Beach Winds (17 page)

She reached out and touched his arm.
“No. I told you. She’s new and doesn’t know anyone.” Maia rushed into the next words as Brian turned away. “She and Juli have a lot in common. I was thinking they should get to know each other… Please don’t go yet. I’ll drop the subject. Can we start over and talk about something else?”

“
Sure.” But he was angry, too angry and he regretted the words before the last one left his lips. “Let’s talk about why you have no love life of your own because you’re so busy butting into everyone else’s.”

Wounded, that was the only word he could think of
when he looked at her face. The words might be true, but that didn’t mean he should say it to her like that, and it wasn’t totally true. Not the way he’d made it sound.

“
Not fair, Brian.”

Her face had screwed up into that crying look. Even the trembling lips couldn
’t dampen her dimples. The top of her head came only to his shoulders and he felt like a bully. True words or not. Meant or not.

He put his arms around her.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

She whispered,
“And what about you, Brian?”

He shook his head.
“Different situation. I tried and it didn’t work for me. I’m done with this thing you women call love.”

****

Brian stepped back as Diane left his apartment, pulling the door closed behind her. He grabbed the doorknob and fought the urge to chase after her in the winter rain. It had started that morning and was on and off, but the air was damp and bitter. Instead, turned to look at his daughter who was seated on the couch. As he watched, she scooted back, pulled her legs up beneath her and clutched her backpack tightly.

“
Where’s she going? What did she mean when she said a few days?”

Megan shook her head. She didn
’t speak and pulled at the strings of her backpack.

Only a backpack on her lap. He looked past her at his apartment. Two small rooms. And Megan was still sitting there, and now she was staring at him.

“A backpack. Is that all you brought with you?”

“
My suitcase, too.”

“
Where is it?”

“
It was in the car.” She shrugged. “I guess I left it there.”

Brian went outside. His daughter
’s child-size pink roller bag lay in the gravel, half in a puddle. He picked it up and brushed it off, but that didn’t help where the water had already soaked through. Back inside, he set the suitcase on the living room floor.

“
Get the wet things out and hang them in the bathroom.”

She didn
’t acknowledge him, but did take the suitcase by its handle and roll it into the next room.

Now what?

He wasn’t set up to take care of her. On the days when he had her, he picked her up and they went places and did stuff and then he took her back home. When she was on vacation, she spent time at his parent’s home, but that wouldn’t work this time because it was the middle of the school week and his parents lived north of Beaufort. Different county, different school district.

Diane wasn
’t his idea of a good mother, but the courts were okay with her, so he had to be.

He stood at the window and stared across the yard. In truth, he had options. They didn
’t have to stay in this cramped apartment. It was enough for him but cramped when a ten-year-old girl was added.

Megan could make do with the couch. It would only be a few days.

Meeting her at the bus stop wouldn’t be a problem. If he wanted to paint longer, Fran wouldn’t mind if Megan came along. But what about today? He’d been about to leave when Diane changed his day.

Fran answered her phone right away.

He kept his back turned toward the bedroom and spoke in a low voice. “Megan’s with me for a few days. No school today. Do you mind if she comes along?”

“
She’s always welcome.”

“
Thanks. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

When he turned around, there she was. If her eyes had blades, he would
’ve been headless.

“
What?”

“
I don’t need a babysitter. I’m ten. I’m old enough to stay by myself.”

“
It’s not about having a babysitter. It’s about courtesy, and having the courtesy to ask instead of barging in.”

“
I wish Mom was here.”

He almost responded,
so do I
, and then caught himself. “Life is what you make of it. You can spend your time wishing for what isn’t, or find the good in what you have.” He tried not to see the small, sparsely furnished apartment and tried not to imagine how long Diane might be gone this time.

****

Done for the day, he was putting the lid back on the can when Fran spoke from behind him.

“
Does she do this often?”

Her voice was low. Megan was in the living room with the TV on.

“Diane, you mean?”

“
Yes. Does she leave Megan without making arrangements with you in advance?”

“
Nah. She might drop her off because she’s got an appointment or a date, but that’s only for a few hours and she usually gives me notice. Lately, it’s been getting erratic.”

Fran stayed by the doorway and peeked up the hallway. Reassured, she said,
“It’s not my business, but have you considered whether that home environment might not be the best for your daughter? Maybe your ex-wife has problems that she needs to take care of before she can concentrate on being a mom?”

“
My place is small. A day here or there is fine, but I’m not set up for the practical side of fulltime fatherhood.”

She breathed.
“Aren’t you already? A fulltime father?”

H
e was embarrassed. “I wasn’t welcome. Diane didn’t like me coming around, but I did. I’m always there when it’s my day.” He stacked the cans on the side of the room with the folded up plastic sheeting. “Look. I’m not claiming to be perfect. My situation isn’t unique. I’ll work it out.”

“
I don’t doubt you will. I’m happy to help in the meantime.”

Chapter Thirteen

The day before, Maia
called and said, “Come as my friend.”

“
I don’t know anyone. A party and strangers….”

