Beach House Memories (31 page)

They continued to talk or, rather, Russell talked and Lovie listened, about how he and his wife had become increasingly distant and separated from each other’s lives, how he didn’t know if the marriage could be saved. The candles flickered lower and the coffee cooled. Other diners had paid their bills and left. The room was quiet and intimate. Lovie felt he was looking to her for some response, and she struggled with her words.

“I know what it’s like to have your work—your passion—go unappreciated. You can deal with strangers feeling that way, but when it’s your loved ones, the hurt goes much deeper. It somehow diminishes you.”

He was quiet a moment, then said, “So Stratton doesn’t support your commitment to the sea turtles?”

“Hardly.” She didn’t dare to go on, to tell him how her husband didn’t respect her work in their home, either. She dabbed her mouth with her napkin and set it on the table between them. “Goodness, it’s getting late. We’re closing the place.”

Russell raised his hand for the check, and the waitress hurried over, eager to clock out. Lovie looked around at the few
people left at the bar and realized they must’ve been talking for hours. As they rose, she glanced at a clock on the wall, stunned to see it was already nine thirty.

“I had no idea how late it was,” she said as they left the restaurant.

“I didn’t either. I was lost in the conversation,” he said, gently holding her elbow. She stopped and looked at him. His face was all angles and shadows. “I really had a good time tonight.”

She looked in his eyes, saw the emotion flickering like the candles, and sensed he was going to kiss her again.

“Olivia,” he whispered, and reached out for her.

Lovie stepped back, flustered. “I had a lovely time,” she murmured, and turned and walked away toward the car. With each step she wondered what might have happened if she’d held on to his hand and not let it go. If she’d waited one moment longer before stepping away. And how one small gesture could alter one’s course for happiness.

Fifteen

T
he vast expanse of marsh shimmered in the flattering colors of twilight. Lovie and Russell were silent as the Gold Bug buzzed over the Ben Sawyer Bridge. Lovie relished the feel of her hair blowing freely in the convertible. The breeze was soft and salty, and the scent of the marsh permeated the air. She turned her head to glance at Russell beside her. His elbow was on the open window and the hair around his collar curled in the humidity. His profile appeared outlined in the deepening sky—strong cheekbones, a straight nose, and full lips. As if he’d sensed her looking at him, he turned and their eyes met. Her colored cheeks gave her away, and they both smiled. Eyes back on the road, Lovie was lured into a mellow mood, sated with good food and conversation.

So when she pulled in front of Primrose Cottage, she was shocked to see Flo and Miranda swing open the front door, and she felt again that chill of apprehension.

Lovie climbed from the car as the women raced down the steps to meet her halfway to the house. Russell came more slowly behind her, keeping a respectful distance.

“Where were you?” Flo cried in accusation.

Lovie’s throat constricted and she paled. “I . . . I just went to dinner. At Shem Creek.”

“You didn’t tell anyone where you were going,” Flo said, eyes blazing.

“No . . .” Lovie stammered. “What’s happened? The children . . .”

Miranda stepped forward and put an arresting hand on Flo’s arm. “Everything’s fine, child.” She looked at Flo. “Don’t need to scare everyone all over again.”

“Miranda,” Lovie said, panic racing in her veins, “is it the children?”

“We had a little excitement earlier, that’s all,” Miranda said. “The children are fine.”

Lovie swallowed and took a breath. “What happened?”

“Kate called us around seven looking for you,” Flo said. “She was all in a panic. The girls hadn’t come home for dinner. No one knew where you were, and we called just about everyone. Including him,” she said, indicating Russell.

Lovie glanced over her shoulder. Russell stood quietly a few feet behind her, dressed in his blue jacket and pressed pants. Lovie realized that their clothing was evidence that their dinner was more than project business. Still, Lovie didn’t appreciate the tone of accusation in Flo’s voice. “What happened then?” she said curtly.

