Summer With The Rock Star (Blue Bay Beach Reads Book 2) Page 10

  It felt as if she were the only woman on the patio, in the world.

  His lingering look was like a spotlight, warming her all over.

  He smirked, raised his hand, then sauntered to the front. He picked up a battered and bruised guitar, and strummed.

  Although there was a decent-sized crowd, she expected loads of fans to spring up from the surrounding water at the sight of Carter aka Wilde playing live.

  “Is this thing on?” he joked, tapping the mic.

  Everyone present fell into a hush.

  “I once wrote a song called Falling Star about how I believed I was like shattered, broken glass reflecting, but not shining, starlight. A special woman recently came into my life and taught me what it is to fall...To fall in love. Instead of a feeling of shattering into a million pieces, I now feel whole. As it is, this is my debut song as Carter—the guy formerly known as Wilde.”

  Everyone started clapping, Claudia included. His words were like poetry, but also like the truth, one she was surprised to hear, but one that felt like starlight shone inside of her.

  Carter played the song on his guitar and it was at once soulful and joyful.

  Claudia couldn’t help herself, but she rushed to the stage when he was done. “That was amazing.”

  “You asked me to tell you how I felt. Will that do?” His accent was as charming as ever, but it was his sincere smile and the meaning behind his words that made her bypass a hug and plant a kiss on his lips.

  “Yes, Carter. That will do.”

  The next act was up and he pulled her to a quiet corner by the tiki bar, which was really just a place for the servers to stash items when waiting tables on the patio.

  The light of the tiki torches made his gray eyes amber.

  Doubt flickered inside as she recounted the days since they’d last seen each other. “The song was beautiful, but I have to ask, what about the woman in the red dress?” Claudia asked. “You could be with any girl tonight. Why me?”

  “That was Alana Winstead from Music Nation Daily. You should check out the interview.” He winked then gripped her shoulders.

  The weight of his hands, the hands that had strummed the guitar, had danced over the piano keys, and that had held hers, melted some of the tension she carried.

  “I thought you said I was your first interview—maybe your last.”

  He gave her a gentle squeeze. “I think we can keep what we have just between us. No paparazzi. No spotlight. But if you check out the interview, you’ll see that I let the world know how I feel about you.”

  Her heart melted a little more.

  “I’ve been with a lot of girls and none of them are you, love.” He bit his lip. “I don’t use that word lightly, either. I love you, Claudia.”

  She lifted her chin and held his gaze. “I should’ve told you sooner. I love you too.”

  He twisted a piece of her hair. “I've never done this before, you know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve never asked a girl to go out with me.”

  “Do you mean they all just came crawling, groveling at your feet?” she teased.

  “Well, no. Yes.” He laughed. “But not you. No one is like you, Claudia.”

  “I do have one request, but don’t make me beg. I need to finish the interview for my project...”

  He strung his arm over her shoulder and led her back toward the open mic stage. “I played solo for a long time. Now I want to duet.”

  “Can we record it on my phone so I can pass it into Printz?”

  “Be my guest. First, though, a while ago you said that I have everything I want. That wasn’t true. I want you. Will you be my girlfriend?” he asked in a tone that was tender yet filled with certainty and resolve.

  Claudia nodded. “Yes, I will be your girlfriend.”

  Carter leaned in and captured her lips. They kissed and the stars inside Claudia lit up and were brighter than the sun, brighter than all the lights in the sky.

  Afterward, Carter took her hand and led her to the stage where there was a keyboard. He strapped on his guitar.

  “Think we can make this up as we go along?” he asked.

  “Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?”

  She started to play a tune on the keyboard and he strummed the guitar.

  As though channeled from somewhere deep inside or above, they sang about love and kissing, how he was her morning and she was his night, and how they’d always and forever drink milkshakes on the beach under the stars.

