14. Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
Maddy and Emma parked in one of the designated Maguire Brothers Renovation parking spots behind the building and cut through the walkway between the houses to Crocus Avenue. The main drag in town served as the premier shopping area and had almost every type of store a traveler could need during their stay. Tourists could buy things they’d forgotten at the Pelican Bay General Store, stop in the coffee shop for their favorite hot or iced beverage, grab a pastry or donut at Shore to Please Donuts. A variety of other stores lined the three-block strip, including jewelry, clothing, Beachcomber Realty, Harrison’s Market, plus an assortment of restaurants.
Arm in arm, they made their way past the storefronts toward Tie the Knot Bridal, where they were meeting up with Anna, Abby, and Jenna for wedding dress shopping for Emma.
“Every time I walk along here, I see signs for new stores opening,” Maddy said.
“The ladies from the municipal office tell me there’s a steady stream of people applying for new business licenses,” Emma said.
“It’s exciting to see businesses and the number of visitors growing,” Maddy said .
“It is. I only wish Gram were here to see it happening.”
Maddy pulled her friend’s arm closer. “I know you do, honey. But you can bet she’s watching from above and smiling down at you and this town.”
“I like to think she is.”
Emma’s grandmother had been the former mayor and passed away earlier that year. She had started the Mark Erickson Foundation, which provided much of the funds that were being used to renovate the amusement pier and other areas of the town. When she passed away, the responsibility of running the foundation passed over to Emma. While she’d accepted the job and managed it with the help of her family and friends, the reality was that the town was moving on without many prominent citizens, including her gram and Mr. Erickson.
But change was part of life, and it literally took a village to make all the changes to transform the town. Maddy was excited to be part of it, to know she was helping to make a difference.
They stopped in front of the bridal shop and admired the dress in the front window display. “Can you believe I’m looking for a wedding dress?” Emma whispered.
They’d talked about their wedding since they were little girls. They’d dress up in princess dresses, pick flowers from Emma’s backyard, and practice walking down the aisle to a pretend prince. Now, Emma had her prince, and Maddy couldn’t wait to see her start the next chapter of her life.
“I can believe it. You and Jace have gone through a lot to be together.”
“We have. I’d almost given up hope I’d ever get married.”
“And now you are. You seem worried. Is something wrong between you two? ”
“No, he’s perfect. I couldn’t love him more if I tried. It’s just…” Emma sniffled. “My dad won’t be at the wedding. My mom and Ty will walk me down the aisle.”
Maddy put an arm around her friend’s shoulder. “Your dad won’t be with you physically, but he’ll be with you in spirit.”
Emma nodded. “Thanks. Sorry for being overly emotional. Every day I do or see something that changes Pelican Bay a little more. And while it’s all good stuff, it makes the town less like it was when he was here.”
“It would have changed even if there hadn’t been a storm and even if he was still here.”
“I know. I’m being silly.”
“Sentimental, not silly.” Maddy linked arms with her friend. “Now, are you ready to find something that knocks your groom’s socks off?”
Emma smiled. “Hell yeah. Let’s do this.”
Maddy held the door to the shop open, where the rest of the group was waiting. In the background, the celebratory pop of a champagne cork could be heard.
“Welcome, Emma,” Jess Lansing, owner of Tie the Knot, said, and handed both ladies a glass of bubbly. With a stylish bob that extended to the base of her neck, the woman, in her mid-thirties, stood at about five foot six in her four-inch sandals. She wore a navy sleeveless dress that looked simple enough, but Maddy could tell by the cut and fabric that it was designer.
“Here’s to Emma finding the dress of her dreams,” she said, and held up her flute to toast her friend.
“Since Emma is so organized,” Jess began, “I’ve pre-selected a few dresses I thought she’d like based on pictures she showed me.”
She led them to a back room, where there was a large dressing room with an elevated stage in the center and couches along two of the walls. Dresses hung on the fronts of doors. They placed their glasses on the convenient end tables and took turns studying the gowns.
In the end, Emma tried on all six of them. An assistant came out and led her and Anna to an adjoining room and helped the bride-to-be into each dress. Emma came into the large room and modeled each dress for her friends. Jess commented and placed clips in the back to hold the dress in place better.
When Emma came out in the last dress, there was a hushed silence while Jess fussed with a veil she had selected from a display in the room.
