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A newly renovated B&B in a picturesque location that maintains its charm while providing modern-day conveniences with a breathtaking view of the ocean is the perfect choice for your next investment. Submit your offer on this property today and get updates once the sale auction begins!
Sale auction. Wow. It sounded impressive as hell. Would there be more than one buyer interested in the place? That would be amazing if she could really get a great price for it. So why didn’t she feel more excited about that possibility?
Scrolling through the three-page design that would become a trifold flyer, Sarah almost couldn’t believe it was the same place she’d walked into weeks before. She might actually believe this wastheplace to stay on the California coast, like the description claimed.
All thanks to Wes.
He hadn’t been there the day before, but his crew had arrived and were still working hard to finish the balconies. It was hard to think that his absence was because of anything else other than the kiss, and it was weird not seeing him there, even if it would be awkward. Either way, he hadn’t been far from her thoughts.
If she could go back in time and rethink her actions, would she have held back? As embarrassing as the aftermath had been, she didn’t entirely regret the kiss. It had been mind-blowing and knee-weakening and everything else she’d heard a good kiss should be, and after all these years keeping her feelings to herself, she’d put herself out there.
And it wasn’t as though Wes hadn’t been into the kiss. She still had a pair of jeans with the ass covered in paint to prove it.
At least she’d have a new memory now besides an almost chance she didn’t take.
A loud knock on the door made her jump. “Sarah! You in there?”
Sarah held her breath and froze, watching the door handle wiggle.
Seriously? Where was Lia’s sense of privacy? Thank God she’d locked the door before showering.
“Sarah!”
There was no way she was opening it. She needed some time to herself. If she had to endure another story about Malcolm and their fantastic, perfect little life, she was going to explode.
She was happy for Lia—mostly—she just didn’t like to be reminded of her own shortcomings ten times in the same day. Lia had the successful career and the loving husband. Sarah was still single and contemplating the career she’d thought she wanted.
She waited until she heard Lia’s footsteps descend the stairs before picking up her phone and texting Whitney.Amazing. As usual.
Whitney’s reply was immediate.Fill in the info I left blank regarding your preferred contact and I’ll get these sent to promotions for printing.
Did her friend ever just pause for a second? Sarah wished she could move ahead with things as fast as Whitney. There shouldn’t be any reason to hesitate, but she still had reservations. Over the last few weeks, the idea of selling had grown increasingly murkier. As the place slowly came back to life, so did the feeling of being somewhere that felt like home, a place she’d always been safe… L.A. with its constant hustle and ever-changing mood for what was “in” and “now” meant always adjusting.
Dove’s Nest offered consistency and the opportunity to slow the roll a little. But was it just the inn making her contemplate her future or a certain father/daughter duo who’d lodged themselves in her heart?
Seeing her grandmother’s journal, she picked it up and sat out on the new deck off the room. Wes had instructed the crew to finish hers first so she’d have an opportunity to enjoy it, and the view of the bay and ocean from there was spectacular. The mid-morning waves crashing on the sand, getting bigger and louder as each new one rolled in was one of the best sounds for a frazzled mind and conflicted heart.
If she sat there long enough, maybe they’d whisper the answers she was looking for.
Sitting on the rocking chair she’d moved out there, she opened the journal to the next entry. She hadn’t read any more since the first one, but that day, she was looking for inspiration any way she could get it.
As before, the next entry started as a letter to her grandmother’s mystery man.
Dear Jack,
The world looks so different these days. The changes are scary, but some of them are also exciting. Factories all over the country are hiring women to fill the positions vacated by the men. The San Francisco Bay Area is in desperate need of workers to weld ships and rivet bombers. I know you would hate to think of me working to further this war, but I’m considering it.
The war is happening all around us, and peace is just a dream. No one is vacationing these days. Young families are either struggling to pay the bills or the mothers are leaving their homes to fill these vacant factory positions, so the coast has been quiet. I had one guest here last month, and I fear I won’t be able to keep the inn open much longer.
The idea of closing the doors and selling it makes me tear up. This is my home. This was the place we first fell in love. You being away is hard on my heart, but at least I feel you here. You’re everywhere—in the ocean air, whispering through the leaves, in the rain falling from dark clouds.
If I leave here, I’m afraid I’ll lose you even more.
But going to work in the factories would mean being able to afford to keep the inn and just maybe, I’d feel even closer to you through our mutual efforts in this fight for peace.
No matter what I decide, you will be in my thoughts and in my heart.
Stay safe. Come home to me.
