A Haven on the Bay: A Willa Bay Novel

by Nicole Ellis

  “Hi, sweetie.” Libby’s voice was muffled as she pressed her face close to the window. Debbie opened the door and let Libby inside. Libby leaned down to hug Kaya. “How was your day at Grandma’s?”

  Kaya hugged her back, seemingly forgetting any concerns about her mother. “Good. I made a birthday card for Grandpa and we had a tea party.” She scrunched up her face. “Don’t worry, I didn’t let Little Bunny have too much tea.”

  “Ah,” Libby said knowingly. “Good thing.” She moved past Kaya into the house.

  “Would you like a cup of coffee?” Debbie asked.

  Libby considered the offer, then shrugged. “Sure, I could use another cup. That was the longest soccer match ever. At least it wasn’t raining, but the other kids were getting antsy and I was so happy for it to be over.” She followed Debbie into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

  Debbie brought two coffee cups over to where Libby was sitting and took her usual seat at the head of the table. “If you’d like, I’ve got some leftover cookies from our tea party. I managed to keep Panda’s paws off of the last lemon bar.”

  Libby laughed. “I do love your lemon bars, but I’m planning on starting dinner as soon as I get home.” She rubbed the pad of her thumb against the curve of the mug’s ceramic handle and stared into the cup.

  “Something’s bothering you.” Debbie narrowed her eyes at her daughter. She’d given Libby space to work through her issues, but she was tired of being in the dark about what was going on in her own daughter’s life. “What is it?”

  Libby lifted her head and met Debbie’s gaze. “I wanted to talk to you about taking on more catering jobs. I have a lead on a few weddings in the next couple of weeks. Maybe even some other, smaller events. You’re feeling better, so we should jump on these opportunities when we can.”

  Now it was Debbie’s turn to stare into her coffee. “I don’t know. I was kind of enjoying spending time with the grandkids and getting back into some of my hobbies.” Her eyes darted over to the basket next to her recliner where three skeins of yarn in different colors poked out. She’d made blankets for all of Libby’s kids soon after they were born, but Kaya was four and Debbie still hadn’t finished hers yet.

  Libby grinned at her and shook her head dismissively. “Oh, Mom. You’ve got plenty of time for that. Think of how great this would be for us. It would be like old times.”

  The trouble was, Debbie wasn’t sure she wanted to go back to the days when she wasn’t home to get dinner ready and had no time to do the things she enjoyed.

  “I don’t know.” She scanned Libby’s face. “Have you asked Samantha what she thinks?” Libby had obviously been under a lot of stress lately, and with four kids in extracurricular activities, she didn’t have a lot of spare time for additional work. Debbie hadn’t heard from Samantha in a few weeks, so it was unlikely she’d be interested in extra hours either.

  Libby frowned. “I haven’t heard from Sam in a while. It’s like she dropped off the face of the earth. I called her last week, but just got voicemail.”

  Debbie’s stomach twisted. Samantha had a tendency to disappear in the summer as she cobbled together odd jobs to make up for the break in her teacher’s salary during those months. Still, it was unusual for her not to talk to anyone in the family. Since she wasn’t returning phone calls, it was probably time to call Brant, Samantha’s long-time boyfriend, and get an update on her daughter’s life. Libby dabbed her face with a napkin, catching Debbie’s attention.

  “Is this what you want?” Debbie studied her daughter.

  “It is. I need those extra jobs.” Libby’s voice cracked and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Mom. I have to tell you something about Gabe.”

  Debbie froze. Oh no. She’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this. Her hands balled into fists under the table. “Is he… I mean, has he been…?” She stopped, unable to put her fears into words.

  Libby’s eyes widened. “No, no. It’s not that. But it’s not good news either. The company Gabe works for isn’t doing very well and he expects they’ll be handing out pink slips soon.”

  Debbie relaxed her fingers and exhaled deeply. Now it made sense why Libby would want to give up the little free time she had. More catering jobs meant more income, and with four little mouths to feed, they needed whatever money they could get. As much as Debbie would have loved to take it easy as she entered her retirement years, those were her grandkids, and this was her daughter sitting in front of her, pleading with her to take on more work.

