Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Delaney
They spent the early part of the afternoon enjoying food and drinks. When they grew bored, they took a walk together. It was a nice way to spend the day with Nova until they walked around town and stopped at a rundown house with a sign out front.
“Oh, look, it’s a ghost tour. Come on, there’s a graveyard out back.”
“I don’t know, Nova, I’m not–”
Hand in hers, Nova tugged her along. “We're together, and it's probably just some circus side show full of tricks. Come on.”
Together they walked through the house, pushing buttons and listening to the haunting tale of a local family that lived in the shadows of local society for many years.
When they ended up at the tiny cemetery on the side of the house, Delaney shivered, clutching her friend's hand.
"What a terrible story, that ghost trapped all those years, do you think it's true?”
“Who knows, I’ve never been one for fairy tales and ghostly drama, but that was fun.”
Delaney was thankful when they departed. “I appreciate your strength. All I kept getting was that sick feeling in my belly. I do believe in ghosts, just so you know.”
“Well, I don't, they're just making a ton of money off unsuspecting tourists, but look, what’s this?”
They’d been walking, headed back to the beach, and food and drink. Standing at the entrance to a tiny park-like space, Delaney studied the tiny sign beside the gated entrance. “Oh, it's a bird sanctuary, protected land. What an odd thing to have so close to a haunted mansion.”
“Tourism. Let's check it out. I can’t say I’m one for birds or watching them, but who knows. Maybe you’ll feel inspired and pull up a bench to create, "My feet are hurting anyway.”
The protected natural space was small and connected to the sand at one corner, bringing them back to the beach.
When they were done, Delaney took one last look.
“Interesting, I saw that lovely yellow bird in there. I wish I had my phone to take a picture. I kinda like they have this here. It provides a safe space for little creatures.”
A quick turn, she could still see the town, the few shops that remained in view, a hodgepodge of unique shops. “Oh, look what’s that?” She saw the sign above a door to a shop they’d somehow not seen during the entire stay. It called to her.
Off in the distance, a good space away, the festival called to them, promising tastes, sights, and scents guaranteed to delight. Drawn back to the shop, she followed her instinct, knowing the festival and Milo could wait.
She felt more than heard Nova behind her as she walked purposefully to the shop. The window, foggy from lack of cleaning, stood open. The sound of Irish music plays softly. “Hello.” Delaney poked her head in the door, waited.
“Good afternoon, come on in.”
A mess of cluttered books and pictures, photographs, flowers, and other artsy items, old and worn, dotted the interior landscape.
A head popped out from behind a door. “Hey, I’ll be right with you.
We're in the process of selling this place, time to retire. Sales have been down, and well, truth be told, I’m tired.
Give a second, and you can tell me how that festival is going.
I’m dying to get over there and try out the offerings. ”
One amused glance at Nova, Delaney could see she was bored. “Why don’t you go back, and we can catch up. I’m just going to check around.”
“Okay. I’m going to take a look at the Inn since we're not far. I know what you told me, you don’t have to worry; I’m not going to bother you. I just hope you come back to town.”
Delaney saw the worry on her friend's face, the unasked questions, and unspoken thoughts. “Of course I am. Let's talk in a few minutes. I just want to check this place out.”
Half an hour later, after a quick chat with the owners, Delaney left the shop knowing without a doubt what she wanted. “I’m going to come back, stay in this town, it's perfect. Now I just have to find a way to come up with the money.”
By the time she reached Nova, she was standing in the sand, the Beach View Inn’s remains shielding her eyes from the sun as she regarded it. “Hey.”
“Oh, hey. Nova, you are not going to believe this. I want to buy that place, it’s the perfect space for me to start my artist studio and sell books, among other things. I just don’t know how I’m going to buy it with no money.”
Nova regarded her. “So you're willing to come back to town, but just don’t want to go to the Inn with me.”
Though it pained her, Delaney spoke the truth. “No, I’m afraid, Nova, that's your dream, not mine. But if I can find a way, we can be together in the same town and maybe help each other.”
Tears swelled in her friend's eyes; she sensed the pain and joy.
“You're right. I’m being silly, I can do this on my own, I just need help, but this is perfect.
We can see each other, help each other, and spend time together when we're not working, right here in the same town. What more can I ask for? I guess I was just being selfish.”
