“It was, wasn’t it?”
“Did you know he’d changed all his plans?”
“No, he didn’t say a word. I guess this is what he was so busy working on this week.”
Eleanor and Jonah joined them. “Well, I must say, Cliff surprised me with all this.” Eleanor looked over to where Cliff stood surrounded by people congratulating him, smiles on their faces.
As the crowd thinned, Cliff made his way over to where they all were standing. Eleanor beamed at her son. “You made me proud, son.”
“Well, you were right, Mother.”
“What? I’m not sure I heard you correctly.” Eleanor’s lips rose into a grin.
“You were right.”
“Ah, the words every mother longs to hear from her son.”
They all laughed, and Eleanor took Jonah’s hand. “We should leave. I believe that my son and Beverly have some things to discuss.”
“Yes, ma’am, Ellie.” Jonah’s eyes shone with love for Eleanor.
Dale wrapped his arm around Maxine’s waist, and her friend’s eyes lit up as she looked at Dale. “Maxine and I will be heading out too. Good job, Cliff.” He shook Cliff’s hand.
She hugged Maxine and whispered in her ear. “I’m happy for you and so glad you’ve come home to the island.”
“Me too. Best friends are… well, the best.” Maxine hugged her back before the couple walked away.
Cliff caught her arm. “Beverly, will you wait for me? I should only be a few minutes. Mother was right. We do need to talk."
Chapter 27
Beverly stood outside the town hall, taking a moment to gather her thoughts as people milled around her. The evening breeze carried the scent of salt air, a familiar comfort that had always grounded her. She watched as Cliff shook hands with the last few council members, his smile genuine as they clapped him on the back.
When he finally turned and walked toward her, she was struck by how different he looked from the boy who had left Magnolia Key decades ago. His shoulders were broader, his stride more confident, but his eyes held the same intensity they always had when he looked at her.
“That was quite a surprise in there,” she said as he approached.
“A good one, I hope.” He stopped in front of her, hands in his pockets.
“A very good one. Why didn’t you tell me about all these changes to your development plans? You never mentioned a word.”
He glanced down at his shoes for a moment before meeting her eyes again. “I’ve been working on it since our conversation at dinner. I wanted to be sure I could pull it off before I said anything. The additional property only became available last week, and the redesigns had to be rushed through.”
“But still, you could have mentioned it.”
He shook his head slowly. “I didn’t want to disappoint you if it fell through. These past few weeks, getting to know you again… it matters to me, Beverly. Your opinion of me matters.”
The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard. She’d spent so many years holding onto her anger, and now it seemed to be slipping away like sand between her fingers.
“Well, I’m impressed,” she admitted. “It’s a beautiful design. The way you incorporated elements from the historical buildings, the environmental considerations—it’s like you listened to everything everyone was concerned about.”
“I did listen.” He took a step closer. “Especially to you.”
Warmth climbed through her. “Me?”
“When you talked about what makes Magnolia Key special, how the island has a certain magic about it, well, I realized I was thinking about the development all wrong. It shouldn’t change the character of the place. It should enhance it.”
Looking at him now, she saw a vulnerability behind his confidence. This wasn’t just about a building project for him, it was about belonging.
