Emma chuckled. “Well, I guess Emma should start finding out some new facts before then, huh?”
She was surprised at how easy it was to blend in with a family she had only just met. As Lucy brought the food in and everybody made their plates, the conversation was easy. She felt like she had known them forever, and that was a testament to just how kind and welcoming they were. How she wished that she had her own family like that with a handsome, sweet husband, and a perky little boy to keep her on her toes. It was what she had always wanted, a stable and happy family. Unfortunately, she had never really experienced that. Although she’d adored her mother, they didn’t get to have a picture perfect postcard life. It had been a financial struggle, and her mom had worked a lot when she was a kid.
“So, how are you liking Seagrove so far?” Julie asked.
“Honestly, I haven’t been anywhere past the lighthouse yet. I’ve been so busy trying to get everything ready that I haven’t even gone into town.”
Julie put her fork down, her eyes wide. “You haven’t gone to town? Well, that’s it. You must come to the bookstore. And my mom’s bakery. We can make sure that you go when she’s not working,” she said with a laugh.
“I would love to come to town. I promised Janine that I’d come take one of her yoga classes.”
“That would be great for you. I’m sure you need to unwind from all the stress of starting a new job in a whole new place. I totally understand what that feels like.”
“You do? So you’re not from here originally?”
“Oh, no. My story in a nutshell is that my husband of twenty-one years decided that he needed a younger model. We were supposed to be buying a beach house somewhere else and he came home from a business trip and dropped a bombshell that he was in love with someone else and had a son.”
“Are you serious? He had a kid you didn’t even know about?”
“Yes, it was quite a shock. I needed a new fresh start and I was alone, so I picked the cottage where Janine now lives, site unseen, and moved here. It was quite a whirlwind, and I’m not sure it’s something I would ever have the bravery to do again, but it turned out to be the best decision I ever made.” She looked at Dawson, reached over and squeezed his hand. Then she looked in the other direction and squeezed Dylan’s hand.
“So how many years ago was that?”
“Oh just a couple. Turned out that the cottage was in shambles. I had to hire a local contractor, and that was Dawson. We struck up a friendship and then it became more. And then we found out about Dylan who was in foster care at the time. He just became our son very recently.”
“Wow! I had no idea. You guys look like you’ve been a family forever. I just assumed that Dylan…” She didn’t want to finish her sentence by saying that she assumed he was theirs. Obviously, he was theirs. Just not biologically.
“I like to think that we were a family meant to be together by God,” Dawson said, smiling.
“I’m sure you’re right.” Emma took a sip of her sweet tea. “Congratulations on making such a wonderful life for yourself, Julie.”
“It is a wonderful life. And once I came here, I started working at the bookstore and then became part owner. And then we opened the inn. So, I’m just saying that so many things happened out of such a lonely beginning. When I first moved here, I thought for sure I’d made a mistake. I almost turned around and went back to my country club lifestyle.”
“What’s a country club?” Dylan asked. They all laughed.
“It’s something that I would never do again,” Julie said, ruffling the hair on top of his head.
They continued talking, and Emma was so thankful that nobody was asking her personal questions. It was like they knew that she wouldn’t be comfortable answering them anyway. She enjoyed the relaxing way they were able to talk without worrying about somebody springing something on her. It was the first time she felt this peaceful in well over a year, and probably more.
“Dessert?” Lucy asked, poking her head out of the kitchen once again. She hadn’t eaten with the family, saying that she had snacked too much while she was cooking dinner.
“No, thank you. I’m stuffed,” Emma said. Julie said the same, but Dawson and Dylan were more than happy to accept the chocolate muffins that she had made.
“Do you want to go sit out by the water and maybe have a glass of wine while these guys continue shoveling sugar into their faces? Julie asked, winking at her husband.
“Sure. It’s a beautiful night, so I would enjoy a nice glass of wine.”
A few minutes later, the two women were sitting in two white Adirondack chairs on the beach. The constant sound of the waves coming in and out and the warm ocean breeze made Emma feel like she just wanted to close her eyes and stay there forever. Even though she was on the ocean when she stepped out the back of her own cottage, there was just something about the little beach that Julie and Dawson had that felt so comfortable and right. She stared out over the water as she took a sip of her wine, noticing the moonlight dancing on each of the waves and then shattering into a million pieces as it hit the shore.
“Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful.”
“You’re welcome. Lucy does all the heavy lifting. I like to cook, but she rarely lets me in the kitchen,” she said, giggling.
“It sounds like you’re a very busy woman anyway. I’m sure
