"I thought we could go to Fisherman's Wharf first and walk around," Shawn suggested after a few minutes.

"Okay, sounds good," Daisy agreed.

She leaned against the passenger door, looking out the open window, and for the first time since her arrival took the opportunity to observe her surroundings. Although the picturesque town of Shelly Cove has been battered by bitter storms and a tumultuous ocean for over 200 years, its weathered structures have never lost their rustic, quaint charm.

Surprisingly, she found herself relaxing and the tension and nausea slowly faded to a dull ache, and by the time Shawn parked the truck, only a small tight knot in her stomach remained.

"Not really so far, is it?" Daisy remarked.

"That is the benefit of a small town, most everything is within walking distance."

"Why didn't we walk?"

"Because it is summer and it's hot! Besides, I want to take you somewhere else when we are done."

Daisy twisted around to Shawn, "Oh? Where?"

"You'll see," he winked and jumped out of the truck.

Daisy pulled on her door handle and grunted when it refused to budge.

"Sorry, only opens from the outside," Shawn apologized, opening the door for her.

"This truck is a wreck," she stated, sliding forward to climb out, but before she realized his intentions, Shawn lifted her out. She grabbed his shoulders to keep herself steady as he gently set her on the ground. She noticed the way his chest muscles flexed and strained against his t-shirt.

Shawn had a well-toned muscle structure, indicating he was avidly into sports or worked out daily.

"You good?" He asked, releasing her.

"Huh? Oh, yes," she nodded and hastily moved away.

Shawn reached into the truck for her bag, before pulling another bag from under her seat. He took a moment to compose himself, once again her scrutiny had made him extremely uncomfortable, but the funny thing was, this time he enjoyed it.

He locked the truck and then held out his hand.
"Coming?"

Daisy took her bag from Shawn and slipped her hand into his. She exhaled when the comfort she had hoped for would be there washed over her.

He squeezed her hand and led her along the path toward the boardwalk.

All the shops were lined up on one side, each rewarded with a spectacular view of a never-ending blue horizon. The boardwalk was still relatively empty, with only a few people standing admiring the ocean and some enjoying a drink at the coffee shop.

Her eyes were drawn to the roar of the waves crashing against the poles that somehow, miraculously, held the long wooden walkway together. She froze when her eyes caught what she had barely glimpsed on Friday night.

Shawn felt the tug on his hand, and he smiled. She had spotted the lighthouse.

"Oh my Gosh, Shawn, can we go there?" Daisy asked, unable to quell the bubbling excitement in her voice.

"I was going to take you there later, after lunch."

"Lunch?" Daisy tore her eyes away to look at Shawn.

"Yeah," he beamed and nodded. "Come on, the library is on the end, although I don't think it is open yet."

Daisy followed, listening to Shawn introduce all the various shops along the boardwalk. As predicted, the library was still closed when they came to a stop.

"Pity," he mumbled, peering through the display window at the darkened interior. "I had hoped to ask if they had the new Lee Evans book."

"Lee Evans? The murder mystery writer?"

Shawn faced Daisy, "Yeah, have you read his books?"

Daisy blinked. "Almost all of them, he is one of my favorite authors," she admitted.

"Mine too." His mouth pulled into a crooked smile, pleased with her response.
"Want to sit for a while?"

"Sure," Daisy smiled, and they headed for the nearest bench.

They sat quietly for a few minutes admiring the vast blue in front of them.

"What did my aunt say to you?" She finally asked, curiosity winning over the anxiety to brood about it.

Shawn frowned, shaking his head, obviously confused.

"Before I came down the stairs."

"She just asked where we were going and if anything should change, we just let her know."
He turned to her, "why?"

"Oh, just wondering," she responded quickly, throwing him a half-hearted smile.
"She can also be, uh, very over-protective," she said.

"Ah," Shawn nodded, knowingly.

Daisy's fingers tugged on the fabric of her bag, the knot in her stomach threatening to expand.

