Chapter 19
The door chimed as Tess stepped inside Petals, a rush of cool air brushing over her skin.
The boutique was bright and airy—rows of summer dresses, bathing suits, linen tops, and wide-brimmed hats displayed under soft lighting.
A ceiling fan turned lazily overhead, stirring the faint scent of fabric and something citrusy.
Behind the counter, Bonnie was folding a stack of shorts. When she looked up and saw Tess, her expression brightened. “Well, hey there. I was wondering when you’d wander in here.”
Tess smiled. “Day off. I figured shopping sounded better than doing laundry.”
The older woman chuckled. “Can’t argue with that. You settling in all right down at the beach house?”
“Yeah.” She weaved past a rack of dresses to one with some shirts that caught her eye. “It’s been nice. Peaceful.”
“Good. Dan said your brother’s been doing a great job at the store. You and your parents must’ve raised him right.”
Tess smiled, a flicker of pride warming her tone. “He’s a hard worker. I’m just glad he’s got something to do for the summer that’s close enough, so I don’t have to drive him.”
Bonnie nodded, smoothing out another pair of shorts. “Well, if he keeps it up, Dan will never let him leave.” She glanced up again, eyes narrowing with a teasing spark. “What about you? Are you managing to keep busy, or has Brian been keeping you company?”
The question caught her completely off guard.
From Bonnie’s expression, it was clear she was fishing for gossip.
Brian told Tess that his Uncle Dan and Bonnie had played matchmaker when it came to both his brothers, but that he’d been fighting their efforts to help him find his “happy ever after.” And yes—he’d actually made finger quotes when he said it.
“Uh—yeah. I mean—he’s checked in a few times.” She hesitated, then added, “We had breakfast this morning before he got called into work.”
Bonnie’s hands stilled as a knowing grin spread across her face. “Oh, breakfast, huh? That’s a good way to start the day. He must’ve gotten up early to drive all the way from his place to here.” She said it like it was a two-hour drive, not a thirty- to forty-minute one.
Heat crawled up her neck, and she realized she shouldn’t have mentioned that. “It wasn’t like that. We’re just friends.” She didn’t mention the dinner the night before... or what had happened after. Some things were better left unspoken in a town where everyone knew everyone.
“Mm-hmm. Well, he’s a good man. I’m glad he’s looking out for you.”
“He’s been great,” she said quietly, meaning it more than she’d intended to as she eyed a shirt before putting it back on the rack. “But we’re not... I mean, it’s not... serious.”
“Yet,” Bonnie said easily, carrying the pile of shorts to a nearby table display.
“But don’t sell him short, either. Brian’s the kind of man who keeps things close to the chest. When he cares, he doesn’t make speeches about it—he just shows up.
He’s steady that way, even if he acts like he’s not looking for anything serious. ”
Tess’s pulse stumbled. She pretended to study a row of silver bangles on a display by the register, her fingers brushing over the cool metal. “I don’t know if I have the time to figure out what this is,” she admitted. “Or if he even wants anything more than... well, more than friendship.”
The older woman snorted softly and walked back behind the counter before leaning on her forearms and catching Tess’s gaze.
“Honey, Brian needs a strong woman. Always has. Someone who won’t let him bulldoze through life on sheer stubbornness.
Someone steady enough to keep him grounded and strong enough to call him out on his crap.
I may not know you well yet, but I can tell you’ve got that in spades. ”
Tess blinked at her, the words sinking in deeper than she wanted them to.
Strong. Grounded. Those weren’t words she would have used to describe herself.
She’d spent years believing that she’d used up all her strength trying to hold her world together after her parents died.
Since becoming Andy’s guardian, it seemed like she was making life up as she went—just trying to keep them both afloat.
She’d told herself she didn’t have the time or space to risk her heart again.
But last night wasn’t a mistake, and this morning wasn’t regret. They were both... real. Uncomplicated. Like something she didn’t have to run from.
Bonnie’s expression softened—it was gentler now. “You don’t have to decide what it is yet. Just... don’t talk yourself out of something good before it even starts.”
The bell chimed again as another customer came in, and Bonnie bustled over to greet them, her voice warm and welcoming.
Tess drifted further into the boutique, pausing by a rack of sleeveless silk blouses.
She let her fingers skim a pale blue one that caught the light just right—easy, breezy, and something that might entice a man.
The kind of thing she rarely bought for herself.
Before she could think twice about it, she draped it over her arm and moved on.
A display of locally made candles drew her attention next—clean glass jars with simple kraft-paper labels. She lifted one, twisted the lid, and breathed in the scent of sea air and sun-warmed driftwood. It smelled like the beach house—peaceful, unburdened, and just what she needed.
By the time Bonnie circled back, Tess had picked up a pair of earrings to go with the top.
The simple act of browsing had lifted her spirits again, but it was Bonnie’s words that lingered—the quiet reminder that maybe she didn’t need to second-guess every step with Brian.
Time would tell where things went between them.
For now, overthinking would only drive her crazy.
She’d just go with the flow—and hope that, if it didn’t turn into more, they could still be friends.
She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been until the knot in her chest started to ease.
When she placed her items on the counter, Bonnie’s lips curved into a warm, approving smile. “Good choices,” she said, then rang everything up and tucked it neatly into a paper bag before handing it over. “Enjoy your Saturday, Tess. And remember what I said.”
“I will. Thanks, Bonnie.”
With a wave and a promise to stop in again—even if it was just to chat—Tess left the shop, looping the handle of the paper bag over her arm.
The late-morning sun pressed down hard, the kind that made asphalt shimmer and coaxed the scent of salt and tar into the air.
She stayed within the strip of shade under the awnings, glancing into the windows of boutiques and cafés as she made her way toward the beach house.
A prickling sensation suddenly crawled across the back of her neck—one she couldn’t quite explain.
Maybe it was nothing more than the weight of her own thoughts, but she found herself glancing up and down Main Street anyway.
People were everywhere, but no one seemed to be paying her any attention.
A couple strolled hand in hand past her.
A mother helped her two small children select pails and shovels for the beach from an outdoor display.
A man with a sunburned nose balanced a box of takeout as he hurried to a waiting SUV. Nothing out of place.
She shifted her grip on her purse and the shopping bag, hugging them a little closer, and drew in a steady breath. It was probably just her imagination, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched, and not in a random way.
That was crazy, of course. Summer on the Outer Banks meant more bodies moving in every direction. More noise and traffic. More everything. It didn’t mean anyone was following her.
Needing a distraction, she turned back toward the hardware store. She’d passed it earlier, not wanting to make it seem like she was checking up on Andy while he was working—but right now, she needed to see a familiar face.
Inside, the air was cooler, carrying the mingled scents of metal, machine oil, and rubber.
Jinx had been lying in a dog bed off to the side, out of the way of customers, but when he spotted her, his tail thumped hard against the floor.
He stood and bounded over to her, nearly tripping himself in his excitement.
“Hey, handsome,” she murmured, crouching to rub his ears. The unease along her spine loosened, replaced by warmth at the dog’s joyful greeting. Whatever strange sense of being watched she’d felt outside faded into the comfort of an ordinary day again.
The familiar sound of Andy’s laugh drifted through the aisles along with a man’s chuckle that she thought belonged to Dan Malone. With a smile, she headed in their direction.