“She still does,” Misty responded. “She designs clothing, as well.”
Waverly settled back in her chair. “I’ve always liked your mother.”
“She says the same thing about you.”
“I feel terrible over everything that happened. I surely do.”
“Grandmother, it’s okay,” Misty told her. “I’m just glad to have you in my life now.”
“I keep looking at the box you brought in here. What’s in it?”
“I made you some banana bread. I remembered that it was your favorite, only this one is gluten-free.”
Waverly broke into a wide grin. “You did? I haven’t had no banana bread in such a long time. Well, since they told me I had a gluten allergy. I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed it. I bought a gluten-free one and it tasted horrible.”
Misty chuckled. “Well, I hope you’ll find this one to your liking.”
Waverly sampled a piece. “Oh, this is delicious, Misty. You have to tell me how you made it.”
“I just replaced all-purpose flour with wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, one-to-one baking flour. You can turn any recipe into a gluten-free one easily.”
“I’ma have to get me some of that.”
They exchanged recipes for the next thirty minutes.
“I think you might have inherited your love for baking from me,” Waverly said. “I hadn’t done much of it lately because of this gluten-free diet the doctor put me on.”
“I’m so happy we’ve reconnected, Grandmother. There’s so much I want to know about this side of my family.”
“Your aunt Lois and your cousins are coming to the house around lunch. They’re all very excited to meet you. Boo Boo—her name is Christina but we call her Boo Boo—has a little girl the same age as Talei. Your aunt Marsha will be here in a few.”
“I can’t wait to meet them.”
“Mike and his family live in New York. I made it clear no one was to say anything to him about your visit just yet.”
“Thank you, Grandmother. I know that I have to have a conversation with him—I just want do it on my terms.”
“I respect that, but I have to tell you that I don’t like keeping secrets.”
“I understand.”
By the end of the day, Misty had met two aunts, three first cousins and five second cousins. She’d also met a great-aunt Lucy, who was Waverly’s sister. Her dad’s brother lived in Virginia, but she was able to speak with him via FaceTime.
Mike’s youngest sister, Marsha, offered to call Mike, but Misty politely declined the offer.
“I only want to enjoy this day with all of you,” she explained.
Talei rushed over to her from the back of the house. “Mommy, I have fun.”
“Me, too.”
“Where’s her dad?” Marsha inquired.
“He passed away in May,” Misty stated.
“Oh, I had no idea. I heard her mention him when the kids were eating lunch.”
“Oh, if you hear her say anything about an Eon, she’s talking about her godfather. His name is Leon.”
“I did hear her say that a few times. I didn’t know what she meant. I thought it might be Cherokee or something. She must be pretty close to him.”
“He’s been a great comfort for her since losing her father.”
Marsha embraced her. “I hope life has been good to you, Misty.”
“It’s been life. Some good some bad, but I’m grateful for all of it. I’ve learned a lot about me.”
“Well, you look beautiful and very well-adjusted. I’m really glad you reached out to Mama. We wanted so much to contact you, but...”
“I’m sure Mike didn’t want that. It’s okay.”
“No, it really isn’t,” Marsha stated. “I’m sure you know my brother wasn’t no joke back in the day. He did some terrible things, but now he’s a different man. He’s really turned his life around.”
“He truly has,” Lois said. She sat down beside Misty on the sofa. “My brother is a different man.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Misty said. “All I can remember about him is that he was really mean.”
The room was enveloped in silence.
After a moment, Marsha changed the subject. They three women discussed the adventures of motherhood.
That evening, Waverly showed Misty to the room she and Talei would sleep in.
Talei was out by the time her head hit the pillow.
Misty went back to the front of the house to help her grandmother straighten up.
“I know you got to be tired. Go on to bed,” Waverly said.
“I’m good,” Misty responded. “Grandmother, thank you for today.”
“Thank you for giving us another chance. You didn’t have to because of your father.”
“You’re not Mike,” she stated. “He is solely responsible for his actions.”
“I been praying for the day he’ll come to you and make things right,” Waverly said.
Misty bagged up the trash. “I’ll put this outside.”
When she returned, Waverly said, “Now you go on to bed. I know you plan on leaving early to get back home. I’m very happy you came.”
The two women embraced.
“Grandmother, I love you. I’m beyond thrilled to have you back in my life.”
“Don’t hold on to that anger and unforgiveness forever.”
“I hear you, Grandmother. It’s just going to take time. I didn’t just get here overnight.”
