I had to keep my little man home from school today.
10 weeks in to the school year...there goes his perfect attendance.
Oh well. It was never going to happen anyway.
He didn't sleep well last night because he is so full of mucous and it's constantly draining down the back of this throat, making him cough...he just sounds awful.
We'll be taking a trip to the doc today. Good times.
Since I have my hands full and don't have time for a lengthy blog (he's calling me as I write this), I thought I'd post the first chapter of my book. Most of you that read this blog probably already know I recently finished writing my very first novel. It's a dream come true and I can't believe I actually finished it.
So without further ado, here it is. Chapter one of Home Sweet Home.
I hope you like it and crave for more!
CHAPTER 1
Home sweet home, Molly said to herself, a lazy smile highlighting her face as she gazed out the navy blue sedan’s passenger window. The last bridge en route to the beach community where she had spent so much of her childhood had been crossed and all the familiar sights of home lay before her. It was a beautiful morning, already warm and breezy at ten minutes after nine o’ clock, but that was typical weather for the west coast of Florida in mid-March. The sway of palm trees brought a faint smile to Molly’s lips and she knew without a doubt the outside air would smell of the sea. Long lines of fishing boats were already making their way along the Inter coastal Waterway, sailing along the small inlet which would eventually lead to the Gulf of Mexico. Molly knew her grandmother’s Ford would soon make the left turn onto Gulf Boulevard which would become Gulf Way and then she would officially be home. Home to Pass-a-Grille, a quiet community stretching twenty two blocks running along the Gulf of Mexico. It was home to one of the most beautiful beaches in Pinellas County and was considered to be an ideal place to live. There were no high rise condos or large hotel outfits; quaint inns, Bed and Breakfasts, and residential homes lined the narrow streets. Molly rolled down her window to feel the warm breeze and smell the salt in the air. She hadn’t experienced balmy temperatures in six months and longed for the feel of warmth on her skin. She glanced at her reflection in the side mirror and saw the same heart shaped face, cornflower blue eyes and wide mouth she always saw yet somehow, she looked different. Less stressed, she thought to herself. Frigid, foggy Atlanta seemed a world away. Molly felt the waves of relief wash over her as she boarded the plane that morning and city she called home for so long disappeared behind her. Her big city life was over and the beach was her home again. How much had changed since she had left Florida just ten short years before. With the ink barely dry on her degree and a great job offer in hand, she packed her things and said goodbye to her beach side home. Atlanta was close enough to please her family but still far enough away for Molly to truly feel she was on her own. She loved her job at one of the largest public relations firms in the Southeast and was very good at what she did. It fulfilled her to see her clients succeed and Molly thoroughly enjoyed the hard work it took behind the scenes to make it happen. But as much as she loved work, she enjoyed her downtime too. Molly fell in love with the big city and all it had to offer. Her small rental apartment located in Atlanta’s thriving Midtown neighborhood was within walking distance to work, not to mention the city’s finest restaurants and bars. It was the perfect place for a young single woman just starting out on her own. And it was also where she first met Jeff; the man who she thought would be the great love of her life. Molly shuddered as thoughts of him entered her memory. She shook her head as if to rid her mind of him, her long blond pony tail brushing the tops of her shoulders. She would not think of Jeff today. Today was after all, a happy day. Molly was home again and eager to reconnect with her grandmother, May.
As they drove down Gulf Way, Molly caught her first glimpse of the beach and the blue-green water of the gulf. She had missed it so much. How she had lived so far away from the beach for so long? For the first time in months, Molly felt herself relax.
“We’re here, sweetie! Welcome home”, May said as she turned into the driveway of the large pale pink beach cottage. Molly gazed up at the beautiful home, affectionately known as Shell House, as she stepped out of the car. She was comforted in an instant. No matter how long she was gone, it always looked the same. The wide front porch was like arms extended, ready to hug Molly and welcome her home. She was pleased when she noticed the shutters needed a fresh coat of paint. Fixing up Shell House would be a labor of love and Molly couldn’t wait to get started. She retrieved her bags from the car’s trunk and followed May through the side door and into the bright, sunny kitchen.
“Ok Gram! What can I do first?”
May looked at Molly with a bright smile. “Molly, dear, you just got here! What kind of grandmother would I be if I put you to work straight off an airplane?”
“Technically, you’re my boss. I expect you to put me to work.” She put her large suitcase at the foot of the stairs and went back to the kitchen. It was easily Molly’s favorite room in the house. May had it completely remodeled once she decided to turn her family’s home into a bed and breakfast. White shaker style cabinets were topped off with custom butcher block counter tops, all accented by pale yellow walls which were the color of liquid sunshine. And the appliances were a chef’s dream, all stainless steel and restaurant grade. The granite covered island was a new addition and the unofficial heart of the kitchen. Molly took a seat at one of the island’s woven sea grass bar stools. May handed her a mug filled with creamy coffee and sat next to her. “Sweetie, I’m not really your boss. We are equals running this place together. That was the deal when I offered you the job.” It had thrilled May when Molly accepted the offer: help her run the business and she’d match her salary. It was an offer Molly couldn’t refuse. And she knew the real reason behind her grandmother’s generosity. It had been almost a year since her last visit to the beach house and her grandmother had missed her tremendously. And she truly could use the extra hand…after all; Shell House was one of the most popular bed and breakfast inns in the area.
