Page 17 of A New Chapter in Rosewood Beach (Rosewood Beach #7)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Faith checked on the alfredo lasagna that she had baking in the oven and pressed her lips together in satisfaction when she saw that it was nearly done.
It was letting off a heavenly aroma, and she took a deep breath to enjoy the smell.
The scent of garlic and cream and basil filled her nostrils, and as she shut the oven door again her stomach growled in anticipation.
She glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost time for her guests to arrive. She’d invited all of the Owens women over for dinner that night, feeling that in the midst of her worries about Ryan, she needed a good girls’ night.
She’d told herself that she was doing a great job of keeping it together about her worries, but the truth was that she’d been spiraling that day more than ever.
She’d been practicing what she wanted to say to Ryan, and that had forced her to imagine what he might say in response.
She’d tried to imagine him telling her that he would reconsider his views on marriage for her sake, but that just made her feel as though she was being naive and she was setting herself up to get more hurt later.
The more she’d gone over what to say to him, the more she’d thought about how much she wanted to be married and raise a family with someone.
Those thoughts had made her more sure than ever that she wanted those things with Ryan—or at least, she wanted a chance at having those things with Ryan.
She didn’t want to have to stop dating him because he didn’t share her goals for a long-term relationship.
She bit her lip as her anxiety and sadness surged again.
Tears began to spill out of her eyes, and she wiped them away with the sleeve of her cotton summer jacket.
She went into her small dining room to look over the table she’d set.
She’d used green glass dishes that she’d gotten at an antique store in town, and with her yellow napkins and blue serving dishes, the effect was exceedingly charming.
Faith felt proud of the home she’d made for herself. She loved to decorate and keep things tidy and well-organized. It made her long for a home with children and a husband in it someday. She loved living alone in many ways, but she felt a strong desire to care for more people than herself.
At least I have tonight, she thought, furiously wiping away another renegade tear. I get to host this small party and share my home with people I love. Even if it’s only for one evening.
The tears threatened to spill out of her more than ever more.
If things didn’t work out with Ryan, she didn’t know that she was ever going to find anyone else.
Besides, she was at the point where she didn’t want to ever find anyone else.
He was the man she wanted, and she wanted to be able to have a future with him.
At that moment, her front doorbell rang, and she turned around, startled.
She realized that it was six o’clock already, and her family members were arriving right on time.
She hurriedly checked her reflection in one of her mirrors to make sure it wasn’t obvious that she’d been crying and then went to answer the front door.
“Hi!” Hazel sang out as soon as the door was opened. She and Vivian were standing on the front porch, both beaming from ear to ear. “We brought a lemon meringue pie.”
“We made it together,” Vivian added proudly. “It’s one of the secret Owens family recipes.”
“Aww, you’re angels,” Faith said, eyeing the colorful tote bag that Hazel was carrying eagerly. “When you said you were going to bring a dessert, I expected maybe ice cream or something simple.”
Vivian shook her head and she and Hazel stepped inside. “Soon you’ll learn how much Hazel loves to bake. She’s like the baking queen in our family. And Samantha is following right along in her footsteps.”
“I can believe it, those brownies she made were out of this world,” Faith said with a smile. “I wish she could have come along tonight, but I wouldn’t have wanted her to miss her sleepover.”
“She says she’s sorry to miss it, but there will be a next time,” Hazel said, chuckling as she imitated her daughter’s cheerful and slightly overdramatic tone of voice.
“It smells incredible in here,” Vivian said, looking around admiringly even though she’d already been to Faith’s place a few times.
“Oh, thanks. That’ll be the lasagna.” Faith smiled.
“Mm, it’s that, but it’s also this room. Ah, I see it. Those lavender sage candles! I have some of those. They’re fantastic.”
For a while, the three women chatted about their favorite candles, made by a local woman who used essential oils and organic soy wax.
Faith tried to simply enjoy the company of two of her favorite people, but her anxiety over Ryan was still hanging over her.
She wanted to go into another room and have a good long cry, but there was simply no time for it now.
In another few minutes, there was another knock on the front door.
This time it was Alexis and Julia, who had brought a bottle of Chardonnay. Talking and laughing, the women went into the dining room together, and then Faith slipped out to check on the lasagna.
