Page 34 of A Future in the Bay

“I’m sure you’ll fall in love with it,” he said, cocking his head at her.

“I might,” she blurted, and then she flushed again.

At that moment, Heidi came back to the front desk, smiling cheerfully. “All right, Isaiah, let’s get you all checked out,” she said, sitting down with a breezy attitude.

Isaiah smiled at Heidi and then glanced back toward Gwen—but she’d already disappeared.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Willis pushed open the door to Marsha’s little cottage by the ocean, taking a deep breath of the familiar smell of her home. The scent of her house varied a little depending on what scented candles she’d been burning, but it always smelled fragrant with floral aromas. That afternoon it smelled like lavender and cedar.

He smiled, hearing the sound of Marsha laughing with someone else in the craft room at the back of her home. He knew that someone must be Johanna, since he’d recognized her car in the driveway. He strode down the hallway, eager to see his girlfriend and give her a kiss.

The door to the craft room was open, and he stepped through it, grinning at the two women who were seated across from each other at the craft table, sipping mugs of tea and laughing.

“Willis!” Marsha cried with enthusiasm when she saw him, and she stood up and hurried into his arms.

“I hope I’m not intruding,” he said, planting a quick kiss on Marsha’s mouth. “You ladies look busy.”

“We’re having another knitting lesson,” Marsha informed him, giving his hand a squeeze before he drew back.

“But don’t worry, we’re almost done,” Johanna said, looking up from the sweater she was knitting and grinning at him. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone in a minute here.”

“How are the lessons coming?” Willis asked, stepping over to the craft table, where Marsha’s sweater was resting. It looked as though it was going to turn into an impressive work of art. Johanna’s sweater, which she was holding in her hands, was made of a far simpler pattern but looked neat and professional.

“Amazing,” Marsha said warmly. “Johanna is an excellent student.”

“You know, a few months ago, I would never have agreed with that statement,” Johanna said, taking a sip of her tea. “And I still think ‘excellent’ is much too hyperbolic, but I am proud of what I’m making here. I really have made improvements.”

“Country living is growing on you, it seems,” Marsha teased, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “Look at these country girl skills you’re mastering.”

Johanna chuckled. “Dating a fisherman will do that to you. I’m starting to feel like I grew up out here.” Her eyes glowed when she talked about her boyfriend, Everett Howell.

“Wow, you’ve got it that bad, huh?” Willis teased. “Marsha, we need to do something for poor Johanna. Love is brainwashing her.”

Johanna laughed. “Let it brainwash me. I can’t believe that a few years ago, I thought I’d never want to move away from New York City.”

The three friends continued to banter and chat for a while longer, and then Johanna swallowed the rest of her tea and stood up briskly.

“I should get going,” she said, smiling. “I’m making dinner for that fisherman of mine tonight, and I want to make sure I get started on it now so that it’s ready when he gets done with fishing.”

Johanna said goodbye to Willis, and then Marsha walked her to the front door. Willis stood in the craft room for a moment, admiring the sweater that Marsha was knitting and wondering if she was planning on giving it to him—it was dark green, his favorite color, and it looked as though it was going to be his size. He smiled, feeling a rush of fondness for her sweep through him.

When he heard the front door close, he turned and started walking down the hallway toward his girlfriend.

“Want some iced tea?” Marsha asked him, giving him another hug when they reached each other. “We can drink it out on the back porch and catch up about our days.”

“Sounds great,” he said. He loved their time sitting on the back porch together. They would sit and drink beverages and talk about everything that was on their minds. It was a time for them to be quiet together and become even closer as a couple.

A few minutes later, they were sitting next to each other on a couple of comfortable wicker chairs, holding hands and sipping the delicious iced tea that Marsha had made.

“How was your day, sweetheart?” she asked him warmly. “How’s everything at The Crab?”

“Today went well,” he said, smiling at her. “The Crab had a lot of customers, and no complaints. And!” He grinned when he remembered his news. “I talked to Hannah today. She and Luke are coming to visit for Caitlin’s wedding. I can’t wait to see them.” His daughter, Hannah, and her boyfriend, Luke, were both away at college together, and he always looked forward to their visits.

“I can’t wait to see them either,” she said, clearly thrilled by the news. “I know she’s been visiting as often as she can, but it never feels like quite enough. Do you think she’ll visit a little more often after she graduates?”

“I do,” he said, smiling and feeling a rush of nostalgia. He’d hoped that Hannah would move back to Blueberry Bay for goodafter graduating, but he knew she needed to do what was best for her and her music career. “I think she’ll want to keep spreading her wings to pursue her music passion, but I hope she’ll always come home whenever she can. I know she loves her roots here, and she’s going to keep her hometown close to her heart.”

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