Page 3 of A New Chapter in Rosewood Beach (Rosewood Beach #7)
CHAPTER TWO
Terrence Rawlins stepped outside Seaside Sweets Bakery, his clipboard tucked squarely under his arm. He took a deep breath of the tangy seaside air, enjoying the feel of the wind on his face. It was a warm and sunny June day, and the brightness of the day seemed to fill him with a renewed energy.
It’s a beautiful afternoon, he thought contentedly. I love a smooth health inspection like that. Seaside Sweets is as much on top of their game as ever.
Terrence was the local health inspector, and he had a quick eye for anything that went against code. He was strict about rules and regulations, but he cared about them because he cared about people. He took safety seriously, and underneath his somewhat gruff exterior, he had a big heart.
He glanced at his watch, noting that it was getting late in the afternoon. He found his footsteps leading him toward his favorite restaurant, The Lighthouse Grill.
He’d already eaten lunch, and it was still too early for dinner, but he told himself that he could stop by the pub for a cup of coffee. Of course, he could have gotten a cup of coffee at Seaside Sweets Bakery, but he ignored the part of his brain that reminded him of that.
It was also true that he didn’t need coffee that late in the afternoon. He’d just finished his work for the day, and he didn’t usually like to have a lot of caffeine later in the day because it sometimes disrupted his sleep cycle.
He didn’t quite admit it to himself, but the reason why he wanted to stop by The Lighthouse Grill was not really to get coffee, but to have a chance to say hello to Vivian.
The two of them had struck up an unlikely friendship around Christmas time, after he’d insisted they do repair work at the pub just before their big Christmas event.
At first, Vivian had seen him as fussy and unreasonable, and she’d been stressed about having to get the heat vents replaced while she and her family were busy preparing for a Christmas party for Rosewood Beach.
In the end, however, they’d bonded over the experience one night when Jacob Dorsey, who was now dating Vivian’s daughter Hazel, had been there late working on an unexpected problem and Vivian and Terrence had come to the pub to make sure everything turned out all right.
Vivian had a way about her, that was for sure.
He smiled quietly to himself as he walked down the sidewalk, remembering the way she’d worked her way into his heart without even trying.
Normally, he was a gruff and disgruntled older man who never thought twice about writing up an establishment that wasn’t following every health code to the last detail.
But Vivian had brought out his softer, tenderer side.
He wanted to be kind when he was around her, because he wanted to be kind to her.
She’d shown him that he could be both detail-oriented and understanding.
He found himself sighing. He’d done his best to pursue her romantically for a while, but circumstances had gotten in the way, and lately he’d been content with simply being one of her good friends.
She’d even invited him to some of the Owens family dinner nights, which was an honor he never took lightly.
I know we’re just friends, he thought, but I don’t think I’ve been imagining the way her eyes light up when she sees me. Is it possible she’s ready to be pursued?
He pressed his lips together, slowing in his walking.
He found the thought unlikely, as much as he wanted it to be true.
Although Vivian was a kind and fun friend, something about their interactions had led him to be extremely cautious when it came to flirting or anything like that.
She didn’t seem to be fully ready to be pursued romantically, and he didn’t want to botch his chances by making a move before the time was right.
He reminded himself to be patient. He was fine with just being friends with Vivian, since he was happy to simply be able to spend time with her.
She always brightened his day with her sassy attitude and twinkling eyes.
She made him feel light-hearted and alive, and he valued their friendship a great deal.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was a text from the Rosewood General Store, letting him know that a part one of his clients needed after their safety inspection was ready for pick-up.
Terrence grunted, glancing ahead of him and noting that the general store was on his way to The Lighthouse Grill. He would stop there and then go to the pub for coffee after.
He made his way into the general store, heading toward the help desk, where the part he’d ordered was being held. As he was turning a corner around one of the aisles, he nearly collided with someone who was standing near the endcap.
“Vivian!” he exclaimed, immediately thrilled to see her.
“Oh my, Terrence!” She gave him a sideways hug, also appearing to be delighted to have run into him. He noted that her eyes seemed to be shining at him as much as ever, but he told himself firmly not to read too much into it.
“What brings you to the general store?” he asked, noticing that she was standing in front of the store’s selection of tablecloths.
