Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Corey stood behind the counter of his souvenir shop, scribbling down a list of purchases that he wanted to make to restock the store. Now that his shop had been open for a while, it was becoming clear which items were the most popular, and he wanted to be particularly well-stocked on those.
He heard the front door of his shop jingle, and he looked up. His eyebrows rose when he saw who had entered his store—it was Olivia. Her curly hair was pulled back in a loose, wispy braid, and she wore a graphic t-shirt tucked into loose jeans. Her green eyes were luminous, and for a moment he had trouble catching his breath.
Then he realized that she was coming to his store in the middle of a camp day, and he worried that something had gone wrong at Little Clams again.
“Is everything all right?” he asked breathlessly.
“Oh yes!” she assured him hastily, smiling. “Everything’s just fine. I’m on my lunch break today—we take turns supervising lunch at Little Clams—and I thought I’d pop over here to talk to you about Haley.”
He nodded, feeling a twist of concern. “How is she doing?”
“She’s been doing great,” she reassured him. “I’m actually here because my aunt offered to teach Haley how to make crafts. She’s offered for Haley to come spend a day with her in her craft room, at her home in Whale Harbor.”
“Oh, that’s so generous of her,” he said. “Are you sure?”
Olivia beamed at him. “I think Haley would love it. My aunt Marsha and I were talking, and we both think that if Haley learns how to express herself through art even more, it will help her express everything else that she needs to talk about. It will be a way for her to channel her feelings, and I think it will help comfort and calm her. Anyway, it’s worth a try!”
“I—it’s a kind offer, certainly.” He paused, feeling hesitant about asking for help. “But I don’t know that we should accept it. I hate to impose on her time—”
She shook her head, chuckling. “If you’re going to live in a place like Blueberry Bay, you’d better get used to people wanting to help you out. That’s what we do here. It’s what small-town life is all about. We’re a community, and we’re here for each other.”
For a moment, he found himself lost for words, staring into her kind eyes. She was grinning at him, and he found himself smiling back.
“Okay,” he said softly. “Thank you. I’m—well, I’m glad my complicated life hasn’t scared you off.”
She shook her head. “It most certainly hasn’t. I want to help you.” For a few seconds, she looked right into his eyes, and then she blinked and hastily added, “And Haley too.”
He nodded, feeling a swirl of feelings in his core—nervousness, excitement, and a kind of glowing happiness that was almost like relief.
“I can bring Haley by your Aunt Marsha’s on Saturday afternoon, if that works for her?”
“That’s perfect.” She grinned. “That’s the time she suggested to me too.”
There was a short pause, and Corey struggled with knowing what to say next. He was eager to continue the conversation, however—he didn’t know how long Olivia’s lunch break was, but he hoped she could stay for a few more minutes at least.
“What kind of art projects will they be doing?” he asked. “I bet Haley will want to know.”
“Probably beading,” she said. “Aunt Marsha has all kind of wonderful colored beads, and little girls usually love making bracelets. I know I did when I was Haley’s age.” She laughed, crossing her arms and smiling as if she wasn’t sure what to say but also wanted to stay for a while longer.
I like her so much , he thought, feeling his heart beat faster.
He didn’t know what to say to communicate that to her, short of just coming right out and saying it—but he didn’t feel that would be chivalrous. He wanted to approach the subject carefully, but he didn’t know how. He thought again about asking her out, and he was just about to bring up the subject of getting coffee sometime, when she glanced at her watch.
“Oh, I’ve got to go or I’m going to be late.”
“Okay,” he said reluctantly. “Thanks for stopping by. It was sweet of your aunt to offer that.”
“She’s a sweet person,” she said warmly. For a moment they stood there smiling at each other, and then she shook herself. “Off I go. I’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon.” He waved as she slipped out of the front door. After she was gone, he felt like a light had gone out of his store. He watched her walk away down the sidewalk through the front windows, realizing that he was developing a major crush on her.
“Oo, how about these blue ones? They look like they’re big enough—and I love the little navy polka dots.”
Olivia was seated next to her aunt Marsha at her craft table as they decided which beads to set out for Haley’s art day the following afternoon. They’d decided to only set out the larger beads, since the tiny ones might be too miniscule for the eight-year-old to handle. Olivia had come over to her aunt’s house for dinner and had stayed to help prepare the craft room for Haley’s visit.
