One Sweet Day I Found You: A Sweet Romance Book 1

by Jillian Walsh

  He wasn’t going to reply to her, either.

  He punched out a text to Kenny.

  Hey man, I’m thinking about moving home as soon as the summer’s out. You can drop a hint to Mom and Dad if it’ll get them off your back.

  Twenty-One

  Courtney retreated to the world of work to keep her mind off of Nick, which was easy enough to do for set periods of time only because she was up to her ears in it. With only two days left in the month, the deadline for the website’s lodging guide was looming. But on Thursday, glum and moping, she didn’t leave the house all day. She’d finished a few more rental home entries and called her mother back, not getting into any detail about her love life. She talked to her dad for a bit, too, but that was the extent of it.

  Today, she’d been determined to make some improvements. She had showered, dressed, done her hair and applied some barefaced makeup.

  Then she’d forced a yogurt and a piece of toast down her throat and washed it down with a strong cup of coffee. She’d headed to the West End Coffee Shop with her laptop, because, at least in public, she wouldn’t allow herself any tears.

  The speakers in the coffee shop played their usual soft, jazzy instrumental soundtrack and Courtney’s shoulders relaxed. It was a good distraction, but not so good that she couldn’t concentrate on her work.

  Forty-eight hours had passed and she’d had zero response from Nick. She’d called and left him a long message too, apologizing, begging to talk, telling him who Austin was without getting into the details, but Nick hadn’t responded to her phone call, either.

  Maybe Austin had been right—guys did need a long time to cool off. Or maybe he’d been wrong—Nick was going to throw away what they had over something he didn’t even understand.

  She gazed longingly around the shop—this was where she’d first met Nick. She straightened her shoulders and refocused her attention on her screen. She had to hold it together. No thinking about him. Deep breath.

  A few minutes later, the smell of freshly baked goods began to fill the air. Courtney took a sip of her blended ice coffee and glanced at the glass-enclosed food display under the counter. She watched as a barista unloaded freshly baked muffins and took another deep breath, this time to enjoy the sweet scent of cinnamon sugar. It was somehow comforting.

  Courtney had to go into the office for a few hours this afternoon for a monthly staff meeting. Kira was supposed to be there around that time, too, and Courtney was looking forward to seeing her. Kira’s sense of humor usually cheered her up.

  Courtney scrolled through the register of hotels, cross-referencing the last few with a long list of emails containing the updates she’d received from the individual property owners.

  It was late morning, and the coffee shop was still seeing a steady flow of customers. Courtney could usually tell who were the tourists and who had that local-resident vibe, even though she actually recognized only a handful of people. Regardless, it felt good to be out. Sitting at the cottage the past two days had started to become depressing.

  Seated against a window but facing the door, she did her best not to look up every time it opened. An hour later, Courtney happened to glance up when the door opened and was surprised to make eye contact with Gia. Gia had a bubbly and self-assured personality, and Courtney had liked her the most of Kira’s friends. Courtney waved and motioned to her to come over.

  Gia, with her long, almost white-blond waves and flawless, porcelain skin making a striking contrast against a purple sleeveless top, made her way over to Courtney’s table. “Hey, girl! How’s it going?” She slid into the chair across from Courtney.

  Courtney did her best to pretend that she was fine. “Hey, Gia! Well, you know. It’s going. I’m punching out a couple of things for work. How about you?”

  “I’m good, thanks! I’m on my way to work, too. Stopping in for the usual fix before a Friday afternoon wedding at the resort in Anderson. We’re booked solid for weddings all three days this weekend around town. Can you believe that?”

  “Oh, my gosh! But, yes I can believe it. That must be fun.”

  “Yeah, it is! Plus, I hear the entire resort is booked solid all week, too, with guests coming up for the holiday. This whole town is going to be full, so I hear. Do you have plans to see the fireworks?”

  Courtney swallowed the lump forming in her throat—she wouldn’t be with Nick for the holiday, would she? One of the potentially most romantic holidays and she would be spending it alone. She shook her head and plastered a smile across her lips.

