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“Perfect, because we’re almost ready over here.”
It had stopped raining, but since the water was still rough, he thought it’d be more comfortable to eat on stable ground instead of the rocking deck of his boat. He’d left Molly on the dock with a folding table and all the candles he could scrounge up while he quickly assembled the kabobs and cooked them on the built-in grill on his boat.
When the Gulf shrimp were cooked to perfection, he pulled them off and stacked them on the waiting platter. Holding the platter in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other, he made his way around to the deck side for their make-shift picnic. “Food’s ready.” He rounded the corner, and the scene that came into view caused him to pause.
The candles he’d given her sat in creative clusters in the middle of the table, then more were along the edge of the deck in a neatly spaced-out row. Between the light from the candles and their reflection in the water, the space glowed. And Molly, who was standing in the middle, seemed to glow right along with it.
“Amazing.” He felt pretty sure at least part of that word was meant for the setting. As for the woman standing in the middle of it, she never stopped amazing him. “If this is what you can do with a folding table and a handful of half-burned candles, you’re officially part of the decorating committee for our next gala.”
Molly’s giggle drifted into the velvety sky as she reached for the platter. “Between the candlelight and the starry night, it does look pretty fancy, huh?”
He made the wide step from the boat to the dock and stopped to look up at the twinkling sky. “It’s hard to believe the sky is clear now after that storm. Welcome to Florida weather.”
Molly set the platter on the table and sank into the folding chair at the far end, tipping her head back to look up at the stars. “I like it. It’s a great reminder that storms don’t last forever. And sometimes, what comes after them is beautiful.”
“That’s pretty deep for a barefoot, paper-plate kind of night.” He took his own seat on the other side of the table.
“What can I say? Candlelight makes me philosophical.” She picked up two kabobs and placed them on her plate.
“So, tonight’s dinner conversation will revolve around solving life’s greatest conundrums?” He held up the bottle of wine to offer it to her.
“At least until the candles burn out.” She nodded and held out her cup. “And up first is your new job opportunity. How’d the interview go?”
Grant poured her a drink before serving himself. Then settling in his chair, he thought back to his meeting with the board of directors. Bits and pieces of their lengthy but encouraging conversation floated through his mind. “Good.”
“Good?” She shot him an accusatory look. “You’re gone all weekend for a meeting that could literally change what your life looks like, and all I get is ‘good?’”
The question caused something inside him to move. Molly wasn’t afraid to challenge him. She didn’t let him sidestep hard questions, but she did it in a way that made him feel safe. It was one of the things he liked about her. “Fine, it was great. Better than I could’ve hoped for.” The familiar internal struggle pulled at him, and he let out a sigh. “And that’s where the problem lies.”
“Great is a problem? We really are getting philosophical tonight.” She took a bite of a shrimp. Her eyes closed and she chewed slowly. After she swallowed, she blinked her eyes open and looked over the candlelight at him, motioning at the plate with her fork. “I don’t want to minimize your thing, but this is amazing. I think it’s the best meal I’ve eaten since I’ve been in Florida.”
“Glad you like it. It’s a recipe that’s been famously passed around the marine biology department at the university. Once you get a spot on the faculty, they give you the recipe.” He speared a piece of pepper. “They say it’s a rite of passage, but I really think they’re looking for new people to cook for them.”
She laughed and ate another shrimp. “You’re making their recipes and your interview was great. I’m having a hard time seeing where the problem is.”
Grant slumped in his chair and waved his hand at the area around him. “This.” In the dark, moonless night, it was hard to see much, but he could make out the outline of the Discovery Lagoon and hear the hum of the pumps behind them.
Of course he wanted the job. It was the job he’d dreamed about for years. It was the exact position he pictured when someone asked where he wanted to be in five years. But this place was family.
“How do I walk away from a legacy?”
Molly glanced around too, wonder written all over her candle-lit face. “That’s a hard call. I guess the question you have to ask yourself is, is this your legacy?” She refocused on him. “Because if it’s not, it doesn’t matter how magnificent it is, you’re still in the wrong place.”
The truth of her words hit him like a gale-force wind. He gazed out at the dark ocean. “How do I know?”
Molly reached across the table and rested her hand over his. Her touch was soft and gentle but wrapped around him like an encouraging hug. “You’re the only one who can answer that question. But I think when the time comes, deep in your heart, you’ll know.”
Her words hung in the air between them like a beautifully wrapped gift. The promise of what was inside excited him.
Or was it the promise of what sat before him?
Molly herself had been a gift. One he wasn’t expecting and, frankly, didn’t even know he’d wanted. But now that she was here, she’d turned out to be his favorite.
“But if you’re only worried about what will happen to this place once you’re gone…” She jerked her thumb in the direction of the turtle tanks. “I gotta say, Claire and Mateo run a tight ship. Not a lot of funny business going on with those two in charge.” Molly’s playful smirk glowed in the flickering candle light, lightening the mood.
“Are you saying I’m replaceable?”
“Not entirely replaceable. I mean, you are the one with the boat.” She speared a shrimp and held it up. “And you grill a mean shrimp kabob.”
