Page 41 of An Island Summer
“Growing up, you used to love everything trendy. You studied all the fashion magazines, had the most up-to-date clothes… You enjoyed being the center of attention. At parties, you could jump in the middle of a group of people and start talking, making everyone laugh. I used to look up to you because there was always something about you that was bigger than life. But as you got older, you pulled into yourself more, and now you’re barely a shadow of who you were. But I can tell you that I still see you. You’re doing a good job of hiding behind that fear of yours, but you’re still just as fabulous.”
Meghan shook her head, the compliment making her uncomfortable.
“Look at you tonight! You’re stunning and everyone is eyeing you. You could command the room in a second. I’ll bet if you asked, they’d bring food out for you to cook right here in front of everyone, but instead, you’re twisting your hands and shying away from the crowd.”
“I had big dreams for New York and I couldn’t make it happen,” Meghan countered. “That should say something.”
“And besides that one night when you tried to cook for Vinnie, what did you do to move your career along?”
Meghan stared at her, unable to come up with an answer.
“You wait, Meghan. You wait, hoping success will find you, but maybe you need to go out there and get it yourself.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?” she asked.
“Start with what brings you joy and throw yourself into it. What lights your fire?”
Meghan thought about the days since they’d moved back to the Outer Banks—what got her up in the mornings? “In a very strange way, seeing Rupert lights my fire.” She hadn’t really let it sink in until now, but the idea that she was going to stop seeing him had been weighing on her, and she didn’t want to stop. As unlikely as it was, she felt like she had a bond with him.
“So, you like playing the role of Hester Quinn. Maybe you’re an actress.”
Meghan laughed. “I don’t like pretending to be someone else. I like the connection I have with Rupert.”
Tess eyed her. “You’re having some sort of odd attachment issues or something, but at least you know what you like.”
Meghan nodded, pondering what it was she really enjoyed, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“We’ll start there.” Tess threw her hands in the air. “It’s a gorgeous evening! The band is playing; drinks are flowing; we look like a million bucks. Let’s act like it.”
“You’re right,” she said, deciding to live in the moment, just like she and Tess had talked about on the beach today. For one night, she wouldn’t think about the past or what might happen in the future. The night was hers, and she was going to enjoy it.
Just as they began walking toward the tray of crab balls, Toby stepped into their path, wearing a light blue summer suit that worked wonders with his azure eyes and the gold flecks in his hair. His gaze slid down her dress and back up to her face, something consuming his thoughts.
“I finally meet the boss of this place,” she said, lighthearted but careful given the way he was looking at her, his expression pensive.
Tess huffed out a little chuckle as if in support of her.
When he didn’t answer Meghan’s comment, she added, “You don’t spend a lot of time here.” She didn’t want to seem confrontational, but it was odd that she’d only seen him outside that one time and he’d never set foot in the inn while she’d worked there.
“It’s… difficult.” He broke eye contact and looked away, letting out a long breath. Then, as if making an attempt to redirect the conversation, he said, “Looks like you two were having a serious discussion. Everything all right?”
“Yes,” Meghan replied quickly, to keep her best friend from saying something about her profession that she’d have to explain. “We were just talking about… food.” She shielded her eyes from the evening sun reflecting off the water, peering over at the vast array of hors d’oeuvres, artfully arranged in a splash of color on a table that extended both inside and outside the open glass doors.
“Ah, well there’s no shortage of that tonight,” Toby said.
“I’m gonna head over there and grab a bite,” Tess said, her words loaded. If she’d been trying to be inconspicuous in leaving them alone, she’d failed miserably. “Want anything?”
Toby shook his head. “No, thank you, Tess.”
While she hadn’t eaten in ages, and she’d been starving up to that point, Meghan’s stomach now felt like it had a boulder in the bottom of it. “No, thanks.”
“Suit yourselves,” Tess said with a smile, her eyes widening suggestively as if to say, “Be careful.” Then she padded off, leaving Meghan and Toby standing there.
“When did you start working at the inn?” he asked, as Tess meandered through the crowd. Meghan suddenly wanted her friend by her side to add lightheartedness to the moment.
“I’m surprised you don’t know,” Meghan replied. “I’d think you’d know everything that went on.”
Her comment hadn’t been meant to sting him, but tension showed in his shoulders. “Tabitha manages for me. I let her make staffing decisions.”
