Page 51 of Race to the Beach

Her aunt glanced at her over her reading glasses.“Did you have a good dinner?”

Maxi thought of Owen and smiled.“Yes.It was really good.”

“What did you have to eat?”

“Uh…” She tried to remember.

Aunt Bonnie smiled.“It’s okay.I have a feeling the company was much better.”

Maxi smiled.“Yes, it was.”

She told her aunt about what she’d told Owen about her education.It wasn’t news to her aunt.She lived through the decision with Maxi.Aunt Bonnie had been totally opposed to her dropping out of school, but still grieving her mother’s death, Maxi didn’t care about her education or how it might affect her future.

“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you,” Maxi said.“I was having a hard time back then.”

Her aunt nodded.“I understand.Losing your mother was hard for all of us, but most especially you.And I think your father was worried that if you stayed in school, you wouldn’t need him anymore, and you’d leave him.”

“I wouldn’t have done that.”

“Really?”Aunt Bonnie gave her a look that made Maxi reconsider her answer.“If you had graduated high school, you could have gone to college or a trade school.You would have had choices.”

Was that true?Was her father worried about being alone?That would have never happened whether she had choices or not.She loved her father.

Aunt Bonnie stood.“I’ll be right back.”A few minutes later, her aunt returned with some letters in her hand.She handed them to Maxi.“These are for you.”

Maxi took them.She looked at the top one and recognized her mother’s handwriting.“What are they?”

“They are letters your mother wrote me over the years.Her words might help you with the struggle you’re dealing with.”

Maxi cradled the letters to her chest.“Thank you.”

She took them and rushed upstairs.She kicked off her shoes and flounced down onto the bed.The envelopes appeared to be in date order.She started with the oldest letter and devoured her mother’s words.

Even though the letters were addressed to Aunt Bonnie, her mother talked a lot about Maxi.Her mother wanted her to follow her own dreams.It was her fondest wish.

In the next letter, her mother confessed to feeling guilty about not having more children and giving her husband a son to help him at the garage.She knew it was a lot of work for her husband.

There was a lot about their daily life, just little things about the garden or updates on her mother’s canning.Sometimes she’d share a recipe that she really liked.Maxi was anxious to jot down the recipes to try when she got home.

And then there was this one letter that contained a secret—one that Maxi hadn’t known.Her father had dyslexia too.His parents and the school had given up on him.Her mother swore she wouldn’t let that happen to Maxi.Her mother knew that Maxi could overcome any challenge she faced.A tear dripped onto the page.Maxi swiped at her cheeks and kept reading.

Her mother felt that the garage was her father’s way of hiding from his problems.She didn’t want Maxi to hide from life.She wanted her to be courageous and face the world on her own terms.

The tears kept coming as Maxi finished reading the letters.She had no idea her mother wanted so much for her.She was thankful her aunt had shared the letters with her.It was like Maxi had been gifted the chance of speaking to her mother again.With the letters still clutched in her hand, Maxi closed her eyes.She didn’t open them until the next morning.

Chapter Nineteen

Haditallbeena dream?

Thursday morning the sun shone brightly, Maxi awoke in her now-wrinkled dress.It took her a moment to figure out where she was and how she’d ended up falling asleep in her clothes.And then the memories came rushing back to her: the romantic dinner, the walk on the beach, the confessions and the kisses.Her heart pitter-pattered at the memory.

It was all so new, and yet she knew her heart was safe with Owen.He would never intentionally hurt her.But they still had problems to face, starting with the fact that they lived hundreds of miles apart.It would certainly be a challenge to have a Friday night date.

Buzz.

She rolled over and grabbed her phone.She gasped when she saw it was after seven o’clock.She was always at the garage by then.After checking her alarm, she realized she’d forgotten to turn it on.

She jumped out of bed, grabbed her work clothes and headed for the shower.She moved swiftly through her morning routine, cutting corners here and there to shave off some time.

---