Page 15 of A Breeze Over Rosewood Beach
Sally was always delighted to see both women, especially Vivian, and she was thrilled that they’d arrived just when she was putting up the new decorations. They were sure to give a more enthusiastic response to the décor than Oscar.
She hurried toward the front of the store, eager to greet her friends. She noticed a moment later that they were positively giddy, both laughing and acting as excited as little girls.
“What’s going on here?” Sally asked with a grin, giving them both a hug at once. “Did something happen?”
Vivian and Faith turned to each other and smiled.
“We need an order of chicken and rice soup STAT,” Vivian said. “It’s very important.”
“Do you have that on the menu today?” Faith asked. “Please say yes.”
“We do,” Sally said, feeling intrigued. Clearly something was going on, since the two of them seemed so excited about this soup, which apparently was urgent. “What on earth is this all about?”
Vivian and Faith exchanged another glance, seeming to be torn about something.
“We have news,” Vivian blurted. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Julia just discovered that she’s pregnant!”
Sally gasped. “Pregnant?” she whispered, thrilled.
“Apparently she’s desperately craving your chicken and rice soup,” Faith said with a laugh. “She’s been begging Cooper to pick some up for her, but he can’t get away from work. He called us to ask if we could help out.”
Sally placed her hand on her heart, a rush of emotions going through her core. On the one hand, she was genuinely thrilled for Julia, and very happy that her friends had such good news that they were so happy about. On the other hand, she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of melancholy. Here was more evidence of families and relationships blossoming all around her while her own love life remained stagnant.
“It’s such a surprise,” Faith gushed in a whisper. Her long, soft copper brown hair was wisping out from underneath her light blue winter hat, and her dimples were well visible becauseof how widely she was smiling. “I mean, they just got back from their honeymoon.”
“I bet they weren’t expecting to be parents so soon,” Sally said. “Well—parents again! I’m sure Macey is absolutely thrilled by this news.”
“Julia sent us all a video of her squealing last night,” Faith said with a grin. “She’s sure she’s going to be the best big sister in the world, and I totally believe her.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Sally saw Oscar leaving Ocean Breeze Café. She was surprised by her reaction to the sight of the door closing behind him.
Why do I feel disappointed?she questioned herself, startled by the restless feeling that had settled in her chest.Of course he’s leaving. He ate here, finished his meal, and now he’s leaving.
Would he come back? Was he a new resident in town, or a tourist who was about to disappear for good?
She felt distracted by the fact that she was disappointed by Oscar leaving, and it was hard for her to pay attention to what Vivian and Faith were saying. A few moments later, she realized that Vivian was talking about how Julia had called her with the news at one in the morning, totally stunned and overjoyed.
“It’s wonderful,” Sally said, smiling. “I’ll run and grab you some chicken and rice soup to go. Better make it three bowls full, if she’s craving it so much.”
“You’re a wonder,” Vivian said with a grin.
Sally smiled and hurried behind the counter to dish out soup for Julia. Her mind whirled as she worked. Mentally, she tried to seek out the reasons for what she was feeling about Oscar, but she was left without answers.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Oscar set down his razor and checked his reflection in his bathroom mirror. He found shaving to be a chore, but he was determined not to let his appearance fall into sloppiness. He might have left the glamorous city for this place in the middle of nowhere, but it didn’t mean that he had to spend his time there looking like some country bumpkin.
He sighed, running his hands across his face to make sure his chin was smooth. He felt tired all the way down to his bones that morning. He didn’t know what to do with himself. He’d already spent too many hours just sitting and reading, and he’d run out of good books to read. The cottage didn’t offer many, and there was no way he was going to open a book titled something like, “Summer’s Sweet Promise.” The cottage had clearly been decorated by a woman with sentimental tastes, catering to other women with sentimental tastes.
He was not a woman with sentimental tastes. He wanted a good nonfiction book on war, or the economy, or perhaps, in a pinch, a murder mystery that had been published before 1960. He knew that there was a local library, but he didn’t have any kind of permanent residence in the area, and he didn’t think he could get a library card without proof of residence. He didn’twant to go into the library and be made a fool of when they told him that they couldn’t give him a card. And the last thing he wanted was to read a book in the library instead of his cottage. There he would be surrounded by coughing elderly people and small children who couldn’t stop talking or rustling candy wrappers.
He looked at his reflection in the mirror, feeling the heaviness in his chest deepen. He hardly knew who he was anymore. He had worked so long and hard to build his reputation amongst his peers, only to have all his hard work come crashing down.
And now here I am, wasting my time in this sleepy little town,he thought, leaving the bathroom and making his way downstairs to the kitchen of the cottage.I bet nothing important has happened here for over a hundred years.
The weight of everything that had happened to him recently was bothering him more than ever that morning. His mind seemed to be tangled up in regrets over the past and anxiety about the future. He didn’t know what was going to happen to him, and the thought that he was going to end up a no-name nobody in a tiny little town made him grumpier than usual.
He opened his refrigerator. The eggs and milk that had been left him by the landlord were all gone, and there were only two pieces of bread left. In the cupboard, he had some cans of soup and crackers, as well as a frozen pizza in the freezer.
