Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Delilah set down her hairbrush on the counter of her hotel bathroom, letting out a long sigh.
She looked up and inspected her reflection in the mirror, thinking to herself that her hair looked coarse and a little frizzy.
She never seemed to know what to do with her hair herself—when her stylists worked on it, they were always able to work some kind of magic that caused it to appear smooth and glamorous.
Delilah herself, however, couldn’t seem to get anything out of it besides a bedhead look or an over-brushed look.
She swallowed, realizing that it had been several days since she’d given any thought to her hair, which ordinarily was a source of never-ending insecurity for her.
Her mind had been filled with Tom, and all of the other joys that Rosewood Beach had brought her.
She hadn’t bothered with self-consciousness.
She left the bathroom and sat down on the end of her hotel bed.
She didn’t know what to do with her free time, now that Tom had ended things between them.
She didn’t even feel like wandering around the charming town just outside her hotel, since she knew that many of Rosewood Beach’s best places would make her think about Tom, and that would make her heart ache.
She stared down at the carpet, tracing the patterns with her eyes and feeling a sense of listlessness overwhelm her. She closed her eyes, remembering the way Tom had held her in his arms, and how safe and secure she had felt there.
I wish he didn’t feel the way he does, she thought, feeling tears spring into her eyes. I do still believe that things could work out between us.
She opened her eyes, noticing the way the sunlight was dancing across the carpet. A sense of peace came over her, although she couldn’t have said where it came from. She watched the light for a few more moments and then felt a strong desire to go outside come over her.
She picked up her purse and made her way down the hotel’s stairs.
She was wearing comfortable, sensible shoes, and she was glad of that because she had a feeling that she was going to wander around for quite some time.
Instead of feeling defeated, she suddenly felt as if she had a problem to solve.
She knew that walking would help keep her mind whirring at the speed that she wanted to think at.
She stepped out into the sunshine, enjoying the way the wind kissed her face. The sunlight was warm, but there was a bit of a chill in the air, and she buttoned up her pink sweater to help keep herself warm.
For a while, she wandered along the sidewalks on Main Street, looking through the windows of the gift shops without going inside.
She didn’t want to distract herself by looking at cute things.
She was determined to take all of the thoughts and feelings she’d had ever since Tom had said he didn’t want to pursue a relationship with her and sort them out into a clear path forward.
She didn’t feel ready to let things with Tom go, and she needed to figure out if her feelings were something that she should voice to him or not.
I understand why he’s afraid, she thought, pausing to sniff the glorious blossoms of a crabapple tree that bordered the road. But I think he’s afraid because he believes that my heart couldn’t really be here, with him. And I know it could be. It already is.
Her certainty grew as she continued to walk. She began to feel more and more that she should speak with Tom and tell him what was on her mind. She’d let things go when he told her his concerns, but now that she’d thought about it all more she didn’t feel willing to lose him because of his fears.
After a while longer, she found herself in the gazebo in the center of town.
As she’d expected, a wave of memories of spending time with Tom there swept over her, and tears rushed into her eyes.
She looked around at the gardens surrounding her, listening to the sound of the wind ruffling through the trees and inhaling the richly sweet aroma of the flowers.
Instead of making her feel sorrowful, however, the memories served to strengthen her resolve.
I have to speak to him, she decided, standing up. I can’t lose him without trying my best to make things work first. I know I’d regret it forever.
She made her way straight to The Lighthouse Grill, knowing that Tom would be working there.
She simply smiled at the hostess as she passed her at the front door, not stopping to say hello or ask her if Tom was available.
She walked directly to the kitchen’s order window, taking a deep breath as she looked around the kitchen for Tom.
She saw Vivian and Alexis, who were standing in front of a counter in the corner, labeling day-old slices of pie for sale.
She saw Tom a moment later, standing over the stove flipping burgers. His back was to her, and the first thing she noticed about him was how much his shoulders were drooping, as if there was a weight on his heart.
“Tom,” she said.
He turned, and his eyes widened. For a second, he stared at her as if she was a hallucination. “Delilah,” he said finally, his voice sounding husky.
“I must speak with you—urgently,” she said. “Can you get away for a while?”
Tom stammered, glancing at Vivian and Alexis, who had been staring at the exchange with dropped jaws. Alexis and Vivian shared a look, and then Alexis cleared her throat.
“Uh, I think you should go, Tom,” she said, her mouth twitching as though she was trying to repress a smile.
“We can cover for you in the kitchen, no problem,” Vivian assured him.
Tom hesitated for a moment and then nodded. “Okay.” He took off his apron and hung it on a peg by the stove. He stepped out of the kitchen, and Delilah felt prickles of relief cover her skin.
“Come for a walk with me?” she asked.
“Yes.” He smiled at her, but the expression appeared forced.
