Page 39 of The Magic of Sea Glass
“Why now?” he asked.
She put her hands into the pockets of her smock dress and looked into his patient brown eyes. “I just figured that I needed to take the next step, leave my childish ways behind, and become a woman. You deserve that.”
His head fell in disappointment.
“What’s wrong? I thought you’d be elated.”
His jaw clenched as he looked out over the rippling water, the sea air rustling his dark brown hair. “That wasn’t the answer I was hoping for.”
“And what did you wish to hear?”
“That you want to marry me because youloveme.”
Guilt swarmed her, and she reached out for him. He was the kindest human being on the planet. She’d known him all her life, and ever since they were little children he’d loved her unconditionally. She stepped in front of him, forcing him to look at her. “I thought you already knew that.”
A smile burst across his face then. “So you do love me?”
“Of course I do.”
With that, his shoulders relaxed, and he pulled her into a cuddle and kissed her. “We won’t have any money,” he warned her. “I have no idea how I’ll support a wife on a fisherman’s salary.”
“I’m not too proud to work,” she said. “I can clean houses like my mother.”
His honest look took her breath away. “I just want to be sure I can make you happy.”
“You can,” she said, putting her arms around him and pulling him close once more, her attention on the window and the light she’d left on in her bedroom where she’d read the newspaper that was still sprawled on her bed with the headline:
Aria Acquisitions Heir Phillip Harrison to Wed Alicia Morton of the Warner Sax Dynasty
* * *
Rodanthe, North Carolina
“How are we feeling?” Lauren asked Stephanie when she walked in, amusement over last night’s dancing surfacing without warning.
Stephanie ambled into the empty dining room at the inn with measured steps and sunglasses shielding her eyes. She dropped into a chair opposite Lauren’s laptop. “Last night was so much fun that I didn’t pay attention to how much I was drinking.”
Lauren totally understood the happiness that being around Brody could bring. In fact, it was unnerving, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. For so long, she’d wanted something or someone to take her mind off the last year, even if only for an instant, to give her some relief. But then when it actually happened, it was terrifying. She didn’t know if she was ready to feel anything again. When she thought back to last night, she’d enjoyed herself. But that just seemed wrong, given the circumstances. How could she allow herself to be happy when she’d lost the best thing she’d ever known?
“I’m okay, though. I can focus,” Stephanie said, sliding off her sunglasses and rubbing her eyes. She stifled a yawn.
“Well, before we start, I need to discuss something with you.”
Stephanie squinted as if focusing were difficult. “Okay…”
Lauren launched into the story of her phone calls with Andy. “The show’s calledWedding Scrambleand since we’ve only got about a week to get it all together, I’d say we fit the bill.”
Stephanie lit up, looking more alive than she had a minute ago. “I’d love to!”
“All right. I’ll give them a call.” She took in a steadying breath, knowing full well the circus that lay ahead. “Let’s get through the preliminaries.” Lauren felt much more comfortable focusing on planning the wedding than her own opinions about the TV pilot, which was saying something. She opened the checklist on her laptop.
Mary quietly came in and placed a cup of coffee next to each of them and then let herself out, shutting the double doors behind her. Grateful, Lauren dug through the cream and sugar on the table for the perfect mix and dumped them into her coffee. Through the window outside, she caught a glimpse of Brody on his way up. He had on a baseball cap and a T-shirt with a faded picture on the front. She tore her eyes from him and went back to her list, taking a smooth, rich sip of her coffee.
“A few quick questions first. Have you insured the engagement ring?”
“Yes,” Stephanie said, peeling off the top of the little plastic container of creamer and dumping it into her cup.
“Excellent. What about the guest list? Do you have a list for me?”
