Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Julia slid into a booth at The Salty Spoon and sighed in contentment. “I’m so hungry,” she said to Alexis, who had just sat down across from her. “I was up late last night figuring out a new marketing strategy for the pub. Whenever I stay up late like that, I wake up absolutely famished.”
Alexis chuckled. “Well, luckily for you, you’ve got almost unlimited breakfast options just one order away.”
Julia nodded. “So true.” Although The Lighthouse Grill was by far her favorite restaurant anywhere, The Salty Spoon was decidedly her second favorite. She’d come there often with Cooper and Macey, and she had many happy memories of eating pancakes or waffles while she and Cooper chuckled over Macey’s antics.
“Hmm,” Alexis grunted as she looked down at the menu. “I don’t know what I want.”
“Don’t you usually get the crepes with strawberries and cream? With a side of bacon?”
“I do get that a lot. But today I want something else… I just don’t know what it is.” Alexis leaned forward, concentrating.
Julia laughed. “In other words, you know you’re having some kind of pregnancy craving but you don’t know what it is you want yet.”
Alexis groaned. “You’re so right. It’s not peanut butter. I seem to be over that temporary madness, although I still do like peanut butter. I’m glad, because I started to really like it. I mean—you know what I mean.” She laughed.
“I know.” Julia grinned at her. Before becoming pregnant, Alexis had hated peanut butter. Then all at once, her pregnancy cravings had made her ravenous for peanut butter, and she started eating it all the time. Julia chuckled as her memory conjured the image of Alexis sitting on her couch, popping a whole peanut butter cookie covered in peanut butter into her mouth. “I remember you were thinking that maybe once your craving was over, you would go back to not liking it.”
“Right! And I’m so relieved that’s not the case. I mean, it’s got so much protein, and it’s sweet and smooth and creamy, or salty and chunky, and?—”
“You sure you don’t want something with peanut butter?” Julia teased, and Alexis tossed a balled-up napkin at her sister.
“No! Or—” Alexis froze, staring into space. “Maybe—I want crepes, with whipped cream, and banana slices, and strawberry slices, and chocolate chips, and?—”
“Peanut butter,” Alexis and Julia said at once, and Julia dissolved into a fit of laughter.
“Oops, I guess my obsession with peanut butter isn’t over yet.” Alexis wiped away a tear of amusement.
“That does sound seriously amazing,” Julia said. “I’d be tempted to get it too if I wasn’t set on getting a southwestern skillet.”
“We can swap bites of each other’s meals,” Alexis offered. “Maybe even ask the waitress for extra little plates.”
“Perfect.” Julia grinned at her and took another sip of her coffee. For some reason, maybe because Alexis had mentioned little plates and those made her think of Macey, Julia’s mind jumped to Cooper and Macey and how much she wanted a future with both of them. Or maybe it was because they were never far from her mind to begin with.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Alexis said, seeming to notice Julia’s pensive expression almost instantly.
Julia chuckled. “Well, it’s just—lately, Cooper’s been?—”
She stopped, because at that moment the waitress stepped up to their table to take their order. As she and Alexis told the smiling server what they wanted, Julia wondered how much to tell her sister. She didn’t want to get ahead of herself and assume things that weren’t true. She would be so disappointed if things between her and Cooper didn’t work out the way she was hoping.
That was what was making her feel so nervous, right? She took a deep breath as Alexis spoke to the waitress. All of a sudden, she felt wildly jittery, and a swarm of self-doubting thoughts filled her mind. Was she really the best person for Cooper? What if everything didn’t work out the way she hoped that it would?
As soon as their waitress walked away from their table, Alexis turned to Julia with a gleeful smile. “I believe you were about to tell me something about Cooper.”
Julia bit her lip, twisting her cloth napkin in her fingers. “It’s not a big deal, really. He just… well, I mean he bought an air fryer. It’s been really fun to cook using it together.”
Alexis lifted both her eyebrows in an incredulous expression. “There is absolutely no way you were about to tell me that Cooper bought an air fryer. That’s the kind of thing you excitedly blurt out at random. It’s not something that you sit and think pensively about.”
“I didn’t really look that pensive, did I?”
