Merry with a Captain (Love Beach, Holiday Collection)

Chapter 6

6

A strange turn of events uprooted Robyn from Savannah after only a couple of weeks. When they told her she had to come back to Love Beach, at first she was excited. Of course the reason for that was hopefully being able to find Fletch. But, she also realized he could be long gone and her pining for him had been ridiculous. She wasn't a teenager longing for a boyfriend. She was a grown ass woman.

But damn, Fletch had certainly left a mark on her.

Her old apartment had already been subleased, so for now she was staying at a downtown hotel. She wasn’t set to start back at the office until Monday but decided to come back to the Beach early. There was so much she had to plan for with Christmas just over a week away.

The hotel was nice, posh, and all decorated up for Christmas, which gave her Christmassy vibes. She loved Christmas, it had always been her favorite season, and she would love to be back home on the farm. Her mother had sent an email with some pictures that they already had snow. Even though she, her sister, and her two brothers were out living their own lives, her parents still decorated the family farm like they had when they were kids.

She had toyed with the idea of going home for the holidays, at least a few days over Christmas, but now this change in work location had complicated things. One way or another, she would get home; the when and the how were up in the air.

The view from her window was stunning. The Christmas Market across the street and lining the beach was lit up with all the lights. It was enchanting, even without snow. A bucket list item was to visit a European Christmas Market. She’d seen so many gorgeous photos and simply had to try and get to one.

Dozens of people moved among the festive stalls, and Robyn decided she had to go down and see what was going on. Her suitcases still sat unpacked but they could wait. The upheaval of the last few days had been exhausting and she needed a little change of scenery. Plus, her stomach was grumbling, and she was sure there’d be something yummy to eat at the market.

Christmas carols played in the lobby of the hotel, and the smell of pine filled the air. The large fir tree almost touched the arched ceiling and was beautifully decorated. She drew in a happy sigh; it was festive and she loved it. The lobby bar was full, and a pang of loneliness disrupted her happy. Being alone at Christmas was going to be hard, and a wave of homesickness thickened her throat.

She pushed through the revolving doors, and was hit by a chilly wind off the sea.

"Brrr,” Robyn said and pulled her coat tighter around her. She hadn't thought to bring gloves so she stuck her hands in her pocket.

“Evening ma’am,” the concierge said in greeting.

“Evening.” She smiled at him and then ran across the street to the market.

The stalls and crowd of people did a good job of blocking the wind off the ocean so it wasn't quite so cold. Christmas music and aromas filled the air. It was busy, and she wandered through the market, making sure to look at all of the vendors on her way. It never ceased to amaze her how talented some people were. Something she could not relate to, having no hidden talents herself, all she could do was admire what others created.

In the middle of the market was a small house decorated with lights, red bows, large colorful suckers, and candy canes with a painted sign saying they were entering the North Pole. There was a big red mailbox with white lettering that said Letters to Santa. A line of excited children waited behind a picket fence strung with more lights and garland, waiting for their turn to tell Santa what they'd like for Christmas.

Robyn watched the kids and the dressed-up elves that wrangled them, herding them gently in to see Santa and giving them candy canes on the way out. Nostalgia struck her and memories flooded back to when her parents would take them to see Santa. Her parents had turned it into a yearly adventure. Santa’s chair outside in a barn-like structure, surrounded by a number of small corrals with donkeys, goats, ponies, and even a reindeer or two. Everything was lined with straw and red ribbons with old-fashioned incandescent lightbulbs. It was magical. She hadn't thought about that little spot in ages and wondered if it was still there.

Robyn watched the children, eager for her own so she could give them the same wonderful experiences and create memories to last a lifetime just as her parents had.

The aroma of food tickled her nostrils, and she realized just how hungry she was. She followed the delicious scents to discover a small food court with picnic tables ringing a bonfire. Multiple food trucks were lined up, totally complicating her decision.

She could choose from burgers, chicken fingers, and fries; other trucks specialized in gourmet grilled cheeses, meatballs, savory and sweet pastries, sausages, fish and chips, pierogi, and even one that was all about salads and healthy eating. While she typically watched her diet, no way was she going healthy today!

Robyn wandered over to the grilled cheese truck and was blown away by the offerings. She’d never even considered a grilled cheese could be anything more than a plain grilled cheese and possibly with bacon. She couldn’t decide, so instead went to the pastry truck. It was very British with sausage rolls, pasties, meat pies, chips – the French fry kind – breads, rolls and sandwiches. The menu offered a sampler which was perfect! She ordered it, glad that the decision was made for her, and a cup of tea to top it off.

