Page 23 of Where Sea Meets Sky

“Glad to hear that.” He took a sip of his latte, which was still pleasantly warm. “I’m going to miss the coffee from Seaside Sweets Bakery, that’s for sure.”

She nodded. “They try. They don’t just rush your order to get it out of the way.”

“Yes!” He turned to her eagerly. “I’ve never pinpointed it like that before, but you’re absolutely right.”

She smiled and took another sip of her drink. The cool breeze rippled through the gazebo, making the wisps of hair framing her face dance. Ryan realized that he was staring and quickly looked away.

“I should have gotten you something to eat too,” he said, regretting it. He’d been so excited to get back to her that he hadn’t even thought about it. “But I have a lemon croissant, and this thing is massive. You want to help me eat it?”

She smiled. “Okay, sure.” Her face lit up as he handed her half of it. “Oh, it’s got a glaze too? This looks delicious.”

“It is.” He nodded. “I’ve had it before.” He took a bite of the light, flaky pastry and grunted in appreciation. “Could be straight out of France, don’t you think?”

She shrugged. “I wish I could tell you, but I’ve never been anywhere near France. I never had the time to travel.”

“Well, now you do.” He grinned at her. “Who knows where life is going to take you next?”

For a moment, the two of them held eye contact, and he wondered what she was thinking. He wondered what it was she wanted to do with her life, and if she was going to stay in Rosewood Beach. He very much hoped that she would still be there when he got done with his job.

After a couple of awkward seconds of silence, he cleared his throat. “Where do you think you’ll go after this? Are youplanning on heading back to Boston soon—back to your busy work life?”

She glanced at him, as if she realized what he was really asking. He wanted to know if she was going to be in Rosewood Beach when he got back. He wanted to see her again.

“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “Probably not Boston, although I do know a fair amount of people there. I may end up somewhere totally unexpected—maybe even France.” She laughed.

He shook his head, chuckling. “You have the air and appearance of a very accomplished woman—the kind of woman who’s had a five- and ten-year plan since you were nine years old. How do you not have a plan?”

“Because my ten-year plan just burned to the ground,” she said wryly. “When the vision you’ve had for your future for so long falls apart, it’s hard to find your bearings.”

He nodded sympathetically. “I’m sorry. I should have realized you’re dealing with unexpected challenges right now.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I don’t mind. I am finding my bearings, slowly. I’m learning how to rest. Rosewood Beach has been wonderful, and I already feel like it’s taught me a new way to approach life. But I think I’ll probably end up moving somewhere else. This is my long-lost relatives’ town, after all, not mine. Maybe I need to find my own place to put down roots.”

He wanted to blurt, “But it can be yours too. You can stay here,” but he decided that wasn’t his place. Instead, he just nodded.

“But, speaking of family!” Her face brightened with a smile. “I’ve been invited to have dinner with my relatives, so that’s good. I hope.” She grimaced playfully, although he got the sense that she was genuinely nervous. “I’ll have to see how that goes.”

“I’m sure they’ll love you,” he said warmly, and she blushed. “It’s no big deal, just a family dinner. Besides, they invited you, right? So they must like you already.”

“Well, one of them does, anyway.” She smiled. “But you’re right. I don’t know why I’m so jittery about it.”

I do,he thought.They’re probably the last family members you have left in the world, and you’re terrified that it isn’t going to work out and that you’ll be left without any family at all.

He wanted to say it out loud so that he could reassure her that she was smart and funny, and a pleasure to be around. He felt certain that her family was going to adore her, but if they were the more reserved type, she might not realize it and would never know how much they valued her. He hoped that she didn’t move away from Rosewood Beach simply because she didn’t want to impose on family members who were bound to like her a great deal but might not actually say as much out loud.

“I’m sure it’ll be amazing,” he told her, meaning it sincerely. “Anyone would be lucky to have you as a part of their family. I’m sure they’ll feel that way.”

She smiled at him gratefully and nibbled her half of the lemon croissant thoughtfully.

“You’re very nice,” she said finally, her eyes twinkling at him. “You’re one of the best things about Rosewood Beach, that’s for sure.”

“But I don’t even live here most of the time,” he said, grinning casually even though her words had made his heart skip a beat. “I’m almost always away working.”

She shrugged and pretended to sigh dramatically. “Then that’s more reason for me to not stay here, I guess.”

He smiled, but internally he was squirming, wishing he could assure her that he would be back soon and they’d be able to spend more time together. But he knew that he couldn’t. Thereality of his work life meant that he would often be away from Rosewood Beach, just as he had been for the last few years.

“Well, I hope Rosewood Beach continues to treat you kindly while I’m gone,” he told her.

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