They left the pub together and wandered along the sidewalk in silence for a while. Delilah steered their path toward the gazebo, because she knew that was where she wanted to tell him everything that was on her mind and heart.
Once they were there, however, she felt tears spring into her eyes again.
She thought of the other moments they had spent there together, and she feared that this would be their last conversation together.
The thought of never getting to see him again, never getting to see his smile again, made her heart ache fiercely.
She blinked back her tears, determined to say what was on her mind with a steady voice. “Tom,” she said, looking into his eyes and putting on a brave smile, “there are some things I want to tell you. Is that all right?”
He nodded, returning the eye contact so earnestly it made her heart thump in her chest.
She took a deep breath, wanting to take his hands in hers but resisting the impulse.
“I know you believe that I couldn’t be happy with your world, Tom,” she said.
“You believe that I would become bored with the simplicity of Rosewood Beach after a while. But the truth is that I’ve often struggled with the pressures of Hollywood. ”
She watched as Tom swallowed, his eyes on her face. She could sense that he was desperately hoping she was about to offer him reassurance that things could work out between them, and her heart lifted up as if she was about to make the drop on a rollercoaster of hope.
“When I first came here to Rosewood Beach,” she told him, “you welcomed me into a simpler, but undeniably appealing existence. I love this town. I love the way I can step outside in the morning and not be bombarded by the sounds of car horns and people shouting, and the smell of fumes and trash. You can never escape those kinds of things in the city, and there’s a feeling of chaos everywhere you go.
It can be exciting, and I’ve loved it for many years, but the truth is that now that I’m older, I want something richer and more satisfying for my life.
I’ve found that here, in Rosewood Beach.
I want to embrace my chance to welcome this new kind of existence into my own life.
I want the peace and the tranquility that you have here. ”
A hopeful expression appeared on Tom’s face, and she thought it was so sweet that she wanted to kiss him right then and there, but she didn’t.
“How could that work?” he asked her slowly, and she could tell that he was forcing himself to be wary. She didn’t blame him, since she was asking him to risk his heart by trusting her. But wasn’t that true for every romance?
“It’s not as though I’m filming movies constantly,” she told him.
“Especially now that I’m older, I usually have a few months between projects.
My last two films were back-to-back—this current one and the one before it—but that’s rare for me these days.
And I have time before this new movie starts filming.
” She took a deep breath and took his hands in hers, unable to resist anymore.
He squeezed her hands back, looking as though he was holding his breath.
“I don’t want to go home during my break.
Or rather, I do want to go home. To my new home.
I want to stay here, in Rosewood Beach, to continue to enjoy the wonderful community I’ve found here.
I want to be surrounded by kindness and honesty and a simple way of living.
And I want to be closer to this man I’ve met, who makes my heart beat faster every time I look at him.
A man who makes me feel safe and secure in a way no one ever has before.
He makes me feel as though he’d have my back no matter what.
He’s a person that I want to spend more time with, and take care of.
I want to make him laugh and have adventures with him and watch the sunset with him at night.
I want to get coffee with him in the morning and try out recipes with him and dance with him in the summer nights when the fireflies are out.
I don’t think I could be happy away from this man, now that I know he exists and I care about him so much.
” Her eyes grew moist as she squeezed his hands.
“I’m not ready to part with this man, not when I feel so sure that things could work out beautifully for us. ”
Tom blinked rapidly. “Who is this lucky man?” His voice caught a little, and he laughed.
“Don’t be silly,” she told him, and kissed him.
They lingered over the kiss for a few heartbeats, and then Tom took her into his arms. “I’m not ready to let you go either,” he told her.
“I’ve been struggling so hard, still wrestling with the decision of whether or not to end things even after I told you I thought that we should.
My fear got the better of me, and I allowed myself to think I’m not worthy of you. ”
“You are,” she whispered, gazing up into his eyes.
“I don’t know just how worthy,” he said, laughing, “but I know that I can treat you right. I want to treat you right. I want to make you happy, Delilah.”
“I want to make you happy,” she whispered.
They shared another kiss, and she felt as though her heart might explode with happiness. Every fiber of her being was looking forward to staying in Rosewood Beach and pursuing a relationship with Tom. She couldn’t wait to enjoy the summer by his side.
“So,” she said finally. “We’re agreed. We’re going to put aside any concerns about what silly people might say and follow our hearts. Let’s see where this goes.”
“Let’s see where this goes,” he echoed, brushing back a strand of her hair.
“You’d better get back to work,” she said reluctantly.
He smiled. “Why don’t you stay at the pub for a while? I can whip up some sweet potato fries with garlic aioli for you.”
“That sounds fantastic.” She grinned at him. “I’ll admit, I haven’t been eating much. I’ve been too sad.”
He shook his head. “We can’t have that. Come on.” He stood up and took her hand. “Let’s go spend some time together.”
They shared a radiant smile and left the gazebo hand in hand.