Chapter 2 #2
When my boss needed someone to run the Florida accounts, I immediately jumped on it. Both my parents tried to talk me out of it, but something told me this was the right move. It felt right. I needed to do this for myself—to prove I could do this on my own.
What started out as hosting wine tastings in venues around Chicago has quickly escalated into rising to the top of sales for a leading wine distribution company.
I love meeting the owners of establishments and helping them create their own wine lists that pair well with their food or reflect the atmosphere they want to create.
My clients become like family to me, and I’m always striving to bring them the best I can for their business.
I learned early on that I have a gift for walking into a place, whether it’s a restaurant or a bar, and knowing exactly what they need.
I enter the downtown area a few minutes later and turn right, leading to my little coastal neighborhood. As soon as I arrived in Blue Haven, I knew I had made the right decision. The neighbors have been so welcoming, and I’m enjoying getting to know the clients I’ll be working with.
I pull up to the cute yellow cottage I bought and can’t help but smile at the wooden white porch overflowing with flowers.
I’ve spent the last month making this place a home.
At twenty-six, it feels good to be out of an apartment and own something I can call mine.
It needs a little work, but I plan on hiring out for what I can’t do myself.
The ocean air hits me as I step out of the jeep.
One of my favorite things about the place is how close we are to the beach.
I plan on getting a golf cart, which I learned is the way to get around in this neighborhood, but until then, it’s just a short walk to the water.
It’s exactly what I envisioned a small coastal town to be like, and I already feel like I’m finally where I belong.
Walking up the wooden stairs, I use my key and step inside.
Natural wood floors flow throughout the open floor plan. The shiplap walls are white, and I instantly fell in love with their beachy vibe. They extend onto the high ceiling of the A-frame, with wooden beams as the perfect accent.
I smile when I see a dark head of hair flash by outside. Walking across the living room, I enter the kitchen and set my purse on the black granite island before opening the full-wall sliders and stepping outside into the screened-in pool area.
I spot Miss Beth sitting under the giant mossy oak tree on the outdoor swing. Bypassing the pool, I go out the side door and step onto the soft grass.
“Momma!” My whole world comes running over and jumps into my arms. I inhale the sweet scent of my baby girl as I bury my face in her soft, dark curls.
“How’s my little bee doing? I’m sorry I’m late. I got a flat tire and had to get it fixed before I could drive it home.”
“How did you fill it up? That’s an awful lot of air.
” Her adorable face scrunches up in concentration, causing me to laugh.
If it weren’t for her dark hair, she would be a spitting image of me as light hazel eyes study me.
She has a dusting of cute freckles across her nose and dimples so deep on those cheeks that I told her she must have been kissed by the brightest angel up in heaven to receive those.
“It would be a lot of air,” I laugh. “This tire had a big hole, so I had to put a new one on it.”
“Lordy, child, how did you manage that?” I look at Miss Beth as she approaches us. Her grey hair is in a loose bun, and she’s wearing a t-shirt that says I’m not old, I’m vintage . She reminds me of my grandma and gives me a little piece of family here.
At first, I was a little worried when she volunteered to watch Bee on days I had meetings.
I wasn’t sure if she would be able to keep up with an active four-year-old, but she surprised me with how energetic she still is.
They hit it off right away, and I love seeing the two of them together baking cookies or watching Miss Beth teach her about gardening.
“I had every intention of changing it myself, but someone stopped to help, so I let him mess with it.” I set down my daughter, and she runs over to the swing set to play.
This backyard was one of the reasons I had to have this house.
Even with the pool, there is still plenty of space for a child to run around in.
It’s a far cry from our tiny apartment in the city with no yard and everything I want my daughter to have growing up.
“Anyone I know?”
I doubt Miss Beth hangs around six-foot-three guys covered in tattoos and eyes that could melt the panties off of a nun and make them think twice about their vow to God to remain celibate.
“I didn’t get his name, but he changed it way faster than I could have.
” No one needs to know that I was Googling how to even change a damn tire minutes before he showed up.
I’m not one to sit back and ask for help, so the stubbornness in me to do it myself probably would have taken me hours compared to what he did in less than thirty minutes.
“I’m just glad you made it back home safely,” she smiles, and her wrinkles deepen from years of laughter lines that appear. The best kind of wrinkles, if you ask me. That’s probably why she’s still so active. Laughter is always the best medicine.
Maybe I need to take a few lessons from her and not take life too seriously.
I get so in my head with the responsibilities of raising a child by myself and being the best mother I can be that I forget I’m also a woman who used to like to have fun.
I can’t remember the last time I went out and just let my hair down.
I’m always working, and when I’m not working, I’m spending every spare moment I have with Bee.
I watch my daughter go down the slide before climbing up the ladder again. Once we get more settled and I’ve got a routine going with work, I’ll make a point of trying to venture out more. I just need to be more careful this time about who I choose to spend my time with.
Images of the tattooed stranger enter my mind, and I quickly dismiss the idea. That’s repeating old patterns, and I refuse to be another groupie in line that’s just tossed aside or, worse, hidden because you’re some dirty little secret of his to mess around with because the truth can’t get out.
“Well, I'd better get going, dear. It’s bingo night down at the town hall, and I’ve got a side bet going with my friend, Ethel, that Marvin is finally going to get the balls to ask her out.”
I bust out laughing, and she grins.
“We may be old, but we’re not dead yet. I’ve still got some good years left in me, and bingo night is always loaded with the older single men that’s still alive in this town.”
“I would say be safe , but I have a feeling it’s the guys that I should be worried about,” I laugh.
“I’ve been known to break a few hearts,” she winks at me and walks to the side gate that leads to her property next door. “Bye, Bee! Come over tomorrow, and you can help me with my garden. I have some vegetables you can help me pick for your momma.”
“Bye, Miss Beth!” She hollers from the swing as she goes higher in the air. “I’ll be over as soon as Momma says I can!”
“Okay, little bee,” she smiles and waves at her before disappearing through the gate.
Shaking my head and smiling at their cute interactions, I walk over to the tree and sit down on the swing as I watch my daughter climb the slide again.
It's pathetically sad that Beth and Ethel will be getting more action tonight than me. I haven’t let myself get attached to anyone since Mark. With my line of work, I get hit on all the time, and I’ve even gone on a few dates, but there’s always something missing.
And then there’s Bee. I’m not going to let just anyone into our lives. I’ve never introduced her to any men I’ve dated, and I refuse to bring someone in who could hurt us both. It’s been just the two of us since the beginning, and I’ve somehow accepted that I don’t need a man in my life right now.
Or at least I thought I didn’t until this evening. I may not need a man, but I definitely wanted one today. I had forgotten what it felt like to feel that desire…that undeniable attraction to want something you know you shouldn’t have, but can’t stop yourself from going after it anyway.
Bee’s laughter pulls me from my thoughts as she comes running over.
“Can we go to the beach and look for seashells? I ate all my dinner tonight…even the broccoli,” she says, scrunching up her nose. “Miss Beth said I need my greens if I’m going to be strong like her when I’m old and wrinkly.”
“Well, she isn’t wrong,” I laugh, brushing back her sweaty hair from her face. “I think we can squeeze in a walk before dark,” I say, standing up and reaching for her hand. “Let’s go get your bucket.”
“Yes!” Her excitement has me grinning as we walk to the little shed where we keep all our beach items. I force out all my other thoughts and focus on my little girl in front of me.
She’s all that matters right now, and I won’t do anything to jeopardize the life that I’ve worked so hard to create for us.