Page 22 of A Place for Daydreams

She ended up in a small park at lunch time, where she ate her meal sitting at a picnic bench and looking out across the sparkling waves.

She found herself thinking about Dean again. She’d really admired the way he ran his business, and she could tell that he’d put a lot of years of hard work into it. She felt determined to help his quality of life improve, so that he had the energy to do all the things he liked to do.

When she was done with her lunch, she continued to wander around Rosewood Beach. She saw many beautiful things, and had an energizing, relaxing afternoon. No matter where she went or what she did, however, she kept thinking about Dean.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Alexis pushed open the glass front doors of the Rosewood Beach General Store and took a deep breath. She loved the smell of the general store. It was always a pleasant mixture of nutty smells, from things like boxes of cookies and fresh-baked loaves of bread, and fresh smells, like the basil and sage plants that were displayed on a table near the front entrance.

She was there to buy supplies for the pub, and it was an errand that she always enjoyed. She grabbed a cart and began to weave her way through the aisles of the store, pausing now and again to admire something that caught her interest.

She was halfway done with her shopping when she came across an aisle that contained jewelry making supplies. For a moment, she stared at the wires and the beautiful strands of colorful beads, enraptured by how lovely they looked.

I used to love making jewelry, she remembered.I made those earrings in high school for Mom—they looked amazing.

She stood looking at the beads for a moment, her mind beginning to whirr with ideas. Then she smiled and began to pick out some of the jewelry making supplies. She got the essentials along with a few strands of colorful glass beads.

She’d been wanting a creative outlet. Perhaps this could be it.

Feeling excited, she finished up the rest of her shopping. She dropped the majority of her purchases off at the pub and then went straight home. Once she was back inside her kitchen, she sat down at the kitchen table and spread her jewelry making supplies out across it. She smiled as she looked at the beads gleaming in the light.

Within a few seconds, she got an idea for a pair of earrings. Her hands began to work busily as her creative juices flowed. She turned on some soft jazz music to listen to as she worked, and before long, she’d created a charming pair of red and pink beaded earrings.

After what seemed like only a short amount of time, she’d also created a bracelet with an intricate beaded pattern. She smiled as she looked at it, feeling thrilled, and then she glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and noticed the time.

“Five thirty!” she gasped, and then started to laugh. She could hardly believe that two hours had passed since she’d started working.

I guess I should stop and start cooking dinner,she thought, looking down at her work with satisfaction.I did an impressive amount of work in only two hours—and it was so much fun I barely felt time passing.

She stood up and practically waltzed to the kitchen counter to start preparing a Shepherd’s Pie. She hummed as she got vegetables and potatoes out of the refrigerator.

Crafting jewelry had felt wonderful. She had a sense of elation knowing that she had discovered something that fulfilled her urge to be creative.

Dean stepped back from Noelle’s car and inspected it. He’d finished repairing her brake lines and her coolant and also changed her oil, which had been slightly overdue. Now he was working on waxing the outside of her car, wanting it to look clean and shiny. He was only charging her for the brake lines and the coolant, and everything else he was doing for free. He’d texted her to let her know her car was ready, and he was trying to spruce up as much of it as he could while she was on her way back to her apartment. He'd texted her earlier and offered to drop it off to her there, since that was a courtesy his shop often extended to customers. When she’d said that she was still out exploring, he’d asked if she wanted him to meet her where she was, but she’d said that she would be back to her apartment soon, and that it was probably the best landmark for him to shoot for.

He chuckled as he thought about her text. He liked the breezy, cheerful manner with which she communicated. She definitely had a fun, optimistic quality to her.

He went back to waxing and polishing, and he found himself thinking about the outfit she had been wearing that morning. She’d looked laid-back and adventurous but feminine at the same time. He’d liked her pink baseball cap. He smiled, thinking that the casual look had been very becoming on her, although she looked great in scrubs too.

“You want me to drop that off to her, boss?” Keith walked up to Dean.

“No, that’s okay, I can do it.” Dean smiled. “Thanks.”

Keith looked down at Dean’s hands and frowned. “Look, I don’t mean to put my oar in here, but your hands are shaking. And it’s past the time when you usually go home.”

Dean looked down at his hands, surprised. He hadn’t even realized they’d been shaking. He wondered if he hadn’t noticed because he’d become so used to the sensation, or because he’dbeen so preoccupied with thinking about Noelle. “Ah, I guess you’re right. Thank you, I appreciate it. I’ll let you do the honors.”

“No problem.” Keith smiled and clapped Dean on the back. “See you on Monday, boss.”

“See you Monday.” Dean smiled at Keith, who climbed into Noelle’s car, where the keys were resting on the dashboard. Keith started the engine up and pulled out of the garage.

Dean worked for a few minutes, closing up the shop. He felt a slight twinge of disappointment that he wasn’t the one dropping Noelle’s car off to her.

It’s okay,he thought as he locked up the front door to the auto repair shop.I know I’ll get to see her this coming week at my PT appointment.

He started to make his way home with his hands in his pockets, whistling slightly. Even though his body was tired and a little achy, his spirits felt strong and energized.

CHAPTER TWELVE

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