Chapter Eleven

Isaac walked the beach, taking in the sunset. He couldn’t believe it was October already. The summer had gone quick. Small groups lounged on a mixture of chairs and blankets. Not many tourists were left, but each evening the locals more than made up for it. Children and dogs ran along the sand, inadvertently spraying sand on those they passed. People didn’t mind though, laughing instead. It was a part of the Starlight Ridge sunset ritual.

“Hey, Isaac, over here,” someone called him from his left. He squinted against the lowering sun, bringing up a hand to shade his eyes. Someone stood next to a chair, frantically waving their arms. As Isaac approached, he realized it was Jessie.

“Hi Jess,” he said, inwardly squirming but giving her a warm smile. Anytime she’d spoken with him lately, it had always been about Leanne, and he really wasn’t in the mood right then. Or ever.

Jessie was picking up a jacket that laid across the arm of her folding chair and slipping her arms into its sleeves. “It’s starting to get a bit chilly in the evenings.”

Isaac wondered what Jessie really wanted to ask him. She’d certainly not been waving her arms like that because she wanted to talk about the drop in temperature.

Jessie scanned the beach like she was looking for someone, but then her gaze returned to Isaac. “Would you like to join me? I saw you walking alone and thought you might like some company.” She nodded to a chair that sat next to hers. “I brought an extra, just in case.”

“Oh, yeah,” Isaac said, both taken aback and relieved by the offer.

Jessie smirked. “You sound surprised.”

“No, I just…don’t usually watch it with anyone. That’s all.”

She gave him a pat on his arm as he sat down next to her. “I understand. I’ve watched the sunset out here every evening for years, always by myself. And I enjoy that. But sometimes I get tired of doing things alone. I figured if I set out a chair, I would be bound to have company.” Jessie smiled at him in her motherly way. “And here you are.”

Isaac didn’t point out that it hadn’t been by chance—that she had been the one to wave him down. But it also got him thinking about how he had never even noticed that Jessie didn’t have company in the evenings. He was always in his own little world, worried about himself, and Jessie was the type of person who was so social, he’d never have thought she’d be without company.

Jessie threw him a side glance. “I would have thought you’d be with your fiancée tonight. Isn’t that why you young people come out to the sunset, to be all romantic?”

And here it was. Jessie was good. Too good. She’s known he couldn’t easily escape now that he’d agreed to join her.

Isaac had two choices here. Dispel the rumors so people would stop their speculating and awkward comments, or be vague and have them continuously asking about wedding plans for the rest of eternity.

“If I had a fiancée, I would probably be here with her,” he said, his gaze fixed on the ocean. If he hadn’t known better, he’d have thought it was on fire, reflecting the bright oranges and reds of the setting sun.

After a moment of silence, he chanced a glance in Jessie’s direction. She was watching him and wearing a quizzical expression. When she didn’t say anything, he sighed and turned back to the ocean. “People change.”

“So, no wedding?” Jessie finally asked. The disappointment in her voice was evident.

“No wedding.” He didn’t manage to hide his own disappointment and the deep longing he felt, wishing things had ended up differently. Isaac knew the wedding couldn’t happen, but he’d never said it out loud before. In that moment, his anger dissipated, and all that was left was…nothing. Because that was how life felt without Leanne. Empty. Hollow. He had tried to fill that void when she was gone, but with her back—

Jessie leaned back in her chair. “I suppose I’ll need to start giving away all those cakes I’ve been baking then.”

Isaac’s gaze whipped back to her. “What cakes?”

“I told you that I’d make your wedding cake,” she said, like it should have been obvious.

Except, there had never been a wedding date. How long had she been planning on holding onto them? Isaac couldn’t think of a tactful way to ask that though, so he settled for, “I’ll buy them from you.”

Jessie looked at him like he was crazy. “Why would you do that? Half of them were duds, though they’ll still taste good.”

“Duds?”

“Yeah, the ones that didn’t turn out,” Jessie said. “I’ve been practicing so that when it came time for the real thing, it would be perfect. I bake a lot, but wedding cakes aren’t my specialty. Haven’t had enough people getting married around here to worry about it.”

Now Isaac felt worse. She’d been practicing in preparation for a wedding that was never set to happen. He wished there was a way to make it up to Jessie, but it was obvious that she wouldn’t let him pay her for her time. “Why did you sell your bakery in the first place?” he asked. “It was always packed, even in the off-season. And you obviously still love baking. The only difference is that you’re not getting paid for it anymore.”

Jessie gave him a patient smile. “Keeping up with the tourists…it wasn’t fun anymore.”

“You sold your bakery because you weren’t having… fun?” Truthfully, it was the type of thing Isaac would do, but most people didn’t view the world the same way he did. Isaac only needed enough money to keep surfing. That was his happy place. Apparently pastries and cakes was Jessie’s.

