A Haven on the Bay - Nicole Ellis Page 0,4

lot and twisted the key to shut off the car. She turned to give Theo a faint smile, suddenly afraid of what he would think of the barn. Why hadn’t she shown it to him before? Had she been too busy, or was it because she was afraid to find out what he thought about her dream?

He looked at her and returned her smile. “Okay, let’s see this future restaurant of yours.”

They exited the car, and she led him around the Inn and along the path leading to the barn. When it came into sight, Meg paused and looked up at it. In the waning daylight, the massive structure appeared even more decrepit than usual. She glanced at Theo to gauge his reaction.

He didn’t bother to hide his disdain. With raised eyebrows, he asked, “This is the building you’ve been talking about?”

Meg’s heart sank deep into her chest. “Yes,” she said softly. “This is it.”

Theo took a good, long look at the siding and whistled. “With how much you’ve talked this place up, I kind of expected it to be in better shape.” He held his hand up to his forehead, shading his gaze from the last rays of the sun to scrutinize the broken windowpanes high above them.

“Did you want to see the inside?” Meg asked. She wasn’t sure she wanted to find out his reaction to the interior of the barn, but they were already there, and she was hoping to make the best of it. Plus, maybe if she described to him exactly what she envisioned, he would see it too.

She slid open the barn door and flipped on the lights, illuminating piles of junk. Theo leaned against the entryway, his eyes wide as he took it all in. In that instant, Meg saw it exactly as he did.

They stood in a trash-filled building that could fall down at any time. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he was thinking that it should be torn down. She wanted to show him where the kitchen would be, and tell him her vision for the dining room, but from the look on his face he wouldn’t believe any of it.

“So, you’re planning on having a restaurant in here?” he asked.

“Uh huh.” She searched his expression, hoping to see a glimmer of hope or excitement for her. Unfortunately, there was none.

“It’s great, babe.” He moved behind her and squeezed her shoulders. “I’m sure that someday this place will be a real showpiece.” He may have chosen those words specifically with the intent of sounding positive, but they didn’t conceal the heavy doubt in his voice.

“Thanks.” Meg leaned against him, hoping that the feel of his warm chest against her back would quell the waves of anxiety pulsing through her body. Was she crazy to think that she could turn this place into a restaurant? She turned and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Thanks for coming to see it.”

She grabbed his hand, led him out of the barn, and shut the door behind them. As the lock clicked into place, she felt an odd sense of remorse, like her negative thoughts had been disloyal to the old building.

“Did you want to take a walk on the beach?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Not tonight. I'm getting a headache and should probably go lay down before it gets worse.” Ordinarily, she would’ve liked nothing better than to take an evening stroll along the bay, but his reaction to the barn had confirmed her worst fears. If Theo had reservations about the feasibility of turning it into a restaurant, Zoe and Shawn must as well.

Meg drove Theo back to the marina and idled in the drop-off zone. He gave her a quick peck on the mouth, then got out of the car and walked jauntily toward the ramp to the docks, whistling a little tune that floated to her through her open window.

He acted like he didn’t have a care in the world, and she doubted he understood how much his lackluster response to the barn had hurt her. She’d had fun during the first part of their date, but was merely enjoying each other’s company enough to sustain a relationship? She’d always imagined having a partner who would share in her hopes and dreams, and support her through both good times and bad. At the very least, she wished he would take the lead once in a while and surprise her by planning an outing or two.

They hadn’t dated for long,