by Kay Correll
“Still a sunrise person, I see.” Will smiled.
“I do love the sunrise. My favorite time of the day. It’s like a blank slate and you can write whatever you want on it.” Ashley’s heart and mind filled with memories. The sunrises they watched together. The quiet moments they sat and watched the sun burst above the horizon. Sitting on the cool sand, holding hands.
“I remember, Ash. I remember everything.” Will’s voice was low, and he looked at her with such an expression of longing mixed in with hurt.
“I wish…” Ashley paused, uncertain if she should go on. “I wish things had been different, that things had ended differently, that we had at the very least stayed friends. I missed our friendship.”
“You dumped me, Ash.” Wills voice was still low, filled with reproach and a hint of pain.
And just like that the comfortable ease that had surrounded them vanished on the sea breeze.
“I…” She felt her cheeks flush. “I did. I know that. I handled the whole thing badly. I just thought we wanted different things from life.”
No, he’d wanted what she wanted, but he’d had responsibilities that she didn’t have. He had to take care of Whitney. He would have loved to have the luxury of earning money for college instead of putting food on the table. He would have loved to have more time to study to make better grades instead of a constant stream of any job he could find just to keep Whitney with him, fed, and dressed in the very occasional new clothes. He would have loved to have finished high school, instead of getting his GED years later.
But then, Ashley wouldn’t have known that, because there was no way was he going to let anyone know that Warren had disappeared. Warren was gone so long that time Will had to drop out of high school and take two jobs. He and Whitney had kept the secret, always afraid someone would find out and take Whitney away. He’d been eighteen then, but he’d known there was slim to no chance that child services would have let him keep Whitney with him. Warren had been gone a month and then had shown up with one hundred dollars to his name. He’d stayed a few weeks, then was gone again.
The weeks had blurred that last year when Ashley had still been going to high school—and he should have too—but he’d been busy working. They’d never known when Warren would show up or leave. Whitney had taken to loudly calling out “Bye, Dad” whenever she saw a neighbor nearby as she left the apartment. Not that Warren was there often to hear it.
Will still could remember the afternoon when Whitney, clutching a twenty dollar bill, had looked at him with fear in her eyes. “This is all we have and Dad hasn’t been back for a really long time.” Tears had trailed down her cheeks. “What if they take me away from you? You won’t let that happen, will you?”
He’d sat down next to her and put his arm around his sister’s shoulders. “I won’t let that happen.”
“Promise you won’t tell anyone that Dad is gone. Promise me.”
“I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”
Whitney had looked a little relieved then, but she was old enough to know that twenty dollars wasn’t going to get them very far.
He’d quit high school the next day and took a second job. He made enough to pay their meager rent on the dive they lived in, and put food on the table. Occasionally Warren would show up with a bit of money. Sometimes he stayed for months at a time, and Whitney would get her hopes up, only to have them dashed again and again.
Will pushed the memories aside. He couldn’t change the past, and he hadn’t been able to tell Ashley what had been going on back then. He and Whitney had sworn to keep the secret between the two of them, and he’d kept his promise to his sister all these years. He wasn’t going to break it, even now.
“We should go find that snow cone for Mia.” Ashley’s voice tugged him from his thoughts, brought him back to the present.
“We should.” They turned to head to the food trucks when Lucille showed up right in front of them.
“Well, hello there Will, Ashley.” Lucille stood blocking their path, or their escape, depending on how he looked at it. He noticed that Lucille, too, had on heels at the festival. Sometimes women and their choice of clothing confounded him.
“Miss Sanderson.” Ashley smiled at the woman.
“I just saw Will’s father playing cards with Victoria’s daughter at the gazebo. Little Mia looks a little peaked, but then we did need Victoria to run the baking contest. She’s the chairwoman of the event this year, of course. She is every year. So, of course she was needed there.”
“Of course.” Will wondered if Lucille would notice the sarcasm in his voice. Of course a baking contest was more important than a child.
