Page 44 of Sunsets at the Beach House

“You are? I must say, I wasn’t expecting that. We’ll miss you, but I understand that sometimes a fresh start can be a very good thing.”

“That’s exactly what it is,” Claire said. “A fresh start.”

“So what can I do to help?”

“Kat’s coming back tomorrow with a rental truck to bring some of our things here. She’ll have her cousin, Cash, with her, but it’s a lot of work for two people. They’re actually hoping to clear out as much of the house as they can. Do you know anyone who might be around tomorrow and willing to help them move some things?”

“I’d be happy to make some calls and see what I can do.”

“You would?” Claire exhaled in relief. “Thank you.”

“For all the delicious cakes and cookies you’ve provided us with over the years, it’s the least we can do.”

“I appreciate this so much.”

“You’re welcome. Keep in touch, now.”

“I will. Thanks again.” She hung up, happy she’d made the call. She remembered the pies and went over to look at them.

The meringue was just starting to turn golden. Not quite there yet but it wouldn’t be long.

As soon as the pies were out, she’d let them cool for a bit on the counter, then they’d need to be refrigerated.

Which meant she probably needed to make room for them. She opened the fridge doors and immediately started pulling things that were approaching their expiration dates. She dumped a few items that were questionable. Then she moved others around, like putting the yogurt cups in one of the drawers instead of leaving them stacked on a shelf, and she had the space she needed in no time.

With that done, she checked the meringues again. They looked just about perfect. She gave them another sixty seconds, then took them out. They smelled heavenly. The meringue had toasted up beautifully. She had high hopes for these pies.

She was excited to take one over to Danny tonight and see what he thought. While she waited for the pies to cool, she took the rest of the dirty dishes to the sink. Some things went into the dishwasher, but the big stuff she handwashed.

While she did that, she thought about Alex again. She knew Kat liked him a lot. How serious was it, she wondered. Had Kat thought about what it would mean to be married to a firefighter?

It was a dangerous job. Obviously. Maybe Kat thought that was exciting, but the idea of her daughter falling in love with a man who might leave her a young widow sent a shiver of fear through Claire.

What if they had kids?

She exhaled. She was probably thinking about it more than she had a right. After all, it was Kat’s life. And her decision to make.

But there was no off switch when it came to caring about your children, and Claire couldn’t help but wonder if Kat had really considered what she was getting herself into.

“Another chapter,” Margo said as she sat back. “I’m amazed at us.”

Conrad laughed. “I had a feeling doing that read-through would kick things back into gear.”

“You were right.” She shook her head. “I’m having one of those moments where I can’t believe how much we’ve accomplished. I know we aren’t even halfway through the book, but I’m still impressed by what we’ve been able to achieve.”

“It’s a good feeling, isn’t it?”

“It really is. Outside of my children, I’ve never done anything I’ve been so proud of.” She smiled with satisfaction. “I suppose you have your military career to look back on, but I never worked outside the home, except for a few months before I met my first husband.”

“Oh?” Conrad turned his chair to face her. “What did you do?”

“I was a secretary. I know that’s not the word they use these days. It’s administrative assistant or something like that, but trust me, in those days, we were secretaries.”

“A secretary, hmm?” He got that sly look on his face. “So why am I doing all the typing?”

She laughed and poked him in the arm. “Behave yourself. Frankly, I think you’re better at it than I ever was.”

He glanced at the screen and the words there. “Today was a good day.”

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