The Coast Road Home

by Vickie McKeehan

Marley gaped at the nurse. “You really don’t have to do all that. I can pick up a few things…”

  “No, I want the house to be ready for you. The less you have to do, the better.”

  “I’ve only seen the photographs, but it already sounds perfect. I’m so grateful that you’re doing this. How much do I make the check out for?”

  Gilly threw out a figure.

  Marley thought it was too low and tossed out another number. “That’s two hundred dollars more. Agree to that, and we have a deal.”

  Gilly shook her head. “I’ve never met anyone who insisted on paying more for anything.”

  Marley tried lifting a shoulder. “Now you have. I don’t have an account here locally, so I hope an out of town check is okay.”

  “It’s fine. I probably won’t even cash it.”

  “You better not do that.”

  “Or what?”

  “Or I’ll call this whole thing off. I don’t want charity.”

  “Okay. But how about a friend?”

  “A friend I could use. Although…I have a favor to ask. I need something to wear out of here tomorrow. Apparently, the pair of jeans I had on was ruined, and you guys cut away the shirt. I was wondering if sometime tonight you’d be able to retrieve my suitcases out of the car.”

  “Sure. I’ll send Simon over there. But how about this? How about I have him take out an outfit, jeans, and top, and then drop off the luggage at the house? That way you won’t have to lug those cases out of here tomorrow.”

  “Good thinking. What time do you suppose I’ll be allowed to check out?”

  “Probably around noon. But Aubree won’t be here. Tomorrow’s her day off. It’ll be Sheena Howser getting you ready to leave and out the door. What do you plan to do first after you get out?”

  “That’s easy. I want fresh air. I’m taking a walk along that beach, the one I’ve been staring at for four days out that window. It’s been just out of reach.”

  Gilly raised Marley’s bed and fluffed the pillows. “Don’t be surprised if you’re weak at first. Give yourself time and build up your strength. Don’t try to do too much all at once.”

  “Listen to her,” Gideon urged from the doorway. “I’ve learned not to argue with Gilly Bremmer.”

  Gilly breezed past the doctor with a smile. “That’s because I’m a big believer in common sense and logic, two things nurses possess in spades.”

  Enjoying the byplay, Marley watched Gideon’s reaction for any sign that the banter upset him. She knew all too well that some doctors had huge egos. Most didn’t like it when nurses showed a little spunk. But Gideon seemed unfazed.

  “How many patients do you have in the hospital,” Marley wanted to know.

  “Currently six, three post-op patients and two suffering from chronic conditions. Then there’s you.”

  “The woman who couldn’t stay on the road. You know, I’m usually an excellent driver. I’ve driven in the worst snowstorms Wisconsin has ever seen. Not to mention hailstorms where the wind feels like it could blow your car right off the road. I’ve driven a tractor since I was twelve. And I have to come to California to crash my car.”

  “I’m sure the timing sucks. What is it you intended to do in Santa Cruz again?”

  “I wanted to buy a few souvenirs at the shops I’d read about, then eat lunch on the pier, and ride that cool-looking rollercoaster. Maybe not in that order.”

  “I should hope not. Once you get out of here, you’ll need to put off riding that rollercoaster for at least three more weeks.”

  “I figured as much. But you’re letting me go tomorrow, so that’s a sign that I’m getting better, right?”

  “Just remember not to overdo it. Take your time healing.”

  “Yeah? I’m used to hearing that.”

  Five

  On the day of her release, Marley woke up early, took a shower, and got dressed in the outfit Gilly had left for her, a pair of cropped jeans and a long, ivory-colored lightweight sweater that she had trouble getting her arms into. She had to stretch out the fabric to work it down over her head and sore body. Any major movement caused her to wince in pain.

  When her breakfast tray arrived, she found out rather quickly that Sheena Howser was as bubbly as Aubree. Had to be a requirement for the job, Marley decided. The nurse’s effervescent style and upbeat attitude were exactly what she needed today.