“Victoria is the president of the Ashland Belle Society this year. We do a lot of good things for Indigo Bay, you know.”
Will had no clue what the society did, but just nodded as if in agreement.
“I wouldn’t mind joining and helping you.” Ashley smiled at Lucille.
Lucille looked at her for a long moment. “Yes, well, most of the women in the society, well, their mamas and grandmothers have been in the society.”
Will could see the hurt cloud Ashley’s eyes. He stepped closer to her. “But I bet you’d love to have new people to help.”
“Well, we’ll see.” Lucille answered without a hint of commitment.
“I’m sure you could all benefit from Ashley’s enthusiasm. She loves Indigo Bay. She grew up here, you know.”
“I do know.”
Of course she knew. Lucille knew everything about everyone in Indigo Bay.
“Well, I better go back to the contest tent. They’re about to announce the winner. I’m hoping it’s not Miss Jenkins again. It would be the fourth year in a row. It’s always her pies. The same year after year.”
“So, you want some new blood in the baking contest winner list? Bet it would be good to do the same with that Belle Society.” Will shot Lucille a pointed glance.
Lucille looked at him, then walked away without another word.
“Will, you didn’t have to do that.” Ashley turned to him. “I can take care of myself. I offered to join the society when I first got to town, but never heard back. I think they are firmly set in their ways. I’m just too… new… for them to want me in their group.”
“That’s just nonsense, Ash. They’d be lucky to have you.”
“It’s not your battle to fight.”
“I was just trying to help.”
“I know you were, but I’ve got to get the town to embrace me on my own terms, not thrust upon them where they don’t want me.”
“You’re not that young girl from the crummy apartment on the wrong side of town anymore. You’re a doctor, for Pete’s sake.” Will scrubbed a hand across his face.
“It’s just going to take time for people to see me that way.” Ashley turned and headed to the snow cone truck.
Will didn’t know why Ashley was so focused on getting acceptance from the town. He, for one, didn’t give a flip if anyone in this town liked him or not. But Ashley had always struggled to fit in, she’d craved it. He hoped she could win them over, but she ought to be proud of how far she’d come in life. And she’d created her success all on her own. He was pretty darn proud of her, even if she wasn’t.
She was a doctor, what more did the town want from her?
They reached the food truck and purchased the treat for Mia. Will held the strawberry snow cone as they hurried back to the gazebo. Much to his surprise, Warren was still patiently sitting with Mia, teaching her a new card game. The little girl was listening intently and staring at the cards spread before her.
This was a side of Warren that Will had never seen. A patient man, taking time to explain a game to a child. That hadn’t ever been the Warren who’d lived with them. Well, maybe it had been how it was before his mother died. But the Warren since Will’s mother died had sure not been like that, and Will didn’t have many memories before that, none that he’d admit he had. They all blurred into a swirl o
f nothingness.
“Here you go, Mia.” Will held out the snow cone to the girl.
She reached for it. “Red, my favorite.” She took a bit of the frozen ice. “Mr. Warren was teaching me how to play Old Maid.”
“He was, was he?” Ashley sat on a bench next to the girl.
“Yep.” The girl nodded and a bit of red ice dripped onto her dress. “Oh, no.” Mia’s eyes filled with tears.
“That’s okay. Here, I’ll see if I can get most of it off.” Ashley wiped at the stain. “I’m sure it will wash out if your mom soaks it a bit. It’s okay.”
The girl didn’t look convinced. She very carefully ate the rest of the cone. After she finished, she sat beside Ashley on the bench and leaned against her.
Will glanced at his watch. Vicki had been gone a long time and Mia was getting sleepy. He looked around but saw no sign of Vicki, so he settled into the chair beside Warren.
“Did you two have a nice time?” Warren looked at Will.
“We did. It’s getting pretty crowded now, though.”
