Page 6 of California Love Songs (The Davenports, #4)

Chapter Four

C rystal’s heels clicked on the hardwood floor of Anna’s Café as she entered, the scent of freshly ground beans and warm pastries enveloping her.

Her gaze immediately landed on Erin, tucked away at a cozy corner table, a steaming mug cradled in her hands.

Crystal hesitated for a moment, fidgeting with the strap of her purse.

This was the sisters’ sacred space, and she felt like an intruder in their weekly Tuesday ritual, even though Mila had insisted she join them today.

Taking a deep breath, Crystal straightened her shoulders and approached the table. Erin looked up, her strawberry-blonde hair catching the sunlight streaming through the window, her face lighting up with a smile just as warm.

“Crystal! I’m so glad you could make it,” Erin gestured to the empty chair across from her. “It always feels like it’s been too long. I miss you.”

As Crystal slid into the chair, she returned the smile, feeling some of her tension ease. “Thanks for inviting me. I hope I’m not interrupting your sister time.”

Erin waved her hand dismissively. “Not at all. It’s wonderful to have you join us.”

A pen and notebook lay open in front of her, a telltale sign of her journalistic habits. She wondered if Erin had been jotting down ideas for her next article.

“How have you been?” Crystal asked, settling into the comfortable atmosphere. “Any exciting news at the Sea Shell ?”

Erin’s eyes sparkled. “Actually, yes. I’m working on a piece about the annual spelling bee.”

Crystal smiled at Erin’s enthusiasm. “That’s wonderful, Erin. Your articles always capture the heart of Carmel so beautifully.”

She ordered herself an iced latte and as they chatted, Crystal couldn’t help but feel a mix of warmth and curiosity.

There was something in Erin’s demeanor, a subtle excitement that hinted at more than just catching up over coffee.

Crystal found herself wondering what other topics might come up in their conversation, and whether she’d had enough coffee yet to navigate the complexities of the Davenport family dynamics.

The café door opened, and a gust of salty ocean air swept in along with Tessa and Mila.

Crystal’s eyes widened as she took in the stark contrast between Erin’s sister and their new sister-in-law.

Tessa looked serene in earth-toned linen, Mila a vibrant whirlwind in a colorful sundress.

Which was funny, as Tessa was the painter.

Mila waved as she spotted them. “There’s my favorite crew!” she exclaimed, bounding over with the fluid grace of a surfer riding a perfect wave. “Crys, you made it.”

Crystal couldn’t help but smile at Mila’s infectious energy. “Hey, Mila. Tessa. It’s great to see you both.”

As they settled in, Mila leaned forward, her sea-witch eyes sparkling with curiosity. “So, spill. I want all the details about the birthday party extravaganza I missed.”

Before she could answer, Erin said, “Crys put on the greatest party ever. The food was amazing, the décor perfect, the guests A-list.” She paused, then leaned in. “The musical guest was kind of lame, but I guess she’d blown the budget by then.”

They all laughed, and Tessa said, “He deserves his fame, he’s so good. And when he played the song he wrote for me and Arch…” She blinked rapidly and Crys felt her emotion. “Sometimes I just have to pinch myself, you know?”

Mila dramatically clutched her heart. “Ugh, don’t rub salt in the wound.

I can’t believe I missed it. But Hersch’s mom’s birthday was really fun too.

And we had our own musical entertainment.

” She let out a loud chuckle. “You should’ve seen Hersch trying to serenade her—it was like watching a space cowboy at karaoke. ”

The mental image of the stoic astronaut belting out tunes made Crystal chuckle in spite of herself. “He got famous singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her from space. No surprise if she expects it now he’s back on earth.”

Mila nodded. “Love isn’t about perfection; it’s about showing up and giving it your all, even when you’re totally out of your element.”

“That’s… actually really profound, Mila.” She thought about Damien, about the way he’d looked at her the night of the party, and felt the familiar ache in her chest.

The surfer turned Realtor said, “I heard through the grapevine that the party cost upward of four million dollars. Is that true?”

Crystal kept her features neutral and her mouth firmly shut. Her budget had been higher than that, but she knew one of the reasons she was hired by her clients was because she never disclosed details about them. Discretion was everything.

Erin shot her a look of camaraderie that showed their long friendship. “She’ll never tell,” she said. “Crystal is far too professional.”

Mila raised her eyebrows mischievously. “I also heard via the grapevine that our Crystal actually allowed herself a moment of fun at the party.”

Crystal jerked up her head. “What do you mean?” Had she made a fool of herself?

Mila laughed good-naturedly and then reached across to squeeze Crystal’s hand. “Don’t look so serious, Crys. Erin just mentioned that you and Damien danced the perfect salsa.”

Crystal didn’t feel relieved that it had just been a passing comment from Erin.

She felt embarrassed. Because if there was one thing that she knew about her friend, it was that she observed everything and saw straight to the heart of any matter.

Which meant chances were good she’d seen what was in Crystal’s heart.

Maybe with more clarity than Crystal herself.

“So I said,” Mila continued, “that I wasn’t surprised you both looked good on the dance floor.

Because I couldn’t help but notice the chemistry between you at Archer’s wedding.

There were some serious sparks flying.” She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial tone.

“Did anything happen at the party, or after the party, that I need to know about?”

Crystal felt her cheeks warm, her heart rate quicken. She took a sip of coffee to buy herself a moment, acutely aware of the sisters’ expectant gazes. “We’re just good friends,” she insisted, her voice steadier than she felt. “You know that. I was saving him from an overzealous fan.”

