Page 83 of Between Two Shores

Beth swallowed. “Tell me what I need to do for you to give me another chance. We can take things slow. It was wrong of me to rush you before. I can show you I’ve changed. Please forgive me and we can start over. Yours truly, Nick.”

Lachlan whistled through his teeth. “Wow. He sure laid it on thick and heavy.”

Beth glanced at him with unshed tears.

No—she’d fallen for it. His gut turned in knots. Surely her dad was opposed to this. Wasn’t Beth confiding in him tonight?

He was scared to ask, but he had to. “So, is that it? You’re going back to him?”

With narrowed eyes, she tilted her head “Lachlan . . . I made up my mind before I even opened the envelope.”

Of course, she had. Beth would feel obliged to keep her promise to Nick.

“Right back when we met his mother.” She touched his leg. “I’m not the one to rescue him. As you said—I was caught up in someone else’s dream. One that wasn’t real. I belong here.” A tear trickled down her cheek. She wiped it away. “This whole thing has helped me see the deepest part of my motivations. Sad to say—it wasn’t pretty.”

Lachlan faced her completely. She had his undivided attention.

“Exposing my flaws to you isn’t easy. But I’ve had the a-hah moment.”

She cupped some sand and let the granules seep through her fingers. “I’ve always lived in Dad’s shadow. Even at conferences, other leaders referred to me as Winston’s daughter—not the co-director at Harbor of Hope. I grew up in this one community and never left. I’ve been a bridesmaid three times, never the bride. But I had responsibilities and no time to partner. Simon needed help with his homework in the evenings. I ironed uniforms, packed lunches, and motivated the kids to do their chores. I was the mum.” Beth gave a small smile. “When things got easier, I helped with charity admin and fundraising events.”

“It’s one of the things that drew me to you, Beth. On the island, I was amazed how much you sacrificed for your family and the community. None of that was wasted. Your brothers and sisters are great people. You were the glue that held your family together.”

“I love my family. I have no regrets. I even enjoyed running the household. But it cost me. One day, I looked around, and all the good guys had been married off. It was too late. By the time I was free, no one was interested.” Her fingers drew in the sand, and she mumbled, “There was Braydon but he—wasn’t who I’d expected.” She shook her head. “Would say one thing but didn’t follow through on the integrity part.”

Beth tucked her knees under her chin. “When Nick came along, I allowed my vulnerability to open the door for irrational behavior. No way would I accept a proposal in two weeks when in my twenties.” She glanced at Lachlan and smiled. “I was Mrs. Responsible. How far had I slipped? Totally desperate.”

He touched her arm. “You’re being way too hard on yourself. Nick presented that he had it all. You thought you hit the jackpot. There’re studies that show people around someone who’s elevating get caught in the excitement. Even the silliness and joking are contagious until something doesn’t seem right, and before they know it becomes scary. That happened to you. Things didn’t add up in L.A. It could have happened to anyone, Beth.”

She wiped another tear away. “You’re too kind, Lachlan. Thanks for believing the best of me.”

He took her hands. “You are the best. I—love—being with you. My rare treasure. The one I want to protect and make sure you don’t get hurt again.”

“I won’t get hurt again. Or even consider giving Nick another chance.”

“So, what did you decide to say to him?”

“I thought you could help me word it with sensitivity. Can we go for that walk?

“Sure.” He stood first and helped Beth up. Then he brushed the sand off his pants. Lachlan shivered and rubbed his shoulder. Beth had a blue cardigan on, but it looked thin. “It’s starting to get cold. Do you want my jacket?”

“I’m okay.”

Lachlan circled her back briefly with his palm. “If you say so.” He dropped his hand, and they headed toward the yacht club. He let out a loud sigh. “Man, I was so worried about you.”

“Sorry I didn’t call you last night. Study finished later than expected. Then I was on a long call to Cassie.”

“She’s still number one for a go-to.”

Beth grabbed his hand and stopped him. “Hey. You’re my best friend, Lachlan. But you’ve got to admit—you’d be biased in this situation.”

He smirked. “Is that so?”

Beth raised a brow but said nothing.

“I drafted a reply to Nick.” She dug into her cardigan pocket, retrieved her iPhone, and opened the app. “Let me know if it comes across too harsh.” Beth wriggled her nose and walked as she read.

“Dear Nick,

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