The next day Merrill woke up and started to make breakfast before Lucinda had a chance to. He wanted to surprise her but mostly he missed the routine they had developed on the farm. However, like clock work Lucinda got up before dawn and went for a run on the beach. Her mind fluttered with thoughts of making love on the couch with Raif just the night before. She smiled throughout the entire jog feeling so sneaky about how quiet they had been. Afterward as she stretched her muscles on the sand, she realized how Raif wasn't out on the water. In fact, she didn't see him at all during her jog either, so she decided to go check on him.

Since his backyard opened up to the beach, she figured she would just go through the yard. The hinges on the picket fence squeaked as she opened it and her running shoes crunched against the sand scattered on the stone walkway. She smiled as she past by the lounge chair where Raif had kissed her, and the BBQ grill where he had stood, looking as handsome as ever while cooking. The memory of that night still made her stomach feel as there were thousands of butterflies trapped inside it and fighting to get out. When she finlly got to the sliding glass door to see if Raif was home, she knocked and then pressed her face against it. Somewhere inside she could hear Frank going nuts as he barked at the sound of her knocking. Shortly after, a very sleepy Raif walked up and smiled instantly when he saw her.

"Good morning to you," he said while sliding open the door and then grabbing her waist to pull her inside. "You know, you could've just walked in. I don't keep this door locked."

"Well, I didn't want to assume I could." She gave him a quick peck as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Well then, from now on you can walk in whenever you want, in fact you are very welcome to." He released her and took her hand as he guided her to the kitchen. "So what's up?"

"Nothing, it's just that you weren't out this morning. I got a little worried."

"So you missed me?" Raif teased and flashed her a grin.

A tickle ran through Lucinda's stomach. "Of course." She smiled shyly.

"I wanted to sleep in a little today so I changed the hours for the Barrel Wave." He walked over to the kitchen counter and began making coffee.

"You can do that? Won't people be upset it's not open yet?"

"Nah. Part of the beauty of owning your own business is being able to set your own hours." He leaned over the island and stole a kiss from Lucinda. She grinned. "Plus with it being off season, people usually understand if I open or close at different hours."

"Well, I just wanted to say hi, but I should really get back. Merrill is probably awake now. He'll be hungry."

With a sly smile Raif made his way around the island to her and pulled her hips into him. "You sure you have to leave so soon?"

He started kissing her but Lucinda coyly pushed away.

"Raif I have to get back." Ignoring her, he moved his kisses down towards her neck, "Raif, I'm all sweaty from jogging."

But Raif carried on anyway, now pulling the strap of her tank top down and taking a bite of her collar bone. Lucinda stopped protesting as her skin began to tingle and her craving for him increased.

"Alright!" she exclaimed, breathlessly giving in. "But we need to be quick."

They stripped each other bare in record time and Raif lifted her onto the counter. As he began moving against her, Lucinda thought about what a waste it had been to go three whole years without intimacy. Because as they moved together, it reminded her of just how amazing it felt to be desired and wanted and maybe even loved? However, the way Raif looked into her eyes as he moved, and the way he focussed on how to make her feel good as if his own pleasure didn't matter, she realized that maybe the three years were worth it after all? No other man could've possibly made her feel as alive the way Raif always did. He was worth the wait.

And, she no longer cared that she was sweaty.

🌊🌊🌊

When Merrill had planned his trip to Breeze Bay with Lucinda, it was never with a time limit. His visit wasn't going to be clocked, but instead taken day by day. So, each morning he and Lucinda took turns making breakfast, then they would go for long walks on the beach. Sometimes they almost spent the entire day on the sand either reading or napping and a basket full of snacks was always withing reach. A few times he even got out on the water with Raif and attempted to surf. Other days they would sit out in the garden drinking coffee while Merrill talked about his wife. H even got the bright idea to do a bit of planting and together he and Lucinda created a mini vegetable garden for her.

A few days into his vacation, he and Lucinda were in the mood to go out for brunch so Lucinda looked up the best place to go and saw that the local diner had good reviews. It was a chilly morning so they slipped on their jackets and headed out. The best part about Lucinda's apartment was that it was within walking distance of so many things, which Merrill loved. Having lived on a farm, so far away from the nearest grocery store, he knew he was going to miss the easy walks to the local market. As they entered the cottage-like diner on the corner of Main Street, Merrill could see someone waving to him from a booth. Puzzled he nudged Lucinda.

