A Discovery of Hope (A Coming Home Again Novel Book 3) (15 page)

“Neither one of you know how to work a blame cellphone? I was worried.” He gestures for me to exit, but I’m not sure I want to get out and meet anymore of his fury. He’s totally overreacting.

“She was with me, JP.” Duke hops out so I reluctantly follow suit and sidestep around JP, who is firmly planted in my way.

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?” JP rubs his hand over the back of his neck.

“She’s a grown
woman
last time I checked.” Duke says this with nonchalance, unperturbed by JP’s odd rage.

“You got no business checking her out!” JP yells towards Duke’s back.

Duke keeps walking, but snaps back, “Someone sure as heck needs to. Willow is an amazing
woman
!” He keeps emphasizing the woman part for some reason, which makes me think there’s been a previous conversation I’ve missed.

I watch as Duke disappears into his apartment. I can’t believe he’s just going to walk away and leave me to deal with JP’s wrath alone. Talk about a loyal friend…

I try to pull off his maneuver, too, and head for the back door of the gallery. But JP grabs hold of my arm and stops me. “What’s your problem?” I hiss the words, with no patience left, as I glare up at him. Even his nostrils are flaring with his anger. That’s a bit much, I do believe.

“It’s
three
in the morning.”

“
And
?”

“I already told you I was worried.” His blond brows are puckered with his irritation.

I pull my arm free in an aggressive snatch to show him my own irritation. “JP, you come and go as you please. You don’t answer to me and I certainly don’t have to answer to you.”

“But… You’re… You’re my intern.” It sounds like he is grasping at straws on that one.

“Well. Good news! Today, I finished my hours. You can be done with me.” I storm off with this admission.

Confession—I was sort of not planning on bringing light to the fact that the internship was over. I wanted to stay longer. You know… To finish cataloguing the photos and to learn more… But the stop sign between my brain and mouth hasn’t worked since last summer…

I head to my room and start packing in a frenzy. Once I have most everything gathered, I decide to make a break for it as soon as it’s light out, which won’t be much longer. Problem is I can’t carry everything in one trip. I’ve been hauling stuff back from Dad’s place and am surprised at how much I have made myself at home.

“What are you doing?” Hope asks evenly from behind me.

“I think it’s time to go home,” I whisper as I look around. A sadness creeps over me as I glance at the photographs adorning my walls. JP has given me a total of eleven so far, and I’m sure gonna miss waking up to them.

“Seems to me this is your home.”

I look over at her and see she is studying the photos as well.

“Oddly enough, this place does feel like home.” My fingers graze over the scar along my scalp in frustration. “I just don’t know how to handle him. The man runs either scorching hot or frigidly cold. His moods are all over the place. I just… I think it’s best for me to go.” I say this but don’t believe it.

Hope places her hand on my shoulder. “Anger can make one act in haste. Why don’t you head to your dad’s for a few days and see how you feel after that?”

“I already told JP I completed the internship. I can’t take that back now.”

“No, but I’m sure John Paul will agree he still needs you here.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know.”

“Just go take a break.” Hope says this with a stern motherly look, provoking me to immediately want to obey.

And so as soon as the sun finally shows up, I grab a bag, leaving the rest, and sneak out. After the quiet ride, I sneak into my dad’s and crash for most of the day. The sun is already tiring by the time I resurface. Dad seems pleased to have me home. We end up ordering in and hanging out late into the evening.

We are sitting in the den, watching some movie, when dad speaks. “Mark will be in town this week. I thought it would be a great time to have some scans and a checkup.”

I nod my head. Mark is the doctor who put my head back together last summer. I’m glad for the excuse to stay put for a little while longer.

“Okay,” I agree as we watch some more of the thriller. I get bored with it after a while. It’s pretty clear the attorney did it and I’m over the drama of it. “So, anything interesting happening in the world of Kiawah?” Dad grunts at my question. I nudge him in the side. “What?”

“Let’s just say the scandal between your mother and I has finally been outdone.”

“How’s that?”

He glances at me, before looking back at the huge flat screen TV. “The Greens are divorcing.”

Well this is a shock. They are our next door neighbors. They are sort of the “It Couple” in our gated community. Todd Green is a bigwig attorney in Charleston and is seeking a political career. It’s said that he is a shoo in for the Senate. He and his wife have always seemed to be the perfect couple. Sandy is a bit younger than him and is Barbie Doll worthy. They have two adorable sons and both of them look to always be ready for a children’s designer clothing ad.

“What happened?”

“Behind that closed mansion door, Todd has been letting his aggression out on his wife.” Dad pauses and shakes his head. “A few weeks ago she showed up at my door with a bleeding lip. She was carrying the two boys and all three of them were crying. Needless to say, I’ve been thrown in the middle of it.”

