The Love Letter (19 page)

Sabrina felt Meredith’s withdrawal and accepted it with her usual composure. It was only natural that it should be so. The trip was winding to a close
, and there was no need to make things more difficult. These last few hours in his company were a long, slow farewell. Somehow she knew he wouldn’t seek her out again.

When they arrived at the inn, Meredith left her on the porch with the comment that he would be back to help with her luggage. Sabrina knew who he couldn’t wait to see; he must have missed Juliet dreadfully. Not wanting to make things any more awkward, she carried her bags through the front door where she was greeted with something close to relief by Casey.

“I hope
you had a nice time, but I’m glad you’re back.”

Sabrina looked her over with a frown. “I never should have gone. It was too much for you, wasn’t it?”

“It would have been fine except I had two unexpected arrivals, and they were more trouble than the other six people combined. Fortunately, they checked out this morning.”

“L
et me carry these upstairs, and then I’ll take over.”

When Sabrina returned, she found Casey in the kitchen getting out plates and silverware. “I made squash casserole with ham for dinner. I wasn’t sure if you’d be here or not.”

“We got an early start and didn’t want to waste time stopping to eat.” She didn’t mention that they’d snacked on apple fritters all day.

“How was
traveling with Meredith?”

Sabrina lowered her gaze to the food on her plate.
It had been stimulating, exciting, agonizing and heartbreaking all at the same time. Not quite the answer Casey would be expecting. “He likes to drive fast and eat Mexican food.”

Casey looked at her and then started to laugh. “Is that all you found out about him?”

“That’s all I needed to know. Now, enough about me. What’s been going on here?”

As she listened with simulated attention to her sister, Sabrina was
already missing Meredith. In a day or so, he would leave Sea Grape Cottage, and that would be the end of this period in her life. There would be no more chance meetings to anticipate; no more opportunities to just be in the same room with him. All Sabrina had to look forward to was the dreadful task of putting her life back together for a second time.

As things turned out,
Sabrina never saw Meredith again before his departure from the inn. When Casey questioned his absence from breakfast several days running, Juliet mentioned that he was supervising the movers. When he did return to officially check out of his room, Sabrina was running errands.

She’d been spared an impersonal goodbye that probably would have hurt much more than no goodbye at all. And when she thought about it, what was left for them to say to each other? The
regrets were all on her side.

As the days
drifted by, Sabrina felt increasingly restless. Like that long ago summer when she’d marked off the days of the calendar, she couldn’t wait to leave the island. A routine that had fully satisfied her only a few days before, now seemed tedious and without purpose. It was as if all her happiness left with Meredith. Only the knowledge that Casey needed her help running the inn kept her there.

A week later,
she received a call from David. He would be traveling in her direction on his way to South Carolina and wanted to know if he could stop by. Though she agreed to let him come, Sabrina had mixed feelings about seeing him. She knew in her present state of mind she wasn’t good company for anyone.

David took her by surprise by arriving several hours earlier than
expected. Sabrina was in the kitchen making brownies when she heard the door open.

Thinking it was Casey, she said, “It’s about time. You
promised the man in Room 1 you’d make your famous fudge.”

“I don’t know how to make fudge,” a familiar, deep voice answered.

Sabrina swung around, a shocked look on her face. “David! How did you get here so fast?”

“By exceeding all the speed limits.”
He came over to where she stood. “Your eyes, Sabrina, are something else.” David kissed each one tenderly before lowering his mouth to her lips. “Mmm, you taste like chocolate.”

So much for taking things slowly
! Sabrina reached around him to get a pan. “I had to test the recipe a few times. Let me get these in the oven.”

He grinned boyishly. “Can I lick the bowl when you’re done?”

“If you want to. Do you have to leave tomorrow?”

“I like how you say that – as if you don’t want me to
go. I’m here for a few days this time.”

Sabrina wondered at her stupidity. How had she let this happen?
Every minute she spent with David was taking her further along a road she didn’t want to be on.

“I
need to set the tables for tea. Let me get your room key, and you can get settled.”

“What’s on for tonight? Are you on desk duty?”

“Yes. Normally, I would trade with Casey, but she’s going to a chamber music concert with her boyfriend. Do you mind staying around here?”

“Just being with you is enough for me.”

This was so closely Sabrina’s own sentiments about Meredith that she winced inwardly. It wasn’t right to spend time with one man while you were so consumed with another. Why had she agreed to this?

“You always kn
ow just what to say,” she managed to get out.

That tactless remark earned her a reproachful stare.
She knew well the pain of having one’s feelings taken lightly or simply not taken at all. David was too nice to be strung along with the hope of something more.

Just when the silence
stretched for too long, his cell phone rang. Like two actors on a stage who suddenly receive their cue to perform, both of them sprang into action. Sabrina went to get his room key, and David answered his phone.

When he returned from putting his
luggage in his room, he asked, “What sounds good to you as far as food? We’ve already done the pizza thing.”

Sabrina laughed as she arranged brownies on a plate
. “I took care of the food problem. I made lasagna; I hope you like it.”

“I’ll eat almost anything, and Italian is one of my favorites.
Those brownies smell delicious.”

She
handed him one. “They’re at their best warm from the oven.”

