Читать книгу Love In Catalina Cove - Brenda Jackson - Страница 13
ОглавлениеTHE NEXT MORNING after breakfast, Vashti and Bryce went to Berkshire Nursing Home to visit Ms. Gertie who didn’t recognize either of them. Bryce had tried preparing Vashti, but seeing the older woman in such a state tore at her. She tried engaging in conversation with Ms. Gertie but the older woman became annoyed and told them she didn’t appreciate being interrupted while watching CNN.
According to Bryce, Ms. Gertie’s son, daughter-in-law and grandson didn’t visit her often because it bothered them when she didn’t recognize them. Vashti thought that was a poor excuse. Whether Ms. Gertie recognized them shouldn’t matter. The important thing was that she wasn’t left alone, and that they recognized her and remembered her importance in their lives.
“When you visit her tomorrow it might be a different story,” Bryce said as they left the nursing home. “She might remember you.”
“Unfortunately, I’m leaving first thing in the morning.” And what she didn’t have to tell Bryce was that she didn’t plan to come back.
Bryce gave her a look that told her exactly what she thought of that, but let it be. “We’ll stop by the folks’ place before driving out to Shelby by the Sea. Mom and Dad would love to see you.”
“Alright.” Vashti wanted to see them as well. Vashti would admit to being surprised at how friendly two of her former classmates had been when she ran into them at the nursing home, almost as if they were glad to see her. She had once considered Charlette Hansberry and Mavis Green to be her good friends, until she’d gotten pregnant and they’d become scarce. Their mothers had probably ordered them to stay away from her, but still it hurt. She’d needed more of her friends during that time, not less of them.
It turned out Charlette owned the nursing home, having taken over for her parents when they decided to retire and move to California to be close to their only son and grandkids. Charlette was divorced with a six-year-old son. Mavis was the head nurse on staff. She had married her childhood sweetheart, Hugh Green. Like a number of men in town, Hugh worked at the blueberry factory and the couple had two kids.
“I was surprised Charlette and Mavis gave me the time of day,” Vashti said, getting into Bryce’s car and buckling the seat belt.
“Why wouldn’t they?” Bryce asked glancing over at her before starting the car.
“Do I need to remind you of how things were for me here, back then?”
“No, but that was back then, Vash. Years ago. People change and ideas they might have had change, too. I’m sure they look back at that time with regret about how they treated you. If I remember correctly, it was their parents forbidding them to have a friendship with you and not them doing it on their own.”
“Your parents didn’t forbid you to hang out with me,” Vashti reminded her. Once she’d gotten pregnant, the parents of some of her friends acted like pregnancy was catching. However, she knew what they were really worried about was that since she’d been sexually active that made her a loose girl and they didn’t want their daughters around anyone they thought lacked morals.
“My parents weren’t your typical parents,” Bryce said.
“Yes, that’s true.” It had been rumored that back in the day when he’d graduated from high school here, Chester Witherspoon had fled to Canada to avoid fighting in the Vietnam war. It wasn’t that he’d been a coward; he just didn’t feel the country needed to go to war. At least he hadn’t at first. A year later he returned with a wife and baby in tow. It was then that he’d decided to do his patriotic duty and enlist, leaving Bryce’s mom and three-month-old brother in the care of his parents.
After returning home from the war, Bryce’s parents had another son before Bryce, their only daughter, was born. Although Bryce never said and Vashti never asked, if you did the math of the date the Witherspoons celebrated their anniversary and the close proximity to Bryce’s oldest brother’s age, her mother was pregnant before her parents had married. Both of Bryce’s brothers, Ryan and Duke, lived in Catalina Cove and were partners with their parents in the family-owned café.
“I honestly think Mavis and Charlette were glad to see you again,” Bryce was saying, interrupting Vashti’s thoughts. “If you give Catalina Cove a chance, I think you’d find people aren’t the same.”
Vashti chuckled. “Oh, they feel they can change but they want the town to stay the same?”
“Pretty much. I don’t have a problem with some change here but I don’t want too many developers coming in here and changing things. You recall what I told you about Allen Heart.”
Yes, she remembered. Bryce had family who’d lived in Allen Heart, South Carolina, years ago when it had just been a small town with no name recognition. A mass of developers came in and all but ran the locals out when property taxes soared. Most of the residents had been forced to sell homes and land that had been in their family for years when they couldn’t pay escalated taxes.
Vashti glanced over at Bryce. “Are you saying you don’t want the Barnes Group to buy Shelby by the Sea? Do I need to remind you how much commission you’d make with the sale?”
