Page 20 of A Breeze Over Rosewood Beach
He knew at once that it was Sally calling to him, even before he saw her. He didn’t think anyone else in town knew his name.
There she was, standing behind the counter and smiling at him as warmly as if they’d been friends for ten years. She was wearing a clip in her hair that was shaped like a butterfly and made from a glittery yellow fabric. Even though it was outlandish to the point of being ridiculous, he found himself thinking that it suited her. It brought out the warm tones of her light brown hair and it gave an added cheerfulness to her already exuberant appearance.
“Good morning,” he grunted, and then wished that he hadn’t sounded quite so terse.
“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Sally asked, resting her hands on the countertop. “I stepped outside for a moment a while ago and I couldn’t believe how nice it’s gotten. The sun is just marvelous today. Just warm enough to feel a hint of spring in the air without there being any danger of the snow melting.”
“It’s January,” Oscar pointed out, confused by her talk of spring.
“Aren’t you clever,” she said, laughing.
Still feeling confused, Oscar took a step closer to the counter. “I’ll have a black coffee, please.”
“You got it. For here or to go?”
“Uh…” He hesitated, realizing that he wanted to stay there for a while—but under no circumstances did he want her to know that he felt that way. “To go. Please.”
Sally grinned and turned around to get him the coffee. “Aye aye, sir.”
Oscar cleared his throat and waited at the counter, feeling awkward. Maybe he should have gotten a table. Then she would have left him after taking his order and he would have been spared this feeling of just standing around feeling like he didn’t know what to do with his limbs. But sitting down for just a coffee order? Then she would have talked him into breakfast, and he’d already eaten it. Maybe a muffin or something would have been all right. He glanced at the bakery display case. There were several delicious-looking pastries on display, including chocolate croissants and strawberry lemon muffins.
“You want some bakery too?” Sally asked, grinning as she handed him a steaming hot to-go cup. “We’ve got plenty of things to satisfy a sweet tooth.”
Oscar shook his head. He felt flustered and he didn’t like that she’d implied he had a sweet tooth. That felt undignified. “No, I’m fine, thank you.” He paid for his coffee with a quick swipe of his credit card and took a sip from the to-go cup. Ordinarily, he liked to pay with cash but he didn’t want to bother with all that fiddling at the moment. He seemed to suddenly be all thumbs.
“How’s your coffee?” Sally asked breezily, leaning against the counter and smiling at him as if he planned on standing right there and continuing to talk to her for a while.
Oscar grunted. “It doesn’t taste fresh.”
“Oh? I’m so sorry to hear that.” Sally’s smile didn’t waver for a second, but her tone became similar to that of a teacher getting ready to teach a petulant child a lesson. “Let me get you a cup from a fresh pot. We serve only the best coffee here at Ocean Breeze Café, but maybe even the best coffee starts to taste a little stale after it’s been sitting in the coffee pot for forty-five minutes.”
Was she being sarcastic? He couldn’t really tell. He wanted to tell her that he was fine with his coffee and he was just going to leave with it, but before he could open his mouth, she pluckedthe cup out of his hands and dumped out the contents. She deftly refilled it with coffee from a pot that had just finished brewing and handed it back to him.
“You know, Oscar,” she said, leaning in conspiratorially, “if the quality is so bad here, you don’t have to come in anymore.”
Oscar’s mouth popped open with surprise. He hadn’t expected her to call him out like that. He cleared his throat again to stall for time, since he had no idea what to say. “I come here because… it’s convenient,” he stammered.
There. That was a perfectly acceptable answer. All restaurants offered convenience, and this one was no exception.
“Ah, of course,” Sally said, although the way the corner of her mouth was curving upward in amusement made him think that she didn’t believe him. “After all, there are only five other places in town that serve good breakfast food or great coffee.” She smiled innocently. “Have a great day, Oscar!”
He froze for a second, but she’d already turned away. He cleared his throat again—even though he had no intention of resuming the conversation—and turned around and hurried out of the café.
As soon as he was back outside, he felt disappointed. Perhaps it was because of the cold that was nipping at his face like an angry little dog made of air, but he had a feeling it had more to do with the fact that he now faced another long day with nothing to do and no one to talk to.
Did she realize that I was making up my answer about it being convenient?he wondered with concern as he strolled along the sidewalk. He lifted his coffee cup to his lips, and found the dark liquid perfectly roasted and refreshing.I don’t want her to notice that I’m secretly looking forward to visiting Ocean Breeze Café. But I am. There’s no denying it. It feels like the only thing I have to do in this town.
He glanced over his shoulder at the little café. It looked so warm and cozy in the winter sunlight. He thought about what Sally had said about there being a hint of spring in the air that day. He took a deep breath and felt his lungs fill with cold, clean air. There was a faint scent on the breeze that made him think of warmth and the weather shifting toward greener things.
He took another deep breath and glanced at his watch. Maybe it was time to visit the library. After all, what could it hurt? Maybe there was a corner he could read in where no one would disturb him.
He continued along the sidewalk, his spirits unexpectedly lighter than they’d been earlier that day.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Hazel stepped inside Rosewood Beach’s hardware store with a spring in her step. The new chandelier that she and Jacob had ordered had just arrived, and she hadn’t wasted a moment before driving over to pick it up. She couldn’t wait to get it mounted on the ceiling of their new home. She was looking forward to hosting dinners underneath the warm glow of the imitation candles.
She made her way to the back of the store, where she spoke with an employee who went to get the chandelier out of the back room. Although it was boxed up and she couldn’t see it yet, she felt a tingle of excitement as it was handed to her.