The invitation was to
a get-together at Juli and Luke’s house. Nothing fancy, Maia said. Not dressy. Jeans were fine. A few friends….

A last minute invitation. A late addition. She didn
’t want to be that person.

Maia added,
“Think about it. Don’t say no yet.”

Minutes after
they disconnected, the phone rang again.

Joel
said, “Frannie, how are you? Would you like to go out to dinner tomorrow evening?”

She scrambled for a polite excuse.
“Sorry, Joel, but I already have plans.” To make it sound true, she added, “A small get-together at a friend’s house.”

“
Oh.” He sounded disappointed. “Well, I’ll be in the area anyway, so maybe we can find a few minutes to meet up.”

“
I’m sorry, but I’ll be in and out. I don’t want to waste your time.”

“
I understand.”

And now, this
afternoon, thinking about it, she knew he hadn’t understood, not really, and her excuses hadn’t kept his feelings from being hurt. She should’ve been blunt. Hurt was hurt.

S
he sat at the counter with her laptop and brought Will’s household financial record up to date. Expenses, receipts, yikes. She wasn’t an accountant and didn’t want to be.

Someone knocked on the side door.
She went through the kitchen to open it.

“
Joel?” He stood right there on her doorstep despite her telling him not to come.

“
Hi, Frannie!” He held out a small bag, brown with little handles. “I brought you a little something. A small gift.” The smile stubbornly stayed on his face. “I hope I didn’t come at a bad time.”

“
Yes. No. I thought we’d decided….”

“
I hope you aren’t angry.”

She leaned against the door, puzzling.
“I’m not angry. Come on in.” She opened the door wide.

“
Thanks. I’d love to.” He stepped inside. “Your uncle has a nice place here.”

His words were no more than a
courtesy; this place was tiny compared to his family’s homes, and simple. However, she’d grown fond of simplicity.

“
Uncle Will loves it here.”

“
Easy to see why.”

All the right, polite responses.
He was so pleasant that it was an irritation, like that speck of something that gets into your shoe. You tried to get along with it, until finally, you had to stop and shake it out. But she couldn’t do that to Joel.

“
Would you like a cup of tea?”

“
Whatever you’re having.” He placed the small brown bag on the coffee table.

“
Have a seat.” She gestured toward the dining table. “What brings you here? Emerald Isle is out of your way, isn’t it?”

He shrugged, but his expression remained sunny.
“I was in Hatteras and the weather was nice. I decided to swing by here on the way back.”

“
This is not a ‘swing by’ by any means.”

“
I had to come over to look at a couple of properties for my father, but that’s on tomorrow’s schedule. I took a chance on catching you in.”

She added the steeped tea to the cups and placed them on the table.

“Do you still have plans for that party tonight?”

“
Yes. It was kind of them to include me. It’s small gathering. Nothing fancy.” What a liar she was, and she was embarrassed about it, but only a little because she meant well, right? To save Joel’s feelings?

His face lit up.
“If I wouldn’t be crashing, I’d be happy to go along with you. At least, you know me, right? A familiar face?” He grinned. “BYOF. Bring your own friend.”

Frannie was stunned. This was totally unexpected. Joel inviting himself along?
“I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to bring someone.”

The phone rang. Frannie grabbed it like a lifeline.

“You’re coming to the party, right?” It was Maia.

“
Um. I’m not sure.”

“
Oh, please come. You know you aren’t a stranger now.”

Glad that Joel could only hear her end of the conversation,
she answered, “Well, actually I have an old friend visiting.”

“
Bring him or her. The more, the merrier.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask why it mattered to Maia, but she stopped herself. Joel could go along and then Joel could go home. Maia would be happy she showed up
and Joel would be her excuse for leaving early. It worked for everyone.

****

The Winters’ house was on the sound side of the island. It was situated on the crest of a hill and the moonlight and bright exterior lights lit the landscape and house. A one-story house made of brick; it looked low and wide. Several cars were parked along the side of a curving asphalt driveway. Joel pulled in behind the last parked car.

Joel unsnapped his seatbelt.
“It’s peaceful out here. There’s only a couple of lights on in the windows. If it weren’t for the cars parked out here, I’d be wondering if we’d come to the right house.”

“
With that cloud cover, it’s very dark out here.” She laughed. “Thank goodness for GPS.”

They knocked on the door and a man answered.
He was tall and slim with amazing cheekbones. Juli’s husband.

He extended his hand.
“Welcome. I’m Luke.”

He had a beautiful smile. Odd thing to think about a man, but it was true.

“May I take your coat?”

Between Joel and Luke, the coat was slipped from her arms and someone else whisked it away. The men started speaking to each other, but the view ahead snared her attention and she walked toward it.

She glimpsed a kitchen on the left. Ahead of her the foyer opened into a wide area. There was a railing and there appeared to be a gap between it and a wall of windows. She leaned over the railing and looked down. A sitting area was below, but the windows in front of her stretched from the floor below to the ceiling above her head. The moon looked lonely in the black night while its reflection danced on the surface of Bogue Sound as the water moved in rhythm to currents she could only guess at.