“I have a dark grey lounge suite and bare white walls. I desperately need some color. What do you like, the yellow or the orange?”
“I don’t suppose you have a picture of the room do you? It sounds like you have a clean canvas and can do anything.”
“I do as a matter of fact.” The lovely blonde-haired woman reached into her bag and pulled out a phone, scanning through it. “Here you are. I told you, it is so bare. It’s terrible.”
“It’s not terrible; it’s a great room with high ceilings, great fireplace and big windows with plenty of light.” Caitlynd peered about her surroundings visualizing certain items. “What about these?” She chose cushions covered in a spray of tints. “You can pick out the hue you like most and mix and match from there.”
“Oh, I like those,” the stranger professed, following Caitlynd as she moved around picking pieces, comparing shades and making suggestions. “You know what you’re doing. Thank you so much. I’m going to take all of these. Oh and I’ll take some of those vases on sale as well,” she called out.
Caitlynd smiled, while gritting her teeth. “You’re welcome.” She watched the woman make her way to the counter.
“Well, that was a good show. You do know your colors and she is a happy customer.”
A voice lilted behind her and Caitlynd turned around to find a pair of happy cornflower blue eyes closely appraising her. “Oh, thanks.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been watching you since you walked into the store. I don’t suppose you’re looking for a job? Considering, you’ve made your first sale.”
“It was fun, but no, I don’t think so.” Caitlynd said, laughing.
“You’re perfect for it. You have a great eye.” The older woman offered her hand. “Hi, I’m Elspeth Walsh.” The handshake was firm.
“Hi. I’m Caitlynd Palmer.”
“You’re new to town, aren’t you? I heard your accent, Aussie right? It can’t be a vacation as this isn’t the typical tourist spot. Is it a permanent move?”
“Uumm, yeah. I recently moved from Australia. I’m still trying to figure it out and find my way.”
“Well, you’re a long way from home. Welcome to our little town my dear. You will like it here.”
“You’re an Aussie too. That’s so nice. How long have you been here?”
“I am. I moved here some years ago. Why don’t I tell you over a cup of tea?”
“I’d like that, thank you.” Blue eyes raised to look closer at her. It was as though the older woman was lost in a memory somewhere. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, of course. I’m…” her eyes danced. “…I was remembering my home back in Australia. Of course, it hasn’t been home for a long time now. I tell you what, why don’t you come by tomorrow for that cup of tea and we’ll have a lovely chat. I’ll tell you all about our little town and perhaps convince you to stay.”
Caitlynd let out a soft laugh. “You’re confident I’ll stay?”
Elspeth laughed, it was a tinkling sound, sweet and full of joy. “Yes. I am.” She said with a twinkle in her eye. “Come at two o’clock. My home is behind the store. I’ll ask my son to pop over as well.”
“Ok, thanks.” Caitlynd watched as the mysterious Elspeth quietly left through a back door of the store.
The blue crystalline bay glistened under the bright early morning sunshine. Boards shimmered as they twisted their way across white foaming waves as riders artfully danced across them while keeping their balance.
She sipped at her coffee, savoring each mouth full of the sweet milky mix. She sat on a nearby bench seat, and gently placed the two small plastic shopping bags at her feet. She fumbled inside her handbag pulling out her sunglasses. On the grassy slope below, surrounded by Hawaiian coastal Hala trees, a man washed salt water from under a cool fresh shower. Drawn to the way glowing liquid caressed his sun-kissed skin, over well-defined muscled pecs and arms.
Good God. He’s amazing. Superman personified. She let out a soft laugh at her random thoughts. She admired his well-honed physique wearing only small black trunks. He bent over to clean long powerful legs, rubbing off the sand. Unable to hold back the sigh from her barely open mouth. Oh my. He turned the tap off and shook his head spraying water around him, then ran fingers through his dark hair to set it in place.