She felt the tears rush back into her eyes as soon as she was out of the room. Maybe hosting a girls’ night when she was feeling so down hadn’t been a good idea after all.
Come on, Faith , she told herself, wiping her eyes carefully before opening the oven. Just push it out of your mind. You’re hosting. You need to stay cheerful for your guests.
The lasagna was perfect, and she took it out of the oven and carried it into the dining room.
“Oh, Faith, that smells incredible,” Alexis said eagerly. “I absolutely cannot wait to eat it.”
Faith grinned, appreciating the compliment, and then began to dish out generous portions of the steaming hot meal. Soon they were enjoying it along with a strawberry summer salad and glasses of the Chardonnay.
“How’s tennis going?” Julia asked after a while, turning to Vivian and Hazel. “Are you both having fun?”
“Yes! We were playing just before this actually.” Hazel shook her head, chuckling. “I’m so tired but I feel great.”
“Same.” Vivian laughed, her cheeks flushed and her eyes shining. “I always wanted to play tennis, but I had no idea just how much fun it was going to be.”
“I’m going to be so sore.” Hazel shook her head, chuckling. “But at least I’m not as out of practice as I thought I would be. I still have a great serve.” She grinned proudly and pretended to bow a little.
“I think Sam is rubbing off on you,” Julia teased with a laugh.
“You do have a great serve,” Vivian agreed as she took a sip of her wine. “It helps me out a great deal, since I really don’t know what I’m doing yet. But I must say, gripping the bat and racing after the ball is every bit as exhilarating as I’ve always expected it to be.”
Alexis chuckled. “It’s a racket, Mom. A tennis racket. Not a bat.”
“Oh, right.” Vivian laughed. “I knew that. And whatever it’s called, using it is a great time.”
“We saw Terrence when we were playing there yesterday,” Hazel said, her eyes dancing. “Mom went out to retrieve one of our lost balls, and when I went after her, I saw her talking to Terrence next to his car.”
“Yeah?” Julia asked, a sly smile on her face. A knowing, gleeful look passed amongst her and Hazel and Alexis.
Vivian’s cheeks turned pink. “Yes, I nearly hit him in the head with that ball. Thankfully he ducked in time. He was very gracious about the whole thing, however. He’s always so gracious.”
Faith noticed the look pass amongst Hazel and Julia and Alexis again.
“Mom was so friendly to Terrence that for a while there I thought she was going to invite him to join is,” Hazel said, grinning.
“Don’t be silly,” Vivian said, shaking her head but still blushing furiously. “I wasn’t being any more friendly than usual. Terrence and I have been good friends for a while now.”
Faith had done her best to listen politely, but she only really heard half of what was being said.
Her anxiety was still twisted in her stomach like a knot she couldn’t untie, and she knew that she was in danger of bursting into tears at any moment.
Faith had always been prone to tears, good or bad, and ever since moving to Rosewood Beach, she’d stopped suppressing her emotions the way she used to.
That meant that she felt more free and relaxed, but it also meant that it was harder for her to hold back her tears, even at times like this.
She felt as though her emotions were about to explode out of her, and she knew she needed to leave the room before she burst into tears.
“Could I—I’m so sorry,” she murmured, standing up. She tried to keep her voice low so that no one would be able to hear how much it was trembling, but it was obvious from the way everyone turned to look at her in surprise that she hadn’t succeeded in doing that. “I’m just going to?—”
“Faith, what’s wrong?” Alexis asked, looking alarmed.
“You’re so pale,” Julia said.
Faith pressed her lips together and sat back down again. A tear spilled out of her left eye and she quickly wiped it away.
“I—I have something important to ask all of you,” she blurted.
Everyone’s attention was fixed on her. Each of their faces wore an expression that was both sympathetic and concerned. They’d clearly caught on immediately to her desperation.
“What is it?” Julia asked her softly, reaching out across the table to touch her arm.
Faith wasn’t able to hold it together any longer. She couldn’t help feeling as though she was seeing her future with the man of her dreams vanish before her eyes. When she saw so many faces turned toward her in worry, it made her concerns seem all the more real, and she broke down in tears.
“Faith, honey, it’s okay!” Hazel leapt up and went to put an arm around Faith’s shoulder.