Page 35 of The Magic of Sea Glass
“Yeah, it’s funny how things work out. I applied for three jobs and the third time was a charm. The local real estate firm has hired me part-time. And Mitchell does investing. He works from home. It seems a little too perfect, you know?”
Lauren did know. She’d had that perfect life once. Would she ever be fortunate enough to have it twice? She couldn’t help but think it was a long shot.
“I keep waiting for something to go wrong,” Stephanie said.
“Nothing is ever certain. All you can do is focus on this moment and making it the best it can be.” Lauren wasn’t sure where that advice had come from. She certainly hadn’t followed it. Maybe it was Lauren’s way of protecting Stephanie from the very thing she, herself, was dealing with now, although there was no real way to shield anyone from what life threw at them.
“You’re right,” Stephanie said. “I guess I’m just a typical nervous bride.”
“All the big changes that we make in life are sort of like jumping out of an airplane and just hoping the parachute opens.” Lauren considered her own journey up to this moment. She’d sold her biggest accomplishment in life, walked away from a career she’d built, and left everyone she knew. Now, she was free-falling, praying for the sudden jolt of safety.
Stephanie grinned wistfully. “At least I have Mitchell. I know for certain about him.”
“And the two of you will get through anything together,” she said, her standard line for jittery brides on their big day.
Stephanie’s smile widened. “Yes.” With a sparkle of newfound hope in her eyes, she held up her bottle. “This is empty. Should we get another one? If not, we can go in anyway and pester Brody.”
“Sure.” Lauren got up and followed Stephanie inside.
The cool air and smell of sautéing onions and peppers hit her when she walked in. Milton, who was flopped on the floor at Brody’s feet, lifted his head. Stirring the pan, Brody turned around, greeting them over the sizzle of the vegetables.
“It feels amazing in here,” Stephanie said, throwing her bottle in the trash can near the counter. She then dropped down on one of two leather sofas flanking another stone fireplace in the living room that was open to the kitchen. “It’s so much cooler.” She leaned her head back.
Lauren admired the vaulted ceiling with rugged beams that arched across it. There was something about his place that felt entirely comfortable, even though she’d never lived anywhere like this before. She set the remainder of her beer down on the counter and went over to Brody. “Need any help?”
“Want to stir these while I make the hamburgers?” Brody handed her the spatula.
“Is that for tonight?” Stephanie popped back up and pointed to a large watermelon on the counter.
“Yeah,” Brody replied. “I’ve got a knife in the third drawer to the right if you want to slice it for us.”
As Stephanie hunted down the utensil, Lauren stirred the mixture, the savory, salty smell of the vegetables making her stomach rumble. While Brody began to form patties at the kitchen island, Lauren’s gaze roamed the counter beside the stove. It held a couple of bananas and his truck keys, but at the far end sat a small metal bucket full of seashells.
“What are those?” she asked, curious.
“When I go fishing, sometimes I find some pretty cool things.” He set a patty on the plate beside him and waved a finger toward the pan she’d been stirring. “You can probably turn those vegetables off now and go take a look.”
Lauren twisted the knob on the stove to cut the burner off and went over to the bucket. “Wow,” she said, digging through the beautiful shells that filled it. She picked up one with a swirl of iridescent colors on the inside, the outside rough and full of barnacles. Another one was pristine white and almost a perfect half circle with little ridges. But something sparkling among all the shells caught her eye. She pinched the pink sphere delicately and pulled it from the rest. “Sea glass?”
“Yep.” Brody washed his hands and came over to her. “I found that one the day you came into town.”
“You did?” She rolled it around in the palm of her hand.
“Yeah… I wondered what it must’ve started out as with that pink hue to it. I’ve never found one that color before.”
“May I see it?” Stephanie asked, coming over to them.
Lauren held it out to her.
She let out a little gasp. “It almost looks like a gemstone.”
Lauren inspected it, noticing the little glimmers of light that seemed to radiate from the inside of it. “You’re right,” she said. “It does… It’s so gorgeous.”
“Why don’t you keep it?” Brody suggested.
“I wouldn’t want to take it from you,” Lauren said.
Brody frowned with a shrug. “It doesn’t have any sentimental value to me, but you seem to really like it, and I found it right when you got to the island. I feel like maybe I found it to give to you, somehow.”
