“And?” Travis asked.
“And Crystal and Kelsey will be on distance learning the rest of this year for their acts of bullying other students. If they want to come back to regular classes next year, they’ll be on probation,” Grace said. “But here we are, on our last night together, talking about the kids.”
“Yep, and I love it.” Travis leaned across the distance and kissed her on the cheek. “Not as much as I like being alone with you or those scalding-hot kisses, but I like the family side that you bring to the table, too.”
“That’s good,” Grace said, “because that’s part of who I am.”
“I know that, and everything about you is charming to me,” Travis told her.
“Well, darlin’, I’m glad, but I don’t think anyone ever called mecharmingbefore. I’ve been calledbossy,demanding, andoverprotectivebut notcharming,” Grace said. “And I like being alone with you, too. You have a kind heart, and I feel like I can be myself with you.”
“What makes you say that about me?” Travis asked.
“I see the way you treat your coworkers and my girls—and whole family, for that matter—and you have accepted me for who I am,” she answered.
“Thank you. That all comes from my raising. My grandparents and parents alike taught me from a young age to work and to be accountable.”
“So did my mother and dad,” Grace said.
“One thing I have to admit, though, is that I’m glad that I’m the only one who thinks you are charming, because that means I might have a chance at winning your heart,” Travis said.
“Just why would you want to win that?” she asked.
“Because you make me happy,” Travis answered. “We can be content sitting right here on the sand, or making out in the living room, or even eating pizza in my office.”
“That’s because we are together,” Grace said.
“Yes, ma’am, it is,” Travis agreed.
Chapter Twenty-One
Macy was jealous, and she knew that was as much a sin as robbing a bank in God’s eyes. Sin was sin, no matter the caliber. That’s what she’d been taught since she was a child, anyway, and she knew that down deep in her heart and soul—but somehow, she just couldn’t let go of the envy she felt toward Grace and Travis.
“What’s going on with you?” Sarah adjusted her hat to shade more of her face and lay back in the chaise longue. “Are you sad that we’ve only got a little while longer in this little bit of paradise?”
“Why are you asking?” Macy answered with a question of her own.
“Because you’ve been upbeat and happy ever since we got here, and this morning you look like you’ve lost your best friend,” Sarah told her.
“I’m jealous,” Macy admitted, “and I’m ashamed of myself for feeling this way. I should be happy for Grace. Besides, jealousy is a sin that will eat away at your soul if you don’t get control of it.”
“Well, then, I guess we should both be ashamed,” Sarah said, “because if envy really turned a person green, I’d look like a leprechaun, for sure. Grace is the one of us who didn’t even care about a relationship, and it’s easy to see that she is falling in love with Travis. I want to start a family so bad that my heart aches, and all I ever seem to meet is men like Joel.”
“Yep, and I walked right into a con,” Macy said with a nod. “Do you think we just need to be content with the idea that we’ll never find someone to look at us the way Travis looks at Grace?”
Sarah shook her head. “Not me. I’m not giving up.”
“If you found someone, would you move out of the house and leave the business?” Macy asked.
“Maybe,” Sarah answered. “If it meant a choice between the business or love, I’d take love. I thought after a couple or three days, I would be ready to leave this place but I’m not, so what does that say about my commitment to stay at the shop forever? What about you?”
“In a heartbeat,” Macy replied. “All three of us don’t need the money, and the shop has had a good run for several generations.”
“Yep,” Sarah agreed. “But I’d sure miss seeing you and Grace every day.”
Macy sat up straight and removed her hat. “That’s the one thing I would miss, too, but I could sure get used to sleeping past three o’clock every morning. I wonder, though, if that drastic of a change for the rest of our lives would bring about regrets.”
“Or ifnotchanging when we had a chance at a family would bring about even worse disappointments?” Sarah asked.
