Page 73 of Until Forever
“No, it’s not your fault,” I assured her. “It’s…it’s for the best. If it hadn’t been what you said, it would have been something else.”
“Are you so sure?” she pressed.
I squirmed under her stare, then quickly shot back, “Are we going to this reopening or not?”
We shot one last look over the side of the cliff, then turned to walk back to the van.
“We should go home first and get dressed up,” Claire suggested. “It’s a big day!”
“Oh no. Don’t even go there,” I warned. “I know what you’re doing.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she sang innocently.
“You think now that we’ve talked that you can get me all done up and that I’ll go falling into Keith’s arms at the end of the night. It’s not happening.”
“If you say so,” she chirped.
Despite my reservations, it was a big day for her, so I felt obligated to bow down to whatever she wanted—even if that meant getting dressed up. We changed our clothes, though I refused to wear anything fancy. I stuck with a pair of blue jean shorts and a tank top.
“That’s what you’re wearing? Really?” she scoffed.
“It’s a lake with boats. Not a royal ball.”
“Suit yourself,” she sighed.
She slipped into one of her favorite sun dresses, and we crowded into the bathroom together to do our makeup, just like we did so many times in high school.
I felt tense and uncomfortable from the moment we arrived at the marina. I kept my eyes glued to the ground as we navigated through the crowd, avoiding any chance of spotting Keith—even though I knew I couldn’t avoid him forever. I told myself I was just there because Claire wanted to be. I didn’t care about the rest of it. The only thing I wanted from the marina now was my share of the profits.
But I could feel that lie cracking as I thought back on everything Claire said. Maybe I really didn’t have a reason to be mad at Keith anymore. Why did that scare me even more than how much it hurt to think I had every right to be pissed at him?
I was pleased to see the restaurant was finished and serving food on the patio to everyone who showed up. Overall, the fact that Keith pulled it all off in time was impressive. I couldn’t wait for the official ribbon cutting so I could get a peek inside. Until then, it was hard to avoid everyone as much as I wanted to. Everyone in town knew I was involved with it, and they all stopped to congratulate me. Thankfully, their attention would quickly turn to Claire so they could comment on her recovery.
The time finally came when Derek called everyone around from the microphone. He gave a quick speech about their grandfather, all he did for the town, and how much the marina meant to him. Then he called Keith up to speak.
His crystal blue eyes were glued to me from the podium, but I was quick to look away. He stood there for a moment and cleared his throat.
“Good afternoon, everyone. I want to welcome you all and thank you for coming,” he started slowly. “Today, we celebrate the grand reopening of a place that is very special to our family, as my brother explained. And I know it’s special to all of you as well. In fact, I wanted to take this opportunity to apologize to all of you.”
A wave of hushed murmurs rose among the crowd.
“My grandfather built this place for all of you, for our community. And then he left that responsibility to me. I didn’t treat that honor with the respect it deserved, and I let this place sit neglected for far too long. For that, I’m sorry. But thankfully,” he continued, perking up his voice. “Someone stood up and said it was enough. A very special woman who you all know and love…who can call me out on my crap better than anyone I’ve ever met, which, if you know my brother…is saying something.”
The crowd laughed, and I squirmed. I could feel my cheeks starting to blush.
“Lana Miller knows better than anyone that I’m not always an easy man to work with, but she also knows how to whip me into shape. And I’m glad she did that with this place. It wouldn’t be standing here today if it weren’t for her. That’s why I’m proud to finally present to you…”
He turned and tugged the rope to unveil the front of the building and its sign. I was shocked to see what was waiting there underneath the cover.
“Lana’s Marina at Mullin’s Cove,” he announced.
Everyone erupted in cheers and applause. I was left breathless and speechless. Not only did he change the name, he had me at the front of it. The letters were painted in white and black, and the backdrop of the sign was done up in crystal blue waves—the color he wanted, to match my eyes.
“We all love Mullins Cove and the memory it brings of my grandfather,” Keith continued. “This name is for him. Not for me. Because, like I said, none of this would have happened with just me. We’re only standing here today because of Lana Miller. This place belongs to her. And Lana?”
My breath caught in my throat, and I tried not to cry as he called me out in the crowd.
“I know you wanted to honor the Halsteads,” he said. “I do, too, and I’m sure everyone would agree. They were good people. Out of all the good things they did, they took you in. And we’re all better off for it because you’ve been a gift to this town. You’ve definitely been a gift to me. Anyway, I…I’m not the best at giving speeches. Sorry, everyone. What I’m trying to say is…we could only fit so many names on the sign.”
