Before she got spooked and hightailed it back to the safety of her house, he took her arm and urged her forward. “Let’s go down to the beach.”
He found a spot not far from the water and spread out the blanket.
“Can we eat the brownies now, Uncle Logan?” Molly held up the white bag.
“Let’s wait for a while. You can play with Toby first.” He unclipped the dog’s leash, and the beagle took off along the sand, staying back from the surf—one of the pluses of the breed. They might like to dig, but they weren’t fans of water—meaning he didn’t have to worry about sudsing up a wet dog later.
Nor did he have to worry much about Molly getting too near the water. She’d stick close to Toby.
He motioned toward the blanket, and Jeannette sat. He joined her, waiting until his niece was out of hearing distance to return to the subject his neighbor had introduced on the walk down.
“With Molly occupied, this is a perfect opportunity to give you the scoop on why she and I finally clicked.”
Based on the sudden tension in her features, some nuance in his inflection must have put her on alert that the conversation was about to turn personal. “You don’t have to. I don’t want to pry.”
“It isn’t prying to ask questions about people who are important to you. And I’d like to think Molly and I fall into that category—because you’re important to us.”
She swallowed and shifted her position to sit cross-legged. “You know I have an issue with getting close to people.”
“Yes—and I understand why. If you love again, you could lose again. I think that’s one of the reasons Molly didn’t warm up to me. She lost her father . . . and her Nana . . . and Button. What if she lost me too?”
“Yet you won her over.”
“Thanks to what I told her after we found them.”
“Do I want to know what that was?”
“I’m not sure—but I’m going to tell you anyway.” He locked onto her gaze. “In all the months she lived with me, I did my best to show her how much I cared for her. But I neglected to put that into words. I never said I love you—until last night. And that made all the difference.”
She sucked in a breath, alarm flaring in her eyes. “I’m not—”
“Wait.” He held up a hand. “Don’t panic. I’m not going to declare my undying love for you on this beach tonight. It’s too soon for that. But I am going to tell you that I care for you, that I think we have great potential, and that I’d like to see where a relationship could lead. I do come with a ready-made family, however.” He motioned toward Molly and Toby. “That’s why I brought them along tonight. If you sign on with me, you sign on with them. That means we won’t have the typical kind of courtship two single people with no attachments would expect to—”
“Uncle Logan!”
He gave her a rueful grin. “See what I mean?” He cupped his hands around his mouth and directed his attention toward Molly. “What’s wrong?”
“Toby won’t come.” As she called out her response, she pointed to the pup, who’d run much farther away than usual.
Logan rose. “I’ll be back in a minute. Will you wait?”
After a brief pause, she nodded. “Yes.”
He wasn’t certain about that.
Yet she was still there when he checked over his shoulder as he jogged down the beach.
But now that he’d laid his cards on the table, would she fold—or play the hand she’d been dealt?
Logan was forcing her hand.
By backing up that toe-tingling kiss with a candid declaration of his interest, he’d put the ball in her court.
As Jeannette watched the man and girl in the distance, Molly detached herself and ran back toward the blanket.
“We need Toby’s leash.” She bent to retrieve it, then smiled. “I like it when you come to the beach with us.”
“I do too.”
“Maybe you could do it more so you don’t get lonesome.”
Her throat tightened. “I’ll think about that.”
“I told Uncle Logan you should come live with us too—but he said people who live together are usually married.”
Not as much in today’s society . . . but it was never too early to begin instilling solid values in a child.
“That’s true.”
“If you want to marry Uncle Logan, it’s okay with me.”
“Um . . .” She glanced at her neighbor, who was chasing Toby and would probably have apoplexy if he was privy to this conversation. “A man and lady are supposed go out on dates and get to know each other first—and I’m very busy with my farm.”
Molly’s face grew serious. “But flowers aren’t the same as a family.”
No, they weren’t.
But if they died, they didn’t take part of you with them.
A tear brimmed on her lower lid, and she reached up to swipe it away.
“Don’t cry, ’Nette.” Molly touched her cheek. “I was kind of scared to love Uncle Logan too, but I like loving him better than being afraid. And me and you and him could make a new happy place together.”
“Molly! Where’s the leash?”
She jumped to her feet. “I gotta go. But love is better than lonesome.”
As Molly dashed off, Jeannette fished a tissue out of her pocket, her fingers once more brushing the key Charley had found on this very beach.
A key that had been through turbulent waters but received a second chance at life—and an opportunity to find a new purpose.
Kind of like what was happening to her.
Strange.
She thought she’d already found her new purpose, with the lavender farm and tearoom.
But perhaps there was supposed to be more.
Perhaps God had brought her here not simply to launch a new career but to bring an honorable man and his precious niece into her orbit.
Now it was up to her to decide whether to break free of their pull or align her trajectory with theirs.
In the distance, Logan clipped the leash on Toby, took Molly’s hand, and began walking back.
She watched them approach, the tall, handsome man and the little girl who’d lost so much but who’d chosen love over loneliness—and who’d given her an example to emulate.
And with a sudden, blinding flash of clarity, she knew what she should do.
Yes, loss was hard—especially on the scale she’d endured.
But loneliness was too.
Yes, opening her heart again was a risk—but what was the worst that could happen?
She’d be alone again—like she was now.
In the meantime, though, she could store up a treasure trove of memories that would sustain her every day of her life.
Starting today.
As the threesome drew close, Logan handed off the leash to Molly and continued toward her.
“Sorry about the interruption.” He dropped down beside her again.
“No worries. It gave me a chance to think about what you said.”
He drew up his knees and linked his fingers around them. “I debated whether I should be that upfront, but since my kiss apparently didn’t bowl you over, I figured I better back it up with words.” He offered her a sheepish shrug. “It worked with Molly, and I was running out of ideas with you. I hope I didn’t scare you off.”