Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
* * *
THE SEASIDE CHRONICLES
January 14, 2023
CREATING A WAKE – SPECIAL EDITION
Seasiders,
Again, this writer has called it. It’s official. Dr. Mason Bryan and Palmer Bradley are a couple. I couldn’t be happier for the two of them. Of course, this news comes after Palmer was nearly arrested for punching and breaking the nose of Mason’s ex-wife, Ashley Whitman. Did I say nearly arrested? It was self-defense, or at least that’s how the story goes.
News around the docks is that Harlee Tilson is planning a Valentine’s Day town dance. Funny that she would choose that particular holiday to plan a town dance around—after all, her track record with successful relationships is rather…slim. But, this writer is looking forward to seeing everyone enjoy themselves. I’m sure I’ll have a newsflash or two after that little shindig!
Stay tuned, my fishes.
Fair winds and following seas!
Ms. Seaside
Palmer
One month later
The bell above the door to Sutton’s boutique, Coastal Chic, dinged as I walked in. I snapped the door shut before any cold could get in. It had been a freezing winter, and February was turning out to be even more glacial than January.
“Brrr, could it be any colder out?” I said, shaking the snow off my shoulders. “I ran a few feet from my car to here, and I feel like I’m freezing to death.”
Sutton laughed. “It’s been a blustery winter, hasn’t it?”
“Yep,” I said as I pulled off my hat and gloves. “My car didn’t even get warm during the drive here.”
“How was sledding?” Sutton asked.
“A blast, except I’m pretty sure Mason has frostbite on his toes. He and Charlie stayed an extra thirty minutes after the rest of us called it quits. Well, Brax stayed behind with them too.”
Sutton hung up a shirt on a rack and then made her way over to give me a hug as soon as I had peeled off all my winter garb.
“Is Harlee here?” I asked, glancing around the store.
“No, she had a meeting at the paper with her father.”
I followed Sutton around to the back of the counter, where we both sat on stools. “I told her I would help with the decorations for the dance,” I said. “It sounds like everyone’s looking forward to it.”
Sutton’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I think so! I’ve heard so many people talking about it. I also heard there’s a betting pool on when you and Mason are going to get married.”
I rolled my eyes. “He hasn’t even asked me to marry him. We’ve only been dating for a month and a half.”
“Well, according to Charlie, you both make doe eyes at each other even more now.”
I laughed. “That kid, I swear. He wanted to marry us off the first day we told him we were a couple.”
My hand found Sutton’s swollen tummy as we both smiled.
Sutton glanced down at our hands. “I cannot wait to be a mom.”
“Is Brody excited?”
Her face beamed with happiness. “Oh, Palmer, he’s so happy. He’s already bought her a few outfits.”
“Her?”
She blushed. “He’s hoping for a girl, but honestly, we’ll be happy with a healthy baby.”
“Brody and Gannon are going to make amazing fathers, just like you and Addie are going to be incredible moms.”
Sutton reached for my hand. “And you?”
“I’ll be their favorite aunt.”
She smiled. “I mean, what about you and motherhood?”
I thought about it for a moment. “I already feel like I’m a mom. I mean, I love Charlie as if he were my own. He’s a handful, but I love every second of it. As soon as Mason and I officially started dating, I told him I refused to be paid for taking care of Charlie.”
“Did he argue with you?”
“He did at first.” I smirked. “But then I told him I wanted to use the time that Charlie was in school to go back to school myself.”
Her eyes went wide. “What? Palmer, why didn’t you tell us that was your plan?”
“I don’t know,” I said as I shyly looked down at the floor. “With the money I’ve been making with my sea glass trees, I’ve saved up a pretty good nest egg.”
“Do you know what you want to go to school for?”
Nodding, I said, “Art. I was talking to Kelsey Roberts, and she said the school has been thinking about hiring another art teacher, but not for another year or two.”
Palmer’s mouth fell open. “You want to teach art?”
“I think so,” I said with a little chuckle. “Since I’ve been volunteering so much at Charlie’s school and helping him with his art projects, I really think this is where my heart is telling me to go. It’s so fun to watch the kids’ little faces light up when they draw or paint something. It makes me so happy. I think that’s what I’ve been waiting for. Something that makes me happy. I mean, I do love to paint, and I’m over the moon that I’ve sold some paintings.”