Page 30 of Sunsets at the Beach House

“This is it,” Rob announced as he got out of the cart. “Why don’t we walk through and have a look at the canal?”

They both got out and followed him. Willie took Miguel’s hand. “What do you think so far?”

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “Living here, with you, would feel like a dream.”

She smiled. “It would. I know it’s a lot of money—”

“Pah.” His brow furrowed. “Don’t listen to me. How can you put a price on a dream? You can’t.”

She kissed his cheek, more in love with him than ever. “I agree.”

Rob was standing at the end of the property line. He pointed toward the canal. “Look. What did I tell you?”

Willie and Miguel joined him. A pair of dolphins were swimming by.

Willie’s heart fluttered a little at the sight of them. It felt like a sign to her.

Miguel looked at Rob. “You are a man of your word.”

He glanced at Willie.

She had no trouble reading the question in his eyes. She nodded, giving him her answer.

Miguel smiled at Rob. “We’ll take it.”

Claire was grateful for Kat’s help bringing the groceries in. Claire had enough bags from Michael’s that her hands were already full. Kat helped put the groceries away, too.

While she did that, Claire worked on organizing the new baking supplies she’d bought. She set the pans aside to handwash, and found a drawer for the rest, except for the flavorings, food dyes, and decorating bits. Those went on a shelf in the pantry.

“What do you need left out, Mom?”

Claire looked over. “You can leave the oranges, the pineapple, and that bag of shredded coconut on the counter. And the butter. And the eggs.”

“You’re making the wedding cakes first?”

Claire nodded. “Once I get those done, I’ll wrap them in lots of cling film and put them in the freezer until I’m ready to decorate. After that, I’m working on the sour orange pies.”

“I can’t wait to taste that. I know you said I had it as a kid, but I can’t remember it.”

“I bet you will when you taste it,” Claire said. “But I’m looking forward to it as well. It’s been years. I hope it tastes as good as I remember.”

“You need help with any of this?”

Claire smiled. “It’s kind of you to ask, but I know you probably want to go work on your new project.”

Kat laughed. “I kind of do. I was thinking I’d work out on the porch. I’ll cover the table with some newspaper, so I don’t get paint on it.”

“That’s fine, but if you get hot, you can work on the table in here.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll turn the fans on. Besides, I don’t want to bother you.”

“You won’t, I promise. Work wherever you want, okay? And thanks for your help and your company today. That was nice.”

Kat nodded. “It was. I’m glad I came. I know I’m about to be busy with my new job. I figured it was a good chance to spend some time together.”

“I agree. Hey, before I start baking, we should have some lunch.”

“I could eat.” Kat went to the fridge. “There’s the salad left over from last night. More than enough for two of us. Maybe I’ll even add some lettuce to it just to freshen it up.” She pulled the container out.

---