by Rachel Hanna
“Thanks for inviting me. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a home-cooked meal. Even back home, it was always takeout.”
“Well, we can’t have that! In fact, we have a Sunday family dinner just about every week. You are welcome to come anytime.”
Emma smiled. “Thank you. I just might take you up on that.”
A tall, very good looking man walked around the corner. Emma could tell he had a very easy-going nature about him. She assumed that he was Julie’s husband.
“Emma, I’d like you to meet Dawson, my husband.”
She reached her hand out and shook his. It was large and rough, and she could definitely tell that he probably worked with his hands quite a bit. “Nice to meet you. Thank you for having me over for dinner tonight.”
He waved his hand. “One thing you’ll learn about our little island is that everybody is family. You’re always welcome in our home.”
“Dawson grew up here. This home actually belonged to his grandmother, and he renovated it himself before opening it as an inn.”
“Well, that’s impressive. It’s a beautiful place, and you have such a wonderful stretch of beach.”
“Yes, we do. We spend quite a lot of time out there.”
“I don’t blame you. I would spend all of my time out there if I were you.”
Dawson chuckled. “You don’t have such a bad place there yourself. I’m sure the view from the lighthouse is absolutely stunning. I can’t wait to come for a tour. I’ve just been so busy lately that I don’t know when I can schedule it, but I promise I’ll come by and pay for a ticket.”
“It’s a stunning view, for sure. I am very blessed to live there.”
“Dinner’s ready,” a woman said, poking her head out from another room.
“Thanks, Lucy. We’ll make our way into the dining room,” Julie said.
“We better hurry up. You know how ornery she gets if we let the food get cold,” Dawson said with a laugh.
As they walked into the dining room, a little boy came running from seemingly nowhere and plopped down at the table.
“Dylan, that was very rude. You don’t run through the dining room, especially when we have a guest here.”
The little boy hung his head. “Sorry.”
“Thank you. Now, why don’t you say hello to Miss Emma. She’s running the lighthouse tours now.”
He looked up at her, his eyes wide. “You get to go inside the lighthouse?”
Emma smiled. “All day, every day. Have you seen it yet?”
“No. I have to go to stupid school all day. But mom said that we can go soon.”
Julie looked at him. “Don’t say stupid. That’s not nice. And when he finishes his science project, his reward will be going up in the lighthouse. I told him that my new friend, Emma, might tell him a super secret fact about the lighthouse that nobody else knows.”
Emma chuckled. “Well, I guess Emma should start finding out some new facts before then, huh?”
She was surprised at how easy it was to blend in with a family she had only just met. As Lucy brought the food in and everybody made their plates, the conversation was easy. She felt like she had known them forever, and that was a testament to just how kind and welcoming they were. How she wished that she had her own family like that with a handsome, sweet husband, and a perky little boy to keep her on her toes. It was what she had always wanted, a stable and happy family. Unfortunately, she had never really experienced that. Although she’d adored her mother, they didn’t get to have a picture perfect postcard life. It had been a financial struggle, and her mom had worked a lot when she was a kid.
“So, how are you liking Seagrove so far?” Julie asked.
“Honestly, I haven’t been anywhere past the lighthouse yet. I’ve been so busy trying to get everything ready that I haven’t even gone into town.”
Julie put her fork down, her eyes wide. “You haven’t gone to town? Well, that’s it. You must come to the bookstore. And my mom’s bakery. We can make sure that you go when she’s not working,” she said with a laugh.
“I would love to come to town. I promised Janine that I’d come take one of her yoga classes.”
“That would be great for you. I’m sure you need to unwind from all the stress of starting a new job in a whole new place. I totally understand what that feels like.”
“You do? So you’re not from here originally?”
“Oh, no. My story in a nutshell is that my husband of twenty-one years decided that he needed a younger model. We were supposed to be buying a beach house somewhere else and he came home from a business trip and dropped a bombshell that he was in love with someone else and had a son.”
“Are you serious? He had a kid you didn’t even know about?”
“Yes, it was quite a shock. I needed a new fresh start and I was alone, so I picked the cottage where Janine now lives, site unseen, and moved here. It was quite a whirlwind, and I’m not sure it’s something I would ever have the bravery to do again, but it turned out to be the best decision I ever made.” She looked at Dawson, reached over and squeezed his hand. Then she looked in the other direction and squeezed Dylan’s hand.
“So how many years ago was that?”
“Oh just a couple. Turned out that the cottage was in shambles. I had to hire a local contractor, and that was Dawson. We struck up a friendship and then it became more. And then we found out about Dylan who was in foster care at the time. He just became our son very recently.”
“Wow! I had no idea. You guys look like you’ve been a family forever. I just assumed that Dylan…” She didn’t want to finish her sentence by saying that she assumed he was theirs. Obviously, he was theirs. Just not biologically.
“I like to think that we were a family meant to be together by God,” Dawson said, smiling.
“I’m sure you’re right.” Emma took a sip of her sweet tea. “Congratulations on making such a wonderful life for yourself, Julie.”