  “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.” Debbie leaned across the table and laid her hand on Libby’s arm. “Does he have any prospects for a new job?”

  Libby shook her head. “Not yet. His company has been so great to him over the last few years and he doesn’t want to bail out on them until things are more certain. I told him he should start looking, but what can I say—he’s loyal.” A faint smile curved across her lips. “At least I know I have a good man.”

  “That you do.” Debbie patted Libby’s hand, then sat back and sipped her coffee. Thank goodness Libby and Gabe seemed to have patched up whatever had been troubling their relationship. She’d wager that the impending job loss had been a big factor in any marital stress, but she doubted she’d ever hear anything about it from Libby. Her eldest daughter liked to keep things to herself, even when doing so was detrimental to her own mental health.

  But Debbie understood. It wasn’t like she’d ever wanted to confide in her own mother about her relationship with Peter. Elizabeth Arnold and Debbie were as close as Debbie was to her own daughters, but there were some things that were better left unspoken.

  “So, what do you think about catering more weddings?” Libby’s face was full of hope and Debbie didn’t want to let her down.

  Debbie took a steadying sip of coffee, then let her lips ease into a smile. “I think we’ve got some weddings to bid on.”

  “Oh, thank you, Mama.” Libby got up and wrapped her arms around Debbie. “I think this is going to be great for both of us. You’ll get out of the house more, and the money will be good. Maybe you and Dad can finally take the trip to Europe you’ve always talked about.”

  Debbie hugged her back. She and Peter had been meaning to take a trip to Italy, but money hadn’t been the biggest factor holding them back. Peter’s job as a manager at a local manufacturer was time consuming. It seemed like every time they thought about planning a vacation, something went wrong at the plant and he was sucked back into working long hours.

  Libby looked up at the yellow cat-shaped clock that had hung on the wall of Debbie’s kitchen since Libby and her sisters were kids, then stood. “Kaya and I had better get home. I didn’t realize how late it was already.” She laughed. “I think we’ll have spaghetti for dinner again. I never thought we’d eat so much spaghetti, but with the kids’ sports schedules, I’m just glad to have something that’s quick, cheap, and not McDonald’s.” She pushed her chair back under the table and walked across the kitchen to the dining room where Kaya was scribbling on a sheet of white printer paper. “Time to go, sweetie.”

  “Okay, Mommy.” Kaya showed her what she’d been coloring. “See? I drew Grandma and me having a tea party.” She held it out to Debbie. “It’s for you, Grandma.”

  Debbie’s heart melted as she crossed the room to take the paper from Kaya. “I’ll treasure it always.” She walked Kaya and Libby to the door, hugging them both tightly before they left.

  When the door closed, Debbie took a closer look at the picture. Kaya had drawn a large red heart between the two figures. Debbie sat down at the kitchen table and ran her fingers over the waxy red heart. Taking on more catering jobs meant she’d have far less time with Kaya and the other kids. But, Libby needed her. Sometimes it seemed like being a mother meant sacrificing her own desires in favor of what was best for her children, but she wasn’t sure she’d want it any other way.

  4

  Samantha

  Sam blew a few short blasts with her whis
tle. “No running around the pool,” she shouted to two teenage boys racing each other to the deep end. They slowed to a rapid walk, but she had no doubt she’d soon be reprimanding them for trying to dive headfirst into the six-foot-deep water. Like most of the older kids at the massive pool located on the twelfth level of the Scenic Waves cruise ship, their parents were nowhere to be seen.

  She sat back in the elevated lifeguard chair and scanned the water through the dark lenses of her sunglasses. There was a lively game of Marco Polo happening in the deep end. Over in the shallow end, toddlers wearing life jackets stood nervously on the pool steps while their parents coaxed them in with outstretched arms. The Caribbean sun beat down on her, warming her arms through the UV-protective sleeves of her zip-up uniform jacket. There were definitely worse places to be on a summer day.

