Page 28 of Moonlit Harbor Nights

“You’re right. Thanks for looking out for me. I’ll go home in a minute here, but first I’m going to make a phone call.”

“Sounds good. Let me know if there’s anything I can pick up for you.”

“No, I got this car finished. Thank you.”

Dean went into his office and sat down behind his desk. For a moment, he just held his head in his hands, wishing things were different and he didn’t have to disappoint Noelle. She didn’t deserve to have him let her down. She deserved someone who could be there for her whenever she needed it, and he wished he had the strength to be that man for her.

He cleared his throat, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He dialed Noelle’s number, realizing that his heart was thumping as he listened to it ring.

“Hey, Dean!” She sounded eager and happy, and his heart ached, knowing he was about to disappoint her. “What’s up? I’m so excited about our date tonight.”

He winced. “Noelle, I—I’m so sorry, but I won’t be able to go to the cabaret with you tonight.”

There was a long pause, and Dean held his breath. He wished he knew what she was thinking, or even that he could see her face in that moment.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice soft. She sounded as though she was trying to conceal her disappointment, or perhaps trying not to cry. “Are you feeling okay?” She sounded so disappointed when she said it that he swallowed, worried that his condition was pushing her away from him.

“No, I’m feeling okay,” he lied. “It’s just that we’re so busy in the shop tonight. We had a couple of emergency requests come through today, and we’ve got to get them done before tomorrow. People need the cars for work, and it’s safety issues, like brakes.” There was a pause, and when she didn’t say anything, he added, “I’m so sorry, Noelle. I really wanted to go with you tonight.”

“Can’t the other mechanics fix the cars?” she asked. “Or—you have those loaner cars, right? For the people whose cars have to be in the shop for a while? Can’t they use those?”

“Well, they asked us to do them tonight, and—” He cleared his throat. “I hate to ask the other guys to come in on a night they weren’t scheduled and—” His voice trailed off. He’d been hoping she would see the car repairs he’d invented as important and a proper excuse for missing their date, but it was clear she didn’t.

“That’s fine, Dean,” she said in a tone that made it clear she didn’t think it was fine at all. She sounded close to tears. “I understand that your work is very important to you. You can give me a call back when you’re able to make time in your schedule to actually connect with me.”

Before he could say anything else, she hung up. Dean sat at his desk feeling stung and guilty and disappointed. His hands shook as he set his phone down, and he sank deeper into his chair, feeling heavy with fatigue.

He felt bad that he’d lied to her, especially because it had made her feel as though she just wasn’t as important to him as his work was. Nothing could have been further from the truth, but he’d been afraid to confess the reality of his exhaustion to her. He was worried that her knowing that his illness had made him too tired to go on their date would make her pull away from him.

She might not want to be with someone who was so frequently hindered by physical ailments. He didn’t want toappear weak in front of her, or unable to do basic, easy things like go out to dinner and watch a show.

Slowly, he stood up and made his way out of his office. He drove home carefully, wrestling with his thoughts until he’d gotten into his pajamas and climbed into bed. The moment he closed his eyes, he was sound asleep.

“What about the breaded shrimp? Try it with some of the secret sauce.”

Vivian chuckled as Julia pushed a dish of breaded shrimp toward Alexis, who was eyeing it doubtfully. The three of them were seated together at a booth in The Lighthouse Grill. They’d been working together that afternoon, and it had been a long and hectic day, although also a fun one. Now that the pub was closed, they were eating dinner together, and Alexis had started working on one of her handmade jewelry projects.

Although Julia and Vivian had regular meals in front of them—Vivian had a bowl of clam chowder and a turkey sandwich and Julia had a grilled cheese with a side of coleslaw—Alexis was surrounded by lots of different small dishes. She had a side of peas, a side of fries, a side of breaded shrimp, a side of mashed potatoes, a side of nachos, and a cup of tomato soup, among other things. So far, she hadn’t found the thing she was mysteriously craving.

“Should we take a picture of you working for your jewelry website?’ Vivian asked. “Or your Instagram?”

Alexis laughed. “Yes. Me, surrounded by various snacks, since I can’t decide what on earth it is I want to eat.” She dipped one of the breaded shrimp into a dish of the secret sauce and tried it. Her eyebrows rose appreciatively. “Hey! That’s really—no, it’s not right. Almost, but I’m craving something else.” She sighed.

“Too bad we ran out of peanut butter,” Julia teased, shaking her head.

Alexis made a face at her sister. “Oh, come on. Wait, did we run out of peanut butter?”

“Not just the pub, the whole of Rosewood Beach. There’s no more peanut butter anywhere.”

Alexis threw a balled-up napkin at her sister.

Vivian laughed. “I’m not joking about the picture, I think it might be a fun addition to your website. It shows people how dedicated you are. Besides, you look very pretty with your flushed cheeks. I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy glow or the fact that you got so much exercise helping all those customers earlier.”

Alexis shrugged. “Who knows? Thanks for the compliment, Mom. You’re right. Let’s take a picture. My Instagram followers would love to hear about my struggles with cravings, I’m sure. Maybe they’ll even comment and give me some advice.”

Vivian took a few pictures of Alexis smiling while she made her jewelry. Although her smile was warm and genuine, Alexis’s years of modeling work were apparent because she immediately “turned on” for the camera.

“Those look great,” Julia said eagerly, looking over Vivian’s shoulder. Julia was seated next to her mother since Alexis’s side of the table was crowded with snack dishes and jewelry-making supplies. “And it’s a good shot of the earrings you’re making too. They look beautiful.”

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