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She gave him a wink and rode away, hoping she didn’t make a big mistake.
Chapter 7
Lucas told Joe he was going out for a walk to clear his head after a day of trying to make sense of his finances. He wanted to give himself and Ella a real shot before their family drama could dictate what happened next.
He walked along the cobblestone streets, making note of all the different storefronts and was happy when he came across a coffee shop. He stepped into The Local Bean, the smell of fresh brew engulfing him, and made his way to the counter.
“Hi there,” the woman behind the counter said. Her platinum blonde hair sat in waves just above her shoulders and her brown eyes were warm and friendly. “What can I get you today?”
“I would like two coffees. One iced black and the other hot with a splash of half and half and a sprinkle of cinnamon.”
The woman gave him a curious glance before typing his order into the register. “Is that it?”
“That’s it,” he said.
“Coming right up.”
She turned away from the counter, and Lucas checked his phone, scanning through his emails to make sure there were no fires at work he’d have to put out. Leo and Brian were right. It seemed everything was running smoothly, and his team was handling anything that was thrown their way. He had hired each one of them, working with them and filtering out the people he didn’t see going the distance. He needed to trust that they had everything under control, but it was hard for him to step away completely. He dedicated the past few years to getting the business up and running and he imagined it was what parents with newborns felt like when they left the baby for the first time over night.
“You from around here?” she asked as she sprinkled cinnamon onto Ella’s coffee.
“California.”
“A Cali boy. What brings you to our little town?”
“Family. My grandfather.” He didn’t offer up Joe’s name. He didn’t know what side this woman was on, and he wasn’t about to open a can of worms.
“Are you staying long?”
“A couple weeks for now.”
She put the lid on Ella’s coffee, poured his, and slid them across the counter. She smiled at him and gave him the total.
He handed her a twenty and waited for his change.
“Don’t be a stranger now,” she said as she placed his change in his hand.
“I won’t.”
He took the coffees, but before he turned away, he stopped. “Do you know the fastest way to get to the lighthouse?” he asked.
Her perfectly shaped eyebrow lifted. “The lighthouse, you say?”
“Yeah, I know it’s on the north end of town about ten minutes away…”
“You walking?”
“I am,” he said. He thought about renting a car when he arrived, but everything seemed to be within walking distance, and he still had Frank’s card in his pocket if he needed to go farther.
“Just take the main road straight down,” she said, pointing toward the street. “Stay in the bike lane, and you should be okay. The entrance to the beach will be on your left-hand side. Obviously if you pass the lighthouse, you’ve gone too far.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Any time. You have a good evening.”
“You too.”
Ella was right. It was about ten minutes from start to finish. He spotted the entrance to the beach and made his way down the sandy path. The path was narrow but opened up the farther he got and as the sound of the waves crashing against the shore grew louder, the path opened up completely.