“I know, I know.” She took a sip of her coffee and smiled. “Mmmm…café con leche. I almost forgot how good Cuban coffee is.”
“That’s a sign you’ve been away too long!” May’s bright blue eyes twinkled at Molly as she teased her.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed living here till I got her this morning.” She turned her attention to the view outside the window. Seagulls flew over the sand dunes covered in sea oats, the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico just visible beyond the dunes. “It’s so beautiful, Gram. Why did I ever want to leave?”
“Aw, come on honey. You remember why. This place was too small for you. You wanted to live that big city lifestyle, be a mover and a shaker.” May had understood then twenty-two year old Molly’s ambition and had helped her daughter and son-in-law accept their daughter’s decision to leave home.
“And I did. And look what I have to show for it.” Molly looked down at her feet and felt the sadness overcome her. She felt May’s hand on her arm.
“Sweetie, everything that happened in Atlanta made you the woman you are today. You are stronger, more independent. And I’m proud of you. You lived your dream and even though things didn’t turn out the way you planned, don’t ever regret the decision you made.”
“I guess you’re right. I did fulfill a dream. And now it’s time to fulfill another one…living and working here at Shell House full time. You know I always imagined I’d be doing this one day but I figured it would be many years from now.” She smiled and squeezed her grandmother’s hand. It felt so wonderful to be sitting with her drinking coffee in the bright kitchen.
“I know but I’m glad it’s now. We are going to make quite a team, Sweetie.”
May clinked her mug to Molly’s and drank the last bit of coffee.
Molly smiled at her, “Yes we are. To Shell House.”
“To Shell House!” She hugged her granddaughter and placed their empty mugs in the dish washer. “So what’s on your agenda for today? I’m sure you’d love to hit the beach.”
Molly laughed, “Gram! I just got here…I need to do something constructive with my day.”
“Why? There’s not much to do. The guests this week are three older couples that have been coming here together for years. They’ve been busy touring the area and I’ve hardly seen them. So there’s really no reason for you not to enjoy your first day back home.”
“But I’ll feel guilty if I just go lay around on the beach all day,” Molly pouted. “There’s got to be something I can do around here. I can paint the shutters…I noticed they looked a little worn when we drove up.” She started to move towards the door leading out to the outdoor storage shed where she knew the paint and supplies were kept. May jumped up and blocked her before she could get to the doorway.
“Molly Lauren Andrews! Don’t you even think about painting today! There will be plenty of time to do that kind of stuff. Take your bags upstairs, put on a swimsuit and go out and enjoy the day.” She cocked a silver eyebrow at Molly. “Don’t even think about fighting me on this one. You know I’ll win.”
Molly couldn’t stop the smile from slowly spreading across her face. No matter how long she was away from home, some things never changed. She glanced towards the window and saw the wide beach spread out before her. She felt the pull like she always did. There was nothing quite like the beach view offered at Shell House.
Molly bowed her head and sighed. She knew from experience there was no point in arguing and decided to throw in the towel. Besides, the thought of sinking her pink painted toes in the warm, soft sand made her heart sing. The beach at Pass-a-Grille was her favorite place in the world.
“Well, I guess I am headed upstairs and into a bikini. I know I’d be wasting my time arguing with you. I don’t think I’ve ever won a single one.” She put her head on May’s shoulder. “Arguing with you reminds me of Mom. I think I lost most of those, too, if I remember correctly.” Tears began to fill Molly’s eyes. “I still miss her, Dad too. It seems strange coming home and not driving to Tampa to see them.” It had been six years since the phone call that had delivered the horrible news. Both of her parents had been killed instantly in a car accident along Interstate 75 while on the way home from a weekend in Sarasota. Molly had been devastated. She had already been living in Atlanta for four years when the accident occurred. She dropped everything and rushed back to Tampa to see to her parent’s affairs. It had been a horrible time in her life and she never thought she could sink so low. May had been there for her then and so had Jeff. At the thought of him, she quickly shut her eyes as if to force the memory out from her mind. There was still a dull pain associated with memories of the life they shared. May reached out and wrapped her arms around her granddaughter and brought her in for a hug. “I miss them too sweetie, but only happy thoughts today okay? You’re home. Let’s focus on that for right now.” Molly clung to May, letting the soothing warmth of her grandmother’s embrace envelop her. May always knew what Molly needed at the exact time she needed it. They had a unique connection and Molly felt as long as May was at Shell House…the beach cottage would always be home.