  “You look terrific. Other than the swollen face. But that will go down in a couple of days. Here are your instructions on how to take care of your stitches. Use the Vaseline liberally to keep them from drying out. You don’t want that.”

  Sheena took a breath and handed off another piece of paper. “And here are the recommendations for taking care of the ribs. Do exercise, that means walk and try to move around as much as you can but don’t overdo it. In other words, you shouldn’t become a couch potato. Sitting or lying around won’t help your breathing or recovery. Dr. Nighthawk has given you enough painkillers to last ten days, enough anti-inflammatories for a month, and muscle relaxers for three days to get you over the hump. Any questions?”

  Marley nodded, her head beginning to spin.

  Sheena rolled her to the front door in a wheelchair. “It feels funny to be letting you go without a ride. There’s usually a car waiting.”

  “According to Gilly the house is straight down Crescent Street. I’ll be fine,” Marley stated as she got to her feet.

  “You call us if you need anything, anything at all.”

  “Will do,” Marley promised as she walked to the end of the sidewalk that led down to the beach. Instead of heading to the house, she made a right turn.

  Breathing fresh air for the first time in days, Marley went exploring, setting her sights on what was underneath the cliffs. Blooming lavender swayed in the breeze.

  Switching directions, she headed for the pier. Her steps were measured and slow because it did hurt to walk. But she intended to put one foot in front of the other to make it to the ocean even if it took an hour to do it.

  She’d been staring out that hospital window long enough to know she yearned for the real deal, to feel the sand beneath her feet, to look out on those foamy waves, maybe dip her toes in the water.

  Overhead, pelicans flapped their wings in flight, screeching noisy refrains to the backdrop of a sapphire-blue sky. She watched as one bird descended, landing on a rock, braving the surf, but fluttering its wings to attract attention. It must’ve worked because another flew down, making it scooch over as they groomed and preened each other.

  She took out her phone and framed in a picture. A sense of loss filled her as she realized there was no one to send it to.

  She kept walking, breathing in the ocean air until she reached the shoreline, where she kicked off her shoes. As her toes dug down into the loose sand, she felt one small sense of accomplishment. She’d made it this far…alive.

  She wanted to kneel among the dunes, sit among the tall, willowy beachgrass and lose herself in the sound of the ocean. It seemed the surf sang to her, a lilting verse that soothed away the past four days. This is what she’d wanted to see. It might not be Santa Cruz or the infamous boardwalk, but this was what she’d dreamed of seeing, doing, the reason she’d come so far…alone.

  Holding her face up to the sun, she closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth, the peace, the freedom. She filled her lungs with fresh air, grateful to be outside.

  When her head began to throb, and her ribs began to ache, she got to her feet, setting her sights on Crescent Street. She walked the two blocks until she reached Tradewinds…and fell in love with the house and the porch before she ever reached the corner. Neither the pictures she’d been shown, nor Gilly’s description had done the place justice. From the tapered square columns down to the brick bases and its single gable roofline, she loved everything about it.

  The flower beds popped with spring blooms, red, yellow and white blossoms, their aromatic buds drawing her closer in. She made a mental note to learn every pl
ant that had taken root there.

  As she mounted the steps, the porch gave off the kind of beachy vibe she’d dreamed about when she’d left New Glarus. She could put chairs out here and wait for the mailman, or wave to the neighbors on a warm, summer night. She imagined fall pumpkins out here to mark Halloween and Christmas lights hanging from the eaves.

  She wiped her feet on the cheery welcome mat and stuck the key in the lock. Hardwood floors

  greeted her in the living room. She couldn’t wait to build a fire in the fireplace that took up one wall. She stepped to the picture window and realized it gave her a view of the ocean, just a smidgen of blue water on the horizon.

  Gilly’s husband Simon had left the two suitcases in the middle of the room. She walked around them to the kitchen, getting her first look at the cabinets and newish appliances.

  Gilly had called the bedrooms tiny, but the size of each one suited her just fine. She didn’t need a lot of space.

  She went back outside to the front porch and plopped down on the steps. A perfect spot for daydreaming. She could veg here a while until she figured out where to go next.

