The next morning, Dashiell rose from his bed, his thoughts heavy with the dilemma of whether or not to make a stop at Aunt Gwen's. He knew he had to force his mind away from the matter.
While getting dressed, Dashiell considered his choices. The last thing he wanted was another encounter with Trisha, that cocky woman who had rubbed him the wrong way. However, he also felt a duty to her since she was overseeing the project in the area. She didn't know his role as the CEO in the company, so he decided to let it go and not cause any more trouble.
With a heavy sigh, Dashiell made his way to his truck and drove to Aunt Gwen's house. He decided he would at least drop in to say "hi" to them and perhaps grab a cup of coffee, trying to put aside any lingering tensions.
A few minutes later, he pulled up to Aunt Gwen's house. As he opened the door of his pickup, the delightful fragrance of her flower garden greeted him. Gwen was sitting on the front porch, and she greeted him with a smile, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes that she couldn't hide.
He gave her a kiss on her gray curls and asked, "How are you feeling this morning?"
"You still look good, but I'm getting older with each passing minute." A wry expression flattened her lips.
"Aren't we all?" he replied, as if he needed another reminder of his own aging.
Dashiell settled into the other rocker on the porch, stretching his legs out in front of him, with his boots resting near the white porch railing.
"Isn't today your important meeting?" she asked.
"Yep," he replied, but he didn't want to focus on the meeting with the project team right now. Instead, he asked, "Are you okay, Aunt Gwen?"
Gwen responded with a simple "Fine," but the dark circles under her eyes suggested otherwise.
"Could you stop worrying about me?" Gwen scolded him with a sideways scowl. "You seem a bit tired yourself, you know. And by the way, why were you so irritable last night? Even Trisha noticed."
Dashiell lowered his head and let out a chuckle. Leave it to Aunt Gwen to call him out on his behavior.
"Where should I begin?"
"Well, starting at the beginning is usually a good idea," Gwen replied in a plain tone.
Dashiell continued, "Okay. First of all, I was starving. Second, I'd already had a bad experience with her. Third, I didn't expect to see her in your house."
"And all of that put you in a bad mood?"
Dashiell leaned in, resting his elbows on his knees as he met her gaze. He knew she wouldn't let him off the hook easily. "And I was jealous, alright? I know it's ridiculous, but I'm not used to sharing you with anyone else."
Gwen responded with a more casual tone, "So basically, you were acting like a spoiled kid."
He managed a wry grin, appreciating Gwen's straightforwardness. "Yeah, I guess you could put it that way. Sorry about that. I'll try to be more pleasant."
A warm smile crossed her face. "You know I care about you."
He stood up from the chair and nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm going to grab some coffee. Do you want any?"
She declined with a chuckle. "No, thank you. I've had enough to keep me awake until forever. Be quiet when you go in. Trisha's still asleep."
The thought of that confident woman made him pause abruptly. He briefly considered skipping the coffee, but then he shook his head. Why should he worry about waking her up? It was her problem, not his. He definitely needed another cup.
The door gave out a squeak as he entered the house, and he intentionally allowed it to slam shut. The enticing aroma of coffee enveloped him as he walked further inside. It was already nine in the morning, and it seemed the arrogant woman was still asleep, clearly accustomed to a life of luxury and self-indulgence.
Returning to the porch, he couldn't help but express his surprise. "I'm surprised your guest is still sleeping." There was a hint of accusation in his tone.
Gwen corrected him, "Her name's Trisha Lockhart, and you should remember it."
In response, he raised his eyebrows and let out a soft whistle.
The squeak of the rocking chairs filled the silence between them as Dashiell contemplated how to voice his doubts without offending Gwen. Ultimately, he realized he couldn't. He asked, "How long is she planning on staying in this house?"
Gwen shrugged in response. "A few days. It's her first time here. She would be staying at the staff house after the repair is done."
Dashiell quickly added, trying to avoid her glare, "Surely she's not going to stay the entire week? I mean, there won't be much around here for a city woman to do."
Dashiell quickly corrected himself, trying to avoid Gwen's warning look. "Sorry. I meant not much for Trisha to do." The subject seemed touchy.
Gwen explained, "She needs rest more than anything, but I told her I'd show her around town later today."
Dashiell pondered silently why Trisha would have any interest in a secluded island that had all but dried up. He rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
"City woman?" Gwen's warning gaze hit him squarely.
"Sorry, I meant there won't be much for Trisha to do." Dashiell tried to clarify, taking a sip of his black coffee. It was clearly a touchy subject.
Gwen explained, "She needs rest more than anything, but I told her I'd show her around town later today."
Dashiell couldn't help but wonder about Trisha's sudden interest in a secluded island that had all but dried up. He rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
"Well, I hope she enjoys her tour of the town. Maybe it'll change her perspective on Azure Bay." He couldn't help but add with a hint of sarcasm, "Not that there's much left to see after I take her to the project site today."
Gwen's eyes widened. "It's her first day here. Let's give her a chance to chill and take in the surroundings before diving into work."
"I'm the one in charge here, and we have a lot of work to do," he replied firmly, "I thought I'd better get her to the project site early today, and she can start getting familiar with everything. Time's ticking, and we've got a lot of work ahead. The tour can be waiting."
"So, are you here this morning to pick her up?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah. But since the sleeping beauty is still dreaming, I guess it's time to wake her up. Not with a kiss, of course, but with a dose of harsh reality," he replied with a wry grin.
Gwen chuckled. "Well, you have your ways, Dash. Just be gentle with her. She's new here, and you know how different this place can be compared to the city."
Dashiell smiled and winked at his aunt. "I'll keep that in mind, Aunt Gwen. Thanks for the advice." With that, he got up from the rocking chair, leaving the empty coffee cup on the porch table, and headed towards the house to wake up Trisha and get her day started.
Dashiell knocked on the door of the room where Trisha was staying, hoping to wake her up gently. There was no response.
He knocked again, a little louder this time, but still, there was no response from inside the room.
After trying for the third time with a rhythmic knock, he could hear the sound of footsteps approaching from inside.
The door creaked open, revealing Trisha standing there, disheveled and still half-asleep. She rubbed her eyes and yawned before realizing who was at the door.
It looked like she had just wrestled with a tornado in her sleep. Her hair resembled a tangle of wild vines on a mission to conquer her head, and her pajamas appeared to have engaged in a battle with the concept of matching colors and lost miserably. If there was ever a poster child for the term "bedhead," she was it.
For a brief moment, their eyes locked in mutual surprise. Dashiell, with his rugged morning appearance and raised eyebrow, looked like he'd just stumbled upon an exotic creature in the wilderness. Trisha, on the other hand, had the wide-eyed, deer-caught-in-the-headlights look that suggested she had not been expecting this unexpected visitor in the morning. The silence hung in the air as they processed the unexpected encounter.