His gaze found hers. Caught staring, she swallowed hard, struggling to turn away. “Oh crap.” She stood, dragging her bags with her. One bag caught at the edge of the bench and split, giving freedom to oranges and mangos as they escaped. “Oh no. No. No,” she cried out. She grabbed the two fruits nearby but the others tumbled along the slope toward the tall, dark and wet stranger.
She gave a little shriek as he leapt into action and collected the wayward fruit. He took them to where his long board and wet suit lay, collecting them under one arm and casually walked the slight hill toward her.
“I believe, these are yours.” Holding out three pieces of fruit. Eyes the color of a clear blue sky rivalling her current view stunned her, holding her captive. They reminded her of another pair she’d seen recently. Mentally she shook herself and dismissed it as coincidence. His smile seemed to widen at her embarrassment, could he possibly get any more handsome?
“Thank you.” The blush she’d felt extended further across her throat, burning her ears. “The bag split when I picked it up.” Glancing at his hand, she swallowed hard. With care she plucked the three pieces and popped them into her handbag. She could still feel the momentary touch of his skin against her fingers sending a warm zing through her. She was already feeling hot, but now she burned. Drops of perspiration popped like tiny water balloons above her lip line.
“Mahalo. They don’t make plastic bags like they used to. I hope the fruit are still okay and not bruised.” The gravel voice produced tingles across her skin.
She focused on her handbag. “Oh…I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
“First time here?”
She looked up at him floored by his eyes as they burned into her. The warmth of his smile had a way of soothing her and she smiled back. She flicked her sunglasses onto her head, flicking her hair from her face. “Yes, in a way. I’m renting a little cottage not far, by the beach,” she said pointing in the other direction.
“The pale blue cottage with the orange door?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“It’s a small town and it’s my house. I hope you like it.” His smile seemed to widen even more, displaying almost perfect white teeth. One slightly smaller crooked tooth in the bottom row drew her closer inspection.
Time stopped, evaporated into a pool of their own, everything surrounding them disappeared.
“Oh, it’s charming. It looks freshly renovated. Your handy work?”
“Yeah, it’s a bit of a hobby of mine. Fix old places and rent them. I wasn’t sure about the orange door, but my mom loves it, so I left it there.”
“I’m glad you did.”
A tall blonde woman half-running, half-walking fast, madly waving her arms, caught their attention. They both turned to see her crossing the road, on impossibly high heels toward them, calling out “Harry. Harry.”
“I’m guessing you’re Harry?”
He laughed and looked back toward Caitlynd. “Yes ma’am.” He adjusted his surfboard under his arm and held out his other hand. “Aloha. Nice to meet you. And you are?”
“Oh, um…” She took hold of his hand as it engulfed her much smaller one, surprised by how smooth and refreshingly cool it was. “Caitlynd Palmer. But you already knew it.”
“I wasn’t sure. I don’t normally make a point to meet my tenants, but I’m glad to meet you.” He continued to hold her hand.
“Harry Walsh. You’re going to be terribly late.” The blonde-haired woman called out in a strong Texas twang, as she came closer, huffing, trying to catch her breath.
“Yes, all right Louise, I’m on my way.” He said, not taking his eyes off Caitlynd. “I’m sorry to cut you of
f like this, but I hope to see you again, Caitlynd.”
The way he pronounced her name and the gentle touch of his hand further inflamed her insides. “Oh, sure. It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Harry. Seriously, you have to go NOW.” Louise sent Caitlynd an apologetic smile.
“Caitlynd, this is Louise who runs my life. Very bossy at times.” He gave a laugh.
“Hi, I’ve got to drag him away.”
Caitlynd enjoyed hearing her strong twang. “No problem, I need to go anyway.”
“Louise, stop worrying your little Texas jenny off, I’m sure they’re not going to be bothered by me being a few minutes late.” He turned back to her. “Caitlynd, do you have a bicycle?”
“What? No.”
“No problem. I’ll see you soon.” He called winking and gave her another smile.
“Aahh, Aloha. Please come in. I’ve been looking forward to your visit.” Elspeth sang out as she opened the door, pulling Caitlynd into a hug and giving the European three-cheek kiss.
