Chapter TWENTY-THREE
The hotel was right on Jacksonville Beach and boasted an exercise center, restaurant, bar, shop, and other amenities. Best of all, for Melissa, a brick sidewalk led to a wooden boardwalk onto the nearby white, sandy beach.
After she and Ross settled in their room, Melissa said, “I want to go for a walk on the beach. Want to come with me?”
“A little later. I’m meeting with Mike to develop a game plan for tomorrow’s meeting. We need to review the cost estimates to construct a year-round baseball training center. It’s important to me to work it out because I know you want to stay in Lilac Lake, and so do I.”
She gazed at him.
Ross came over to her and drew her into his arms. “I don’t want to do anything to mess up this, whatever it is, between us.”
He lowered his lips to hers, and she felt herself dissolve in his arms. She’d waited for so long to have a man kiss her like this that she didn’t want to mess it up either.
Melissa changed into the turquoise bikini. After covering her limbs and face with suntan lotion, she put on a cover-up, said goodbye to Ross, and left for the beach carrying a hat and her phone.
After she reached the edge of the beach, she slipped off her sandals, wiggled her toes in the white sand, and sighed with pleasure. She gazed out at the water rolling into the beach in a continual pattern and drew a deep breath of the salty air. She’d been to a beach before but not often, electing instead to stay and work by her favorite lake in New Hampshire.
Melissa put on her hat, tucked her phone into a pocket, and strolled down to meet the water. Their heads bobbing, sanderlings, sandpipers, and other small birds scurried along the water’s lacy edge, looking for food.
Above, seagulls and terns wheeled in the wind, crying mournfully as they circled.
A peace came over Melissa as she strolled along the hard-packed sand at the edge of the breaking and receding waves. She lifted her face to the blue sky and whispered thanks that her father would be okay. She felt so lucky compared to Ross, who was facing his father’s death.
As she walked, she thought of Ross, the man, not the neighbor, and liked what she’d seen so far. It was obvious that he loved his family, and they loved him. He was unlike most of the other men she’d dated. Being away from Lilac Lake, she understood better why she’d been drawn to Dirk and how loneliness had played a part. They both deserved better than that.
Now, Ross’s attention, his kisses, and the excitement she’d never felt with another man all played a part in helping her to believe their relationship was real. Though she’d thought she knew Ross, she now realized he was so much more.
A round, red ball hit her ankle, and a little brown-haired boy shuffled up to her.
She stooped and picked up the ball. “Are you looking for this?”
she asked, handing it to him.
The boy’s mother, just two steps behind, prompted, “Say thank you, Tim.”
“Thank you,”
the boy said, smiling at her, and Melissa resisted an urge to sweep him up in her arms. Melissa stopped in surprise. Where in the world had that thought come from? She liked children, but she’d never fallen for one so quickly. Was that female hormones talking?
Melissa stopped and stared out at the moving waves racing to shore and retreating in a pattern as old as time. She had always been so practical and independent that she wondered if she should slow down her relationship with Ross. Sometimes he was all she thought of. Still, she was learning how to share love, and the intimate, supportive conversations after making love benefited them both. Especially now with family trauma going on.
She felt the sun's heat and removed her light cover-up, allowing the sun to embrace her body. The tension of the last few days eased. She stepped into the cool water, watching as the sand at her feet was pulled away by the receding waves before shifting again.
The rhythmic pattern was calming, and she reminded herself to let things unfold naturally and enjoy her time with Ross.
She heard a man call her name and turned to find Mike walking toward her.
“Hi! Ross told me I’d find you here. He’s on his way. He needed to call his family first.”
“Isn’t this delightful?”
she said and twirled in a circle.
He grinned. “It’s beautiful.”
He studied her. “I had no idea you and Ross were dating. From what Ross has said, it seems pretty serious.”
“We’re just starting to date,”
Melissa said. “But he makes me very happy, and I think we’re both hoping it’ll last.”
“Are you okay with him going into business with me, traveling back and forth to Florida from Lilac Lake?”
His steady gaze unnerved her. “I know it’s what he wants,”
she replied, “and I understand.”
“What about you? What are you going to do now that the restaurant is gone? Do you want to set up something at the sports center?”
“I’m not sure,” she said.
“I think there’s room for a real restaurant on the property. We’ve got a lot of land.”
“I don’t want to own and run a restaurant,”
Melissa said. “That’s one thing I know for certain. I want to find something that allows me to cook on occasion. I’m trying to come up with some ideas and will let you know when I do.”
