Page 78 of So Close

Right now? She felt like a mug that had been shattered and glued back together again.

“What should we do today?” Priya asked.

“Have you been to Nehalem Bay State Park?”

Priya shook her head.

“It’s really pretty. And the weather’s nice, so you could have a real beach day. There are horseback rides down there, too.”

“Research,” Aria said. “For my cowboy.”

“This stay has been so inspiring,” Priya said. “I don’t think I’ve ever done a writing retreat where there’s been so much material to draw on.” And then she fell silent, her gaze dropping to the table, realizing what she’d said, and how it didn’t matter anymore.

Auburn’s own chest felt painfully tight, but it wasn’t the flu.

When most of the others had gone, Dewann and Rick were left. It was their morning to check out, and they’d already brought their suitcases down and stowed them behind the front desk.

“So,” Auburn said, as she picked up their plates. “When will you two be back in Tierney Bay?”

She hadn’t made a general announcement to her guests about what was going to happen to Beachcrest. She’d wait until—well, until the documents were signed, she guessed.

Dewann and Rick exchanged glances. “Well, funny you should ask. We, er, bought a place.”

“You—”

“A little house. A shack, really. Out a ways, just off 101. So we won’t be coming to Beachcrest anymore. Because, well, we’ll live here.”

“Together,” Rick said.

Auburn didn’t let her surprise or pleasure show. If she made a big fuss, she’d embarrass them both. She just said, “Well, congratulations, then.”

She was about to say,Would you still come have breakfast for old time’s sakes?And then she remembered. It kept slipping away and surging back, the realization that it was all ending, that there would be no more Beachcrest breakfasts, or anything else. No old time’s sakes. No memories to revisit, no people coming back to hold weddings after they’d met here, or to commemorate anniversaries after they’d married here. No one renewing vows for 60ths after celebrating 10ths.

Not ever.

And the weight of it threatened for a moment to crush her.

Then she saw the way Dewann was looking at Rick, and Rick was looking back at Dewann. It was pure joy and devotion in their eyes—a kind of peace and acceptance andfreedomthat she hadn’t seen very many times on their faces.

And everything shifted, like a spell had been lifted.

Or cast, maybe. Like some magic had been done.

She took a deep breath for what felt like the first time in days.

“It’s not just about me, is it?”

“What isn’t?” Rick asked, understandably confused.

“Beachcrest. Keeping it. Selling it.”

Dewann tilted his head, listening patiently.

“It’s about you guys. And Carl. And Deja and the others … Priya saying this was the best place to have a writing retreat.”

And Trey, she thought, but didn’t say it aloud. She wasn’t even a hundred percent sure what she meant by including him. Only that—well, if there had ever been a person who needed Beachcrest, it was Trey Xavier. She hoped—

She hoped that he would still laugh sometimes and eat the occasional biscuit or hot dog. And maybe he would think about her when he did.

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