Page 47 of Beginnings By the Sea

My focus shifted toward the end of the street where my office was, and I watched as Cohen stormed out, his face a deep shade of crimson, with Miles not far behind him.

“Unfortunately, I believe you’re right.”

It was closing in on three o’clock, and an air of anticipation hung in the air as the crowd started to gather in the street. Gina and her husband waved at me while Autumn picked her way through the throng. She stood beside me wearing a bright pink Seaside Family Practice shirt that contrasted beautifully with her tanned skin and bright blonde hair.

“Did I miss anything?” she asked, taking her place beside me.

Jensen chuckled under his breath and kissed Everleigh on the head before joining Seth, Trisha, Grady, and Michelle out in the crowd.

Autumn lifted her brows curiously. “What was that about?”

More people started to gather around, and I could see the mayor approaching; he was in his midfifties with salt and pepper hair, and was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants.

I smiled at everyone gathered around and spoke through gritted teeth. “Take a look at everyone and tell me who you see,” I said to her.

She raked her gaze through the crowd and her eyes lit up when she saw Miles, but they widened when she got over to Cohen.

“Oh, my God. They’re both here. Have they met yet?”

Everleigh walked behind Autumn and leaned in close, her voice just above a whisper. “They’re cousins.”

Autumn’s mouth dropped and she laughed. “Holy hell, this is exciting.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m so glad my love life amuses you.”

The mayor, Stan Daley, finally reached us and shook our hands firmly. His blue eyes sparkled as he grinned widely at me.

“Are you ready for me to pick a winner?”

I resisted the urge to glance around at the crowd and kept my gaze on him as I nodded. “I am.”

He cleared his throat and shifted in place, looking suddenly uncomfortable. “Just to warn you, my twenty-two-year-old son bought a ticket. If he wins, I’m sorry. I think he has a crush on you.”

Autumn giggled. “So do a lot of other people, Mayor Daley. Dr. Clark is used to it.” I glared at her, and it only made her giggle more. “Please don’t fire me. I couldn’t help it.”

Everleigh patted Autumn’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t let her.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep it up, you two,” I grumbled under my breath.

They laughed even more, and despite myself, I felt the corners of my mouth twitch into a smile at their silliness, while my stomach knotted in anticipation. Stan held up his hands and waved at all the people gathered around.

“Hello, everyone!” he called out cheerfully. “Thank you so much for coming to our Spring Fling. This event is one of the biggest ones of the year in Oak Island and we’re always so thankful to have the support.”

As the mayor continued his speech, my mind drifted off to the possibility that the winner would most likely be either Miles or Cohen; they had the most chances inside the box. I wasn’t ready to face them both yet.

When I took them to my office, I had no clue what to say to them. Usually, I never had a problem speaking my mind, but when I looked at them together, I panicked and had to leave. It didn’t hit me until I got a good look at Cohen and Miles together. When I met Cohen for the first time at the restaurant, I remember thinking something seemed familiar about him; only I couldn’t place it.

Now I knew why.

They were family. Even though their eye colors differed, they had the same shape and jaw structure.

“All right, folks,” the mayor called out, “it’s time to draw the winner! This lucky person will get an ice cream date with one of our beloved town doctors, Dr. Nyla Clark.”

The crowd cheered and it made my heart slam harder in my chest. Stan reached into the box and swirled the tickets around. A few seconds later, he pulled out a small blue ticket.

“And the winner is . . .” he paused for dramatic effect.

My pulse beat so loudly in my ears that I couldn’t even hear him as he shouted out the ticket number. Time seemed to slow down as everyone looked at their tickets to see if they had the winning numbers. But then I heard a shout and watched as the crowd separated as a man and woman came forward. They were older, probably in their early sixties. The man reminded me of my dad with combed-over white hair and glasses, and the woman had long, warm brown hair and honey-colored eyes. She looked exactly like someone I’d just met.

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