“We all went looking for them,” Flo said, stating the obvious. “We were out for over an hour, and I gotta tell you, Lovie, we were scared. You know how those kids take off—the woods, boats. They could’ve been anywhere. Charley Baker took his boat to explore the creeks, thinking maybe they got lost in there or stuck at low tide. I was most scared that I couldn’t reach
you
. It was after eight and the sun was setting . . . I was about to call the police when those two girls came walking into Kate’s house.”

Lovie’s hand flew to her heart. “Where were they?”

Despite her anger, Flo’s lips reluctantly twisted into a grin. “Those two . . . They got it into their heads to make it to the Point.”

“No!” Lovie said in a burst, and then laughed shortly. “I’ll tan her hide!”

“No you won’t,” Miranda said gently. “She’s already shaken and tired. And I seem to recall a time when two other girls hiked that trip.”

Lovie looked again at Russell. His face had relaxed to relief and mild amusement, and when their eyes met, their day at the Point flashed in her mind.

“How are they?” Lovie asked.

“Oh, they’re fine,” Miranda answered. “Under the circumstances, Kate thought it best to have Cara come home. She’s in her bed now. I think she needs her mama.”

Lovie nodded, feeling the need to be with Cara, too. “Thank you all so much. I had no idea you’d need to reach me.”

“Course you didn’t,” Miranda said. “We were just flustered, is all. Emotions ran high. Isn’t that right, Flo?”

Flo nodded. “Sorry I jumped on you like that. I was wound up like a clock, counting the minutes. I started worrying about you, too,” she added, laughing with embarrassment.

Lovie stepped forward to hug her friend, then Miranda. “Good night. I’m going in.” She turned to Russell, aware that Flo and Miranda were hawking every move, every nuance. “Oh,” she said, suddenly remembering she’d driven. “You’ll need a ride.”

“No problem. It’s not far. You stay here. You’ve got things to tend to. I’ll walk.”

Lovie smiled gratefully. “If you’re sure. See you tomorrow,” she said without a hint of the intimacy they’d shared earlier. “Thanks again for dinner.”

Russell nodded with equal indifference. He lifted a hand in silent farewell, then turned and walked quickly away.

Lovie stepped into her quiet house, noticing that someone had turned on the lamps. She set her purse on the front table and went directly to Cara’s room. She found her lying on her back in bed, idly playing with the hair of an old doll she hadn’t touched in years. Cara looked up when Lovie entered the room, her dark eyes conflicted. Lovie could see she was both relieved to see her and afraid she was going to be in trouble.

Lovie stopped at the foot of the bed, soaking in the sight of her. She crossed her arms and said in mock displeasure, “So, I heard you had quite an adventure tonight.”

Cara pursed her lips and ran her fingers through her doll’s hair. “You heard.”

“Of course I heard. You had the whole town up in arms.”

“I’m sorry, Mama,” she said, but didn’t take her eyes from the doll. “I didn’t mean to. I reckon Emmi and I just got lost.” She raised her eyes, dark with worry. “It was all the roads they cut up in there. We kept following one, then the other. I couldn’t figure out which way was which!”

Lovie saw the fear creep back into Cara’s eyes and remembered just how young her brave little girl was. She came to sit on the side of the bed and gently brushed back the long bangs from her forehead, damp with moisture. “That had to be scary.”

Cara nodded, pouting. Then she suddenly looked up, and a spark of light flashed in them. “But Mama, I made it to the Point!”

“So you made it!” Lovie exclaimed. “I thought you were lost before you got to the Point. Oh, Cara, you finally did it.”

Cara’s dark eyes danced with excitement as she nodded. “And Emmi did, too. It’s just like I imagined it,” she raced on. “We found the old tree and the cross, and then we started digging.
Mama, the metal box is in there! I couldn’t believe it was really true. We opened it and you’ll never guess what we found.”

“The book.”

“Yes!” she said with awe. “Just like you told us. And I saw your name!” she added in a rush. “And Aunt Flo’s!”

A smile flittered across Lovie’s face. Seeing the thrill in her daughter’s eyes reminded her of that exact feeling in her own heart, so many years ago. “Did you sign it?”

“You bet,” she said, wiping her nose. “And so did Emmi.”

“And you buried it back in the sand?”

