Page 37 of Last Wish Wedding

Kelsey found her bag on the narrow bed in the cabin below. The space was cozy but efficient, every inch carefully planned to accommodate the needs of the passengers.

She imagined Mac here alone, sleeping in this small berth during his sailing trips. The thought made her oddly sad.

Chapter 14

Mac expertly guided the boat through the evening light and they arrived back at his dock. He was quiet again, withdrawing into himself. Kelsey wondered if pushing him into this date had crossed a line with him, and he was now regretting bringing her out.

She didn’t regret their time out on the water, but a snag of guilt picked at her consciousness. It was clear Mac had other plans in his life, and dating her was not one of them. The heat was there between them, and they kept appearing in each other’s orbits, but Mac… well she was beginning to doubt they would turn friends to lovers any time soon.

Once they closed up the yacht for the night, Mac took her bag. “Let me walk you home?”

She nodded silently and they walked side by side through the moonlight back to her cottage.

When they arrived at her door, he turned to her and ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, my grandfather’s birthday is this Saturday. Mrs. Andersen from the board at the clinic has been forcing me to organize a big party for him here. They want to present him with an award for all he’s done for the community. It’s supposed to be a surprise. But I can’t count on that after inviting half the town.”

She smiled at the look of pure disgust on his face. “Forcing you?”

He snorted and kicked something on the step. “Can’t think of anything else I would hate more, but it’s for Grandad.”

Kelsey nodded. “He’s a wonderful man. I actually have him on my schedule this week. A regular check-up.”

“Wednesday, right?” At her surprised look, he smiled. “He mentioned it.”

She smiled back at him. “What time is the party?”

“Starts at six on Saturday. I’ve even planned fireworks out on the cove.”

“He’ll love that.”

Mac stepped closer to her, his fingers brushing hers. Her breath caught.

“I know Noah’s due back Sunday.” His voice was soft. “He’ll be sorry to miss the fireworks. I’ll see you Wednesday?”

She nodded. “And Saturday.”

He started to turn away, then looked back. “Maybe we could get coffee tomorrow? Just... coffee.”

The hope in his voice made her chest tight. “Okay. Just coffee.”

She watched him walk away before retreating into her dark and empty cottage.

The next morning, Kelsey hummed to herself as she went about her morning routine. Little memories flickering through her mind of their time together on the boat.

“Get it together,” she muttered, but couldn’t stop smiling as she pulled cleaning supplies from under the sink.

The bathroom closet had been on her to-do list for weeks. She sorted through old lotions and half-empty shampoo bottles, humming to herself. When she finished, the shelves gleamed, neatly organized with fresh towels.

Her phone buzzed just as she was admiring her work.

“Mom! You won’t believe what we found!” Noah’s excitement burst through the speaker.

“Hey, sweetie! What did you find?”

“We went to this amazing island where Blackbeard used to hide! Aunt Jennifer knows all about it. There were these cool markers that the Gullah people used to help guide escaped slaves to safety. Did you know they have their own language? It’s called Geechee.”

“That sounds fascinating, honey.”

“Cousin Kyle says some of the Gullah traditions came from West Africa. We met this lady who makes these cool baskets from grass, just like her great-grandmother taught her.”