Page 4 of A New Chapter in Rosewood Beach

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was a text from the Rosewood General Store, letting him know that a part one of his clients needed after their safety inspection was ready for pick-up.

Terrence grunted, glancing ahead of him and noting that the general store was on his way to The Lighthouse Grill. He would stop there and then go to the pub for coffee after.

He made his way into the general store, heading toward the help desk, where the part he’d ordered was being held. As he was turning a corner around one of the aisles, he nearly collided with someone who was standing near the endcap.

“Vivian!” he exclaimed, immediately thrilled to see her.

“Oh my, Terrence!” She gave him a sideways hug, also appearing to be delighted to have run into him. He noted that her eyes seemed to be shining at him as much as ever, but he told himself firmly not to read too much into it.

“What brings you to the general store?” he asked, noticing that she was standing in front of the store’s selection of tablecloths.

“I’m picking out tablecloths for Julia’s wedding,” Vivian said, sounding as excited as if she was talking about picking out an outfit for a cruise vacation. “She’s so good at planning, but she is having trouble deciding on some of the little details. She asked me to handle this for her, and I’m only too happy to oblige. I have to admit, though, that I’m feeling pretty stumped by the decision as well.”

“Those are a lot of options,” Terrence said, nodding at the colorful wall of tablecloths in front of them.

Vivian chuckled. “Well, I’m not considering bright orange or fuchsia. Actually, I’m just deciding between these two.” She held up the tablecloths that were in her hands, and for a moment he squinted at them, because to him they looked exactly the same.

She laughed when she saw him peering at them. “I’m having trouble deciding between white and ecru. I know what Julia and Cooper’s centerpieces look like, and I think both tablecloth colors would look excellent. Their decorations are going to be kind of a blend between elegant and countryside. I think either tablecloth would be wonderful.”

He watched her with a fond smile on his face, charmed by the way she was so intent on making the right decision. She was frowning in concentration in a way that he found both sweet and amusing.

“Here,” she said, handing him the tablecloths. “Hold those up for me, would you please? That way I can step back and look at them side by side.”

She stepped back and wrinkled her nose adorably as she inspected the tablecloths, trying to make a decision. He hoped that the distraction he felt while watching her didn’t show on hisface. He found himself grinning like a schoolboy over how cute she was being.

“What do you think?” she said, turning to him. “White or ecru?”

Her question snapped him back into reality. He looked down at the tablecloths he was holding, trying to come up with an honest opinion.

“Hmm. I like the way the pure white looks crisper,” he said. “I think if they’re going for a countryside and elegant kind of look, this one is best. Maybe it’s just the name, but ecru looks kind of French to me. It makes me think of old fashioned, frilly kinds of decoration.”

She laughed as if he’d said something really funny, and he smiled although he didn’t understand why he’d amused her. “I think you’re right. Pure white sounds good to me too.” She put the ecru tablecloth back on the shelf. “Now we’ll just have to order the pure white in bulk. Thank you for helping me with that, Terrence. It was fun to have a friend’s input.”

“My pleasure.” The corners of his mustache curved upward in a smile. “I’m glad you were able to settle on something that you like.”

“Julia’s wedding is going to be so beautiful,” she said warmly. “I can’t wait till you see everything. She’s poured her heart and soul into this, and her sisters and I have been helping as much as we can.”

He nodded. “I’m very happy for the two of them. They’re a wonderful couple.”

For a moment, the two of them shared a smile and neither one of them spoke. Terrence felt himself beginning to get a little hot under the collar, and he cleared his throat.

“Are you going to be at The Lighthouse Grill today?” he asked her. “I was thinking about stopping by there for a cup of coffee.”

“Aww, I’m sorry to miss you. No, I was just there during the morning and early afternoon. I’m dedicating the rest of the day to working on things for Julia’s wedding and making a dinner for Alexis and Grayson. She’s in her third trimester, you know.”

He nodded, since it was a fact that Vivian and her daughters had mentioned to him at least seven times. “I’m sure they’ll all appreciate your help very much.”

He felt disappointed that she wouldn’t be at the pub. He’d hoped for an opportunity to sit and chat with her for a while, which was something they often did together when he went to The Lighthouse Grill later in the day when things weren’t so busy. Still, he reminded himself, he’d gotten a chance to see and speak with her just now, and that was much better than nothing.

Besides, it warmed his heart to see how happy she was for both her daughters. She was always acting like that about her children and her grandchild, Hazel’s daughter Samantha. Vivian celebrated Samantha’s good grades, Hazel’s new relationship with her long-time crush Jacob, Dean’s improved strength and energy, Alexis’s pregnancy, and Julia’s marriage with as much enthusiasm as if those wonderful things were happening to her.

“I hope you have a splendid time doing all that,” he told her, meaning it sincerely. “I’ll see you around, soon I hope.”

“Without a doubt.” She grinned at him. “You have a great day yourself.”

They gave each other a gentle sideways hug again and he left the aisle, making his way to the help desk. He was a good forty feet away before he let himself glance back in her direction and sigh.

CHAPTER THREE

---