  Scanning the front yard, it seemed a place where she no longer had to be afraid to stick her head out and mingle. That could be a big step toward normal again. How long had it been? From now on, she’d spend more time outdoors, maybe out on the water, taking in every nuance and new experience she could before it was time to go.

  The fragrant air wafted on the breeze. Billowy clouds drifted overhead as she watched them float eastward. Somewhere between wispy nimbus and fluttering cirrus, she came to a decision. But she’d need a clear head to see it through.

  With a goal in mind, she went back inside and gathered up her purse. Gilly had drawn her a detailed map of the streets and directions to where everything was in town.

  Her first stop had to be the bank. She found out in short order that her ATM card didn’t work here, which meant she had to open an account and transfer money from Wisconsin.

  She explained her situation to a woman named Naomi Townsend in charge of new accounts. Naomi seemed eager to help.

  “Sad to say, our card network is woefully limited,” Naomi began. “We only link to twenty other banks, and they’re all located within a hundred miles of here. But we’ll get you fixed up today. It only takes twenty-five dollars to open an account, then we can both get on a conference call to your bank back in New Glarus. You won’t get your money today, though.”

  “That’s disappointing. When will I get it?”

  “All transfers are updated around midnight tonight. So, you won’t see the deposit in your new account until sometime tomorrow morning. It’s best to check back when the bank opens at nine a.m.”

  The conference call proved difficult until the right person got on the line. Marley had to point out that her family had done business there for three generations. She asked to speak to her old finance officer, a woman by the name of Evelyn Thorson. Once Evelyn took over, things went smoother. The two banks exchanged wire information based on the new account number Naomi had assigned her.

  “You know, I’m thinking this might be a whole lot easier if Ms. Lennox simply wrote a check from her old account using the funds from Wisconsin to open up her new account,” Naomi suggested to Evelyn. “We could send the check for collection, and then once you get it, you could wire the funds to us. How does that sound?”

  “That would work, sure, or we could simply wire her the funds. If you let me speak to her privately, then I can verify her identity and her information. I’ve known Marley for half her life. If it’s her, I’ll know just by asking her a couple of questions.”

  Listening to Evelyn, Marley grinned slightly as Naomi handed off the phone and left her alone to complete the details. The conversation turned intrusive once Marley explained the situation. “I told you I’d be starting over…somewhere else.”

  “But California? Marley, are you sure this is what you really want?”

  “I’m not clearing out my account, Evelyn. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll be doing this in reverse a few months from now. But I wrecked Dad’s car. And I’m stuck here with a concussion.”

  “I’ll drive there and pick you up myself if you want me to do that. You know, I will.”

  “There’s no need. I’ll be fine. I need to do this by myself on so many levels. I need a break from my past. Surely you of all people understand that.”

  For several long minutes, the voice on the other end went quiet. “Okay. I’ll do whatever you want. I just hope…I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “I’m not crazy, Evelyn. Look, I know you didn’t approve of me selling the farm. But what was the point of keeping it when I couldn’t go back inside the house? Tell me that. Isn’t it better if someone gets to live there and loves it as much as I once did? As much as Mom and Dad did? That’s not me, Evelyn. I no longer love it or want to be anywhere near it. It stands for something horrible now. And I can’t get past that.”

  “I know. I know. I’ll take care of the money on my end. Don’t worry. We’ll work it out.”

  “Thanks, Evelyn. I appreciate it.”

  Evelyn asked to speak to Naomi again.

  Marley listened as her old friend informed Naomi that the funds would be wired that afternoon. “The money should go through the Federal clearinghouse tonight and be available for access tomorrow.”

  After the call ended, Marley watched as Naomi took care of the paperwork, issuing a new bank card. She sat there in a fog. But several long minutes went by before she realized that it felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was really doing this.

  “You’re all set,” Naomi said at last. “Do you need a little cash now to tide you over?”

  “I could use two hundred if that’s okay.”

  “No problem. I’ll be right back.”