"Do you know her?"

Lucinda was giving her name at the host stand and glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, yes, that's Emma. My new friend."

"I think she wants us to go over there..." Merrill nudged her again and nodded toward Emma as she waved to them enthusiastically, urging them to join her. "Is that Annie with her, the woman from the boutique?"

"Does she have blonde hair that almost looks white?"

"Yep."

"Then that's her," Lucinda replied and turned to the hostess to cancel their table. "Would it be alright if we go sit with our friends?"

"Oh sure. No problem Lucinda!" The hostess smiled.

Lucinda adjusted her purse over her shoulder and her mouth opened and closed as if she was trying to place the host's familiar face. "I'm so sorry. I've forgotten your name."

"Oh it's ok." The hostess waved her hand. "We haven't officially met, but I see you sometimes. I like going into the Barrel Wave cause of that hot owner, Raif. What I'd give to have a piece of that! You are so lucky to be able to work with him every day."

"Oh..." Lucinda responded with a slight frown.

Merrill chuckled to himself as he watched her face flush red. Was she experiencing a tinge of jealousy because another woman was calling her boyfriend, hot? He threw his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her arm as they began walking away. "Come on, silly."

"Is it terrible that I suddenly want to shout from the roof top that Raif is mine and therefore every woman needs to back off?"

"Hah!" Merrill laughed again. "I'd say it's normal."

"So then I'm not crazy?"

"Not at all, kid. I've been guilty of feeling a little territorial too, back when my wife was alive. Even when she became sick with cancer, she was still elegant and could capture the attention of a room." He sighed with a bit of melancholy attached to it.

"You really loved her."

"I still do," Merrill replied. "I always will."

"I hope that I can end up as lucky as you one day and find a love as pure as yours."

He smiled down at her and squeezed her arm again. "Who knows, maybe you already have with Raif?" He winked.

Annie stood as they approached the U-shaped booth and let them scoot in before she sat back down. "Loris is coming." She smiled and then turned to Merrill. "It will be such a treat for him to meet you. Ever since I told him you've been surfing with Raif he's been dying to meet you!"

"Is that right?" Merrill responded as he unfolded a nap to rest on his lap.

"Yes!" Annie nodded excitedly. "You see, his father is around your age and Loris has been trying to get him to surf with him every time he visits, but his father always complains that he's..." Annie cleared her throat. "Pardon my words, but he says he's too old to try surfing."

Merrill let out a hearty laugh. "Well, I don't blame him. It's not easy to learn at my age."

"But you're still out there trying it nonetheless!" Annie praised as she motioned towards the surf through the vast window. "I'm in my forties and I can barely stand up on a surf board. I always topple over and then I just give up."

"Maybe you can try again when you're my age?" Merrill replied.

"Maybe that's the secret." Emma nodded as she contemplated his words. "Maybe everything we gave up on when we were young, we just need to try again in our older years?"

"As they say, if at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again... when you're retired," Merrill replied as filled his mug with coffee from a karaft on the table.

"Here, here!" Emma exclaimed as she clinked her coffee mug to Merrill's with a wide grin. "Oh! I see Loris." She waved her hand back and forth in a frenzy to get his attention and then the expression on her face slightly fell. "And Tanner..."

Merrill watched as both Annie and Emma's eyes drifted to Lucinda. Her wide eyes immediately dropped down to the napkin on her lap. Merrill didn't have to be a genius to understand that whoever Tanner was, that Lucinda was a bit worried about him joining their table. Right as he was about to ask who Tanner was, the men were already getting seated. He guessed that the man with the glasses leaning in to kiss Annie was Loris and that the man scooting into the booth next to Emma was Tanner. Judging by the way his eyes were glued to Lucinda as he got comfortable, Merrill officially knew that there was a story to be told. A story that Lucinda had kept to herself. Part of him was disappointed. How could he protect her if he didn't know important things like why Tanner was staring at her as if she owed him an explanation.

"Good to see you," Tanner said as he kept his sole focus on her.

