Page 34 of The Magic of Sea Glass
Brody took a pull of his beer. “I’m not going to divulge my thoughts to two women who both believe in it. That wouldn’t be fair or respectful to either of you.”
“I’m a grown woman. I can take it,” Lauren challenged him.
Stephanie leaned forward, her forearms on her thighs, the beer dangling from her fingers. “Yeah, you won’t changemymind. But I am interested in hearing this. You’ve never told me why you don’t ever want to get married.”
He leaned back, his chest filling with air as if he were wrestling with the best way to say whatever it was. “I come from a line of divorce. My family isn’t really close, apart from my mother and me. My grandparents divorced. And now my parents have split up. I’ve been too close to failed marriages to believe that there’s anything beneficial in marriage for me. The odds are against it.”
“But despite that fact, thereisa proven fifty percent success rate—I made an entire career out of it—people still take a chance on love,” Lauren said.
“The percentage of failure is the same. I don’t see the point. It’s easier to avoid it altogether and protect yourself from so much disappointment.”
Was he onto something? She certainly wouldn’t be dealing with her loss if she’d never put herself in that position. But then the smell of cotton sheets came back to her, Mason’s fist balling them up in an attempt to pin her to the bed while she squealed in laughter one morning.
“You can’t go to work,” Mason had said, reaching for her playfully as she tried to escape.
“I have to! I have a couple coming in at nine.”
“But I’m the love of your life and I need you.” His fingers found her bare sides and tickled her, making her shriek. He pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers.
She forced herself to return to Brody and Stephanie. “What if you’re one of the exceptions, and itdoeswork out?”
“I doubt it.”
“Why? You don’t deserve to have the opportunity to be happy with someone?”
He chuckled. “I’m very happy now. I don’t need a marriage to be happy. And I have Milton.”
The dog perked up and waddled over to him, dropping at his feet with a huff.
“See?”
“I’ve stopped trying to convince him,” Stephanie said.
“Yeah, you won’t change my mind about this.” Brody got up, sending Milton to his feet before the dog had even settled. “I’d much rather do my own thing. When my work slows after the summer, I’ve got my cross-country trip planned for the off-months. I’m free as a bird.” When he said it, she could’ve sworn she saw uncertainty flash in his eyes.
“You’re going all by yourself?” Lauren asked.
“Yep. I’m pretty self-sufficient.” He crossed over to the cabin’s door in one stride. “I’m going in to prep for dinner. Any objections to cheeseburgers?”
“That sounds delicious,” Stephanie said.
Lauren agreed.
“There’s more beer inside if you need one.” Brody let Milton in first and then shut the screen door behind him. “Just come on in.”
“He’s so set in his ways,” Stephanie said quietly, once Brody was inside.
Lauren took a sip of her beer, the light, bubbly liquid going down easily in the humid air. A gentle rustle through the trees reminded her that she was near the coast, even though she had no view of it.
“So where in the Outer Banks doyoulive?” Lauren asked, making conversation.
Her face lit up. “Mitchell and I have been living in South Carolina, where he’s from, but we’ve actually just bought a house here. I never thought I’d move back, but I’ll be honest—there’s just nothing like this town. Everyone knows one another and we’re like a big family.”
“I’ve noticed that.” Lauren wiped the condensation on the bottle with her hand.
“It was the weirdest thing… We had no plans to move here, but then a friend of mine texted me that my favorite house—the one I’ve always loved since I was a kid—was for sale. The owner had to get rid of it as soon as possible, and she knew of three other people who were interested in the property. I had to act quickly. I showed the house to Mitchell and he loved it. Before I knew it, he and I made an offer, and it was accepted. Then I found out that you were working at the Tide and Swallow—what are the odds? It’s as if my whole life is coming together right in front of me, and I’m not doing a thing.”
“That’s unbelievable.” Lauren could only hope that her own life would come seamlessly together in the same way one day.
