“You can. You can. And maybe.”
“Hey!”
“Well, you might be the craziest person in the world. Who can really say?” Georgia laughed. “As an adult in a free country, you can do whatever you want, so long as it is legal or you are willing to suffer the consequences. Whether you should or not is a different story.”
“How do I know if I should?” Stella asked.
At that, Georgia’s smile slipped, and she became more contemplative. Her mouth twisted to the side in thought, and she took a few beats to consider her words before she spoke.
“I was married to a man who fell for someone else and rearranged his entire life,” she said. “It didn’t happen over the course of a weekend, but it might as well have, as prepared as I was for it. I was angry with Richard—I’m still angry with him, depending on the day—but after months of sitting with the consequences of what he has done, I’ve come to realize that he must not have thought very highly of me if he was willing to hurt me that badly.”
“Oh, Georgia,” Stella started. “That’s not true. You’re—”
“Wonderful and kind and very attractive,” Georgia finished, grinning as she gave an exaggerated model pose. “I’ve learned to separate my worth from what he did.”
“Good. Because you’re amazing.”
Georgia wrinkled her nose in a smile and continued. “I think there’s a lot to learn from Richard’s mistakes, but the biggest one is this: if the people you’re closest to in the world would feel betrayed and hurt and devastated by what you are planning to do, then you probably shouldn’t do it.”
Stella nodded. “That’s a good rule of thumb.”
“And if your actions wouldn’t hurt anybody and would make you happier, then I think there’s no reason not to do it.” Georgia grabbed Stella’s hand and looked into her eyes. “And if your action would actually improve people’s lives—say, the lives of the people of Willow Beach because they would gain a new friend and neighbor—then I certainly think you should do it.”
“How did you know I was thinking about moving here?”
“I didn’t, but I hoped!” Georgia pulled Stella in for a tight hug. “That’s amazing.”
“What’s amazing?”
Both women looked up and saw Melanie standing in the doorway, a cardboard box tucked under her arm.
“What are you doing here, darling? It’s late.”
“You said you wanted some treats for the guests with pets, so I brought you some organic doggie biscuits I had stored in my apartment. I’m trying to clean the place out a bit.” Melanie set the box on the coffee table and dropped down into the chair opposite the sofa with a sigh. “Now, what’s amazing?”
“Stella is considering moving to Willow Beach.” As soon as Georgia spoke, she clapped a hand over her mouth and turned to Stella. “I’m sorry. Maybe I’m not supposed to be blabbering about someone else’s business.”
“No, it’s fine. It’s not a secret. Just a bit too early for any definitive plans,” Stella said. “I don’t even have a place to live.”
At that, Melanie sat up, her eyes wide. “Yes, you do. I mean, if you want it.”
“Want what?” Georgia asked.
“My apartment. You can live there if you want. I own the unit, so you could rent it from me or buy it outright. It’s right off Main Street and walking distance from all of the shops and the beach. It’s the perfect size for one person.”
Stella frowned and looked from Melanie to Georgia. “But don’t you live there?”
Melanie froze, glancing towards her mom, and then winced. “Actually, no. Well, not starting next week. I planned to make a more formal announcement, but I’m moving in with Colin.”
Georgia gasped and clapped her hands. “Melanie? What? When? Why?”
Melanie smiled, the expression making her look so much like her mother. “I’m moving in with Colin next week because last night…he proposed.”
There was a flash of movement, and Georgia was across the room with her arms thrown around Melanie. “Honey, that’s amazing. I’m so happy for you. You two are a beautiful couple. You deserve this.”
Stella had just met all of these people, but her eyes brimmed with tears. From what she could tell, Melanie really did deserve it.
Once the excitement settled down and Melanie had walked them through the proposal story three times—Colin had tied a bandana around Bandit’s neck that said “Will you marry me?”—they turned towards the logistics of it all.
“I haven’t even begun the process of selling my house back home,” Stella said. “I have no idea when I could move in. I don’t even have a job here.”
“I can hold the apartment for you for as long as you need. I think Drew or Tasha might want to crash there in the meantime, anyway.”
“No, Tasha just rented out a studio with a loft above it downtown,” Georgia said.
“Oh yeah, for her actor’s studio! She told me last week she already has a waitlist.” Melanie snapped her fingers. “Which reminds me, Stella. You’re a graphic artist, right? Tasha needs a logo done for her business, and I told her she could probably hire you.”
“Tasha’s going to be an acting coach? That’s amazing. Sure, I’d love to help.”
“She’d pay you,” Melanie clarified. “It wouldn’t be just a favor. You said you didn’t have a job yet, so you should definitely charge.”
“One freelance job isn’t a career.”
“It could be! Just last month, I had three different freelancers stay at the inn. They find jobs online and then can work from anywhere.” Georgia shrugged. “It could be worth looking into. Graphic design is a very in-demand skill.”
“Drew has been doing freelance journalism. He can help you set up a profile on one of the sites he uses!”
The Baldwins were being helpful, and Stella was grateful, but she was also overwhelmed. This was all happening much faster than she intended. Only a few hours ago, she’d talked to Jace on the phone and
