Chapter 2
Chapter Two
N ate pulled into the parking lot of the Golden Oar at sunset. The lavender sky was filled with rose-colored clouds that glowed over the town. Lanterns glowed like stars around the parking lot and pathways. The building’s newly whitewashed siding gave the old place a fresh, welcoming feel.
This was home.
He glanced over at Faye as she studied the hand-carved sign above the entrance. The words The Golden Oar glinted in gold leaf above a carved ship tossed by swirling blue waves. Her expression was thoughtful, her face lit gently by the lights, as if she were trying to memorize the moment.
“You said that you’ve been here before?” he asked as he turned off the engine.
She nodded her head. “My mother took me once to meet Iian Jordan, shortly after Max moved to town. Iian is sort of my hero. I read about him, how he lost his hearing at age eighteen yet went on to become such an amazing chef, in an article a few years ago. Max always said that he’d bring me back here when I came to visit him again, but something always came up, so I’ve only been here the one time. ”
Nate smiled. “Well, you’re long overdue for a return visit then.”
They walked up the short wooden ramp, and he opened one of the double doors, which had “Welcome to the Golden Oar” etched into the glass.
She stepped inside and he was reminded at how much he had enjoyed his time with her at Max and Juliette’s wedding. She had a grace about her. She was the kind of person that didn’t demand attention, yet held it once it was given.
She had looked lost and confused most of the night, so he’d sat with her and used his limited knowledge of sign language to keep her company.
Back then, Max had told him that Faye had lost the last of her hearing almost five years before.
She was starting the process of getting the implant that would map her brain waves and allow her to hear some.
He was thankful that it appeared the implant was working.
Tonight he was talking to her, not signing.
He didn’t know what was going on with her now, if her light-headedness on the beach was something more than just hunger. She had certainly looked as if she was in a great deal of pain.
Inside the restaurant, the dining room was lit with the glow from the sunset that streamed in through the wall of windows that overlooked the Pacific. The place was pretty crowded for a Tuesday night, thanks to the live music they had started having on weeknights.
Currently, Tony Wilkins, a local, was setting up his guitar on the small stage and prepping to play.
The elegant oil paintings that lined the walls of the dining room showcased stormy seas, vivid sunsets, and even a few fantasy scenes with mermaids drifting through underwater ruins. The air smelled of sizzling meat, butter, and something rich simmering in wine.
This was as much home to him as the Brew-Ha-Ha and his parents’ house, which he’d grown up in. He’d spent a summer waiting tables here when he had grown bored of working in the bookstore.
Taylor Keaton, whom he’d known since grade school, greeted them at the hostess stand with a warm smile and led them to a small table near the glass wall that looked out over the darkening water.
“This place is—” She stopped, her gaze flicking to a painting of a fishing boat being tossed in violent waves.
“It’s something, huh?” Nate finished for her, sliding into the chair across from her. “Kind of walks the line between cozy and dramatic.”
“It feels…” she started again, then gave a small smile. “It feels right. Like it doesn’t need to try too hard.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “Exactly.”
The small candles on the table flickered between them, causing golden shadows over her skin and making her eyes almost dance. She looked more relaxed now—her shoulders lower, her breathing steadier. She still looked a little tired, but not nearly as pale as she had been on the beach.
Nate knew better than to fill the silence with platitudes. Instead, he offered her the quiet.
They browsed the menu for a moment.
“Comfort food.” She sighed and rested her elbows on the table. “I could definitely use it.”
He set his menu down, already knowing what he’d come here to have.
“So, do you know what you want?” he asked, watching her closely.
She nodded, folding her napkin slowly. “I have been dreaming about the chicken salad since I was here last. You?”
“Burger. Their steaks are good, but I’m in the mood for their Swiss onion.”
She sighed and her shoulders dipped a little. “I dream about burgers.”
“No red meat for you?” he asked.
She shrugged. “My thighs tell me the chicken salad is better for me.”
He smiled. “So come running with me in the morning? Then you can have that burger.”
Her eyebrows arched. “What time?”
He thought about it for a moment. “I can start as late as five-thirty. I’m opening the store at seven.”
“Sunup is at five. I can do five,” she offered as she leaned her elbows on the table. “That is, if you can.”
He chuckled at the challenge. “Five it is. I’ll meet you at the base of the steps.”
Her smile grew, and when she ordered the bacon burger with sweet potato fries, he laughed.
While they waited for their order, they chatted lightly—about the town, about the ridiculous number of flavors at Scoops Ahoy, the new ice cream shop at the end of Main Street, and how Juliette had once gotten stung by a jellyfish trying to swim out to the buoy.
