The Girl At The Beach by Nora LeDuc

Boars Head at Hampton, NH

Summer is approaching and that means vacation time. I flip through my memories of the places I love to visit and hit pause when I reach Hampton Beach. Flashes of sunshine and a glimmering sea flood my mind. This will be my first stop on my warm weather travels.

           

FYI the NH coast is about 18 miles long. Plenty for me. I’ve enjoyed many a perfect day lulled by rolling waves, daring to go up to my ankles in water that seldom reaches above 72 degrees, or reading under my umbrella. If you’re lucky, you can arrive during one of the beach’s big events such as the June annual Master Sand Sculpture Contest. Two hundred tons of sand are hauled into Hampton for the festivity that features a $15,000 grand prize. If you can only come after sunset don’t despair. The entire area is illuminated for night viewing for two weeks.

           

When you’re ready to explore, you can cross the street to the shops, the arcade, mini golf, and the casino that sponsors big-name events. Follow the odors of fried dough, pizza or onion to a large choice of kiosks.

Sometimes, I’ll eat at the Seaside Ketch Restaurant. I always sit on the second floor with views of the ocean. I remember a foggy afternoon—no view and rather chilly. My husband and I sat inside the glass seating area. As I debated what to eat, I noticed a brave soul, a young woman, on the porch.   

           

She was talking to the waitress. A menu lay in front of her and another by an empty chair. She was dressed in a blue sundress with a flower in her long brown hair. A date, I thought, but where was the missing dining partner? I was intrigued. Time ticked by. She often looked at her watch or swiveled in her seat to glance at the door. People came and went, but none for her. The server checked in with her twice more, and finally she ordered.

I felt a stab of disappointment for her. My husband and I ate our meals and left. We took a long walk down the boardwalk and back to our car parked below the restaurant. As I looked up to the porch, I caught sight of the brown-haired girl. She was still there and across from her sat a young man! He was nodding his head as she talked to him, and they held hands across the table.

My faith in love was restored. Often when I sit down to write about my characters struggling with their relationships, my thoughts wander and I remember the girl at the beach.

Happy reading, my friends. May all your dreams come true.  ~Nora.

Since May is our month to honor Mothers, here is my book Sweet Dreams, Baby with single mom Harper Buchanan.

Harper has devoted herself to creating the perfect life for herself and three-year-old Gracie until her life is turned upside down when her estranged father Judge Shaw Buchanan aka "the hanging judge" is shot on the day his wife’s funeral. Enter PI Finn O’Rourke. Harper finds herself drawn to his looks, smarts and self-reliance, but she’s fallen for the wrong man before and vows not to again.

Don’t forget our Monthly Giveaway page and enter for a chance to win one of the many great ebooks that spotlight our heroes and she-roes!

Be sure to visit our monthly giveaway page and enter for a chance to win one of the many great ebooks that spotlight our heroes and she-roes!