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But things looked much different in the light of day. She’d done a lot of thinking since her conversation with Melinda. In fact, it was all she’d thought about. At first, the thought of leaving Bluestar was utterly daunting, but the more she really thought of it, the more she realized that without her family, there was no reason she couldn’t start over somewhere else.
Although she knew without a doubt she’d never get an apartment as amazing as her current one with its most spectacular view of the ocean. Still, it was a small sacrifice for her to be with Kent.
She’d even started to research some job opportunities in Hartford, as well as places to live. She’d flagged a couple of job postings that held some interest. She could always take a temporary position until she found something more to her taste.
Now that she’d come around to the idea of moving, she needed to talk to Kent. But every time she called him, it went straight to his voicemail. She thought of leaving him a message, but she needed to have this conversation in person.
She went to his apartment and knocked on the door. A neighbor happened by and let her know he’d left earlier and hadn’t been spotted since. She thanked the older woman.
Where was he? Did he already leave the island? Impossible. Nobody moves that quickly. He was somewhere in Bluestar. She just had to find him so they could talk.
Maybe he went to work at his family’s store. It sounded like a plausible idea—at least that was what she hoped. It was only a couple of blocks to Turner Furniture.
The building looked exactly as it had all of her life. Even the layout in the store was the same. She could see why Kent was anxious to make some changes. Either you changed or you became stagnant. Luckily, the Turners had a monopoly on the island as they were the only furniture store.
It wasn’t a bad-looking place with its red brick exterior and its huge picture windows with various room setups. The furniture was nice—more of a traditional style. She could see places where Kent could make some changes. The modifications didn’t have to encompass the entire store. Perhaps adding some more modern pieces here and there for the younger generation would help. Maybe some gaming chairs for people like his brother Owen, who liked to spend a bunch of time in the virtual world.
Her heart raced as she entered the store. The last time she’d sought him out here, things hadn’t gone well. In fact, they hadn’t spoken for a long time after that scene.
Today would be different. There would be no harsh words exchanged. Although she wasn’t sure how Kent was going to take her news. Would he be happy and pull her into his arms? Or would he say it was too late? Had she messed things up permanently?
“Hi, Sara.” Kent’s father moved toward her. “How can I help you?” He gestured to some furniture to his left. “We have some pieces on sale over here?”
She glanced at the white and blue upholstered living room set. “They’re very nice, but I’m not here to shop.”
“Oh… You’re here to see Kent.”
She nodded. “I am. Is he around?”
“I’m afraid not. And I don’t know where he is, but we’re having a picnic at the house in a little bit. You should join us.” When she hesitated, he said, “Kent will be there. His aunt is moving to Bluestar. Our family and friends are getting together to welcome her. In fact, I was just going to close the store a little early. I have one stop to make on the way home, but you’re welcome to go on ahead.”
It sounded like a family affair. She didn’t want to crash their party. And her talk with Kent wasn’t appropriate for an audience.
“Thank you so much for the invitation, but I have some other plans.”
“That’s too bad. I know my wife will be disappointed.”
“Have a good time.” She turned for the door.
“I’ll tell Kent you were looking for him.”
She turned back. “Thanks. I’d appreciate it.”
And that was it. She was out of ideas. For all she knew he could be at a friend’s or at one of his brother’s places. There were too many places he could be. She wasn’t going to run all around the island, trying to track him down. Maybe this was a sign. And not a good one.
This wasn’t going to be easy.
Kent had the day to get used to his decision to leave Bluestar. There was a lot to be excited about with this new journey, but there was still a part of him that felt like he was leaving a lot behind. But he wasn’t going to change his mind. He couldn’t go back to the way things had been for years and would remain for who knew how long.
But tonight he would focus on the backyard party at his parents’ house. With a box of baked goods from The Elegant Bakery, Kent stepped into his parents’ house. He could hear voices coming from the kitchen. He stepped into the room and saw his mother working side by side with her sister as they prepped the food.
He held out the white bakery box. “I brought this. I figured these cookies would be better than anything I could ever come up with.”
His mother smiled. “Thank you. But you know you didn’t have to bring anything.”
“Yes, I did. You shouldn’t have to take care of everything.”
“You are such a sweetheart.” His mother beamed at him.
