Page 35 of A New Chapter in Rosewood Beach

Her heart seemed to suddenly burst with happiness, as if there was a golden star in her core. “You mean that?” she whispered, crying even harder now.

“I do.” He laughed and brushed away more of her tears. “I love you so much. I want a future with you too.”

She hiccupped and then laughed with happiness. Ryan pulled her into another tight embrace, and then they shared a kiss.

Relief flooded Faith, along with a giddy kind of joy. The future seemed to be stretching out in front of her, safe and inviting and full of hope. She put her head down onto his shoulder, holding him tightly and rejoicing over the fact that she didn’t have to give up her dream of a future with her wonderful man.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Vivian stepped back from her mirror, biting her lip as she inspected her appearance. She’d never done her hair like this before, and although she liked the style on other people, she wasn’t sure it suited her. Normally when she went to play tennis, she left her short hair the way she always wore it, simply adding a couple of clips to help hold it back. Today, however, she’d given herself a couple of short French braids that ended in a pair of pink clips. The clips matched the new leggings and workout top she was wearing.

Is it too much?she wondered, turning from side to side.Am I too old to be wearing this much pink?

She wondered if the French braids made the gray streaks in her hair too noticeable. She stepped closer to the mirror, looking at them intently. She decided that the braids did look nice, and that the way they showed off the shape of her face was flattering.

And she loved pink. What did it matter if some people thought she was too old to wear an outfit like that? Life was too short to care that much about what other people thought of you. She thought she looked wonderful in the pink, and it was a color that made her feel happy and confident.

She smiled at her reflection and then grabbed her makeup case out of the bathroom cupboard. She applied mascara, something she hardly ever bothered with, and then dabbed two delicate strokes of blush onto her cheeks.

She told herself that her sudden interest in her personal appearance had nothing to do with the fact that she was going to play tennis with Terrence, but she knew deep down that it had everything to do with him. Now that they were exploring the idea of being more than friends, she suddenly cared a great deal about looking her best for him. She loved the idea of him finding her attractive, and she wanted to lean into her attractive qualities more than usual, hoping to catch his eye.

Just as she was putting her makeup case away, she heard the front door of her home open.

“Hi, Grandma! Are you here?” Samantha called.

Surprised, Vivian stuck her head out of the bathroom and called down the hallway. “Yes, I’m in here.”

A moment later, Hazel and Samantha appeared in the hallway. The moment Samantha saw Vivian, she let out a whoop of delight and scampered toward her grandmother.

“Grandma! You look so cute.”

Vivian laughed and blushed. “Oh, thank you, honey. Do you like the pink?”

“I love the pink,” Samantha said emphatically, as if it was one of the most wonderful things she’d ever seen. “It looks amazing on you.”

Vivian felt thrilled that her granddaughter liked her outfit, even if the opinions of a twelve-year-old were unlikely to match those of the rest of the world. “You look very cute yourself, Sam. That cheerleading outfit is adorable on you.”

“Ahh!” Samantha grinned and spun in a circle. “I love the skirt. I can’t wait to do cool moves like backflips.”

Hazel laughed nervously. “No backflips yet, please.”

Samantha patted her on the back. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll make sure I really know what I’m doing before I try anything like that.”

“And only try it with the coach watching you and being involved, right? Promise?”

“Of course.”

Samantha and Hazel exchanged a pinkie promise, and Vivian chuckled.

“I’m sure you’re going to make a wonderful cheerleader, Sam. I’m so proud of you for making the team.”

“Thanks, Grandma. I’m so excited about going to practice today. It’s all I’ve been talking about. Right, Mom?”

Hazel laughed. “Just about. You talked a little bit about the book you’ve been reading too.”

“Isn’t summer kind of early for cheerleading practice?” Vivian asked. “I would have thought that practices would start in the fall when school starts up again.”

“I guess the plan is for the cheerleaders to be totally ready for the fall football season.” Hazel smiled. “The coach likes to start the practices in the summer, and I think it’s a great idea. Sam is so excited to have something fun to do right now.”

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