Page 18 of Sunsets at the Beach House

Trina wore a cute sundress and put her hair in a high ponytail. She did simple, easy makeup and went light on the jewelry, too. She intended to have a serious conversation with Miles during breakfast and that had put her in a different sort of mood.

She wasn’t her usual self, she recognized that. She hoped it wasn’t as obvious to him. But the more she thought about having kids, the more she realized she couldn’t be with a man who didn’t want them.

Beachbums was a funky little place not far from Coconuts in the more artsy part of Diamond Beach. At least that’s how Trina looked at it. There were some galleries here, as well as little clothing boutiques, a place that sold homemade candles, soaps, and bath bombs, a tattoo parlor, a juice bar, and one of the Chauncey’s surf shop locations.

She’d have to come down here sometime when she could walk around and take a better look. She parked at the restaurant and went in.

Miles was already there, waiting by the front door. “Hey. Morning.”

“Hi. Good morning to you.”

He leaned in and kissed her. “You sure look better than I do.” He laughed.

He was in a surfing T-shirt and a pair of board shorts. “You look just fine to me,” Trina said.

“Come on, let’s snag that booth.” He pointed toward the one some folks were just leaving.

“Lead the way,” Trina said. Her nerves were making her jittery. She prayed this conversation was not the last one she ever had with Miles. She liked him too much to want to end things. She would, though, if he was against having kids. That just wasn’t a dream she was willing to give up on.

He stood while she took a seat on the right side of the booth, then he sat across from her. “Is this okay?”

She nodded. “This is great. I like sitting next to you, too, but it’s easier to talk to you this way.”

For a moment, he didn’t react. Then his brow furrowed. “Did something happen? Or is it about to? Is that why you wanted to see me so soon?”

Trina hesitated, not sure how to answer.

He sat back, the look on his face one Trina could only describe as concerned. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“What?” Trina opened her mouth to get more air in her lungs. She hadn’t been expecting that. “Why would you say that?”

He shook his head, eyes narrowed. “You’re not wearing any pink. You always wear pink.”

“Not always.” She glanced down at herself. He was right. Not a speck of pink.

A server came over and dropped off menus and two glasses of water. “Morning. I’m Gina. I’ll be taking care of you this morning. Today’s pancakes are coconut. We also have a mango smoothie as our smoothie of the day. Be right back to get your order.”

Trina swallowed as she picked up her menu. “Coconut pancakes sound good.”

Miles leaned forward. “Are you sure everything’s all right? You didn’t say you weren’t breaking up with me.”

She couldn’t lie to him. Maybe she should just flat-out ask him the question she needed an answer to. At least then she’d know if there was any reason for them to keep sitting here, having breakfast together. She took a sip of her water.

“Whatever it is,” Miles said. “I can fix it. Or do better. Or stop doing it. Just give me a chance, okay?”

He was going to make her cry being sweet like that. He had no clue what she was going to say, and he was already trying to keep her from leaving. She shook her head. “I just need to know something.”

“Anything. Whatever it is, I’ll tell you.”

“I know we’ve only just started going out, but I like you a lot and—”

“I like you a lot, too.”

She smiled. He was sincere. “That’s why I kind of need to know how you feel about kids.”

“Kids?” He blinked like he wasn’t quite understanding the question.

She nodded. “As in, do you want them? Someday, I mean. Not right now. But do you see yourself as a dad?”

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