  She hadn’t planned to work as a lifeguard over the summer, but when her friend, Miranda, had to cut her employment contract short when her mother fell seriously ill, the cruise line hadn’t been able to find a replacement lifeguard on such short notice during the busy season. They’d asked Miranda if she knew anyone who’d qualify, and knowing that Samantha had worked as a lifeguard in the past, Miranda had recommended her for the temporary job.

  As a PE teacher at Willa Bay High School, Samantha usually worked whatever jobs she could find over the summer to make ends meet until the school year started. Normally, she wouldn’t have been so keen to travel halfway around the world on a moment’s notice and leave behind her boyfriend, family, and friends, but this opportunity had given her the much-needed time and space to think about where her life was going.

  Her reprieve from the real world would soon come to an end, however. Miranda’s mother had made a full recovery and her friend was due back in a little over a week.

  “Has it been pretty slow this afternoon?” A man in his early twenties asked from below. Samantha glanced at her watch and then down at him. “Is it three-thirty already?”

  He laughed, pulling his sunglasses off his tanned face to clean them with the hem of the white t-shirt he wore over his red swim trunks. “Yep. You’re free.”

  She climbed down from the chair and gave him a quick rundown on the issues she’d seen that day. “Have fun!” she said, flashing him a big smile as she walked away. She’d been working in the heat since the pool opened at seven that morning and all she wanted to do was grab a snack from the crew mess and flop lazily onto her bed to relax.

  She picked up a bagel and cream cheese from the cafeteria and brought them back to her room. Her cabin mate, Kellie, was already there, kicked back on the lower bunk while she watched a movie on the TV affixed to the wall. When she saw Samantha enter, Kellie removed her headphones. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” Samantha set the food on the small table that folded out from the wall and sat down to eat.

  “Rough day?” Kellie asked.

  “No, not really. It’s weird, though, working every day without a break.” She hadn’t had a day off since she’d arrived on the ship and didn’t expect to get one before she was relieved of her duties next week.

  Kellie grinned. “You get used to it. I’ve been doing this for a few years, and I love it.”

  A chime came from the small cubby near the top bunk, where Samantha kept her cell phone. The cruise line didn’t offer free internet to the crew, so she only accessed her messages while in port, like they were now. Samantha jumped to her feet and reached up to fish around for it in the compartment. She turned the phone over. One new e-mail. She opened it and returned to the table to read the message from her mom.

  Where are you? I’ve called you over and over, but you don’t answer. No one in the family has heard from you. Brant said you were fine, and just needed some space from everyone, but he wouldn’t say why. I’m getting worried. Please call or e-mail me to let me know you’re okay. Love, Mom.

  Samantha’s stomach rolled like the ship when it hit rough waters on the open seas. She hadn’t meant to worry her family, but she hadn’t been in a good place when she’d left Willa Bay. They all loved Brant, and they’d never understand why she’d had to break up with him.

  The lifeguarding job had been a welcome distraction and had provided her with a neutral place to work through her feelings about the breakup. Soon, though, it would be time to face her family and return to her normal life.

  “You look stressed,” Kellie observed. “Was it bad news?”

  Samantha sighed and set her phone down on the tabletop. “No. Just my mom, wondering where I am.”

  Kellie’s eyes widened. “You didn’t tell her you were taking this job?”

  “No.” Samantha’s eyes strayed back to the phone and her stomach clenched. “She would have been full of questions about where I was going, and I didn’t want to get into the whole breakup thing with her before I left.”

  “She must be worried.” Kellie slid off the bed and straightened the olive-green bedspread. After they’d roomed together for a week and become friends, Samantha had confided in her about what had happened with Brant. Having someone to talk to who was far removed from the situation had been helpful, allowing Samantha to work through some of her guilt and confusion.

  “I know.” Samantha slid the bagel back into the paper sack and stuck it in the small refrigerator tucked under the counter. “I’ll e-mail her back while we’re in port.”

