A Promise in the Bay (Chasing Tides Book 4) by Fiona Baker

A Promise in the Bay (Chasing Tides Book 4) by Fiona Baker

Author:Fiona Baker [Baker, Fiona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-05-16T18:30:00+00:00


CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Josie inhaled a deep breath of the frosty morning air and held her thermos tighter between her mittens. She smiled. She always enjoyed her morning walk, but today she felt particularly happy and light-hearted. She took a sip of the warm, hazelnut-flavored coffee that filled her thermos.

Things are getting so much better for me and Paige, she thought. The night before, after they’d finished their list, they’d watched a movie together and shared a huge bowl of popcorn. Paige had laughed and seemed totally at home.

I wonder if Mom and Paige ever spent time together like that, she wondered. Memories from her past rushed back at her all at once, and her stomach tightened. She hadn’t had that kind of a relationship with her mother, that was for sure. She thought about the day she left home—she’d felt like a bird bursting out of a cage. She’d thought that leaving behind her mother and the pain of her cycle of addiction would solve everything.

It hadn’t solved everything, that was for sure, and she’d struggled with guilt for leaving Paige behind. But she knew that the decision she’d made was the best one for her, and she’d needed to make it for her own sake.

I think Paige is starting to understand why I left, she thought. I hope so. I hope she doesn’t blame me for what I did.

As she rounded a corner, her eyes on the sidewalk and her mind far away, she nearly collided with a man wearing a gray peacoat.

“Oh, I’m so—Wesley!” Her cheeks flushed when she realized who it was. “Hi!”

“I promise I’m not stalking you,” he said, laughing breathlessly and blushing a little.

She laughed too. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ve walked past each other lots of times before without realizing it. We just didn’t notice each other like we do now.” Her words hung in the air for a moment between them, and they shared a smile. “Now that we’re aware of each other, it feels like we’re crossing paths more often. I—I like it.”

He grinned at her. “I like it too.”

“Are you out for a walk?” she asked, pointing to the cup of coffee in his hands, which looked like it had been bought at Tidal Wave Coffee. He nodded, still smiling at her. “Well, if we’re both out for a walk,” she said shyly, “we might as well walk together.”

“I’d like that very much.”

They began to walk side by side, making their way toward the water. They chatted about insignificant things until they reached the ocean, and Josie took a deep breath, staring at the way the sun glittered like diamonds on the tossing waves.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Her heart felt light and filled with hope.

“Yes.” His eyes were on her as he said it. “Absolutely beautiful.”

She felt herself blushing under his gaze. They began to walk along the water, taking deep breaths of the tangy ocean air. A cold wind whipped at their cheeks, but Josie didn’t feel too chilly. Both the sunlight and her happiness seemed to add warmth to the day.



Download



Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.