“Oh, Dad.” I reach over squeeze his forearm. He pats my hand.

“I had a nice long chat with Todd about how a southern gentleman never lays a hand on his woman in aggression.” Dad shrugs. “He agreed to leave quietly and grant his wife a substantial divorce settlement in exchange for her silence on what transpired. He knows that would be the end of his brand-new political career, if that got out. He also agreed to anger management classes and counseling.”

“Wow. That’s just terrible.”

“The poor girl needs some help. Her family is all up north and she’s here alone.”

“Why doesn’t she just move?”

“She signed an agreement to remain in Kiawah until their sons graduate high school. Todd has been advised it would be best for his campaigns to show he’s a family man.”

“That pig,” I say as I glare out the window. I think things over for a few beats before asking, “What kind of help does she need?”

“Sandy wants to go back to school, so she’s going to need help with the boys and probably the house. She says she wants someone to be a live-in help.”

Hope appears. She’s sitting on the ottoman right in front of me and I can tell we are both on the same page. “I think I have the perfect person,” I say with a grin and Hope nods her head in approval. I watch her as her wings simmer with delight. I’m really beginning to appreciate how this angel has made me open my eyes and recognize a lot of things don’t happen just by chance. I’ve seen fate at work considerably.

~~~~~

Tuesday morning I head to the hospital with Dad. We are meeting Mark for the results of my scan I had yesterday and for a basic checkup. The doctor greets us in a private room and he begins going over my paperwork and scan results. I sit on an examination table and wait. The older gentleman sets the paperwork down eventually to examine me. He feels along my scar and shines a light into my eyes. As he does this, he asks me how I’ve been. I tell him about the no-stop-sign deal, making him laugh. And he says it’s normal when I tell him about the short-term memory loss episodes that arise every now and then. Nothing crazy. Just losing my train of thought or forgetting what I’m to do next sometimes. He hesitantly tells me this may be permanent and I’m okay with that. In the whole scheme of things, a little memory loss seems trivial.

“Your dad mentioned you had some concerns with hallucinations.”

“No,” I answer as I glance at Hope, who is perched on top of the counter. “I only see what exists.” She smiles warmly at me.

He jots down a few notes in my file. “That’s great. And how about the migraines?”

“Only two major ones the entire summer.”

“That’s a significant decrease. The scans look great. No sign of any bleeding or new concerns. I’m declaring you healed, young lady.”

“Well, amen,” I hoot, causing my dad and the doctor to chuckle.

Chapter Eighteen

A week passes before I work up enough nerve to head back to the gallery. It’s Monday, so I thought it would be the best day to come back since the gallery is closed to the public. I’m not sure what kind of mood I may find JP in and I don’t want to cause any awkwardness in front of customers. He’s called a few times in the past week, but never leaves a message. I figured if it was important, he would. So I’ve left him alone to cool down. I’m still astounded over how he flew off the handle like he did.

As soon as I park, I chicken out and head towards Duke’s apartment instead. I knock on the door several times but get no answer. His truck is here so I’m pretty sure he is, also. I give up knocking and crack the door open so I can peek inside. I find him stretched out on the floor with earbuds in his ears. His head is nodding to the beat of whatever song he is listening to as he sketches away. I sit down beside him and after a few more glides of his coal pencil; he looks over and offers me a lazy smile.

Duke pops the earbuds out of his ears and rolls over to his back for a good long stretch. I’m guessing he’s probably been in that position for a while. Looking up at me with his hands behind his head, he asks, “Just where have you been?”

“I’m back home with Dad.”

His smile fades. “Don’t leave us just yet.”

“But I’m finished with my intern hours.” I shrug.

“So. Stay anyway.”

I laugh. “I don’t think it’s your place to invite me.” I focus on the hem of my cutoff jean shorts and pick absently at an unraveling thread. “Besides, I have a feeling JP is ready to be rid of me.”

“Nah. The dude just gets a little hotheaded sometimes. I think we made him jealous the other night, is all.”

“Jealous? How?”

Duke rolls to his side and cuts me a smirk. “Dude’s got eyes for you, Willow. Whether either one of you want to admit it.” He pauses and grins. “He found out you were out all kinds of late hours with this handsome stud and he got jealous.” Duke motions towards himself while waggling his eyebrows at me, causing me to laugh. Without another word, he hops up off the floor and heads to the door.

“Where are you going?” I call behind him.

“Stay put,” he says over his shoulder, “I got something for you.” After he runs out, I decide to stretch out on my stomach and flip through the sketch pad he abandoned on the floor.

I’m flipping through a section of various extreme landscapes when the door opens. I pause at a desert scene and ask, “What did you get me?” I look up and find JP standing by the door. I look him over and find the guy just as appealing as ever in a tight dark-grey T-shirt, well-worn jeans and black Chucks. How can he look so rugged yet so beautiful at the same time?

