Page 9 of Return to Rosewood Beach

A few minutes later, they were sitting down to eat the delicious meal together. Alexis’s stomach grumbled, and shesmiled in satisfaction as she brought her glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice to her lips.

“Thank you so much for letting me stay here,” she said, reaching out and hugging Hazel around the shoulders. “You’re being so hospitable. You’ll have to let me return the favor somehow.”

“Well, you can help Samantha out with all her projects if you want.” Hazel smiled as the hug broke and they went back to their meals. “She is very excited about your L.A. expertise. And I think it would be fun for the two of you to bond.”

“I agree.” Alexis smiled at Samantha, who grinned back at her.

For a few minutes, they ate their breakfast in silence. All of the food was delicious, and Alexis remarked that she’d never had apple turnovers that good. Hazel laughed as though she hadn’t meant it sincerely, but she had. The frittatas were filled with mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes, and they practically melted in her mouth. She felt new energy fill her as she ate the nourishing food.

“So what about you, Alexis?” Hazel’s blue-green eyes lit with interest, and she brushed back a strand of her long, wavy dark blonde hair. She smiled, revealing the dimples in her cheeks. “How’s your life back in the fabulous city of Los Angeles?”

“Oh, things are all right.” Alexis forced a smile. She was determined to be honest with her sister, but she also didn’t feel much like talking about all of the things that had been weighing on her mind lately.

A few seconds of silence elapsed, and then Hazel pressed her sister for more information. “What do you mean ‘all right’? Is something wrong? I thought you and Grayson were out there living the dream. All of your pictures make your house seem like some kind of castle, and make you seem like some kind of princess.”

Alexis laughed, feeling an ache at her sister’s words. “Well, thank you. But there aren’t any red-headed princesses.”

“Oh, yes there are!” Samantha protested. “And Mom’s right, you look really beautiful in all those pictures.”

Alexis’s heart warmed. It was a long time since she’d felt beautiful, and their words were a pleasant reminder that she was still attractive. Her long reddish-brown hair was complemented by a few freckles on her nose and her vibrant green eyes. Her figure was tall and willowy, and her features were beautiful enough while still being unique enough to have gotten her some great modeling jobs during the height of her career.

“Well, thank you both. That’s sweet of you to say.” She smiled, hoping the conversation would drift naturally to other things.

Hazel seemed to be determined to know more about Alexis’s life, however. “Is something the matter? You looked really down when you said that things were just ‘all right.’”

Alexis sighed, shaking her head. “Things—well, I think everything feels weighty now, because of Dad.”

Hazel nodded, blinking back some tears. “I understand what you mean. Grief isn’t like what I expected. I thought I’d be crying all the time. But it’s more like there’s this constant ache underneath everything, and then sometimes the pain gets really sharp.”

Alexis nodded, knowing just what her sister meant. She’d still had moments of happiness even after hearing about their father’s death, but underneath it all had been the deep sadness of knowing that he was gone.

“But I do want to hear more about your life,” Hazel insisted, forcing a brave smile. “What are you up to these days?”

“Oh, not much.” Alexis sighed, looking out the window and noticing how lovely Hazel and Samantha’s garden looked in the sunlight. “I don’t do as much modeling work anymore, since I’vemostly aged out of it. That makes me feel as though I’ve lost some of my identity. I want something to do with myself, but there’s nothing to do, really. Grayson works very long hours—sometimes I don’t see him at all, because he comes home late, goes to sleep downstairs, and then leaves in the morning before I wake up.”

Hazel nodded, looking sympathetic and troubled. Alexis’s stomach flopped as she wondered what Hazel was thinking about her marriage. It didn’t sound very romantic, that was for sure.

“It’s been hard.” Alexis took another sip of the orange juice, feeling a little cheered by how good it tasted. “As much as I wish the reason why I came back was different, it is kind of nice to be away from my regular life. I needed a breather from it. And it’s good to be back in our hometown.”

Hazel smiled and nodded. “I understand. Marriage is such a complicated thing. And it’s always nice to come back home.”

Alexis smiled back sympathetically, knowing Hazel was probably thinking about her short marriage to Simon, the boy she’d become engaged to at the end of high school. They’d moved out of Rosewood Beach together, but Hazel had returned after her marriage had fallen apart. “I know you understand. And I’m glad you’ve been able to make a home here in Rosewood Beach.”

As she took another bite of her frittata, her heart thumped with worry. She could only hope that her own marriage wasn’t going to end in divorce. Hazel seemed to suspect that her relationship with Grayson was getting rocky, but Alexis wasn’t ready to admit out loud to her sister that she was having relationship issues. She felt embarrassed about it, and she didn’t want to dwell on a painful subject, especially when the painful subject of their father’s death couldn’t be avoided.

Almost as if she’d read Alexis’s thoughts, Hazel cleared her throat gently. Alexis knew from her sister’s suddenly hesitant manner that she was about to bring up something related to the funeral.

“So, I told Mom I would make arrangements with the florist today,” Hazel said. “I’m worried I’m going to start crying in the woman’s office and be a total mess. Would you come along with me?”

“I’d be happy to,” Alexis said, smiling at her. She reached over and squeezed her sister’s hand. “That sounds like something we should do together.”

CHAPTER SIX

“You have a good day today, okay, honey?” Cooper crouched down and looked his baby daughter Macey in the eyes. They were on the sidewalk outside of her daycare, early in the morning. “I’ll be back really soon. You have fun with your friends, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.”

Macey still didn’t know many words, and she spoke with the adorably sloppy diction of a toddler. “Okay, Daddy” was the phrase she said the most, and his heart still warmed every time he heard it.

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