Page 50 of A Beach House Beginning

He thought he would continue on that same path and eventually attain everything he wanted.

His life hadn’t gone exactly as planned. Three years behind bars had a way of derailing an entire future.

Wes had always been a planner, goal oriented and ambitious. Now he tried to focus on the moment. The smell of ice-cream cones from the parlor he passed, the sound of children laughing as they watched someone making saltwater taffy at another shop, the hum of conversation between shoppers. All of it was underlined by the constant song of the sea, which gave him more comfort than he ever could have guessed.

When he finally reached By-the-Wind, he pushed open the door and immediately felt out of place.

Wes didn’t consider himself sexist but this didn’t really feel like the kind of store that catered to a guy like him. It was filled with scented candles, wind chimes, floral-patterned shopping bags and rows of handcrafted jewelry.

He was the only man in the store, he couldn’t help but notice. A trio of older ladies were looking at carved lighthouse figures while a couple of teenagers spun a rotating rack of silver earrings.

What would his sister like here?

He had no idea. While he and Maggie had always been close as children, separated by only a few years, as adults, their paths had diverged. After his arrest and especially after his conviction, Wes had tried to build in more distance between them. Maggie’s husband was a small-town lawyer with state political ambitions. He didn’t need to be associated with someone who had been convicted on multiple felony charges.

Maggie had tried to stay in touch but he had discouraged contact. She hadn’t given up, no matter how tough he made it on her.

He was scouring through some decorative ceramic vases when he saw Jenna emerge from a back room. She did an almost comical double take when she spotted him. He again felt large and ungainly in this store filled with delicate items.

“Hi.” She smiled. “This is a surprise.”

“For me, too. I wasn’t expecting to see you. I figured even if you were scheduled to work, you would have taken time off because of your injury.”

She held up her heavily bandaged hand. “Good news. They didn’t have to amputate. I only needed a few stitches. Five, but who is counting?”

“Whew.” He managed a smile. “Does it still hurt?”

“The local anesthetic they used to put in the stitches has worn off so it’s throbbing a bit, but it’s not too bad.”

“Good. That’s good.”

Silence descended between them and he didn’t want to do anything but stare at her. That wasn’t creepy or anything, right?

Around Jenna, he experienced a strange paradox of emotions, both fierce awareness as well as an odd sort of peace.

“Was there something I could help you find?” she asked after a moment.

“Um. Yes. I’m looking for a birthday present for my sister.”

“You have a sister?”

She seemed genuinely surprised, and he realized he hadn’t mentioned his family much to her, other than to tell her about his father’s death.

“Yes. Maggie is three years younger than I am. An artist and writer. She lives in Idaho with her husband and their two kids.”

“Wow. Okay. Um, what are her tastes? Does she collect anything? You said she is an artist?”

“Yes. She paints. But I know she also collects pottery. I was looking at your vases here.”

“They are very nice. Do you know what kind of pottery she collects?”

He felt stupid for his ignorance. Again, he wished he had not come, that he had simply picked out something for Maggie online.

Had his subconscious led him here, in the random hope that he might find himself in this very situation, speaking with the woman who fascinated him so much? He did not want to admit it, but the truth was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Jenna Haynes was becoming a vital part of his life. He didn’t want to think about how bereft he would feel when his daughter returned to her mother and stepfather’s home and he had no more excuse to see Jenna at least twice a day.

He turned his attention back to the problem at hand, finding a gift for his sister. “To be honest, I am not at all sure what to get her. I don’t know what she likes. Maggie and I haven’t talked much for the past few years. Only a couple of times since I was arrested, actually.”

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