Page 30 of Moonlit Harbor Nights

Tears welled up in Vivian’s eyes, and she squeezed her daughter’s hand in return. “Thank you for saying that. I’ve been worried it was selfish of me to want to start dating again, but I did have a similar conversation with Hazel, and she said basically what you’re saying. That she wants me to be happy.”

“I agree,” Julia said, giving her mother a sideways hug. “And I’m sure Dean would agree with us. We all want you to be happy. So… are you saying you’re interested in dating Alan?”

Vivian coughed gently. “I didn’t say that. But, well… I suppose I wouldn’t mind if something came of it.”

Alexis chortled and dipped a regular French fry into the secret sauce. In the next moment, her face lit up with an expression of delight. “Hey! That’s it!” Clearly thrilled, Alexis began to chow down on the rest of the French fries, giving each one a generous dip into the secret sauce before popping it into her mouth.

Vivian and Julia laughed, glad that Alexis had finally found something to satisfy her cravings—at least for the moment. Vivian felt a surge of happiness, thankful that she had such wonderful children who were so kind and supportive. She also couldn’t help feeling a little excited about the prospect of what they’d talked about coming true.

What if Alan really did ask her out on a date?

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Ah, that’s such a pretty color, Julia! Your nails are going to look amazing.”

Julia smiled at Alexis, who was practically squealing with excitement again. All three of the Owens sisters were at the nail salon, getting manicures. Alexis had arranged the outing when she’d signed Julia up for a manicure, determined that her sister would have beautiful fingernails when she got proposed to by Cooper.

Julia loved going to the salon. She was not immune to the pleasures of being pampered and treated like a princess, and as much as she’d protested while Alexis was setting up the appointment, she was very fond of a good manicure.

After deliberating on what color to choose, she decided on royal blue. It was one of her favorite colors, and she wore it a great deal. It also went well with her other favorite clothing colors, such as lavender, light blue, and of course black and white. She had felt a little silly trying to plan what outfit she might be wearing when Cooper proposed, but that hadn’t stopped her from daydreaming about it.

“I also love this color,” said the nail technician doing Julia’s nails. “So bold. And it brings out your eyes.”

Julia thought to herself with a chuckle that she’d need to hold her hands up near her eyes a lot for that to be true, but she appreciated the compliment. She felt comfortable and a little sleepy, and she wanted to sit back and enjoy daydreaming about being proposed to.

She was soon distracted by the conversation Hazel and Alexis were having, however. They were talking about the article in the newspaper about the McCormick brewery expanding into a full restaurant.

“I think he’s just doing it to compete with us.” Alexis shook her head. “I mean, why didn’t they start out as a restaurant if that’s what he wanted to do? Or if they’re trying to increase their profits, why not start a new beer flavor or open up another location for their brewery? Seems pretty shady to me.”

Hazel sighed and nodded. “I see what you mean. I don’t think Judd McCormick is worried about hurting our feelings—or our business—that’s for sure.”

“Well, he’s not going to hurt either,” Alexis said firmly. “I’ll be nice and say I hope their restaurant works out great—but he’s got another thing coming if he thinks he’s going to take business away from us.”

“Hear hear!” Hazel said, and Julia grinned at her sisters. In her heart, however, she felt a flutter of worry that Alexis might not be right about the McCormicks’ new restaurant not having any impact on the pub. It would be a new dining establishment in town, which meant competition whether they liked it or not. And besides, the article had made it sound as though the new McCormick restaurant would be producing the same kind of homey comfort food that The Lighthouse Grill did, which meant that people who wanted to go somewhere for a good hamburger or cup of soup would be choosing between The Lighthouse Grill and the McCormicks’ new place.

She held back a sigh, wishing her family didn’t have to deal with an undercut from Judd McCormick yet again. Still, she reflected, there was nothing they could do besides put their best foot forward and continue to be the beloved, well-respected restaurant that they were. Their purpose wasn’t to make a great financial profit, so they could take a little bit of a hit.

Not too much though,she thought, staring into space with another twinge of worry.We’re still trying to pay off Dad’s debts and get the pub’s finances back on track. I hope it all works out in our favor.

She brushed her worries aside, telling herself that she could start refiguring the pub’s finances if she needed to once she had a better sense of how the McCormicks’ new restaurant might impact their business. Hazel and Alexis were still chatting companionably about the McCormicks’ restaurant and making theories about what might be on the menu. Their theories were based more on what they thought of Judd McCormick’s character than the actual nature of restaurant food. Spider Salad and Backstabbing Barbecue Burgers weren’t likely to actually show up on a menu anywhere.

Julia chuckled as she listened, and then her mind began to wander again, pulled toward daydreaming about Cooper and his potential proposal. She couldn’t stop thinking about how exciting it would be if he did get down on one knee and propose to her. Into her mind flocked colorful images of the two of them walking through a beautiful park together or eating dinner at a romantic restaurant. She smiled quietly to herself, feeling a swell of joy in her heart.

Alexis grinned at Julia. “What are you thinking about, hmm? Not the McCormick restaurant, if you’re smiling like that.”

Julia laughed. “I might have let my mind wander to more pleasant subjects. It’s hard not to think about getting proposed to when we’re here getting ready for it.”

“You should be thinking about it!” Hazel beamed at Julia.

“Absolutely.” Alexis nodded. “We’ll stop talking about business and this silly McCormick feud. Today is all about Julia.”

“Yes!” Hazel agreed. “I can’t wait to see a ring on your finger, Julia, and hear all about how Cooper proposes to you. I bet it’s something really sweet and thoughtful.”

“Cooper is a really thoughtful guy, isn’t he?” Alexis’s eyes twinkled. “He’s perfect for you, Julia. You’re both considerate and careful and good planners. And he really cares about you, and I know he’s going to make sure the two of you have a happy marriage.”

“Slow down!” Julia laughed, feeling as though she was blushing, especially because the nail technicians were all smiling knowingly. “He hasn’t proposed yet.”

“He will, though.” Hazel nodded emphatically. “How do you think he’ll do it? Somewhere public, or someplace private with just the two of you there?”

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