“Brody?” Sutton whispered against my chest.
“Yeah?”
“Will you still stay tonight? Please? I…I don’t want to be alone if he comes back.”
My heart damn near burst out of my chest. I wasn’t sure what had changed her mind, and I wasn’t about to ask. I took the moment and ran with it. “I won’t leave, sweetheart. I promise.”
Once we got into her room, I put her down on her bed. “Do you need help with anything?” I asked.
“No. I’m going to close my eyes for a little bit.”
Only a minute later, she was breathing deeply, fast asleep. I wasn’t sure how long I stood there and watched my sleeping beauty before I turned and headed to the guest bedroom. I stripped out of my clothes and took a long hot shower before crawling into the bed. After staring up at the ceiling for what felt like forever, I finally drifted off to sleep.
THE SEASIDE CHRONICLE
September 3, 2022
TIED IN KNOTS (SPECIAL EDITION)
Seasiders!
A seagull has informed me that Gannon Wilson and Adelaide Bradley are getting married at the end of October. Can we say warp-speed matrimony? Word on the docks is a baby shrimp might be sautéing away, and that’s the reason for the rushed wedding, but we’d like to think that they’re just so in love, they couldn’t wait to make it official. Curious minds want to know, are you Team Shrimp Jr. or Team True Love?
It’s also been brought to my attention that some changes are happening over at Coastal Chic; more on that when we get the bait pulled back in—with some info on it, hopefully.
Speaking of Coastal Chic, has any other fish noticed how often Brody Wilson has been seen going in and out of the boutique? One can only imagine why our front-runner in the Catch of the Season competition might be visiting the shop so much. According to Sutton, he’s only helping with some repairs around the shop. But if the older Mr. Wilson is indeed on the hook, hearts will be broken all over Seaside. Don’t worry, we’ll be sure to keep you updated here in the column.
Fair winds and following seas!
“Fucking hell,” I mumbled as I reread the gossip column. The last thing I wanted was for Sutton to be talked about in that stupid column again.
I’d stopped and had dinner at my parents’ house and heard all about how livid Gannon was that the column hinted that Addie was pregnant. I swiped the paper before I left, and now I was pissed that they’d insinuated that something was going on between me and Sutton.
I leaned back and looked down at the paper on my passenger seat. Maybe it was actually a good thing. If Jack read the article, he might believe that Sutton and I were together and simply keeping it on the down low.
Sutton, meanwhile, hadn’t brought up how I’d stayed at her house, nor had she given me another chance to talk to her about what had happened between us so many years ago. She’d been weaving and bobbing, avoiding me anytime I even attempted to talk to her. It was getting old.
Starting my truck, I put it in gear and headed to Sutton’s store. I had the day off, and she’d sent me a text that Addie wanted to meet with both of us to talk about the bachelor and bachelorette parties.
When I got to Coastal Chic, it was closed. I walked around the back and used the key Sutton had given me to head inside. She and Addie were in her office, talking all things wedding.
“Am I interrupting anything?”
Both women turned and glanced over their shoulders when I stepped in.
“No. We were looking at the seating arrangements for the reception,” Addie said as she went back to looking at the chart in front of her. It had a bunch of round tables drawn on a large piece of paper. “Anyone we should avoid putting together on your side of the family?”
Laughing, I replied, “Not that I’m aware of. Might want to ask Gannon, though. We do have a great-aunt my father isn’t very fond of. Something about her drawing on him with makeup while he was asleep, and he went to school without realizing. My grandmother said it was a good lesson for him. He started washing his face every morning after that little stunt.”
Sutton giggled as Addie folded the paper and put it in a large folder.
“I’ll double-check with your dad,” Addie said. “Now, down to business. I want to have a co-ed bachelor and bachelorette party.”
I blinked several times. “I’m sorry, what?”
“She wants to combine the parties,” Sutton clarified. “And not only the bachelor and bachelorette parties, but the shower as well. Addie wants them all to be one big party.”
I slowly shook my head. “Why?”