Page 14 of The Lyrics of Love

Retrieving it, she watched as Ken headed in to shore. Rylie stood on her board now and followed suit, knowing she needed to talk with him.

When she arrived at the sand, she spied Kyle sprawled atop his surfboard. Surfing and SUP-ing took a lot out of a person, and Kyle often took a brief catnap before arising and returning to his car. She crept past him and headed to the parking lot, where Ken stood chugging water and leaning against his truck.

He frowned as she approached. “What the hell, Rylie?” he demanded. “You almost crashed into me.”

Ken wasn’t a hothead, and his accusations stung. Still, she needed to own up to her mistake.

“I’m very sorry, Ken. I lost focus out there.”

“You sure did,” he snapped, then backed off from his anger. “Are you all right Rylie?” he asked, his tone softening.

“I will be,” she assured him. “I shouldn’t have been out on the water this morning. I have too much on my mind. I know better. To leave my problems on the shore and lose myself in the waves. I didn’t do that today, and I endangered you because of my carelessness. I am truly sorry, Ken.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. “That’s okay,” he said softly. “We all have good and bad days. You made a mistake. You’re all right. So am I. Sorry that I lost my temper.”

“No, you were justified in doing so. I thought I had worked out everything in my head before I climbed on my board. Apparently, I hadn’t. I promise you that I won’t go back out on the water until my head is cleared and I can devote one-hundred percent of myself to SUP-ing.”

Ken squeezed her shoulder again in a supportive gesture, and then his hand fell away.

“I hope to see you out here tomorrow,” he told her.

“I hope so, too. Hug those kids of yours for me, will you?”

“Will do,” he responded, getting into his truck and starting the engine.

Rylie attached her equipment to the top of her SUV, pulling the straps tight. She removed her PFD and then climbed into the driver’s seat and burst into tears. She was a careful, methodical person, usually the rock others trusted and leaned upon in tough times. Today, though, she had been a hot mess and a danger to her fellow SUP-ers and surfers on the water. The ocean was a mysterious beast—and not always a friendly one. By not concentrating on her SUP-ing, she might have been pulled out to sea by a riptide. If she had, she knew Ken and Kyle would have tried to come to her rescue, which would have put them in danger, as well. The thought of them perishing while trying to save her made her sick to her stomach.

As she angrily wiped away her tears, Rylie told herself she needed to drop any thoughts of Nash Edwards. They had only spent a few hours in one another’s company. He wasn’t for her, and she certainly wasn’t for him. She determined to begin actively looking for someone to share her life with. With her friends beginning to marry and making plans for having babies, she didn’t want to mark time any longer. She was fulfilled professionally, with a thriving business. It was time to turn her attention to her personal life now. She would investigate some of those dating apps she had purposefully avoided. She couldn’t wait for someone to come into her antiques store or move to the Cove. If she wanted to find someone to spend her life with, she would have to be proactive.

Of course, she could hear Ainsley telling her that going in search of a partner would be unsuccessful. That the moment you weren’t looking, that was when love came along. Well, Rylie was tired of waiting. She would make her own destiny. She had been burned in the love department near the end of college and had avoided any kind of serious relationship ever since. She needed to devote the time to herself.

She started up the car and reached home, getting ready for work and arriving at Antiques and Mystiques just before eight o’clock. She entered the store from the rear alley. She and most people who worked on the square usually parked behind their stores in order to free up valuable spaces in front of the shops, especially this time of year, when so many tourists came to the Oregon coast.

Rylie went upstairs to her office and logged in on her computer. Quickly, she sorted through a listing of estate sales in the area and their offerings. One would occur on Friday just outside Cannon Beach, and she was interested in attending it because they had several items she would like to buy. She made a few notes about the available furnishings, as well as their periods and prices.

She took a phone call after that from the client who was delighted she had found the Hepplewhite suite and sideboard. She arranged for it to be delivered to the buyer later today.

Almost immediately after hanging up, her phone rang again. It was the other client she had e-mailed, and he was eager to buy the cabinet, offering her a hefty price before she could even name one. She gladly accepted his offer, thrilled to have turned her purchases so quickly. She promised delivery of it on Saturday since he lived in Portland and came down on Friday nights after work to spend his weekends at the beach.

Since the store was still quiet and she most likely was the only one here, she decided to call up some of the dating sites available in the area. She found more than she expected, reading a few of their agreements and rules and learning about how the sites matched people for social encounters. Not dates. She supposed that word had gone out of fashion.

Her finger hovered over the key, but Rylie found she couldn’t commit to joining any site at this point. She decided to talk things over with Ainsley and maybe even Willow and Tenley before she did so. She loved and respected all three women and knew they would steer her in the right direction.

Her cell buzzed and she picked it up, seeing it was a text from Ainsley.

How did last night go?

Rylie glanced at her watch and saw it was a quarter past nine. That meant Ainsley’s busy morning rush at the bakery had ended. She usually sat and had a cup of coffee and a bite to eat before she began baking orders for the day. She texted her cousin back.

Was a bust. Big time. Thinking about trying a dating site. Would love your input.

Immediately, Ainsley responded.

That sounds serious, Cuz. Don’t know if you need encouragement or intervention. Think we better call in the troops on this one. I’ll touch base with T&W and see if they can meet this afternoon once I close the bakery. You in?

Rylie stared at the screen a long moment and then replied with one word.

Yes.

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