Watermelon Wishes

Chapter 4

By the time Evey returned to The Watermelon Cove Hotel, she realized that she was exhausted. Part of it, she assumed, was due to talking about her parent's death. It was a sore subject that required a deeper reflection than Evey was able or willing to do. But something about Reece enabled her to open up. He was such a kind, genuine person.

Back home, Evey had a good number of friends but she felt a lack of connection with most of them. When she announced she was moving to friends and co-workers, she was unpleasantly surprised by the way she felt them slowly cut themselves out of her life, quietly disengage being her friend. She was equally surprised by how little she found herself caring about it. Of course, she liked the friends she went out to happy hour with and the co-workers she shared a laugh with but she was missing the true meaning of friendship with all of them. She had never given any of them so much detail about her parents' death. Truthfully, none of them had even asked for details. Not even her boyfriend, Shawn had shown too much heartache when she'd told him she was leaving to make a strike for a better life for herself. "You're crazy to leave L.A.," was all he'd said. And she thought he was crazy to stay but in a way, glad that he did. Their relationship had grown stale and she was looking forward to starting this chapter of her life solo.

She sighed happily, weary as she was, as she locked her car in the Watermelon Cove Hotel parking lot and walked inside. It seemed as if she'd have a good shot of finally finding that spot in the world where she belonged. Her lunch with Reece had only furthered good tidings. She had felt increasingly comfortable with him since opening up about her parents that confiding her concerns and worries in Reece about escrow not coming through had seemed like a walk in the park. She didn't mention Brady Casteel's name, not wanting to breach some kind of confidentially but she presented it as a hypothetical situation.

"Being the city manager and all, have you ever heard of a property auction getting ugly?" she'd asked.

"Not in my time here!" Reece laughed. "Relax, it should be fine. Even if you've got another bidder, I can tell you've got the spunk and the smarts to win the auction and still shake hands with your fellow bidder afterwards."

She smiled to herself as she opened the door to the hotel. So she'd have to dip a little further into her savings to stay at the hotel. She could afford to do it. After all, she was going all in on this dream with her savings, her cashed-out 401K and her share of her parents' estate and life insurance money.

A tiny cluster of bells sang out Evey's entrance.

"You're back!" a warm voice greeted her. She looked up towards the stairs to see Reece's twin, Rebecca coming down with a armful of daisies.

"Those are pretty," Evey said.

"Take one," Rebecca offered. "I put one on the small table outside each room. I was doing some pruning outside in the garden and thought I'd share the bounty."

"How sweet of you," Evey said, picking out one pretty daisy. "Thank you."

"I'm Rebecca by the way," she said, extending out her free hand. "I never did get the chance to introduce myself."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Evey Markham and there's no need for you to introduce yourself," Evey said, shaking the woman's hand. "Your twin did it for you."

Rebecca looked surprised. "You know Reece already? My, my, my brother is a popular man."

"I'll say," Evey agreed. "My realtor, Angela, set up a meeting for me with Reece to discuss a business license and just about every customer knew him at The Studebaker."

"That's small town living for you," Rebecca said, taking the remaining bunch of daisies and adding them to a clear vase she picked up from under the front desk. "It's a blessing and a curse. Everyone knows your business."