Page 3 of Beginnings By the Sea

She winked at me and draped an arm around Everleigh’s shoulder with the biggest grin on her face. “Guess what I’m cooking Tuesday night for you.”

I clutched my stomach. “Please tell me it’s mahi mahi.”

Debbie chuckled. “Yep. I know you girls love it.”

Everleigh patted Debbie’s hand that rested on her shoulder. “We love you, Debs. We can’t wait.”

Debbie smiled again and then left us to walk around the restaurant. I finished the last bite of my pan-seared salmon and stole a sweet potato fry from Everleigh’s plate. She tilted her head back and laughed.

“Why do you always steal my fries? You know you can order some.”

I shrugged. “Yeah, but then I’d eat all of them.”

Everleigh snickered and ate the last one off her plate. “I know the feeling. They’re too good not to.” Her eyes widened and she gasped. “Oh, I forgot to ask about your parents. How did their three-week trip to Greece go? They just got back, right?”

Grinning, I reached into my purse for my phone, filled with a million pictures my mom sent just last night. I passed it to her so she could see them.

“They had a blast,” I said, looking at the photos as she scrolled. “They’ve been married fifty years.”

The Greece trip was their anniversary present to each other. Everleigh shook her head in astonishment. “Fifty years. That’s a long time. I’m hoping Jensen and I live long enough for that. We’ll be in our eighties if we do.”

She handed my cell back to me and I smiled. “I’m sure you will. Maybe I’ll find my true love by then.”

Everleigh scoffed. “If I have anything to say about it, you’ll find Mr. Right very soon.”

I rolled my eyes. “Auctioning me off at the spring festival for a date is not how to do it, my dear friend.”

Everleigh laughed and shrugged playfully. “It’s getting you out there, Nyla,” she insisted. “Besides, I think it’ll be fun. I can’t wait to see all the men who enter. They’ll be giving their hard-earned money toward one of your charities.”

That was the only thing getting me through it. I could suffer through two hours of awkwardness for that. Then again, maybe I would get lucky, and the winner be a handsome man around my age.

I lifted my glass of water and took a sip. “Yeah, I guess it could be fun. What are friends for, right? I know you’re trying to help.”

Everleigh smirked. “Exactly. I found my happiness, and it’s time you found yours.”

“You’ve already done so much,” I claimed, setting my glass down. “I wouldn’t be half-owner of Seaside Family Practice if it wasn’t for you.”

Everleigh reached over and grabbed my hands. “It’s the best decision I ever made. That’s what friends do for each other.”

Visions of the first time we met flashed through my mind. It was a little over two years ago at Massachusetts General Hospital where we both worked. My divorce had just been finalized and I was a mess. I didn’t have much time left on my break, so I ran into the cafeteria, trying to get my food, when I slipped on a pile of peach cobbler on the floor. Everleigh was the one who helped me up; we’d been friends ever since. I couldn’t stop from smiling at all the memories.

“What are you thinking about?” Everleigh asked, cocking her head to the side.

“The first time we met,” I replied.

She slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh yeah, the peach cobbler. I’ll never forget that.”

I laughed. “Neither will I. And speaking of cobbler, do we want to grab dessert here or go to the bakery?”

Sighing, Everleigh glanced down at her empty plate. “You are seriously a bad influence on me.” Her gaze lifted to mine and a devilish grin spread across her face. “Fine. Let’s go to the bakery.” Reaching into my purse, I grabbed my credit card out of my wallet and stood. “Wait,” Everleigh called out, holding up a hand. “Isn’t it my turn to pay?”

I shook my head. “Nope. It’s mine. I think the pregnancy hormones are messing with your memory.”

Technically, it was her time to pay, and she realized it just as I hurried off to the bar before she could argue with me. Evie was behind the bar working on drink orders, dressed in a pink tank top with The Beachcomber logo on it; she was also Debbie’s twenty-three-year-old daughter and looked exactly like her, except her dark hair wasn’t short like her mother’s. It was long and wavy down her back, almost making her look like a mermaid.

The Beachcomber was going to be Evie’s one day when Debbie retired. However, I didn’t see that time coming anytime soon. Debbie was a people person and loved being involved with the restaurant. Evie watched me hurry to the counter and smiled as she shook her head.

“I was just about to set the check on your table. You didn’t have to come up here.”

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