Jessie shrugged, her smile firmly intact. “What good is your life if you aren’t enjoying it? I still do some part-time stuff over at the bed and breakfast, but I knew early on I wouldn’t want to work forever.” She stretched her legs out and leaned back in her chair. “I saved almost everything I earned, getting ready for the inevitable day when I’d no longer want to cater to tourist season.” Her smile widened. “And now I get to never stop having fun.”

Never stop having fun. That was practically Isaac’s motto. It felt nice knowing that he wasn’t the only one in town who felt the same way.

“Of course, I wouldn’t have minded having someone by my side to share the fun with,” Jessie added. “Someone…special.” She didn’t even try to hide the implication.

That was all well for Jessie to say, but he doubted she’d have been able to do everything she’d done if she’d been married. Take Caleb for example. He always had to ask Bree before he did things now, always had to make sure they didn’t already have plans.

Now that he thought about it, he should be thanking Leanne for leaving. If they’d gotten married and had kids like they’d planned, they’d have needed a large enough home to fit all of them. Which would have meant getting a real job that could give them real money. Which would mean giving up lifeguarding. They’d be busy at night with the kids, and as soon as they woke up, he’d be helping get them ready for school or getting them breakfast, so his early morning surfing sessions would go out the window.

Goodbye freedom, hello responsibility.

Isaac wasn’t that type of guy. He was more teenager and less adult. Leanne was ambitious and she went after her dreams. She never would have been happy with a guy who had no real goals, but lived his life one day at a time.

Except, she had been happy. Hadn’t she?

And the thought of early mornings with the kids and Leanne—it didn’t sound so bad. Actually, he thought it would be nice.

This was all too much. His mind was reeling, begging him to stop torturing himself.

“I should get going,” he told Jessie and stood to leave. He hesitated a brief moment. “I’m sorry about the cakes.”

Jessie waved him off. “Don’t be. But…” She seemed to be having a hard time forming her thoughts into words, until she finally just shrugged. “Other people aren’t going to take the news well…of you two splitting up. I’m not sure Leanne’s mother even knows. Last time I took a delivery out to the bed and breakfast she seemed to think that all was well with you two.”

Leanne hadn’t even told her mom? Why would she string everyone along like that? Maybe she still thought something was going to progress between them, especially after the bike accident. She might have thought that had meant something. Of course, for a moment, so had he. The feel of her in his arms again, the memories that resurfaced as he helped her fill out the paperwork in Patty’s office—it had spurred all sorts of thoughts and feelings he shouldn’t be having.

“What do you mean they aren’t going to take the news well?”

The sun was nearly gone and Jessie stood, joining him. She stared at the sky, stars becoming more visible, extending as far as Isaac could see. “This town is a family and we love each of you as our own. We’ve watched you two grow up. Fall in love. And we’ve been looking forward to your wedding for the past fifteen years. Now?” Her gaze met his. “They’re going to try to figure out what went wrong. You’re taking something from them and they might try to lay blame.”

“You mean…blame us?”

Jessie gave a quick nod. “Or one of you.”

“They’ll take sides,” Isaac said slowly.

“I’m not saying it’s right,” she said, holding her hands up defensively. “But when you’re as close knit as this town is, and you’ve been planning your vacation around when the wedding might happen or planning what your contribution will be, whether it’s food or a chocolate fountain…or the wedding cake…people will take it personally.”

Isaac rubbed a hand over his face. “People have seriously been planning vacations around this?”

“As soon as Patty heard Leanne was back in town, and then you two showed up at her clinic…she postponed planning a trip out to the east coast. She’s waiting to hear the finalized wedding date before she books anything.”

Okay. This was getting ridiculous. Isaac groaned. “I can’t just get married because someone else postponed their vacation. Or ordered extra shrimp. It doesn’t work like that.”

Jessie folded up her chair, then reached for the one Isaac had been sitting on. He folded it and handed it to her. “No, it doesn’t,” she agreed. “But the town won’t see it like that. Just thought I’d give you fair warning.”

“I appreciate it, but it doesn’t change anything.” He turned to leave but paused and glanced over his shoulder. “You can spread the word that Leanne and I are not getting married.” The words felt like knives in this throat, but he couldn’t go on deluding himself.

That was supposed to be Isaac’s grand exit where he then walked off the beach, confident and in charge. Except, Erwin had walked past at that moment, and overheard. He stopped in his tracks.

“You and Leanne aren’t getting married?” Erwin’s gaze whipped to Jessie. “He’s kidding, right?”

Jessie released a long sigh, like she didn’t want to have to deal with Erwin at that moment. “No, he’s not kidding. The wedding is off.”

