by Cynthia Swan
And instead of everyone being annoyed with her, they forgave her quirks, as Hazel called them.
The rest of the night passed slowly. Dalton walked up the stairs to his house, exhausted and tired of thinking about his next-door neighbor.
When he heard soft music on the wind, he looked across the yard and saw her wrapped in a quilt, out on the patio by the pool, dancing in the moonlight.
He shook his head and went inside. A while later he decided what needed to be done, and slipped outside.
It was dark next door as he crept up the stairs and left the package at her door.
8
The sky was a brilliant blue; the waves lapped at the shore, and the sun shone brightly, promising a slightly warmer day. With that in mind, Christy dressed in a long-sleeved fleece hoodie and leggings.
She went downstairs to make a cup of tea with the thought of sitting on the deck and listening to an audiobook. She looked out the window to see several pelicans flying by. They were such funny-looking birds. The birds liked to hang out on the pier, hoping to steal a fish or two. It was shaping up to be a perfect day. And it was all hers to do with as she pleased.
It wasn’t windy today, but to be safe she tossed a blanket over her shoulder to take outside with her.
When she opened the door, Christy almost tripped over something. It was a bright pink beach bucket, a purple shovel, and a blue and pink floral beach towel. She kneeled down, setting the insulated tumbler full of chai tea beside her as she pulled the rest of the items out of the bucket.
There was a bottle of sunscreen, a pair of blue sunglasses with crystals across the top of the frames, and leaning against the house, a bag of oranges.
The note was at the very bottom of the bucket which now that it was empty, she could see the bucket was in the shape of a castle.
The note was brief and to the point. Just like him.
I’m sorry. I’ve been an insufferable jerk. Please accept my apology.
Go to breakfast with me.
Mabel makes the best homemade waffles
and pancakes in Magnolia Beach.
Signed,
The guy who wants a second chance to make a first impression,
Dalton
The note made her smile. He was one of the few men who hadn’t hit on her. Was her hair really what made her pretty?
Most of the models she knew would be furious Dalton hadn’t hit on them, but not her. When he wasn’t being a jerk, Dalton James, Mr. Unaffected delighted and intrigued Christy. Especially when he’d told her she wasn’t his type, no offense.
The funny thing about people saying ‘no offense’? They always meant what they were saying to be offensive. She’d never been told she wasn’t someone’s type. According to most guys, models were everyone’s type, just ask Leo.
She knew all about second chances, so Christy put everything back in the bucket, carried everything inside the house, then put the oranges in the fridge. A smile on her face, she put the note on the side of the fridge, using a magnet in the shape of a sea turtle to keep it in place.
If it wasn’t windy tomorrow, maybe she’d make a sandcastle on the beach. And if she was feeling daring, she’d sit in the sun for an hour or two.
Halfway down the stairs, Christy paused. Dalton was striding towards her. He looked so ruggedly handsome dressed in a pair of worn jeans, a blue plaid flannel shirt, and a pair of aviator sunglasses that she had to remember to breathe.
“You got my peace offering?”
She smiled, thinking of all the pink, imagining him buying everything.
“I did. I forgive you.” Christy held out a hand. “Truce?”
Dalton took her hand in his.
“Hi. I’m Dalton. Your next-door neighbor. Welcome to Magnolia Beach.”
The sun warmed her skin, the sound of the ocean in the background, as she held his hand, wishing she could stop time.
“Christy. Nice to meet you.” She giggled.
He opened the door to his truck for her. Once she was inside, he came around to the other side and climbed in.
“It’s nice and warm in here.”
He backed out of the driveway.
“I put the heat on before I came over so it would be warm.”
“You must have been pretty sure your apology would work.”
Dalton grinned. “I didn’t think you could resist a pink bucket. I’ll build you a castle.”
“With a moat.”
He laughed. “We can line it with shells instead of sharks.”
“I’m so excited for pancakes. Or waffles.”
She hadn’t had either before. Would they taste different?
Dalton chuckled.
“Trust me, you’ll want one of each. I called Mabel to tell her we’re on our way, to save us a table.”
Christy wished she could tell Sara all about the new food she’d tried. She had to believe Sara knew, and that she was looking down and cheering Christy on as she figured out how to enjoy her newfound freedom.
It was a quick drive to the motel slash restaurant. There weren’t many cars parked in front of the rooms. The doors to the rooms were all painted a different bright color.
Most of the cars were clustered down on the end by the restaurant. Mabel’s Place. It was simple and homey, sending an ache of longing through Christy so strong, for a moment she couldn’t breathe.
What would it be like to call Magnolia Beach home? Everyone was so nice and her aunt was here. How could she make it work? She thought about life changes as they went inside and sat down.
The menus were paper placements, the writing blue on the white paper with a border of flowers around the menu.
“Don’t worry about deciding, get one of each.”
She let out a grateful sigh.
“That sounds perfect. This will be another first.”
Dalton snapped his head to her, and she braced, waiting for another snarky comment, but this time he surprised her.
