Page 47 of Sea La Vie
We sway gently until the sun finally dips below the water. “When do I need to take you home?” I ask.
She squeezes her eyes shut. “Never?”
I laugh. “As much as I would love to stay out here with you all night, I need to take you home so your parents don’t keep you from me all summer.”
Emma pouts. “I guess you’re right.” She gathers the blanket, and I pick up the picnic basket. I offer my hand as we begin to walk back down the stairs. Emma slips her hand into mine and everything inside me feels statically charged; I wonder if she can feel it too.
When we finally make it to the bottom, I help her back onto my handlebars then pedal through the dark back to town.
“There you are, Emaline,” a man’s voice says from behind us.
“We’ve been looking for you since dinner,” another voice, a woman, says. Emma scrambles off the handlebars and I flip my kickstand down.
“Daddy, Momma,” Emma starts. “This is my friend, Beau.”
“How do you do?” I ask, offering my hand. Her dad stares at it for a beat before shaking it. He assesses me behind his round, wire frame glasses.
“Pleased to meet you, Beau,” her dad says. “Did I see you docking a boat out there earlier?” He lets go of my hand, then wipes it along his suit pants. I’m instantly mortified but somehow find my words.
“Yes sir. I’m planning on taking over my dad’s fishing business one day soon.”
“Hmm,” he says. “I must get Emaline and her mother home now that we’ve found her safely.” He turns to Emma. “Please don’t stay out past dark like this anymore.”
“Yes, sir,” she says. “I’m sorry.” Her dad takes his wife’s arm and they begin walking down the sidewalk. Emma runs over and whispers in my ear quickly, her breath hot against my skin, sending shivers down my spine. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She shoots me a wink, then walks quickly to catch up with her parents. When she turns to look over her shoulder for one last glimpse, I blow her a kiss in a moment of confidence.
19
Tate
Thunder booms outside and light flashes through my window, bright enough to illuminate the tiny room I’m in at Dave and Lucille’s. The threadbare quilt covering me had me turning my lip up in disgust when I first saw it, but now I hold it tight under my chin, loving how soft it is and the warmth it brings. Coming back to this town—and Lainey—had me skeptical at first, but just like this quilt, it’s something I’m growing more accustomed to each day.
I throw off the covers and stretch, noticing my muscles are sore from nights spent painting, getting the cottage back to its prime, and sleeping on a bed that was probably here when I was a kid.
The other night at the diner, I sat at the bar and watched Lainey in her element. She chatted with every table in there, stopping every now and then to check on me. The way Lainey loved this town was evident in everything she did, and it was obvious the town loved her back. When Eden walked in and sat down beside me, an idea flashed to the front of my mind that I’dbeen thinking about all day, and while it might be tough, I can’t remember being this genuinely excited for something in a long, long time.
“Well, good morning,” Eden says as she wipes down the espresso maker. “You’re here early. Are you trying to beat Lainey to being the official taste tester for the day’s special?”
I grin. “That wasn’t my initial plan, but now that you mention it, it sounds like a great idea.”
“One ‘Lovestruck Latte’ coming right up,” she winks and turns back to the espresso maker.
“Have you seen Lainey yet this morning?” I ask, anxious to get started on this project.
Eden shakes her head and glances out the window. “This weather is something else. I hope she didn’t try to take the boat out.” Rain splashes against the window and thunder booms again in the distance. Eden tucks her bottom lip between her teeth and glances out the window once more.
“She wouldn’t try to do something like that, would she?” I ask, feeling my heart rate pick up. It’s a monsoon out there. Lucille’s news blared from the kitchen this morning, warning everyone on the southern coast of North Carolina to stay inside if possible. Cars along Water Street have slowed to a crawl, and only a few brave people are outside, rain coats cinched tight around their bodies and scurrying quickly to wherever they’re going.
Eden blows out a puff of air and her bangs dance around her face. “Lainey hasn’t changedthatmuch in a decade,” she says.
“Meaning…?” I trail off.
“She’s stubborn. You know that. She’s got a mind of her own, and she’s dead set on keeping her dad’s business running while he recovers.” Eden’s phone dings on the counter and she checks it, then lets out a sigh of relief. “She just texted me and said she’s headed over.”
Relief floods my body and my quick, shallow breathing steady. “Thank God,” I mutter, peering out the window once more. When I turn back to the bar, Eden’s watching me. She’s got one eyebrow cocked, and the corner of her mouth turns up into a smirk.
My face flames, knowing Eden’s able to read me like the books she keeps on the shelves surrounding us. She knows I’m crazy about her best friend. I swallow hard. “I was wondering if you could suggest any books on gardening?”
