all painted that bright beachy white, making them appear bigger than they were, like Gramps had originally done.

  Alice turned back to the ocean. So many times she’d looked to the Atlantic for answers, and only now did she really hear the words Gramps had spoken: “When you need to know the answers to life, you turn to the sea. It gives you the calm you need to filter through the static in your head, until you can hear the answers loud and clear.” She’d had to filter a lot of static first, but now, she could hear, and she knew that there was nothing but happiness ahead of her.

  While Melly had decided to stay in the Outer Banks and live with Alice, they’d all met Melly’s adoptive family, and her mother and father were absolutely wonderful people. They fit in perfectly with Alice’s family, and they’d spent the last two Christmases together as one group. This year, Melly had suggested that everyone spend the holiday in the Outer Banks, and she, Alice and Sasha had already started planning the festivities even though it was still summer. They’d squeeze everyone into the main house, light fires in the fireplaces, and fill the tables with food and wine, cakes and Christmas cookies. Alice could hardly wait.

  The ocean seemed to reflect her mood, the tide gentle and quiet today. As the breeze blew the wisps of curls from her up-do around her face, she felt two strong arms encircle her and Jack’s lips on her bare shoulder.

  “Here you are,” he said. He’d followed Sasha back to the house to make sure Henry was settled in the new space. Sasha had offered to go alone, but Henry had insisted that Jack take him; they were inseparable. Jack had even signed up to be the baseball coach for Henry’s little league team.

  Alice leaned into Jack, closing her eyes and remembering the first moment she’d encountered those arms. It was right at the forefront of her mind because only a few hours earlier, she’d burst into laughter when she and Jack entered Seagull’s Cove as man and wife to the applause of their friends and family, and she realized that Jack had planned an extra table full of apples as a display by the cake. Each one had been carved perfectly with their initials.

  “Well, Mrs. Murphy, let’s go take a look at our house,” Jack said, his lips near her ear as he stood behind her, looking over from the pier to the front porch that wrapped around the entire building. There were rocking chairs and plants, porch swings and little tables. It was dreamy and bright, and she couldn’t wait to see her family fill its space.

  Without warning, he swept her up into his arms, causing her to squeal. “I’m carrying you across the threshold.”

  Still giggling, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s a long way to the house,” she warned.

  “I do four days a week at the gym! I’ve told you this!” He buried his head in her neck, tickling her with kisses and making her laugh again.

  Then he set off on a sprint down the pier, past the place where they’d sat catching fish with Gramps that day so long ago, down the steps where she’d watched him walk home that first day she’d met him as a girl, across the front of Seaside Sprinkles where he’d first found out the building belonged to her, and all the way up to their room where they would make new memories for the rest of their lives.

  If you enjoyed One Summer, you’ll love The Summer House by Jenny Hale - an absolutely gorgeous, heart-warming summer romance, about the importance of family, not keeping secrets, and learning how to open your heart. Available now!

  The Summer House

  A gorgeous feel-good romance that will have you hooked.

  * * *

  Some summers will stay with you forever...

  * * *

  Callie Weaver and best friend Olivia Dixon have finally done it: put their life savings into the beach house they admired through childhood summers, on the dazzling white sand of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. They’re going to buff the salt from its windows, paint its sun-bleached sidings, and open it as a bed and breakfast.

  * * *

  Callie’s too busy to think about her love life, but when she catches the attention of local heartthrob Luke Sullivan, his blue eyes and easy smile make it hard to say no. He�
�s heir to his father’s property empire, and the papers say he’s just another playboy, but as they laugh in the ocean waves, Callie realizes there’s more to this man than money and good looks.

  * * *

  Just when true happiness seems within reach, Callie and Olivia find a diary full of secrets... secrets that stretch across the island, and have the power to turn lives upside down. As Callie reads, she unravels a mystery that makes her heart drop through the floor.

  * * *

  Will Callie and Luke be pulled apart by the storm it unleashes, or can true love save them?

  * * *

  The Summer House is an absolutely gorgeous, heart-warming summer romance, about the importance of family, not keeping secrets, and learning how to open your heart.

  * * *

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