Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Delilah held her purse in her lap, clutching the straps with excitement. She peered out the window of the taxi that was taking her back to Rosewood Beach, watching the glittering ocean as they traveled along the coast. Overhead, the sky was a glorious blue, dotted with wisps of clouds.
I can’t wait to get back to Rosewood Beach, she thought, smiling to herself.
She imagined the cozy streets, the delicious scents in the air, and the smiling faces of the people she had come to care so much about.
Most especially, she pictured Tom’s face, and the way he grinned when he thought something was particularly wonderful or amusing.
This drive feels as though it’s taking forever.
I wish I could just snap my fingers and arrive.
She had to admit, however, that the roads they were driving along were breathtaking, and the sight of so much natural beauty lifted her spirits.
There was a serenity to the lands along the coast that made her feel alive and at peace.
She had loved living in the city for all those years, but she saw clearly now that wide open places and small towns offered the spirit a kind of refreshment that crowded cities never could.
She shut her eyes, imagining Tom’s grin again.
She just knew he would be grinning from ear to ear when she told him her incredible news—after her audition, she was offered the role on the spot.
All of their hard work had paid off, and she was going to get to perform the role that she wanted so much.
Before long, the taxi pulled into Rosewood Beach and drove her up to the hotel.
She paid the driver hurriedly, thanking him and wishing him a safe drive back, and then she dashed inside.
She took the stairs up to her room, not wanting to wait for the elevator, and she tossed her suitcase on her bed without ceremony.
She took a quick look in the mirror, saw that her hair looked abysmally disheveled, and said, “Oh, who cares?” She grabbed her purse again and hurried out of her room.
All she could think about was how much she wanted to see Tom, and how he was sure to be at The Lighthouse Grill, just a minute’s walk away from her.
She scampered down the sidewalk and pushed open the front door of the pub, immediately greeted by the scent of coffee, pie, and grilled onions. She smiled, realizing that the cozy restaurant already felt like a kind of home to her.
“Delilah!”
She turned to the side and saw a cluster of the Owens women sitting at a booth in the corner. It was clear from the empty and dirty dishes in front of them that they’d just finished having a meal together.
“Hi!” Julia said, standing up and hurrying over to give Delilah a hug. She was followed by Alexis, Hazel, Noelle, and Faith.
“I’m so glad we ran into you,” Hazel said. “We were just about to leave.”
“Off to anywhere special?” Delilah asked politely, feeling again that the women she was standing next to had an unusual amount of joy that was pleasant to be around.
“Yes,” Noelle said, her eyes sparkling. “We’re on our way to pick out a wedding dress for me. Is—is there any chance you’d like to come with us?”
Delilah placed her hand on her heart, deeply moved that Noelle would want her to come along for such a special occasion after only spending a little time with her.
Immediately she felt a strong desire to go along with them, but then she remembered that there that she was there to speak with Tom.
“I would absolutely love to go,” she told them, “but unfortunately, I have other plans.
I'm here to speak with Tom because I have some exciting news to share with him.”
All of the Owens women exchanged gleeful glances, and it was clear to Delilah that the romance blossoming between her and Tom had already been a topic of conversation amongst them. She didn't mind in the slightest, and simply grinned when she saw their reaction.
“No worries,” Alexis told her, matching her grin with one every bit as enthusiastic. “Have fun talking to Tom.”
“I will, thank you,” she told them, her eyes twinkling. “But I feel very honored that you asked me.”
“Of course,” Faith said. “You’re not just our favorite movie star, you’re also a lot of fun to be around.”
“Oh.” Delilah felt touched by Faith’s words. “I feel the same way about all of you.”
“We should definitely hang out again before you have to leave town.” Hazel smiled warmly at Delilah. “We should get together for dinner at Ocean Breeze Café soon. Sally was asking about you, Delilah. She said to say hi to you if we ran into you again.”
“I would love to get to talk to Sally some more.” Delilah meant it sincerely. She had found the café owner to be colorful, charming, and full of a unique energy all her own. “That sounds wonderful. And I hope you find the wedding dress of your dreams, Noelle. Feel free to
text me pictures of any good ones that you find!”