JP rubs his stubble-covered jaw in a brooding way. Maybe he’s still mad at me. My stomach plummets at this thought. He takes a deep breath before finally meeting my eyes with his shrouded ones. “Spent the day with Janet yesterday. She broke my heart, just so you know. Said she’s leaving me. Wants to be an island girl.”

I blink at this. Leave it to JP… I decide to play along. It’s better than the awkwardness. “Maybe your paths will cross again one day,” I say wistfully as I place my hand over my heart.

JP grows serious and I can tell the tall-tale play is over. “You’ve given her a shot at a new life, Willow. Thank you.”

I shrug my shoulders. “I think both women will be good for the other.” I actually got to help Janet settle into the guest house next door to Dad’s yesterday. Both women seemed so excited and the two little boys took a liking to Janet immediately. “They seem like a good fit.”

“Seriously, thank you.” His baby-blue eyes pierce my own.

I try to downplay the weightiness by joking some more. “I just wish there was a way you could get your woman, too. Sorry about stealing her away to Kiawah.”

JP grins but then turns it around on me, and I can tell he’s over the joking.
Hot to cold
. He’s hard to keep up with. “I didn’t mean to run you off. I was I jerk. I owe you an apology.”

I stand up as he closes the door and walks towards me. “It’s okay,” I say. “I… I came to pick up the rest of my stuff. Thank you for the opportunity of this summer. I’ve learned a lot and I’m very grateful.” I try to smile, but am unable when I notice the deep frown on JP’s face.

He shakes his head and runs his hand through his messy blond hair. “I don’t want you to go. I need your help. This place has already gone to crap without you breezing around. How about the room plus a paycheck?”

My mouth falls open on its own accord. I was nowhere near expecting such an offer. After taking a few long seconds to recover, I say, “I start the fall semester in a few weeks. I’m taking a full load so I can graduate in the spring. I won’t be of much help.” I shake my head in disappointment. I would really like to stay.

JP takes another step forward and is now standing just inches away so I have to look up now. “Whatever assistance you can offer, I’ll take it.”

I consider this for a minute and sigh with relief. “I don’t want a paycheck.”

“I’m letting you work for free.” He crosses his arms so I follow suit.

“The room. Plus you let me hang some of my photos in the gallery to sell.”

JP raises an eyebrow. “You think your art is that good?” A small smile plays at the corner of his lips, but he holds it back.

“Not yet, but I know with your help, it will be.”

He’s quiet as though he’s considering the negotiation. “I guess I could allow you some wall space, but you gotta finish the photo filing before your classes begin.” He nods sternly.

“Deal,” I say, reaching out my hand.

JP doesn’t take it. Instead, he pulls me to him for a hug. I relent as I reach up on my tiptoes and wrap my arms around his neck. The rapid tempo of his heart reaches out to mine, and it becomes a precious melody I hope my memory will lock away for safekeeping. The warmth of his breath skirts along my neck before he rests his forehead on my shoulder.

We hold each longer than we should, but neither of us seems willing to let go. I place my lips near his ear and whisper, “What are we going to do about this?” I cling closer to him, causing him to groan. I’ve never felt such a connection to someone I barely know, and there’s no denying the chemistry between us.

“I can behave myself.” He promises this, but it feels more like a fib with his warm lips skimming along my neck.

My body shudders with the contact. “I don’t know if I can,” I whisper.

Suddenly the door bangs open. “Awesome. You two idiots made up. Now get out,” Duke says loudly, causing JP to release me. Duke stands with the door open and beckons us to leave. He looks very stern, but offers me a wink as I pass him. He’s one sly devil. I pause by him long enough to place a quick kiss on his cheek. JP impolitely pushes me out the door after this and I hear Duke chuckle as he closes his door behind us.

As soon as we push through the gallery entrance, JP’s phone starts going off. He pulls it out and sighs. “I got some business to go take care of.” He seems reluctant to leave as he grabs an oversized portfolio.

I glance around and notice he has changed out all of the photos again. “Go ahead and take care of your business,” I tease. “I got my own business to take care of. I need to go on a photo walk,” I say in awe.

I start to walk off, but JP places his hand on my elbow. “Willow, I’m really glad you’re back.”

I smile up at him. “Me too. Thanks.”

He shakes his head. “No ma’am. Thank you.” He drops his hand and heads towards the exit.

“JP,” I call out and he stops to look back at me.

“Yeah?”

“I know I don’t have a right, but I also like knowing where you are.”

He smiles at this admission. It was the root of our little tiff after all. “We’ll work on that. Okay?”

I nod my head as he strolls out the back. I begin my walk around the gallery, and become absorbed in the scenes. This fresh new batch seems to be bidding the summer season adieu. It’s hard to believe Labor Day is only a few weeks away. It felt like just yesterday we were in the midst of early May and I was stepping foot in this place for the first time.

Photos of fireworks splitting the night sky, crowded beach scenes with vibrant colored umbrellas, a few tropical island landscapes, people surfing, the sun shining in various positions in the sky, an ice cream cone in a little kid’s hand—the endless summer images entertain me for a few hours before I head to my room to unpack.

