“We’ll see.” Skeeter laughed.
After his sister went to bed, Sailor stretched out on a hammock he’d strung across his back patio. Under the moonlight, he thought about Maileah.
Like Skeeter said, he didn’t want to make a mistake.
When Maileah arrived on Crown Island, her life was a mess. Junie told him about her sister’s breakup and that she’d lost her job.
He also knew her mother was in the process of a divorce. Her father sounded like a piece of work. With so much chaos surrounding Maileah, he’d thought it better to let her chill for a while.
However, Sailor hadn’t counted on her diving into a dodgy dating app. Still, he had stuck around, even though she was cycling through candidates like she was on a quest. He had to make sure he wasn’t just another one to be crossed off her list.
Todd was the only one who had been a threat, but Sailor had taken care of that when he introduced him to Jennifer.
That next night,Sailor arrived early at Cuppa Jo’s to get the booth he wanted. Now, an hour later, everyone was singing along with the Jimmy Buffet song, “Margaritaville.”
Sailor spied Maileah at the front door. His heart clenched at the sight of her. She wore a white sundress with her hair in a casual twist to one side. Quickly, he slid out of the booth and cut through the crowd to her.
“I’m glad you came,” he said, raising his voice over the music and the raucous crowd. “You’re just in time.”
“I could hardly get in.” Someone bumped her from behind, and she stumbled into his arms, laughing. “Well, hello there. How could I miss this? Everyone in town was talking about your dad’s friend being here. They sound fabulous together.”
It was as crowded as a rock concert here, so he took advantage of that to hold her tightly. A trace of sweet perfume on her neck drew him in.
She’d been on his mind from the moment he’d rolled out of bed before sunrise to hit the beach. He surfed early this morning with friends who called themselves the dawn patrol, but she filled his thoughts. As soon as he returned home, he called her, reiterating his invitation from last night.
She agreed, but only if she could meet him here.
He guided her through the crowd and helped her into the booth.
“I missed you,” he said. “How was your day?”
A smile lit her eyes. “Incredibly productive. Maybe it was the tacos.” She clasped his hand shyly under the table. “I have so many ideas I want to talk to you about later.”
“After the music when we can hear each other better,” he said.
All he cared about now was how warm her hand felt in his. He’d longed to enjoy such a moment.
As much as Maileah might try to downplay the new evolution of their relationship, Sailor could feel eyes on them. Jo grinned from behind the counter, and his father caught his eye and nodded his approval.
When the song ended, the entire diner erupted in applause for Adrian and the other musician.
Once the cheers died down, Adrian took the microphone. “Thank you very much. We’re going to slow it down for you lovers out there. This next song is one I wrote a long time ago. It means a lot to me, and I hope you enjoy it. This one goes out to my son.”
Sailor knew the love song by heart and why his father was playing it now. He stroked Maileah’s arm. “My father wrote this for my mother. They were so much in love.”
The crowd swayed with the melody, clearly enthralled. Many people held up their phones to record Adrian’s soulful performance.
“What a beautiful song,” Maileah said, squeezing his hand. “Your father is so talented.”
Sailor’s heart swelled with pride. “My dad gave up a lot for his family but never looked back. That’s why we’re all so close.”
As the song came to an end, the crowd erupted again. He noticed Maileah observing people’s responses.
“Everyone loves that song,” she said. “Your father should record it.”
“I don’t know if he would. It’s very personal.”
“Most love songs are written from the heart.” She cupped her chin in her hand, still looking around the diner. “Look at them. I bet they’re posting their videos on social media. Has he recorded any of his music?”