“Thank you so much.” Caitlynd’s cheeks flamed, taken aback by the open friendliness.
“Come into where it’s cooler. We sure are having a heatwave for this time of year.” She seemed barely able to contain her excitement. “It’s not normally like this. The sea breezes usually come through and keep things cooler, but for some reason this winter, it is still and calm. A storm is coming. Do you like storms? I love a good storm. I hope it’s not a bad one. I do hope you will love living here as much as I do.”
Caitlynd was dragged through the hallway, scarcely able to take in her surroundings. Her senses were overloaded by hints of hibiscus, frangipani and rich raspberries. The doors framed with honeysuckle vines. “Where are you taking me?”
“Come into to the courtyard and take a seat, I’ve got the dripper fan working and it feels heavenly. Give me a minute, I’ll get our tea first.”
Caitlynd pulled out a chair at a glass table, surrounded by a lush tropical garden filled with exotic scents of frangipani and jasmine. Wisps of water spray cooled the air.
“Wow…, I’ve never seen anything like this before. Its so tropical. Beautiful.” She committed it to memory for later, so she could use it in one of her designs.
“It is clever isn’t it? And so refreshing.”
“Yes wonderful. Do you mind if I take photos?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Caitlynd pulled out her cell phone and stood to one side taking pictures from different angles.
On the table was an English fine bone china set, as though it came from the eighteenth century. She gently collected a cup captivated by its transparency.
“Elspeth, this is an exquisite tea set, it must be over a hundred years old.” Caitlynd called out.
“It is indeed, plus more. My marvelous son gave it to me a few years ago, as a gift. He’s such a beautiful, kind soul,” Elspeth called through the door as she came through holding a tray with a matching teapot and two tall glasses of iced water.
“And good taste.”
“Here we go.” She smiled while pouring the tea. “Do you like sugar and milk?”
“A little milk please.”
“You have an arts background I’m sure of it. You have a good eye.”
“I’m an architect, but my passion is interior design. I plan to start my own business. But, I’m in no rush to do anything yet. My mother was the artist.”
“Yes, of course.” Elspeth sat back into her chair and stared at her. “You look a lot like her you know. I was surprised when I first saw you. I imagined it was her for a moment.” She let out a sigh and smiled. “…but I had to make sure.”
“You knew my mother?” Her world stopped. “But when? How?” Caitlynd placed the delicate cup down harder than intended, worried she’d break the fragile piece. Her stomach did a funny twirl inside her. She looked directly at the older woman who sat there with a sheepish grin on her face, nodding slightly.
“I did, but, oh dear, am I to assume she’s passed away. That is unexpected news. When?”
“I was fourteen when she died. A car crash. A drunk driver.” Her insides caved, the pain still raw, even after fifteen years.
“My poor darling, I’m so sorry. I wish I had known. You poor thing. I lost touch with Madelena after she moved to the city with your father. Oh, and your poor father, how is he?” Elspeth moved to take Caitlynd’s hands into hers.
Caitlynd smiled at the image of her loving father. “He’s good. He never remarried, which saddens me. He could never bring himself to love another woman the way he loved her. I think he blames himself for not being able to protect her.” A long solitary tear escaped and she bowed her head to hide it.
“Don’t hide your tears darling girl. Your mother was one-of-a-kind. She was so dear to me. We were at university together and inseparable at the time. Until she met your father of course. Well, her world turned around. She was so in love with Frank. We were all envious of that kind of love.” Elspeth looked away, lost in her memories. “They were the perfect couple. They adored each other.” Tears pooled and she sniffed loudly. “I think we were all a little in love with Frank.”
Caitlynd smiled, remembering how her parents were and the effect they had on people. She sucked in a deep breath, bolstered her courage to carry on.
“Well, this is incredible, to find you like this. I believe mum would be smiling at us. When did you move to Hawaii?”