  Epilogue

  Claudia and Carter hardly spent a day apart for the rest of the summer, visiting the beach, playing music together and for Aunt Margot. She was usually sleeping, but Claudia thought that the pleasant tunes they wrote together must’ve been filtering into her dreams.

  Then on an overcast day late in the season, Aunt Margot didn’t wake up.

  Claudia despaired but knew her beloved aunt was in a better place. Carter stayed by her side during the entire process of celebrating the amazing woman’s life and saying goodbye. He even wrote a melody that they played together on the piano at the reception after the funeral. Tears filled Claudia’s eyes, but they weren’t only from sadness, but all the joy, love, and lessons Aunt Margot had given her, had given everyone she’d encountered.

  In the days after, the house felt especially empty, silent. Claudia could’ve filled it with music, but instead, she stepped outside into her Aunt’s garden.

  Bella, Bear, and Lulu frolicked around, dodging under the shrubbery. She stood in the center, surrounded by the warmth of the fresh air, the scent of the flowers, and the birds chirping.

  Claudia closed her eyes and said a prayer, thanking God for the tremendous blessing Margot had been in her life. The woman had loved her like a daughter, had made her feel safe and seen, and smart. She had given her countless gifts both tangible and in the form of pearls of wisdom. And it seemed even in her passing, she was going to impart one more. How to move on when a person who was at the center of her life had passed, was no longer there to talk to, to listen to, to be with.

  Granted, Aunt Margot’s death wasn’t surprising and had happened gradually, slowly so it was no surprise or tragedy other than that it had happened as the natural way of things.

  Claudia drew a deep breath. “Is that another one of your nuggets, Aunt Margot?” she asked, not particularly expecting an answer. But from deep inside, one came. “So you mean to tell me there aren’t any promises in this life.” She sighed. “And that I should savor every juicy minute.” She nodded. Yep, that was exactly what Aunt Margot would say.

  Claudia turned slowly, enjoying the garden and vowed to take care of it in Aunt Margot’s memory now that the mansion was hers. In fact, as odd as it may have sounded to anyone else, going out there to talk to her aunt felt right, it felt good. She decided she’d put a bench by one of the gardenias and sit out there whenever she felt sad or missed her aunt, or needed advice, or time to think.

  As she continued in her circle, the silhouette of a man stood outlined in the entryway to the garden.

  “Carter, how long have you been standing there?”

  He strode toward Claudia, freshly showered and shaven. He wore a white T-shirt and brushed his hand through his hair. “Long enough to tell you that you’re wrong.”

  She tucked her head back. “Wrong?”

  “There is one promise in this life, Claudia.” He gripped her arms and then lowered to his knee. “I hope this isn’t too soon, but one of the last times I sat with Aunt Margot—you went to let the dogs out—we were talking about the future. I asked if it would be okay if I asked you to marry me.”

  Her hand flew to her lips.

  “Margot thought it was the best idea she’d heard in a long time. But she said I had to do it properly, romantically, and be sure to always, always let you know how much and how deeply you are loved.” He swallowed. “Claudia, I know life won’t be perfect, things might be hard, like right now. But I can promise you this
, I will always love you. My love for you is perfect because it is endless, boundless. It encompasses all things, the good and the bad, the easy and the tough. My love for you stretches beyond time, place, or circumstance. Will you do me the honor of marrying me so I can show you day after day after day and beyond how very true that is, so I can keep my promise?”

  Claudia pulled Carter to his feet, wrapped him in a hug, and then planted a long kiss on his lips. In it, she felt her own love flowing to him and it was also forever.

  They parted and they gazed into each other’s eyes, sparkling like an infinite sea.

  “Yes, Carter. I will marry you,” she said and sealed it with another kiss.

  The Famous Coconut Cove Café Pina Colado Smoothie Recipe

  Some people may turn their noses up at putting an avocado in a smoothie or at avocados in general but bear with me. Yes, avocados are green, but they’re also very nutritious and create the creamiest smoothies. The nutty fruit is both flavorful and healthy.