When the food truck worker handed her the box, Robyn was shocked at the size of it. No way would she be able to eat it all. Good thing she had a fridge and microwave in her room. She glanced around and saw an empty picnic table on the other side of the bonfire. Moments later, she sat facing the fire, warmth radiating from the flames, and she soaked it up.

Lifting a corner of the box, she peeked inside. The aroma of fresh pastries made her mouth water. It was a perfect evening with the scent of wood smoke on the air, happy voices, jingle bells, Christmas carols coming from hidden speakers.

The fire warmed her while she munched on pastries, sipped tea, and people watched. Couples and families roamed the aisles and sat at the picnic tables with food, drink, and the treasures they’d bought. Excitement was in the air.

Only one thing was missing. Someone to share it all with.

Fletch couldn't get over how many times he had to drive around to find parking. The place was jammed and he hadn’t expected it for a Thursday. With his wrist hooked over the steering wheel, he kept an eye out for a spot that would fit his big truck.

He was back along the street next to the Christmas Market, and if he didn’t find a spot this time, that was it. He’d get some take-out at a drive-through and head back to the motel. There had to be a game on.

As a rule, he liked to be with people. He wasn't a loner, but the last month while being here that's exactly how it had been. He decided with Christmas just around the corner, it was time to get out and embrace the Christmas spirit. Even if it wasn’t his most favorite time of year.

"Come on, someone leave," he muttered. Then, just as he was about to throw in the towel, the blinker of a car lit up indicating they were leaving. “Perfect, hopefully I can squeeze in."

Fletch flashed his high beam as a courtesy to let them know he was waiting for their spot, they pulled out, and he did the perfect parallel park. He pulled his jacket from the backseat and stepped out of the truck, locking the door.

He stood on the sidewalk while he did up his coat and gazed around. He admitted it was pretty and festive and made his way into the market. It felt good to be among the crowd of people all in the Christmas spirit. The place was packed with families and couples and he wandered through them. He wasn’t planning on buying anything, but he kept his eyes open just the same in case he saw something that caught his fancy.

He had a few treasured items he’d picked up along the way over the years and had them shipped and stored at the company warehouse. He didn’t have a home base, Intrepid held that role, because he was so transient. He supposed one day he’d buy a house, settle down, and pull everything out of storage. But he had no idea when or if it would ever happen.

It was festive, and the Christmas spirit creeped into his soul, a feeling that he had lacked for so long. Unless they were people aboard Intrepid , they rarely decorated for the seasons. Just small little items would be put out to give a bit of Christmas cheer.

A delicious aroma of food and wood smoke caught his attention. He hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, and he was starved. He hadn’t done much of anything today, other than physio, and he was supremely bored.

Through the crowd and the pop-up tents, he found his way to an outdoor food court. It was also busy. Food trucks had lineups. He didn’t want to wait, so his decision would be made by choosing the one with the shortest line. Gourmet grilled cheese was the winner.

He ordered an ordinary, plain old grilled cheese and a generous side of fries with a big hot chocolate with whipped cream and candy cane sprinkles. He was handed the box of food and turned to find somewhere to sit. There wasn't much open, except a spot right next to the trucks which he didn't really want, so he wandered down through the tables. Finally found a relatively empty table and sat next to a family with three kids.

They were wound for sound and could barely sit still. He nodded at the parents and opened his box. It was the most monstrous-sized grilled cheese he'd ever seen. He ate the sandwich and fries while looking around. It was nice to see so many families out and having a good time. He felt a bit melancholy being alone. Christmas was a time to spend with people, family, friends. And all his were otherwise occupied or no longer on this side of the grass.

He realized he was lonely.

He finished his food and rose to throw the packaging into the garbage. He still hadn't finished the hot chocolate, so he carried it with him. The festive feeling he felt on first arrival began to fade. Now all he wanted was to get back to his room and watch a game.

Even that seemed dismal.

He scanned the faces of all the people he passed and knew who he was looking for. But he wasn't overly hopeful at finding her in the crowd. What were the odds of that? Even still, he looked and hoped.

Ever since their night together he always looked for her. The chance of stumbling across her again was remote at best. Again, he wished they’d exchanged contact information, but they hadn't. Which meant she would live only in his memory.