Page 54 of Return to Rosewood Beach

“Yes, it was Julia’s idea.” She tried to sound breezy and cheerful. “It’s been a lot of fun putting it together.”

“Oh. Well. That’s great, honey.”

She winced. He almost sounded disappointed, as if he wished she’d told him more about it before it happened. She realized how much she was holding back from telling him, and she found herself longing for the honesty that had once existed between them.

“Grayson?” she asked softly.

“Yes?”

She took a deep breath, feeling her bloodstream rush faster. She was scared of what the answer to her question was going to be. “I—well, I was looking at our credit card statement and I saw that you’ve taken someone else out to eat a couple of times.I’ve been worried about it. I have to ask—are—are you seeing someone else?”

There were three full heartbeats of complete silence, and she felt as though the air around her was suddenly turning colder.

“You mean—another woman?” Grayson sounded completely shocked.

“Yes. You’ve been so distant lately, and I thought—well, I thought that maybe you…” Her voice trailed off.

“Alexis, I would never.” He still sounded flabbergasted. “I did take someone out to dinner a couple of times, but it was this new client that I’m trying to close a deal with. And he’s a pot-bellied, balding old man, for the record. Those were business meals. I would never cheat on you. Never.”

Relief flooded her, and all at once she felt as light as a feather. “I don’t mean to accuse you. I’m sorry I wasn’t more trusting, but being away from home and dealing with everything surrounding Dad passing away has put me in a weird place. It’s—well, it’s been hard for me to trust you.”

“I can understand that, and I’m sorry for it. I wish I’d done a better job of being there for you. I’ve been so busy—and the truth is I don’t know how to comfort people who are grieving. I expected myself to mess it up, so I didn’t try hard enough. I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you.” A kind of peace settled over her as she listened to his words. It wasn’t just relief that he hadn’t been unfaithful to her, it was more than that. A realization of what she needed to do for herself was growing in her, and she no longer felt as though he was the one who would decide whether she was happy in the future or not. She was realizing that no matter what happened, she was the person with that power.

Grayson, misinterpreting her pause, cleared his throat almost nervously. “Alexis, I promise nothing’s been going on. Just work. If you want me to get you some kind of proof, I can?—”

“No, I believe you.” She smiled even though he couldn’t see her. “But thanks for offering.”

She looked out across the park at the fundraiser that her family had organized. Kids were whooping and running across the grass, and she saw so many people she knew and loved talking and laughing with each other. A sense of camaraderie, of love, seemed to be filling the event. There was a loyalty there in Rosewood Beach that she hadn’t experienced in L.A., and she knew she wanted to stay in her hometown longer. She wanted to stay with her siblings as they worked together to help their mom get the pub back on its feet.

“The truth is that I’ve been making a decision while we’ve been talking,” she said softly.

There was a slight pause, and then Grayson asked slowly, “What is it?”

“I think it’s best that I spend some more time here with my family for the time being. I want to extend my time in Rosewood.”

“Okay. That’s good, honey. I think you should do that.”

She blinked, almost feeling stung by his reaction. She didn’t know how she’d expected him to react, but the fact that he didn’t seem disappointed by her decision made her feel insecure. She wished he’d at least hinted that he was hoping she’d come back soon.

“I—I hope that’s all right,” she said, a little stiffly.

“Absolutely. You do what you need to do.” His response sounded a little stiff as well, and her heart ached for a moment as she wondered what he was really thinking. Was he just trying to be supportive, or did he truly not care if she came back yet or not? She wished that he needed her, and she wished that she knew what to say to get them back to a better place.

Maybe he’s feeling the same way,she thought, thinking about how he’d said he didn’t know how to help her with hergrief, so he hadn’t stepped up to support her.Maybe he just has no idea what to say, so he isn’t saying anything.

“Well, we should talk again soon,” she said, noticing Julia waving to her. Her sister had a huge smile on her face, and she guessed that something exciting had happened at the fundraiser. “I’d better get back to my booth here.”

“Yes, we should talk again soon. Have a good rest of your day, sweetheart.”

“You too.”

“Bye, honey.”

“Bye.”

She hung up the phone, smiling quietly to herself. She still felt uncertain about what the future was going to hold, but she felt at peace with her decision. For now, she was going to stay in Rosewood Beach with her family, and work to keep The Lighthouse Grill on its feet. She tucked her phone in her pocket and hurried over to talk to Julia.

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