“What do you think?” Emma asked.
She exuded radiance. All the dresses were lovely, but there was something different…magical about this dress. The design was simple and elegant. The bodice was fitted with lace appliques that extended to the cap-length sleeves. A band at the bottom of the bodice flared out into an A-line skirt, complete with a short train. Jess paired it with a simple veil that could be removed.
“You are beautiful,” Anna said, and wiped at her eyes.
“It’s perfect,” Maddy agreed.
“Jason won’t be able to take his eyes off you,” Abby added.
“Ditto that,” Jenna said.
Emma looked in the mirror and twirled. “I love it. This is the one.”
They all cheered while laughing and crying.
Maddy reached for a tissue. Her best friend was getting married. Abby would be next. Soon they’d start having babies. How could Maddy not be here to be a part of it all? It further reinforced her decision to make Pelican Bay her home.
Now she hoped she could get her professional life to align and make it happen.
Two days later, Maddy, Dylan, and Ty returned to the house after swim lessons. It only took Maddy three times to get the breathing right, and Ivy had her using the kickboard to swim the width of the pool.
Progress.
Maddy had scheduled an appointment to meet Cade at Broadway Betty’s, wanting to get her mom and Ty’s opinions.
After bathing Dylan, she took a quick shower. She left her hair down to dry naturally and added a sweep of mascara and lip gloss, then dressed in a green floral sundress, which she paired with a white cropped sweater.
Ty drove separately, since he was going to work afterward. Maddy pulled into the parking lot next to him and turned off the car.
Cade was already there and waiting for them. He shook hands with Ty and they chatted.
Maddy helped Dylan out of her car seat, and the trio approached Cade and Ty.
“Hey, Maddy,” Cade said.
“Morning, Cade. You remember my mom, Linda,” she said.
“I sure do. It’s nice to see you again,” he said, offering his hand.
“Nice to see you too, Cade. Glad to hear you’re continuing with the family business,” her mom said.
“It’s been a rough few years, but things have definitely perked up since the Maguire brothers returned to town. And who is this pretty little lady?”
Dylan looked away shyly and stepped closer to Maddy.
“This is my daughter, Dylan. Dyl, say hi to Cade. He’s a friend of me and Uncle Ty’s. ”
“What is this place?” Dylan said, looking around.
“It used to be an ice cream parlor,” Cade said.
“Is this your house?” she asked.
“Nope. This place has been closed down for a while,” he said.
“Why don’t we look inside?” Ty suggested.
Maddy clasped Dylan’s hand. “It’s neat inside. I think you’ll like it.”
They filed into the building.
“Wow, does this place bring back memories,” her mom said.
“I remember coming here with my family a few times,” Ty said.
Dylan wrinkled her nose. “It smells funny.”
“It’s musty because it’s been closed up,” Cade said.
“Look over here, Dyl.” Maddy led her daughter to the jukebox. “This is an old-fashioned machine that plays music. I’ll show you what one sounds like on YouTube.”
Dylan pointed to the stage. “What’s that?”
Maddy’s favorite part. “It’s the stage. Mommy used to work here when she was in school. The servers would sing songs and dance up here in between serving food.”
“And on the bar, too,” her mom said.
“Are you going to work here, Mommy?”
Maddy led her daughter to the stage. “Mommy’s thinking of buying the place, fixing it up so it’s all new and pretty, and running it. And yes, I would sing here, too.” She twirled Dylan into a circle and did a made-up dance with her.
“Could I sing here?” Dylan asked.
“I want to offer lessons to kids and adults, both singing and dancing. Then they’d perform it for guests,” Maddy said.
Cade showed them the kitchen area before leading them upstairs to the apartment. “Evan and I checked the blueprints, and this”—he tapped one of the far walls—“is not part of the original structure. It’s an interior wall and doesn’t run the entire length of the building, so it can be knocked down if you want a larger space up here.”
“That’s good to know. I would like more room,” Maddy said.
“This is for the recording studio?” Ty said.
“I’d also like a lounge area where we can hang and fine-tune our songs before we record. Plus, I want livable space for Dylan and me.”
“You’re going to live here too?” he said, his voice pitching a little high.
“I was thinking about it for the short term. We can’t live in Emma’s house indefinitely.”
Ty didn’t speak, but walked around the space, opening doors and looking out windows. She could tell by the way his mouth was drawn in a straight line that he wasn’t happy.
