As she returned his kiss, she silently thanked Vera—for her courage, for her example, and for showing Eleanor that it was never too late to follow your heart.
Chapter 23
Cliff stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered and eager to get his day started. The past several weeks had shown him how much the town needed help after the hurricane, and there was still plenty to do. Yesterday, he promised Tori he’d help at the theater, and after that, he planned to check on the community center’s roof.
Living under the same roof as his mother and Jonah was proving less uncomfortable than he’d expected. Jonah kept a well-stocked refrigerator, and the cottage was large enough that they weren’t constantly bumping into each other. Plus, they’d all been so busy with hurricane recovery that their paths rarely crossed except at dinner.
He grabbed his wallet and keys from the dresser in the guest room and headed for the front door. The smell of coffee wafted from the kitchen, but he planned to grab some at Coastal Coffee on his way to the theater. The thought of seeing Beverly made him smile.
“Cliff? Do you have a moment before you leave?”
His mother’s voice stopped him as he reached for the doorknob. He turned to see her standing in the hallway, a coffee mug clasped in both hands. She was already dressed in her usual impeccable style, despite the early hour.
“Sure, Mother.” He braced himself, assuming she wanted to discuss his development project again. Rumors were flying that the planning committee was split on the issue, and he’d heard there would be another town meeting for more public comments. He prepared himself for another round of her disapproval.
She gestured toward the living room. “Can we sit down?”
That caught him off guard. Usually, when his mother wanted to lecture him, she did it standing, looking down her nose at him like he was still twelve years old. He followed her into the living room and settled on the couch while she perched on the edge of an armchair.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No.” She set her coffee cup on a coaster. “Nothing’s wrong. I simply wanted to tell you something important.”
He waited, studying her face. She looked nervous, which was unlike her. His mother never showed uncertainty about anything.
“Jonah has asked me to marry him,” she said. “And I’ve accepted.”
The news hit him like a punch to the chest. Not because he was upset, but because it was so unexpected. His mother—remarrying? After all these years?
“Are you going to say anything?” she asked, her voice betraying a hint of uneasiness he’d rarely heard.
“I’m just surprised,” he admitted. “When did this happen?”
“He asked me yesterday. We’ve been… close… for some time now.”
He nodded slowly. “I suspected as much.” He’d noticed the way they looked at each other, how comfortable they seemed together. “Congratulations, I guess. If you’re happy.”
“I am,” she said, her expression softening. “Very happy.”
A silence stretched between them. He realized she was waiting for more from him—approval, perhaps, or enthusiasm.
“Jonah seems like a good man,” he offered.
“He is.” Her eyes held his. “I wanted to tell you first, before anyone else. We’ll announce it to others in a few days.”
He was strangely touched by that. For years, he’d felt like an afterthought in his mother’s life, someone she’d given up trying to understand. Yet here she was, sharing her news with him first.
“Thank you for telling me,” he said.
“I never thought I’d marry again…” She trailed off, looking down at her hands.
“Mother, you deserve someone who treats you like you deserve to be treated. I’m sorry I wasn’t on board with Jonah at first, but that’s because I didn’t really know him.” He shrugged. “You deserve to be happy.”
She looked up, surprise flickering across her face. “You think so?”
“Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?”
She hesitated. “I thought perhaps you might disapprove. Think I was being… foolish at my age.”