Hugs were shared, and Delaney felt a weight lifted off her chest as the truth of what she wanted, that she wanted a new beginning, hit home. “I don’t know how I’m going to do this, my credit isn’t exactly–”
Nova waved that off. “We will figure it out, give me some time. I’ll find a way for you. This is amazing!”
“You're not mad or upset like last night?” Delaney held her friend a little tighter as they both faced the Inn.
“I was upset but not mad. I was being selfish, and I hope you can forgive me. I’m over it, and this big news makes it all perfect, as I won’t be losing you and hardly seeing you. Now if we can just…”
“Hey, ladies. Hope you're both enjoying some of the foods being offered today.” Maveryk’s voice shattered the moment she and Nova shared.
Delaney turned to see him, the pained, troubled look on his face. “Hey.”
“Sorry to bother, I need a word with Nova, alone if I can.”
A glance sideways at her friend, Delaney let her go. “You okay?”
“Sure am. Go see what Milo is up to; he’s brewing something, and we can catch up.”
Nova
Nova watched her friend go. A feeling of relief washed over her that they’d still be close even if she had to go it alone on the Inn project. She was happy for her friend and, in all honesty, knew it was the right choice for Delaney.
“What was that all about?”
“Nothing, just two friends figuring out the next steps in their crazy lives.” Moving to step into the rickety, run-down porch, Nova accepted the hand Maveryk offered, feeling a quiver of excitement when they touched. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome.” He was there, close to her, hand mere inches from hers as she took a leap of faith and held onto the railing.
“Well, at least the porch railing isn’t going to fall off anytime soon.”
“You’ve got a lot of work cut out for you here. Are you sure you're making the right choice alone?”
“I am already put in the offer, the deal is set, and soon this messy heap of wood will be all mine. I’ve got plans, plenty of them. It was a back-and-forth process, but I’m doing this, it's going to be great.”
The facade of confidence she pushed out helped settle her nerves so much that she wanted to say to Maveryk, she sighed.
“Listen, Maveryk, I’m sorry for what I said last night.
I didn’t mean it like you took it, and truly, I’m sorry.
Sometimes I don’t think before I speak and say things, and they come out wrong. I hope you can forgive me.”
“I already did.” Arms stronger than any she’d ever known pulled her close. She felt the tremor of excitement bubble up inside her, feeling him so close, the contact unsettling to her nervous energy.
“Thank heaven for that. I’m really…”
Spun around and in his arms in seconds, she barely had a moment to register as he kissed her. The swell of heat, love burning deep, engulfed her in its flames as instinctively her arms went around his neck to pull her closer.
“Stop with the sorry, I love you, Nova. I love you, and I’m not going to stop saying it until you believe me.
I love you. If I have to write in the sky, I will, this little Inn of yours, and you are not going to escape me or how I feel.
Now that I’m finally admitting it to myself, I don't think I’m going to let you off the hook.
The only way to escape is not loving me. ”
Nova swallowed her fears, half tempted to play devil's advocate and play her hand at poker. “Really?”
All seriousness in his eyes, he kissed her again, fierce and dizzying. “Yes, really. In fact, if you don’t love me. I’ll throw this ring I have in my pocket into the ocean, too.”
“Wait, what?”
“Marry me. Never mind what I just said. I could buy twenty engagement rings and think nothing of it. I love you and want you to marry me. Say you love me. Say you’ll marry me, and be my forever.
Take this old bachelor off the shelf, put me out of my misery of waiting for love to finally find me. I love you, only you, always.”
Swimming in the ocean of emotions she couldn’t escape, Nova took a hard, deep breath and felt the first tears she’d ever cried over a man in a long time blur her eyes. “I love you too. I told you that. But marriage?”
“Yes, marriage, I want it all. I know you do too. It's who you are. Don’t let fear blind you, or ruin us.”
His words hit home, sinking a brick in her, the truth she’d been trying to avoid. She cried with it, cried even more when he pulled out another box, another ring, this one more magical than the last, and held it out.
“This is crazy, us standing on this porch that could come down on us at any minute, and you proposing for the second time, with another ring, now.”
“Say yes, to the crazy and me, for the rest of your life, Nova.”
Crippled by her own fears of failure yet again in a marriage, Nova nodded her head and held out her shaky hand. “Yes, I will marry you, you and this crazy. I love you too much to let you go or lose you. Yes, I’ll be your wife, Maveryk. Oh gosh, I’m scared.”