“She would be I know it. I came a long time ago now. I met my husband, he was in the US military. We moved a lot over the years, lived in many countries. Our son was born in America, in Washington DC, but we lived all over the place. My husband, he was a good man. I miss him. After he died about two years ago, my son convinced me to move here, believed the quieter life would suit us both better. Its home and we love it.”
“Does your son live here with you?”
“No, he’s got a place near his office, very near the beach. He likes to surf in the mornings.”
“Well, it is lovely here and I know I’m going to love it here too.”
“Oh good, I’m glad.”
Caitlynd sipped her tea.
“And my dear, what about you. Did you marry?”
“Yes, but not for long.”
“Oh no, what happened?”
“I was young and naïve. And stupid. I gave him five years.” She focused on her cup. “We met at university, we both graduated with honors.” She shook her head and glanced away. “After we married, we built a business, brought in associates. It thrived, but our marriage didn’t. He decided it was best I not be involved. He took over. I became the corporate trophy wife. Always quiet, meek and mild. Never outspoken. Told to be where and when, what to wear and what to say.”
“Aahh, the control freak. I know the kind. Poor darling. I assume you had no children?”
Caitlynd shook her head slightly. “I wanted them, but…he made sure it didn’t happen.” She faced downward with closed eyes, fighting the pain inside her, as further tears broke through. The memory of her falling down the stairs and the subsequent miscarriage stole the breath from her. Her memory of the event was always a little blurred. With James at the top of the staircase. She swallowed hard.
“He didn’t beat you, did he? Oh, Lord no?” Horror filled her voice.
“No. No. He didn’t hit me.” Caitlynd hoped to reassure her by smiling. It had occured to her perhaps that the stair fall wasn’t an accident.
“Often verbal abuse is worse than the physical. My darling, I’m so sorry.” Elspeth let out a long breath. She picked the cup and saucer and passed it to Caitlynd. “Here, finish this. It will make you feel better. And stronger.”
“Thank you. I’m not sure why I told you. I don’t normally talk about myself.”
“Darling, you can talk to me about anything. I feel as though you are family. Now I know for certain who you are. Your mother and I were close once. I’m so sad I lost touch with her. We both went our separate ways. We wrote
from time to time, but over the years, they became fewer and one day they stopped. Now I understand why. She would have made a brilliant grandmother. We were like sisters for many years, you know. I have something of hers I’d like to give you.” She stood. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Caitlynd finished her tea and looked around the small garden. She noticed an unusual color rose growing nearby. She went toward it, and lightly touched the soft petals, bent to smell its sweet perfume. “How perfect.”
“Yes, exactly. Perfect.”
She gave a slight yelp at the sound of a low voice from the rear of the yard and spun around to see herself delving into a magical world of sunshine blue. “It’s you.”
“Hello. This is a nice surprise. How are the oranges?”
“Uh…juicy.”
He let out a short laugh. “Yes, I can imagine, after the tumble they had.”
Surprised to find the same man who caught her attention at the beach, and dressed impeccably in an expensive dark charcoal suit. “It’s nice to see you with your clothes on.” She swallowed hard while her ears burned. Why did I say that? I hardly know the man. “Don’t tell me, you’re Elspeth’s son.”
“Okay. I won’t.” His smile widened, reaching his sparkling eyes. “This is a happy coincidence. I’ve only now come from your place.”
“Your place you mean. Why?”
“It’s yours while you rent it. I dropped off a bicycle, I hope you don’t object. It has a basket, useful for carrying wayward oranges and mangos. It might be convenient for around town, saves you driving your car or walking. And…perhaps we might go riding together? If you want to of course.”
“Oh. How…kind, I like walking. But thank you.”
He loosened his tie and undid his top two buttons. He must have been sweltering in the suit. “Caitlynd, I know we’ve only met, but I’d like to get to know you.”
“Oh, I can’t. I mean…I’m…in the process of…divorce…” she stumbled, unable to find the right words in her panic.
Be Mine: Valentine Novellas to Warm The Heart Page 59
