The sounds of hammering made her smile. She was proud of the way the bathhouse was turning out. It had been a lot of fun working with Maxi to design it. They’d picked out fixtures, pored over paint samples, and had even found a few cute decorations. Maxi had a great eye for color and decorating, and the two of them shared a common passion for design. If Andie stayed here in Lobster Bay, she imagined that she and Maxi might even become friends.
She hauled the flat to the garden area, surprised to see a man with a young toddler there. The toddler laughed and pointed at the hummingbird feeder as the tiny brightly colored birds buzzed around it.
She laid the flat down on the ground and paused to watch. Andie never regretted not having children, but the baby tugged at her heartstrings. Grandchildren might have been nice. Still crouched at the child’s level, she called out, “Magical, aren’t they?”
The child turned to her, smiling, but before he could answer, someone yelled from behind her.
“There’s my favorite boy!”
Her heart leaped at the familiar voice. It was Shane, and he was coming toward them. He swooped in and scooped up the child, holding him up in the air. The child kicked and screeched with delight.
He turned to Andie. “Hi, Andie. This is my grandson, Caleb.” He settled Caleb on his hip. “Can you sayhi?”
The little boy smiled and flexed his chubby fingers at her, and Andie couldn’t help but smile and wave back.
“Looks like me, don’t you think?”
Andie glanced between the two of them, her lips tugging in a smile. “He’s much more handsome.”
Shane laughed then introduced the man. “This is my son, Greg. And this is Caleb. Greg, Andie Miller. Her family owns Tides.”
Andie shook hands with Greg then returned her attention to the baby. Shane tickled him, and he laughed hysterically. It helped ease the tension. Why had she been avoiding Shane? It seemed silly now. Clearly, he wasn’t mad or holding a grudge. She’d been making too much of their past. In fact, it looked like he didn’t even remember their teen romance or the way she’d broken things off.
One of the reasons she’d avoided Lobster Bay all these years was because she felt guilty about the way she’d ended things with Shane. Now she felt foolish and self-absorbed. It appeared that Shane had moved on from her years ago. He’d been married and now had children and grandchildren.
Now that she didn’t feel awkward with Shane and she was making inroads with her relationship with Jane, she had even more reasons to stay and even fewer reasons to return to New York City.
Shane’s heart swelled at the joy in Caleb's eyes. Having a grandchild had changed everything for him. He'd never known he could experience such love. Well, maybe once when he’d been young. And Andie had been that love.
But he was older now, and that had all been in the past, water under the bridge. Yet looking at her laughing with that wicked twinkle in her hazel eyes brought it all flooding back. It didn't help that she still looked much like that young girl he’d fallen in love with. She still wore her hair in that sleek ponytail. She’d filled out a bit, but only in the right places. She was no longer the skinny girl he'd once proposed to.
But Andie was an adult now, with her own life in New York City. She probably had a boyfriend. And a lot of responsibility, if her demeanor since she'd been here was any indication. She wasn't carefree like she had been back in high school. But every once in a while, like now, he caught a glimpse of the girl he once knew in high school, and it made his heart beat faster.
Better not get wrapped up in her again,Shane cautioned himself. She'd hurt him once, and she was only staying in town for a short while. Or was she? He’d overheard some snatches of conversation, and Sally had mentioned some things that indicated she might be having second thoughts about that.
Shane didn't dare get his hopes up. Even if Andiewasstaying, he knew he would have to bide his time if he wanted to get to know the mature version of Andie better. At least she had stopped avoiding him now.
Chapter 26
Sitting on the back porch of Tides in the moonlight was one of Jane’s favorite ways to end the day. It was peaceful with the wide swath of empty beach in front of her and the vastness of the dark night sky, its billions of stars stretching forever over the ocean. The waves crashing on the beach had a relaxing cadence. The glass of wine didn’t hurt either.
Andie opened one of the French doors and poked her head out. “There you are. Want some company?”
“Sure. I have crackers and cheese, if you’re hungry. Grab a wineglass.” Jane held up the bottle.
Andie disappeared back inside then came back out, juggling a wineglass along with an armful of items. Jane filled Andie’s wineglass as she settled into the creaky rocker.
Cooper, who was lying next to the railing, kept his eye on the plate of cheese and crackers as if he were willing a morsel of cheese to drop on the floor.
“I wanted to show you some of the paint samples and fixtures that Maxi and I picked out for the bathroom.”
The excitement in Andie’s voice was contagious, and Jane’s spirits lifted as Andie showed her paint cards, pictures of faucets, and flooring samples. Everything was perfect, from the simple lines of the fixtures to the nautical accents.
“And I found these adorable blue-and-white striped hand towels. Of course, we’ll have a hand dryer in there, too, but these will look cute rolled up on a shelf like you would see in a spa.”
“That will give it a little bit of class.”Hopefully not too many people use them,Jane thought, mentally adding up the laundry bill.
Andie took a sip of wine and gazed out toward the ocean. “So, it’s all coming together, if we can just get the sewer hookup.”
