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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
BROOKE
Brooke awoke with a sense of eagerness. Charlotte and Livy had put her in charge of the renovation, and she liked the idea. How many times at work had she bent to the wishes of others to keep peace around her? Here at Sanderling Cove, she felt herself come alive. Here, her grandmother encouraged her to do whatever she wanted instead of placing other people’s desires before her own. It was so freeing. Not that she’d change that much. She’d dealt with selfish people and had no desire to become one.
Quietly, she got dressed and slipped down the stairs carrying her sandals so she wouldn’t disturb anyone. Walks on the beach were times to reflect, to dream, to decide on action.
She got out of the house without anyone seeing her and headed for the sand. She was surprised to discover two figures already there—a man and a child.
Brooke approached them with a smile, intending to say hello and be on her way to the far end of the cove, where a small little inlet was an excellent place to collect shells.
As she drew closer, she saw that the child, a little girl around four, held a net bag for collecting shells. She admired the girl’s blond curls and pink cheeks and remembered the joy of finding them at her age. “Gifts from the sea,” Gran had called them.
“Hi, there,” she said to the man. “I noticed your little girl might be looking for shells. I know a secret place farther down the beach that’s the best place for collecting them.”
The man, tall and well-built with broad shoulders, made her pause. She studied his face. Brown curly hair, classic features, a day-old beard, and a boyish grin. “Adam Atkins, is that you?” She’d had a crush on him fifteen years ago when he was in his early twenties. He looked older but even better.
“Yeah, I thought that was you, Brookie. You’re all grown up.”
Well aware she was wearing just her bikini and flip-flops, she felt as shy as she’d been back then. “So are you. And you have a sweet, little girl.”
Adam put an arm around his daughter who’d run over to them. “This is Skye.”
Brooke squatted down to get a better look. “Hi, Skye. I knew your daddy a long time ago. How old are you?”
Skye held up four fingers. “Daddy sometimes says I’m fourteen, but I’m really only four.”
Brooke couldn’t hold back a laugh. She stood and faced him.
Adam grinned. “What can I say? She’s way ahead of herself.”
Brooke let out a second laugh she’d been holding in. “If you’re looking for something to do together, I’d be willing to show you my secret place for hunting shells.”
Adam turned to Skye. “Ms. Brooke says she has a secret place for seashells. Shall we go there with her?”
“Yes,” cried Skye, holding up the net bag. “I want to fill it to the top. Mimi said she’d put them in a glass jar for me.”
“That’s a great idea,” said Brooke, charmed by this little girl. “Follow me.”
Brooke and Adam walked together as Skye ran ahead of them like an eager, playful puppy.
“She’s adorable. I know about your wife … your ex … and I’m so sorry,” said Brooke.
Adam grimaced and shook his head. “I don’t like to talk about it. She was a life lesson I won’t soon forget. What about you, Brooke? How are things with you? And your mother? I remember she always came here with you.”
A stab of guilt hit Brooke in the gut. She hadn’t thought about or called her mother for a couple of days now. “Mom’s holding on. She still has her ups and downs but is able to work from home. Her health is usually a big question mark.”
“I remember her being a nice woman,” said Adam. “What about your cousins? I hear all of you are staying for the summer and will be fixing up the Inn. I’m a contractor. Maybe I can help.”
“Oh? That might come in handy. How long are you staying?”
“I’m not sure. My brother Brendan and I own the business together, and he’s told me to get away for a long-overdue break.”
“Brendan’s wife just had a baby, right?” said Brooke. “A boy, I heard.”
“Yeah, he was the smart one, marrying a woman we all love. I should’ve listened to my parents.” He shrugged. “The best thing to happen to me was having Skye. She makes all the misery worth it.”
“Daddy, come look!” cried Skye.
