Page 12 of Hometown Harbor 4

They woke at dawn, and Deenie immediately began to cry. It was their last day together, and it was time to go to Houston with her father. Hopefully, she could convince him to buy her a car, which would lessen the miles between them.

She made waffles from the box, fried eggs, cantaloupe, and bacon. Coffee had come into her life only recently when she had to stay awake for hours with Dalton. Six months ago, she swore it off, but now she drank it black. It wasn’t the taste she liked but the stimulant effects.

“This feels like The Last Supper or the final meal before being executed,” Dalton said.

“Oh, no. Both of those are so negative. It’s a bountiful feast and the beginning of a new chapter. Don’t get negative on me now,” Deenie said as she flicked him with the napkin.

“I know. I should get back to enjoying the moment. I keep thinking that this or that will happen when my leg gets better, but I can’t waste time. Doctor Santorini said I won’t really be healed for a year, and there will be setbacks.”

“You’re equipped to deal with whatever comes your way. Your uncle agreed to pay for therapy, which he encourages you to get. This big milestone has been dramatically altered, and you might need help accepting that. There will be plateaus, but that just means you’re moving along in your recovery. Things happen so fast at first, and you anticipate that things will keep going that way. It will take patience, and that’s up to you.”

“You’ve been reading up on this,” Dalton said.

“I have been since I find it interesting. Nursing was a direction I thought I might want to go because jobs are easy to come by, and I pictured myself as a traveling nurse. I wanted to see the world and get paid for it. Now, it’s the actual job that I’m interested in. I like the science aspect of things and taking care of people.”

“You sound like you have it all figured out,” he said.

“For now, I reserve the right to change my mind a bunch of times before I commit,” Deenie said with a chuckle.

Her phone rang, and it was her father saying that it was time to get moving. He wanted an early start, and she still had some packing to do. Her hands shook when talking to her dad because the end was really here. Deenie didn’t know how she was going to wake up in the morning without seeing Dalton to look forward to. He had become such a big part of her life in such a short time. She gathered the breakfast dishes and cleaned up while Dalton sat quietly on the couch. Deenie knew he was dealing with his own emotions.

Dalton surprised her at the sink and placed his arms around her. They were both in tears as they stood in silence. Young love was euphoric, but when it was time to say goodbye, it was gut-wrenching.

Deenie didn’t even bring up the conversation she had with Quinnie. She was convinced that she and Dalton would beat the odds.

Dalton stayed at Marcus’ place, and his mother would pick him up later. The house would be chaotic with packing and goodbyes, so they said their goodbyes.

“I know I will see you again soon, but this isn’t easy. You’re my first true love,” Deenie said.

“You’re mine, too, and what we have surprises me. I’ll count the days until we see each other again, and I’ll think of you every day.”

They shared a passionate lingering kiss before Deenie sped off.

9

Tabitha, Mel, Deb, and April met on the deck the following morning, and they had one thing in mind. They had to find a dress for Mel to wear for her aisle walk. There were three boutiques in downtown Melbourne Beach that they identified as places they might find what they were looking for.

They drove because it was still raining, but they were all Floridians, so they didn’t worry. Every rainstorm was not destined to be a hurricane. Tourists were fleeing the town who thought Hurricane Martha was coming straight for Melbourne Beach.

“I can’t count the number of times the people from coastal towns evacuated and our family stayed put,” Tabitha said. “With a father named Tank, nothing was going to take us down.”

“I like it when everyone leaves. We have the entire town to ourselves,” April said.

“Deb, I’m taking your word that I shouldn’t buy online,” Mel said. “I saw some cute little numbers, but I trust you.”

They were walking and ducking into every other storefront for a respite from the rain.

“No, you don’t have enough time to send it back and get a replacement if you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit. As long as you’re not looking for a long white dress, we’ll be fine,” Deb said. “Please tell me you aren’t looking for a long white dress?”

Mel shook her head. “I did that once, and this time, I’d like something blue or lavender. I haven’t asked you, Deb. Will you do my hair?”

“I would be completely offended if you trusted anyone else with your locks on your wedding day,” Deb said as they neared the first boutique. “I want the least traditional wedding I can pull off.”

Mel, April, and Tabitha stopped dead in their tracks. They looked at Deb with mouths agape.

“Is there something you forgot to tell us?” Mel asked.

“Like that you’re getting married?” April asked.

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