“Oh, I agree.” Marsha smiled and Olivia poured the beads into one of the little colored bowls that they had set out together. “I like those too.”
Olivia noticed that her aunt’s eyes were twinkling more than usual, and she smiled fondly at her. “This is really sweet of you, Aunt Marsha. Corey said so too.”
“Oh, well, it’s a treat for me as well as for Haley.” Marsha smiled. “I love making art, especially with kids. I used to love it when you brought Logan over and we would do crafts together. Kids can see art with a creativity that adults lose sometimes.”
Olivia nodded, smiling as she remembered the craft days her aunt had had with Logan, the little boy she used to nanny before she moved to Blueberry Bay. “And their enthusiasm is just contagious.”
“Yes.” Marsha laughed. “They see everything as brand new.”
Olivia beamed at her aunt. They continued to work quietly together for a few more minutes, and then Olivia said, “Thank you again for doing this. Corey seemed really relieved at the prospect of getting some help for Haley.”
Marsha nodded, looking sympathetic. “I can imagine. It must be hard for him to know his daughter is struggling but not know what to do to help her.”
Olivia nodded. “He seems to be struggling too, for sure. And the worst part is that he think’s he’s not doing a good job at parenting. Like, he worries that he’s not being a good dad. But he is. I think he’s an amazing dad. He’s highly invested, and he’s trying so hard to make a good life for all of them, and it’s so clear how much he loves his kids—” Her words trailed off, and she smiled bashfully, realizing she’d gotten carried away. She felt as though she might be blushing a little.
“He seems like a nice man.” Her aunt’s smile was subtle, but her eyes held a knowing look.
“He is,” Olivia agreed warmly. “A very nice man.” She stared into space for a few moments, remembering the way he’d interacted with his kids during their day at the beach.
“Could there possibly be something between you two?” Marsha asked carefully.
Olivia knew she was blushing then—she felt her entire face get hot.
There’s something there for me, definitely, she thought. My heart flutters whenever I think of him.
She didn’t feel ready to confess as much to her aunt, however. She didn’t know how he felt, and she didn’t want her friendship with him to be misconstrued as something more than what it was.
“I wouldn’t say that,” she said, a little breathlessly. She chose her words carefully. “He’s a widower, and I think he’s probably still dealing with a lot of sorrow after losing his wife.”
“He might still be interested in you,” Marsha suggested gently. “People who have loved before are very likely to love again.”
Olivia shook her head. “I don’t think he’s interested in me like that. He hasn’t asked me out or anything like that—and I think he would have if he was. We’ve spent some time together, but I don’t think it’s anything more than a friendship.”
“Mm,” Marsha said, carefully placing pink beads into a red bowl.
“I love his kids, and they love me, and he needs help with Haley,” Olivia continued, still trying to brush off her aunt’s suspicions. “We’re just focusing on his kids. That’s the point of our friendship.”
“That doesn’t mean your friendship can’t be about other things,” Marsha said slowly, a sweet smile on her face. She patted Olivia’s hand. “I know the prospect of romance can be scary. There are so many uncertainties. But remember what you told me when I was worried about spending time with Willis again. You told me to keep my heart open. So, I’m reminding you of your own advice. You can’t find love if you don’t keep your heart open to it.”
“Oof!” Olivia laughed. “I’m cornered, aren’t I?”
Her aunt laughed cheerfully—a musical sound, like bells. “Not cornered. You’ve got several paths in front of you—I just want to make sure you don’t pass one of them by because you’re worried it’s not going to work out. Just keep your heart open to taking that chance.”
“You’re right, Aunt Marsha.” Olivia smiled, feeling grateful for her aunt’s care. “I should keep my heart open.” She felt jittery at the thought of Corey potentially being interested in her—she’d never been in a serious relationship before. It was a huge concept, and one that both thrilled and alarmed her. “I don’t know how he feels about me, but I don’t know that he isn’t interested. Maybe he is.”
Her aunt smiled knowingly at her niece, and Olivia went back to her work, her mind and her heart full.