Page 9 of Beginnings By the Sea

I reached over and placed a hand over his. “Just be yourself. That’s what I did.”

His smile faded. “What if it’s not enough?”

“It will be,” I assured him.

An idea popped into my head, and I squeezed his hand. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”

Cohen cocked his head to the side. “Nothing that I know of. Why?”

“Good,” I replied, my excitement growing stronger. “Because I think you need to come with me to The Beachcomber for dinner. I meet all my friends there every Tuesday; it’s tradition. It’ll give you a chance to befriend them.”

He looked down and moved his hand out from under mine so he could take it in both of his. His palm was warm, and I felt a rush of adrenaline course through me.

“So soon? Are you asking me out on a second date?” He raised an eyebrow inquisitively, and my stomach fluttered in response.

“I am. But don’t worry, if you don’t pass the friends test, then I highly doubt there will be a third,” I warned him playfully.

Cohen smiled and gestured to his glass of wine with a nod. “Challenge accepted. What do you think my chances are that they’ll like me?”

I shrugged, my grin growing wider. “I think your odds are fair. We’ll just have to wait until tomorrow night to find out, won’t we?”

Cohen lifted his glass toward me for a toast. “Yes, we will.”

5

NYLA

After we ate, we walked down to the marina and strolled around the docks. It was still early, and I had a feeling Cohen didn’t want the date to end. In all honesty, I didn’t either. It was the first time I’d enjoyed a man’s company since my divorce.

The night breeze was cool against my skin, but Cohen’s closeness kept me warm, especially when he took my hand as we strolled. The stars were beautifully bright and vivid in the sky. I could never see them like that in Boston.

“Tell me about your practice,” Cohen wondered, his steps slowing as we approached the dock’s edge. “What made you want to leave Boston and move here?”

Sighing, I let go of his hand and leaned against the wooden railing so I could face him. “It’s funny you should ask that. I never thought I’d make such a drastic move, but everything happened all at once.” I looked up at the stars and smiled. “Everleigh, the woman I was with that day you met me, is my best friend. She used to work at Massachusetts General with me.” I met his gaze. “But she’s from Oak Island. Her father was a doctor; he was the one who owned Seaside Family Practice. He was going to sell it, but then Everleigh decided to move back and take it over. I realized I wanted the same thing when I saw how happy she was here.” I shrugged. “Guess you can say I was envious. I wanted happiness, so when Everleigh offered me half of the practice, I jumped at the chance. It was a spontaneous and bold move to leave my life in Boston to come here, but I have zero regrets.”

Cohen leaned onto the railing beside me. “What about your family? Do they live in Boston?” he asked, peering over at me.

I nodded. “My parents do. I have aunts, uncles, and cousins everywhere, though. I was never really close to any of them. But my parents are happy for me. They like coming down to visit. I have a feeling they’ll move here one day.”

Cohen chuckled and turned his attention to the sea. “That’ll never happen with mine. Their empire is in New York.”

I turned my body around so I could also look out at the ocean. “Are you going to stay in Oak Island, or do you have plans to move back?” I asked, peering over at him.

He shrugged, but there was a slight smile that lifted the corner of his lips as he kept his focus on the water. “Don’t know. It all depends on how things go down here.” His grin widened, and his green eyes sparkled. “Right now, there are a lot of perks to staying.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What made you want to buy out Freddy’s Surf Shop? From what I’ve heard, it doesn’t seem like a small business like that would’ve grabbed your attention all the way up in New York.”

Cohen chuckled and looked over at me. “Those are the best businesses to help, Nyla.” He waved a hand out at the ocean. “I’ve read about how beautiful the North Carolina coast is, and when word got to me that Freddy’s was suffering, I knew I could help. It’s something I wanted to do on my own and not through my father’s company. If I happen to settle down roots while I’m here, then so be it. I’m enjoying the coast.”

“I’m glad,” I said, bumping him with my shoulder. We stared at each other for a few seconds and his gaze drifted down to my lips.

“Want to know what I’m really shocked about?” he murmured, his eyes moving to mine.

“What?” I whispered.

The wind blew a loose strand across my face. He gently lifted it away, his fingers trailing softly against my cheek. The touch sent shivers down my spine and warmed me inside.

“How can someone like you be single? There have to be men after you all the time.”

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