“It is a wonderful life. And once I came here, I started working at the bookstore and then became part owner. And then we opened the inn. So, I’m just saying that so many things happened out of such a lonely beginning. When I first moved here, I thought for sure I’d made a mistake. I almost turned around and went back to my country club lifestyle.”
“What’s a country club?” Dylan asked. They all laughed.
“It’s something that I would never do again,” Julie said, ruffling the hair on top of his head.
They continued talking, and Emma was so thankful that nobody was asking her personal questions. It was like they knew that she wouldn’t be comfortable answering them anyway. She enjoyed the relaxing way they were able to talk without worrying about somebody springing something on her. It was the first time she felt this peaceful in well over a year, and probably more.
“Dessert?” Lucy asked, poking her head out of the kitchen once again. She hadn’t eaten with the family, saying that she had snacked too much while she was cooking dinner.
“No, thank you. I’m stuffed,” Emma said. Julie said the same, but Dawson and Dylan were more than happy to accept the chocolate muffins that she had made.
“Do you want to go sit out by the water and maybe have a glass of wine while these guys continue shoveling sugar into their faces? Julie asked, winking at her husband.
“Sure. It’s a beautiful night, so I would enjoy a nice glass of wine.”
A few minutes later, the two women were sitting in two white Adirondack chairs on the beach. The constant sound of the waves coming in and out and the warm ocean breeze made Emma feel like she just wanted to close her eyes and stay there forever. Even though she was on the ocean when she stepped out the back of her own cottage, there was just something about the little beach that Julie and Dawson had that felt so comfortable and right. She stared out over the water as she took a sip of her wine, noticing the moonlight dancing on each of the waves and then shattering into a million pieces as it hit the shore.
“Thank
you for dinner. It was wonderful.”
“You’re welcome. Lucy does all the heavy lifting. I like to cook, but she rarely lets me in the kitchen,” she said, giggling.
“It sounds like you’re a very busy woman anyway. I’m sure you enjoy the extra help.”
“I do. I complain, but I secretly love it.”
“You have a great family, Julie. You’re very blessed.”
She took a sip of her wine and nodded. “I am very blessed, for sure. Can I ask you something?”
Emma froze in her seat, her breath catching in her throat. Was she going to start asking her personal questions? She felt the sudden urge to bolt and run straight back to lighthouse.
“Of course.”
“Have you ever heard of an author named Charlotte McLemore?”
Emma let her breath out. “I think I’ve heard of her in passing. From a couple of friends. Why?”
“Everybody is talking about her books, and I have one I’m supposed to start reading but every time I get started, I get distracted by something else. I promised myself that I would sit in bed tonight and at least read the first chapter. If I like it, I’ll continue.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Emma said, laughing. “Every time I try to read in bed, I fall asleep within minutes.”
“Same here. I’ve given Dawson permission to elbow me until I finish chapter one.”
She really enjoyed talking to Julie. Emma really understood her. Even though she hadn’t been married or had a cheating husband, she certainly knew what it was like to run away from her old life and try to start a new one. She hoped that she would be as lucky as Julie had been.
“Well, I better get back. I’m so exhausted from today, and I want to get a really good night of sleep before tours start in the morning. I understand we have a third grade class coming for a field trip.”
Julie laughed. “You better get a lot of extra sleep for that.”
Emma stood up and gave Julie a quick hug. She was so thankful to already be making new friends. There was just something special about Seagrove Island, and she was thankful that God had somehow led her there. She felt like she had support, even from the people she hadn’t met yet.
“I’ll see you soon. I want to come by the bookstore.”
Julie smiled. “You’re going to love this little town. Let it support you, Emma. Whatever situation you came from, you can always find a new start in Seagrove. I am a testament to that.”
William couldn’t remember a time when he had felt more nervous than he did right now. After picking up Janine, who was dressed for a night on the town, they had gone dancing at an adorable jazz club in Charleston. The whole time they were dancing, he was afraid that she could feel his heart pounding out of his chest. Or could she feel that little black box with the diamond ring shoved down in his dress pants pocket.
Thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice. She was too busy dancing, throwing around her thick curly hair to the music. He was so happy to be out with her having a good time. Lately, they had seemed so busy with work that they didn’t get to do the fun things they used to.
Now, sitting across from her in the dimly lit restaurant, a single candle between them, he looked at her trying to figure out the words to say. He’d never done this before, after all. Proposing to a woman was something he had always planned to do, but the right woman had never come along. Until Janine.
He kept sneaking glances at her when she wasn’t looking. The way that the candlelight danced off her features just made her more beautiful. He didn’t even know that was possible. She smiled as she saw someone she knew across the restaurant, holding up her hand and waving at them. They often ran into people that took her yoga classes, and everyone loved her. She put her whole heart into everything that she did, and helping people was the most important part of who Janine was.