“I don’t want to live here, Mommy,” Dylan said. “I like Aunt Emma and Uncle Jason’s house. There’s a yard where I can play with Sandy.”
“There is a small backyard here,” Cade said.
“Won’t it be fun to live above an ice cream parlor?” Maddy asked.
Her daughter considered that. “Can I have ice cream every day?”
Maddy laughed. “Maybe not every day.”
They went back downstairs, and Cade showed them the backyard. “Mr. Rafferty converted a portion of the yard to a parking lot for employees, but you could change that and use this space differently.”
“There’s a lot to think about,” her mom added.
“Not to put pressure on you, but the way property is being bought up, I can’t predict how much longer this will be on the market,” Cade said.
Maddy needed to decide.
“I understand. I’ll give you my answer soon. Thanks, Cade. ”
“I’ll start the car and get Dylan in her seat,” her mom said. “Go talk to him.” She nodded at Ty, who had shaken hands with Cade and was standing by his SUV.
Maddy approached him, trying to figure out what to say.
“You hate it,” she said.
He shook his head. “I think buying the place and transforming it the way you described is a great idea. Especially converting the second floor into a recording studio.”
“But not for me to live there.”
“Why would you want to live in such a small space? There’s no room for Dylan to play. Plus, how will it work if you’re recording and she’s there?”
Maddy hadn’t thought out all the details. But she’d expected more support, especially from him. “It’s not like we’d live there forever.”
He flinched like she’d struck him. “That’s the only option you see? I thought what’s happening between us is going somewhere.”
“It is, you know it is. But we’ve only just started dating, and…”
And what?
What was her worry? They’d already admitted to loving each other. What came next? Living together…marriage?
Maddy didn’t know.
She was so used to forging her own future that she found it difficult to lean on someone or count on them being there. Even someone she loved, like Tyler.
His cell pinged with a text.
“I need to go,” he said, and opened the door to his SUV.
She should stop him, reassure him she was committed to him.
She did neither.
Fighting back tears, she stepped back and watched him drive away .
With a heavy heart, Maddy got into her car and fastened her seatbelt. She didn’t like fighting, especially with Ty.
“Is Uncle Ty mad?” Dylan asked from the back seat.
Maddy exchanged a look with her mom. “Uncle Ty had to go to work, sweetie. We’ll see him later.”
She drove back to the house and put a show on TV for Dylan, then went into the kitchen and sat at the island while her mom made them coffee.
“I really messed that up,” she said, putting her head down.
Her mom put an arm around her shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell him about your plan to live there?”
Maddy shook her head. “I first looked at it before we got together. And then I went to L.A. and never got around to it. It’s not the worst idea, right?”
“You remember how much we both hated living at the B&B because I worked there?”
“It was like you were always on call.”
“Exactly. Having our own space was something we both wanted when we first moved to L.A. Broadway Betty’s needs a lot of work, which will take time. Why not rent a house?”
Seemed like an obvious solution. Why hadn’t she thought of it? “I don’t know. I guess if I rented a house, then I’d be committing to moving here.”
“And you’re not sure you will.”
“Not sure I can ,” Maddy corrected her mom.
“Darling, no one can tell you where to live. If you want to live in Pelican Bay, then do it. Stop trying to find reasons not to.”
Maddy sat up straight. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”
Her mom fixed their coffees and set a mug in front of her. “I think you’re torn because of what you think people want you to do versus what you want to do. ”
Nailed it in one.
“I feel the pressure from Gabe to return to L.A. There’s the tour, plus another album with Pacific, which will take me away from Dylan. Then there’s Dylan and how happy she is here. She was never this happy in California.”
“L.A. didn’t have all your friends. Plus, there’s Becca, whom she says is her best friend.”
“She says Sandy is her best friend, too.”
The puppy lifted her head from her dog bed where she’d been napping and barked.
Maddy walked over and picked her up, rubbing the back of her neck. “Yeah, we’re talking about you, girl. You are pretty sweet.”
Sandy responded with a lick on Maddy’s cheek.
“And then there’s you, Mom,” Maddy said in a low voice.
“Me?”
“Other than the time I was with Reece, we’ve never lived apart. If I move here, you’ll be far away.”
A tear slid down Maddy’s cheek.
