Page 54 of The Magic of Sea Glass
“I’m glad you felt like you could tell me,” Lauren said, even though she was struggling to handle the news.
“You sound happier.”
She looked down at Brody’s gift on the coffee table, the silver ribbon trailing over the edge of the package. “I might just be getting there,” she said. It was hard to say, given everything she still dealt with, but Brody made her feel happy, and that was something no one else had been able to do.
* * *
Lauren had been checking and approving the new design for the landscapers out front while the TV crew filmed her from various angles.
“I’d like to show you something before we go out to Brody’s get-together,” she said to Mary, as she caught the woman in the hallway. “I went to the electronics store and the home décor shop in town before my break, and I’ve been organizing.”
Mary wobbled along beside her on her cane until they reached the office door. The crew followed them.
Lauren pushed it open, revealing the white walls with floating shelves, flowing curtains on either side of the wide window, framing the cobalt blue of the sea. She’d tucked away everything in the office into coordinated light gray boxes with labels on them; cleaned and shined the old wood floors; and slipped the landscapers a couple twenty-dollar bills to cart away the old desk. They’d helped her replace it with a slimmer one with a gray wash over the wood and a padded chair on wheels. In the center of the desk sat a sleek, brand-new computer with all the bells and whistles, and Brody’s gift for later placed next to the keyboard.
Mary clapped a hand over her mouth. “This is astonishing,” she said through her fingers.
Lauren smiled, pride filling her. “Like it?”
“I love it.” Mary dragged a finger along the surface of the new desk as the cameraman swooped around them, Dave hovering in the doorway.
“I’ve got lots more planned,” Lauren told her. She liked helping Mary; it made her feel whole in some way.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve all this,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m so blessed to have you this summer.” She put her arm around Lauren.
For the first time in a very long time, Lauren felt like she had a purpose, something to get her up in the morning. She grabbed Brody’s gift. “Want to head outside?”
The woman slipped her arm in Lauren’s. “Yes.”
The sun had dipped just low enough to cast an orange glow on the faces of the people gathered out back, on the porch of the inn. The wind chime was tinkling as it always did, and she was pretty sure that Dave would be alight with it all. He stayed quiet for the shot as the crew filed out behind them. Mary let go of her arm and walked over to say hello to Melinda.
“Cut,” Lauren called, turning to the crew. “We’re off the clock. No more wedding planning today. Go get yourselves a cocktail.”
Dave frowned. “You can’t halt production.”
“All right, then you do it,” she said as Brody walked up.
“You signed an agreement to allow this, Lauren. Unless you’re sleeping or indisposed, nothing is off-limits.”
“It’s Brody’sbirthdayparty,” she pleaded, hoping he’d have some decency.
“He signed the same release.”
“It’s fine,” Brody said. “We’ll probably bore them all to sleep anyway.”
Dave beamed. “See? All fine.” He turned to the crew. “Keep rolling.”
Lauren didn’t want any chance of Dave turning tonight into a circus, trailing after her and Brody to create some sort of love affair for the viewers. She opened her mouth to protest, but Brody redirected her, tapping on the present in her hand.
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” he said.
“Nonsense. It’s your birthday.” Lauren tried to ignore the small crowd of television folks gathered around them and held out the silver package.
He took the gift and shook it by his ear humorously, but then he gave her a genuine smile. “Thank you.”
She couldn’t help but notice how the setting sun sparkled in his blue eyes, making them look like the ocean. With the cameras around, she forced herself not to look. “Stephanie helped me pick it out.”
“Oh no,” Stephane said, walking over in a peach two-piece sundress ensemble that Lauren would’ve chosen for herself, while holding a cocktail. “She found that.” Stephanie waggled a finger at the gift in Brody’s hands. “I just went shopping with her.”
