Page 52 of The Magic of Sea Glass
“What kinds of things does Brody like?” Lauren asked Stephanie as the two of them shopped after visiting the florist to choose the wedding bouquets. With Mitchell working, Stephanie had made the final decision on a bundle of white roses with wrapped stems that she was sure he’d approve of. The film crew had gotten it all on camera, and they were now meandering through the shop while curious bystanders hovered around at the edges of the store, gawking at their little entourage.
“Anything to do with building or fishing.”
“I could’ve guessed that.” A swell of fondness for him floated through her and she glanced at the film crew. “Hang on a second.” She walked over to the cameraman. “You can quit filming for a few hours. We aren’t wedding planning.”
The man leaned around his shoulder cam for guidance, and Dave spun a finger in the air to tell him to keep rolling. “Since it’s the two of you, it’s nice to see you bonding,” Dave said.
“But our bonding doesn’t have anything to do with the show,” she countered.
“Yes it does. It adds an emotional element, and it’ll resonate with the viewers.”
With an exhale, she went back to Stephanie and ignored the cameras, trying to switch gears, picking up a coffee mug with a beach scene on the front, not really considering it, and then putting it back on the shelf. “What about something for Milton?” she asked, already regretting the decision to agree to this TV pilot. The money she got from it would be useful for renovations to the inn, but otherwise, it wasn’t at all helpful to anyone but Andy.
“Maybe we could find Brody and Milton matching T-shirts,” Stephanie teased, making Lauren laugh despite her predicament.
“If we find matching shirts, I’m buying them immediately.”
Stephanie giggled before diverting her attention to something on one of the tables of the beach shop. “Look at this.” She picked up a box of coasters with fishing lures on them. “These might be good. I think I’ll get them.”
Lauren peered over her shoulder to view them. “I bet he’ll like those.” She perused the table for other options, still trying to get the feelings about Brody out of her mind so they wouldn’t show. Thoughts of him came to her like a movie reel: his kind smile when he looked at her, the way his eyes crinkled at the sides when he was happy, and, again, how his touch had felt. It was all so strange to experience, something she hadn’t experienced in a long time. She didn’t trust herself with these new thoughts and feelings. Remorse for even thinking about him at all bubbled up, and she pushed it down, moving to another table of wares as the cameras followed.
“Hey, Lauren,” Stephanie called.
Happy for the interruption, she hurried over to her new friend.
“Don’t you collect sea glass?”
“Sort of,” she said. “Why?”
“It’s an entire display of it.” Stephanie gestured toward the presentation.
“Oh my goodness,” she said, taking in the massive grouping of bracelets, earrings, belt buckles, and wine bottle tops. “Look at all of this. It so artfully done.” She picked up a ring and slid it onto her finger, admiring it.
“It’s as if someone made a table just for you.”
Lauren smiled. “It does seem to find me.” She put the ring back onto the table. “It’s almost unreal how much of it I’ve seen since I’ve been here.”
“You should treat yourself.”
It was as if Lauren could see the kind of optimistic person she was meant to be in Stephanie, as if she could strip away all the pain she’d gone through and view herself untainted. “Maybe I should,” she said.
“That ring looked nice on you. And it goes with your bracelet.” Stephanie lifted Lauren’s arm adorned with the gift from Mary to compare the two.
Lauren picked the ring back up and held it against her wrist. “It does, doesn’t it?”
“It really does.”
“All right, you talked me into it,” Lauren said. “Now, you have to help me find something for Brody.”
Stephanie laughed. “I think he’d be glad you were spending the time shopping.”
“You think so?” she asked, her mind wandering again to Brody’s kindness.
“Definitely.”
FOURTEEN
“Hey, Mom,” Lauren said, with the phone pressed against her ear while she wrapped the antique fishing lure art she’d found with Stephanie yesterday. After redecorating Mary’s office, she’d spent her entire morning break in her suite to avoid the cameras. “Sorry I couldn’t call you back until now. It’s been my first real break of the day.”
