Page 40 of Return to Rosewood Beach

The table went silent, and everyone stared at Alexis in concern.

“I—I don’t think so,” Alexis stammered, her voice breaking a little.

“Why not?” Hazel asked, sounding shocked. “I mean, he’s your husband, and he’s loaded, so?—”

Vivian shook her head at Hazel, warning her to hush. It was clear that something was wrong, since a large tear was rolling down Alexis’s cheek.

“Alexis,” Julia asked softly. “Is something else the matter?”

“Yes,” Alexis blurted, starting to cry. “My relationship with Grayson is on the rocks. I don’t know how it started or how to fix it, but he barely speaks to me anymore, and he—I—I can’t ask him for anything.” She let out a sob and stood up hurriedly. “Excuse me,” she said and ran out of the room.

Hazel pressed her hand against her mouth, and Dean stared at Alexis’s exit with his jaw dropped.

“Oh, my poor girl,” murmured Vivian. “That’s awful. No wonder she’s been so quiet this whole time. I got the impression that something else was grieving her, but I kept telling myself it was just your father’s passing.”

“That’s too much for anyone to be dealing with at once.” Julia shook her head, feeling a surge of sympathy for her sister. “I had no idea she was going through that.”

“I should have guessed.” Hazel sighed. “She was crying the other morning, and I think she was about to tell me about Grayson, but then she didn’t.”

“She probably feels ashamed,” Julia said softly, thinking of how reluctant she’d been to share the news that she’d been fired.

“I feel terrible for her,” Dean said, shaking his head. “Grayson never seemed like a total fool to me, but I guess he is if he’s letting his relationship with Alexis go like that.”

“I’m going to go get her a cookie or something,” Hazel said, standing up. “Mom, do you have any?—”

“Yes, in the cookie jar.” Vivian smiled fondly at her daughter, although her eyes still looked troubled.

“I’ll come too.” Dean stood up.

“No, we can’t all go.” Hazel shook her head. “You guys finish your dinner. I just want to check on her.”

“Okay.” Dean sighed and sat down again. “But bring her a glass of milk too. You know she likes to dunk her cookies.”

Hazel grinned at him and disappeared. For a moment, everyone remaining at the table was silent.

“When she comes back, we’ll remind her that she’ll always have us,” Vivian said softly. “We’ll help her get through this.”

Julia nodded, feeling sorry for her sister and wondering what they would do without Grayson’s support. She took a deep breath, knowing that no matter what happened, they were going to figure something out and not give up.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Vivian drove up to Hazel’s cottage and parked her car carefully. Early morning sunlight sparkled on the windows of the house and gleamed on the colored glass garden ornaments that dotted the front garden. Vivian had always felt proud of Hazel for creating such a wonderful home for herself and Samantha. Every time she’d visited her daughter, she’d felt as though she was going to a place that was going to bring her comfort and happiness.

Today she didn’t feel the same way, but that was no fault of Hazel’s. The night before, Alexis hadn’t returned to the dinner table, and she and Hazel had left shortly after everyone else had finished eating. Vivian’s heart ached for her daughter, and she was there at Hazel’s house hoping that she could talk to Alexis and help her feel better about her situation with Grayson.

She got out of her car and walked slowly up the path to the front door, which was painted a cheerful mint green. She knocked softly, and a moment later the door was opened by Hazel, who was still wearing her pajamas with an apron tied on over them.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Vivian gave Hazel a hug. “How are you this morning?”

“Oh, I’m okay.” Hazel smiled at her mother as they pulled away from the hug, but then she sighed. “Alexis was quiet all the way home last night. I’ve been up for over an hour already, and I haven’t seen her yet this morning.”

“I feel so bad for her.” Vivian followed Hazel as they walked slowly toward Hazel’s kitchen. The air was filled with the warm, buttery aroma of waffles and the nutty fragrance of coffee. “I didn’t realize that Alexis was having so much trouble. I feel as though I should have realized it, somehow. I think I might have if I wasn’t so bogged down with my own grief.”

Hazel shook her head. “You couldn’t have known, Mom. It’s clear she didn’t want to tell anyone about it, so she must have been trying to keep it from us. All we can expect when someone’s going through something so sensitive like that is that they’ll confide in us when they’re ready. She wasn’t ready until last night.” Hazel bustled around in her kitchen as she spoke, getting a cup of coffee ready for her mother.

“You’re right.” Vivian sighed, and then gratefully accepted the cup of coffee that her daughter handed to her. “But I don’t think she was even ready to tell us last night. We kind of forced it out of her by accident.”

“True. But I think it’ll be better for her now that it’s out in the open.” Hazel went back to the stove, where she was making waffles. “Now we can support her, since we know what’s going on. Before, she didn’t have anyone she could talk to about this. That must have been awful.”

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