Erwin narrowed his eyes, but his gaze was surprisingly still fixed on Jessie. “You had something to do with this, didn’t you?”

She rolled her eyes. “Why would I try to do something like that?”

Erwin couldn’t seem to come up with a good reason, so his head swiveled in Isaac’s direction. “You need to fix things.”

Isaac spluttered, unsure how to respond. Why did Erwin assume it was his fault?

“These things happen,” Jessie interjected, saving Isaac from having to answer. “Leanne was gone a long time.”

Erwin nodded slowly, like he could concede her point, but he seemed conflicted, like he couldn’t pretend their breakup was okay with him, even if it was understandable.

“They have been together since they were children,” he said. “Something like that doesn’t just disappear.”

When Isaac studied Erwin closer, he didn’t see the cranky restaurant owner who was known for arguing with people one minute, then fixing their shutters the next. He saw someone who had been confronted by a serious family problem and didn’t know how to solve it.

Isaac had never fully understood how connected their town was—or, he’d at least taken it for granted. But now, more than ever, he was realizing how his and Leanne’s relationship hadn’t just been a source of town gossip for the past fifteen years. Everyone had seen them as they did cookies and milk, Abbott and Costello, or Isaac and his board, Marlin—they belonged together. He and Leanne had been inseparable, a yin to each other’s yang, and an integral part of their town family. And now Isaac was telling everyone that they were breaking that family a part.

Okay, that was a bit dramatic. But that was what it felt like, just based on Jessie and Erwin’s reactions. He didn’t want to know how the rest of the town would react when they found out.

“I’m sorry,” Isaac said, now feeling guilty. But he couldn’t get back together with Leanne because he felt bad, or to appease others. No matter how much he wanted for things to be the way they were—how they had been before Leanne had left. “But this is one problem I don’t think that I, or anyone else, can fix.”

Erwin released a long sigh, looking deflated. “I’ll let the others know,” he said. “I guess Patty can go on her vacation now.” He said it like that was a bad thing.

As fate, or terrible timing, would have it, Jules walked by at that moment. Erwin gestured for her to come over. She raised an eyebrow as she sidestepped a dog that had darted in front of her, and her gaze met Isaac’s. He dropped his.

“I’m surprised you didn’t say anything,” Erwin said, not spending time on pleasantries when she approached. “Letting us all go on about chocolate fountains, shrimp platters, and even that ice sculpture Mitch was going to make in the shape of a wave. Still, you said nothing.”

Jules tilted her head to the side. “Yes, I did. I said the ice sculpture was a terrible idea.”

Erwin’s lips pulled downward. “No, I mean about the wedding being canceled.”

Her lips pursed, but she didn’t seem surprised by the news. So, she had known. “I had hoped that there wouldn’t be anything to tell,” she said, her gaze flitting to Caleb, then back to Erwin. “I figured they’d get back together, and there was no sense in getting everyone’s feathers ruffled.”

“I knew that would happen when Leanne left for LA. Didn’t I tell you?” he asked, pointing his question at Jessie who had stepped back a foot or two. Isaac bet she was regretting asking Isaac to join her for the sunset. “The big city messes with you.”

“That seems a bit unfair,” Isaac said. Though he had said the same things himself over the past couple of years. It was different when other people said it though.

“Things were fine—you two were fine—until she left,” Erwin said, like them splitting up was the worst thing that could have happened. To him. To the town. Ever.

Maybe it was.

The sun was nearly gone and small lights started to appear, dotting the beach. Most of them belonged to cell phones, with a few headlamps in the mix. Jules made an excuse about needing to leave, and Erwin followed not long after, though he would stop and glance back at Isaac every few feet, shaking his head.

Isaac pulled his own headlamp out, not wanting to deal with holding a cell phone in front of him as he walked home. “Thanks for the company,” he said, turning to Jessie. “But I have to get home. Early morning and all that.”

“Feel free to join me anytime.” As he moved to leave, she placed a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. About all of this. I didn’t mean to start trouble.”

Isaac shot her a smile, though he was afraid it came across as more sad than understanding. “I know.”

“Erwin is a good guy. He’s just passionate about what he perceives as injustices,” she said. “And he really cares about you. Both of you. As if you were his own children. Heck, most of the town feels that way about you two.”

Which was the problem. The phrase, It takes a village, was all too true in a place like Starlight Ridge. For better or worse.

“Thanks Jess.”

“But for the record,” Jessie said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “If it comes to choosing sides, I agree with Erwin on this one.”

Isaac gave her another smile before moving away and hurrying toward home, the light from his headlamp bobbing in front of him. His smile faded.

Choosing sides? What was this, West Side Story?

He needed to warn Leanne.