“Oh, honey.” Her mom pulled her close. “Sure, it won’t be the same, but there’s FaceTime, texting, and lots of other ways to keep in touch.”
Maddy sniffed. “It’s hard to imagine a life where I can’t jump in the car to see you.”
“It is, but that’s what planes are for. You need to make this decision based on what you want and what you think is best for you and your girl.”
Maddy nodded. “You’re right. I’ll think about it. Thanks for listening.”
“I’ll always be here for you, sweetie.” Her mom kissed the top of her head. “Now, I think I promised both my girls a ride on the carousel, followed by lunch. ”
Dylan came barreling into the kitchen. “Did you say the carousel, Grammy?”
Her mom picked Dylan up and set her on the island. “That I did, my darling.”
Later that day, and after handling a situation at the Sunset Bay Jersey Boy location, Ty showed up thirty minutes late for the grand opening of Percy’s Putt & Cone. He’d left later than he had intended and driven as fast as he dared from one end of town to the other.
The network had gone all out, and media trucks lined the street, making parking near to impossible. In the end, Ty parked in the Broadway Betty’s parking lot and walked the two blocks.
He exited the car and stared at the broken-down building, recalling the fight he’d had with Maddy earlier that day. Her words had hurt him and made him wonder if they were heading in the same direction. How could she tell him she loved him and not want more?
According to Evan, Maddy was afraid of believing in happy endings and Ty would need to show her what was possible. Which was why Ty had pressed him into spending the time Maddy was in L.A. creating architectural plans for renovating his childhood home.
The house was a corner lot with a good amount of property. Because of new building codes since Samantha, new construction and renovation required homes to be raised. That allowed for a two-car garage below. While the bones of the house were good, it was small and, based on what Ty wanted, would require the back of the house and one of the side walls to be blown out. Doing so would allow for an office-slash-music room, living room, expanded kitchen, and dining room. The primary bedroom would be moved upstairs, plus a fourth bedroom added .
It was a huge overhaul, but would be fabulous when it was done.
Perfect to raise a family in.
The question was whether Maddy would want to build a life with him there. While Ty hoped she would, his confidence had wavered based on their earlier discussion and the way they left things.
She’d texted earlier, but he hadn’t responded. Her words still stung, and he was processing how he felt. He’d been thinking about renting a house for a while but hadn’t taken any steps toward doing so. Up to this point, there hadn’t been a need. But with Jason and the dog, plus the planned renovation on the house, it would be tight with all of them there. And construction on his childhood home would take time.
The obvious answer was for Maddy, Dylan, and him to move in together. But they’d just started dating, and based on their earlier discussion, Maddy wasn’t in the same place, leaving him confused and frustrated.
The Putt & Cone wasn’t the ideal place to talk, but he needed to get Maddy alone so they could figure this out. His dad had always told him it wasn’t good to let these types of things drag on.
The noise from the crowd at the Putt & Cone could be heard a half block away. As Ty wove his way through the crowd, he saw Jason and Connor posing for a photo with John, followed by the producer, director, and other staff from Beach House Flippers .
He scanned the crowd for Maddy, finding her with Evan and Dylan, who was jumping up and down with excitement.
“Uncle Ty,” the little girl called when she spotted him.
Ty couldn’t help but notice Maddy cross her arms and look away, which made him curse himself ten times over.
“Hey. Sorry I’m late. Got caught up at work,” he said when he got close enough to be heard over the crowd .
“Uncle Ty, we’re gonna play mini-golf. Will you be on our team?” Dylan asked.
“I’d love to, princess. First, I need to talk to your mom. Okay?” he said.
“I’ll watch Dylan,” Evan added, before Maddy could veto the idea.
She frowned. “Traitor.”
“Thanks, man. We won’t be long,” Ty said.
He tried to reach for her hand, but she pushed through the crowd to the exit.
Yup, she’s seriously pissed off.
His long legs allowed him to meet her angry stride. It was only when they reached Broadway Betty’s that she stopped.
Now, when he reached for her hand, she didn’t pull away. “I’m sorry about earlier.”
She swiftly turned to face him, and instead of the expected anger and irritation, he was taken back by the sight of tears. Before he could say anything else, she threw herself into his arms.
“I’m the one who’s sorry. You’re right. Living above Betty’s isn’t right for a child.”