“Oh, definitely.”
Julia sighed. “Okay. Fine. You’re right.”
“I know.” Alexis nodded. “So come on, tell me. What were you actually thinking about?”
“It’s just…” Julia’s voice trailed off as she stared into space. “He’s been saying things that… I don’t know. Serious things. Things that imply he’s thinking of a future with us together in it.”
Alexis gasped, clasping her hands together. “Julia!” she practically squealed.
Julia held her hands up, begging her sister to be quieter. “I didn’t mean to make a big deal out of it. I mean, it’s just something I’ve been noticing.” She felt as though her cheeks were bright red. The thought of Cooper wanting to merge futures with her made her feel as though she was filled with strands and strands of Christmas lights. Tangled Christmas lights.
“That’s so exciting!” Alexis spoke in a whisper, but she was every bit as excited as she had been before. “Do you think he’s getting like, serious , serious? Do you think he’s going to?—”
“Don’t say it!” Julia gasped and covered her face with her hands.
“What? Why?” Alexis laughed, tugging on Julia’s sleeve to try to get her to uncover her face. “Isn’t that what you want?”
“Oh, it is. I mean—I guess I haven’t let myself really think about it all that much, but…” Julia felt as though the Christmas lights that were filling her stomach just been plugged in and were glowing full force.
“But what?” Alexis was smiling slyly, and Julia had a feeling her sister was guessing pretty accurately as to what was going on in Julia’s mind.
Which was impressive, because even Julia didn’t have a very clear sense of what was going on in her mind.
“It’s just… overwhelming.” Julia went back to twisting her napkin. “I love him—so much. And I can’t imagine living without him or Macey. But it’s… I feel unprepared. Kind of scared, I guess? I guess I haven’t really stopped to ask myself if this is really what I want. I never expected that I would be a stepmother or even be happy living in a town as small as Rosewood Beach.”
“Yeah, but you are. You’re basically already Macey’s stepmom and you two are inseparable. I know how happy she makes you, not to mention how happy Cooper makes you. And you’ve said you never want to leave Rosewood Beach, and that you love it here. You love the people here, and the way they approach life. So even if you haven’t asked yourself what you want, I think the answer is pretty clear. You want to live here and marry Cooper.”
Julia’s eyes widened when she heard her sister say the words so bluntly, and her heart began to race. She had to admit that Alexis was right. She did adore Rosewood Beach and the people there. And it was true that Cooper and Macey meant the absolute world to her and that she was basically already Macey’s second parent.
“See? Your eyes are totally lighting up right now.” Alexis grinned at her. “This is amazing, Julia. I’m thrilled for you.”
“I am excited about the idea,” Julia said slowly, “but I’m also—well, I feel really rattled by it.”
“Oh, for sure, getting engaged is terrifying.”
Alexis said the words so matter-of-factly that Julia had to laugh.
“I mean it,” Alexis continued, smiling. “No matter how much you love someone, a commitment that serious can be really scary. Don’t be weirded out by that, it just means you’re taking it seriously. But if you love Cooper and you think the two of you could build a great future together, you don’t have any real reason to be afraid.”
“I am sure we could build a great future together. But—is that what I’m feeling? Just nerves?”
Alexis nodded. “I think so. When I suspected that Grayson was going to propose to me, I got so excited I could hardly think straight, but I also broke out in stress acne. Vowing to commit to someone for the rest of your life is a big deal. And it might come with ups and downs like Grayson and I have had. But Cooper is a really good guy, and it’s clear how much you two love each other. I know that if he does propose to you, things are going to work out amazingly.”
Julia took a deep breath and smiled.
“That’s right!” Alexis laughed. She reached across the table and squeezed her sister’s hand. “Come on! This is so exciting. I’m ready to squeal loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear.”
“You’re adorable. It is exciting, you’re so right. But I’m also a little nervous because I don’t want to be wrong, you know? I don’t want to get my hopes up only to learn that Cooper isn’t thinking that seriously of the future at all. I mean, who knows what’s going to happen, right?”
Alexis shrugged. “I don’t think you can help reading the signs. And it’s okay to be hopeful. It’s okay to let yourself want it.” She smiled reassuringly at Julia, and her eyes were still alight with excitement.
