on her face. "You'd find a way. You're different from him."
"I hate to admit it, but I think what we have will disappear when we leave this place and return to our real lives, Lucy. This time with you has been amazing, but I just don't see how a real relationship is meant to be."
She nodded and rose. Standing there, she fought to find the right words to argue. He was wrong, but he wasn't. Summer would end, and so would this thing between them.
"Thanks for being honest with me," she struggled to say.
She walked back to her house and he didn't come after her.
* * *
Tate went inside and poured himself another drink. He usually wasn't one to drown his problems with alcohol - especially when they were problems that weren't going to go away. But he was nowhere with his cookbook, and he'd just sent away the woman who'd made him happier than he'd ever been.
The way things were unraveling made it seem like he was using the wrong ingredients to mix up a recipe. Nothing in his life was working out right now.
He'd never set out to get his own TV show. He'd been working in a restaurant when the right people showed up at the right time with an amazing offer. Sure, it had been fun for a while, but all he'd ever wanted was to make people happy with his food. Why was he so unhappy himself?
He set down his drink and looked out the kitchen window. Lucy was sitting on the deck, staring out at the ocean. Mike's truck was gone. Why couldn't he just go over there and tell her they'd find a way to make this work, that he'd do whatever he had to do?
But would he? He looked at the lobster still sitting on the counter, unlikely to ever find its way into a beach roll. He winced, thinking of Alexa's sweet face, and how he'd probably never get to make dinner for her again. That was one of the things that had brought him so much happiness over the past few weeks - making dinner to delight the people he cared about. Suddenly the light bulb clicked on and the whistles blew and the fireworks exploded in his mind. He laughed at the simplicity of it. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. He knew exactly how he could make this work.
He hoped Lucy could forgive him for not fighting harder at first, but right now he had to make a call to his agent. She wouldn't be happy.
* * *
An hour later, Tate grabbed a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator and held it behind his back as he walked over to Lucy's. She looked up from her deck chair. The sadness in her eyes almost knocked him over.
"I'm a fool," he said, walking up the stairs.
"No, you made some good points. It wouldn't work."
"It will if we try."
"But like you said, your career is your life."
"Not anymore."
"What?"
"When I thought about losing you, I realized how unhappy I've been - until I came here and met you. So, I'm staying." He grinned and set the champagne on the table.
Lucy sat up straight. "I don't understand."
"I called my agent today. I've got an extension to finish the cookbook, and I'm quitting the TV show. I'm not going back."
She blinked a few times. "What are you going to do?"
"She's letting me use her place until I get my own. I'm going to find a position up here as a chef. I want to work in a restaurant again; I've been told I make a mean beach roll. I think someone would take me on. I'm just hoping you two would be interested in staying here, too."
Lucy rushed to him. "I don't think it'll be too hard to convince my little mermaid, and I'm sure my friend will let me stay here as long as I want."
He wrapped his arms around her. "I hope one day I can buy us our own place on the ocean."
"I don't need that. I just need you."
He ran his fingers down her cheek. "I promise to do everything I can to make the days as happy as they've been these past few weeks."
"And I promise not to subject you to magic meatloaf anymore."
"Are you kidding? It's my new favorite dish! In fact, maybe I'll serve it at the restaurant."
"You wouldn't!"
Tate paused and kissed her forehead.
"I hate to admit it, but I think what we have will disappear when we leave this place and return to our real lives, Lucy. This time with you has been amazing, but I just don't see how a real relationship is meant to be."
She nodded and rose. Standing there, she fought to find the right words to argue. He was wrong, but he wasn't. Summer would end, and so would this thing between them.
"Thanks for being honest with me," she struggled to say.
She walked back to her house and he didn't come after her.
* * *
Tate went inside and poured himself another drink. He usually wasn't one to drown his problems with alcohol - especially when they were problems that weren't going to go away. But he was nowhere with his cookbook, and he'd just sent away the woman who'd made him happier than he'd ever been.
The way things were unraveling made it seem like he was using the wrong ingredients to mix up a recipe. Nothing in his life was working out right now.
He'd never set out to get his own TV show. He'd been working in a restaurant when the right people showed up at the right time with an amazing offer. Sure, it had been fun for a while, but all he'd ever wanted was to make people happy with his food. Why was he so unhappy himself?
He set down his drink and looked out the kitchen window. Lucy was sitting on the deck, staring out at the ocean. Mike's truck was gone. Why couldn't he just go over there and tell her they'd find a way to make this work, that he'd do whatever he had to do?
But would he? He looked at the lobster still sitting on the counter, unlikely to ever find its way into a beach roll. He winced, thinking of Alexa's sweet face, and how he'd probably never get to make dinner for her again. That was one of the things that had brought him so much happiness over the past few weeks - making dinner to delight the people he cared about. Suddenly the light bulb clicked on and the whistles blew and the fireworks exploded in his mind. He laughed at the simplicity of it. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. He knew exactly how he could make this work.
He hoped Lucy could forgive him for not fighting harder at first, but right now he had to make a call to his agent. She wouldn't be happy.
* * *
An hour later, Tate grabbed a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator and held it behind his back as he walked over to Lucy's. She looked up from her deck chair. The sadness in her eyes almost knocked him over.
"I'm a fool," he said, walking up the stairs.
"No, you made some good points. It wouldn't work."
"It will if we try."
"But like you said, your career is your life."
"Not anymore."
"What?"
"When I thought about losing you, I realized how unhappy I've been - until I came here and met you. So, I'm staying." He grinned and set the champagne on the table.
Lucy sat up straight. "I don't understand."
"I called my agent today. I've got an extension to finish the cookbook, and I'm quitting the TV show. I'm not going back."
She blinked a few times. "What are you going to do?"
"She's letting me use her place until I get my own. I'm going to find a position up here as a chef. I want to work in a restaurant again; I've been told I make a mean beach roll. I think someone would take me on. I'm just hoping you two would be interested in staying here, too."
Lucy rushed to him. "I don't think it'll be too hard to convince my little mermaid, and I'm sure my friend will let me stay here as long as I want."
He wrapped his arms around her. "I hope one day I can buy us our own place on the ocean."
"I don't need that. I just need you."
He ran his fingers down her cheek. "I promise to do everything I can to make the days as happy as they've been these past few weeks."
"And I promise not to subject you to magic meatloaf anymore."
"Are you kidding? It's my new favorite dish! In fact, maybe I'll serve it at the restaurant."
"You wouldn't!"
Tate paused and kissed her forehead.
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