“I’m glad I’m the one to introduce you to Mabel’s famous pancakes and waffles. Would you let me order for us?”
“I’m in your hands.” She stretched her long legs under the table on the other side of Dalton.
Oh my. When he smiled, he was devastating. Self-absorbed movie star Devlin Walker had nothing on Dalton James.
After he ordered, they chatted, sipping freshly squeezed orange juice while they waited for their food. Dalton introduced her to several people in town. Her aunt stopped by their table, her eyes twinkling when she saw Christy with Dalton.
The smell made her turn, sniffing the air.
“You look like Bandit when you sniff the air.” Dalton grinned.
“I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
Christy inhaled again as Dalton laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
“The smell is amazing, but just you wait until the first bite.”
The server set a plate in front of each of them. There was a waffle with maple syrup and a pat of butter in the shape of a shell. A second plate held the pancakes.
“Are those blueberries in the waffles?”
Dalton nodded. “They are.”
He leaned across the small table, whispering. “The secret is a splash of amaretto.”
Flavor exploded in her mouth with the first bite. The blueberries, the syrup, the touch of amaretto, all coming together with the light and fluffy waffle. It was enough to make her groan in pleasure.
“Try the pancakes.”
Dalton took a bite, a look of pure delight on his face.
Christy did the same.
“They’re delicious.”
The pancakes had the same pat of butter in the shape of a shell. Instead of blueberries, they’d drizzled the pancakes with maple syrup and a mixed berry syrup, and sprinkled raspberries over the top.
She took another bite, alternating between the waffle and pancakes.
“I can’t decide which is my favorite.”
Dalton wiped his mouth.
“We wouldn’t want to hurt the waffles’ feelings if we picked the pancakes, so let’s call it a tie.”
She grinned, liking this easy-going version of him.
“A tie it is.”
They’d almost finished breakfast when a man stood, clearning his throat. He stopped Mabel, a pitcher of orange juice in her hand.
Gently, he took the pitcher, handing it to a passing server. The room went quiet, everyone waiting, enormous smiles on several faces.
“What’s happening?” She whispered.
Dalton leaned back in his chair.
“Earl’s going to propose.” He grinned at the couple.
“They’ve been dating since Thanksgiving, though he’s had a thing for her forever.”
Earl cleared his throat again.
“Mabel. I fell for your cooking the day you opened this place.”
“You’ve been coming here every day since.” Someone called out.
The man with the kind brown eyes smiled at everyone.
“I have. I came for the food and found my heart.”
Several women sighed. Mabel’s hand went to her throat.
“Every day I fell harder and harder for you. You’re my sun, moon, and stars. Constant as the waves.”
He went down on one knee as tears streamed down Mabel’s face. Christy wiped her cheeks, sniffling.
“We go together like the sand and the ocean. Make me the happiest man in the world and say you’ll be my wife. My partner. Let’s grow old together, my angel.”
He opened a blue ring box, holding it out to her.
Christy blew her nose, not caring she was crying along with the other women in the restaurant. A few of the men discreetly wiped their cheeks.
Mabel let Earl slide the ring on her finger. She threw her arms around him, laughing and crying at the same time.
“I love you, Earl.”
Then she smacked his shoulder, a huge grin plastered across her face.
“What on earth took you so long?”
He pulled her into his arms, kissing her as everyone clapped.
“This is the best breakfast ever.”
Christy wiped her eyes.
When she looked over at Dalton, his eyes were bright.
“Yes. Yes, it is.” He said, looking not at Earl and Mabel but at her.
Warmth filled her.
Dalton cleared his throat.
“I don’t know how to top this, but how about a walk on the pier? We’ll see if anyone’s catching anything today.”
“Other than a spouse?” She laughed.
“I’d love to walk. I’m so full that if I don’t move, I think I’ll sleep until spring.”
He paid for their breakfast, stopping to congratulate Earl and Mabel on the way out.
Dalton drove them to the pier, saying it would be windy later, and he didn’t want her to catch a chill.
“I really am sorry for how awful I’ve been to you.”
She looked over at him, his hands gripping the steering wheel.
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not, but I feel even worse you’ve let me off the hook so easy.”
The breakfast. The proposal. It was a perfect day and Christy wouldn’t let Dalton feel bad, not today.
“Life’s too short to be in a foul mood. I’d rather be happy.”
He parked, then jumped out and came around to open her door.
“You have such a positive outlook all the time. I don’t get it.”
She pulled on the blue sunglasses he’d given her. They weren’t her usual black, but she liked how they tinted the world in a wash of blue, almost like being underwater.
“I’m not a Pollyanna, don’t think that I am. My career can be difficult. I recently lost a friend, she couldn’t take the pressure. Sara was a model. She took her own life after she was relentlessly bullied and trolled online. I didn’t know how much she was hurting. I miss her terribly.”
Christy looked up at the sky, knowing deep in her bones, her friend had found peace.
