AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After I land in Portland and collect my luggage, I find a rental car company. I decide to splurge and rent a Mustang. Driving a sports car to the beach sounds like fun, and I’ve always had a thing for Mustangs.
I’m not disappointed. The drive to Seaside is fun. I don’t gotoofast over the speed limit, but I take advantage of having a Mustang and little traffic on the highway.
I arrive at the Sandy Shore Inn shortly before nine thirty. The sun is setting, and the sky is a beautiful mix of blue, orange, and pink. I had texted Olivia when I arrived in Seaside’s city limits to let her know I was close, and as soon as I get out of the car, there she is, walking down the front porch steps.
I walk toward her, and we meet in the middle of the parking lot, immediately wrapping our arms around one another.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she says, her breath tickling my neck.
“I’m glad I’m here, too.” I kiss her neck and inhale her scent––a mixture of flowers and coconut.
We just hold onto each other for a while. I don’t want to let go of her. Olivia is all I’ve wanted for the past several days, and it feels good to finally have her in my arms.
“How long are you planning to stay?” she asks. “Isn’t your car still parked in long-term parking at SeaTac?”
I pull back and look at her. “Yeah, it is. I’ll have to drive back for it in a day or two.”
She smirks. “I have an idea,” she says, intriguing me. “What if you return your rental car tomorrow here in Seaside, and then I’ll drive you to SeaTac. After you get your car, I’ll follow you to your house and stay with you tomorrow night.”
I smile. “I love that idea,” I say before pulling her close and kissing her on the lips again.
Eventually, we make our way into the house, and Lorelei greets us, sitting on the couch in the parlor. A glass of red wine is in her hand.
“It’s nice to see you again, Stone,” she says. “Or should I call you Alex?”
Olivia and I walk into the parlor and sit on the loveseat across from her. “You can call me by either name.”
Lorelei lifts her glass in a cheer, then takes a sip. “Alex, what was your mother’s name?”
Surprised by her question, I answer, “Carolyn.”
Her lips curve up. “Carolyn Stone?”
Unsure of where she’s going with this, I look at Lorelei skeptically. “Yeah, she never went back to her maiden name.”
“Ha!” Lorelei’s head falls back as she laughs, leaving me in complete confusion. I look at Olivia, wondering if she knows anything, but she looks just as confused as me.
Lorelei looks at me happily. “I knew your mom!”
My mouth falls open in shock and confusion. “You what?”
“How?” Olivia asks, also in shock.
Lorelei’s smile doesn’t fade as she looks up at the painting of her friend Mavis on the wall and lifts her wine glass to her. She mutters something, seemingly talking to the painting, but I can’t understand what she said. I look at Olivia, and she shrugs, then leans in and whispers, “She talks to Mavis sometimes.”
Not exactly sure what to say to that, I look back at Lorelei, hoping for an explanation of how she knows my mom.
Lorelei looks at me. “She stayed here once, shortly after she was diagnosed with cancer.”
My eyebrows jump up in surprise. I suddenly remember my mom took a trip to the beach shortly before she broke the news to Celeste and me that she had cancer. I was in college at the time, and Celeste was only fourteen. Mom had asked if I could come home to stay with Celeste for the weekend while she took a trip to the beach, which was completely unlike her. She never took trips by herself, and I felt bad that I couldn’t come home to stay with my sister because I was scheduled to work and couldn’t get out of it. Because of that, Celeste ended up staying at a friend’s house that weekend, and I agreed to come home for dinner sometime in the middle of the week. She broke the news about her cancer diagnosis to Celeste and me when I came home for dinner.
Lorelei continues, “She came here alone, just needing to get away and process her new diagnosis. She chose the Sandy Shore Inn by chance, but she immediately fell in love with the place. We became fast friends. We had a lot in common, and I really liked your mom!”
I’m too stunned to speak. What are the chances that the place my mom chose to stay about eight years ago was the exact same bed & breakfast I came to and fell in love at? What are the chances that Olivia’s aunt and my mom knew each other and became friends?
Olivia takes her hand in mine, and I look over at her. “I had no idea,” she says, her eyes wide.
“Of course, she only stayed a couple of nights before she returned back home,” Lorelei goes on. “I never saw or heard from her again, and I always wondered about her. I’ve thought about her a lot over the years.”
