“It appears I got a bit turned around when I headed home.”He grinned sheepishly.“I think I’ve got it now though.”
“Where are you headed?”
“Sandpiper Court.”
She looked at him closely.“On the waterway? Right near the point?”
“I am.”
“Ah, you’ve rented the Meyer’s place.”She grinned.“Hi, neighbor. I live in the house next door. The two-story on the point.”
“That house is wonderful. Love the architecture.”
“Been in my family for generations. Since they first built the canal system here to expand the town of Moonbeam. So, you want to walk home together?”She tossed him a grin.“At least you won’t get lost again. I’m pretty sure I know the way.”
He laughed, suddenly glad to have the company even though he was usually a loner.“It’s probably a good idea for me to have a guide.”
She cocked her head to one side.“Okay, we go this way.”
He fell into step beside her.
Barry and Donnawalked down the sidewalk as the warm evening air wrapped around them. Fluffy white thunderheads towered in the sky as the sun began its descent. Donna must have said hi to at least a dozen people as they passed by. She leaned close with remarks such as“he’s the CEO at the bank”or“she owns Barbara’s Boutique—but her name is Margaret.”
They turned off of Magnolia and onto Grand Canal.“See that tree there? That’s a poinciana. One of my favorite trees. So pretty in the spring with its limbs full of flowers.”She walked at a leisurely pace, and he slowed his normal brisk pace to keep in step, realizing he was in no hurry for their walk to end.
They turned onto Sandpiper Court and she paused in front of his rental.
“Thanks for the tour and all the local information.”He paused at the end of the drive.
“Any time.”She looked like she was going to say something, but stopped just short.“Well, good night.”
“Night.”
She crossed the distance and entered into the old house at the end of the cul-de-sac. A light came on inside and spilled a warm glow out onto her front porch.
He turned and headed inside his rental, switching on the light as he entered, trying to make the house seem a bit more homey. Not that he needed homey since most of his life was in corporate apartments or hotel rooms, the absolute definition ofnothomey. But something about Donna’s friendly spill-over of warm, yellow light had tugged at something inside of him. Some distant memory of walking through the door at night and that feeling of“ah, I’m home.”He hadn’t felt that for more years than he could count.
Chapter 4
Olivia met Heather at Brewster’s on the wharf for coffee the next morning. She grabbed two black coffees and a table overlooking the bay. Heather slipped into the seat beside her moments later.“Cuz.”
She slid the coffee cup over to Heather.“Here you go.”
“Thanks.”Heather dropped her purse onto a chair beside them.“I have missed Brewster’s coffee.”
“You miss everything when you’re gone,”Olivia teased.“Jimmy’s, Brewster’s—oh, and me.”
Heather laughed.“So true. I do miss lots about Moonbeam when I’m gone.”
“You shouldn’t stay away so much. Want to go out to Pelican Cay this weekend? Em and I are going with Mom and hitting the beach. Haven’t been to the beach in a long time.”
“That sounds great. I need a beach walk.”
Olivia smiled.“I know what you mean. Have to have my beach fix every once in a while. We’re taking Mom’s boat. Meet us at nine a.m. at her house?”
Heather tilted her head.“This isn’t one of Aunt Donna’s plans to get Mom and I out together, is it?”
“As far as I know, Aunt Evelyn isn’t going. She’s not much of a boater anyway, is she?”
