The Inn At Seagrove - Rachel Hanna Page 0,4

if I leave a little early? I promised Christian I would make dinner for them and bring it over. I need to go to the store and then go home and cook…”

“Of course, darlin’. You take all the time you need.”

Julie walked behind the counter and picked up her purse. “Oh, wait. Don’t you have a date this evening? I don’t want to mess up your plans.”

Dixie smiled. “Sugar, what’s happening with Meg is more important than a silly date. We’ll just go to dinner a little later. No big whoop.”

Julie laughed at Dixie’s sayings. Some of them she’d never heard before, and others made her feel right at home. “Thanks. See ya tomorrow!”

As Julie made her way out to her car, she felt a stirring in the pit of her stomach. Was she qualified to help her daughter through this, or were things worse than she feared?

Chapter Two

Janine sat at the table, tapping her fingers on the metal surface, as she watched people in the square. William was never late, and her stomach was growling like an angry lion. Teaching yoga classes burned calories like nobody’s business, and she’d taught three already that day. The pack of trail mix she’d scarfed down at ten o’clock was long gone.

“Sorry I’m late,” William said as he jogged up and kissed her on top of her head. She loved when he did that. It just felt so intimate and reassuring.

“No problem. I was about to start eating this menu, though,” she said, holding it up. “Let me get the server’s attention.” She held up her hand and smiled as she waved at Denitra, their favorite server at the sandwich shop.

“Hey, y’all,” Denitra said. “What’ll ya have today?”

William told Janine to go first as he quickly looked at the menu. It wasn’t like he didn’t know what was on it. They ate here practically every day. Yet, he always looked at the menu again, as if something had changed from the day before.

“I’ll have a chicken salad pita with chips and a fruit cup,” Janine said. “Oh, and sweet tea, of course.”

Denitra smiled. “Of course. Is it even a meal without sweet tea?”

“I think not,” Janine said, handing her the menu.

“I’ll just take…” William started to say.

“A Cuban sandwich with extra pickles, barbecue chips and a sweet tea with extra lemon,” Denitra and Janine said in unison, laughing.

“Am I that predictable?”

Janine smiled and reached across the table to squeeze his hand. “Maybe just a smidge.”

Denitra took Wiliam’s menu and headed inside to place their orders. “What can I say? They have the best Cuban sandwich on the planet.”

“You know, I love the predictability of our relationship.”

“Oh yeah?”

She leaned over the table and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “I do. Most of my life was spent traveling around, not having real roots. I like knowing where we’re eating lunch, what you’re ordering, what TV show we’re going to binge watch this weekend. It’s nice. It’s comfortable.”

He looked at her for a long moment. “Is that what you want? Nice and comfortable?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, but it’s great right now. We have our whole lives to be adventurous. I’m just enjoying the monotony for a change.”

“Monotony?”

“That sounds like a bad word to most people, but I’m relishing routine now. I love my class schedule, knowing how much money I’m making, having family dinners on Sundays.” She noticed he looked distressed. “Are you alright?”

“Janine, we need to talk,” he said. Denitra set their drinks on the table, gave Janine a worried look and walked away. Even she knew that “we need to talk” was never a good thing.

“Okay. You’re scaring me a little bit.”

“You know I adore you, right?”

“If you were going to break up with me, could you have not done it in public? Or were you afraid I’d punch you, so you figured it was safer in public?” Her face turned red, evidence of her Irish heritage betraying her.

“Janine, relax. I’m not breaking up with you,” he said in a loud whisper. She took in his words, trying to will her blood pressure to go back down to a normal level.

“You’re not?”

“No, and I never will now that I know you plan to punch me,” he said, chuckling.

She took in a deep breath and blew it out. Part of her was really bothered by how quickly she became upset at the idea of him breaking up. She didn’t want to depend on a man for her happiness, but that’s