Beach Winds (18 page)

A hand touched her shoulder.
Joel spoke softly, “Frannie? Are you all right?”

“
Quite a view, isn’t it?”

“
It is.”

“
Who knew all of this was hiding behind that demure brick front?” Wood and leather and stone, and a two story view of the sound.

“
Oh, I’m so glad you made it!” Maia rushed up and hugged her.

“
Thanks.” She pointed to Joel. “This is my friend Joel. I hope you meant it, about bringing him, I mean.”

“
Oh, absolutely. The more, the merrier.” She extended her hand. “Welcome Joel.”

He shook her hand.
“Thank you. I’m pleased to be here. Is this your house?”

She giggled.
“Oh, goodness no. This is my boss’s home. Luke Winters. He owns the Front Street Gallery in Beaufort. Are you familiar with it?”

“
Actually, I am. I’ve been there, though it’s been a while. I love Beaufort. I’m overdue for a visit.”

“
Well, I hope you’ll step in and say hey next time you come to town.”

Joel smiled his usual, genial smile and said,
“I will. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maia.”

“
Frannie?”

“
Brian? I didn’t know you were coming.”

“
Maia called.”

She half-smiled.
“Yeah, she called me, too.”

“
And a good thing I did. You can thank me later.” She touched Brian’s arm. “Joel, this is my brother, Brian. Brian, this is Frannie’s friend.”

Brian nodde
d. He extended his hand, saying, “Nice to meet you.”

“
You said it was a small get-together. There’s a lot of people here.”

Maia shrugged.
“It’s Emerald Isle. It’s a small town at heart and everyone, especially in the year-round crowd, knows everyone. We’re a friendly bunch.” She took her arm. “Come along. Let me introduce you to some folks.”

Frannie didn
’t know these people, but the nervousness she usually felt in a one-to-one situation wouldn’t trouble her here. The armor that Laurel had fitted her for, slid over her, along with the right degree of smile. This Frannie occasionally said the odd, awkward thing, but she owned it like she meant it. No apologies. Like going onstage. Costume straight, yes. Makeup right? Check.

Maia took her arm and pulled her into the mix.

****

She talked to people. They were
pleasant, and she congratulated herself on being appropriately sociable. Even Laurel would approve. Then she noticed a woman, distinctive in appearance. Tall, slender and with long salt and pepper gray hair. The woman looked up and they caught eyes. The woman moved toward her, a smile growing on her face.

“
You are Frannie Denman.”

She said it
matter-of-factly and held out her hand. Frannie shook her hand, noting the firmness of her grip despite the woman’s age.

“
I’m Anna Barbour.”

“
Yes, I know your name. I saw it on a card at the Front Street Gallery, next to some paintings.”

“
That’s me. I teach art locally and do a bit of my own.” She waved off any further conversation about herself. “I know your uncle. I’m sorry for his illness.”

“
Did I see you at the rehabilitation home? On your way out, maybe?”

“
You might have. I’ve visited Will a couple of times.”

Frannie couldn
’t suppress her interest. “You’re friends?”

“
Yes.” Anna nodded. “Although I haven’t known him long, really.”

Not a long acquaintance, but still a friend.
“How did you meet?”

Anna set her empty glass down on a nearby table.

“No more iced tea for me or I’ll be awake all night.” She laughed and shrugged. “Goes with the age, I think. Your uncle came to my house to pick up a friend, one of my art students, Bill Dodge. A dear man, Bill was. They knew each other in the service.”

“
Bill Dodge. You said ‘were’.”

“
He died recently. A heart attack in his sleep.”

“
I’m sorry.”

“
Well, we all get old…or we don’t and that’s another story. Bill had his health and was active right up until the time he went to bed that night.” Her eyes grew bright and teary. “Sorry for that. So, I met your uncle and found him to be delightful.”

Delightful. Frannie thought she, herself, might like to be thought of as delightful.

“I’m glad we had the chance to chat. Please tell Will I said hello when you see him next.” She pressed her hand gently on Frannie’s arm. “I need to find Juli and Luke and tell them good night. If you stay in town, I hope you’ll drop by and visit.”

Frannie resisted the impulse to follow her. There was a special glow about Anna that she couldn
’t quite make out. Maybe it was the aura of someone who knew who she was and was happy with it. Suddenly alone, Frannie looked around for Joel and saw him across the room speaking with a man she didn’t know. Satisfied, she was turning away when someone tapped her shoulder.

“
Having a nice time?” Brian asked.

“
A lovely time. Everyone is very nice.” She smiled in a breezy, relaxed way.

“
You sound different. Not like yourself.”

“
Really? I don’t know what you mean.” But she did. She was wearing her party manners. He meant she sounded better. Better than her real self. She felt her lips tighten. She forced herself to speak in a friendly tone. “Where’s Megan tonight? Back with her mom?”

“
No. Diane’s still away. Megan’s with Danny. Juli asked her to babysit Danny this evening. She was ecstatic.”

“
She’s only a child herself. Is it safe?”

“
Oh, sure. Juli and Luke, not to mention Maia, are checking in on them every few minutes. They’re down the hall.” He added, “You didn’t mention a boyfriend. Joel seems okay.”

“
Joel? He’s not my boyfriend. He’s a friend. I’ve known him for years. He showed up unexpectedly this afternoon.”

“
I see. Well, I’m glad you came even if it took Joel to get you here.”

