Page 38 of Return to Rosewood Beach

“So you didn’t learn anything valuable, huh?” He started to play with a magnet that was on the refrigerator, moving it back and forth, back and forth…

“No. I guess you probably thought it was pretty silly of us. Putting our hoods up like that as if it would really keep us from being recognized.” She sounded nervous, as if she was worried that he thought she’d been foolish.

“Oh, not at all,” he assured her hastily. “I thought it was cute.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he froze, no longer moving the magnet. He winced a little bit, wondering if it was too early for him to say something like that.

“Oh, you did, huh?” She sounded as though she was grinning. “Or is cute just the word you use for silly people?”

“No, cute is the word I use for cute people.” He was grinning too. “I think what you’re trying to do is very important, and anything that can help you achieve it is a good idea.”

“Even putting up my hood?”

“Oh, definitely that.”

She laughed, and he grinned, thinking to himself how nice her laugh was.

“I would not be cute like you if I put my hood up like that.” He chuckled. “I would look like some teenager trying to be cool.”

“Oh, I don’t know, I think you might look cute. Or maybe you would look cool—like you were on a secret mission.”

“That’s me, the James Bond of Rosewood Beach.”

She laughed again, and he realized that he was moving the magnet back and forth again, even faster this time.

“I wish I could ask you to swoop in and save the day, James Bond of Rosewood Beach.” She sighed.

His heart twisted as he thought to himself that he wished he could swoop in and help her with her troubles. “I’m sure you don’t need me. You’re brilliant. You’ll come up with a way to help your family.”

“That’s sweet of you to say. I’m trying. I keep thinking about it, and I’m sure I’ll come up with something. Eventually.”

“Well, you’re not alone. You’ve got a whole town here to support you—”and me, he thought privately—“and I know your siblings will be a huge help to you as well. Your family seems really tight-knit. I’m sure you’re all going to do everything you can to help, using all your different strengths.”

There was a short pause, and then she said, “Thank you, Cooper.” She sounded touched. Then she gasped. “Oh! Yes! Thank you, seriously, thank you, you just gave me a great idea. My siblings and I need to pull together and use our different abilities to help! You’re brilliant.”

“I am?” He couldn’t help grinning, hearing her sound so excited, but he wasn’t sure how he had helped. He wanted her to explain her idea, but?—

“I’ll talk to you again soon. I should go. I’m really excited about this.”

“Okay—”

“Thank you again!”

“Wait a second—do you want to go bowling Wednesday night?” He blurted out the words in a hurry, wanting to make sure he caught her before she hung up.

“I’d love to.” She sounded as though she was smiling. “See you Wednesday.”

“See you Wednesday. Bye.”

She hung up, and he stared at his blank phone screen for a few moments, feeling his heart buzz with a kind of excitement that he hadn’t felt in years.

“Pass me the potatoes, Dean. No, not the green beans, the potatoes!”

Julia chuckled quietly as she watched Hazel sigh with exasperation over the way her twin wasn’t paying attention to what she was saying. Dean had clearly been lost in thought, although he didn’t seem particularly down.

All of her siblings had gathered for dinner at Vivian’s house, and—despite the painful absence of their father—it almost felt like old times. Vivian had soft jazz music playing on the radio in the background, and the familiar dining room was filled with the mouthwatering aromas of mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, cornbread muffins, and Chicken Marsala. The lights werewarm and cozy, and through the windows of the dining room, they could see the sky beginning to turn pink from the sunset.

“Oops.” Dean grinned at Hazel and passed her the potatoes. “Sorry.”

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