Page 46 of Sea Glass Serenade

She looked up, blinking rapidly to try to make the tears go away. Dean was walking across the grass of the town square toward her, waving and smiling in his friendly way. Her heart lifted up as it always did to see her twin, and she hurriedly brushed the tear streaks off her cheeks.

“Hey, you.” Dean stepped inside the gazebo, grinning at her. “I heard that today was the big day. Did you talk to Jacob—” His words trailed off as he got a better look at her face. Even though she had tried to hide the fact that she’d been crying, he seemed to realize it right away anyhow. She wondered if her eyes were red, or if she just looked so sad, even through her forced smile, that he was able to see it.

Or maybe it’s just because he’s my twin,she thought, feeling grateful for him.We’ve got that sixth sense about each other.

“It didn’t go well?” he asked gently, sitting down next to her.

She shook her head. “He has a girlfriend,” she squeaked, and the tears started to fall freshly again.

Dean wrapped his arms around her and rocked her back and forth a little bit. “I’m so sorry, Hazel.”

She hiccupped. “I feel like I missed my chance. He just started dating her a few weeks ago. If I’d only said something to him sooner, then maybe he would be dating me instead.”

Dean kissed the side of her head. “Hey. Go ahead and cry about it if you want to, but don’t let your thoughts go there. You’re a human, and you had no way of knowing he was about to start dating someone else. Besides, just because he’s dating someone now doesn’t mean it will be forever. Jacob may very well be single again in the future, and then you’ll know to be brave and ask him out. And now you know exactly how you want to do it, and you’ve already learned that you’re brave enough to do it. So if you get another chance, you’ll be ready.”

Hazel gave her brother a watery smile as he leaned back. “That’s true. You’re right. Thank you for being so kind.”

“You’re welcome.” He lifted a shoulder. “That’s what brothers are for, right?”

“You want a cookie?” She held up the bag.

“Sure, I’ll take one.” He took a cookie out of the bag and took a bite out of it. “Wow. That’s amazing.”

“Thank you.” There were the tears again. “I made them for Jacob.”

“Hey, none of that. They’re delicious. You got to eat some, and I got to eat one too. They didn’t go to waste. Speaking of, how many of these have you eaten?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Seven?”

Dean chuckled. “I think cookies may not be the best dinner. How about you and I go to the pub? Get something more substantial, like fish and chips or a tuna melt?”

She nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Dean. That sounds good.”

“I’ve got you.” He gave her another hug and then the two of them stood up. They walked out of the gazebo together, and she felt much better than she had before. She was still sad about Jacob, but she felt grateful that her family was there for her, so ready to help cheer her up.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Grayson sat in the armchair of his hotel room, gazing out the window. The place where he was staying was more of a bed and breakfast than a hotel—it was an old Victorian house converted into guest rooms. He had the window cracked open, and a cool breeze from the ocean blew against his face. Outside on the street below, he watched the people of Rosewood Beach biking past, walking their dogs, or strolling hand-in-hand through the gathering dusk.

He felt a sense of peace, of calm, that he hadn’t felt in a long time. He had enjoyed spending time with Alexis the other day, and he smiled as he remembered their conversation in the grocery store. He had found every part of their day to be fun and interesting, but the moments in which they started to rediscover their connection had been his favorites. He thought about how unexpectedly powerful it had been to just sit there and roll silverware with her. Sharing a simple task together had allowed them to talk freely in a way they hadn’t done in a long time.

I need to court her, just like Dean said, he thought, smiling a little.Show her that she’s special to me. I need to find ways of making it clear to her how much I care about her.

He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of his room. He knew that Alexis was working the evening shift at the pub that night, and he decided that he would show up there with a surprise for her. He stood up, suddenly feeling eager to enact his plan.

He left the hotel and made his way to the grocery store, where he picked up a box of chocolates and a gorgeous bouquet of pink and red roses. From the grocery store, it was only a short walk to The Lighthouse Grill, and he made his way there with a light heart, feeling excited to give his presents to his wife.

As soon as he stepped through the front door, his eyebrows lifted with surprise. It was noisy and crowded inside the restaurant, and he had never seen the staff looking so frazzled. He didn’t see a single open table or booth, and in the next moment, he heard a particularly loud peal of laughter coming from the back room.

“Excuse me?” he called to a passing waitress, who appeared to be a high school student. “Where’s Alexis?”

She hesitated for a moment, looking overwhelmed. “I don’t know. Kitchen, maybe?”

“Okay.”

The teenager noticed the presents in his arms, smiled slightly, and hurried on to take care of a table.

Grayson made his way toward the kitchen, being careful to stay out of the way of the servers who were hurrying back and forth. He pushed open the swinging doors and saw Alexis up to her elbows in soap suds, hurriedly scrubbing dishes in the sink.

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