Page 31 of A New Chapter in Rosewood Beach

Dean frowned, surprised. “He said he just wants to be friends?”

“Well, what he said exactly was that he needs to get back to me about what he’s thinking. He needs to ‘digest’ what I told him. But he wasn’t smiling or anything when I said it, so I think he’s just trying to come up with a way to let me down more easily.”

“Oh, no, Mom,” Dean said, standing up and putting an arm around his mother. “That wasn’t a rejection. Maybe he’s surprised or he just doesn’t know what to say yet. A friendship turning into a romance is a big deal. I felt that way with Noelle even though we hadn’t known each other very long before our friendship turned into a romantic relationship. You and Terrence have been friends for much longer than Noelle and I were just friends. I’m sure he’s got a lot of thoughts and feelingsabout it—he probably has a lot of thoughts and feelings about being in a romantic relationship in general. It can be a scary thing for anyone, no matter how much they like another person.”

Vivian blinked at him and pressed her lips together. Dean got the impression that she liked what he was telling her but she was struggling to believe him.

“I’m not saying that Terrence is definitely going to say yes,” he told her. “But I also feel confident that he isn’t definitely going to say no. I think there’s been a spark on his end longer than there’s been one on your end. All us kids saw it.”

Vivian blushed and waved her hand through the air, dismissing the idea, and Dean laughed.

“Terrence gave you space and time while you worked through your grief over Dad,” Dean told her. “I think he would have made a move himself sooner, but he knew you weren’t ready. And now, you need to give him that same space and time. Just because he doesn’t have an answer yet doesn’t mean it isn’t going to work out.”

Vivian smiled at him, shaking her head a little. “When did you get so wise? Thank you for saying all that, Dean. It really helps me out.”

“You’re welcome, Mom. After all the good advice you’ve given to me over the years, I feel like I owe you.”

She laughed. “I raised a great son, huh?”

He chuckled, feeling a surge of gratitude for his family. “I’m only too happy to agree with that.” He winked at her.

“Come on then,” she said, gesturing to the pieces of the changing table. “Let’s stop worrying about my troubles and get to work on this.”

They got to work putting the changing station together. Dean moved quickly, asking Vivian for the parts he needed as he worked. Although putting furniture together wasn’t something that he did every day, he’d done it many times before, and hismechanically-inclined brain allowed him to work at the speed of a professional.

“How is it going—oh!” Alexis appeared in the doorway, wearing a comfortable sweatshirt and sweatpants, with her hair pulled back into a messy bun. Her eyes widened when she saw their progress with the changing station. “That looks fantastic! I can’t believe you’ve gotten this far already.”

Dean grinned. “Just a few more minutes and we should be all done. And we even had a conversation during which we weren’t working at all. How’s that for speed?”

“Very impressive.” Alexis grinned back. “But don’t get too excited about your skills and start putting the crib together. That’s Grayson’s job. He told me he really wants to do it.”

“Aw, I can understand that,” Vivian said.

Dean held his hands up. “I wouldn’t dream of taking that task from him. I will keep my hands off the crib.”

Just as he was beginning to notice a wonderful smell wafting in from the kitchen, Alexis said, “Would you two like some fresh blueberry muffins for your effort? They should be done in about five minutes.”

“Yes!” Dean agreed without hesitation. “I love blueberry muffins.”

“That sounds wonderful, thank you, dear.” Vivian smiled. “We’ll just finish this up and we’ll be right out.”

“Perfect, I’ll make us some decaf coffee to go with the muffins. See you both in the kitchen.”

With a cheerful wave, Alexis disappeared from the room.

“Well, that will be nice,” Vivian said, turning back to their task with a smile.

“It will.” Dean watched his mother’s face, and he noticed that after a few beats, her expression became thoughtful again. She didn’t look as sad as she had before, however, and he was glad that what he’d said to her had helped cheer her up.

I hope that things do work out between her and Terrence,he thought as he went back to work on the changing table.He’s such a nice guy, and Mom definitely deserves that kind of happiness.

He knew that only time would tell. He was looking forward to finding out what the update on Terrence’s response to Vivian would be.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Terrence cleared his throat as he got out of his car. It was a sunny afternoon, with a pleasant breeze that added a refreshing coolness to the summer heat. He was in the parking lot outside the tennis courts where Vivian liked to play, and he felt a rush of nervousness in his gut.

He was itching to see her, and although he didn’t know if she was playing there that day or not, he’d found himself driving there in case he would be able to find her there. He’d already stopped by The Lighthouse Grill, and she wasn’t there. He didn’t feel it would be appropriate to stop by her home, in case she was feeling like being alone. If she was out and about on the tennis courts, however, that was a different matter.

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