  Kellie busied herself getting ready for her upcoming shift at the Kids Club. Samantha enjoyed her cabin mate’s company, but after a long day at the pool, she was grateful for the chance to spend some quiet time alone. “Are you looking forward to going home?” Kellie asked as she fixed her hair and makeup, glancing at Samantha’s reflection in the mirror.

  “Yeah.” Samantha folded the table back against the wall and pushed the wooden chair against it. Their cabin was of adequate size, but so compact that it was difficult to move around if they didn’t keep it tidy. “I’m excited to head back to school and see all of my students.”

  “Do you like teaching?” Kellie asked. “I’ve been thinking about going back to college to finally finish my teaching degree. The Kids Club has reminded me how much I enjoy working with children.”

  “Yeah, I do.” Samantha laughed, thinking about some of the students’ antics. “Most of the time, at least. Last year, I taught one freshman English class and then a few sessions of PE. I usually also have to pick up some after-school sports to round out a full-time paycheck.”

  “I’m planning on teaching elementary school. Maybe upper elementary. I love how kids that age are figuring out who they are and what they’re interested in.” Kellie grabbed her sunglasses off of the dresser and stuck them on top of her head. “Do you want to grab dinner together at seven? I should have my lunch break then.”

  “Sounds good.” Samantha eyed her bed. “I think I might grab some z’s in the meantime. That sun just wipes me out.”

  Kellie laughed. “Oh yeah, you’re from Washington State, huh. You’re probably not used to the strong rays.”

  “Nope.” Samantha joked, “Where I live, we tend to panic when we see the sun. We’re not sure what to do with it.” She pulled a pair of yoga pants and a tank top out of her drawer. “Have fun at work. I’ll see you in a few hours.” She headed into the tiny bathroom they shared as Kellie went out the door.

  When she finished changing, Samantha climbed up onto the top bunk with her phone and stretched out on her stomach to return her mom’s e-mail. She started to type, but then paused. Should she say anything to her family about breaking up with Brant? It wasn’t like it would matter if she put off telling them the news, and she really didn’t want to get into it while she was thousands of miles away in the middle of the ocean. The news would only make her mom worry more.

  Hey,

  I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you where I was going. I got an opportunity to serve as a lifeguard aboard the Scenic Waves cruise ship and I jumped at the chance to try something new. I’ve been at sea most of the time, without phone
or internet, but I should have contacted you to let you know I’m okay. The job is only temporary, and I’ll be home in Willa Bay sometime next week.

  Love you,

  Sam

  She’d told her mom a little white lie—she had been at sea for most of the time, but they’d stopped at a few ports where she could have e-mailed if she’d wanted to. But she’d also figured that they’d eventually call Brant and he’d tell them where she was. She hit send and watched the e-mail to her mother disappear from the screen. As she was stashing the phone back in her cubby, she heard the notification ping. Well that was fast, she thought. Her mom must have been waiting by the computer for her to respond.

  It wasn’t an e-mail from her mother though—it was something from work. Samantha clicked on the e-mail from the Willa Bay School District and quickly skimmed it. Her heart hammered as she read the words, “not renewing your contract”. She carefully read the e-mail a second time. Apparently, the school district was low on funds and they’d had to make the difficult decision to cut back on physical education programs and some after-school sports. As such, her services wouldn’t be needed for the upcoming school year.

  She blinked a few times and set the phone down on her mattress, the bright screen still reflecting her notice of termination. She lay back, her head hitting the pillow with a muffled thud, and stared at the plain white ceiling about three feet above her bunk.

  Now what? Her temporary job was ending in a week and she would be returning home, but to what? Her long-term relationship with Brant was over and she no longer had a job that she loved. A few months ago, she’d been engaged to a man she thought she’d marry and working at the same school she’d taught at since graduating from college. In the space of a few weeks, all that had evaporated.

  She closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come to her, but worries about the future raced through her brain. How was she going to pay the rent on her apartment? Or buy food? Or get health insurance? She was going to have to locate another job as soon as she returned to Willa Bay, but what were the odds of finding another teaching position a few weeks before the school year started?