~~~~~

Things feel pretty much back to order these last few days. I’m back to my spot in front of the filing cabinet and JP is in his at the desk working nonstop on the computer. Today he is editing shots of the pregnant woman I met several weeks back. She is accompanied by her husband in the shots, which have been captured in a lush meadow. They are warm and soft with the couple being bathed in buttery light, and I find myself staring at them as he works more than I should.

He lets out a sigh after a long spell of editing. “This place is the pits today.”

I glance up and find him staring out the window. “It’s the tropical storm warning. It’s forced the entire coast into hiding,” I say as I place another stack of files into the cabinet. Each drawer is a different year. The drawer is filed by month, and each file is in order by date. The system seems to be the most sufficient. I’ve already seen it come in handy with JP needing to find a backlogged photo.

His phone chimes and he sighs again as he checks it. “Bad news?” I ask.

“No,” he answers as he studies the phone screen. “Surf forecast. It’s killer out there today.”

“Killer?”

He looks up, smiling sadly. “It’s perfect surfing weather.”

“Then go. This place is a ghost town anyway.”

He looks at the clock and I can tell he is considering it. He glances back at me. “You wanna go?”

“Me? I don’t surf.” I shake my head vigorously.

“No? Well, you could go and just enjoy the fresh air.” He looks back at his phone. “First storm squalls shouldn’t make it for another few hours.”

“Sure. Why not? Let’s blow this joint.” I stand up and stretch before closing the gallery down, while JP changes. He’s seems right giddy with the chance to hit the surf.

I’m not sure what I expected to see when we got to the beach, but it certainly isn’t this...

Not only is he a proficient surfer, but an absolute maven. JP has totally blown me away. I’ve been sitting on the shore with my toes playing in the warm sand for over an hour now, watching him tame the wild waves. The ocean is in an ugly uproar with the storm prowling the coast, but that doesn’t seem to deter him in the least.

With the forceful wind brushing against my body, I continue to stay frozen in a trance of watching him pop up fluidly over and over again. When he takes to walking on the board while it rides a wave, I’m slack-jawed. It’s like JP and the surfboard are one. He glides along the waves and makes it look effortless. The guy possesses some kind of otherworldly balance. I’m in pure awe as he goes out there and plays so smoothly. The guy is totally in his element.

He absolutely owns the waves and they seem to be possessed by him, because not once does he lose control of his board. When he tires of a wave, he either simply walks off the surfboard or executes a flawless backflip or springboards off in a dive. He’s only wearing black wetsuit bottoms that hit him mid-calf and ride low on his lean hips, showing off a perfect V to his lower abdomen. Wow. The backside view is just about overwhelming. I must admit, I’m enjoying the view and wish I had brought my camera. He’s just so nicely well-built. I feel very lacking sitting in my baggy cutoff jeans and plain shirt.

Another hour passes, when the sky begins to darken considerably with the storm approaching. I’m getting antsy thinking he has no plans of ever returning to shore. I’m ready to flag him down, but he finally wades out of the choppy water and plops beside me. He seems to be more invigorated than spent after all of that exercise.

“Wow,” I say.

He looks at me sideways with a grin, but says nothing. I can’t keep my eyes off of him. I’m taking in his bare back when I spot an oblong scar on his left shoulder. I resist no longer and run my fingers over the mark. “What caused that?”

He shakes his head and keeps quiet for a few beats as I’m guessing he is recalling the reason behind it. “I spent last summer in Italy. Found me an Italian hot mama in Naples. She lured me back to her cottage. I spoke no Italian and she spoke no English, but we really needed no words.” He looks over at me full of smugness. “Or so that’s what I thought until her husband showed up, waving a gun in my face and all Hades broke loose. I had to make a run for it half-dressed. Dude got a shot off and grazed my shoulder.” He looks over his shoulder and touches the scar. “Only needed a handful of stitches.”

I pop him hard on the shoulder. “I’m calling you out on this one.”

JP chuckles before growing serious. “I was involved in a car wreck. Nothing serious. I consider myself blessed. Not everyone walks away with just a scratch.” He taps the scar once more before his attention settles on the scars on my left arm. He runs his fingers over the small blemishes. “What about you?”