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They peered out at the surf. The water was dotted with a few sailboats. Their colorful sails bobbed in the water as the sun’s rays bounced off the swells. Mabel was right; this view was priceless.
As much as Clara wanted to relax and enjoy the view, her stiff muscles wouldn’t ease. She knew confirmation of her worst suspicions was coming. She wished Mabel wouldn’t continue to drag it out. Maybe she just needed some help getting the words out.
“Now that you’ve made the decision to sell, you can relax,” Clara said gently. “And whatever you need to make the transition easier, you can count on me.”
“The transition?”
“Yes, you said the buyers wanted all of your land, including the house. I thought they wanted to use it to develop the area into a bunch of beachside condos.”
“Oh, dear, you don’t understand. I’m not selling to them.”
Had she heard her correctly? “You’re not?”
Mabel shook her head. “You made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. It’s the answer I’ve been searching for.”
Clara’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Her mind was racing to process what she’d heard. The chapel… It was hers. All hers.
Tears of joy blurred her eyes as she moved to hug Mabel. “Thank you so much.”
When they parted, Mabel said, “It is I who should thank you. You’ll keep my family’s heritage alive, and many more couples will pledge their love there. I couldn’t ask for more.”
And it was what Clara needed to keep her business viable after the Tula debacle.
When Clara got her voice back, she asked, “Are you sure about this?”
“I’ve never been more certain about anything, except when I married my Tom. I know with you, the chapel will be in good hands.”
“It will be. I promise.” Clara sent her friend a genuine smile. “Thank you for believing in me and my plan.”
Mabel reached out and squeezed her arm. “Thank you for entering my life just when I needed a good friend.”
Clara was so excited that her first instinct was to tell Andrew the news. She reached into her purse for her phone. Her finger hovered over his phone number when she recalled the way he’d betrayed her at Tula’s surprise wedding. The memory pricked her good mood as she returned her phone to her purse.
“I should be going.” Clara stood.
“Maybe you shouldn’t go quite yet.”
“I don’t understand.”
“There’s someone else who wants to speak with you.” Mabel gestured to the lone figure standing on the beach.
The breath caught in Clara’s lungs. It was Andrew.What is he doing here?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Hecouldfixthis.
He didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t lose Clara again.
Andrew paced back and forth on the sunny beach. The bright, cheery sunlight appeared to mock his dark, gloomy mood. He didn’t even notice the amazing view. His only focus was on his thoughts of Clara. He needed to talk to her but not over the phone. That hadn’t gone well at all.
His first step at patching up this mess had been to meet with Mabel and pay off the remaining balance Tula owed for renting the chapel. To his relief, Mabel had already been paid in full.
With the money squared away, Mabel had said she was planning to speak with Clara about her offer to buy the chapel. Andrew suggested Mabel speak with Clara today—in person. The woman’s eyes narrowed in on him when she asked if he would be staying for the meeting. He’d said he’d like to stick around, but he would speak with Clara after Mabel had concluded her meeting.
Mabel had eyed him up as though considering his idea. And then she made him swear he wouldn’t hurt Clara. He promised. And he’d said if Clara was willing, he’d spend the rest of his life making it up to her. And he’d tell her every day how much he loved her.
Though he’d nervously rambled a bit, he must have said something right because Mabel had agreed to tell Clara that he was waiting to speak to her. It was all she’d been willing to do, but it was enough. The rest would be up to him.