  “Well, the girls and I are going to Marcy’s early in the day for the parade. She lives close to where the action will be. You should come! And she’s having a barbecue later on with a bunch of other locals. Apparently, you can see the fireworks from her yard.”

  Courtney nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, my gosh, I’d love to! Are you sure it’s all right?”

  “Absolutely. The more the merrier. Should be some cute guys there later, or so I’ve been told.” Gia winked. “And hey, speaking from one new girl to another, don’t feel like you’re intruding. From what I’ve seen so far, it seems like everyone who comes up here to spend the summer is super friendly and eager to hang out. They make the most of it, since there are only a few short months to play. You’re not overstepping your invitation or anything.”

  “Oh, okay, that’s good to hear. Thank you so much, Gia. I’m so glad I saw you today.”

  Seriously, if Gia only knew the extent of it. Courtney breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t even contemplated what she’d do for the holiday until now. She was beyond grateful to have plans.

  “I’ll text Kira and Marcy before I go to work,” Gia said, “to let them know you’re coming.”

  “Perfect. Can I bring anything?”

  “They just told me to bring some sort of side dish for the barbecue. I would say, if you did that, too, you’d be in good shape.”

  “Great. Thanks again.”

  “You bet! See you Tuesday.”

  Courtney waved. “See you then! Have fun at work!”

  “Great job, ladies. Keep it up.” Beecham had been more than pleased with Kira and Courtney regarding the lodging guide, the Fourth of July piece, and the video Kira had put together from last year’s extravaganza.

  Courtney had sped through the rest of her list at the coffee shop after talking with Gia. It seemed an improvement in her mood had made it a lot easier to finish the work on time.

  Kira followed Courtney out of the staff meeting. “I’m so glad you’re coming to Marcy’s on the Fourth. It’s going to be a blast. I was going to invite you today when I saw you, by the way, but I’m glad Gia beat me to it. Marcy and I just cooked this up the other day.”

  “Oh, thanks, Kira. I’m excited.”

  “Hey, you want to go to the beach with me tomorrow morning? I need to work on my tan.”

  “What are you talking about?” Courtney said. “I’m the one who needs to work on her tan.”

  Kira laughed. “Eh. All right, we both do.” She held up her arm to compare it to Courtney’s.

  Courtney grinned. “I’ll be there. What time?”

  Around eleven o’clock on Saturday morning, Courtney made her way through a small crowd on the sand at Headland State Park beach. She carried her blue duffel bag and wore her strapless pink bikini under her clothes.

  The day was warm, and the lake sparkled as rays of sunlight reflected off of the bright-blue water. A couple of people in their twenties threw a Frisbee at the far end of the sand while children splashed and played in the shallow swimming zone.

  A soft breeze blew through the trees surrounding the inlet, making for an all-around perfect day at the beach.

  “Hey, girl!” said Kira, sitting up to greet her. She adjusted her yellow bikini top.

  Courtney slipped off her flip-flops and straightened her towel on the sand next to Kira. She wiggled out of her denim shorts and tank top then leaned back on the sand. Kira resumed her sun-worshippin
g position on her back. They chatted about the latest gossip at the office and around town.

  Courtney asked if Kira had talked to Sam lately. Kira said she hadn’t in over a week, that she was doing a good job lately trying not to think about the man who had broken her heart.

  “Well, that makes one of us.” Courtney said, her expression sullen.

  “What are you talking about, Aussie? Wait—did something happen?” Kira turned to face Courtney, raising one eyebrow above her sunglasses. “Are you hung up on your ex again?”

  “Oh, no, it’s not that.” Courtney sat up and stared at the sand. “Nick and I had a fight.”

  “Really?” Kira looked stunned and sat up. “About what?”

  Courtney sighed. How much should she say? She decided to give her the facts. “It sounds horrible, but I let Austin—that’s the ex—come over to my place so we could talk the other night. I was getting really upset, and I had to get out of the bar before I made a scene.”

  Kira sat up. “No way? Really?”

