Page 86 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes
It was a treasure map. In stylized, scratchy ink strokes, Daisy drew Wonderwood with a dotted line from the bungalow to an unknown destination. In one corner, she scrawled a poem:
Sea glass sugar
Sweet and bright
Would you dine with me tonight?
-D
It was impossible to say how many times Candace re-read the words in front of her. Enough that her eyes began to blur from ping-ponging back and forth. The fact that instead of marking the treasure with an ‘X,’ Daisy drew a heart meant nothing. She was being sarcastic, as usual.
Dinner, Candace told herself.That’s all. She wants to celebrate the end of the season.
Shoving down the intrusive thoughts, Candace returned to her car and set to following the sudden side quest. The journeywas easy thanks to Daisy’s map accuracy. While things were not exactly to scale, using landmarks and street names, she was able to find her way. It brought her to a secluded car lot outside of a thick copse by the island’s northside bay.
A few cottages with bold DO NOT DISTURB signs posted on the trees were visible through the surrounding evergreens. There was a state park trailhead marker beside a sandy, pine needle-covered pathway that led into the copse. Walking closer, Candace found a single daisy tucked into the plexiglass cover.
Her heart kicked up to a steady pound. She plucked the flower free and started on her way.
The sun was beginning its descent. Beneath the tall pines, oaks, and spruces, it was so shaded that it was almost dark. Candace hugged herself tighter, wishing she had worn something warmer than a halter dress.
It was a less conservative article she would not normally wear to work at the pier, as much to avoid Janice’s scrutiny and the leering looks of teenage boys. Still, on the off chance she saw a certain someone...
Deep royal purple, it fell mid-thigh with a flared, side-split hem. Like most halter styles, the front of the dress clinched up and around Candace’s neck with a thin collar. However, it bore a distinctive split down the middle that gave an eye-catching view of her cleavage. Without sleeves, her toned arms (along with all the chaturangas Demi queued during Vinyasa class) were on full display.
Candace thought—no,knew—she looked incredible.
Even so, a shawl would have been a smart inclusion.
Damn layering weather…
By the path’s end, her teeth were chattering from her nerves and the chill. Then, as she stepped out from the shade onto a beach, she warmed right back up. Not thanks to the sun, but the sight that greeted her.
The spot was a hidden gem. It was clear that the place did not see the same kind of traffic as the mainboardwalk beach. This one had no amenities and the bare minimum landscaping, with tall, difficult-to-navigate reeds and driftwood clumped by mystery sea greens all around. There were no shops or pier, just the dilapidated, soon-to-be-driftwood remains of an old dock, and a rock jetty down the way.
The beach was not that large, either. At high tide, it seemed the bay might reach all the way up to the treeline. Now, it was about twenty or so paces away, lapping lazily closer with each slip against the shore. On the horizon, the setting sun cast the storm clouds overhead aglow, turning them to cotton-candy pink and orange. The water beneath was a veil of shimmering fire, so bright it was difficult to look at.
But Candace stared nonetheless. She had never seen the sky cast with so many colors, a spectrum of hues with the most subtle and dramatic differences that vibrated against the land and sea.
No, this beach was not a tourist spot. It was a gorgeous piece of the Jersey shore’s natural wonder, made even more special by the woman who brought her here.
Multi-colored lanterns, lit by tiny, electric tea lights, were placed with haphazard artistry. They were planted within grass clumps, hung from driftwood, and nestled atop sand piles. Candace’s gaze followed the path they laid out, towards the woman who waited for her.
Daisy sat beside a picnic spread that would have made Martha Stewart proud. A big red blanket was weighted down by lanterns in each corner. It was set with a traditional wicker basket and two serving sets, each including a fluted champagne glass.
As Candace slowed her approach, Daisy sprang to meet her.
The bagel-trepreneur had most definitely not come straight from her cafe. With her usual flip-flops, Daisy wore fitted, darkwash jeans looped by a stylish gold and black leather belt. A peek of her tanned, belly-ringed navel showed thanks to the creamy white crop top she wore, and the look was tiedtogether by her chic black blazer jacket. Her hair was styled and textured with pomade, with the long half pinned behind her ear, aside from a few wind-plucked locks.
Candace was so distracted taking the woman in that she nearly toppled on the uneven sand.
“Don’t trip at the finish line, Perry! You finally made it. I was starting to think I needed to go fight that Janice-woman.”
“I–” Candace cut herself off as she regained her footing, needing a moment to speak around her suddenly thick tongue. “Please don’t. She has park security on speed dial. What is this place? It’s so peaceful.”
Daisy’s smirk turned wistful with a glance around.
“This is Higbee Point, one of Wonderwood’s lesser-known beaches.”