“Did they have that big tent filled with tools?”
“How did you know about that?” Will eyed his father suspiciously.
“They have it every year at the festival. Lots of neat stuff.”
“How many of these have you been to?”
“Quite a few.”
Just how long had his father been back in Indigo Bay? Was he still flitting in and out of town when he went on his benders? Whitney hadn’t been telling him everything about Warren, that’s for sure. He made up his mind to talk to his sister later and get the whole truth.
He glanced over and saw Mia was sound asleep with her head resting on Ashley’s lap. He couldn’t help but stare at Ashley’s hand as she gentle stroked the tired girl’s hair. He looked up and saw Vicki climb the steps to the gazebo and cross over to where they sat with Mia.
“That took a while.” He couldn’t help himself.
“I was in charge of the event. It had to go perfectly.” Vicki dismissed his comment with a flick of her hand.
“She’s napping? I’m never going to get her to go to sleep tonight if she’s napped this afternoon.”
“Vicki—er, Victoria—Mia’s exhausted.” Ashley looked up at the woman with a suggestion of disbelief in her eyes.
“She’s a child. They get tired.” Vicki glanced at her watch.
“She’s just getting over being sick. She needs rest.” Ashley said the reprimand in a patient but pointed tone.
“Ashley, do not tell me how to parent.”
“I’m speaking as her doctor.”
“Well, you aren’t her doctor. Her doctor is in Charleston.”
“I thought you brought Mia in to see Ashley.” Will couldn’t tolerate the way Vicki talked to Ashley like she was so much better than Ash.
“My mistake. It’s not like she did anything for Mia.”
Vicki walked over to where Mia was sleeping on Ashley. “Mia, get up. I’m going to take you home. I’ll leave you with Cook, then I’ll come back here and finish up my duties as the contest chairwoman.”
The girl stirred and looked groggily up at her mother.
“Come on. I don’t have much time. Get up.” Vicki reached for the girl.
Mia sat up and got unsteadily to her feet.
“What is that?” Vicki pointed at the red stain on Mia’s dress.
“I… I dropped my snow cone.”
“That stain will never come out. Mia, you are so clumsy.”
“I’m sorry Mommy.”
“Mother, not Mommy. You’re too old to be calling me Mommy.”
Vicki turned to Ashley. “How could you let her get a stain like that on her new dress?”
The hair on the back of Will’s neck stood up and he clinched his fist. He rose and stood face-to-face with Vicki. “I think what you meant to say is ‘Thank you very much for watching Mia while I went off to pretend I was a big shot at the baking contest.’”
“Well… I never,” Vicki sputtered. “Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?”
“Who do you think you are, talking to Ashley like that?”
“I should never have left her with people like you.”
“People like us? People you don’t think are as good as you?”
He felt Ashley’s hand on his arm and he glanced at her. She tilted her head toward Mia, who stood motionless and wide-eyed. He immediately stopped his tirade. That was no way to talk in front of a kid.
Vicki, it seemed, had no compunction about answering his question in front of Mia though. “I meant people who are always causing trouble. People who pretend to be doctors but then send people away without doing anything for them. People who don’t know how to mind their own business.” Vicki grabbed Mia’s hand. “Come on, we’re leaving.” She tugged her daughter across the gazebo platform. Mia turned when they got to the steps and gave a little wave, then they were gone.
Ashley looked up at Will. “You didn’t need to defend me. I told you I can take care of myself.”
“She just… got under my skin. She always has with her holier-than-thou attitude.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I shouldn’t have said that stuff in front of Mia though.”
“No, you shouldn’t have.” Ashley took in a deep breath.
“She’s wrong, you know.” Warren put his hand on Ashley’s arm. “You’re a wonderful, caring doctor.”
“Thank you. That means a lot.” Ashley flashed Warren a small smile. She turned to look at Will. “You know, it’s never a good idea to rile Vicki Holloway. There are always consequences.”
