Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Faith picked up her cool glass of pink lemonade and brought it to her lips, enjoying the way the ice cubes clinked softly, almost like music. Nearby, a collection of wind chimes jingled faintly, adding a sprinkling of real music to the sound of the wind.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, just warm enough for a sweater to keep her warm while she sat outside on Vivian’s front porch. She’d been invited to a delicious Sunday brunch with the Owens family, and now everyone was taking a break to relax until dinner. Some people had chosen to take Sunday afternoon naps, and Hazel, Samantha, and Vivian were curled up on the couch together reading books. Dean and Jacob had disappeared into the basement, where Dean’s old video game system was still set up, along with several bean bag chairs.
Faith had decided to go out onto the porch by herself for a little while. Vivian had offered to let her borrow any of the books in the house, and she knew she might accept that offer in just a little while. For the time being, however, she wanted to sit and think about how lovely the brunch had been. She was feeling more and more accepted by the Owens every time she was with them. She’d assumed that she would be invited to the one dinner, and then not invited to anything else for another couple of weeks or so. It seemed that her long-lost family intended to invite her to all of their gatherings, however.
She felt a warm glow in her chest as she gazed out across Vivian’s front garden and the other homes on the cozy street. It was a sleepy, peaceful day, but still cheerful with sunlight. She sat back more comfortably in the porch swing and picked up one of the molasses cookies she’d brought out to the porch to munch on.
She’d just taken a sweet, satisfying bite out of the cookie when the front door of the house opened. Dean stepped through it with a smile, holding his own glass of lemonade.
“I thought you were playing video games with Jacob.” She smiled at him. “He beat you that fast, huh?”
Dean laughed and sat down on the porch swing next to her. “I’ll have you know that I beat him. But he and Noelle both wanted to play a code-cracking game, and those always make me fall asleep. I decided to come out here instead.”
“Code cracking sounds like fun.”
He puffed out his cheeks. “Not for me. I don’t like thinking about things I can’t actually get my hands on. Machines are different—I could think about how to fix machines all day.”
“Sounds like you do,” she teased, and they both laughed.
“So what do you think of Rosewood Beach so far?” he asked her. “Everyone treating you okay?”
She thought about Ryan for a second and flushed slightly. “Yes. Everyone’s been amazing. Especially you all.”
“Oh, well, we don’t count. We’re family.” He grinned and took a sip of his lemonade.
Oh, you do count , she thought. You all count more than everyone else.
“I’m really grateful for the way you’ve all been treating me,” she said after a moment. “I wasn’t sure what to expect when I decided to come visit here. But I’ve been so thankful that your family has been willing to welcome me. It… it really means a lot.”
He nodded as if he understood. “We’re all glad you came into town. It’s been really good to have another member of our family here.”
Her spirits lifted when he referred to her as a member of their family. She was more than just a distant relative to them, she was part of their circle. For a moment, she had to blink back tears of happiness.
“So what do you plan on doing now?” Dean asked her. “Where do you think you’ll go from here?”
She wondered if he was asking about her life direction, or if he was referring to literal moving to a new place. Her heart ached a little with the desire to stay in Rosewood Beach, but she figured that the Owens expected her to move on after a while, and despite their warmth, she didn’t want to overstay her welcome.
“I’m not sure,” she said, deciding to answer the question vaguely. “There’s a lot for me to think about. All I know for sure is that I can’t go back to doing things the way I did in Boston. I’ve got to start over with a new kind of lifestyle. Something healthy. Something that doesn’t wear me out body and soul.”
“Absolutely.” He nodded. “I know about having to find a balance so that you don’t wear yourself out. It can be tricky, especially if you enjoy what you do like I do, but it’s so worth it. I’m sure you’ll figure something out. You’ll find some work that you love, and that you can do without wearing yourself out.”
“Thanks.” She smiled at him. “I’m so used to living in a world where success is prioritized above everything else. But I think people who live at that pace inevitably come to the realization that it isn’t the most fulfilling way to live at all. I think it’s ultimately the opposite. What do I care if I’m successful if I’m too stressed and overworked to enjoy my life?”
Dean nodded. “People think they have to prove themselves or something. But the reality is that no one should feel like they have to prove themselves. We just need to work hard enough to live comfortably with the people we love. That’s all we really need.”
“Yes! I feel as though people here in Rosewood Beach have realized that, and it’s why this place is so wholesome and uplifting. Even Ryan—well, I met a man here who feels the same way I do about working too much. We ended up getting coffee together, and even though he’s gone back to work now, I know he wishes he could stop overworking himself so much.”
“A guy named Ryan, huh? Hmm.” Dean gave her a teasing look. “Have some sparks been flying between you and this Ryan guy?”
She waved her hand through the air, dismissing his insinuation. “I just happened to run into him one time after we happened to meet one time before that. Besides, now he’s left town again, and gone back to his busy job.” There was a second of silence, and she hoped that Dean couldn’t read on her face that she was in fact interested in Ryan. “I just brought it up because my conversation with him got me thinking about the future, and what I want. I’m worried I’m going to fall right back into the trap of being a workaholic. That’s what it seems like Ryan is doing, and I want to make sure I avoid that mistake.”
