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But with the living room dusted, the vacuum run in every room, the bathroom spiffed up and a load of laundry washed, dried, and put away, there was nothing left to do in her apartment. So she changed her clothes, put on some makeup, and headed to the concert alone.
She would undoubtedly run into someone she knew, probably a lot of people she knew. Just not the one person she wanted to see.
The last of the sun’s rays warmed her skin as she made her way to Beachcomber Park. Music from the concert filled the air. It was so loud she could barely hear herself think. She immediately recognized the female voice. The song was one they played regularly on Bluestar’s radio station. It was their very own country star, Em Bell. She sounded amazing.
Sara loved how even though Em was a huge star now with a couple of number one hits, she still made time for the people of Bluestar. And it wasn’t just performing. Em still participated in as many of the island’s functions as her schedule permitted.
There were a lot of people in the park. Some were there for a walk. Some had their children playing on the playground equipment. A young mother pushed her son on a swing. Sara kept walking.
When she glanced up, she realized she’d come to a stop in front of the sandcastle sculpture, the spot where she’d agreed to meet Kent. She glanced at the time on her fitness watch. It was a couple of minutes after seven. She couldn’t resist looking to see if Kent was around. She didn’t see him.
There was a bench nearby. She sat down. She thought about pulling up a digital book on her phone. While she preferred paperbacks, she would occasionally read on her phone. But the music was so loud she’d never be able to focus on reading. It didn’t stop her from mindlessly scrolling through her social media.
“Is this seat taken?” the male voice called out over the music.
She glanced up. Her gaze collided with Kent’s. Her heart leapt into her throat. He’d come. He’d remembered. Not trusting her voice, she nodded.
He sat down next to her. He practically had to shout to be heard. “Can we talk?”
“What?” Even with him yelling she was having a hard time hearing him. “I can’t hear you.”
“Can we talk!?”
She once more nodded. “Not here!”
She got to her feet and gestured for him to follow her. He did. They walked to the far end of the park and then crossed the road and headed down to the beach.
When the music receded into the background, she said, “I’ve been trying to reach you.”
“We need to talk.”
“I thought that’s what we were doing.” She sent him a tentative smile, hoping to lighten the mood.
He smiled back. “I see how it’s going to be. But seriously, I have some stuff I need to tell you.”
“I have something to tell you too. Can I go first?” She pleaded with her eyes.
“Do you really think those puppy dog eyes are going to work on me?”
Her smile broadened. “I don’t know. You tell me.”
He sighed. “Go ahead.”
“You know I’ve been trying to call you all day.”
“I’m sorry. My phone died last night after searching for Oreo, and I forgot to put it on the charger.”
“So, you weren’t trying to avoid me?”
“Definitely not. But you were pretty emphatic when you told me to leave last night.”
“I’m really sorry about that.” If she wanted him to be honest with her, she would have to be brutally honest with him. It would mean letting down her guard and making herself vulnerable. “I was afraid of being hurt so…I pushed you away.”
“And you’re not afraid of that today?”
She shook her head. “I’ve learned a lot since then. A good friend of mine talked some sense into me.”
“They did, huh? And what did you learn?”
