A Walk Along the Beach

by Debbie Macomber

  “Okay,” I whispered, turned, and retreated into my own room. All I could do was pray that by morning Harper would get over her anger and give up this idea of moving.

  CHAPTER 16

  Willa

  Moonlight cast a golden glow over the track where I was set to walk my turn in the Relay for Life event. Mellie had finished her hour and walked the first lap with me.

  “There’s something about the stillness of these early-morning hours, isn’t there?” she said.

  We were fortunate, the weather couldn’t have been any more perfect. We’d held the main ceremony the night before with a huge crowd in attendance. The atmosphere was festive. Our event was small compared to those in larger metropolitan cities. But we were dedicated and eager to do our part in the fight against cancer.

  The walk was held on the track at the local high school. The school band performed, and the fence was lined with colorful balloons. Bean There had a booth, and we dispensed samples of Harper’s special protein drink that she’d personally developed.

  Dr. Annie kicked off the opening ceremony, reminding the community of our common goal, to cure cancer. We were asked to remember those who had lost the battle and to fight back against this disease that had brought grief and heartache to so many.

  Harper led the victory lap around the field with other survivors from our community. I knew she was disappointed that John hadn’t been able to join her. He’d been unable to take time away from the hospital, seeing that he would spend the weekend on Mount Rainier.

  Cheers rose from the stands as those who had been blessed to beat this disease into remission walked and waved to their friends and loved ones while the band played.

  The track was crowded as men, women, and children from Oceanside gathered behind the survivors after their victory lap. I was busy registering those last-minute attendees before I joined Shirley and Alice to hand out samples of Harper’s special drink.

  The most moving part of the evening was the Luminaria Ceremony, when white sacks with the names and often the photos of those who had succumbed to cancer were set with lights around the track. Dr. Annie read each name aloud and then spoke briefly, highlighting the latest research. Her words gave me reason to hope that the medical community would find the answer to wipe out cancer in our lifetime. Hope that no man, woman, or child would need to endure what Harper had in the fight for her life.

  During the event, Harper had been in her element. Following her outburst from the night before, she’d avoided me. I hadn’t seen her all day until we met at the high school field that evening. That she hadn’t come into the shop after her classes told me she remained in a huff. I didn’t know where this anger was coming from and it upset me.

  “It’s the quiet I appreciate most,” I said, my mind circling back to Mellie, who walked at my side. The smell of the ocean was potent, especially at this time of morning. Other than the moonlight, the field remained dark. Two or three families had pitched tents in the center of the field. The colorful balloons that marked the border of the fence swayed in the gentle breeze.

  “Do you want me to continue walking with you?” Mellie asked.

  She had a young family, and while I appreciated the offer, I didn’t mind walking alone. “I’m good. Thank you, though.” My gaze went to the luminaria bags at the edges of the track. How grateful I was that Harper’s name didn’t appear there. I prayed it never would.

  Before she left for home, Mellie and I hugged. With a farewell wave, she jogged toward the parking lot. I could walk more than three miles in that hour. In years past I’d brought along an audiobook or my music to help pass the time. Not this year. This rift with my sister continued to plague me, and I needed to think it through. Something was going on with Harper and I didn’t know what it was or how best to deal with it.

  During the ceremonies, no one would have guessed Harper was upset with me. She hid it well. I knew, though. When she looked at me, her smile was tight, and she hung with Leesa instead of helping me the way she normally would. She did exactly what I asked of her and was friendly and affable to all. But I knew, and that was enough to put my mind to racing on what I did or didn’t do that was the underlying problem.

  As I continued to walk the track, I sorted through my memories, thinking hard over the last month. Going through the events of the weeks prior, I tried to think of what I might have done that Harper found objectionable.

  Hard as it was to face, she was right when she accused me of being controlling, even if it was in minor ways. I’d never said she couldn’t or shouldn’t do any of the crazy things she was intent on doing. Half the time I didn’t know until afterward and was thankful for it.

  Selfishly I hated the thought of her moving out. I didn’t want to live alone. We’d always been together, and close, more than ever since losing our mother and her leukemia.

  A car door slammed in the distance, the sound echoing in the silence of the night. I couldn’t possibly have been walking an entire hour. I checked the time and saw that I was only fifteen minutes into the time I’d promised. I walked two entire rotations around the track, caught up in my thoughts.

  As I returned to the starting point, Sean jogged over to join me. “Morning,” he said, and rubbed his palms together as if to chase off the morning chill.

  I nearly stumbled in surprise. “What are you doing here?” I had to admit that wasn’t the most welcoming of questions.

  His grin was wide. “I can’t let my best girl walk alone, can I?”

  How he even knew the time slot I’d volunteered for, I didn’t know. Perhaps I’d mentioned it in passing without realizing it. “You should be home in bed, Sean. You’ve been sick.” He needed his rest, and this exercise couldn’t be aiding his recovery.

  “I’m feeling great.”

  Unsure if I should believe him, I muttered under my breath.

  “You looked absorbed in your thoughts,” he said, matching his steps to my own as we continued around the track. “You walked all the way around the track without seeing me.”