  Fun fact: In some parts of the world, including old-time Florida, avocados were called alligator pears.

  Oh, and make sure you decorate your beverage with lots of colorful island-style accessories like mini umbrellas, swirly straws, and other flair!

  This makes one generously sized smoothie. To make more than one serving, double.

  Ingredients:

  ¼-½ small avocado

  ¾ cup pineapple chunks (can be frozen)

  ½ banana chopped into coins (frozen)

  ¼ cup coconut cream (Note: this is different than coconut milk. I purchased at Trader Joe's. Coco Lopez is another brand.)

  Approximately 1 ½ cups coconut milk (the kind from the refrigerator section for a mild flavor, the canned kind for some coconut intensity!)

  If you use protein powder in your smoothies, feel free to add a scoop for a boost.

  Method:

  Add all solid ingredients to blender then top with the liquid. If you like a thick smoothie (like a milkshake), add less liquid. If you prefer a thin smoothie that you can easily sip through a straw, increase the liquid.

  Blitz on high until thoroughly mixed together.

  Pour into a coconut cup or a glass and decorate at instructed above. Enjoy!

  Excerpt for Summer with the Billionaire

  Read a portion of the first chapter of book 3 in the Blue Bay Beach Series, get to know Billie, and find out if she saves Coconut Cove Café and follows through with Betty’s dare or if the town falls prey to a billionaire resort developer.

  Chapter 1

  Billie

  Billie Fisher hurried along the sandy street of Blue Bay Beach as the sun lifted over the lip of the horizon. She was rarely late opening Coconut Cove Café. She’d been working there since she was old enough to have a job and even quite a while before that. In all those years she could count on one hand the number of times she’d overslept.

  The routine was like clockwork. Six days a week, she woke before dawn, got ready, set everything up for the day, and then unlocked the doors for the early morning regulars.

  The night before she’d had a hard time sleeping because of the rumors that had been carried into town on the breeze, rustling the palms, creating ripples across the water in the bay. They’d since drilled themselves into her mind. If they were true, what did that mean for her livelihood, her future, and all the people she employed and served?

  Usually, she ignored gossip, but the restaurant was already on shaky ground, or a rickety old dock as it were—it needed repairs for sure. But after her quarterly meeting with the accountant, things were worse than she’d feared. The chatter about a resort developer disturbing her small, idyllic town didn’t help matters.

  Billie would never admit to anyone she’d lost sleep over the issue, but the dark circles under her eyes told a different story.

  The respectively squat and tall silhouettes of Alvin and Elmer, just two of the regulars, stood on the dock by the front door.

  “There she is,” Alvin called. “We were just about ready to send out a search party.”

  “Yes, here I am. Sorry that I’m running late, fellas.”

  “Not to worry. You’ve had the lights on by six a.m. every day excluding Sundays and Christmas for how many years running?”

  Billie had lost track of how long she’d been working at Coconut Cove Café, but knew it had been eleven years since her father, the founder of the restaurant and her best friend, had passed.

  “I guess we can cut her some slack,” Elmer joked.

  “I’ll have your coffee out in less than five minutes. The Bimini bread will take a bit longer. My apologies.” She turned the key in the lock and flipped on the lights and overhead fans. “Make yourselves at home.” She gestured to the otherwise empty dining room with its worn hardwood floors, mismatched tables—with some made of driftwood—and beachy flair that only came from decades of genuine dedication and passion for the establishment.

  “We always do, Billie,” Elmer said, settling at the counter.

  As she went about the opening tasks, Alvin glanced at a laminated piece of paper outlining what she’d long ago memorized. He then went to the walk-in and got out the containers of milk and cream. Elmer hopped up and set out the sugars at each table, including the counter.

  Meanwhile, Billie got the coffee started then turned on the ovens and put in the first batch of Bimini bread for the day. They prepped the lightly coconut flavored bread the day before so it was always ready in the morning.