Julia bit her lip. I’m almost afraid to hope, she thought. And yet, I’ve never wanted anything more .
Dean glanced at the agenda hanging on the wall of the garage in his auto shop. He’d just finished up replacing the brakes on a Honda, and he was feeling energetic and ready for more work.
To his surprise, however, the to-do list that was tacked to the wall didn’t have anything listed on it until two hours later.
“Hey, Keith,” he called to his employee, who was just getting ready to roll himself underneath a different car. “What about that minivan the Carlsons were going to drop off?”
“They called to cancel that earlier this morning. I told you, but you must have had your earbuds in or something. They’d wanted the shocks fixed before their family vacation, but they’ve decided to take a rental car and postpone their appointment for a couple of weeks.”
“Huh.” Dean looked at the agenda with his hands in his pockets, wondering what he was going to do with himself. He glanced around the garage, wondering if there was something he could clean up or reorganize. There were a few blue shop towels on the ground by Keith’s feet, but he knew Keith would get them when he was done working. Other than that, the garage was mainly spotless. Well, dirty and greasy, but tidy. His guys were good about cleaning up after themselves. “I guess I don’t have anything to do for a while here then.”
“Why don’t you take a break?” Keith grinned at him. “I’m going to, as soon as I’m done with this. I might even pull a Dean Owens and go take a nap.” He winked, grinning good-naturedly.
Dean laughed. “I absolutely recommend naps in the middle of the workday. I always wake up with more energy than I had before.”
Keith chuckled and rolled underneath the car to start working. Dean turned back to the agenda, tapping his foot against the ground as he considered what he was going to do. He didn’t have any paperwork to attend to—he’d already done his personal taxes and his business taxes. No one was behind on payments or needed to be called about their cars.
I really have nothing to do, he concluded with a shrug. Kind of a shame, considering how much energy I’ve got right now.
Then all at once he got an idea, and his expression lit up. He hurried into the bathroom to wash his hands, checking his reflection in the mirror to make sure his face wasn’t dirty. Once he was satisfied that he was clean enough, he left the bathroom and went into his office, where his coat and hat were. He put them on, and then leaned through the doorway to call to Keith. “Hey! I’m going out for a couple of hours.”
“You take that nap, boss!” Keith called.
Dean laughed. He might take a nap later on, but for now he was going to pay a visit to his girlfriend.
He left the auto shop, stepping outside into the blustery cold. Although it was sunny and there was a vibrant blue sky overhead, the wind had an icy edge to it. He nestled his hands inside the warm pockets of his coat as he began to stroll down the sidewalk. He thought about what he could do for Noelle. He still felt bad about missing their date because of falling asleep.
He was making his way toward her physical therapy office, and as he turned a corner, he caught sight of Seaside Sweets Bakery at the end of the street, near the frozen beach. He grinned, knowing at once what he would bring her.
He made his way to the bakery and stepped inside. It was warm and cozy, and smelled fragrantly of spices, dough, and sugar. He stepped up to the counter and ordered a Boston cream doughnut and a chai latte. He thought about getting himself something as well and decided on a blackberry and chocolate muffin.
A few minutes later, he stepped back outside into the cold with the latte held in one gloved hand and a white paper bag in the other. Noelle’s physical therapy office was a short walk from the bakery, but he hurried anyway, not wanting her chai latte to get cold. He was also eager to see her. He didn’t know if she had a client at that time, but he was hoping he would have at least a little time to give her a hug and kiss and ask her how her day was going.
I miss her, he thought. Which is weird because we live in the same town. My fatigue has just really been getting in the way of us spending time together.
He reached the physical therapy office a few minutes later. He was often there for physical therapy appointments with Chip, the other PT, and it felt good to be going there just for a casual visit to see Noelle. She was usually busy with other clients when he was there for his physical therapy appointments, and he was always happy to get a glimpse of her—but it usually wasn’t much more than that.
He pulled open the front door of the physical therapy office, and a cheerful bell jingled overhead. The lobby smelled pleasantly of cloves and cinnamon, and Dean guessed that the smell was coming from one of the diffusers that Noelle had picked out eagerly on one of their dates. He smiled, remembering fondly how excited she’d been.