  That car door I heard closing had been Sean. He was right, I’d been deep in thought. “Harper’s upset with me,” I said, and explained the circumstances.

  “It isn’t like my sister to slam doors and make a big fuss,” I told Sean.

  “Sounds to me like an overreaction.”

  It was, and it’d taken me this long to unravel the reason. “I believe Harper’s been wanting to break free and get her own place for some time now. This tiff is the perfect excuse.”

  Sean mulled over my words. “You’re a wise and thoughtful woman, Willa. Are you going to let her do it?”

  “Of course. I have no control over her life. Looking back, I think she tried to tell me what she wanted earlier when she brought Snowball home. I should have read between the lines then.”

  “You’ll miss her.”

  “I will. She’s right, though, she needs to be on her own. I’m more mother than sister,” I said, even though it was difficult to admit, even to myself. The time had come for Harper to soar on her own without her big sister constantly looking over her shoulder.

  “She’s fortunate to have you.” He reached for my hand, entwining our fingers.

  The compliment was sincere. I wasn’t sure I agreed with him, seeing how long it’d taken me to make sense of what Harper really wanted. My chest tightened at the thought of her moving out of our apartment. When she returned from her practice climb later today, I’d do what I could to smooth matters between us.

  For the rest of the hour’s walk, Sean kept pace with me and didn’t show any signs of fatigue. We chatted back and forth, at ease with each other, joking and laughing. When we’d finished, what we both needed most was a hot cup of coffee. I was scheduled to do the baking that morning, as Shirley had the day off. I invited him to join me in the café’s kitchen before I realized he might w
ant to go back to bed.

  “Unless…Listen, don’t feel obligated.”

  “Coffee with my girl. Not turning that down.”

  His girl. I liked the sound of that.

  Pastor McDonald, a family friend, was scheduled to walk the next hour. He arrived right on time.

  Before I had a chance to introduce him, the pastor stretched out his hand to Sean. “Heath McDonald.”

  “Sean O’Malley.”

  The two exchanged handshakes.

  “Pastor McDonald was a tremendous help after Mom died and again later when Harper was ill. I don’t know what our family would have done without him.” It gladdened my heart to know that Lucas and Chantelle had asked him to perform their wedding ceremony.

  “I’m pleased to know you, Pastor.”

  “Heath, please. The minute people hear that I’m a pastor they clam up and are afraid to be themselves. The only one who calls me Pastor is Willa. I’d like to think of myself as more of a spiritual doctor.”

  “Thank you for doing this,” I said. Pastor Heath was a gentle-spirited man with a giving heart. Without him and the help of the church, I don’t know what would have happened to our family after Mom died. For months after her death, the women from church took turns coming to the house, teaching me to cook and clean. They’d loved my mother, too. The pastor had counseled Dad, until Dad refused to see him any longer, preferring to drown his grief in cheap whiskey.

  Sean followed me to the shop. I arrived earlier than I normally would, which gave us time for coffee. The kitchen was dark and cold until I turned on the lights and put the coffee on to brew. I took the dough out of the refrigerator to let it warm and rise again before I baked the cinnamon rolls.

  “What are those?” Sean asked, nodding toward the row of round cake pans resting on the counter.

  “Cake,” I explained the obvious.

  “You don’t sell cakes. Are you thinking of expanding into a bakery?”

  “Nope, that’s wedding cake. I promised my brother and Chantelle I’d bake the cake for their wedding. I’m trying out a few different flavors.” I didn’t mention that one of my stress-relievers was to bake. Rather than stew about Harper’s plan to move, I’d baked four different-flavored cakes.

  “Do you need a taste-tester?”

  “Are you volunteering?”

  He patted his flat stomach. “I did lose a few pounds while sick. Mom did her best to fatten me up. What she didn’t try was cake. I’d love to be your taste-tester.”

  “You got it.” Chantelle and Lucas would make the final decision; however, having Sean test out my practice runs would be a help.

  Taking down four small plates, I dished up a thin slice of each cake, sans frosting. “I didn’t frost the cakes,” I explained. “I want you to taste the flavor without it being masked with frosting.”

  “Which one should I sample first?”

  “Vanilla. I know it sounds boring, but vanilla remains the most popular choice.”

  “Okay.” His fork slid into the moist cake. He chewed, swallowed, and nodded. “Delicious. It’s going to be hard to beat that one.”

  “Good to know. Funfetti is next.”

  “Fun what?”

  “It’s called Funfetti, which is basically the same white cake mixed with colorful sprinkles. They melt in the baking process, so the cake looks like confetti.”

  “Looks good.” His fork dipped into the cake and lifted it to his mouth. He swallowed and nodded. “This one is equally good.”

  “Glad you approve.”

  He sipped his coffee to clear the taste from his mouth and then asked, “What’s next on the agenda?”

  “Lemon cake.”

  “I’ve always been fond of lemon anything.” He tasted it and jiggled his eyebrows approvingly. “That’s delicious. It’s my favorite so far.” He took another bite while I reached for the fourth plate.

