Page 2 of Race to the Beach

“I’m calling nine-one-one.”

“No.Don’t.It’s just a bunch of smoke.Everything will be all right now that the microwave is out here.”

Maxi hesitated.The safest thing to do was to get the fire department here to go over everything, but her aunt seemed resistant to the idea.Maybe if Maxi went back inside, she could assess things.Maybe it just looked worse than it was.She could only hope.

“Will you be all right out here?”Maxi was hesitant to leave her aunt’s side, but Aunt Bonnie nodded her head.Her face was still quite pale.Maxi directed her toward the lawn swing.“Why don’t you sit over here?”

Aunt Bonnie hesitated.“But I have things I have to do.”

“Not right now.I’ll go back inside and make sure everything is all right.”

Once her aunt was situated, Maxi hurried back into the house.She propped the back door wide open.The smoke was dissipating, but the stench was still strong.

Maxi immediately moved to the counter where the microwave had been situated.She pressed her palms to the outlet.It was cool to the touch.Next she felt the wall, moving her hand over a wide area.It was also cool to the touch.It appeared her aunt was correct.The fire had been contained in the microwave.

She breathed out a sigh of relief.Things could have been so much worse.Maxi moved to the window over the sink.She unlocked it and lifted.It didn’t budge.Her aunt hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d said it was stuck.

As she worked to open the window, Maxi accepted that her worries about her aunt needing help weren’t unfounded.Aunt Bonnie was her mother’s older sister.She was widowed, retired, and didn’t have any children of her own.And her island home needed lots of help—the dysfunctional microwave was just the beginning.All of the kitchen appliances were on their last leg.

Maxi wanted to help her aunt, but she didn’t have the financial means to do it.Since her father had passed, business at the auto repair shop had experienced a dramatic decline.Most of the male clients didn’t believe a woman could repair a car as well as a man could.It infuriated Maxi that they wouldn’t even give her a chance to prove them wrong.Her father had taken the time and patience to teach her everything he knew about repairing automobiles.

It wasn’t her dream occupation—far from it.When she was younger, she dreamed of being an artist.Her father had told her she’d be a starving artist.He’d told her she’d be better off with a practical occupation.

Thankfully, her female clients kept coming back.They told her they loved that she didn’t talk down to them when explaining a problem.And they raved that their vehicles had never run better.

Still, money was tight—too tight to help herself much less her aunt.This trip to Bluestar Island had been a huge luxury—one she couldn’t afford again in the near future.

Luckily, it was a warm springtime day.She was able to open all of the windows in the house, and with the aid of the ocean breeze, the house aired out quickly.

When her aunt joined her inside, Maxi said, “I’m so sorry this happened.”

Her aunt sent her a watery smile.“You have nothing to be sorry about.It was my fault.I put a frozen dinner in there, and I must have punched fifty minutes instead of five minutes.And then I went to check on the laundry.”

It answered some of the questions that had been floating around in her mind.Maxi felt like she was being pulled in two different directions—remaining on the island to help her aunt or returning to Virginia to keep the family business going.

“It’s almost time to leave.”Her aunt’s voice drew her from her thoughts.“We don’t want to be late.”

“Leave?”It took Maxi a moment to remember the wedding they were supposed to attend.“Oh, you mean the wedding.”

Maxi glanced down at the pink dress she’d picked up at a thrift store.There were black smudges all over the front from carrying the microwave.She lifted the material and sniffed it.Ugh!There was no amount of perfume that would cover up the stench.

She looked at her aunt.“I’m sorry.But I’m not going to be able to go.”

Her aunt’s brows drew together as a frown pulled at her lips.“You mean because of your dress?”

Maxi nodded her head.“I’m so sorry.”

“Well, if that’s the only reason, I have a solution.”

A solution?“But there isn’t much time.There’s no way to wash and dry my dress in time for the wedding.”

“Agreed.I have something else in mind.”Her aunt walked away.

Maxi had absolutely no idea what Aunt Bonnie was up to, but she’d learned as a kid that her aunt liked to surprise people.What would her surprise be this time?

Chapter Two

Thiswasthelastplace he wanted to be.

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