Merrill shifted uncomfortably in the booth as pleasantries between Emma and Loris were being exchanged across the table. He could feel the panic radiating off of Lucinda, so he placed a gentle hand on her knee. A quiet exhale released from her as she finally looked up to meet Tanners eyes.

"Yes, it's been a while." She smiled politely.

"Yeah. Not since the party when you ditched me."

Oblivious to what was happening, Loris leaned over Annie with his hand extended out. "You must be Merrill! I've heard nothing but good things!"

"Thank you." Merrill took his hand, shaking it.

"Oh and Lucinda, sweetheart, you look ravishing!" Loris complimented, still leaning over Annie with a hand on her thigh. "If I'm not mistaken, I'd say you're glowing and I heard a little rumor that you and Rai--" From the corner of Merrill's eye he saw Annie elbow Loris, causing him to groan out the word ouch. "What was that for?"

"Darling, we're starving. Let's order, shall we?" Annie said as she opened up a menu.

"Yes, I'm famished." Tanner eyed Lucinda across the table and Merrill didn't like the devilish look in the young man's stare.

It was quiet as they all looked over their menus and Merrill couldn't help but steal glances up at Tanner as he wondered about him. Then the young man snapped his menu closed, causing Lucinda to flinch from the noise breaking the silence.

"I'm having the Denver Omelette!" Tanner announced.

"Darling," Loris said to Annie as he pointed to the menu. "Would you like to split the Florentine Omelette and a stack of sweet cream pancakes?"

Annie slapped her hand to her heart with a moan. "Ugh, is this man my soulmate or what? I swear I was thinking the exact same thing!"

"You two are too much!" Emma giggled.

"You're a woman after my own heart!" Loris replied to Annie as he leaned in to plant a kiss right on her lips.

Merrill noticed how Tanner rolled his eyes and looked away from them, but then shifted his attention to Lucinda. A smile grew on his face. "So gorgeous, where have you been hiding since the party?"

"Um...well." Lucinda clenched the napkin in her lap as she thought of what to say, her cheeks coloring slightly. "I've been right where I always am. At the cafe." She shrugged.

"I was worried you might have fallen into the wrong hands. A woman like you deserves the best." Tanner lifted his coffee mug to his mouth and took a sip while eying her. "I'd still like to take you out on that date you promised me."

Again all eyes fell on Lucinda, but Loris paused from nuzzling Annie's neck and leaned forward, puzzled as he looked about the table. "Hmm? What? What did I miss?"

"Oh just that Lucinda promised me a date and I'd like to cash in on it," Tanner replied.

"Well you're a little late cause according to the rumor mill, Lucinda and Rai--" Annie nudged Loris's side, yet again, which caused him to stare at her wild eyed. "Is there a reason you keep trying to bruise my ribs, darling?"

Annie practically bulged her eyes at him, sending a hidden message for him to shut up. Emma on the other hand decided to change the subject.

"So Merrill," she said as she turned to him. "How long have you lived in Redwood Village?"

"Well, my son is forty one years old and my wife and I moved there just before he was born. So I would say at least forty two years," he replied with a scratch of his chin.

"From what Lucinda has described to me, it sounds like a beautiful place to raise a family," Emma responded as she filled her cup with more coffee.

"Breeze Bay seems like a good place too." Merrill smiled and held out his cup to her so she could pour some coffee in it.

"There's excellent real estate in Redwood Village." Tanner piped up. "I bet with Lucinda's help, Loris and I could expand our business out there and flip a few properties."

"It's too far." Loris shook his head. "Besides, we have our hands full here."

"Well, even more reason to have someone with Lucinda's skill set to join our team." Tanner shifted to her and asked. "What do you think? We'd compensate you well." He winked.

Lucinda squeezed the napkin in her lap before looking up to give a reply. "Actually, money isn't an issue for me right now. I'm doing just fine at the cafe, but thank you for the offer."

"Wasted potential." Tanner sighed with a shake of his head.

"What do you mean?" Lucinda leaned forward, her head cocking slightly as she eyed him. Merrill could sense Tanner was agitating her and he himself was a little annoyed with the young man's tone. While Merrill agreed that Lucinda was a brilliant woman, he certainly didn't feel she was wasting her time at the cafe. Working there had fueled her with life again. Clearly Tanner didn't know Lucinda well, at all.