  “Now for the grand finale.” With a bit of show, I set down the final piece of cake. “This is coconut.”

  He poured himself a glass of water before he tried the last sample. Each recipe had my own special twist. The vanilla and Funfetti cakes had been made from whole vanilla beans. The lemon cake had lemon zest and lemon juice in the mix. For coconut cake, I’d used coconut milk for the liquid. I was eager to see his reaction to this last cake the most. It was my personal favorite. I knew Chantelle liked coconut pie, which is what prompted me to add this to the list. I didn’t remember if Lucas much cared for the flavor or not.

  After the first forkful, Sean closed his eyes and moaned. “Willa, this is incredible. I don’t know what you did to make it taste like fresh coconut. This is heaven in cake form.”

  “Which would you vote for?”

  “Need you ask? Coconut,” he said, and then added, “with the lemon cake running a close second. I’d marry you for the coconut cake alone,” he teased. His eyes were bright with merriment before slowly growing more serious. “I’d marry you for far more than your baking skills, Willa.”

  At his comment, my heart felt like it was about to explode. “Don’t be silly,” I protested, my hand to my throat. “We barely know each other and—”

  “I know everything I need to know,” he said, reaching for me. His arms went around my waist, bringing him to me. I leaned down and our lips met in a kiss that was hot enough to sound the fire alarm. We were heavily involved in each other when I heard a noise behind us.

  The outside door to the kitchen opened and Harper walked in. “Oh,” she cried. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”

  Sean and I broke apart as if caught in the middle of a bank robbery. “You weren’t.”

  “You could have fooled me,” Harper said with a wide grin. She was dressed for hiking, ready to meet her friends for the practice climb up Mount Rainier.

  “Did you want to take your protein drink with you?” I asked, assuming that was the reason she’d stopped by.

  She looked to Sean and a sly smile came over her before she said, “I was hoping to have a word.”

  Sean stepped away from me. “No, please, I was about to go.”

  “No need,” Harper insisted, stopping him as he started to walk away. “This will only take a minute.”

  I was glad he didn’t leave. I wanted to talk to my sister, and anything she had to say could be said in front of Sean.

  CHAPTER 17

  Sean

  Harper turned her gaze to me. I had reason to stay but felt it would be awkward when it was clear Willa and her sister needed to talk. Nearly all our conversation that night had revolved around Willa’s relationship with her sister. We laughed and joked, but then the topic would drift back to Harper and what was going on between the two sisters.

  “I’ll go. It’s not a problem,” I reiterated. “I can connect with Willa later.” I hated the thought, but I didn’t want to intrude.

  “No, please stay.” Harper stretched out her arm as if to block me from leaving. “I’ve come to apologize to Willa…and seeing that you are part of the reason, you should hear this, too.” Her gaze flickered away from Willa to land on me.

  “Did I do something?” I asked, uncertain what she could possibly mean.

  Harper’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “In a way, you’re to blame for my decision.”

  Me? It was hard to know what role I’d played in the drama between the two of them.

  “Not in a bad way,” she rushed to explain. “Seeing that you and Willa are together now, I realized she wouldn’t be nearly as upset if I decided to get my own apartment. If anything, I should thank you.” Turning her attention away from me, she looked to Willa. “I’m sorry, Willa.”

  “Harper, it’s fine. I—”

  “It isn’t fine.” She walked over to Willa and hugged her. “I behaved like a five-year-old brat who didn’t get her ow
n way and I apologize.”

  Willa’s arms squeezed her sister. She didn’t need to say anything for Harper to know her little temper tantrum had long since been forgiven and forgotten.

  Exhaling, Willa eased away, her hands gripping the sides of Harper’s shoulders. “I know you’ve wanted your own apartment for some time now. Only it took me a while to figure it out. You should have said something sooner.”

  Harper lowered her eyes and appeared speechless. She didn’t deny or disclaim Willa.

  “If you’re looking for my permission, you have it. You don’t need it, Harper. You’re over twenty-one and it’s time for you to spread your wings and fly on your own. You don’t need me; you’ve always been your own person.”

  Harper shuffled her feet. “You can be such a mother, you know.”

  Seeing that that was the role Willa had been cast into after their mother’s death, it wasn’t a surprise that Harper said that. Her cancer had cemented it.

  “I didn’t mean to smother you…”

  “You didn’t always; mostly, it’s been the last three years,” Harper said quickly. “It’s like you’re waiting for something else bad to happen. I feel that once I have my own place, you can be my sister instead of acting like a mother.” Harper sucked in a breath. “That didn’t come out quite right.”

  Although I could see how hard it was for Willa to hear this, she managed a weak smile. “I get what you’re saying. You’re right. It got bad after your cancer, didn’t it? I got even worse.”

  “It isn’t all your fault. The family desperately needed you after Mom. Dad fell apart, and Lucas, being Lucas, was more comfortable pretending all was well and good. And for him, it was. Little changed. He had three square meals a day. His laundry was done. He was able to participate in sports and continue on as if her death was a minor blip in his life.”