“I can’t wait to get my food. I’m starving,” she said, putting her napkin in her lap. The restaurant was fancier than any one they had ever been to. Cloth napkins and a maître d’. William had to check his credit card to make sure he was going to have enough money to pay for it, and that wasn’t something he often had to think about. It was just that expensive. But he wasn’t going to spare any expense when it came to proposing to the love of his life.
“Me too,” he said.
“Are you okay? You’ve seemed kind of nervous all night. Is everything all right at work?”
William laughed. “What could possibly go wrong on a boat?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I just figured that something must be going on because we never go out on fancy dates like this, and you seem awfully nervous.”
“No. Just happy to be here with you,” he said, reaching across the table and holding her hand. Maybe he would do it right now. There was no reason to wait for the dessert. He should just go ahead and do it so that he didn’t have to feel nauseous all the way through dinner.
“I love you,” she said, smiling at him. Yes, now was the exact right time to do it. It was the romantic moment he’d been waiting for.
“Janine, I need to ask you something…”
Before he could finish his sentence or drop to one knee, the waiter two tables over started banging a fork against a wine glass. Everybody in the restaurant turned to look.
“Ladies and gentlemen, join me in congratulating Sarah and Tate who just got engaged!”
The whole restaurant erupted in cheers and clapping, and William felt like he was going to throw up. He’d missed his chance. There was no way he was going to propose to Janine right after someone else had already done it. He wanted her to have the perfect moment, and this wasn’t it.
“Oh, that’s so sweet. They look like a really cute couple,”
“Yeah. Cute couple,” he said, his words coming out one at a time like he was choking on them.
“Well, before we got interrupted, you said you had a question to ask me?”
She sat there smiling expectantly. Did she know what he was going to ask? Was she assuming?
“Right… Well… I was just going to ask you… If you had any idea what time the spring festival starts?”
She sat there for a moment, her face falling slightly. “Oh. No, but I’m sure Julie knows. I can text her later.”
“Great.”
The awkward silence that hung between them was as thick as molasses. When the food came, they ate quietly, each of them avoiding eye contact and only talking about the food. How the rolls were nice and hot. How the soup was creamier than they’d imagined it would be. What had he done? He should’ve just popped the question when he had the chance. Now she was mad or sad or something.
William didn’t know what to do. If he proposed now, she was going to think that he was doing it forcibly. That he didn’t really want to but felt he had to. And it wouldn’t be the romantic gesture that he had planned. No matter how awkward it was, he had to find a different way to propose to her that would be something she would remember forever. A crummy, stupid restaurant wasn’t enough for her anyway. He was going to go big the next time.
Chapter 7
Julie walked into the bookstore to find Dixie sitting at the table, reading yet another Charlotte McLemore book. Luckily, there didn’t seem to be any customers in the store just yet since it was pretty early.
“Good morning,” Dixie said, hardly looking up.
“You’re reading another one?”
“Yes, I am. And I swear this one is better than the other one. I don’t know how she does it. She’s like a genius or something,” Dixie said, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.
“You’re such a fangirl.”
“So, did you read that book?”
Julie scrunched her nose and shook her head. “No. I tried last night but I got one page in, and I fell asleep on Dawson’s shoulder. He kept elbowing me, but it didn’t do any good. But I’m going to try to read some on my lunch break today.”
“Charlotte’s coming in just a few days. You’ve got to get
it read or she’s going to know it. She’s going to realize that you didn’t like the book…”
“I never said I didn’t like it. I’m just exhausted. By the way, have you talked to Meg about the wedding for me?”
Dixie shrugged her shoulders. “I’m going to do that. I just got so caught up in this book last night that I totally forgot to call her again…”
Julie pulled the book out of her hand. “Young lady, you are not allowed to read anymore of this book until you get your chores done.”
Dixie cackled with laughter. “You know I’ve got a stack of those books right behind me, don’t you? I’ll just grab another one.“
“You wouldn’t dare!” Julie said, laughing as she handed the book back to Dixie. “But try to at least get some work done today.”
“Well, I’ve got some bad news on that front. I’ve actually got a physical therapy appointment in a few minutes. I’ll be gone for at least a couple of hours.”
“That’s okay. I can handle this place by myself.” Dixie stood up, walked behind the counter and retrieved her handbag.
“I’ll bring you back some lunch from the café. Chicken salad croissant?”
“Yes, and tell Dorothy to go extra heavy on the chicken. The last time it was more bread than anything else. That new girl doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
Dixie smiled and nodded before walking out the front door. Julie loved the familiarity of living in Seagrove. Everybody knew everybody else. Of course, that also meant that everybody was in everybody else’s business, but it still felt like home. Much more like home than any other place she’d ever lived, including where she raised her daughters.
Seagrove was like this strange little hamlet that most people didn’t know about, but it was heaven on earth to her. It was where she had found Dawson and Dylan, and it was where she planned to spend the rest of her days.
This time of the morning was her favorite at the bookstore. Even though there were a lot more tourists in town right now, very few of them came to the bookstore until after lunch. It gave her time to tidy up, get the coffee ready for the day and just spend some quiet time with herself. That was something that she didn’t get a lot of these days with a young son to raise.