Beautiful Chances (The Beautiful Series) (8 page)

I woke up covered in sweat as I heard someone scream. My heart raced as my body shook with tremors. I quickly realized I was the one who had been screaming. In this dream, I remembered hearing my sister’s horrible cries as I’d pinched my eyes at the bright light, and then the sound of metal grinding and clashing had overtaken me with deafening decibels before I saw black…complete darkness. It was one of the dreams that I had often, but it felt like I only had pieces of the puzzle.

I was not sure how much I actually wanted to remember from that horrifying night. It was the night my whole world and everyone in it had been altered and shattered…ripped away from me. I would give anything to erase that one day…just that one day.

As I glanced at the clock, I realized it was only four in the morning. I decided to get up and start my day early. After a nightmare, it never did much good for me to try to sleep again. It was easier to get up and push it out of my mind.

After a few hours of power cleaning and laundry, I decided to go on a morning jog along the shoreline. Adrenaline pumped through my body as I listened to my music, and I pushed myself to run even faster. I ran harder and harder until my dream felt far enough away from me.

I waved to Luke before I made one more loop around the cottages and back up the shoreline again. When I circled back, Luke began walking up to me with my breakfast in his hand.

“Hey, Lil. I saw you were up early for your jog, and I made you a bagel,” he said kindly as we walked up to my patio.

When I reached for the bagel, he pulled it back. “Only if you say, ‘Luke is awesome!’” he taunted me with the food.

He had forgotten that I didn’t always fight fair when it came to food.
A girl’s gotta eat.
I took a step toward him and gave him a light elbow in the ribs. When he bent forward, I quickly grabbed my bagel with a smirk.

“You don’t fight fair, Lil.” He pretended to be wounded as he shook his head. “Must have been all those cousins of yours. They taught you well.” He laughed and sat down one of my patio chairs. He started digging into his bagel. “Man, I do make a tasty bagel. No wonder you fight dirty for it. So, what’s on the agenda today, Lil?”

Luke was always so laid-back in his demeanor, giving us an easy friendship. He never tried to invade my privacy, and we each only shared what we wanted.

“Yes, my cousins taught me not to put up with bullies. So, are you leaving right after work for your weekend getaway?” I asked before sinking into my bagel.

“Yeah. I have a class until noon, and then I have to work a few hours before the guys come to pick me up. My fucking parents are visiting soon, so I’m looking forward to a break before they arrive. These last few weeks of school have been intense. College seems harder now that I am older, but I’m very excited to finish my bachelor’s degree next spring. Changing from pre-law to pre-med sure was a time-consuming switch.”

“I’m so proud of you for going back and following through. I’m sure it will pay off well for you. Any ideas on where you will apply for a job after you graduate?”

“Not positive yet.” He shrugged. “I’ve actually just started checking into it. I haven’t thought much about it, so I’m not sure if I’ll stay settled in Florida or if I’ll move. For the right salary, I’m sure I would move, but I’m not set on a location, one way or the other. I do have a few other loose ends to tie up here first.” He became quiet for a minute. “Have you thought more about visiting your family yet, Lily?”

I took a deep breath and let it out. “Yes, I really miss them, but I haven’t locked in a date yet.”

“You just have to take the first step, Lily. You can’t hide in Florida forever,” he said softly.

“I know.” I sighed. “I’m getting there. How about you? Are you happy to see your parents? Do you think they’ll finally accept your career change now that you’ve proven to them that you can do it and are serious about it?”

It was Luke’s turn to sigh. “I hope so, but I doubt it. I’m twenty-six, so I’m not their child anymore. I have to make my own path. I’m sure my dad will be horrified that I’ve been working concessions to pay my rent, but it was something I needed to do. My dad will have to find someone else to take over the family business. I guess we both have pasts we ran from, huh?” he asked intently, looking over at me.

I frowned. “I guess we did. Now, we just have to pick the path to our futures. Well, you better be off to class. You still have a degree to finish earning. No slacking!”

I polished off my bagel just after Luke had finished his. Standing, I turned to see the same deliveryman who had come yesterday. He was approaching the door with another wildflower bouquet in his hands. My face immediately began to blush as thoughts of Kyle filled my mind.

“Delivery for Miss Tidsdale.”

The man handed me the bouquet, and I signed for them.

“Have a good day.” He smiled and walked away.

“Wow. Now,
that
is a bouquet. From the way you are blushing, I’m guessing those are from Kyle?” Luke asked with a half-frown on his face.

I could tell he had more to say, but he was holding back.

Should I ask him what’s on his mind? Does he not like Kyle? Or does he know something bad about Kyle, and he doesn’t want to tell me? Why would Luke frown at another man being romantic? Do I want to know and risk changing our friendship?
As quickly as these thoughts entered my mind, I quickly dismissed them. I didn’t want to know if Luke had feelings for me.
That would change everything.
We were just friends. He was like family.

The look on his face showed he might want more, but then it quickly vanished. Maybe I was just overthinking it.
That’s it.
I’m just tired and analyzing it.
I’d had a few too many days in the sun.

“Yes,” I said, turning a deep shade of red.

If he had any doubts about my feelings for Kyle, I was pretty sure I’d just summarized them.