“No, you don’t need to remind me. I was thinking about what I would do with all that money. It would be nice but it won’t buy me happiness, Vash.”
Vashti thought about that then asked, “And what would make you happy, Bryce?”
They had stopped the car at a traffic light and Bryce glanced over at her. “I’m thirty-two and have never been married so to start off, a husband would be nice.”
“Don’t wish for things you’re better off not having, Bryce.”
“And please don’t think every man is a loser like Scott,” Bryce begged. “I want to believe my soul mate is still out there.”
“Still reading those romance novels, are you?” That had been Bryce’s favorite pastime. She had been reading them long before her mother discovered she’d been doing so.
Bryce chuckled as she moved the car forward. “And what if I am?”
Vashti shook her head. “Because they are filled with unrealistic expectations and are a real disservice to women.”
“I beg to differ. They provide some of us with hope.”
Vashti decided not to counter. If that’s what Bryce believed then she wouldn’t try bursting her bubble, but personally, she knew better. There was no such thing as that much passion and desire. And most of the time it was the woman who worked at the romance part. A man was out for what he could get. He had needs.
But then so did women.
She hadn’t thought much about those needs until yesterday when she’d been pulled over by the town’s sexy hot sheriff. She would admit that for the first time in years...possibly ever, she’d felt attracted to a man. Really attracted to one. At least the encounter had let her know her libido was still alive after being dormant for a couple of years. She had Scott to thank for that and since she now knew about his sidepiece, she wouldn’t complain, although she would admit it bothered her to know he’d been getting some when she hadn’t. Lust, she thought, was a bitch. But yesterday she’d concluded that for a short while, lust had been given a name. Sawyer Grisham.
She doubted she would ever see the man again. At least she hoped not. One ticket was enough.
“And you’re sure I can’t convince you to hang around a few days?”
She glanced over at Bryce when they’d come to another traffic light. “I am positive. If it wasn’t for my needing to go before the zoning board I wouldn’t be here now. New York is my home and it’s where I belong.”
“Is it? Do you? You don’t have a job there anymore.”
No, she didn’t and although she’d submitted her résumé to several places, nobody had called. But then, she couldn’t lose sight of that. If she could sell Shelby she wouldn’t have to worry about a job or anything else for years or ever. She could travel the world. Heck, she could even buy her own hotel or maybe buy into a franchise.
“That’s why I need to sell Shelby, and you never did answer my question. Do you not want the Barnes Group to buy Shelby by the Sea?”
“You want my honesty?”
“Of course.”
“Then no. Even with all the money I could make off the sale.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you back here running your aunt’s inn, Vash.”
Vashti shook her head. “It’s not happening.”
“Will you ever forgive this town?”
She frowned over at Bryce. “It’s not a matter of forgiveness, Bryce. It’s a matter of what makes me happy. Honestly, I don’t even think about Catalina Cove until you call. Then I remember my connection and after that the memories come, which aren’t flattering. I’m no longer a small-town girl. I love big-city New York. The bright lights. Broadway. The subway. The Hudson River. I tried to get you to come live with me for a while to experience it for yourself but you weren’t interested.”
“I like it here.”
“Because you haven’t seen what other places have to offer. I have.”
“I still think you belong here.”
After all this time Vashti wondered why Bryce would think so. She decided not to ask her now as they pulled up in front of the Witherspoon Café. But she would ask her later.
* * *
SAWYER PRESSED THE button on the intercom. “Yes, Trudy?”
“K-Gee is on the line.”
He smiled. “You mean Kaegan, don’t you?” He was well aware Kaegan Chambray had instructed the townspeople to drop the nickname K-Gee and call him by his birth name when he’d returned a couple of years ago after having been gone for close to fourteen years. Most of the people in town had followed his directive...except for Trudy.
“I mean K-Gee.”
“Okay put him through.” When he heard the click signaling the connection, he said, “What’s up, Kaegan?”
Even Sawyer had been surprised at how easily he and Kaegan had struck up a friendship. Other than his marine buddies, he’d never had time to develop other friendships. Sawyer had been sheriff two years when Kaegan had returned to town and they’d bonded quickly because they’d had a lot in common. They’d both been marines who’d served multiple tour duties in Afghanistan. Although their paths never crossed they’d figured out they’d been in the same area about the same time. They’d enjoyed sharing war stories over beer at Collins Bar and Grill.
“Just a reminder that the zoning board has a meeting today at five.”
Sawyer released a deep sigh. He’d forgotten about that. “Thanks for reminding me.” He glanced at the calendar on his desk. Although he’d forgotten to write it down he recalled Kaegan telling him about the meeting a couple of weeks ago. He often wondered why he’d let Kaegan talk him into being Henry Smith’s replacement while the old-timer was out recuperating from hip surgery. “I’ll be there.”
