Page 35 of A Place for Daydreams

He turned around, and his face lit up into a smile when he saw her. “Hey, Noelle! Thanks for meeting me here.”

“Are you kidding? You’re the one I should be thanking. It’s so sweet of you to give me a tour like this.”

“You’re welcome.” His eyes gleamed with an almost tender light. “I’m happy to do it. Rosewood Beach is a great town to explore, and well—you’re not bad company.”

She found herself flushing slightly under his compliment. Before she could think of anything to say in response, he handed her a coffee.

“Here, I brought this for you,” he said. “It’s from Seaside Sweets Bakery. It’s their signature drink.”

“What is it?” she asked curiously, sniffing the opening of the coffee cup. A rich, minty aroma wafted up at her. She noticed that Dean was holding a coffee cup identical to hers.

“They call it ‘The Grasshopper’ but don’t let that name throw you off.” He laughed. “It’s my favorite drink they have there. It’s a dark chocolate mocha with peppermint flavoring. And, as you’ll notice once you take a sip, they add peppermint sprinkles on top of the whipped cream. It’s really delicious.”

“Oh, gosh.” Noelle eagerly took a sip and was floored by the taste. “Dean, that’s fantastic! Thank you for bringing this to me. That was really thoughtful of you.” She smiled shyly at him, notknowing what else to say. She felt touched that he had gone out of his way yet again to be kind to her.

“I did even better than that.” He picked up a white paper bag that was resting on the bench behind him and slipped his hand inside it. From it he pulled a plump doughnut dusted in cinnamon sugar. “I also brought both of us churro doughnuts. Seaside Sweets Bakery is one of the best places in town, and I wanted to share some of my favorite menu items with you.”

“But… I mean, I could have met you there.” She took the doughnut from him, noticing how fluffy and mouthwatering it looked. “And then I could have paid for my own treats. You didn’t need to buy these for me.”

Dean shrugged; his eyes filled with a boyish light. “It’s not a problem. Besides, I wanted us to be able to get going right away. There’s a lot to see.”

“So much to see that we can’t sit here for a little while and eat these doughnuts?” She arched a brow at him.

“Sure, we can do that. This is one of the attractions. We’ve got a beautiful town square, don’t you think?” He sat down on the bench, and she sat down beside him.

“Oh, absolutely. This landscaping is wonderful. And that old bronze statue over there is so picturesque.” She took a bite of her doughnut, delighted by how delicious it was.

“That’s the town founder. And the landscaping was designed in the nineteen twenties.”

“Wow, you really are a tour guide, aren’t you?”

He laughed, taking another bite of his doughnut. For a few moments, they were both quiet, looking out at the beautiful town square and enjoying the wonderful taste of their pastries and drinks.

“What’s first on our agenda, Fearless Leader?” Noelle’s tone was playful, and she found herself squirming with curiosity. Shedidn’t know what kind of place he was going to take her to see first.

“First, we’re going to go hiking on the prettiest trail in the whole state.”

“The prettiest, huh? In the whole state? That’s high praise.”

“Oh, it’s well deserved. Especially now that the leaves are starting to change color. And when you get higher up, there are stone bluffs, and sometimes you’re in the woods, and sometimes you’ve got this breathtaking view of the ocean—just wait. You’ll see that I’m right in just a little bit.”

She laughed. “You’re making a pretty convincing argument.”

They finished their pastries and then set off walking together, sipping their beverages and keeping up a lighthearted conversation. Noelle felt the cool breeze brush against her cheeks, and every time she took a deep breath, she could smell the spicy aroma of autumn.

They made their way across town, toward the park that held the entrance to the hiking trail. As they went, Dean pointed out various charming old buildings, explaining when they were built and what they were currently being used for. He knew a surprising amount of Rosewood Beach history, and Noelle was impressed both by his knowledge and the easy, friendly manner in which he communicated the information.

Soon they reached the head of the trail. Noelle found herself grinning as she looked down the charming avenue of trees that opened up in front of her and Dean.

“This is lovely.” She looked up at the branches rustling overhead. Some of the trees were still green, but others had gorgeous yellow, orange, or fiery red leaves. Sunlight gleamed on the leaves, and the brilliant blue of the sky was visible beyond the flickering colors.

“I told you,” Dean said, chuckling. “I never lie.”

She smiled, feeling grateful that things had worked out the way they had. She was glad that going exploring alone hadn’t really worked out for her, and that her car troubles had led her to becoming closer to Dean.

Dean glanced at Noelle as she walked beside him and he smiled. He felt tired, but for the time being, his energy was able to keep up with the tour that he’d planned for her. She’d been loving every second of it, and he found her enthusiasm contagious. She seemed to pour new life into him in a way that helped him maintain his energy even after all of the walking they’d done.

After a breathtaking hike through the woods and along the coast, they’d stopped for a delicious lunch at Ocean Breeze Café. Dean had ordered a buffalo chicken cheesesteak sandwich with sides of coleslaw and homemade sea salt and vinegar potato chips, and Noelle had laughed as she’d ordered the same thing. She’d sworn she wasn’t trying to copy him, and she had genuinely decided on the same meal before he’d ordered his.

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