Page 28 of Nineteen Letters

“Yes! I’d love to.”

When I see the dunes between some properties we pass, I feel a tinge of excitement, knowing we’re so close.

“All the houses on your side of the street back onto the ocean,” he says, like he just read my train of thought.

“They’re beautiful.”

He slows down and I use the opportunity to eye off each property as we pass. I can tell by the sheer size of some of the houses that it would cost a pretty penny to live in this area. They feel too fancy for my taste, which is ridiculous because I don’t even know what my taste is.

Further down the street, a white two-storey weatherboard house catches my eye. It’s not as opulent as some of the other houses in the street, but I’ve already decided it’s my favourite so far. It has character and an old-world charm, but a modern feel to it as well. The contrast of the white weatherboard and the sky-blue shutters and trim around the windowpanes suits the beach location beautifully, and the whole thing is topped off by a white picket fence along the front of the property.

All thoughts of that house are soon forgotten when Braxton pulls over to the side of the road in front of a small wooded area.

“There’s a narrow track through the bush that leads to the beach. That’s how we used to get down there when we were kids. Do you want to check it out?”

My seatbelt is off and my fingers are already wrapped around the door handle before he’s finished speaking. “Yes.”

“Let me get the door for you,” he says, quickly removing his seatbelt.

I’m quite capable of opening my door, but I find it sweet that he always insists on doing it. I’ve noticed he does it for Christine when she’s in the car as well.

My eyes follow him as he walks around the front of the vehicle. Dare I say he’s handsome? His good looks stood out to me the moment I opened my eyes in the hospital. There is something about his big blue eyes, and the way he looks at me that’s just …comforting.

I grab hold of his hand as he helps me out of the car. I like the way my hand fits inside his; it feels safe.

His mood has lifted since I suggested coming here, and that pleases me.

“This way,” he says. He lets go of my hand and gestures towards the walking track that has been worn into the grassy dune. I’ll admit, I felt a twinge of disappointment the moment he released his hold on me.

We walk quietly beside each other; the only sounds are the crunch of the dry leaves under the weight of our shoes and the distant echo of the ocean. I use this time to take a deep breath, inhaling the salty freshness in the air. I look up to watch the green foliage of the trees above, as the leaves dance in the breeze. I can already feel myself relaxing.

The ground becomes softer, and the track widens slightly as we reach the end. The sudden brightness from the sun reflecting off the sand has me squinting.

We come to a stop and I give my vision a moment to adjust to the wide open space now before us. “Here we go,” Braxton says.

I hold my breath as my gaze travels across the sand towards the crashing waves. An unfamiliar warm feeling bubbles up inside me as my eyes take it all in. “It’s beautiful,” I whisper. I’m not even sure if beautiful does it justice, but I already know I love this place.

I’m not sure how long I stand there and stare, mesmerised, out at the horizon, but it’s a while. Eventually, I tear my eyes away from the beauty before me and seek out Braxton. There’s a huge smile on his face as he watches me. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.

He opens his mouth to say something but then closes it again. “No reason,” he says with a shrug. My eyes focus on the cute dimple that forms on his left cheek when he gives me a nervous grin. “It’s just nice to see you smiling again.”

I know there was more to that look, but I don’t push it. The last thing I want is to make things awkward between us again.

“Can we walk down towards the water?”

He usually goes to work after he drops me back at Christine’s, but I’m not ready to leave this place yet. I like how it makes me feel.

“Of course.” He lifts one leg and slides the shoe from his foot, followed by his sock. I can’t help but notice that he has lovely feet. He goes about removing his other shoe and sock, so I slowly lower myself until I’m sitting on the sand. I’m grinning as I pull my leg back towards my chest. It shows how far I’ve come since the accident. I couldn’t do this a month ago.

Once I’ve removed my sandals, I place them beside me and wriggle my toes in the sand. Braxton bends over and rolls up the bottom of his jeans before helping me to my feet.

“Thank you.” I go to retrieve my shoes, but he stops me.

“Just leave them there. We can collect them on our way back to the car.”

We make our way down to the water and I gasp when a small wave rolls in and the cold water laps over my feet. I love how the wet sand feels squished between my toes.

“Do you feel up to a walk along the beach?”