“Okay, see you later.”
After Sawyer clicked off the phone and while it was fresh on his mind, he texted his daughter letting her know he would be home late. She was at school and wouldn’t see the message until the end of the day since the school’s policy was to have all phones turned off during the day.
Glancing at his watch he saw it was close to noon. Usually he worked through lunch, but since he would be eating dinner late he might as well go out and grab something to eat. As usual he’d gotten up at six and cooked dinner. By the time he’d taken a jog around the neighborhood, showered and dressed the food was ready to slide into the refrigerator. On those days when he was detained, Jade could eat without him. He tried making it home at a reasonable time so they could eat dinner together but being sheriff meant things didn’t always work out that way. On those days he did arrive home on time he looked forward to sharing meals with his daughter. It was important for him that they use that time to talk. He was always interested in knowing how her day went and how things were going at school.
Since joining the zoning committee he’d discovered you never knew what to expect until you got to the meetings. To him the Catalina Cove Zoning Board was nothing more than an overgrown version of a homeowners’ association. The residents of the cove had to get practically everything approved before any exterior changes were made to the structure or look of any home or building. That included painting, replacing windows or doors, removing trees from your yard, adding a fence or something as simple as switching out a mailbox.
Walking out of his office, he glanced over at Trudy. “I’m leaving for lunch and will be back in an hour.”
“Okay. And I meant to ask how the beef strudel turned out?”
“She altered the recipe,” he said, grabbing his hat off the rack on his way out. He knew he didn’t need to say more than that. It hadn’t been the first time Jade had murdered a recipe Trudy had given her.
“I offered to send her to cooking classes,” he said as he headed for the door.
“Not a bad idea. Especially if she seems interested in learning.”
Sawyer thought his daughter seemed more inclined to experiment with recipes. Hopefully cooking classes would offer directions. When he walked out the door he glanced up at the sun that was shining bright in the sky. Hard to believe it was spring already. In a couple of months school would be out and he would have to deal with kids getting bored during the summer months and getting into unnecessary trouble.
He hadn’t decided what he planned to do over the summer this year. Usually he would take two weeks off in June and take Jade somewhere. Last year they had spent a week in Orlando visiting all the theme parks there. Then they’d spent a week in Miami South Beach. Usually for spring break every year and the week after school ended he would put her on a plane to visit her godmother in Waco, Texas. Erin Daniels had been Johanna’s best friend since high school.
But this year Jade wanted a summer job. She wanted a car and felt she should contribute toward the down payment. A part of him felt he should appreciate her wanting to do that, but he still wasn’t gung ho on her working.
A short while later he was getting out of the patrol car to go into Witherspoon Café, one of his favorite eating places. They served the best omelets for breakfast and the soup and sandwiches on their lunch menu were tasty as well. Every once in a while he would dine here for dinner on those days when Jade had to stay after school or was involved with something at church.
He entered the café. Lunchtime was less formal, and just like a fast-food place you ordered your food before sitting down. For the dinner crowd there was someone who waited on your table. “Afternoon, Sheriff, what can I get for you?”
The man behind the lunch counter was Chester Witherspoon. He was a robust man, probably in his middle sixties with bushy brows over a pair of dark eyes, and a bald head. Sawyer had never known a time when the man hadn’t had a friendly smile. Walking up to the counter, he said, “I think I’m going to have one of your juicy hamburgers and a large order of fries today, Chester.” Since he wasn’t sure how long the zoning board would be meeting he might as well make sure his stomach was full.
“And what would you like to drink?”
“Iced tea is fine,” he said, putting a few bills on the counter. “And grab me a few of Deb’s blueberry muffins to take home to Jade.” His daughter loved them and Deb’s were the best.
“How’s Jade? I haven’t seen her in a while.”
That’s the one thing he had to get used to in a small town. Practically everybody knew each other. “She’s fine. Finishing up her sophomore year of high school and already looking forward to the fall when she’ll be a junior.”
“Boy. I remember when the two of you first moved to town. Hard to believe she’ll be leaving in a couple of years for college.”
He didn’t like to be reminded of that, especially since he knew Jade planned to attend school in Reno. That was the deal they’d made when they’d moved here. When it was time for college she could return to Nevada.
A few minutes later he sat down with his food in hand. By habit he rarely sat with his back to any door and selected a table that faced the entrance. He figured it was the former FBI agent in him. This particular table suited him just fine because he had the ability to see whoever entered long before they noticed him.