The Owens women promised to do so and left the restaurant with waves and smiles.
Once they were gone, Delilah turned her attention toward her mission.
She glanced around the dining room and saw with relief that there wasn't a great deal of customers in the pub at the moment.
The ones that were there seemed to have already gotten their food, which meant that Tom was probably available to talk to her, at least for a little while.
The hostess, who was standing near the front door, noticed Delilah glancing toward the kitchen and gave her a smile. “If you want to talk to Tom,” she told her, “I can run and get him for you.”
“That would be great,” Delilah said, smiling and feeling herself blush a little. The feeling made her want to laugh. She hadn't felt this smitten by a man since… well, she couldn’t think of a time.
The hostess disappeared into the kitchen, and a moment later, Tom emerged.
He was wiping his hands on his apron and looking slightly frazzled.
Delilah noticed that he seemed tired, and she immediately wanted to cheer him up.
She raced over to him and threw her arms around him, giving him an enormous hug.
As soon as she had pulled away from the embrace a little bit, she gave him a warm kiss.
It took her a few moments to realize that he was not returning the enthusiasm of her greeting.
He kissed her back, but the gesture was half-hearted, as if he was only returning the kiss to be polite.
She took a step back and looked at his face, and immediately she noticed that there was an unusual heaviness about him.
“What’s wrong, Tom?” she asked, feeling worried. “Is everything all right?”
Tom shook his head, shrugging. “Nothing's the matter, really. I'm just tired. It's been very busy today.”
“I understand.” She smiled, but the truth was that she didn’t really understand.
Tom was acting differently, and she wasn’t sure what had brought about the sudden shift in his behavior toward her.
“I was hoping you’d be free around now. I’d love to go for a walk with you. I have some exciting news to share.”
Tom hesitated, and her heart sank. She would have expected him to jump at the chance to spend time with her, since both of them had been treating each other like a priority ever since their first kiss. The fact that he seemed hesitant made her feel worried that something was the matter.
Maybe he’s really just unusually tired, she thought. Sometimes people have a hard time staying cheerful if they’re very fatigued. Maybe he’s coming down with something. Maybe he’s dealing with some kind of stress in his personal life but he doesn’t want to tell me.
Despite her efforts to convince herself that Tom’s attitude had nothing to do with her, the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach remained.
“Yeah, I can go for a walk.” He turned back to her and smiled, but the smile looked decidedly forced. “Would you like to go now?”
“I would,” she told him. “Maybe just along the beach for a little while?”
He nodded. “Hey, Annie, tell Vivian that I’m taking my break outside, would you?” he said to the hostess, who saluted him, grinning. She clearly thought that romance was still going strong between Delilah and Tom.
Tom led the way out into the fresh air. Delilah walked beside him, wondering why he seemed reluctant to speak with her. For a while they strolled side by side in silence, and she kept glancing at his face, wondering why he was frowning a little.
“How was your trip?” he asked her finally.
“It went very well.” She considered telling him her news right then and there, but at that moment a herd of ten-year-olds barreled past them on bicycles, laughing and whooping as if they were in the middle of a very important race.
I don't want to tell him my news when he's feeling like this, she thought. But what if he never stops feeling like this? Maybe this is my last chance to speak with him. Her stomach tightened at the thought.
They continued to wander for a little while longer and soon found themselves at the gazebo in the center of town. Delilah looked at the charming white structure and thought of the happy hours she had spent in it with Tom, reading the screenplay and bonding.
“Would you like to sit in here for a while?” she asked him, stepping up to the entrance of the gazebo.
Tom nodded but didn't answer her out loud. She sat down on one of the little benches and he sat down beside her slowly, almost gingerly.
“Do you remember our first time under this gazebo?” She smiled at him tenderly, hoping the memory would touch his heart and help pull him out of whatever funk he was experiencing.
Instead of seeming touched however, Tom simply smiled sadly. “I remember,” he said, his voice slightly hoarse. There were a few moments of silence between them, and then he asked, “How did the audition go?”