You have stripes on your cheeks.”
Looking at her hands, Shelly grinned. “Guess I should’ve worn my gloves before digging in the dirt.” She lifted an edge of her T-shirt and wiped her face. “Better?”
“Gorgeous.” Ivy smoothed Shelly’s knotted hair and tucked the loose ends into her bun.
“You always did take care of me,” Shelly said. “Even now.”
“You take care of yourself pretty well. Imagine, you could still be in New York with Ezzra.” Ivy hugged her sister. “This will all work out.”
In Shelly’s favor, she hoped. If Mitch backed out of the wedding as Ezzra had, Shelly would be devastated.
2
The next morning, a gusty breeze lifted Ivy’s natural straw hat, sending it tumbling across the terrace and onto the beach. She cried out and started after it.
“Got it,” Bennett called out, racing from behind. He scooped it up and brought it back to her. “Good morning,” he said in a slightly gravelly voice. He dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Looking for this?”
“Thanks,” she said, catching her breath. “I just bought this one, too.”
She’d lost her last hat to the ocean when the winds had teased it from her head and tossed it to a wave, which stole it out to sea like a newly prized possession. At least the straw would break down, unlike the plastic that careless visitors left on the beach. Like many Summer Beach locals, she often carried a bag to pick up and dispose of discarded wrappers, bottles, and broken beach toys that could prove deadly to marine life.
Bennett held the hat above her head, his hazel eyes twinkling with love and laughter. His short, cropped hair was sun-streaked, and daily runs on the beach had toned his physique. Everything about him quickened her heart rate.
“And what’s on your mind?” she asked, although she could just imagine—because she had the same thoughts. This was her fiancé, the man she’d promised her heart to a few months ago at Christmas. At her age, it almost seemed silly to call him that.
A smile danced on his lips. “Don’t I get some sort of reward?”
Lifting onto her toes, she gave him a soft kiss that brought a smile to each of them. “Consider that a down payment.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
Ivy arched a brow. “I certainly hope so.”
“When do you think that might be?” Bennett asked, threading his fingers with hers. His voice held a note of anticipation.
“Soon enough,” she said, smiling. “After Shelly gets married. And then, when we can find a quiet week.” With summer on the horizon and weekends the busiest time at the Seabreeze Inn, Ivy couldn’t imagine leaving the inn short-handed.
“We’ll make time. Everyone will understand and cover for you.” Bennett brushed her hair back and placed the hat snugly on her head. “And just to prove that they can manage without you, I have a surprise planned for you.”
“What?”
Instead of answering, Bennett drew up the strings that she’d carelessly let fall down her back. “This is what these are for.”
She nudged him. “As if I hadn’t grown up on the beach, too.” She’d meant to rearrange her hat, but she’d been in a hurry for a beach walk before the day began. Her curiosity piqued, she turned to him, wondering what he had in mind. “Aren’t you going to tell me?”
“Nope.”
She punched him playfully in the arm, and he only laughed.
“Later,” he said as he slung his arm across her shoulders. “Where’s the rest of your morning crew? I thought you’d be out for a walk by now.”
Obviously, she wasn’t going to get anything out of him now. “The bachelorette party that checked in last night stayed out late. Between the sun and the wine, they didn’t even make it down for breakfast. I waited as long as I could for my walk because they had been enthusiastic about joining me yesterday.”
Guests could walk the beach on their own, of course, but Ivy liked to lead because they often had questions about the village—the best restaurants, shops, and entertainment. She could answer all the guests’ questions at once while they enjoyed a brisk walk and fresh sea air.
Most visitors came to enjoy the beach and the small-town ambiance. Aside from the local farmers market, the one-screen movie theater, and the wine shop that often featured jazz artists passing through to San Diego from Los Angeles, there wasn’t much to do in Summer Beach. The community organized some events, such as the Independence Day fireworks and the holiday coastal cruise. Boat