“Don’t be silly. There’s no reason for either of us to leave,” Clare said. “The house is plenty big enough for both of us, and I’ll try to stay out of your hair as much as I can.”
“How long are you here?” Alicia asked.
“I’m leaving on Monday.”
“Okay. I was planning to stay the whole week. I’ll see how I feel in the morning, I guess.” Alicia straightened to face her, and something in her expression tugged at Clare. She almost looked…sad.
“For the record, I hope you stay.” Clare offered Alicia her sweetest smile, the smile that had been known to calm even the most high-strung client.
“We’ll see.” Alicia rolled her suitcase into the guest room opposite Clare’s and closed the door behind her with a solid click.
“Was it something I said?” Clare asked her dog.
Rue cocked her head, staring up at her out of wide brown eyes.
Alicia was somewhat of a mystery to Clare. She came across as standoffish, even rude at times, but she was Brandi’s best friend, which had to count for something. At any rate, Clare would leave her alone tonight. She walked to the living room and settled on the couch with Rue to see what was on TV.
She’d been working long hours for the last few months, and she was exhausted. Relaxation was her top priority this weekend. She planned to spend most of her time on the beach, except for tomorrow night, when she might get the chance to check an item off her bucket list.
She had tickets to tomorrow night’s Turtle Walk, a guided tour where she hoped to see one of the endangered loggerhead turtles that nested here on the island. Sea turtles had special meaning for her, and seeing one had been on her bucket list for years.
As she settled in to watch a home renovation show, Clare glanced at Alicia’s closed bedroom door. Surely she wouldn’t leave in the morning rather than share the house with Clare, would she?
Clare meant it when she told Alicia she hoped she’d stay. She’d have more fun this weekend if she had someone to share it with, and maybe this would be a chance for her to get to know Alicia better. After watching several hours of mindless television and taking Rue for her final walk of the night, Clare went into the kitchen.
She left Alicia a note inviting her to help herself to the bagels Clare had bought for breakfast. Maybe that would help her feel more welcome. After adding a smiley face and a stick figure of a dog next to her name, Clare grinned at her own goofiness and then headed to bed, hoping Alicia would still be here in the morning.
2
Alicia woke with sore eyes and a dull headache, the aftereffects of having cried herself to sleep last night. In her mind’s eye, she could still see Clare in that pale blue towel, looking so pretty, so cheerful, while Alicia had been nothing but rude in return. She’d just been so unprepared to see her, to seeanyone, last night.
From the bottom of her soul, Alicia needed to be alone this week. But if she went home, she’d have to put up with her sister and her endless judgment, and she couldn’t exactly afford a hotel now that she’d lost her job. The beach house was free, even if it came with a rather inconvenient roommate.
Alicia got out of bed and dressed in leggings and a long-sleeved tee to ward off the morning chill. Then she left her room, glad Clare’s bedroom door was still closed as she went into the bathroom to freshen up. It was only a little past seven, but Alicia had always been an early riser. Maybe she’d go for a walk on the beach. She could use some fresh air.
As she walked into the living room, her stomach growled, and she kicked herself for not shopping last night, because now she had nothing to eat for breakfast. There was a romance novel on the coffee table, and a pink hoodie had been tossed over the arm of the couch, signs of Clare’s presence that made Alicia’s skin prickle with discomfort.
She couldn’t explain her attraction to a woman like Clare. It made no sense. Clare was sunshine personified, while Alicia preferred to lurk in the shade. They’d never work as a couple, so Alicia had been content to keep her distance. Now, if she wanted to stay at the beach house, she’d have to share it with Clare.
With a sigh, Alicia walked to the kitchen, hoping she could at least fix herself a cup of coffee. A note on the counter caught her eye, and she picked it up.Help yourself to a bagel! ~ Clare.She’d drawn a smiley face and a cute little dog beside her name, and seriously, who was this cheerful all the time?
Still, Alicia appreciated the gesture. She toasted a bagel from the bag on the counter, fixed herself a cup of coffee, and brought her breakfast onto the deck. She settled into one of the Adirondack-style chairs, and when she sighed this time, it was with contentment.
The May breeze was cool on her face and carried the familiar briny scent of the sea. Waves lapped at the shore, soothing her with their steady roar and hiss. Yeah, she loved the beach. She brought the mug to her lips for a sip, watching as several seagulls pecked their way through the sand in front of the house.
She was halfway through her bagel when movement caught her eye beyond the breakers. Something dark broke the surface, and she squinted. Was that a dorsal fin? There it was again! Shark? No, as she watched the creature move through the water, she realized it was a dolphin. Her lips stretched into a smile. There was something so uplifting about dolphins.
Now that she was paying attention, she could see at least three of them, their fins periodically breaking the surface as they swam past the house, probably in search of their own breakfast. Alicia took another bite of her bagel. Maybe she should stay. This place was good for her mood, and Clare was only here until Monday. Surely Alicia could avoid her for two days, and then she’d get the rest of the week to herself the way she’d wanted.
Behind her, the glass door slid open, and Clare’s little black dog trotted onto the deck. Alicia stiffened reflexively, not because she disliked dogs—quite the opposite, actually—but because her solitude was about to be interrupted.
“Morning,” Clare called as she stepped onto the deck, mug in hand. “Thanks for starting the coffeepot.”
“You’re welcome.”
Clare walked to the railing, and they drank their coffee in companiable silence, which Alicia really appreciated.
“Want to come with Rue and me for a walk on the beach?” Clare asked as she put down her empty mug. She had on her pink hoodie and jean shorts, her honey-brown hair in a high ponytail on her head.
