He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “My two favorite words.”
She had only seven weeks until she had to return to prepare her classroom for the school year ahead. She’d enjoy these wonderful feelings while they lasted and push back any fear of repeating her parents’ mistakes—because she would never allow things to go that far.
Thirty-Two
Give your heroine opportunities to understand and face her inner fears.
—Romance Writing 101
The first thing Sadie did after Sam left for work the next day was move those infernal trees separating the deck. With the barrier gone, she dragged the table to the center and arranged the Adirondack chairs together.
“There,” she said to Rio, who was currently barking at the waving sea oats. “Isn’t that much better?”
Sadie spent the day writing. The block had apparently disappeared in the wake of her revelations. Her feelings seemed to inspire all sorts of ideas—and reality played out on a page or three.
She had to write like the wind to get those first hundred pages done before the deadline—only three days away now. She was so glad she’d included a buffer.
She was in the middle of a scene, the dialogue flowing like anopen faucet, when a call came in. She checked her screen. Mom. Sadie was tempted to ignore the call, but her mother rarely called during the middle of the day. Something could be wrong.
She pushed back from her laptop. “Hi, Mom. How are you?”
“Hi, honey.” Her voice quivered. “I could be better, to tell you the truth. I hate to tell you this while you’re at the beach, but your dad and I are taking a break. Things came to a head late last night and he left.”
Sadie’s heart sank, the unwelcome feeling all too familiar. “Oh, Mom. I’m sorry.” She quelled the jaded side of her that wanted to ask her mother what she’d expected. This outcome was as predictable as the earth’s orbit around the sun.
“I’m not going to drag you into our problems, but I knew you’d want to know. He’s staying at Ernie’s apartment.” Her dad’s divorced friend always seemed to have a spare bed for him.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“No, I’ll be fine. As will your dad. I’m sure we’ll work it out. We always do.” She cleared her throat. “Well, I’m tired of feeling sad. Let’s talk about you, sweetheart. How’s your writing going? Are you finished with your book yet?”
Her mom always seemed to think books materialized from thin air. “It’s going well. I’m closing in on the first hundred pages. I’ll be sending them to Erin later this week.”
“That’s wonderful. I can’t wait to read it, honey. How’s Caroline? Have you heard from her recently?”
“Just quick texts. She’s had a busy couple of weeks with her dog-walking business, plus her mom just had surgery on her shoulder so she’s helping her out.”
“That’s very kind of her. And how are things with that handsome neighbor of yours?”
Sadie had texted with her mom yesterday as they were returning to the island. “They’re going well, but we’re not really serious.”
“Oh, why not? You deserve to find someone special, and I can tell by the sound of your voice that you like him.”
“I do like him...” More than liked him. Her pulse fluttered at the very thought of him.
“But...”
Sadie huffed. “But he lives five states away, Mom. What kind of future could we possibly have?”
“Take your time and try not to think so far ahead. Your address is just a matter of geography.”
Just a matter of geography?Never mind that it had contributed to a lifetime of conflict between her parents. Never mind that it had left Sadie insecure and uncertain about her family the whole time she was growing up.
She shook her head. “How can you say that, Mom, when it’s caused so much division between you and Dad?”
“What do you mean?”
“You left the city for him and you came to regret it. You’ve resented it all these years—resented him for taking you away.”