  Courtney sat up next. “Really. It was after you left. I never should’ve brought him home with me. It was just that—well, we go back so far. It didn’t seem weird or like I was even stepping over any boundaries with Nick. I mean, it was just Austin—my ancient history ex-boyfriend. I basically hated him that night, but we had to have it out.”

  “So, how’d it go?”

  Courtney shrugged. “Well, it’s completely and utterly over—finally. I’m honestly really glad we talked.”

  “Oh, I get that,” Kira said. “Closure is everything.”

  Courtney explained how Nick had never texted to let her know he was cancelling on their date and how he’d stopped over the next morning after Austin had passed out on her couch. That he had shown up out of the blue and raced off angry without waiting for an explanation.

  “Oh, my gosh—get out?” Kira pulled off her sunglasses. Her hazel eyes had shot wide.

  “Yeah, and it did not go well, needless to say. Nick jumped to conclusions and the rest is history.”

  Kira waited for Courtney to go on.

  “But I feel terrible because I can see how Nick would view things that way. I mean, if the shoe were on the other foot, I certainly would’ve…” Courtney rolled her eyes. “Oh, I never should’ve brought him to my place.”

  “Right. Oh, man.” Kira shook her head.

  Courtney stared out at the lake. It felt good to unload a little, but the subject made her upset, regardless.

  “So, are you guys broken up?”

  Courtney shrugged again. “That’s the thing. I don’t know.” Her voice started to tremble. “It seems like it?” She took off her sunglasses and wiped an eye. “He won’t even return a simple text.”

  “Aw, honey,” Kira moaned. “I’m so sorry to hear that. You two were so cute together! Are so cute together.”

  Courtney blinked and gazed at the sand in front of their feet, wiping the moisture from beneath each eye. The beach was no place for tears.

  Kira put a hand on Courtney’s arm. “Keep trying though. He’ll come around. That boy has been happier lately than I’ve seen him all year. You did that. You two just need to talk.”

  Courtney sniffled. “Really? I mean—I’ve been trying to get him to talk, but he won’t let me in. It’s been radio silence on his end. So now, I’m giving him some time to cool off. I just don’t know how long it will take.”

  Kira sighed heavily. “Men. Amazing when they’re happy. Frustrating the rest of the time.”

  Courtney forced one side of her mouth up, put her sunglasses back on, and lay back down on her towel. Kira flipped over to sun her back.

  Courtney closed her eyes. “You’ve got that right.”

  The late afternoon air was heavy with humidity. Courtney inhaled the fresh scent of flowers surrounding the beautiful house and knocked on the door.

  Moments later, the lock turned and her landlord opened the heavy door. “I brought you something, Mrs. Brady,” she announced.

  Mrs. Brady’s eyes lit up. “Well, hello, Courtney. You did?”

  Courtney held out some books. “I stopped at the library yesterday and picked up a couple of the latest titles. I know how much you love to read mysteries. Have you seen these two yet?”

  Mrs. Brady’s expression melted into warmth as she carefully took the books from Courtney. “Why no, I haven’t seen these yet, dear. They look wonderful. That is so kind of you! Oh, and it’s the large print edition, too! You remembered me telling you that, didn’t you? That makes it much easier on these old eyes. Thank you so much.”

  Courtney smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  “And please, you should be calling me Victoria by now.”

  “Okay, thank you. I will. And I’m so glad—I was hoping you hadn’t read them yet.”

  “You know, this is wonderful timing. I just finished my latest book.”

  Courtney’s heart warmed. She didn’t know why, but she liked to make the woman happy.

  Courtney held up a paper bag from one of the local restaurants that Victoria had mentioned were on her list of favorites when they’d first met. “I also brought you dinner. It’s that pasta from the Heritage Grill you told me about.”

  “Oh, my goodness—my favorite fancy pasta with alfredo sauce? I was just wondering what was left of Josie’s cooking. I finished most of it last night.”