He took it from her with a gleam in his eyes. “I agree,
but this won’t taste nearly as good as you did earlier.” David laughed as her cheeks took flame. “Poor Sabrina – I believe I’ve really shocked you this time.”

She wasn’t shocked as much as dismayed. “
If you don’t stop making comments like that, you’re going to have me so flustered I’m going to give someone coffee instead of tea.”

“I better go then, because I can’t seem to control
myself today. I’ll take a walk.”

Sabrina watched him go with relief; she needed s
ome time to work out a solution to this mess.

David was still grinning when he reached the shore.
He knew he was rushing Sabrina, but he couldn’t help himself. The fact that they were separated by so many miles necessitated a faster paced relationship.

A short distance
from the inn, he noticed a woman chasing an orange umbrella being carried away by the wind. Her inability to catch it was hampered by the fact that she was also trying to keep the hat on her head from blowing away. Every time she got close, the strong gusts picked up the umbrella again.

Without saying anything, he glided past
her and grabbed the umbrella before it could take flight. When he turned around to give it to her, David was momentarily at a loss for words. He’d never seen a more beautiful woman in his entire life.

“
Thank you. You made that look so easy, and here I’ve been trying to catch it for at least five minutes.”

David regained
his composure and handed over the umbrella with a faint smile. “No problem. I’ve had the same thing happen to me a few times.”

“
I anchored it in the sand, but I apparently didn’t put it in deep enough.” She walked back toward the rest of her things and without knowing why, David followed her.

“Are you a new arrival? I’m here
almost every day, and I’ve never seen you before.”

“
I suppose you could call me that, but I’m not technically a tourist. I grew up here.”

She turned to him in surprise. “That’s funny – I did, too. What’s your name?”

“David Wells.”

“I’m Juliet
Davies. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s strange that we never met
before,” he murmured.

“
I actually lived here on and off throughout my childhood. I also spent time with my mother and stepfather in Myrtle Beach.”

“
But you live here now?”

“
No, I’m visiting my brother who by this time has probably begun to think I’m never coming back.” Juliet started to pack her things. “I got interested in a book and couldn’t put it down.”

“
You appear to have quite a load there. Do you need help getting to your car?”

She gave him a smile of such beauty he didn’t know how
to react. “That would be great, if you can spare the time.”

“
Let me have the umbrella and the chair.”

As they walked to her car, Juliet kept up a flow of small talk that required few answers from her companion.
This was fortunate because David needed time to analyze his unusual reaction to this woman. He wasn’t the type to be bowled over by good looks. He was attracted to women for their charm, intelligence and character. That’s why he’d so instantly liked Sabrina.

But
Juliet was something else altogether. David felt like something had knocked him sideways.

When everything had been loaded into the car,
she turned to him. “Thank you, again, David. I’d still be chasing that umbrella if you hadn’t come along.”

“I’m glad I could help. Enjoy the rest of your day.” With a wave, he made his way back to the beach.

By the time he returned to the inn, it was well past tea, and Sabrina was already installed at the front desk. David realized he’d hardly thought of Sabrina since meeting Juliet. Why was he acting this way?

“Did you think I got lost?”

“I know how easy it is to lose track of time when you’re walking on the beach.” Sabrina moved toward the couch in the parlor. “Let’s sit over here; it’s more comfortable.”

“What have you
been doing since my last visit?”

“
Nothing too exciting; I did recently attend a wedding in Virginia.”

“You
traveled a long way for a wedding. Did you fly?”

“
No, I drove. I felt bad leaving Casey here alone.” Sabrina didn’t want to get into too many details about that fateful trip. “What about you? How’s your job going?”

“
It’s going really well. Of course, the traveling sometimes gets old, but the projects are interesting.”

“If you’re ready, I’ll warm up dinner. Lunch seems a long time away.”

The talk over dinner was pleasant, but neither of them enjoyed it. Sabrina was wishing she could make time move faster, and David was finding it a struggle to think of something to talk about other than what had happened on the beach. He couldn’t seem to focus on anything else.

No one was more surprised than he when during a lull in the conversation he heard himself ask, “
Do you know a Juliet Davies?”

Sabrina laid down her fork and glanced at him in surprise.
“Where did that come from? We were discussing the possibility of Casey planting blueberries next year.”

His eyes left her face and went
back to his plate. “I just wondered if you knew her. I met her on the beach today.”

Sabrina smiled
wryly. “Did you? Now I know why you seem so preoccupied. She’s lovely, isn’t she?”

“
Am I preoccupied?” he asked in concern. “I don’t mean to be.”

“Maybe that’
s too strong a word; perhaps you’re tired. You drove a long way today.”

Sabrina didn’t
know if fatigue had anything to do with it or not, but something had happened to David. He hadn’t been the same since he left for his walk.

D
avid latched onto this reason with alacrity. “I am a little tired. It’s been a busy week.”

“
You should have an early night.”

The relief that
ran across his face told Sabrina more than he realized. That must have been some meeting on the beach.

“Are you sure, Sabrina?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I’ll see you in the morning.”

As Sabrina watched him go, she wondered whether she should
have mentioned Juliet’s involvement with Meredith. Was that presuming too much? She didn’t actually know what David was experiencing; she was only surmising.