CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

LIVY

 

After tossing and turning most of the night, Livy awoke and quietly dressed. An early morning walk on the beach would, she hoped, help her cope with the feelings of loneliness she’d been struggling with. She was happy for Brooke and Charlotte, pleased they’d found the men each wanted to build a life with, but she couldn’t help the emptiness that filled her at the thought of being left behind. Still, she knew she wasn’t ready for a serious romance.

As she crossed the lawn, little droplets of dew glistened like diamonds on the threads of grass. She kept going, wanting to feel the cool sand beneath her feet, hear the cries of the birds above her, the sound of the waves hitting the shore as if reaching for a hug.

Livy stood at the water’s edge. The frothy foam licked at her ankles sending a chill through her. Her life was a mess. She’d hidden too much, and though she knew she’d have to deal with it someday, she couldn’t, wouldn’t face it now. Tears escaped her. Tears she normally kept in check. She didn’t know why but seeing her cousins this happy made her future seem so bleak. She’d thought she had it all planned out. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

She felt movement behind her and quickly swiped at her face before turning to face Austin.

“Hi, what’s up?” he asked, giving her a look of concern.

“Just allergies,” she lied. “I couldn’t sleep, so I came out here hoping a fresh breeze would help.”

“I see,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep either. They say a tropical storm is coming. Nothing too bad. Maybe a lot of rain.”

“When?” she asked, worried about the next wedding.

“Who knows? It’s somewhere off the coast of Africa. It could take days or weeks to get here. You know how those things work. They seem to go nowhere, then suddenly they’re here.”

“Yes, it sometimes seems that way,” Livy agreed. “Brooke said you’re dating someone new.”

“What? Dating? Not really,” he said.

Livy let it go. Brooke had told her how upset she was about Austin being with Aynsley Lynch. But if Austin didn’t want to talk about it, that was fine with her.

“I’ll see you later,” she said to Austin. “Guess I’ll bake some cinnamon rolls this morning to add to the breakfasts we’re serving.”

“Sounds great.” He grinned at her. “Are you willing to let me sneak one?”

“You’ll have to talk to Billy Bob about it. If he says okay, it’s fine with me,” she teased.

“Aww, come on, play fair. He’s one scary dude.”

Livy laughed. “I’ll speak to him about it.”

“That’s a promise. Right?” Austin said, playing along.

“For you, yes,” she countered before turning and jogging away.