“It’s Victoria now, haven’t you heard?” He grinned at Ashley, and she laughed.
Chapter 8
Early Sunday morning Ashley slipped outside the cottage with a hot mug of coffee. She was determined to enjoy her morning ritual without being intimidated by the fact Will was staying right next door. She tugged a bright red wrap around her shoulders against the cool morning air. A flock of birds swooped through the air with a symphony of raucous calls, then it was back to simply the sounds of the crashing waves.
She glanced over and saw Will walk out on Whitney’s deck. He looked over her direction and waved. Before she could stop herself, she jumped up and started to walk over towards him.
He met her halfway between the cottages. “Morning, Ash.”
“Morning. Are you the only one up this early at Whitney’s?”
“Whitney was exhausted last night. I think she overdid it, but she never does listen to me. I’m hoping she sleeps in.”
“It looked like Warren had a good time at the festival.”
“I think he did.”
A strained silence fell between them after the frivolous chit chat. She shifted her feet on the cool sand and watched the waves rolling to shore. The sun broke through the horizon and spilled its golden light on the ocean.
It was supposed to be the perfect spring day today, according to the app on her phone, sunny and mid-eighties. She planned to spend the day on the beach.
Before she had time to question her sanity, she turned to Will. “I’m going to have a beach day. You want to join me? I really need a day of just chilling.”
“I’m not sure…” His eyes held a firm look of doubt.
“Sure, if you’re busy. I just thought…”
“Well, if Whitney doesn’t need me, I might join you.”
“I’m going to make sandwiches and fruit salad, and I bought a pie at the festival yesterday.” Was she trying to tempt him with food? Was she that eager for him to say yes?
“Well, if you’re providing food, of course I’ll join you.” Will winked. “I could bring drinks. You still a sweet tea drinker?”
“I am.”
“Well, I’ll meet you out on the beach later this morning. I’m sure Whit can give me a few hours off.” He smiled at her.
That smile of his. The one that managed to take her breath away and make her heart beat faster, even as she tried
in vain to ignore it. Which was ridiculous because she was a grown woman now and she’d gotten over Will Layton years ago. Completely over him.
“I’ll see you later, then.” She turned and fled to the safety of her cottage.
Later that morning Will looked out the window and saw Ashley carting a beach wagon with a picnic basket, chairs, numerous tote bags, and a beach umbrella. Ashley never did do anything halfway. It appeared she was going to set up camp out there for the day, or the week, from the look of all the stuff she was hauling.
He grabbed the tea he’d made, draped a towel around his shoulders, and hurried out to the beach. “Planning on spending the week out here, Ash?”
She looked up from where she was struggling to dig out the beach blanket from the stack of items on the wagon. “What? Well, it was easier to load this up than keep running back to the cottage all day.”
“Here, let me help.” He reached for the blanket Ashley had finally freed from the wagon and let the breeze unfurl it. The blanket drifted to the sand and he tugged it a bit to straighten it. He reached for the umbrella and positioned it so there was shade and sun on the blanket, giving Ashley her choice of spots.
He still didn’t know why he’d said yes to a beach day with Ashley. He should be working on Whitney’s accounting, or helping her with… something. The last thing he should be doing was spending time with Ashley.
Yet, here he was.
Ashley had pulled her hair back in a braid and wore shorts and a tank top with a hint of a red bathing suit underneath, not that the water was really swimming weather yet. Her long, tanned legs stretched out from the modest shorts, and her feet were bare.
He should stop staring at her.
Yes, he should. He could.
He brought his attention back to unloading the beach wagon.
“Oh, I didn’t bring glasses.” He positioned the tea jug on the blanket.
“Got ‘em.” She opened the picnic basket that was perfectly packed with plates, silverware, glasses, and napkins, along with a generous amount of food. She pointed to a set of insulated tumblers. She swung the basket off the wagon and onto the blanket. “You want a chair?”