"Look!" Shawn suddenly bumped her shoulder with his, pointing up into the sky and she looked up.

Two seagulls were gliding elegantly on the tail of a gust of wind, side by side, their wings just touching. Up and down, they danced to the song of waves crashing beneath them. Mesmerized, she hardly noticed Shawn moving, and when she heard the soft 'click' she turned to him in surprise.

He was holding a camera aimed at the birds. She would never have guessed the bag he had been carrying had housed a camera.

"What are you doing?" she nevertheless asked.

"Taking photos," Shawn lowered the camera briefly before refocusing on the birds.

"Well, duh."

He chuckled and she reveled in the sound.

"It is a hobby if that is what you were asking. Although, if possible, I'd like to make it into something more." He turned, pointing the camera at her.

Daisy ducked, twisting her face away, holding up her hands.
"Please don't! You will waste your film."

Shawn remained motionless for a few seconds, fighting the temptation not to take a photo before lowering the camera. Then a thought occurred.
"How did you know it was not digital?"

She shrugged, still not looking at him. "I guessed."

Shawn shook his head, not quite believing her, and returned the camera to the bag.

Cautiously, Daisy glanced back and noted the camera was gone. She exhaled, dropping her hands onto her lap. "Why film though? Isn't it more expensive?"

"With digital you can take a thousand images to get the perfect shot, but with film, you only get one chance."
He stood up and held out his hand.
"Come on, let's grab something to eat at Tate's Diner then head to the lighthouse."

The knot in Daisy's stomach flipped, and she excitedly jumped to her feet.

Daisy hardly noticed the boardwalk getting busy with daily visitors and tourists as they ate lunch. Shawn kept their conversation flowing with information about Shelly Cove. And when they finished, he once again held her hand tightly. He kept her securely tucked in at his side as they walked to his truck.

After a quick text message was sent to Miriam to let her know where they were heading, they were back on the road.

About 20 minutes later, Shawn turned off the main road onto a small gravel road between two large trees. The truck wobbled from side to side as he tried to make the transition go smoothly.

"She is going to break apart," Daisy groaned, gripping the passenger door tightly, desperately afraid it might pop open.

"She is sturdier than she looks," Shawn reassured, but could not stop the laugh bursting from his chest when one of the wheels hit a loose rock and Daisy squealed.

She shot him a look, but it faded quickly. His laugh was infectious, and despite the fear of being flung from the truck at any moment, she inadvertently found herself laughing with him. She knew deep down that had it been a different car and faster speed, she would have panicked.

"Almost there," Shawn informed when they finally broke free and the ground leveled out.

The bridge to the lighthouse came into view and Shawn stopped the truck.
He leaned forward, his brows pulling together noting the dark spots on the horizon.
"Looks like a storm is heading this way."

"Is that a bad thing?" Daisy frowned at the sky, not wanting to turn back now.

"No, not necessarily. If it does rain, we can take shelter in the lighthouse. Shelly Cove's rain showers come in intervals, which should give us enough time to return."

"But there was no rain forecasted for today," Daisy declared.

"Shelly Cove is notorious for its unexpected thunderstorms, just one of her many quirks."

Shawn jumped from the truck and made his way around to her. He opened the door, which she had still been hanging onto and she came tumbling forward.

"Whoa, got you," he moved quickly around the door, his hands slipping around her back to lift her. Her arms instinctively went around his neck, and for a few seconds, she clung to him, her feet dangling in the air.

Abruptly he deposited her back onto her seat in the truck and moved back around the open door.
"Are- "he breathed deeply, "are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm so sorry," she grimaced. "I should have been more careful- "

"Wasn't your fault, I opened the door too quickly,"

Daisy frowned but nodded and started to shift forward, reaching for the sidebar.

"Wait, I'll help you, just- "he swallowed and averted his eyes. He pushed his glasses up that had slightly slipped down the bridge of his nose, "Just give me a minute."

Daisy's eyes widened at the notable flush on Shawn's cheeks.

Was he blushing?