“Well, I better get going, or I’ll be late for class.” His voice sounded distant. “See you around, Lil.”

“See you later, Luke.”

As I took the bouquet in the house, I tried to brush off Luke’s awkwardness. The flowers were yellow and in a tall narrow vase.

My heart skipped a beat at his thoughtfulness. They were the largest bouquet of flowers I had ever seen, and they were exquisite with vibrant colors. I decided to put the second display on my coffee table since the first bouquet was taking up half of my kitchen table.

I pulled out my phone and quickly sent another thank-you text.

Thank you again for yet another bouquet of flowers. You have exceptional taste.

I opened up my laptop and began reviewing my notes to prepare for writing another chapter.

You are most welcome. How is the writing coming along today?

I smiled at the simple words he’d texted me.
Jeez, that can’t be good.

Just getting ready to start. Hopefully, I can concentrate and not stare at my flower arrangements. They’re distracting.

Kyle quickly texted back.

Anything I can do to make you think of me more ;) Plane is about to takeoff. I’ll call you tonight.

The man traveled a lot. I wondered if he ever got tired of it. I was sure it was great to see so many places, but I would not be able to help but feel homesick.

I quickly turned my attention over to my book. Steady fingers hammered the keyboard for hours as I let my mind flow. I never had control over the thoughts that poured out. Instead, each time, I gave it open reins.

Since I was young, my family had always encouraged me to write. My mother had once told me that I was so excited to learn how to write, and my passion continued to spelling, cursive, and then to journalism. I remembered the thrill of making up my own stories.

My parents had been elated when I pursed writing in college. I wished I could have seen their faces when my first book was published. Knowing my mom, she would have purchased a whole rack of copies to support me. I could picture myself finding them stashed in her closet or somewhere in the house. My father had always told me to follow my dreams. His face would show so much pride every time he’d looked at my sister or me. I knew he would have been proud of me, no matter what I did in life.

I jumped when my phone rang, quickly pulling me from my thoughts.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Lily. How are you?” Brooke Bines, my editor, said cheerfully into the phone.

She was always a glass-is-half-full kind of woman. I loved her spirit and shared her passion for books. It was amazing to have a friend who I could read stories and share my thoughts with. We kind of had our own book club. With her job, she read much more than I did, but as an editor, she also read so many different books that she saved me the time of reading the less captivating ones.

While working together on my first novel, Brooke and I had become close. When I first started out, she had been my only source of encouragement and my very own personal cheerleader, hoping I succeeded in the business. She had talked me through my bad days, telling me to never give up, as she always offered her expertise and professional opinion.

“Hi, Brooke! I’m doing great. How are things going with your new little one, Miss Ava?”

Brooke and her husband, John Bines, just had their first baby.

“Everything is great here, too. Ava is doing wonderfully. She is so snuggly, and she smiles all the time. Parenthood is truly a blessing, and Ava keeps me on my toes all the time.”

I could practically hear her beaming through the phone.

“How are you? Still enjoying Florida’s sun rays with your laptop in hand?” she asked.

“Of course, you know me. I’m all about the atmosphere for writing. Speaking of writing, my book should be completed early. I’m thinking Octoberish.” I decided to get up and move around a bit. My legs and shoulders were stiff from hours of sitting.

“That’s fabulous! I should be able to work you in whenever you finish. I am planning to take a light load for this first year. I want to spend all the time I can with Ava. It’s already going by so fast. She is attempting to crawl. My God, I don’t know what I’ll do when she’s mobile.”

I loved hearing the mothering tones in her voice, but it stirred something deep in my chest—a longing for a family. I was sure it was because I was alone. I shook my head at the thought.

Brooke and John had been trying for five years to conceive, and they had just about lost hope when she finally got pregnant. It added a whole new appreciation to parenthood for them. Each memory was that much more precious.

“Okay, whenever works for you. I’m in no rush. Give that beautiful baby girl a few extra kisses for me. Hopefully, we can plan a visit soon. I would love to see her again.”

“Absolutely! I will check my schedule to see what openings I have coming up, and then we’ll plan to have a lunch date. I can always use some girl time. In fact, I could really use a shopping spree soon.”

I could hear the wheels turning in her head. Now, she would not give up until she had her shopping spree, and no one could top Brooke in shopping. The woman was an unstoppable force of nature. And I could prove it because I’d seen her closet. It was large enough to be a small bedroom.

“Sure, just let me know when. Take care,” I said.

“You, too.”

After I hung up with Brooke, I decided to keep writing. I had surpassed this week’s goal for writing, and I was feeling very accomplished today. I wished every day could be like this.

My phone rang just as I was proofreading my writing for the day.

“Hello?”

“Hello, beautiful. What are you up to?”

“Just finishing up a very productive work day.” I put away my laptop and went into the living room.

“That’s great to hear. I hope you took a break to eat.”

I could hear him shuffling something around. Then, I heard what sounded like a car door closing.

“Actually, I’m starved. I’m thinking it’s a movie-and-pizza kind of night…maybe even pasta. How did all your work go today?”

“It went a lot better than I had planned. I hadn’t expected them to accept my lowball offer for a building,” he answered proudly.

I heard him murmur something to another gentleman. I wondered what he was doing.
Why didn’t he just wait to call me after he got back to his hotel room?