"A woman like you can do better than serving coffee. That's all." Tanner shrugged.

Merrill let out a long breath causing everyone's attention to fall on him. With his gaze trained on the coffee mug in front of him he said, "I suppose it hasn't occured to you that Lucinda has already worked the suit and tie life. She's done crunching numbers for endless hours and now, what she really needs, is to enjoy life. She's happy working in the cafe. She deserves to be happy." He finally looked up at Tanner. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes." Tanner cleared his throat.

"You're young, Tanner." Merrill continued. "And one day, once you've gotten to my age, you'll learn that the best and happiest times in your life had nothing to do with making money, but rather experiencing life itself and with people you care for."

"Here, here!" Emma agreed as she raised her coffee mug into the air. "To enjoying life!"

The others at the table raised their coffee mugs to join the toast, but Tanner barely lifted his. Beside him, Merrill could feel Lucinda press her head to his shoulder for a brief moment, as if showing her gratitude for him coming to her defense. Deep inside of him he felt a love for her that he felt for his own daughter, Sylvia, and he realized he would gladly defend Lucinda again and again, if he needed to. She was now a part of him. A bird with a broken wing that he had mended and would always protect.

The table fell silent again and when the waiter arrived they all placed their orders. For the remainder of their brunch, Tanner kept to himself while everyone else chatted. His silence seemed to ease Lucinda as she loosened up and even joked around a little with Emma. Merrill was proud of himself for defending her. She didn't need someone like Tanner belittling the changes she had made in her life, especially since those changes had transformed her into a much happier person.

Once brunch was over, the group parted ways, but not before Tanner whispered something into Lucinda's ear. Merrill couldn't help but notice how on the way home, she had become quiet and he knew it must have been whatever he said to her. Rarely did Merrill push Lucinda to open up to him, but seeing how her mood had changed he knew he had to. So as soon as they walked through the door, he asked about Tanner.

"He just apologized." She shrugged, but averted her eyes from Merrill.

"What else did he say?"

"Nothing." She shook her head.

"Lucinda..." Merrill placed a hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "I know you're only telling me half of it."

"It's just... well, he..." Lucinda paused and tried to reform her words. "He asked if I'd give him another chance."

"And what did you say?"

"I didn't know what to say, so he said we could talk about it at another time."

"What exactly is the deal with Tanner anyway? What happened at the party he kept brining up?"

With a droop of her shoulders, Lucinda guided Merrill to the kitchen table and told him about the party. She explained how at first she had been charmed by Tanner and how in her inebriated mind, he seemed like a great catch... but then Raif showed up. Merrill couldn't help but smile as Lucinda's face glowed while she talked about how they salsa danced together. However, her expression fell slightly as she recalled how disrespectful Tanner had been to Raif towards the end.

As Merrill nodded his head while she spoke, he finally understood why Tanner had behaved the way he had at the diner. Just like Merrill's son Aaron, Tanner didn't seem to like losing to competition. They both carried with them a flair of arrogance and pride. Which also meant that if Tanner's personality truly was like his son's, then Merrill knew he wasn't going to give up so easily on Lucinda.

"So, what are you going to do if he continues to insist on taking you out on a date?" He asked.

"I'll tell him the truth. That I'm with Raif."

"And you think he'll just give up?" Merrill began scratching his head as he frowned. "Cause I gotta say, sweetheart, I'm not sure if a man like Tanner will accept losing to a man like Raif. I get the vibe that he feels superior to him and I've met men like Tanner before, heck, even my own son is like him! Trouble and a bad attitude usually follows them around."

"No, Tanner will understand. Despite his attitude toward Raif, I know he's a good guy. He'll back off."

"Ok. Good," Merrill said while placing an assuring hand over hers, even though he knew she was being too trusting of Tanner. "Cause I really like Raif. He's a good man and all I have to do is look at you to know that he makes you happy."

A blush bloomed across Lucinda's face as it lit up with a smile. "He really does."

As the day carried on, Merrill hoped that for Lucinda's sake, Tanner truly would back off and not interfere with her happiness with Raif.

Only time would tell.