Page 36 of Serenity at Seagrove
"Yeah. Have you told Luna?"
The question hit him like a physical blow. "Well, no, not yet. I mean, I don't know how to. She's got her whole life here now. She's just starting here. Serenity is thriving and she's making a real difference. I don't want to mess things up between us."
"Well, I'm pretty sure that ship has sailed, my friend. You have to tell her."
Archer stood and paced to the window. "You know, maybe it's better this way. It'll be a clean break before things get too complicated."
"I think it's too late for that," Dawson said. "Question is, what do you really want?"
Archer wished he knew the answer. "What do I want? I want to stay in the game. I want to make a difference. But I also want..." He trailed off, not finishing his sentence, the truth of all of it catching in his throat.
"Luna," Dawson finished.
"Yeah, well, it's not that simple."
"Actually, it is that simple. We just like to complicate things too much," Dawson said, sitting down in the armchair. "You know, when I met Julie, we were both scared. She had been hurt and I'd been alone for a long time. I had other opportunities that would have taken me out of Seagrove. Job offers."
"You never told me that."
"Because it wasn't important. The moment I got those job offers, I realized I couldn't imagine my life without Julie. And that decision made itself. I never even told her about them."
He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "The thing is, Archer, you're not the same person who would have jumped at this offer six months ago."
"No, I'm not."
"Those kids that you're teaching here, that life you're building—you have to decide, is it worth it for you to give it up for some prestigious title and big salary all the way in California?"
"I need to think about it," he said finally.
"Well, just don't think so hard you miss what's right in front of you." Dawson stood and started walking toward the door, setting down a cup of coffee on his way. "And Archer, you know, you shouldn't wait too long to tell her. News gets around in Seagrove."
"Hey, please don't tell anybody, even Julie. I need some time to think."
"Of course, man, I would never tell anyone."
After Dawson left, Archer sat on his bed, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. His phone buzzed again—another email from Oakland Hills offering him some times to Zoom. They obviously wanted him. He understood why. He had a big reputation in the golf world. But did that even matter to him anymore? He needed to make a choice, but he just wished he knew which one was right.
* * *
Archer walked toward Serenity, the the job offer weighing heavily in his pocket. He was going to tell her tonight, no matter what. She deserved to know before he made any decisions. When he reached her deck, the words seemed to wilt into his throat. She stood at the railing watching the sunset, wearing a white sundress and her hair loose around her shoulders. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, with bronzed skin and long black hair. He couldn't believe his luck that he'd found her. He felt like he’d spent his whole life searching for someone he didn’t know actually existed, and now he was considering leaving her?
She turned at his approach, and her smile hit him like a physical force. "Perfect timing," she said. "I was just thinking about how we talked the other day about finding joy in the simple moments."
He joined her at the railing, close enough to catch the scent of her perfume. "Oh yeah?"
"So I thought maybe," she hesitated, "well maybe you would like to have dinner with me tomorrow night. Not on the beach this time. There's a little place in town I've been wanting to try."
His heart thumped in his chest. Did she just ask him on a date? The job offer pressed against his leg, reminding him why he'd come there. He should tell her. He should tell her right now before things got too complicated. But instead, he heard himself say, "I'd love that."
She smiled and then turned back to the sunset. He found himself leaning closer, drawn to her by some invisible force. A car door slammed somewhere nearby, breaking the spell. Luna stepped back, but her smile remained. "So tomorrow then?"
"Tomorrow," he said. Words about California burning in his throat. He would tell her at dinner. He promised himself. As he watched her walk back inside, he wondered if he was already in too deep.
* * *
Luna stood in front of her mirror, smoothing her sundress. When she had asked Archer to dinner at The Blue Crab, she had tried to tell herself this couldn't really be a date, but the butterflies in her stomach suggested otherwise.
The knock at the door made her heart jump. She found Archer on her porch, wearing khakis and a pink button-down shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes. He looked different somehow, less guarded.
