Page 36 of Sea Glass Serenade

She turned out the lights and slipped out the back door, locking it behind her. As she climbed into her car, she shook herhead, not knowing whether to laugh or feel disappointed. She wondered how it could possibly be so hard to tell someone how she felt about him. Not only was she nervous to say the words, but things seemed to keep happening to prevent her from telling him her feelings.

She sighed as she maneuvered her car along the road. She was glad that she had been there to take care of Cooper and Macey when they were sick. She made a mental note to make some homemade chicken soup and drop it off at their house the next day. She smiled to herself, grateful that Cooper and his sweet daughter were in her life, and sure that at some point, she would have the opportunity to tell him how she felt about him.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Grayson felt the wind ruffle his hair and he half-closed his eyes for a moment. He was walking along the sidewalk in Rosewood Beach, enjoying the beautiful afternoon weather. He thought to himself that the wind smelled clean and fragrant there, and it was pleasant to feel it brush against his face. In L.A., the air had often smelled foul, and getting hit with a blast of wind was sometimes unpleasant. There in Rosewood Beach, everything seemed fresh and new.

He’d been regularly exploring the town, getting to know it better. He’d been wandering through all of the stores and trying out all of the local food places. He wished that Alexis was there with him, showing him around, but she clearly wasn’t too keen on the idea of spending time with him. He’d decided that he would try to get a better sense of her world on his own, and he had been spending his time becoming acquainted with Rosewood Beach.

He found himself walking past Seaside Sweets Bakery and decided to go inside. He remembered the place as being one of Alexis’s favorites, and he’d been there himself a few times. He’d been extremely impressed by their pastries, and he thoughteagerly of the lemon-filled doughnuts they usually had available for purchase.

He stepped inside the cozy, sweet-smelling bakery and was greeted by a smiling teenager at the register. He bought a cup of dark roast coffee with a splash of cream, and one of the lemon-filled doughnuts.

He took his purchases outside and sat down at one of the little café tables that were placed near the front door. He had a beautiful view of the ocean from where he was sitting, and he watched the sunlight sparkle on the waves while he ate his doughnut. He found himself missing Alexis terribly, and wishing she was there with him. He felt sad that she was so nearby, and yet still seemed to be worlds away from him. He thought about what she might say if she was there. He wanted to ask her if she’d ever had one of the lemon-filled doughnuts, and he wondered which one of the Seaside Sweets’ pastries was her favorite.

He finished his doughnut and stood up, deciding to finish his coffee as he strolled. It was nice, he thought, not having any kind of agenda for his day. Time had slowed down so much for him since he’d arrived in Rosewood Beach. In the past, there had always seemed to be a clock ticking in the back of his mind, urging him to do more faster, but now that sense of frantic urgency was gone.

He continued to walk along the sidewalk, and soon he found himself in front of Dean’s auto repair shop. He stood outside for a few moments, listening to the sound of banging and whirring that was coming from inside. He didn’t know Dean well, and he didn’t know what Dean thought of him, but after hesitating for a moment, he decided to go inside.

He stepped into the cool, dim lobby and found it empty. A glass wall between the lobby and the garage allowed him to see into the shop, where three men were working on cars. He saw Dean smiling at one of his employees as he wiped greasy handson the front of his jumpsuit. In the next moment, Dean looked up and saw Grayson standing in the lobby. He said something to his employee and then made his way toward the door that led to the reception desk.

“Hey, Grayson.” Dean smiled in a friendly way as he stepped into the lobby, but Grayson noticed that same uncertain gleam in his eyes. “How are you?”

“I’m fine. I heard you cut your hand here.”

Dean glanced down at the large Band-Aid that was covering his thumb. “Just a scratch. I’m down to regular at-home care now. Just Band-Aids. No stitches or anything.” Dean smiled cheerfully, but Grayson noticed that there were dark circles under his eyes, and his skin looked pale.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Grayson nodded, meaning what he said. Dean was a nice guy, and he deserved for things to be going well for him, Grayson thought.

“How are things going between you and Alexis?” Dean asked, his tone tactfully gentle. “Have you made up?”

“Oh, I’m not sure what you would call it.” Grayson sighed. “We talked the other day. She said she’s willing to see how things go, but she’s definitely been avoiding me. I have to admit, I thought that quitting my job and moving out here would be enough of a grand gesture to make her come around and see how serious I am about winning her back. Instead, she seems to be unsure of whether or not she can trust me. I guess I have only myself to blame for that, but—well, it’s disappointing to say the least.”

Dean nodded. “I can understand that. If you wouldn’t mind, I can offer you a little free advice?”

“Go for it. You’re her brother, and maybe you know her even better than I do. Or at least, you know her in ways that I don’t. You can understand better than me why she loves it here so much, and what’s been keeping her here. She’s growing into anew person, it seems, and I want to know what kind of things she’d been doing here that made her not want to come back to L.A.”

“My guess would be that it’s just that—she’s doing things. She has a sense of excitement about her life now that she’s able to take action and have interesting experiences every day. And I’m sure she loves being back here with her family again. We were really a tight-knit group before Julia and Alexis moved away to big cities. That’s just my guess, though, and I think Alexis is the best person to tell you all about what she’s been thinking and feeling. Have you tried asking her why she loves it here?”

“I’ve tried talking to her, but I never end up asking her everything I’d like to. She gets so quiet. It seems clear to me that she doesn’t really want to talk to me.”

“She does seem to be upset about the whole thing. It’s been really hard for her, you know. I think a bit of courting will definitely be required on your part. Alexis is just trying to protect her heart and heal from the pain that your marriage caused her. I’m sure she’s inflicted pain on you too, and I’m sure she knows that. I think she’s been unsure of what to do for so long, ever since your marriage started languishing.

“But she seems really happy here doing things for other people. She’s thrown herself into helping others, and she’s even been trying to find a girlfriend for me.” Dean grimaced playfully. “I think that’s her way of coping—she’s been trying to find a purpose in her life by making herself useful. My best advice to you would be that you shouldn’t try to take that from her. You should try to join her in it.”

Grayson nodded, feeling amazed by how insightful Dean was. He felt sure that what he was hearing was great advice. “How do you know so much about love, even though you’re single?”

Dean smiled, a little sadly. “One learns a lot from observing.”

“I suppose so. Well, thank you. I’m really glad I came in here to talk to you.”

Dean grinned at him. “I am too.” He held out his hand for a handshake and Grayson took it and shook it firmly. “Best of luck, Grayson.”

“Thanks. I may need it. And thank you again for the advice.”

The two men exchanged another smile, and Grayson stepped back outside in the sunlight. His heart felt lighter, and he felt as though he understood where his wife was coming from better. He vowed to himself that he would continue trying, and he would do whatever it took to win back her heart.

“Set it right there, just like that. That looks cute, doesn’t it?”

---