Five minutes and one quick bikini change later, Molly sat in a blue beach chair facing the Gulf of Mexico. She had to admit to herself, it felt wonderful to be back. Molly shared May’s love for Shell House and together, they would work to make the inn the most desired place to stay in all of Pass-a-Grille. Molly’s background in public relations would be an asset to Shell House. She was full of ideas to grow the business and was eager to present them to her grandmother. Selling the Shell House and Pass-a-Grille would be a piece of cake. It was her home and she knew it like the back of her hand. After all, who wasn’t interested in visiting paradise? Molly took in the view around her and was so thankful this beautiful stretch of beach was hers. She shuffled her feet in the white sand and gazed out at the view before her. The blue green water looked so inviting but Molly knew it would still be a little cold. Most of the locals wouldn’t brave a swim until April when the water temperatures reached more comfortable levels. But with it being mid March and spring break for so many; there was a spattering of tourists wading in the gentle waves. But even at height of the busy season, the beach was relatively empty. Molly knew most of the students would have flocked to the large, developed beaches just to the north and she was thankful for it. The little strand of shoreline that sat right at the foot of Shell House always stayed quiet and peaceful. Molly closed her eyes and listened to the waves hitting the sand. She could hear the call of the seagulls flying above and allowed herself to truly relax. The realization of how exhausted she was overcame her in as she sat in the peaceful surroundings. Maybe I’ll dose off for a little nap, Molly thought to herself and was fast asleep in seconds.
“Um Miss? Hello? Are you alive? Cause if you are, you are going to need a whole lot of aloe later. Hello?” Molly slowly opened her eyes and had to instantly shield them from the bright sun. She gazed up and tried to focus on the person who interrupted her nap. She found herself staring into a pair of molten chocolate eyes. “Oh good…she lives! I was worried there for a second. You better get inside cause from the looks of it, you got way to much sun today and with it being your first day and all…you don’t want to ruin your vacation do you?” Molly was trying to wake up and focus on what he was saying. She was very groggy from her snooze on the beach. “I’m sorry, what?”
The stranger smiled and chuckled at her startled, sleepy response. “Sorry to wake you up but you’re getting a little burned and I just thought it being your first day, you’d probably want to avoid that.”
Molly’s back came up instantly. “How do you know I just got here today? Who are you?” The handsome stranger laughed again, causing Molly to decide to immediately dislike him, no matter how good looking he was. She hated feeling like a fool and even worse, she despised being caught with her guard down.
“Wow! Do you always wake up and ask so many questions? One, I know you just got here because I haven’t seen you here all week and two, I’m Jordan. I live next door to Shell House, which is where I assume you’re staying since you are laying out in front of it. I live next door at Shang-Ri-La.” The man gestured over his shoulder at the small yellow bungalow next to Shell House. Molly began to let herself relax. If this man was a neighbor, surely her grandmother must know him well. After all, Pass-a-Grille was a small, tight knit community.
“I’m not a guest at Shell House. It’s my home. I’m May’s granddaughter, Molly. I assume you know her?” She thought she saw a flicker of recognition cross his face at the sound of her name but it was gone so quickly she was sure she had imagined it. She held out her hand to him in greeting. Jordan took her hand in his. She instantly regretted touching him. He made her feel uncomfortable and all she wanted to do was run back to the security of Shell House. What was it about this guy that made her so nervous? He smiled at her and Molly felt her stomach drop. He was easily the best looking man she had ever seen in person. She felt an instant attraction and knew she would have to keep her distance from the handsome next door neighbor. The last thing she was looking for was a man. Molly looked down at her skin and realized he was right...she was already pink and if she stayed our any longer, she would be red in no time. As much as she hated to go inside, she was thankful for a reason to make a getaway. Molly stood up and began to collect her things, wrapping her beach towel around her waist. She was all too aware of Jordan’s eyes on her as she folded up her beach chair. “Well thank you very much for waking me up. I truly appreciate it or at least my skin will.” Jordan gave Molly a smile that turned her legs to jello.
“No problem. I do what I can for a neighbor. I’ll see you around, Molly.” He watched her as she walked home. Molly could feel his eyes on her as she stepped up on the porch. She turned and saw him still watching her as she stepped into the house. Molly felt her pulse race as she closed the door. She was disgusted with body’s reaction to Jordan. What was wrong with her? Men had no place on her list of priorities. She was home to work. Molly decided to do everything in her power to avoid Jordan. If she couldn’t control her body’s response to him, she’d make sure there were no opportunities to spend any time with him in the future.
Well there it is. That's the beginning.
I hope you liked it. If I get a good response, maybe I'll post more of it.
Leave a comment & let me know what you think.
Happy Thursday!
Jess
