One Hot Summer - Page 81

Kelly turned off her Jeep Wrangler, her gift to herself when she decided to move from New York City back to the beach. A Mercedes Benz had no business being in a place like this, and the last thing she wanted was to look like a tourist. Plus, this was her dream car. It always had been since she got her driver’s license. Hard to believe that was almost twenty years ago.

“We’re here,” Kelly said over her shoulder and found that her daughter had drifted off to sleep. As if an automatic response, Kelly yawned even though she was far from tired. Energy flowed through her. Excitement from starting a new chapter in her life. She reached for her daughter and gently roused her. She watched as Kori rubbed the sleep away from her eyes and yawned. Despite everything, Kori was the best part of her life.

“Grammie’s?” Another highlight of moving back to Gray meant Kori would spend more time with her grandparents. Over the years, Kelly’s parents came to the city, opting for Broadway plays and the Hamptons.

“Not yet. But Papa will be here shortly to help us unpack.”

“Maybe Papa wants to take me for ice cream.”

“Of course, he will.” Kelly’s voice drifted off as she stared at her new business. Very few people were on the Boardwalk, and those who were, waved. As far as she could tell, no one knew it was her sitting there, but that didn’t matter. The people of Gray were overly nice and welcoming.

Above the coffee shop was the two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment where the previous owners had lived and now where she and Kori would reside. The space was perfect for them, and a bit too practical for her liking. Living and working in the same building didn’t exactly appeal to her but living in the house she grew up in didn’t either. Her mother would hover, and that was something she didn’t want or need right now. She needed her space. She needed to heal and didn’t want her mother pestering her with questions and I told you so’s. She didn’t give her mother enough credit. Her mom had been her rock, aside from her best friend Melody, when everything went south. It was her mother’s suggestion that she buy Java Hut and return home.

Kelly continued to sit in her parked car, staring at the long stretch of storefronts. Every seaside vendor you could think of was here, from the Hawaiian Ice stand, which happened to be her favorite and a luxury she didn’t have living up north, to the stores that carried just about everything from sunblock to flip flops. For as long as she could remember, the boardwalk was the busiest part of town with everyone, including tourists, riding their bikes, roller blading, and running.

“Mommy,” Kori said into her mother’s ear, having let herself out of her booster seat. Kori’s fingers touched the back of Kelly’s neck, playfully fingering the random strands of her auburn colored hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. She leaned toward her daughter, thankful to have her and hopeful Kori would never know the depth of the pain she had experienced.

“What do you think, Kori? Should we go look at our new coffee shop?” She glanced up at her daughter through the mirror. She saw herself, only smaller and with lighter hair. Their eyes matched, the perfect green, as her father used to say, and they had the same thick beach wavy hair. Kori smiled and nodded her head so fast her own ponytail bobbed up and down, causing her to giggle and fall away from the seat. Kelly finally opened her door and waited for her daughter to climb over the console so she could help her jump down. Hand in hand, they crossed the street and took the necessary steps toward their next adventure.

“Mommy why’s the sidewalk brown?”

Kelly crouched down, setting her hand on the old familiar wood that her father helped repair every year. “It’s called a boardwalk.”

“It’s different,” Kori said.

“It’s unique. It gives our little town some character.” Kelly stood and moved behind her daughter, placing her hands on her shoulders. “In a couple of days, we’ll open those doors and people will come in to buy our coffee and cupcakes, and hopefully come back to buy their lunch. Do you see that big window right there?”

“Uh huh. It’s so pretty.” Kelly laughed. Anything bright or pink was pretty according to her five-year-old.

“In front, we’ll set out some tables and chairs and a water bowl for dogs. Everyone will love it.” Even as she said the words, Kelly hadn’t fully convinced herself. Moving home was the right thing to do, but investing in a business that depended solely on the locals and tourism made her question her decisions. What’s done was done and she couldn’t go back now. She sighed heavily and marched forward with her keys poised to open the door. The lock made a satisfying click and the bell above the door chimed.

Inside, Kelly walked around slowly, taking in the interior. The pictures hadn’t done this place justice in the sense that changes needed to be made. First off, the walls and furniture needed to be painted. The floor was in good shape, the same black and white checkered design that she loved. Another plus were the countertops. Her father had installed them before the previous owners put Java Hut up for sale. They were black and shiny, which complemented the stainless-steel coffee urns. Kelly knew the owners had put the shop on the market and bailed in the middle of their remodel, which was lucky for her because the asking price was well within her range.

To the left of the counter was a glass display case. Kelly ran her hand along the top and imagined it filled with cookies, cupcakes, brownies, and muffins for those early morning folks. Kelly couldn’t recall the day she wanted to own a bakery, but it probably started when the moms from Kori’s playgroups started ordering her cakes and cupcakes for their kid’s birthday parties and other events. At one point she had so many orders she was up all night, frosting until her eyes blurred. Now she was going to have an opportunity to really hone her hobby. She was fully aware of the long hours ahead of her but wanted the challenge. She wanted to create recipes and share them with whoever wanted to try something of hers.

The overhead lights came on causing Kelly to turn. She didn’t hear the bell chime, likely too lost in thought. Standing there in the doorway was one of the main reasons Kelly chose to return to Gray, her best friend Melody.

The two women rushed to each other, embracing as if they hadn’t seen each other in years instead of months. “I’m so happy you’re home,” Melody whispered. The word home struck Kelly square in the chest and tears prickled in her eyes. She covered her face in an attempt to shield her emotions from Kori.

“It feels good to be back,” Kelly said. She wasn’t lying. She wasn’t exactly telling the truth either. She felt indifferent. In Gray, she felt like she could breathe without being judged

, and that’s how she felt in New York. All eyes on her, no matter where she went or what she did.

“Auntie Melly,” Kori crashed into Melody’s legs, jostling Kelly out of the way. When Kelly and Melody were growing up, they often said their children would be best friends. Mel had a one-year head start when she became pregnant with twins. Shortly after the birth of Brett and Carolyn, Kelly discovered she was pregnant. For two best friends, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. “Where’s Cary?”

“She’s in school, but as soon as the bell rings, uncle Chad will pick her and Brett up and bring them over.”

Kori shook her head. “Only Cary, not Brett. He has cooties.”

Both women laughed, but secretly Kelly loved the fact that her daughter thought boys had cooties. Now, if she could keep this thought process in her daughter’s mind through college, Kelly would be happy.

“Why don’t we check out the upstairs?” Kelly suggested. The three of them walked through the kitchen. As much as she wanted to stop and admire the state of the art oven, she was more eager to see her apartment. Through one of the back doors, they climbed the staircase to the top floor landing where there was a white door. Kelly slid the key in and twisted the doorknob.

The first thing that caught her attention was the view. From here, she could see the ocean without any obstructions. “Oh my,” she said aloud to anyone who wanted to listen.

“Wow, Kel. I have to say, I’m jealous.”

Never mind the wide planked hardwood floors, the beautifully arched walls, the wainscoting or farmhouse sink, it was the view that kept Kelly mesmerized, especially as she stepped out onto her small terrace. She inhaled the sea salt air and closed her eyes, getting lost in the sounds of the beach life.

Tags: Heidi McLaughlin Romance
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