With each passing minute, Nate found himself relaxing. Being with Faye wasn’t like being with any other woman he knew. She wasn’t trying to impress or distract him. She was just being herself. Present. Honest. A little guarded still, maybe—but she had every reason to be.
Nor was he trying to be someone he wasn’t with her. With everyone else in town, he played a role. Flirty, fun, exciting Nate Elliott. He had to if he wanted to stand out in the world, right?
When their burgers arrived, the sky outside had gone completely dark. The dining room somehow became invisible as their conversation continued.
Nate bit into his Swiss onion burger with a satisfied hum and grinned when Faye let out a little moan of approval after her first bite of bacon burger.
“Worth every calorie,” she mumbled around a mouthful.
“See? Told you,” he said, chuckling. “Running earns you burger points.”
They’d just fallen into another easy round of banter when a voice cut in.
“Well, hey there, stranger.”
Nate froze.
He looked up and immediately wished he hadn’t.
Standing beside the table in a curve-hugging red blouse and skinny jeans was Vanessa Carr—the pretty brunette he’d dated for a few months last fall, the one who’d left him with a sour taste in his mouth and a bit less faith in people.
Vanessa leaned a little too close, her manicured hand brushing his shoulder like it belonged there. “Didn’t expect to see you here tonight. Who’s your little friend?” Her eyes slid to Faye, smile tightening ever so slightly.
Nate shifted back in his seat. “Vanessa, this is Faye. She’s, well, I guess she’s my sister’s sister-in-law.” He shrugged.
Faye offered a polite smile, clearly reading the moment for what it was.
“Cute,” Vanessa said, clearly not referring to the food. Her attention swung back to Nate. “We should catch up sometime. I’ve been thinking about you lately.”
“Have you?” he said dryly.
Vanessa winked. “You know where to find me.” She gave Faye another once-over before strutting away toward the bar.
Nate let out a low breath and ran a hand down his face.
Faye sipped her water calmly. “So, that was…”
“Vanessa,” Nate said with a grimace. “We dated last year. It didn’t end well.”
Faye arched a brow but stayed quiet.
“She cheated,” he added flatly. “Turns out I wasn’t the only one getting flirty little visits.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. Small-town perks—you get to relive all your bad decisions every few weeks when you run into them buying oat milk or waving at you from across the post office.” He gave Vanessa a sideways glance and noticed she was hanging on someone else at the bar, as if she’d forgotten that she’d just offered herself to him moments before. “Sorry you had to witness that.”
“I’ve had worse dinner interruptions,” she said, flashing a dry smile. “One time, my boyfriend’s mother sat down at our table mid-date and told me I wasn’t good enough for him. That Brian needed a woman that was”—she shifted slightly—“complete.”
His eyes widened as his anger grew. “Okay, you win.”
They shared a laugh, the tension easing as quickly as it had built. The rest of their conversation was filled with terrible stories about relationships and bad situations. Somehow, laughing with someone else about it made it all seem so small.
Later, he pulled into the driveway beside the lighthouse and parked next to her car. The light from the lighthouse flashed across the sky every so often, briefly lighting the darkness around them.
As he walked Faye up to the porch, he could hear the faint sound of waves crashing far below.
“Thanks for dinner,” she said, brushing a windblown strand of her dark hair behind her ear.
“Anytime.” He gave her a mock-serious look. “Five a.m., remember.”
She nodded dramatically. “The bacon burger was well worth whatever you can throw at me in the morning.”
“I’ll keep you accountable. It’s a brother-in-law’s duty.” He laughed.
“Technically, I don’t think that is how it works,” she teased. “You’re my brother’s brother-in-law.” She nudged him on the arm.
“Right, well,” He grinned and took a step back toward his truck, suddenly feeling stupid. “See you at sunrise.”
Faye nodded, still smiling as she unlocked the door and slipped inside. He waited a beat, watching the lights turn on in the windows, then headed back toward his truck.
The drive to the cabin he was renting along the beach was short.
He replayed the evening in his head—not just the laughs or what he considered casual flirting, but the ease of it all. How simple it had been to just be himself. No charming persona. No need to perform. He hadn’t tried to impress her. He hadn’t even thought about it.
And she’d still smiled. Still laughed at his dumb jokes and stories. She had still leaned in like she actually was listening and that she wanted to be there.
For the first time in, well, ever, really, dinner with a woman hadn’t left him drained or second-guessing everything he had said.
It had left him… full. Not just from the burger but something else. Something… more real.
And as he pulled into his driveway and turned off the engine, one thought stayed with him.
He liked who he was around Faye.
Maybe that meant something.
Maybe it meant everything.