A few moments later, I was settled into the passenger seat of his car, enjoying the wind flowing through my hair.
“This is a fun car,” I said.
Josh nodded. “I know! I bought it a couple of years ago, and I love it. It took me a little while to get used to it being so small, especially since I had a truck before, but now I can’t imagine driving anything else.”
“I was wondering about that!”
“You were wondering about what?” Josh asked.
“I was wondering about what it was like for you to have to cram into this small car,” I said, laughing.
Josh laughed, and I couldn’t help but notice how deep his voice was.
“I’m used to it now, but it did take some time. Although, even if it is a bit uncomfortable, it’s worth it.”
“I’m sure,” I said. “It’s a great car!”
“Thank you! So, I was thinking we could get some takeout from the Surf Shack. I know it’s not a fancy place, but it just seems appropriate.”
“Oh absolutely,” I said, my mouth watering at the thought of the delicious burgers and fries I used to eat there all the time. “I’m so happy it’s still in business!”
“Me too!” Josh said. “Actually, for the most part, the town has stayed intact since you were here. A few businesses have come and gone, and we recently got our first coffee shop, which was huge news, but it is relatively unchanged from when you lived here.”
“I love that,” I said.
“Me too.”
We pulled up in front of the Surf Shack, and I instantly felt as if I was back in high school. The small takeout stand had not changed at all. I glanced at the menu and felt strangely comforted to see the familiar fries, milkshakes, burgers, onionrings, and chicken strips. I shook my head, remembering how we would take the fries and dip them into the chocolate milkshakes. My mom had never understood why we did that and always said we were disgusting until one day, I told her to try it for herself. She did, and from that moment forward, she never ate another meal without dipping the fries into the shake.
“Do you know what you’re going to have?” Josh asked.
“Absolutely!” I said.
Josh motioned to the window, and I stepped up and ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake.
Josh smiled, then ordered the same thing.
“It’s nice to see that New York didn’t change your appetite,” he said, chuckling.
“No way!” I said.
We stood and chatted while we waited for our food to be ready. Once the worker called Josh’s name, he grabbed the bag with the burgers and fries, and I took the two milkshakes.
Josh had brought a blanket from his car, and I followed him down the path and out onto the sand.
We set up not far from the shore, and within a few minutes, we were both happily enjoying our meals.
“Wow,” I said. “This is absolutely delicious!”
Josh smiled and nodded. “I know! I can’t stay away from it! I try to eat healthy foods as much as I can, but I wind up back here a few times a month.”
“I understand! I would be the same way,” I said.
Josh nodded. “So, there’s no easy way to dive into this, so let’s just get right to it. Tell me about your life in New York, how you came to inherit the B&B, all of it.”
I laughed, feeling a bit caught off guard by his question. I knew we would likely eventually talk about it, but I hadn’t realized that he would be so blunt.
“Where should I start?” I asked.
