“Oh, I bet that’ll be fun.”
“She’s got a whole thirty minutes devoted to the cat.”
“Stop.” Juliette gaped at her sister. “She does not.”
Vivianne tossed her head back and laughed. “Oh, she does. I saw the time slot in her calendar.”
“I can’t wait to hear that story.”
“You and me both.”
Glancing up at the large wrought iron clock on the wall, Juliette checked the time. “Do you have to stay here the rest of the day?”
“Sadly, yes.” She nodded toward the street. “But you should go check out some of the shops. The wind isn’t too bad this morning, and we’ve had a lot of new places open up since you left.”
“Might as well.” It wouldn’t hurt to take a small break from work, plus, if it meant keeping her mind off things that couldn’t be and never were, then she was all for it.
Thirty minutes later, Juliette had bundled up in a peacoat, tugged a beanie over her head, and was wandering down Shoreline Drive. Vivianne was right. The wind wasn’t too brutal, but it was still frigid outside. She didn’t mind it too much, though. She’d missed the quiet calm of the beach, the luring call of the ocean. In the city there was always some smell, some dankness to life. There was noise and chaos, the constantmovement of people and the need to always be in a hurry. To always rush off to some store or some party or some event. It was exhausting to the body and mind. But here, there was serenity. The crashing of waves was a balm to her senses, and the ever-present kiss of sea spray clung to the air the same way a certain smell could unlock memories of the past.
Lost in her thoughts, Juliette paused in front of a window display. Something about it caught her eye. Double palm trees were carved into the wooden and weathered sign. It hung from a bright blue awning, and the faded paint on the letters read Lovely Mud.
Instantly curious, Juliette walked in. The smell of fresh clay permeated the air, and there were shelves lined with gorgeously handcrafted pieces of pottery art. There were vases and bowls, many of which had been painted to resemble the colors of the sea, and some were nearly as tall as her. An entire bookshelf was filled with mugs. Designs had been etched into quite a few of them, and others were glazed with metallics. Plates hung on the wall, and a glass display case held clay pieces of jewelry embedded with gems of turquoise, quartz, and jade.
She wanted every single piece of it.
A well-loved pottery wheel was on the far side of the connecting room, placed smartly in front of another window. An artist at work was bound to draw in customers. She was about to call out to see if anyone was in the store when a woman appeared from one of the back rooms. Her smile was wide and welcoming, and her eyes were bright. Clay splattered her khaki pants. Her button-down blouse was rolled to her elbows, and stacks of bracelets clinked together on both her wrists.
It was as though the woman had walked out of one of her memories. “Erin?”
“Hey, Jules.” Erin Branhill pushed back a few loose pieces of hair from her ponytail, and her grin widened even further. “I was wondering when I’d get to see you.”
“I didn’t know you were back in Mystic Cove.” Juliette rushed forward and threw her arms around her former best friend. “I thought you went to study art in New York?”
“I did.” They released each other and Erin gave a shrug, almost like the weight of the world had fallen onto her shoulders. “My dad got sick, so I came back to help my mom.”
The unknown hung between them, and Erin saved Juliette from having to ask. “He passed away about two years ago.”
Regret suffocated Juliette. If she’d been here, she would’ve known. If she’d stayed in Mystic Cove, she wouldn’t have fallen out of touch with Erin. She would have been there when her friend needed her the most. But she’d cut everyone out of her life when she left. She’d burned every bridge, even those who tried to meet her halfway, all because she thought she was doing better for herself. She’d been so inconsiderate. So selfish. And she’d missed so much.
“I’m so sorry, Erin. I had no idea.” Distance seemed like the best option back then. Distance between her past and her future. Now she wasn’t so sure.
“It’s okay. Time has slowly healed that wound, but it helps to keep my hands busy.” She spread her arms wide and encircled the pottery shop.
Juliette glanced around the space in awe once more. “This is your place?”
“Yeah, I opened up shop a few months after my dad died.” Erin shrugged, and her bracelets jingled together. “I wanted to stay close to my mom. She’s the only family I have left.”
A drowning wave of guilt crashed over Juliette, making it nearly impossible to breathe. While Erin wanted to be as close as possible to her family, Juliette was trying to get far away. Andfor what? Why? She never even considered the inevitable…never once thought about what her life would be like if she lost her mother or sisters for good. Forever. The feeling left her uneasy and caused her palms to prickle with sweat.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak. To distract. “Your art is amazing, Erin.”
“Thanks.” The compliment lit her face from within. Her friend glowed with pride. “I have a decent stock right now, but when market season comes, it can get pretty bare in here.”
“Do you go up to Virginia Beach and sell at the local farmer’s markets?”
“Yep, every Saturday and Tuesday.”
“That’s awesome,” Juliette murmured. While her gaze lingered on a waist-high vase with terracotta and gold stripes, she was struck with an idea. “I started working on some design projects with Brockton Gallagher.”