But even as the words left her mouth, Crystal’s mind betrayed her.

She thought of Damien’s smile, the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, how safe she felt in his arms when they danced.

A wave of longing washed over her, quickly followed by a surge of panic.

She couldn’t risk their friendship, couldn’t bear the thought of losing him if things went wrong.

Which, of course, they would.

Their lives were so very different. His with endless traveling and stardom; hers with both feet planted in Carmel, happy working behind the scenes.

But then she remembered Damien’s change of heart.

His insistence that Carmel was home and there was nowhere like it.

That he was thinking about making some changes to his lifestyle.

Snap out of it! Damien was her friend. A great friend. One she wanted to keep.

“Well, if you say so,” Mila replied, her tone making it clear she wasn’t entirely convinced. “But let me tell you, that kind of connection doesn’t come along every day.” She gave Crystal an intense look and then took a sip of her coffee.

Desperate to change the subject, Crystal groped for a diversion. “What about you and Hersch?” she asked, forcing a bright smile. “How are things going with NASA’s finest?”

Mila’s face softened, a dreamy look replacing her earlier teasing expression. “Oh, Crystal,” she sighed happily, “I am so in love. It’s like catching the perfect wave, you know? That moment when everything aligns and you’re just… flying.”

As Mila gushed about Hersch, Crystal felt a pang of envy mixed in with her genuine happiness for her friend.

She marveled at Mila’s confidence, her ability to dive headfirst into love without hesitation.

“That’s wonderful,” she said warmly, pushing down her own conflicted feelings. “I’m so happy for you both.”

But a small voice in the back of her mind whispered, What if you could have that too? What if you just took the risk? Damien had also felt their electricity on that dance floor. She was sure of it.

Thankfully, the spotlight was still on Mila. Tessa leaned forward now, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “So, Mila, with things going so well… do you think a proposal might be on the horizon?”

Mila’s eyes danced with joy. But she only gave a casual shrug. “Oh, I wouldn’t be surprised.” As though the idea of a proposal was nothing, though her widening smile betrayed her excitement. “Hersch and I are on the same wavelength. When the time’s right, we’ll both know it.”

A flutter of admiration stirred in Crystal’s chest. She wished she could channel even a fraction of that certainty when it came to her own feelings for Damien. “You make it sound so simple.” She was completely sincere, but even to her own ears she sounded a little wistful.

“Sometimes, love really is that simple. You just have to trust your heart and go for it.”

Crystal nodded, forcing a smile even as her stomach knotted with anxiety. If only I could be that brave.

Sensing the shift in Crystal’s mood, Mila turned her attention to Erin. “Speaking of romance, how are things with you and Jay? Are you still on cloud nine? I’m still smug about seeing that romance before either one of you did.” She chuckled, clearly delighted with herself.

Erin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes brightening with good humor. “We’re great. Actually, we’ve started a new project together that’s been… really wonderful.”

Crystal leaned forward, intrigued. “Oh? What kind of project?” She couldn’t imagine how earnest journalist Erin would work alongside brash talent agent Jay.

“We’re collaborating on a new screenplay,” Erin said, a soft smile playing on her lips. “It’s about a journalist and an agent who fall in love while uncovering a Hollywood scandal.”

“That’s so romantic.” She sighed, picturing Erin and Jay huddled over a laptop, their heads close together as they crafted their story. “Writing together must be incredibly intimate.”

“It is,” Erin admitted, her cheeks coloring slightly.

“The first screenplay was basically our story, and we wrote it almost as a dare. But this one’s more deliberate.

It’s teaching us a lot about each other’s thought processes.

And it’s nice to see Jay’s creative side emerge.

We don’t always agree, but we respect each other’s opinions, and of course, he knows all about how Hollywood works, while I get to write about the kind of journalist who uncovers a huge story.

I mean, I love writing about the dog of the week and local stories in my real job, but it’s great imagining what it would be like to be someone completely different. ”

As Crystal watched Erin come to life while talking about the screenplay, she looked around her.

She was sitting with three amazing women who had all found their one true love.

She was beginning to realize how deeply she wanted that for herself.

And try as she might, she couldn’t stop the image of Damien from forming in her mind.

She longed for that kind of connection with him—to create something meaningful together beyond their friendship.

They chatted a little more about their respective lives and then Erin glanced at her watch and sighed. “I hate to cut this short, but I have an interview in twenty minutes.”

“And I need to start work on a commission piece,” Tessa said.

The sisters and Crystal gathered up their belongings, a flurry of movement accompanied by the scraping of chairs and the clink of coffee cups.

Crystal felt a familiar pleasure as she watched the easy camaraderie between the Davenport sisters, their movements a well-choreographed dance of affection and deep, intuitive understanding.

“This was fun,” Mila declared, wrapping an arm around Crystal’s shoulders. “We need to do this more often with you, Crystal. You’re practically family, you know.”

As they made their way to the door, exchanging hugs and promises to meet again soon, Crystal found herself lingering just a moment longer in each embrace, savoring the sense of belonging she’d found with these remarkable women.

On the way out, Mila stopped her and insisted she attend the family breakfast on Saturday. “It’s important,” she said in a way that told Crystal she really wanted her there.

“I’ll be there,” she promised, wondering what was causing that particular twinkle in Mila’s eyes.

That girl always had something up her sleeve.