A Whirl with My Mocha-Chocolate Swirl by Dalia Dupris

Author:Dalia Dupris [Dupris, Dalia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: beach town; ice cream sundae; Southern California; ice creamery; small town; high school sweethearts; prom kind and queen
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2020-08-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

The Hug

It doesn’t make any sense, and perhaps what Raymond and I shared never was logical. And that almost-kiss was just as illogical, but there was obviously something still between us. Just one touch, and we’re like two magnets being pulled together by an invisible force that’s hard to explain and still has me trembling as I make my way down the boardwalk.

Too shaken to walk farther, I stop at the next bench and sit facing the ocean. Closing my eyes, I envision Leah Ann’s startled expression, her mouth slightly parted in disbelief. I have to give it to her; she didn’t yell, scream, or attempt to pull us apart. She handled it much better than I would have if I saw my fiancé wrapped in another woman’s arms. She’s a class act all the way. No wonder Raymond loves her.

So, what was Raymond doing with me? Was he toying with my feelings because he knows how much I still love him? I’ve never pretended otherwise and was always an open book with Raymond. Maybe that was part of the problem. Don’t they say that men like the chase? He hadn’t had to work for my love; I’d freely offered it, no strings attached. It’d never been a secret because I’d never felt that it was something I’d had to keep to myself.

Maybe I should have.

I’ve learned the hard way that giving love doesn’t guarantee it will be returned. Not from my father and not from Raymond. But isn’t that why I’m here, to learn the truth? My father’s abandonment reflects how much he didn’t care. There’s nothing I can do about that besides living with the aching loss. Raymond is a different story. When the time is right, I’ll ask him that, even though he’s now in love with another woman, if he ever loved me.

“Rebecca.” Glancing up, I spot Miguel jogging toward me, wearing dark jogging pants with a stripe down the side and a black tank top. Sweating and out of breath, he collapses beside me on the bench. “Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all.” I’m grateful for the distraction. Thinking about Raymond and attempting to make sense of what just happened at the shop isn’t resolving anything. “Do you jog every day?”

“I try.” He stretches his legs and peers at the ocean. “Now that I’m closer to the beach, it’s easier.” Abruptly turning toward me, he asks, “I haven’t seen you here when I’ve jogged by earlier in the week.”

“I’ve only been back in Sunnyville for a few days. This is the first chance I’ve had to sit out here and enjoy the view.” I hold a hand out toward the water. “What about you? When did you leave the military?”

“Ten days ago.” Swiping the sweat from his brow, he asks, “How was your day?”

“It got off to a good start.” And it had. I’d enjoyed working on those designs and coming up with strategies to help Raymond’s shop. “I’m excited about a new project.

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