She looked up and saw Ross making his way toward them, and she was relieved. The truth was, she couldn’t imagine what the future held for her. There were too many things left unsettled with her life in Lilac Lake.
“Hey, you two, how about going back and having something cool to drink and some food? I haven’t eaten much today.”
Ross approached her and put an arm around her as if to make clear to Mike that they were a couple.
The three of them walked together to the Beach Bar and settled in chairs at the bar. The men ordered beers, and she ordered a margarita before looking at the menu.
“I’ve been here for a couple of days and highly recommend the grouper sandwich,”
said Mike. “They do a tasty one.”
“That’s perfect for me,”
said Melissa, and Ross quickly agreed.
They ordered their food, and Melissa settled back, feeling very relaxed. She turned to Ross. “How are things at home?”
“Holding steady at the moment, but I’d like to head back right after the business meeting tomorrow morning. Is that okay with you? I promise you another trip to St. Augustine and some of the islands we missed on our way down. We can stop in Savannah on our way home.”
“Okay,”
said Melissa. They could visit St. Augustine another time. She knew how anxious Ross was to see his father again.
“If our sports center goes through, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to come to Florida and travel along the east coast,”
said Mike, trying to be helpful.
###
After dinner, Ross was ready to retire. Melissa noted his limp and realized he’d overdone it. His new knee was protesting.
“No problem. Let’s go upstairs. I’m happy to sit and watch the sunset from our balcony and have a decent night’s sleep. The bed looks comfortable.”
At Ross’s fake leer, Melissa laughed.
“You know what I mean.”
Ross took hold of her hand, lifted it to his lips, and kissed it. “You’re gorgeous.”
A flush of pleasure surged inside Melissa. This was something new. She’d never been called gorgeous.
“Okay, you two, I’ll leave you. Ross, I’ll meet you for breakfast at eight o’clock. Okay?”
“Sure,”
said Ross. “We can review the numbers once more before meeting with Bob and his financial guy.”
Mike left, and Ross took her arm. “Sorry to be such a slug.”
“No apologies necessary,”
said Melissa. “It’s been a crazy week, and you’re still healing. Let’s go up to our room.”
They took the elevator to their room. It was decorated with a beach theme, with white walls, white furniture, and turquoise and yellow accents everywhere.
“Oh, look, the sun is setting,”
she said. “Let’s go on the balcony to watch it.”
Outside, they sat in chairs facing the water. Though they were facing east, the sky above them reflected the setting sun's colors, creating an abstract painting of reds, oranges, and yellows.
“This is such a beautiful place,”
said Melissa. “As we drove south, I realized each state has its own beauty.”
Ross reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I’ll take another trip with you, here in the States or Europe. Places we can discover together. That’s one reason I like your idea of not owning a restaurant.”
“Yes,”
Melissa agreed, even as she realized how unsettled her future was.
After the colors faded and dusk quickly turned dark, Ross stood. “Guess we’d better get to bed.”
Melissa followed him inside. “You go ahead and use the bathroom. I’ll follow.”
Alone, Melissa called her mother. “Hi, I’m just checking in. How are things going? How’s Dad?”
“It’s a bit of a struggle,”
her mother admitted. “After being so scared, the reality of life from now on is a little hard to accept for a man who’s used to being busy and eating anything he likes. But we’ll work on it together, even though your father’s usual pleasant humor is gone. The doctor said it’s not unusual for some patients to be depressed by all the changes. But eventually, your father will make peace with the changes, and he’ll definitely feel better.”
“I’m glad. You’re terrific support for him,” she said.
“Thanks. How are things going with you and Ross?”
her mother asked.
“Wonderful. Being with Ross is different from any relationship I’ve ever had.”
She wasn’t about to tell her mother about the exciting lovemaking she and Ross shared. “He makes me feel beautiful.”
“It’s wise that you’re taking your time with this new relationship,”
said her mother. “I’m sorry your father isn’t here to talk to you. He’s meeting with the people from the rehab center. He should be available later.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to you both later,”
said Melissa.
Melissa ended the call, wishing she wasn’t worried about a future relationship with Ross. Thinking about it, she decided the real issue was she didn’t know about her future, and until that was settled, she couldn’t think of life with him. She’d worked too hard to succeed in her field to give it up.
Ross walked toward her wearing just his undershorts, and Melissa's lips curved. Seeing him smiling at her, she felt her spirits lift, and she told herself that she’d been foolish to worry when he made her happier than anyone else ever had.
###
Later, after making love, she snuggled against his broad chest and sighed with pleasure. It was this, more than the worries she conjured up, that mattered.