“Don’t worry,” Dean assured her. “You know now what you need for yourself to be healthy, and you’ve got us to remind you how to take care of yourself.”
She smiled at him gratefully. “I have to admit, I’m afraid of what might be coming next in my life. In the past, I’ve always had a plan. Usually a highly-complicated, overly detailed plan.” She laughed. “Now that I don’t have a plan at all, I’m worried. Quitting my successful career because of an intense panic attack and starting over was never exactly on my list of goals.”
Dean nodded sympathetically, but his tone was optimistic. “Just trust where life leads you,” he told her. “My life hasn’t turned out the way I expected it too, but I’m still grateful for where it’s led me. I certainly didn’t plan to get osteoarthritis at this age, but in the most unlikely of ways, it brought me to Noelle. She’s without a doubt the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I don’t think I would have met her if it hadn’t been for my diagnosis. And even though my osteoarthritis has been a challenge, it’s taught me to slow down and prioritize self-care in ways I probably never would have learned otherwise.”
“I’m happy for you, Dean,” she said. “I think your outlook is inspiring. And Noelle really is a wonderful person. It’s clear that she loves you a lot.”
Dean’s face lit up, and he looked like the happiest man in the world. “Yeah?” He grinned from ear to ear. “I love her a lot too.”
Faith and her cousin shared another smile, and she felt her heart lifting in hope. Dean’s words had reassured her that her future might be better than she’d ever imagined—even better than she could have planned.
“Hey, you guys!” Julia came out onto the porch. She was no longer wearing the hiking boots that she’d had on the day before, but she was still wearing the baseball cap, as if determined to make it a new part of her identity. Faith thought that her cousin was a very attractive woman who usually made impeccable fashion choices—but the baseball cap wasn’t one of them. It looked out of place on her, as if she’d been forced to wear it as part of a work uniform for a job she hated.
“Hey, Julia!” Dean smiled at her sweetly. “Do you want to sit out here with us? It’s a beautiful day. I’m pretty sure there’s more lemonade in the fridge.”
“Actually, I was coming out here to invite you both to come back inside.” Julia gestured with one hand. “Some of us— everyone who isn’t napping—were talking about getting a board game started. You want to join?”
“That sounds fun!” Faith was looking forward to playing another board game with her family, especially considering how fun the last one had been.
“Sounds fun to me too,” Dean said, “but you’re interrupting something very important here, Julia. I was just getting the tea on this mysterious guy that Faith has formed a spark with.”
“Yeah?” Julia’s face lit up. “A guy? Here in Rosewood Beach?”
Faith shook her head, feeling as though she was blushing. “It’s not like that,” she said, laughing. “Dean is just teasing me because I mentioned a guy I talked to a couple of times.”
“Hmm, I heard the word ‘coffee’ thrown around in there. I think talking while getting coffee isn’t quite the same as just talking.”
“I want to hear more about this mysterious guy,” Julia said, coming closer and leaning against the side of the house. “When did you get coffee? What’s his name?”
“It’s nothing, really.” Faith waved her hand through the air, dismissing their sudden fascination with her history with Ryan. “He’s not even in town anymore. He’s gone back to work in another state.”
“Oh.” Dean looked deflated. “A tourist.”
Faith bit her lip. She felt bad about not correcting him, since it felt like a lie of omission, but she didn’t want to open up the doors to more teasing. The truth was that she would have loved for something to be possible between herself and the handsome Ryan McCormick, but she didn’t want to think about it too much. After all, he was out of town and out of her reach—at least for the time being.
“Hmm, I still want to know more about him,” Julia said slyly, “but I’ll interrogate you later, Faith. Right now, I need an answer on that board game.”
“I’m in,” Faith said, feeling grateful instead of irritated that Julia didn’t want to drop the subject of Ryan. It made her feel special, as if her life mattered to her family.
“Count me in too,” Dean said. “But how about we play out here on the porch? It’s such a nice day.”
“Oh, good idea,” Julia said. “And then we’re less likely to wake up the people who are napping, anyway.”
“Let’s go inside and get the card table and some folding chairs,” Dean said, standing up.
“I’ll help,” Faith offered.
The three of them went back inside the cozy house. Fragrant savory aromas still lingered in the air after brunch, and the home had a peaceful, friendly atmosphere that Faith felt was balm to her soul. She and her cousins gathered up the card table and chairs and brought them out to the porch, where they set up the board game along with a small side table of snacks.
“Mm, this is the life,” Noelle said with a contented sigh as she leaned against Dean’s shoulder. There was a glass of pink lemonade in her hand, and it sparkled in the afternoon sunlight. “Sitting here with you all, having fun like this. Enjoying the day.”
“Eating cookies and chips with guacamole,” Dean added, grinning as he popped a guacamole-covered tortilla chip into his mouth.
“Yeah, that too.” Noelle laughed.
Faith had to agree with her. She felt immensely grateful to be there in Rosewood Beach with her family. It might have been an unexpected development in her life, but it was certainly a good one.
Things might be turning out differently than how I’d planned , she thought, feeling her heart swell with happiness. But they’re already so much better than anything I’d hoped for.