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The innkeeper startled Palmer and Kent when she came around the corner. The two women screamed, while Kent gripped the railing for support.
“Oh goodness, you about gave me a heart attack,” the owner stammered.
“Same,” Kent said.
“He’s a medic.” Palmer pointed to Kent. “He would’ve saved you.”
“A knight in shining armor. Be careful, dearie, I might keep him.” She winked at Palmer, who blushed. “Come along, I have coffee, and then you can head out for the sunrise.”
They loaded up with two large metal cups of coffee and headed outside. It was a short walk to the beach, but risky with the dark sky. Kent used the flashlight on his phone to alert any oncoming motorists, and then again when he read the sign about sharks being in the area.
“It’s a good thing we aren’t going swimming.”
“Do you think they come close to the shore?” Palmer asked.
“Not this early in the morning. Even Jaws needs his sleep.” They descended the wooden staircase and had no choice but to slip their shoes off.
“I didn’t realize the sand would be so deep,” Palmer said. Kent set their shoes off to the side. He wasn’t worried about anyone stealing them at this hour. They trudged through the sand until they came to the edge of the dividing line where sand met surf. The tide wouldn’t shift their way until long after sunrise, negating any chance of them getting wet.
Palmer sat first and brought her legs to her chest. Kent watched her as the disappearing moon glowed on her. Each day he grew fonder of her. He sought reasons to hold her hand, to be close to her, and was secretly thankful she didn’t push too hard on wanting her own room. Kent didn’t want to be far from her. Not because of fear, but because he felt alone when she wasn’t by him.
“Do you want to wear this?” He offered her his extra sweatshirt. She smiled and reached for it. The idea of her wearing his clothes made him giddy, and he welcomed the feeling. After she slipped it on, he covered her with the blanket.
“You’re going to be cold,” she said as he wrapped her up in the blanket.
“Nah.” In what would be considered a smooth move, Kent moved in behind Palmer and pulled her to his chest. She now had his body warmth to keep her comfortable, and he had . . . her. Deep down, he knew these budding feelings were wrong, but he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to stop them. Palmer was everything he looked for in a relationship. She was smart, determined, and caring, and the fact that she was beautiful hadn’t gone unnoticed by him at all. He couldn’t deny he was attracted to her, even if the timing was all off. The last thing his body and mind should feel right now was a longing for Palmer. Neither of them was in the right headspace, and time was their enemy.
Palmer rested her head against Kent’s chest and sighed. “The sun isn’t even up yet, and this is already the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed.”
Kent felt the same way. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head. He was gentle, wary of causing her any undue pain. “I can’t remember the last time I watched the sunrise,” he said. “It had to be when I was deployed.”
“Do you miss it?” Palmer asked.
“Deployment? Hell no. The army, sometimes. I don’t know, it’s hard to quantify. At times, I miss the structure the army provides, but I love the freedom I have now. I can do whatever I want whenever I want, like now. But I miss my friends.”
“I had nothing like what you experienced, even as an adult.”
“Who’s your best friend?” Kent asked her.
After a long moment, where the only sounds around them were nature and the waves crashing into the shore, Palmer said, “You.” Kent turned slightly to look at her, but she avoided eye contact. “Growing up, I didn’t trust anyone and kept to myself. The relentless teasing and bullying kept me guarded. By the time I aged out of the system, I’d learned to depend on myself. I didn’t need anyone to go to the library with me or out for coffee.”
“What about the ladies at the bank?”
Palmer shrugged. “They’re friendly. Before my diagnosis, I went out for Laura’s birthday. I had a good time, but I was their boss, and it felt strange. Celine was probably the closest to a friend, but we rarely met outside of the bank.”
Listening to Palmer talk about her life broke Kent’s heart. He wanted to give her a lifetime of memories, but there was no way he could. He should’ve thought ahead and bought a sand pail and asked her to build a sandcastle with him. That was something he had done as a kid with his parents.