“Of course,” Cara said, eyes wide. “I don’t want the ghost of Nicodemus after me.”

Lovie chuckled. That part was new, and she wondered what imaginative child came up with that clever twist. “You said you got lost. How did you find your way home?”

“The beach! I remembered you telling me that if I ever got lost, I just had to remember we lived on an island. That the beach would lead me home. And it’s true! Though,” she said, frowning, “it sure was a long walk.”

Lovie laughed and kissed her daughter’s forehead, breathing in the scent of soap. Russell’s son flashed through her mind and she let her lips linger on her daughter’s face, wondering how she’d ever be able to continue on if anything happened to Cara. “Yes, it is.” She pulled back and looked in her daughter’s eyes. “But you know what? I’m proud of you.”

“You are?” Cara asked, incredulous.

“I am. You didn’t panic. You thought your situation through, and in the end you figured out what to do. Grace under pressure. Not every child can do that.”

“Who’s Grace?”

Lovie laughed again. “Never mind, my darling girl. Just remember two lessons learned today. The first is to trust your
instincts. The second is to never go off without telling someone where you’re going.” A lesson I learned tonight as well, she thought.

“Yes’m,” Cara replied, yawning.

She could see her daughter’s anxiety ease from her face to be replaced by sleepiness. Lovie was humbled by the power a mother held over her young. “Good night, my darling,” Lovie said, and reached to turn off the light.

“Don’t turn it off,” Cara said sleepily. “Please?”

“Of course, if you want it on.”

“Mama? Can you sit with me awhile?”

Lovie’s heart lurched at the request, one she hadn’t heard in a long time. Cara was hell-bent on being a big girl. She didn’t like kisses and hugs and bedtime rituals. Lovie had missed them desperately. She lay on the bed beside Cara and breathed deep the scent of lavender on her skin. With her free hand she stroked the damp hair on Cara’s forehead and hummed a nameless tune, as she did when Cara was very young. Cara didn’t chase her off or tell her to stop treating her like a baby. She reached up to hold Lovie’s hand and bring it closer to her chest.

“I love you, Mama.” Her voice was muffled and sleepy.

Lovie held Cara tighter. Her gangly daughter felt smaller, more fragile. Still a little girl, despite her big-girl attitude.

“I love you, too, my own sweet Caretta.”

Lovie sat on the porch with her legs curled close to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She rested her chin on her knees and looked out over the sea, listening to the sound of the surf as the comforting voice of a friend. She had always felt akin to the sea, as though she were a twin, sensitive to its moods. Tonight she could feel the turbulence of the surf inside her body.

Then she heard a new sound, the gravel crunching under
tires and an engine. She didn’t move, listening closely. She heard a car door slam, then a shuffling in the sand and gravel. She counted the footsteps with her breaths. She uncoiled her legs and rose to peer over the railing. Her breath caught in her throat.

Russell stood at the bottom of the porch steps with his hands in his pants pockets and one foot on the stairs, looking up at her expectantly. “I wanted to come back, after things settled down, to see how Cara was. I thought it was better I left when I did, under the circumstances. But I was worried. Are
you
okay?”

Lovie felt her heart expand. “I’m glad you came. I was thinking about you, too.”

He began walking up the stairs toward her.

“Wait,” she said abruptly, and hurried to the stairs. She looked over at Flo’s house to see lights still on. “I don’t want to wake anyone. Let’s take a walk. Wait here a minute. I’ll get my sandals.”

She was still in her long skirt and he was still in his dinner clothes. She ran to her bedroom and grabbed a shawl from her closet, then to the screened porch and stepped into her sandals. Her heart was beating as fast as a small bird making good its escape. She was careful not to let the doors slam as she hurried across the porch and down the stairs to where Russell was waiting. He smiled again at seeing her and held out his hand.

They spoke little as they walked in single file along the narrow path, Lovie in the lead. She knew where she would take him. Step after step in the cool sand, she followed the call of the surf, past rolling sand dunes to where the path opened up to the beach. As always, she felt the rush of air. It slid over her body like silk.