Page 6 of The Magic of Sea Glass
“Ah, that’s why you shouldn’t try,” he said. “It’s part of you; it’s who you are deep down.”
“You sound like my mom.” A tiny pang swelled in her chest at the thought of her mother. With her crazy TV production and wedding schedule, Lauren hadn’t been home to see her parents in quite some time. “She’s always telling me not to forget who I am up in New York.”
With the fame of the television show and all the big clients that she and Andy were getting, Lauren could always count on her mother, Grace, to remind her where she’d come from. Just like her name, she was always able to bring Lauren back down to what mattered, despite their differences in how they lived their lives. Her mother had never understood the absolute daily grind of her daughter’s success, and it had caused tension between them in the past.
But her mom had said that she was always there to talk whenever Lauren wanted to; she just found it too difficult, so she hadn’t reached out as much as she probably should have. Her mom had called her a few times recently, and it seemed like she had something on her mind, but she never said what it was, and Lauren hadn’t asked. She knew that if her mother’s grievance was anything other than her own absence, she couldn’t be a sounding board for anyone in her state. It all just served to make her feel guilty for not being a better daughter.
“What brings you to the Outer Banks?” Brody asked.
“I needed a change from… my old job.” Her answer was short and sweet—she definitely wasn’t going into it.
He didn’t seem to notice her unease, continuing, “What was your old job?”
She put on her brightest expression. “I was a wedding planner.”
He nodded. “You didn’t like it?”
She swallowed, trying to keep her thoughts on the surface level, still not allowing the deeper reasons to come through. “It’s… really busy.”
“Sorry for the delay.” Mary wobbled in with a wrapped box and a tray of the glasses of lemonade, the liquid in them sloshing slightly with every step.
Lauren jumped up and rushed over to help her, taking the tray and placing it onto the table between them. She distributed the stack of circular coasters and set out each glass of lemonade.
“I got stopped by one of my favorite families, who wanted to know if there was an afternoon tour of the lighthouses.”
“It seems like the people whoarehere really enjoy it,” Lauren said, thinking back to what Mary had disclosed earlier regarding the lack of guests.
“Mary’s the star of the show,” Brody said. “They come for her.”
The innkeeper sat down next to Brody and patted his leg adoringly, then reached over and took the box wrapped in silver paper and a blue ribbon into her hands. “I have a little something for you to celebrate your first day with us,” she said before leaning over the table to offer the gift to Lauren.
“Oh my goodness,” Lauren said, the gesture unexpected.
Mary wrinkled her nose kindly. “Open it.”
Lauren untied the ribbon and then slipped her finger under the flap, tearing the silver paper off the small box and laying it onto the table. She opened the lid and lifted a stunning turquoise and sea-green bracelet from the box.
“This is beautiful,” she said, draping it over her wrist and attempting to clasp it.
“It’s supposedly made from sea glass found here in the southern states,” Mary said.
Mary’s mention of sea glass caused a sudden memory of Mason to slam into Lauren’s mind, taking her breath away.
“Let’s sell it all and travel the world,” he said, pulling the flat sheet from her hand one day when she’d been trying to make the bed. “All we need is a shack and two bicycles.” Mason had swept her up into an embrace, falling onto the covers.
“How will we pay for the shack?” she asked with a giggle as he hovered above her the way he always did, his sandy-brown hair falling over his forehead.
“We’ll scour the beaches for shells and sea glass. You’re so talented with everything you do that you can make beautiful things with it.”
“Like what?” she challenged.
“Anything you want. With your talent, we’ll be richer than all the millionaires out there.” He pressed his lips to hers.
When Lauren surfaced, she was still fumbling with the clasp of the bracelet, blinking away tears, her frustration mounting. She wondered if she’d made the wrong choice coming here after all. She wasn’t ready to throw herself into social situations like this and she abruptly felt as if she were suffocating.
Brody stood and came over to her side. “Let me get that for you.” Gently, he took her wrist into his strong hands, turning it over and connecting the two ends.
The sensation of someone else touching her made her feel real for the first time in a very long time, her pulse racing.