“I’m picking out tablecloths for Julia’s wedding,” Vivian said, sounding as excited as if she was talking about picking out an outfit for a cruise vacation.
“She’s so good at planning, but she is having trouble deciding on some of the little details.
She asked me to handle this for her, and I’m only too happy to oblige.
I have to admit, though, that I’m feeling pretty stumped by the decision as well. ”
“Those are a lot of options,” Terrence said, nodding at the colorful wall of tablecloths in front of them.
Vivian chuckled. “Well, I’m not considering bright orange or fuchsia. Actually, I’m just deciding between these two.” She held up the tablecloths that were in her hands, and for a moment he squinted at them, because to him they looked exactly the same.
She laughed when she saw him peering at them.
“I’m having trouble deciding between white and ecru.
I know what Julia and Cooper’s centerpieces look like, and I think both tablecloth colors would look excellent.
Their decorations are going to be kind of a blend between elegant and countryside.
I think either tablecloth would be wonderful. ”
He watched her with a fond smile on his face, charmed by the way she was so intent on making the right decision. She was frowning in concentration in a way that he found both sweet and amusing.
“Here,” she said, handing him the tablecloths. “Hold those up for me, would you please? That way I can step back and look at them side by side.”
She stepped back and wrinkled her nose adorably as she inspected the tablecloths, trying to make a decision. He hoped that the distraction he felt while watching her didn’t show on his face. He found himself grinning like a schoolboy over how cute she was being.
“What do you think?” she said, turning to him. “White or ecru?”
Her question snapped him back into reality. He looked down at the tablecloths he was holding, trying to come up with an honest opinion.
“Hmm. I like the way the pure white looks crisper,” he said. “I think if they’re going for a countryside and elegant kind of look, this one is best. Maybe it’s just the name, but ecru looks kind of French to me. It makes me think of old fashioned, frilly kinds of decoration.”
She laughed as if he’d said something really funny, and he smiled although he didn’t understand why he’d amused her.
“I think you’re right. Pure white sounds good to me too.
” She put the ecru tablecloth back on the shelf.
“Now we’ll just have to order the pure white in bulk.
Thank you for helping me with that, Terrence. It was fun to have a friend’s input.”
“My pleasure.” The corners of his mustache curved upward in a smile. “I’m glad you were able to settle on something that you like.”
“Julia’s wedding is going to be so beautiful,” she said warmly. “I can’t wait till you see everything. She’s poured her heart and soul into this, and her sisters and I have been helping as much as we can.”
He nodded. “I’m very happy for the two of them. They’re a wonderful couple.”
For a moment, the two of them shared a smile and neither one of them spoke. Terrence felt himself beginning to get a little hot under the collar, and he cleared his throat.
“Are you going to be at The Lighthouse Grill today?” he asked her. “I was thinking about stopping by there for a cup of coffee.”
“Aww, I’m sorry to miss you. No, I was just there during the morning and early afternoon. I’m dedicating the rest of the day to working on things for Julia’s wedding and making a dinner for Alexis and Grayson. She’s in her third trimester, you know.”
He nodded, since it was a fact that Vivian and her daughters had mentioned to him at least seven times. “I’m sure they’ll all appreciate your help very much.”
He felt disappointed that she wouldn’t be at the pub.
He’d hoped for an opportunity to sit and chat with her for a while, which was something they often did together when he went to The Lighthouse Grill later in the day when things weren’t so busy.
Still, he reminded himself, he’d gotten a chance to see and speak with her just now, and that was much better than nothing.
Besides, it warmed his heart to see how happy she was for both her daughters.
She was always acting like that about her children and her grandchild, Hazel’s daughter Samantha.
Vivian celebrated Samantha’s good grades, Hazel’s new relationship with her long-time crush Jacob, Dean’s improved strength and energy, Alexis’s pregnancy, and Julia’s marriage with as much enthusiasm as if those wonderful things were happening to her.
“I hope you have a splendid time doing all that,” he told her, meaning it sincerely. “I’ll see you around, soon I hope.”
“Without a doubt.” She grinned at him. “You have a great day yourself.”
They gave each other a gentle sideways hug again and he left the aisle, making his way to the help desk. He was a good forty feet away before he let himself glance back in her direction and sigh.