He sighed in relief and held her tight. “Dylan has a surplus of energy. Look at how much she loves running around the backyard.”
“And I told her I’d think about getting a dog when we got our own place.”
“Plus, you’d have to lock the door to the kitchen to keep her away from the ice cream.”
“And then someone would need to lock it to keep me from it.” She pulled back and wiped her tear-streaked face. “My mom reminded me what it was like to live at the B&B because she worked there. While the price was right, we both hated it. Money was tight, and we didn’t have a choice. She helped me see I have other choices. ”
“I do think it’s a great idea to buy the place and do the renovations you mentioned. The upstairs space is perfect for a recording studio, and there’s no reason you can’t have space for your L.A. friends to crash when they’re here.”
She nodded. “I know. Marco and Aiden are coming out next week. I want to show it to them.”
He saw hesitation in her eyes. “But?”
She rubbed her lips together. “There’s still the issue that Dylan and I can’t live at Emma and Jace’s place indefinitely.”
He took her hand again. “Come with me.”
“We need to get back to the grand opening,” she protested.
“We won’t be long,” he said, and opened the passenger door of his SUV. “I promise,” he added when she opened her mouth to argue.
With a begrudging sigh, she lowered herself into the seat. The drive to his old house took less than five minutes. Ty pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine.
“I don’t understand,” Maddy said. “Why are we here?”
“Follow me and you’ll find out.”
He used his key to let them inside. As promised, Emma had been busy cleaning out stock. Or more accurately, separating stock into piles. She had divided the front room in half, placing a sign marked Clearance/Yard Sale in her precise block handwriting on one side and a sign marked Bring on the other.
“Growing up, you spent a lot of time here,” he said. “What do you think of it?”
She furrowed her brow. “I love this house. It’s on a quiet street, corner lot. I love that it’s almost equally close to both the beach and the bay.”
Ty had always loved that, too. “How about the house itself? ”
“I remember when your parents renovated the upstairs. Emma was so excited to have more closet space, plus another full bathroom.”
“Which she used to hog all the time,” Ty grumbled. He led her to the kitchen. “What would you think if this back wall was blown out so both the kitchen and dining room could be twice the size? Then imagine a deck out the dining room.”
She pursed her lips. “Maybe with stairs that led to a patio with a firepit.”
“Good idea. By increasing the downstairs space, upstairs could also be changed. A primary bedroom with a private bath. Add at least one more bedroom.”
“That’s more than a renovation. It’s a complete overhaul. But there’s a bedroom down here.”
She trailed behind him as he entered what used to be his parents’ bedroom. As much as Ty wanted this to be his home, he knew he couldn’t sleep in the room his parents had shared.
“This space has a few possibilities, but my favorite is a home office and multipurpose room,” he said.
“I suppose that would work. But why? Is your mom selling this place once Emma moves into her new retail space?”
“Not exactly.” Ty plunged forward. “My mom has deeded this house to me.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow, that’s generous of her, but makes sense. Em has your gram’s house, and your mom is in John’s house.”
“I haven’t thought of this house as mine in years.”
She put a hand up to her mouth. “Please tell me you’re not going to renovate and sell it.”
“It sort of depends.”
“Depends on what? ”
He took both her hands. “I want to fix up this house, add on, and bring it up to code. I want to bring the laughter and joy back to this house. With soundproofing, this room can be part office and music studio. I want to live here, Maddy. With you and Dylan.”
He’d said it all in one big rush and now held his breath and tried to read her face, afraid she’d tell him no.
“Live here? With you?”
“Yes.”
“And what about L.A.? I’m still going to spend time over the next year or longer recording my last album with Pacific Records and going on tour.”
“We work it whatever way works for you…for us. If that means we live part of the year in L.A. and part here, we can make it work.”
Her eyes filled up. “I don’t know what to say. This is all too much, too fast.”
“I hoped you wanted this, too.”
“I do want this, but I’m afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“Afraid my L.A. life will be more demanding than you’re prepared to handle.”
“I can handle anything as long as we’re together.” He pulled her in and kissed her, cupping her face. “I love you, Maddy.”
“I love you, Ty. It’s all so much, though. Broadway Betty’s, making Pelican Bay my home base, moving in with you… My whole life is being uprooted. I need to process everything. Can I think about this?”
Not exactly the answer he wanted, but he’d give her the time.
And use it to show her it could work.