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Miles's eyes met hers, his expression a mixture of surprise and something else, something guarded. "That’s true…"
Ariel nodded, her resolve growing stronger. "Sometimes, the most unexpected things can happen when we take that leap of faith. And this person, this…" She trailed off, waiting for Miles to finish her thought.
“Dale. Dale Swanson.”
“Maybe this Dale would be happy you did reconnect.”
Miles’s answering smile was tight. “It’s a nice thought, honey. I’m going to go check the reservations list for tonight one more time.” And with that, Miles left, and a ghost of a plan began to form in Ariel’s mind. But it was sidetracked as she watched Darcy out of the corner of her eye. He didn’t usually set up the bar. That was Jill’s job.
Was he—doing it for her?
"Hey, Darcy," she called out while returning to polishing silverware, the faint scent of lemon cleaner mingling with the smell of the sanitizer behind the bar. "I saw Jill at the diner today. You two seem to be getting along pretty well lately."
Darcy's hands paused momentarily, his blue eyes meeting hers with an unreadable expression. "What's that got to do with anything?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Nothing," Ariel replied innocently, a sly smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Just thought you might be her date for the upcoming wedding. She did have a plus-one on her RSVP." She could see the wheels turning in Darcy's head as he tried to gauge whether or not she was fishing for information.
"Jill hasn't asked me to the wedding," he said, annoyance creeping into his voice. "Whoever she RSVP'd with is not me. If you recall, I was with you when that whole extra guest disaster happened. I would have told you then." He resumed his work, a bit more forcefully than before, and Ariel couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. So much for playing matchmaker.
Darcy suddenly stood up and grabbed a rag from the counter. "I'm gonna go check on the kitchen prep," he said, his voice a bit strained. "You should probably finish getting ready for tonight." He quickly wiped down the bar top, then turned to leave.
Ariel watched him go, feeling a little guilty that she had been so nosy. She knew it was none of her business who Jill was taking to the wedding, but at the same time couldn't help but feel like Jill wasn't doing enough to ask Darcy. She thought of how crazy Jill was not to be asking Darcy to their wedding - after all, they seemed to be so into each other.
But Ariel didn't have time to think about it too much; she had plenty of work left before opening tonight. She finished polishing the silverware and began setting out the rest of the glasses for drinks when her mind drifted back to the mysterious Dale Swanson, ex-best-friend who she had never heard Miles speak of. She had to abandon playing cupid for Jill and Darcy, but she made a new vow to herself: she would do everything in her power to bring Miles and his old friend together again.
CHAPTER SIX
Ariel sat at her computer, the formal living room at Leeside filled with the quiet hum of technology. Her fingers tapped rhythmically on the keyboard as she delved into her online research the next day. The air was cool and crisp, despite the fire she had built in the fireplace.
She had spent hours trying to find any trace of Dale Swanson, the man who had once been Miles’s best friend. Ariel couldn't shake the feeling that he might hold the key to making Miles’s Christmas the best one ever. And Miles had done so much for her that she wanted to be part of that—giving him back some of the happiness from his past. There had been so much pain there, with his old failed boat business and his divorce from his ex, Emily, that Ariel wanted to mine the joy that had surely been somewhere and bring it into their new life. She navigated through various social media platforms, her curiosity fueling her determination.
"Come on," she whispered under her breath, eyes scanning each search result intently. "Where are you, Dale?"
Ariel's fingers hesitated above the keyboard for a moment before resuming their dance, typing in different spelling combinations of his name.
"Ah-ha!" Ariel exclaimed softly as she finally stumbled upon a profile matching first and last name. "Hello, old friend," she whispered, her tone wistful and soft. Her heart raced with excitement, but she tempered her emotions, knowing that finding him was only the first step.
"All right, Dale," she murmured, studying his profile picture—a graying, bearded man holding up a freshly-caught fish. "Let's see what you've been up to."
It was like finding a hidden treasure buried beneath layers of time and distance. Her eyes scanned his page, taking in every detail with eagerness. As Ariel clicked through his photos and updates, a sense of excitement filled her chest as she admired pictures of his boat rental company, nestled against the picturesque shoreline of Maine, not too terribly far from Endless Harbor. The boats, lined up neatly along the dock, looked well-maintained and inviting. She could almost feel the crisp sea breeze on her face and hear the gentle lapping of waves against the hulls. That must have been why Miles and Dale had the tiny boat tradition—they both shared a love of the sea.
"Wow, Dale," she whispered to herself, "looks like you’re happy, at least."
Ariel's eyes lingered on a group photo of smiling employees, their camaraderie evident even through the screen. Dale stood proudly among them, his arm slung around the shoulders of a younger man who bore a striking resemblance to him – perhaps a son? Her fingertips hovered momentarily over the keyboard, contemplating whether or not to send Dale a message.
"Mom?" Katie's voice broke Ariel out of her reverie. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed her daughter standing hesitantly in the doorway, backpack slung over her shoulder.
"Hey, sweetie," said Ariel, trying to hide her surprise. "You're home early."
"They say more snow is coming," Katie mumbled, fidgeting with the strap of her backpack. There was something off about her demeanor, but Ariel couldn't quite place it. Was it simply teenage moodiness, or something more? “I texted you.”
“Sorry, I’ve been buried in my computer for hours.” Ariel forced a smile onto her face as she turned away from her laptop. She didn't want to burden her daughter with her concerns just yet. "How was school?"
"Good!" Katie said, gripping her backpack strap. "We had a surprise quiz in history, but I think I did pretty well on it."
"Great job, sweetie," Ariel said warmly, her heart swelling with pride. "I knew you'd ace it. Everything okay?" Ariel asked, studying her daughter's face for clues.
Katie nodded unconvincingly. "I’m going to go do homework a bit early today."
