Page 35 of Where Sea Meets Sky

Vivian and Alexis turned around eagerly. Faith had just stepped through the front doors of the pub. She was wearing a sundress and a sweater and looked energetic and content. She caught sight of them a moment later and hurried over with a smile.

“Good morning, ladies! How are—” She paused when she noticed Julia’s boots and baseball cap. “What is with those?” she blurted.

Vivian turned to look at Julia as if noticing her hat and boots for the first time. She appeared equally confused.

Alexis was unable to hide her laughter and sat in her chair chortling. “See? I told you.”

Julia tried to keep a straight face, but a moment later she started laughing as well. “Oh, fine. I bought these to impress my outdoorsy in-laws. I thought they might make a good impression.”

“Um, well, they do look nice,” Vivian said reassuringly. “It’s just that you—well, I remember when you were a kid and you absolutely refused to wear baseball caps.” The corner of her mouth curved upward in amusement.

Julia sighed. “Oh, you’re right. I can’t even fool my cousin, who I just met.” She smiled at Faith, who grinned back sympathetically.

Does this mean I won’t be able to convince Cooper’s parents?she thought.Or would it still be worth a try?

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Faith picked up her cool glass of pink lemonade and brought it to her lips, enjoying the way the ice cubes clinked softly, almost like music. Nearby, a collection of wind chimes jingled faintly, adding a sprinkling of real music to the sound of the wind.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, just warm enough for a sweater to keep her warm while she sat outside on Vivian’s front porch. She’d been invited to a delicious Sunday brunch with the Owens family, and now everyone was taking a break to relax until dinner. Some people had chosen to take Sunday afternoon naps, and Hazel, Samantha, and Vivian were curled up on the couch together reading books. Dean and Jacob had disappeared into the basement, where Dean’s old video game system was still set up, along with several bean bag chairs.

Faith had decided to go out onto the porch by herself for a little while. Vivian had offered to let her borrow any of the books in the house, and she knew she might accept that offer in just a little while. For the time being, however, she wanted to sit and think about how lovely the brunch had been. She was feeling more and more accepted by the Owens every time she was with them. She’d assumed that she would be invited to the one dinner, and then not invited to anything else for another coupleof weeks or so. It seemed that her long-lost family intended to invite her to all of their gatherings, however.

She felt a warm glow in her chest as she gazed out across Vivian’s front garden and the other homes on the cozy street. It was a sleepy, peaceful day, but still cheerful with sunlight. She sat back more comfortably in the porch swing and picked up one of the molasses cookies she’d brought out to the porch to munch on.

She’d just taken a sweet, satisfying bite out of the cookie when the front door of the house opened. Dean stepped through it with a smile, holding his own glass of lemonade.

“I thought you were playing video games with Jacob.” She smiled at him. “He beat you that fast, huh?”

Dean laughed and sat down on the porch swing next to her. “I’ll have you know that I beat him. But he and Noelle both wanted to play a code-cracking game, and those always make me fall asleep. I decided to come out here instead.”

“Code cracking sounds like fun.”

He puffed out his cheeks. “Not for me. I don’t like thinking about things I can’t actually get my hands on. Machines are different—I could think about how to fix machines all day.”

“Sounds like you do,” she teased, and they both laughed.

“So what do you think of Rosewood Beach so far?” he asked her. “Everyone treating you okay?”

She thought about Ryan for a second and flushed slightly. “Yes. Everyone’s been amazing. Especially you all.”

“Oh, well, we don’t count. We’re family.” He grinned and took a sip of his lemonade.

Oh, you do count, she thought.You all count more than everyone else.

“I’m really grateful for the way you’ve all been treating me,” she said after a moment. “I wasn’t sure what to expect when Idecided to come visit here. But I’ve been so thankful that your family has been willing to welcome me. It… it really means a lot.”

He nodded as if he understood. “We’re all glad you came into town. It’s been really good to have another member of our family here.”

Her spirits lifted when he referred to her as a member of their family. She was more than just a distant relative to them, she was part of their circle. For a moment, she had to blink back tears of happiness.

“So what do you plan on doing now?” Dean asked her. “Where do you think you’ll go from here?”

She wondered if he was asking about her life direction, or if he was referring to literal moving to a new place. Her heart ached a little with the desire to stay in Rosewood Beach, but she figured that the Owens expected her to move on after a while, and despite their warmth, she didn’t want to overstay her welcome.

“I’m not sure,” she said, deciding to answer the question vaguely. “There’s a lot for me to think about. All I know for sure is that I can’t go back to doing things the way I did in Boston. I’ve got to start over with a new kind of lifestyle. Something healthy. Something that doesn’t wear me out body and soul.”

“Absolutely.” He nodded. “I know about having to find a balance so that you don’t wear yourself out. It can be tricky, especially if you enjoy what you do like I do, but it’s so worth it. I’m sure you’ll figure something out. You’ll find some work that you love, and that you can do without wearing yourself out.”

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