Page 72 of New Day at the Beach House

“Excellent. What about hiring? Has Trina thought about doing that yet? At this rate, the salon will be open in a couple of weeks. We’re really moving along.”

“We talked about it, but I guess we didn’t think it was time yet.”

“You definitely could. In fact, if you wanted to set up a card table and a couple of chairs in the front of the shop, you could do interviews right there,” Ethan said. “The painting will be done in another day or so. Maybe sooner, since Trina’s keeping so much of the white. It’ll be fine to be in there.”

Roxie nodded. “I’ll tell her. She’ll be excited to start that process.”

“If I could make a suggestion?”

“Sure.”

“Tell Trina to put a notice in the Gulf Gazette. They’ll put it in their paper, but they’ll also put it on their online jobs board. They send out a notice to all subscribers when new jobs are posted. That’s where she’ll get the most responses from.”

“Hang on.” Roxie got up and grabbed the notepad and pen she kept in the kitchen. “If I don’t write it down, I’ll forget.” She jotted down a reminder, then left it in the middle of the counter so that she’d either remember or Trina would see it. “Okay, thanks. That will help. Ready for that walk?”

Ethan got to his feet. “You bet.”

She turned off the television but left the lamps on either side of the couch lit, then took his hand. Together they headed outside and down the steps. At the edge of the pool deck, they toed off their shoes and stepped into the sand.

Ethan let out a sigh as if he’d been waiting for this all day.

“Happy?” she asked.

He pulled her close. “You have no idea.”

Then he kissed her.

Kat felt bad about yawning during the movie they were trying to watch at his place, but Alex had just laughed and brushed it off.

“Surfing can wear you out,” he said. He had his arm around her, and she was leaning into him. It was a very comfortable position to be in.

She would have been asleep in another ten minutes. Maybe less. She nodded. “Apparently, because I am beat. I’m sorry. I really want to hang out longer, but I think I’ll end up falling asleep.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “We had a great day.”

“Yeah, we did,” she answered.

He lifted his arm off her shoulders to lean forward and pause the movie. “Come on. I’ll run you home.”

“I could call an Uber.”

He frowned. “You will not. No girlfriend of mine is paying for her own way home when I have a perfectly good car right outside.”

She grinned. Being called “girlfriend” had such a sweet ring to it. And he was so good to her. She grabbed her purse, and they went outside to his car. He got her door, then went around to the other side.

She and Alex had said goodbye to Miles and Trina after their dinner at Coconuts. Miles and Trina were off to walk the beach, then Miles was taking Trina home.

Alex got in behind the wheel.

“Thanks for today,” Kat said. “I really loved it. And I definitely want to do it again. I’m even thinking about buying my own board, once I get my first check from Future Florida. So long as you help me pick it out, because I have no idea what kind to buy.”

He backed out of the driveway. “I’d be happy to help. That would be so cool.” He laughed. “I’ve never had a girlfriend that surfed with me before. A lot that liked to sit on the beach and watch, but this is better.”

“Well, it’s going to take me a while to get close to being as good as you.”

“Babe, you got up today. More than once. You’re going to be great before you know it. You’re a natural.”

She smiled. She never would have thought of herself as a surfer. Certainly not a natural one. She wasn’t really all that athletic. “It’s weird to think of myself surfing. I never really played sports that much as a kid. I did some dance, a little gymnastics, but I never was great at any of it.”

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