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Chapter
Eight
The following morning,Bea returned from her walk on the beach, sighing as she stepped into the cooler cottage.The clock barely read half past ten, so no, she hadn’t gotten up at the crack of dawn.She’d actually liked lying in bed on her phone for an hour or so, then slowly making coffee, checking email, and texting with her youngest son.
Then a walk sounded good, and while she hadn’t gotten lost, she had worked up a good sweat.The air conditioning would cool her, and then she’d figure out how to text Grant and ask him about lunch or dinner.
“You could just ask for a recommendation for lunch,” she said, closing the cottage door behind her.She turned to face the house, sensing something was…off.No one jumped out at her.Her spotted purse sat on the coffee table, undisturbed.Everything waited exactly as she’d left it, with an eerie silence and stillness she couldn’t explain.
In that moment, she realized what the issue was.Everything waited in complete silence and stillness.No air blew.No air conditioner hummed, and since she’d been here for over a day now, she knew the AC pumped day and night.
Grant had said Hilton Head was in a heat spell right now, and as she hailed from Texas, she knew all about those.The air conditioner should be running.
She smiled to herself and then looked up at the ceiling.“Is this some sort of sign?”She hadn’t even had to sabotage something, as Sage had suggested.She’d mentioned the dishwasher, and in all honesty, Bea would prefer that appliance go on the fritz than the air conditioner.So maybe this wasn’t a blessing from above.
She moved further into the house, which still held a bit of leftover cool air.Cooler than outside anyway.She hadn’t seen the air conditioner in the utility closet, and she stopped in front of the thermostat, which sat mounted on the wall in the kitchen, right in the middle of the house.
It was set at seventy-one, and it read seventy-four in the house.Not a huge difference right now, at ten-thirty in the morning.By this afternoon, however, Bea didn’t even want to think about how hot it would be in here.The house itself would become like an oven, trapping in all the heat and humidity.
She tugged her phone free of the side pocket in her leggings and dialed Grant.He didn’t answer, and the call didn’t go to voicemail.So he’d swept her call away.Bea swallowed, trying to make sense of the sudden sting in her throat.
She hadn’t even known she could feel this way, especially with someone she’d just met.She turned back toward the front door, wondering if she should call him again or simply send a text.She hadn’t had the chance to leave a voicemail, or she’d have done that.
“Yeah, in a fun, flirty tone,” she muttered.Now, should she encounter his voicemail, she’d be business-like and demand he come fix the air conditioner.
Her phone buzzed, and Grant’s name sat there.Talking to Shelby.Call you back in aminute.
Relief painted over the spreading betrayal in her chest, and she once again marveled at how quickly her emotions could spiral out of control and then get reined back in.Of course Grant shouldn’t interrupt his call with his daughter for her.He’d said he hadn’t seen her for months, but they talked often.
Bea wasn’t sure if she should open the windows now and let in some of the beachy breeze or maintain the air conditioning for a little longer.Next on her list for today was to somehow get a date with Grant, and all of her friends back home would be expecting an update.
She half-hated she’d told them all about him, and half-loved that she had their support.She’d never envisioned herself entering the dating game again, but she did find herself feeling things for Grant Turner that spoke of romance.
She quickly thumbed out a response for him, saying, When you can, you might want to come by.I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but I think the ACis out.
Bea didn’t know how to include a lunch invitation to that, and such things were so much easier in person or on the phone anyway.She could judge hesitation then, read the interest or inflection in his voice, and organize personal things and business things separately.
You’re kidding, Grant texted.I’m onmy way.
Bea grinned, a certain measure of giddiness romping through her.It’s almost lunchtime, she said.I might run out and get something, so if I’m not here when you come by, I’ll be back.
That opened the door, and she sank onto the couch, in no hurry to actually leave.“Let’s see what he says now,” she mused.She hadn’t lied.She’d said shemightrun out and get something, and if he showed up and she hadn’t, she could then say she didn’t know where to go.
Wait for me, Grant said.They’re having a lunch sampler at this amazing Greek restaurant I think you’ll like, and I got tickets.
Bea laughed, her heart feeling lighter than it had in months.Over a year.The smile on her face felt normal and natural, and not like she was keeping it there when it wanted to flee.If anything, she told herself to stop smiling like a fool, and she couldn’t.
Okay, she sent to Grant.I do like Greek food.
She thought about sending the news of her success to her friends, but she decided against it.She wanted to hold onto this private feeling of excitement and satisfaction that she’d managed to get another date with Grant for a little longer.The idea of a secret made everything juicier, and she didn’t have to spill the beans the moment she picked them up.
She also didn’t want to make Lauren feel any worse than she already had.Cass had spent a good fifteen minutes ranting via text last night after the video chat about how Lauren had no right to rain on Bea’s parade.She should suck it up and be supportive.They’d all done it for her with every promotion she’d received over the years.On and on.
Bea had let Cass get it all out, and then she’d said she understood why Lauren had disappeared for a while, then gotten off the call early.No one actually believed she’d lost her Internet.The woman worked with huge global companies, and she paid for the best Internet service in Texas.
Joy had texted Bea privately to say she and Lauren were going to lunch today, but they wouldn’t have gone yet, what with the time being an hour behind in Texas.Bea wouldn’t ask about it either.Joy and Lauren could definitely go to lunch together and expect that what they spoke about wouldn’t be shared.
Bea had run everything by Bessie in bed that morning, and she’d assured Bea that she hadn’t done anything wrong.Lauren would struggle with anyone dating right now, not just Bea, because she wanted to be in a relationship so badly.It was understandable, and where Cass had been brash and irritated with Lauren, Bessie had shown kindness and compassion.