“It’s easier than people think to fall. One day you’re down and a month from now, you’re at the bottom of a deep black well. So I choose to be happy. I try to let go of the things I can’t control and focus on what I can. Sometimes it works, other times it’s hard.” She shrugged. “I’m a work in progress.”
Christy touched his arm.
“Today is perfect, let’s enjoy the day.”
“You got it.”
Dalton took her hand in his as they walked along the pier.
As they meandered along, stopping to see what the couple of hardy souls out fishing this morning had caught, Christy noticed two dogs running towards them, tongues lolling.
“Hey Bandit. Hey Smoky.”
Dalton bent down to pet the wriggling dogs.
The brown and white dog leaned against her, tail wagging as she petted his fur and stroked his ears.
“I see you’ve met the monsters.”
A couple came up to them, smiles on their faces.
“Alex. Rose. Meet Christy. The dogs belong to them.”
The man laughed. “I think we belong to them.”
As the men talked about an upcoming fishing tournament, Rose looked at her, cocking her head. The intensity of her stare made Christy want to dive over the railing and into the ocean.
Please. No.
“Let’s walk.” Rose looked back at her fiancee and it was then Christy knew. How had Rose found out?
“You’re even more beautiful in person.”
Christy’s heart beat in time to the waves.
“What are you talking about?”
Rose kept her voice low.
“Don’t worry, no one knows.”
“Knows what?” She could hope, couldn’t she?
Rose was average height with pretty blond hair and lively blue eyes. She’d dressed in jeans and a warm coat to keep the wind at bay. The ring on her finger sparkled in the light.
“I get all the fashion magazines. I’m addicted and you’re my favorite. It took me a minute, seeing you without makeup and the changes to your hair, but I remember a picture of you from several years ago, you were on the beach and looked so naturally pretty.”
She smiled. “I kept a copy of that picture for years, trying to perfect the no makeup look. It’s really the only reason I recognized you. I don’t think other people will. A lot of celebrities look entirely different without makeup. Add a dramatic hair color and cut, and I think Jessica Chastain could go unrecognized without makeup and say, super short pink hair.”
Christy stopped, a hand on the rail. She turned to Rose, but before she could speak, Rose gently touched her sleeve.
“I get it. You’re hiding out here.”
Rose started walking again so no one could listen in on their conversation.
“I know what it’s like to hide out, trust me.”
She waited until Christy met her eyes.
“I’ll keep your secret.” Then she grinned. “Your aunt is sneaky.”
Christy swallowed, hoping maybe, just maybe she’d found another friend.
“Hazel knows too.”
At this bit of news, Rose smirked.
“That woman knows everything. Hazel was the first person I met when I arrived in Magnolia Beach.”
Rose looked over at a man who was reeling in his line. They both laughed when he pulled up an old tin can.
“My car died as I coasted into the Sip and Shop. I was still wearing my wedding dress.”
Now Rose had her full attention, Christy loved a wonderful story.
“What happened?”
They moved on from watching the old guy toss the tin can in the trash as he muttered under his breath.
As they walked along the pier, Rose told her the story of how she’d found out her best friend and fiancee were cheating on her, right before she was supposed to walk down the aisle. How she’d fled and ended up here, how she’d met Alex.
Christy had wonde
red about his faded scars. The guy could have been a model without them with his build and facial structure. He had brown hair and green eyes, and seemed perpetually happy, though from Rose’s story it had taken him a long time to get to a place of happiness. He was brave to rescue a complete stranger, and at a significant cost to himself. They made a perfect couple.
They were walking back to Alex and Dalton when Christy put it together.
“You own the Great Escape sanctuary. You have goats, right?”
“Yes, and yes. They’re so cute. You must come by and see them and their cute little sweaters.”
Christy pulled her hat down over her ears. “I love goats in sweaters. Have you ever tried goat yoga? It’s so much fun. You laugh the entire time.”
“We have an instructor offering the first goat yoga class. Amanda and I were planning to try it out. Come join us?”
“Come where?” Alex kissed Rose on the cheek.
“Who’s Amanda?” Christy smiled at the two of them, so obviously well-suited to each other.
“Amanda’s going to be my sister-in-law. You’ll love her.” Rose smiled up at Alex before looking back at Christy.
“She has a great story about how she came back to Magnolia Beach.”
Christy grinned at them. “I love a delightful story. I can’t wait.”
9
The next day Christy and her aunt spent the day poking through a couple of dusty antique stores a few towns over. They’d stopped for lunch at a place that claimed to have the best hot dogs in the state.
“You’re right, these are amazing.” Christy finished the last bite of the delicious hot dog.
Alice wiped her mouth with a napkin. Her aunt always looked so well put together. Today she’d dressed in a red cashmere sweater, navy pants and had accessorized with red and navy jewelry.
“Is that really the first hot dog you’ve ever eaten?”
Christy licked her fingers, happy no one was around to snap her photo and post it all over social media.
“Yep, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.” She grinned and ate one more hush puppy.
“I feel like an entirely different person. I’m trying new foods, sleeping and waking up whenever I want, and basically doing nothing all day. It’s glorious.”