Page 11 of Beach Vibes

“Good. And you?”

“Excellent.”

Agatha was about Beth’s height with the same dark hair bothBeth and Rick shared, although hers was shoulder-length and a pretty combination of curly and wavy.

“No Hunter this morning?” Beth asked when her aunt sat across from her.

“We’re no longer together.”

“Why? I thought you liked him.”

Agatha stirred in milk, then added sugar before tasting her coffee. “He was getting a little too comfortable with how things were. I’d made it clear I wasn’t looking for anything serious.” Her gaze met Beth’s. “I loved your uncle for thirty-five years, and when he died, I was devastated. I know what a good marriage can be. Some people want to repeat that, but I’m interested in trying something different. I want to play the field.”

Beth was both amused and impressed. “You wanted sex and Hunter wanted to cuddle?”

Her aunt chuckled. “Something like that. It’s for the best. He was talking about us moving in together, which is not happening. Worse, he said something about checking out a few retirement communities.” She shuddered. “I’m far too young for that.” She gave a little sigh. “But I will miss the sex.”

“You’ll find someone else soon enough,” Beth told her. “Maybe a younger man would be more interesting.”

Agatha’s brown eyes danced with amusement. “I do like the looks of the guy who takes care of the yard. I wonder if he’s seeing anyone.”

“I have no idea,” Beth murmured, hoping her aunt wasn’t serious. No way their lawn guy was over twenty-five.

Agatha drew in a breath. “How are you doing? Better today? Or does the Ian situation still bother you?”

“I don’t care that he’s getting married, and while the billboard isn’t my style, hopefully Patti was thrilled by it.”

“It defines tacky,” her aunt said, wrinkling her nose. “Asking someone to spend the rest of her life with you should be a privatemoment, not plastered up on a billboard, half a block from Costco.” She paused. “Not that I don’t love a big-box store.”

Beth grinned. “We all do.”

Her aunt nodded. “Now back to my question. How are you feeling?”

“Lost,” she said without thinking. “Confused. It’s been a year since the divorce, and I haven’t done anything to have a personal life.”

Agatha touched her hand. “You’re lonely. I’m here for you always, but you need more than that. Friends your own age, a man or two.”

Despite the emotions swirling inside of her, Beth smiled. “Definitely not two men. Unlike you, I’m not interested in playing the field.”

Her aunt raised her eyebrows. “So you’d like to be in a relationship. Intriguing. Last time we talked about your love life, you weren’t interested.”

“Last time I hadn’t scrolled through Ian’s Instagram account and been slapped by the realization that I’m drifting through my days rather than being proactive. I want to do things and travel. I didn’t just lose Ian in the divorce. I lost myself. I don’t regret the end of our marriage, but what about me? Why have I let it be okay to not take care of myself emotionally?”

“When you knew better, you did better,” Agatha told her.

“One of my favorite quotes.”

“I know. I’m glad you’re starting to think about what you want. It’s important. I was devastated when I lost your uncle, but after a few months, I realized I had a choice to make. I could get lost in grief, or I could get on with my life. It wasn’t easy to move forward, but I’m proud of the progress I’ve made.”

She picked up her coffee. “You’re a wonderful, caring woman, Beth. I hate how much the divorce surprised and hurt you, but I’m not sure Ian was ever the right man for you. He was content to do the same thing over and over again. That’s not you.You’re always one to try something different. You could have taken the money from your half of the house and put it into your retirement account. That would have been the safer bet. But you didn’t. You grew the business, and now it’s more successful than ever. If I had to guess, I would say Ian would never have approved of that.”

“You’re right. He wouldn’t have approved at all.” She looked at her aunt. “I was in love with him, and he didn’t want to be married to me anymore. Sometimes that’s hard to process.”

“I know. It’s not fair. It never was.” Her aunt studied her. “Do you think you still have feelings for him?”

“No.” Beth didn’t have to think about that one. “Like I said, I don’t want him back. But I do want something more than what I have. I want friends.”

“You’ve mentioned meeting someone at the food bank.”

---