Page 25 of A Place for Daydreams

She knew though that it wasn’t really the auto repair shop. It was Dean, and he’d been extra sweet to her on purpose. Maybe it was because she was his physical therapist, and he wanted to be gracious to her because she was taking the time to help him improve his osteoarthritis symptoms. Maybe it was because they were beginning to be friends. All she knew for sure was that she felt grateful to him, and seeing all the little things he’d done to her car made her feel special and happy.

She smiled as she made her way to her apartment. She thought about what a nice guy Dean was—so considerate and thoughtful, and with a sympathetic demeanor. She realized as she climbed the stairs of her building that she was excited for his upcoming physical therapy appointment. She was looking forward to seeing him and getting to talk with him again.

Once she was inside her apartment, she hung her purse up on a coat rack that was placed by the front door and made her way to the kitchen. She opened her refrigerator, wondering what she wanted to make herself for dinner.

Something with apples,she thought with a laugh, noticing the bag of apples that she’d purchased at a farmers market the day before.Should I just make an apple pie after dinner, or can I create something savory using apples first?

Smiling to herself, she sat down in a comfortable armchair near the window and began to browse Pinterest, looking for dinner recipes involving apples. She finally decided on an apple and chicken skillet, which looked mouthwatering.

She munched on one of the apples as she began to cook, since her stomach was growling and she never enjoyed cooking on an empty stomach. She turned on some cheerful, relaxing folkmusic and lighted a pumpkin-scented candle. Even though it felt as though autumn was just beginning to show itself, fall was one of Noelle’s favorite seasons, and she was ready to embrace it wholeheartedly.

Once she had her meal simmering on the stove, she changed into soft sweatpants and a hoodie. She returned to the kitchen to check her food, and smiled when she smelled the sweet, tangy aroma that was filling the air.

She set the little table that she had out on her balcony, and when her meal was ready, she sat there to eat it. As she chewed the delicious food, she looked out across the parking lot to a line of trees that were silhouetted against the ocean. The sunset was turning the water a variety of incredible shades, and she sighed happily as she watched the waves wink and flash in the waning light.

All of a sudden, she found herself thinking about Dean. She wondered what he was doing, and if he’d gotten a chance to see the beautiful sunset. She had his number, from when he’d texted her about her car, and for a moment she considered texting him. Then she decided that would be silly—after all, they didn’t know each other that well, and in a place like Rosewood Beach, it was hard not to get a chance to see the sunset.

She finished her meal and cleared the table, feeling satisfied and comfortable. It was still a beautiful evening, and she considered going back onto her balcony to read for a while.

As she was bustling around in her kitchen, cleaning up the mess she’d made while she was cooking, she heard the buzzer go off in her apartment, signaling that someone was at the front door who wanted to come upstairs to her place.

She sashayed over to the intercom and pressed the button. “Who is it?”

“It’s me, sweetie, your grandmother.”

“Oh, hey!” Noelle’s face lit up into a smile when she heard the familiar voice of her grandmother, Gloria Calhoun. “Come right on in.”

She pressed the buzzer, and less than a minute later, there was a knock on her apartment door. She opened it eagerly, revealing the gray hair and smiling face of Gloria.

“Hey, Grandma.” Noelle gave her grandmother a bear hug. “What’s the occasion?”

“I made a bunch of macaroons today, and I wanted to bring some to you.” Gloria held up a cookie tin as they separated, her eyes bright and warm.

“Aww, Grandma!” Noelle took the tin, smiling broadly. “You shouldn’t have. You gave me that banana bread three days ago, and I just finished it.” She laughed. “I’m going to be completely spoiled if you keep this up.”

Gloria shook her head, her lips pursed. “I’ve been baking for much longer than you’ve been alive, and I’ve always shared what I made with the people I love. I’m not about to stop now. Besides, I know you love coconut macaroons.”

Noelle bit her lip to suppress a fond chuckle. “You’re right. Next time, how about you let me help you make them? Then I’ll get some good practice in, and then the next time, I can make some for you.”

“Sounds like a great deal.” Gloria brushed her hands together. “Do you have any plans this evening, or can I intrude for a little while?”

“You’re never an intruder.” Noelle kissed her grandmother’s cheek. “How about you come sit out on the balcony with me and eat some of these cookies along with some hot apple cider?”

“Oh, that sounds fantastic.”

“I’ve got an apple theme going this evening.” Noelle grinned. “I made chicken with apples for dinner.”

Gloria gasped appreciatively. “Where did you find the recipe—no, never mind. I already know.” She laughed. “You found it online. You found that wonderful lemon mushroom shrimp pasta recipe online too. I’ll never forget about that one—so original.”

“I keep telling you to get a Pinterest, Grandma.” Noelle laughed as she began to pour apple cider into a pot. “You’d love it. Or you should at least start going online a little more to look for recipes. There’s so much great stuff out there.”

“I can’t seem to make sense of the internet.” Gloria shook her head. “How about you show me some recipes on Pinterest, and then you can send me the ones that look interesting? Your grandpa knows how to print things from email. Could you email them to us?”

“I can just print them off for you here.” Noelle chuckled. “Or better yet, why don’t you bring over your recipe cards and we can write some down by hand together? For both of us. I like cooking from recipe cards better than squinting at my phone anyway.”

“Oh, I’d love that.” Gloria’s face lit up. “We could watch some movies while we work.”

Noelle grinned. She and her grandmother both loved old black and white movies. Watching them together was one of their favorite pastimes. “Perfect. Let’s watch some of our favorites likeThe Philadelphia StoryandCasablanca.It’s always easier to work while watching older movies like that because they’re so much slower-paced than modern movies are.”

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