He saw that her office door was ajar, and he grinned. That was a great sign. It meant she almost certainly didn’t have a client.
He stepped up to her door and knocked softly.
“Come in,” Noelle said, sounding distracted.
He stepped inside, and saw her sitting at her desk, scribbling something down in her notebook with a pink pen. She looked up a second later, and her jaw dropped when she saw him.
“Dean! Are you—” She glanced at a schedule hanging on the wall. “You’re not here to see Chip, are you? He just stepped out for a lunch break about fifteen minutes ago.”
“No, I’m here to see you.” Dean came forward, setting the latte and the pastry bag on the end of Noelle’s desk. He leaned down and gave her a big kiss.
“Oh. Hi.” She smiled up at him, but she seemed a little tired—or maybe distracted. “That’s sweet of you.”
He grinned at her. “I have a long break at the shop right now. I decided I wanted to stop by and say hi to you, to make it up to you for missing our date the other night.”
Noelle’s expression fell when he mentioned their missed date, and he could tell that she was still disappointed about it. And he knew it wasn’t just that one instance—it was the fact that his health issues made it difficult for them to have a normal relationship. They both missed each other but hadn’t been able to spend the time together that they wanted to.
“I’m so sorry about that, Noelle. I really am. I should have known better than to lie down for a nap without setting an alarm before I closed my eyes.”
She smiled reassuringly at him. “Don’t worry about it. I understand. I hope you’re feeling better.”
“I am now, for sure. I feel really energetic today.”
“That’s great, Dean.”
For a moment, they both smiled at each other in a slightly awkward way, as if neither of them knew what to say.
“I’m really sorry, Noelle,” he said softly.
She shook her head. “It’s okay, Dean. I wouldn’t have wanted you to go out on our date when you were feeling that tired, anyway.”
“I would have been okay,” he protested. “I really wanted to spend time with you.”
“I want to spend time with you too, but—” She glanced at the clock. “There will be other times. And right now, I hate to say it, but I have to get back to work.”
“Of course.” He forced a smile, even though his stomach flopped with disappointment. He’d been hoping to be able to spend at least a half hour with her. “But before I go—I brought you a chai latte and a Boston cream doughnut.”
“Dean!” She took his offerings eagerly. “That’s so sweet of you. Thank you.”
He shrugged. “I want to make it up to you somehow.”
“You don’t need to do that.” She took a sip of the latte and shivered a little appreciatively. “Mm, that’s fantastic.” She patted the pastry bag. “I’ll eat this later, when I have more time.”
He told himself that he could take the hint she needed him to leave. He knew the muffin he’d bought for himself was in the pastry bag along with her doughnut, but he decided to not say anything about it. She could have both, with the muffin as a surprise.
“I’ll see you later, sweetheart.” He gave her one more quick kiss, and she waved at him as he left her office, closing the door behind him.
Once he was back out in the lobby, he sighed. He felt disappointed, but it was more than that. It had seemed to him that their interaction had lacked its usual warmth. He knew that he’d just interrupted her workday, and it was clear that she was busy, but he’d dropped by during her work hours before and she’d been ecstatic to see him. It wasn’t that she’d treated him coldly, but she hadn’t treated him with the level of warmth that she usually did.
I wonder what’s making her feel less warm toward me, he thought. I know she’s not angry—she’s not that type. But I bet she’s hurt by the fact that we haven’t been able to spend much time together lately.
Frowning, he went back out into the cold. He found himself feeling much more tired than he had been only a few minutes before, and he glanced at his watch, deciding that he would stop by his house to take a short nap before going back to the auto repair shop.
As he walked, he thought about Noelle. He felt badly that he’d disappointed her. He’d hoped the doughnut and the latte would have made her feel loved and appreciated, and maybe they did, but not as much as he’d hoped. She’d still seemed distracted and a little down.
He told himself to not read too much into it, since he didn’t know what kind of day she might be having at work, but he knew one thing for sure. He needed to make it up to her in a way that showed her how much he cared about her.