Page 99 of Sunsets at the Beach House

She ran a fry through the little puddle of ketchup she’d made. “Are you saying…marriage?”

“Yeah, sure, maybe. Eventually. Being around my mom and you guys has been a big reminder of how great family is. I’d like to have one of my own someday, you know? Don’t you?”

She nodded. “I definitely do.”

“With Alex?”

She smiled. “Maybe. But I’m not rushing anything. Which doesn’t mean I want to wait years like I did with Ray.”

“It’s a good thing that worked out the way it did. Otherwise, you’d be getting divorced right now.”

A curiouso little shiver went through her. “That would be so strange. I can’t imagine that. But I also know Alex is a very different kind of guy.”

“Hey, don’t say anything to Sierra about what I said. I don’t want to scare her off because she thinks I’ve got some kind of agenda. Things have to happen naturally.”

“I won’t say a word. I haven’t even met her, you know.”

He grinned. “I know. But you will, eventually. I think she’s going to be around a lot more.”

“Are you bringing her to the wedding?”

He nodded. “Yeah. You bringing Alex?”

“Of course.”

“Cool.” He ate the last bite of his burger. “Going on tour with her will be a great way to see if we’re really combatable. I figure we either come back from that engaged or never wanting to speak to each other again.”

Kat laughed. “For the sake of everyone else on the bus with you, I hope it’s not the latter.”

“Me, too,” Cash said. “I really do like her. I’d love for things to work out.”

Kat totally understood. “I feel the same way about Alex.”

Claire had never been happier to pull into the driveway at the Double Diamond. Danny parked beside her, which made sense, since his car was full of her stuff, too.

He got out and stretched as she did the same. “Good to be back.”

“I know. That was a lot of work. I really owe you.”

He smiled. “No, you don’t. You already put gas in my car. Besides, you’re about to work just as hard getting the bakery open. You already have been, really. But helping you out today helps me out tomorrow.”

She nodded. “That is true.”

“Hey, Claire.”

Claire looked up. Jules was standing on the second-floor wraparound porch. “Hey.”

“You need help? I can be down in two seconds.”

“That would be great, thanks.”

“On my way.” Jules disappeared back into the house.

Danny opened the back of his car while Claire started taking things out of the passenger seats.

With Jules’s help, they got both vehicles emptied in about half an hour.

Danny surveyed the boxes now covering Claire’s kitchen floors and counters. There were more in her bedroom. “When the kids get here with the truck, text me. I’m going to run over and check on my dad.”

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