“I’ve been interested in shells since I was a kid. I even found a fully intact purple dog whelk once when I was visiting Gramps years ago.”
Jane glanced out into the ocean. “There used to be a lot more shells when we were kids. I used to comb the beach religiously for them every day. I got pretty good at identifying them.”
“Me too,” Mike said. “It’s kind of sad that there’s not as many shells anymore. Where do you think they’ve all gone? And the sea glass too. There used to be tons of it in all different colors.”
“I remember.” Jane bent and picked something out of the surf. She held it out in the palm of her hand. It was a smooth, round shell in a bland beige, just shy of being luminescent. “What’s this one?”
Mike took it from her and turned it over in his hand. There were several types of shells that were similar in shape and size and color, but Mike knew the subtle differences. “That’s easy—this is a Northern moon snail.”
Jane laughed. “I guess I can’t trip you up.”
“Nope.” Mike handed the shell back to her, noticing how her nose crinkled and her blue eyes lit up when she laughed. She seemed less stressed than usual. Maybe it was being out at the beach, but he liked to think it had something to do with him. Probably more to do with Cooper, though.
As they sauntered along the edge of the beach, he resisted the urge to grab her hand. He wasn’t sure if that would be welcome. He thought it might be, but he didn’t want to do anything to ruin their blossoming friendship.
Cooper ran up and dropped a stick at their feet then proceeded to shake his wet coat, spraying drops of saltwater everywhere.
“Look out!” Jane and Mike both held up their hands, and Mike stepped in front of her to try to shield her from the onslaught.
It didn’t work, and they were both covered with droplets. Jane didn’t get mad, like some other girls he knew. She didn’t whine about her hair or makeup being ruined. She simply laughed and rubbed Cooper’s neck.
“You know, Cooper has a way of making one forget about their troubles. He lives in the moment and always has fun,” Jane said.
“That’s not a bad way to be,” Mike said. “So, what’s going on with the wedding at Tides?”
“Didn’t I tell you? They sent in their deposit.”
“That’s great!” Mike glanced at Jane, but instead of looking happy about the wedding, she looked tense. “You don’t seem very happy about that.”
Jane sighed. “The truth is I’m a little worried about it. I’ve never taken on anything this big, and there may be a snag with permits.”
“What kind of snag?”
Jane waved her hand dismissively. “Something about the bathrooms, but the person who mentioned that isn’t exactly reliable. I’ll know more when I talk to the people at the town hall. It’s probably nothing.”
“I’m sure that whatever it is, you can handle it.”
Jane smiled and glanced at him. “I appreciate your confidence in me, but you don’t know me that well. I like to stay in my comfort zone, so this is all scary territory for me.”
“I know enough to know that you’re confident and capable. You’re going to do fine. And besides, sometimes it’s good to get out of your comfort zone, don’t you think?”
Jane hesitated for a minute, as if thinking it over. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re right.”
Mike decided to steer the conversation toward something that would give Jane a positive outlook on the wedding. “I’m going to have your website finished tonight.”
“Already? That’s great! I don’t feel like I paid you enough for that, though,” Jane said.
“You might want to wait until you see it before you say that. I’ll come over for breakfast tomorrow and walk you through it. You might decide it’s not worth a few breakfasts.”
Jane laughed. “I doubt that.”
“Besides, you’re keeping Cooper, and that’s worth a lot. You know what it would cost to put him in the kennel?”
Jane glanced at Cooper. “Having him around is my pleasure. But you can still come for breakfast every day for as long as you’re in Lobster Bay. I owe you at least that much.”
Mike glanced over and tried to read her face, but she was looking away from him toward the ocean. Did she really want him to come for payment, or did she like his company? “Home-cooked breakfasts are always welcome, but you don’t need to do that. Are you sure?”
“Yes, of course. We have plenty of food.”
