AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is there anything I can do?” Alissa asked.
“No, but thank you for the support. I’m just going to keep working on it and see if things improve.”
“Okay. I’m always here if you need me.”
The anxiety pulsing through Caitlin slowed down. Knowing her sister was in her corner meant the world. She missed her dearly. Their time in Blueberry Bay had been one of the best times they’d ever had together. Over the years, they’d drifted apart a little bit. Alissa was flitting through life as a free spirit, making abrupt decisions that gave Caitlin heart palpitations.
Meanwhile, Caitlin was on her straight and narrow path, focused on her marriage, her business, and her daughter. She knew that she could sometimes worry about Alissa a little too much and they’d clash over their differing opinions.
But something about both of them being in a rough spot had brought them closer together, opening up about their deepest insecurities, and now they talked more than they ever had.
Maybe it was something about Blueberry Bay that brought that out in them. The town’s peaceful nature brought out her contemplative side and slowing down made her understand what really mattered to her in the big scheme of things.
“I really want to visit Blueberry Bay again,” Caitlin said. “It was such a nice break and I was so happy being there.”
“Come any time,” Alissa said. Caitlin could hear the smile in her voice. “You’re always welcome.”
* * *
Alissa ended her call with Caitlin and gathered her things to go into work. Today she had her usual canvas tote bag plus a big bag of luau decorations she planned to put up around the office. She’d scoured the internet to find the best ones and had spent a little bit more than she should have. But she knew it would be worth it once everything was up. Plus, the luau was an annual event and a lot of the decorations would last for years.
Instead of focusing on the decorations, her thoughts went to Caitlin. Hearing the hollow sadness in her sister’s voice made Alissa’s heart ache. Alissa hoped it would all get better for her. Caitlin was trying so hard to make her marriage work, but from Alissa’s point of view, James wasn’t putting in the same.
It made Alissa feel glad she had met Dane. They had butted heads at first—her exuberant energy against his grumpy nature -- but so far, they’d managed to work through any issues that came up. And they were on the same page about what they wanted, like the paper and magazine, as well as what they wanted their lives to look like in the future.
The conversations about the future had come together so seamlessly and she was so excited to see what the future held for them.
Alissa made her way to the office, unlocking the door since she was the first one to arrive. After putting on some fun music, she got to work.
She was glad she was tall, since it made putting up all of the decorations she’d brought a lot easier. She spent forty-five minutes stringing threads of hibiscus flowers along the wall, putting a grass skirt around the edges of everyone’s desks, and putting decorative coconuts on every free surface.
Hopefully the change would get Dane hyped for the luau. So far he’d been enthusiastic about her articles on it, but he was always happy with her work. She wanted him to be excited about the actual event.
As much as she loved him, she sometimes thought he was still half-stuck in his old ways, unwilling to take a step in a new direction. He just had to let go.
“Oh, wow!” Josie stopped in the doorway of the office. “This is so festive. I love it!”
“Thanks!” Alissa straightened up the latest row of hibiscus flowers she’d hung up. “I hope it’ll inspire Dane to get into the spirit of the luau.”
Josie chuckled, finally coming in and shutting the door behind her.
“It’s worth a shot, but you know how Dane can be sometimes.” Josie put her bag down next to her desk and sat at her computer.
“True.” Alissa studied Josie for a moment. Something was different about the newspaper’s secretary, but she couldn’t pinpoint what. “Is that dress new? It’s really pretty.”
“It is, thank you!” Josie beamed. “I just got it from that boutique in town. The new one off Main.”
Josie had noticed the boutique before on her strolls through town, but she hadn’t gone in. Her style was all about being comfortable and casual. Today she had gone with her favorite linen pants and an oversized button-down shirt, also made of linen, to combat the heat.
Josie’s summer outfits were always as pretty as she was—dresses, printed skirts, fashionable blouses. Alissa could easily imagine her in the city in law school, where she had been before she moved to Blueberry Bay. A law career wasn’t for her, so she had come to town and hadn’t looked back. Without her, the paper wouldn’t have been as successful as it was. She never missed all of the small details that made the paper great.
Alissa put up a few more decorations, then went to her office. She and Josie got along well, but she wondered if Josie and Dane would have pictured themselves together. They were both from big city backgrounds and Josie balanced out Dane’s brusque tendencies with kind professionalism. Plus, both of them were very good-looking. Alissa was happy with her looks, but she couldn’t deny that Josie was pretty too.
A nervous pit grew in Alissa’s stomach, but she downed her iced coffee to get rid of it. They had known each other for a long time and hadn’t indicated that their feelings were any more than friendly. Dane loved her and showed her every day in big and small ways. She had nothing to worry about.
But still, Alissa wondered when someone was going to sweep Josie off her feet.
* * *