  Marley left the bank with money in her pocket. Her next stop was to check on her car. Wally’s Pump N Go at the corner of Beach and Main Streets looked like a remnant leftover from the 1960s. The building was white brick with a bright turquoise awning over the gas pumps. An old metal sign advertising auto parts had long rusted out. Another had weathered and faded into oblivion. She could barely make out the blue lettering…Pierce’s Garage. It took up one corner of the intersection.

  To the side of the station itself, she spotted her yellow and white Scout with its crushed in damage all along the passenger side and winced knowing she’d put those ugly dents there. From the front end to the rear, it looked sad and old.

  “You’re on foot?” Wally asked, wiping his greasy hands with a red rag.

  “According to the mighty Dr. Nighthawk, I’m not allowed to drive yet.”

  He grinned. “I see. Well, when you get the all-clear, I have a car I’ll loan you.”

  “Have I fallen out of the sky into the Twilight Zone or something? What is it with you guys? You don’t know me from Adam. For all you know, I could be a con artist with a gang of thieves waiting down the road at the edge of town.”

  Wally stuffed the rag in his back pocket before staring into her eyes. “Really? You banged your car up just so you could get your hands on my 1980 Monte Carlo when you’re finally allowed to drive?”

  Marley’s mouth fell open at the mention of the car. “Not the Landau Coupe?”

  “All the way. Candy white with a moon roof.”

  “Nice. V8?”

  “Is there any other way to travel? With a 305 engine to boot.”

  “How much would that cost me to rent it?”

  “I’m working on your Harvester, first of its kind for me. It’s a challenge. And I like challenges. Not to mention, it’s gonna take a while to locate the parts and get it back on the road.”

  “You mean the Monte Carlo would be like a loaner?”

  “Well, I’m not your friendly car dealer with a loaner car option on the side, but yeah.”

  She spotted all the surfboards that lined the inside walls of the garage. “A
re those just for show or do you actually surf?”

  “Been surfing since I was old enough to walk. Lilly, my lovely wife, made me move the boards into the garage, said they took up too much storage at the house.”

  “Wives,” Marley muttered in affable agreement as she moved closer to inspect the boards. “I’d like to learn. To surf. I’d pay you for lessons.”

  “Pay me to show you how to surf? That would violate the code. Surfing to me is a joy, not a job.”

  She chuckled. “I like you, Wally. What time do you usually go out?”

  “Dawn patrol. It’s the best time when the wife hasn’t got up yet and the kids are still asleep.”

  “A time?”

  He cocked a brow. “Six a.m. Are you up for that?”

  “Good thing I get up early. I’ll let you know when I increase my arm strength and when Dr. Nighthawk takes me off restrictions.”

  “I’ll be here. When the time is right, you might want to think about getting a wetsuit. The water is colder here than people realize.”

  “I’ll do that. Anything else?”

  “You might want to get a California driver’s license before you take out my Monte Carlo.”

  “Good idea. I’ll make a point of it if I’m ever allowed behind the wheel again.”

  “It’ll go fast. Your healing. You’ll see. Before you know it, you’ll be back to your old self in no time.”

  She said her goodbyes and wished that could be true. As she took off across the street to Murphy’s Market, she made another wish to be whole again, inside and out. If only…

  Even though Gilly had stocked the kitchen pantry with groceries, Marley needed wine, which was why she made a stop at the store. She didn’t expect an entire aisle dedicated to alcohol organized by location. She searched out California wines in the fifteen-dollar range. She looked for a light and fresh red, and ended up with a pinot noir, steering clear of the darker cabernet sauvignon. And just for good measure, she hunted down a pinot grigio with a low content tannin, buying two bottles from a vineyard just down the road.

  She lugged the wine, one bottle at a time to check-out, because it was impossible to carry everything at once. She perused the other aisles, added snacks like chips and pretzels, a frozen veggie pizza, and a huge bag of frozen curly fries that jumped out at her. But when she finished hauling her stuff up to the counter one at a time, she realized she couldn’t possibly carry all this back to the house. “Is there any chance I could get this delivered?”