Page 28 of Starfish Cottage
Dex laughed. “Don’t worry. One can’t be good at everything.”
Dex’s kind words warmed her.
“Sounds like you and Rose have a special bond,” Maddie said.
“We sure do.” Dex gazed out at the ocean, his expression pensive.
Maddie’s feelings toward him softened. He was nothing like she’d first thought. He wasn’t some nonthinking guy who stampeded through life leaving a mess in his wake without caring. Sure, he wasn’t as organized as she was, and maybe he didn’t think ahead and agonize over every future possibility like she did, but did those things really matter? He was a kind, caring person. His feelings ran deep, and they were in the right place—family and the community of Shell Cove.
She was seeing him with different eyes now.
He turned his gaze from the ocean, and the expression on his face made her think that maybe he was seeing her with different eyes too.
She found herself leaning in toward him, almost as if a magical force was pushing her. He leaned in, too, his lips slightly parted. His emerald eyes had an intensity to them, and she thought she saw a spark of…
She jerked back.
Had they almost kissed? There was no way she could kiss him! He had a girlfriend.
His eyes widened as if he were just as startled as she was.
He stood and held his beer up. “Beer’s gone. Guess we should head back.”
Maddie hopped up, happy to oblige.
As they walked back, they fell into easy conversation, but Maddie made sure to keep a safe distance between them.
Chapter Sixteen
The next day, Dex took Rose to Barnacle Bill’s a few towns over for lobster rolls. It was a bimonthly tradition, and something he looked forward to.
The day was hot, the sun bright. They sat out on the deck, watching the boats move in and out of the small cove while gulls circled above hoping for a handout.
The briny smell of the cove water and caw of the gulls spiced the air. Colorful wooden dinghies bobbed in the water at the dock below a row of old, weathered fishing cottages, which were now upscale boutiques. It was about as quaint as New England could be.
The buttered grilled rolls were stuffed full with large chunks of meat coated in mayonnaise. Paprika dusted over the top. They split an order of fries, drank lemonade, and enjoyed the easy conversation they always had.
“So what’s up with Constance Harbinger?” Dex asked. “Seems like she doesn’t want this event to take place. Doesn’t she care about Shell Cove?”
Rose pressed her lips together and glanced up at a sailboat that was gliding out of the cove. “Connie has had a hard life. I think she does want Shell Cove to succeed, but she needs to have something she can control. And she can control the bylaws. Not to mention that the whole subject of drinking is a trigger for her after what happened with her husband.”
“I can sympathize with that.” Dex munched a fry. “So if she just wants to feel in control, then maybe we can help her out by giving her a way to feel in control about the event but still not put so many restrictions on it.”
“How?”
“Maddie said that Belinda mentioned there were some temporary exclusions buried somewhere in the town laws. Maybe we could appeal to Constance to figure out what those are and see if we could use them.”
“Appeal to her sense of expertise?” Rose mulled it over. “I’m not sure. She might see through us. She’s not particularly accommodating, if you haven’t noticed.”
Dex laughed. “That’s for sure.”
“It’s not really her fault. After the accident, she withdrew. She was downright nasty to anyone who tried to offer her sympathy. She pushed people away. I think she had a lot of guilt even though it wasn’t her fault. Then after so many years of pushing people away, everyone eventually stopped trying.”
“Well, maybe we can catch her on a good day and persuade her to look into it.” Dex was hopeful. He knew Rose would try any angle to make sure the event was a success.
Rose pulled a chunk of lobster claw out of her roll with her fork. “It’s worth a try. Let’s take a drive past her house on the way back into town.”
* * *
