The Bookstore on the Beach - Brenda Novak Page 0,135
yours.”
His leg stopped moving. “Oh, what the hell,” he said, throwing up his hands. “I guess I can have just as much fun in Sable Beach as Tampa. I’m going to have to leave the friends I have there eventually, anyway.”
“What about water polo?” Mimi asked.
“If I’m good enough, I should be able to get a scholarship while going to any high school. And if not, I’ll try to walk on.”
“Are you sure?” their mother asked. “I don’t want you to regret this.”
“I’m sure,” he replied. “There’s just one thing.”
Taylor could tell their mother was trying not to get excited too soon. So was she.
“What’s that?” Autumn asked tentatively.
“We have to get our own place before school starts, because I’m not going to spend the next two years sleeping on Mimi’s couch.”
They all started laughing. “What’s wrong with my couch?” Mimi joked.
“Agreed,” Autumn told Caden. “The two of you can even help me pick out the house.”
Taylor felt so much better. But she had a question herself. “Will Quinn be moving in with us?”
“Would it be okay if he did?” Autumn asked.
Taylor missed her father. There was no way she could ever love Quinn as much. But she could tell he was a good person. He’d already done a lot for her, and she liked him. She figured that was a start. Besides, she didn’t feel as though she could stand in the way of her mother’s happiness when her mother was doing so much for her. “It’s okay with me.”
“I’m fine with it, too,” Caden said. “I love you all—don’t get me wrong—but it’ll be nice to have a little more testosterone in the house.”
Taylor got up and gave her brother a hug. “Thank you,” she said. Then she went around the table to thank her mother and grandmother, and when she saw the relief and happiness on her mother’s face, she loved her brother even more.
32
The next few weeks were some of the happiest of Mary’s life. Although Autumn knew about the past, she was so caught up with Quinn that she never broached the subject. It felt wonderful to Mary to know she no longer had something terrible to hide, at least from the person she loved most. She’d also been afraid that, if the truth got out, word would spread quickly through town and she’d have to deal with the curiosity of all the people she knew in Sable Beach, and she didn’t want to talk about the past. Didn’t want to think about it, either. The only way to truly vanquish Jeff and Nora was to cut them out of her life completely.
So it came as a relief that Drake D. Owens’s visit hadn’t led to anyone else in Sable Beach figuring out that she was Bailey North. To her surprise, life continued much as it always had, except for the excitement surrounding Autumn’s big move.
They spent the majority of their time, when they weren’t at the bookstore, house hunting and had found a darling three-bedroom cottage Autumn hoped to buy. It wasn’t in town; it was set off by itself on the beach about ten minutes away, and it had recently been remodeled with new cupboards and countertops, hardwood floors throughout and windows and doors that faced the sea and opened onto a large deck. Mary could easily imagine sitting on that deck with a glass of wine, enjoying the sunset with her daughter and Quinn, so she hoped Autumn would be able to come to an agreement with the owner. Autumn, the kids—even Quinn—thought it was perfect.
“Hey, Mimi!” Taylor called breezily as she strolled into the bookstore with Sierra at her side.
“Hi, honey. What are the two of you up to today?” Mary had been expecting Autumn, but she hadn’t shown up yet.
“Nothing much.”
“Where’s your mother?” Laurie asked. “I’m excited to show her Chris’s new painting.”
“She’s going to be late today. That’s why we’re here,” Taylor explained. “She asked us to come by and see if you needed help with anything, because she’s busy negotiating on the house.”
Mary felt a surge of anticipation. “How’s it going?”
“They didn’t accept her first offer, but they seem open to working something out.”
“I hope she can get it,” Laurie said before trundling into the back.
Sierra asked if she could use the restroom and, as soon as she and Laurie were both gone, Mary lowered her voice. “Any word from Oliver and his family?” Autumn had been talking about getting back to them this morning.