Page 15 of Where Sea Meets Sky

“I want to see the look on your face when you try one on and you just know,” Alexis said. “Sometimes imagining a visual isn’t enough—you need to actually see it.”

“Kind of like you, and how you’re totally remodeling your house,” Hazel teased. “You’re not content with imagining anything right now.”

Alexis pretended to shoot her a scolding look, but then couldn’t help chuckling. She knew it was true. “I have been doing a lot of rearranging.”

“You’re in your nesting stage,” Hazel said, squeezing her sister’s hand. “You’re in a whirlwind of wanting to make everything right for the baby. It’s sweet.”

“And my house really does look better.” Alexis laughed. “I think making a house into a home is one of the best things about being married. It’s not really about the housekeeping—it’s about being able to create a space where both you and your husband feel totally at home. I’m so excited you’re about to experience that, Julia. There are so many fun and exciting things awaiting you! Even the wedding planning, which can be really stressful, is going to lead to such an amazing day. You just need to enjoy it.”

Julia shook her head, grinning. Her excitement was mounting, and she felt nothing but thrilled about the next chapter in her life. “You’re forgetting that it’s me. I love planning. Wedding planning has been so much fun for me so far.”

“Sorry I’m late!” At that moment, Cooper stepped inside Seaside Sweets Bakery, looking a little flustered but smiling broadly. He pulled Julia into a big hug and a quick kiss.

“You’re okay, sweetie. Thrown Jell-O is not a situation to be taken lightly.”

He laughed and turned to give Alexis and Hazel hugs as well. “Are we ready for cake tasting?”

“Well, we’re definitely ready,” Hazel said with a chuckle. “And I think—yes! Look, they’re bringing the cake samples over to that table there.”

One of the employees, wearing a pink apron with the Seaside Sweets logo on it, waved and smiled at them to signal that it was time to come over.

“Yay!” Julia slipped her hand inside Cooper’s as they all started to walk toward the table. She was eager to sample all of the delicious cake flavors, but even more than that she was eager to plan the day on which she married the love of her life.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Ryan walked slowly down the aisles of Harvest Market, looking over the shelves carefully. He hadn’t written down a list before arriving at the supermarket, and he was regretting not coming in with a better game plan.

Since he was seldom home in Rosewood Beach, he didn’t own his own place there. He was staying in the guest bedroom at his father’s house, which was big and modern and entirely devoid of groceries. Because Judd spent all his time at the brewery, either eating the bar food there or ordering takeout, he never bothered to stock the refrigerator, even with essentials like bread and eggs.

Snacks,Ryan thought, turning his cart around a corner and noticing a display of hummus containers.Healthy snacks. Something to munch on.

He glanced down at what he had in his cart so far. He’d already gotten a couple of boxes of crackers, along with bread, peanut butter, jelly, frozen pizzas, a bag of baby carrots, and coffee creamer.

He wondered if he should also buy some higher-end coffee while he was there. The stuff that Judd kept in the house was basic and bland, with a slightly burnt aftertaste. He decided thatwas a good idea and took out his phone to start making himself an official list. He felt that would make the rest of his trip feel less overwhelming.

He wrote down “coffee, bananas, milk, eggs, cheese, and apples” and then realized he should have written apples next to bananas. It would be very annoying if he got bananas, left the produce section, and then had to come back to it to get the apples.

He fixed his list, grabbed a couple of containers of hummus, and then set off in search of coffee. He was looking down at his list, wanting to make sure he didn’t miss something else he needed on his way to the coffee, when he almost collided with someone carrying a huge potted orchid.

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry!” the orchid squeaked.

“No, I’m sorry, I should have done a better job of watching where I was going,” he said, craning his neck to see who was behind the large plant. In the next moment, he grinned. Lo and behold, it was Faith Talbot.

“Hey!” she said, recognizing him as well. She looked surprised but not at all displeased to see him. She smiled at him through her flustered state.

“Nice to see you again,” he told her, meaning it sincerely. He noticed that she had a basket slung over her arm, which looked heavy. He guessed that the weight of it must feel pretty uncomfortable on her arm. “Do you need any help?”

“I guess I did get a little carried away.” She laughed, adjusting the way she was holding the orchid. “This thing is much heavier than I expected. I probably should have gotten a cart instead of a basket.”

“Well, if you want, I can lend you some space in my cart.” He smiled at her. “I’ve got plenty of room in here. Why don’t you put the orchid and your basket on the end there?”

“Are you sure?” She glanced at his cart as if it was an oasis.

He chuckled. “Of course. Here.” He took the orchid from her and placed it in the cart.

With a sigh of relief, she set the basket down in the cart beside the orchid. “Ow, my arm,” she said, rubbing it. “I don’t usually go grocery shopping. How come the basket handles are just thin metal like that? They’re so uncomfortable.”

“So they collapse better, see?” he said, realizing the answer even though he’d never really thought about it before. Whenever he’d gone grocery shopping growing up, they’d always used a cart. Three growing McCormick boys could eat a lot of food.

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