A short while later he stopped eating when Bryce Witherspoon walked in with the driver of that little red Corvette, Vashti Alcindor. He had a feeling Kaegan and Bryce had history. He’d derived that assumption from their body language whenever they were within a few feet of each other. Kaegan never said and he’d never asked.
He took in both women but his full concentration quickly moved to Vashti Alcindor as his gaze swept over her from head to toe. In the very spot where she was standing, while the brilliance of sunlight shined directly on her, she looked simply gorgeous. It had been a long time since he’d bestowed such a description on any woman but he would in this case. She deserved it.
While she was sitting in that car yesterday he’d only seen so much of her. Now he was seeing it all and he liked what he saw. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. So he didn’t, although maybe he should. No woman since Johanna had held his attention like Vashti was doing now.
Both women were wearing shorts and tops, and his gaze sharpened as it roamed over her legs. They were a long and sleek pair that was perfect with her curvaceous hips and thighs. She was well toned and he knew a body as shapely as hers was the benefit of an active physical regime. More than likely she had a membership in one of those fitness centers in New York. You didn’t get a figure like hers just eating and sleeping.
Unlike yesterday when her hair had been down and flying in the wind, today it was pulled back in a ponytail and the style made her look younger. She could easily pass for a college coed instead of the thirty-two-year-old that he knew that she was.
His gaze went back to her face, an image he’d thought about after he’d gone to bed. A first for him there as well. He had been married to Johanna for twelve years and during that entire time hadn’t looked twice at another woman. Why was he trying to make up for lost time and why with this woman?
He watched her smile as she hurried across the floor when Chester came from behind the counter to engulf her in a huge bear hug. Even from where he sat Sawyer could see tears forming in her eyes and had to momentarily look away from such an emotional reunion. If what Trudy had said was true, and he had no reason to believe it wasn’t, this was Ms. Alcindor’s first time back to the cove in fourteen years. That was a long time not to come back home. Hell, at least she had a hometown to return to if she’d chosen to do so. He didn’t.
He drew in a deep breath, not wanting to think about his childhood. His birth certificate claimed he’d been born in Dallas but he had been sent to live in a foster home with a family residing in Waco before his first birthday when his unwed mother had given him up for adoption. He recalled being sent from one foster home to another, even crossing state lines to do so. At sixteen he’d been taken in by a good Christian couple. John and Edith Fairchild had been too old to even think about raising a teenager. But they had and he would always appreciate their good deeds. To repay them for their kindness he got good grades in school and worked hard to stay out of trouble.
He had gone straight from high school to the military. He hadn’t been enlisted a year when he’d received word that Mrs. Edith had passed away in her sleep. He had returned home for the funeral only to have Mr. John die the following year from pneumonia.
When he’d come home for Mr. John’s funeral, he’d had to deal with the man’s long-lost brother who’d shown up to claim everything, and make sure Sawyer didn’t get anything. He’d gone to a bar the night of the funeral to drown his sorrows and he’d met Johanna.
Laughter made him look back to see Ms. Debbie and her two sons rush from the back to give Ms. Alcindor huge hugs as well. It was obvious everyone was glad to see her, which meant not everyone in town had thought ill of her. Hearing her story had made him think of his biological mother. He’d heard she’d also had him at a young age and had given him up for adoption. Only thing, the adoption never happened. He’d been born with a severe breathing disorder and had to spend a lot of time in the hospital before finally outgrowing it. No one had wanted what they thought to be a sickly baby.
He wasn’t sure why Vashti Alcindor chose that moment to glance over in his direction. When their gazes connected a sudden jolt of heat vibrated between them. He felt it and knew she had to feel it as well. The surprised expression on her face indicated as much. It also revealed she was just as stunned by it as he was.
He wanted to break eye contact with her but for some reason he couldn’t. Not when a ripple of desire rushed through him, making him glad he was sitting down. Had he been standing he would have felt weak in the knees. What he was feeling was another first. He’d never felt an intense longing for a woman just from looking at her. As if breaking from the spell surrounding them, she returned her attention to the people around her. Shaking off whatever had passed between them, he drew in a deep breath trying to get his mind back on track. He fought the temptation to steal a look at her as he finished eating.
A short while later, temptation that had been gnawing at his insides made him glance across the room to see she was sitting at a booth with Bryce. Standing, he cleared the trash off the table while thinking he didn’t like being attracted to her. He didn’t like it one damn bit.
He tossed the trash away before strolling to the door. Without his consent, his eyes looked to Vashti Alcindor again and the moment his gaze connected with hers, he couldn’t stop the half smile that curved his lips when he tipped his hat at her before walking out of the café.
