“I thought we could go to the mainland and then over to Belle Island. Go to Magic Cafe.”
“I haven’t been there in years. Seriously, not since I was a teenager. I’d love to go there.”
“Perfect. How about Friday?”
“Friday works for me.” She was going on a date. How long had it been since she’d gone on a date? So, so many years. Before she’d married Victor. She knew nothing about dating these days. All of a sudden, she was unsure of her answer. What if dating Dale made things awkward between them? What if he decided he wasn’t interested in her in that way? Would she lose her friendship with him too? Her heart began to pound, and her pulse quickened. Why did she always have to overthink everything? And saying yes to this date was no exception.
He lifted his glass to his lips, then paused. “You okay? You look… worried.”
She sucked in a long breath of the salty air. “I’m just a bit rusty on the whole dating thing. Like a bazillion years rusty. And… I don’t want things to change between us.”
“So is that a no, now?” Disappointment slipped across his features.
“No, it’s still a yes.” She smiled weakly. “But… don’t blame me if I mess this all up. You might regret asking me out. I might spill my drink, or trip, or bore you to tears.”
“I doubt it.” His lips twitched upward. “And if it makes you feel better, I don’t date much either. Like only a few times in all the years I’ve been living here in Magnolia.”
“Well, look at that. We’re both a pair of amateurs.”
“Guess we’ll just have to figure it out together.” He reached over and took her hand in his.
The warmth of his hand flowed through hers, giving her confidence that this new step in her life would work out okay. Maybe they’d just date a few times. Maybe only once. But she was willing to take this step with him. Try out this whole dating thing.
“I guess wewilljust figure it out together.”
They sat there silently watching the sunset, her hand still firmly entwined with his. The peace of the moment wrapped around her like a beloved quilt, familiar, warm, secure. The sky broke into brilliant shades of oranges with slivers of purple scattered through them.
“A perfect sunset, isn’t it?” Dale asked softly.
“It is. Perfect.” Just like the moment.
CHAPTER15
Maxine hummed as she went about her work on Friday, eagerly anticipating her date with Dale that evening, even if she was still nervous about it. Eleanor had just arrived, and Maxine was pouring her coffee when Darlene came in and headed right toward them.
“Knew I’d find you here, Eleanor.”
Maxine’s mouth dropped open in amazement. Just plain old Eleanor, not Miss Eleanor. That was interesting. She’d only seen Darlene a few times since checking out of the B&B and none of those times had hinted at the type of friendly relationship between Darlene and Eleanor that she was currently witnessing.
Darlene settled into the seat at the table, which also surprised Maxine. No one sat with Miss Eleanor. Darlene leaned forward. “Did you hear that someone bought the two houses at the far end of the boardwalk? And the lots are side by side. Rumor has it that it’s someone who wants to tear the houses down.”
“I didn’t hear that.” Eleanor looked offended that Darlene had found out first. “You think they want to build a larger house there?”
“I’m not sure. But I also heard someone approached the council to get a variance to build higher than two stories.”
“They wouldn’t change that, would they?” Maxine asked.
Eleanor glared at her to let her know she was interrupting. “You never know with those fools sitting on the council these days.”
“I miss having you on the council, Eleanor. You were always so levelheaded,” Darlene said. “I knew the bridge would bring changes, but I’d hoped they’d be small ones. Still leave Magnolia Key feeling like… well, feeling like Magnolia Key. If one area gets a variance, what’s stopping some high-rise modern condos or hotels? It would change everything.”
“I’ll be going to that meeting to stop this nonsense. Those ordinances were put in place for a reason. To protect the island. Protect the island’s history. And I’m not a fan of people coming in and tearing down the older homes for new fancy, modern ones either.” Eleanor scowled.
Maxine hurried away to the kitchen to get Miss Eleanor’s muffin. “Hey, Beverly.” She walked over to where Beverly was unloading the dishwasher. “Darlene just came in and she’s sitting at Miss Eleanor’s table. Not sure if that surprised me more or the fact that Darlene called Miss Eleanor, Eleanor.”
Beverly laughed. “She’s the only person in town that I know who calls her that.”
“And Darlene said there’s rumors going around that someone bought the two houses and lots at the end of the boardwalk. They’re asking for a variance from the town council. Possibly to put up higher buildings.”