  Alvin and Elmer lowered onto their usual stools. One opened his newspaper and the other clicked on his phone as they grabbed the headlines they’d use to engage in friendly debate for the next couple of hours while they drank coffee and ate their bread. Usually, they’d return for lunch. According to them, it was exactly the kind of life they’d wanted to live after retirement.

  Soon, Billie had brought their coffee. “Thanks for your help, guys.”

  “You’ve done enough for us over the years.” Alvin nodded in gratitude.

  “Every town should be so lucky as to have a gal like you.”

  Alvin started to say something about Blue Bay Beach, but the timer for the oven dinged to indicate it was up to temperature—usually something that happened before Billie had unlocked the doors for the day.

  She twisted her long blond hair into a knot on top of her head and went about the rest of her tasks, which thankfully weren’t too many since over the years she’d transformed the restaurant into a well-oiled machine where much of the prep for the next day was done the night before. She found it satisfying to thank her past self for making life easier for her present self—especially early in the morning and especially since she was running behind. That day she needed all the help she could get.

  As more customers filtered in, she felt slightly out of focus and preoccupied. It didn’t help that the murmurs that an investment company set up a temporary, mobile office on the other side of the cove came in with them.

  More rumors reached her ears when she checked if anyone needed more coffee. “I heard it’s that same firm that built the Barracuda Beach Resort.”

  When she stopped to chat with folks she hadn’t seen in a while she caught snatches of conversation. “Did you hear they’re talking about calling the resort the Sand Dollar?”

  While she did her sidework, she overheard the fuss and fear over what would happen to their town. “They intend to buy up all the oceanfront property, even this place.”

  By the time Billie got back to Alvin and Elmer, they were in one of their famous debates.

  “They’ll have to build the resort around my cottage.” Alvin crossed his arms across his chest defiantly. “They can call me the old man on the beach instead of the old man on the mountain.”

  “What’ll you do if you’re smack dab in the middle of the golf course and get whacked with a golf ball?” Elmer asked.

  “I’ll throw it back, that’s what. What are you going to do, Elmer? Sell out?”

  �
��Not over my dead body, but these guys know what they’re doing. They’ll do their best to drive us out. We have to be smart.”

  “And strong.” Billie winked.

  She was younger than the old guard in town, but Blue Bay Beach was her home and if what she was hearing was true, despite her anxiety, she would fight for it. She knew they relied on her too, especially as a business owner, to form an alliance and bolster them. “It wouldn’t be the first time. We’re Blue Bay Beach strong. We’ll charm the pants off ‘em and send them on their way.”

  “That’s a girl,” Alvin said with a jovial laugh.

  “Your father would be proud of you, Billie.” Elmer tipped his hat.

  She nodded. Yeah. He would. But even if he could, he wouldn’t see the knots forming in her stomach. Coconut Cove Café was her entire life. Nothing would come between her and keeping its legacy going except finances.

  Shortly before eight a.m. Betty arrived for the morning rush. She was significantly shorter than Billie, which was saying something because even she needed the step stool to reach the top shelf in the walk-in refrigerator. Her shock of white hair and always smiling eyes brought Billie instant comfort.

  “Morning, morning,” she said, greeting Alvin and Elmer who were pulling out their wallets to pay.

  “It’s on the house today, fellas,” Billie said, refusing their payment.

  “We’re paying customers, Billie,” Elmer said.

  “You were working employees today,” she corrected them.

  “We hardly lifted a finger.” Alvin shoved the money at her.

  She held up her hands, refusing it. “Come back later and get the lunch special. You can leave a big tip.” She winked.

  “You’re pulling a double shift today?” Alvin asked.

  It was more like a triple, but she did have the evening off. “Don’t worry, Claudia will be here later too.”

  The two guys started talking about Claudia and her boyfriend’s recent piano recital at the community center. Billie took the opportunity to dash off to bring out an order.