  Josie Schlagel cooked several days’ worth of meals for Victoria and stored them in the refrigerator for the five days per week she didn’t come to the house. Victoria had told her over one of their chats as she raved about Josie’s cooking.

  “I’m so glad I wasn’t too late for your dinner tonight, then.”

  “Courtney, won’t you sit down with me for a few minutes?” Victoria pointed to the inviting, wide porch.

  “Sure, I’d love to. How about I put this in the kitchen for you first?”

  “That would be wonderful. Thank you.” Courtney helped Victoria into a seat. Victoria sat back and Courtney ran inside. Returning, she took a seat on the sofa. They listened to the pleasant summer sound of the crickets chirping. “So how have you been lately?” she asked the older woman.

  “Oh…” Victoria waved off the question. “I’m just fine. Been a little more tired than usual, lately, but it’s nothing, I’m sure.” She looked concerned momentarily but quickly brushed that off, too. She leaned forward a little. “Now, my dear, I don’t mean to pry, but I’m going to anyway. I hope you don’t mind.”

  She grinned and Courtney laughed, suddenly nervous. “I noticed you and Nicholas were spending a lot of time together this month, and that made me so happy. He really is a wonderful young man, isn’t he?”

  Courtney nodded eagerly.

  If only she knew.

  “But I haven’t seen him here all week. Where has he been?”

  Courtney blushed and her face darkened. “You noticed, huh?” The woman could find the truth even when Courtney thought she was hiding it.

  Unfortunately, it seemed she could no longer hide it, but she could, at least, take the edge off of it. Courtney made her voice sound as casual as possible. “Yes, you’re right. We’ve been dating, but we had a little disagreement recently.”

  Victoria’s deep-green eyes filled with compassion. “Oh, that’s too bad. Is it something you can fix?”

  Courtney sighed, turning her gaze to the hydrangeas and the lake beyond. “I honestly don’t know.”

  Twenty-Two

  Five long days had come and gone since Nick had talked to Courtney, when Nick finally woke to a day without six thousand things to do. It was the Fourth of July, and although his shop wasn’t closed due to the large number of tourists in town, it would close early today. Still, he had a little more seniority there than most. He’d been one of the few employees to be given the day off.

  No tours were going out today, since the parade and fireworks would be keeping most visitors in town. The Fourth was a huge celebration in Heritage Bay, and probably ninety-f
ive percent of its residents and visitors, as well as those from neighboring villages, would be in attendance, filling the restaurants, bars, beaches, marina, parks, and streets. He was almost looking forward to the holiday, in spite of his current state of gloom.

  Like clockwork, however, Nick woke up at the break of dawn. He glanced at the time, groaned, and rolled over to grab another hour or two, eyelids-down.

  At eight, Nick woke again, this time to the aroma of sizzling bacon. He threw off the covers and made his way to the kitchen, where he found Tom creating a masterpiece out of a few basic breakfast ingredients.

  There’d been little mention of Courtney for a few days. Tom had pried into his life just enough to learn that something had happened and that they weren’t speaking right now, but Nick hadn’t offered much more.

  Whatever the case, Tom must’ve sensed that Nick wasn’t taking the situation casually. Tom knew Nick well enough to understand he’d talk when he felt like it, and not a minute sooner. And that was good, because, frankly, Nick had barely taken a moment to stop and really think things over since the day it happened.

  Work had been nonstop crazy for over a week. He’d been handling the problem with Courtney by not thinking about it.

  “Nice bed head.” Tom said when Nick came into the room. “Hungry?”

  Nick scrubbed a hand through his hair, pushing the longer strands back. “Starving.” He poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot and allowed his brain to register the daylight. The sun was out. He checked his phone for the day’s weather. The forecast was good.

  There was a voicemail from his mother. When would he come home for a visit—this summer? She and his father missed him and were looking forward to his decision about the fall.

  Kenny must’ve told her what Nick had told him recently, about the chance that he’d move back.

  Great. He hadn’t made any actual decisions yet and she was probably already searching for apartments for him. Right now, it was enough effort just to focus on one day at a time.