A man came up and slapped Brian on the back. He said something to Brian, and when Brian turned toward him, she took the opportunity to slip away. She wanted a quiet place in which to decompress for a moment or two.

In the hallway, she heard the soft whimper of a baby crying. Was she awake? It sounded so much like her dream that she almost pinched herself. She moved a few feet down the hall and put her ear to the door.

Perhaps Megan didn
’t know what to do? Or had fallen asleep? Children could sleep heavily. The cry wasn’t frantic, but fretful.

She eased the door open.

A softly lit scene, a day bed was against the wall on one side and the white crib was on the other. Megan was standing beside the crib, her arm between the side slats and her hand patting the infant’s back. She glanced up as Frannie walked over to her.

“
He’s crying on and off. Should I get Miss Juli?”

Frannie reached down and touched his small back. He was dressed in a soft, flannel one piece, blue with teddy bears on it.
“I don’t know. I can stay with him while you go find her.”

“
Would you? Thanks. I’ll be right back.”

Juli arrived within moments
.

“
Hi,” she said softly as she came into the room. “Is he okay?”

She touched his dark hair and he didn
’t stir. “He’s restless, I guess. He probably picked up on the craziness around here with us getting ready for the party.”

Frannie nodded.
“Thank you for inviting me, and I hope you truly didn’t mind me bringing Joel.”

“
Not at all. I’m so glad you came and Joel seems very nice.” Juli’s hand stilled, but rested lightly on Danny’s back in reassurance. “I understand you purchased my painting.”

“
Oh, yes. It’s beautiful.”

“
That’s not why I invited you.”

“
No?”

“
Maia has so many good things to say about you. Brian, too.” She turned her attention back to her son and tidied his blanket. “I hope you don’t mind me telling you that. You don’t know many people around here, right? It’s always good to have friends. One never knows when one might need them. That’s my personal experience, anyway.”

“
You three make a lovely family. I saw you and your husband and son at church.”

“
I’m sorry I missed you. I usually notice new faces.”

“
I’ve only been once.”

“
I hope you’ll come again. Did you have enough to eat tonight? I told Megan to grab a snack before coming back. She’s a sweetie.”

A touchy sweetie, maybe.
“She’s clearly fond of Danny.”

“
She’s good with him, but not really old enough to babysit. I told Brian to come and bring Megan with him. I told him she could hang out with Danny. I really expected her, and Danny, to be sound asleep by now.” She walked over to the bed.

Something was peeking out from under the cover and she
pulled it out. “Ah, a book.” She flipped it over to read the cover then put it back under the blanket. “I’m glad to see she’s a reader.”

Danny stirred again and this time his cry was sharper. Juli leaned into the crib and gathered him up.

“I think he’s teething.”

Frannie
watched her gather up the babe and lay him against her chest, his face snuggling into her neck. She touched the fragile head gently, cradling his small body. She looked over and said quietly, “Won’t you have a seat and keep me company while I rock him for a few minutes?”

Jealously curdled in Frannie
’s belly. She sat because her legs felt weak. Perfect family. Attractive, loving parents, a cherished baby. Everything she didn’t have and didn’t expect to ever have because money couldn’t buy it. She was grateful the dim light concealed her inner ugliness.

Juli
’s humming turned to soft words, “How do you like Emerald Isle?”

Frannie tried to match her tone,
low and even. “I’m sure it’s more inviting in the summer.”

“
Spring. It’s almost spring. That’s my favorite time of year. Everything starts coming alive after being wrapped up in winter. I met Danny’s father in the spring, and Danny was born in the spring.”

“
You grew up here?”

“
No. Here and there.” Her hand stilled on Danny’s back.

“
I live in Raleigh.”

“
Beautiful city. They have the most amazing crepe myrtles.”

Crepe myrtles.
Silly, but that tiny connection reassured her, as if it meant she wasn’t as far removed from this lucky woman and her perfect life as she’d felt in those dark moments.

“
Your family moved around a lot?”

“
Sort of. I grew up in foster homes.”

Not so perfect, then.
“Good ones, I hope. You seem to have come out very well.”

Juli laughed very softly.
Surely, Danny felt that comforting warmth coming from his mother.

“
Not so much, but I managed. I didn’t really get lucky until I met my husband, Danny’s father.”

“
Luke. I hope you don’t mind me saying that he’s a very handsome man, and clearly devoted to you.”

“
Oh, he is, indeed, but he isn’t Danny’s father. That was Ben Bradshaw. He and Luke were cousins. No, Ben was the person who gave me the greatest gift and changed the course of my life.”

Frannie wanted to ask why they
’d divorced if Ben was such a great guy, but no amount of curiosity would entice her to cross that line.

Juli
’s soft brown hair fell across her cheek as she eased Danny from her shoulder and into her arm. She brushed his soft cheek, rosy from where his face had pressed against her blouse.

“
Is he asleep?”

“
Yes, but sometimes I just like to hold him. To give him a little extra loving to tide him over while we’re apart. I try not to spoil him, but…oh, well.”

“
Giving him what you didn’t get in the foster homes?” She shocked herself, asking such a personal question, but Juli didn’t change expression at all. She continued smiling down at her Danny.

“
Perhaps. I hadn’t really thought of it, but it makes sense.” Juli looked up at Frannie. “Who really understands the human heart?”