* * *
SHOES IN HAND, Leon walked along the sandy beach, enjoying the solitude of his late afternoon stroll and watching the squadrons of brown pelicans fly into an endless horizon. The sand dunes held stories and secrets of those who had lived on the island and were long buried.
He found a spot on a grassy knoll and sat down to reflect on his life. Three years had passed since the death of Vera and his daughter. There was a moment in time when Leon didn’t think he would survive a day without them. His throat still tightened at the thought that she was truly gone from his life forever.
Leon heard laughter and turned his attention to a woman and small child walking along the beach. As they neared, he recognized them.
Misty looked beautiful dressed in a pair of denim shorts and tank top, her black hair tumbling down past her shoulders. She seemed free from any worries and her smile flashed frequently as she and Talei walked to the water’s edge. He was by no means blind to her attractiveness, as much as he tried to ignore it.
Leon had always wanted a beautiful wife and children—he wanted a family. And this sweet, loving pair seemed to fit right into his heart. He had to remind himself that this wasn’t his life and never would be. The only thing he could offer Misty was friendship.
He stood up and made his way down to the beach.
Talei saw him first and waved animatedly. “Eon... Eon... Mommy, look.”
“Hey, little one,” Leon greeted as he picked her up and swung her around.
Her laughter filled the air.
Leon smiled at Misty. “I see we had the same idea this Sunday afternoon.”
“Yeah, we did. I wanted to come and enjoy this beautiful view.”
Still in his arms, Talei touched Leon’s cheek. “I like ocean.”
“So do I,” he told her.
“I wanna play in ocean.”
“Not today, sweetie,” Misty said. “I’ll take you to the pool when I get off work tomorrow.”
Talei pursed her lips into a pout.
“You’re going to have so much fun at the pool,” Leon said. “I’m jealous. I’ll be at the station working.”
“I gonna have fun.”
“Have some fun for me, too.”
Talei nodded.
“I drove back from Atlanta this m
orning. We went to meet my dad’s side of the family.”
“Did you enjoy your visit?”
Smiling, Misty said, “Very much. I hadn’t seen my grandmother since I was a child. My grandmother is a hoot. It was nice meeting my aunts and their children, too. Talei has quite a few little cousins.”
“I love family get-togethers, too.”
“How are the repairs going at the shop?” Misty inquired. “How is Miss Eleanor holding up?”
“Some of the men in the community have agreed to help with the repairs of the café,” Leon announced. “Hopefully, we can have everything done in a month or two at the latest. My aunt’s doing okay when she’s not beating herself up over this.”
“I told her it could’ve happened to any of us,” Misty said.
“That place means everything to my aunt. Actually, to the community as a whole. It’s been a part of my family’s history for many years.”
“I read somewhere that it was your great-great-great-grandfather who founded the island.”
“In 1870, Polk Rothchild left Darien, Georgia, with his family to start a new life in New York. His wife, Agnes, became ill and died during the journey. She always loved the water, so he buried her here. Polk couldn’t bear to leave his beloved wife behind, so instead of continuing on to New York, he settled on this island to raise his family. His brother Hoss soon joined him. They decided to carve the uninhabited patch of swampy land into suburban plots. Hoss had a passion for farming, so he planted indigo, cotton and rice.”
“I’ve heard that indigo was a valuable export back then.”
Leon nodded. “It was pretty profitable for Polk and Hoss because of the demands for the dye product in the textile industry. Hoss eventually opened a fabric store. He wasn’t just a farmer. He could sew. I’m told he designed several suits for the Rockefeller and other wealthy families. They would stop here whenever they journeyed to Sea Island, Georgia. Hoss’s shop was where the café stands now. My grandparents converted it after he died. His sons worked with him, but they left the island for New York after his death.”
“I know this island is known for the beautiful quilts made by residents. There are some very talented quilters on this island,” Misty said.
“If you’re not in a rush to get home, I can give you a quick tour of my family’s land and our history.
“I’ll get Talei a snack and we’re good to go.”
Misty followed him in her car to a property on the other side of the island.
When they got out of their cars, Leon said, “There was a time when Polk Island was only accessible by ferry. The original houses were built from a mixture of lime, shells and water. This is the house that Polk built for his family. Next door is the church. That’s our family cemetery in the back. Polk, his wife and all but one of their children are buried there. His son Abraham is buried in Savannah. Hoss and his wife are buried back there, but the rest of the family is buried in Forest Lawn across town.”
Misty read the sign over the door. “Polk Island Praise House... Wow, what a wonderful remnant of history. So, Polk was also a minister?”
Leon nodded. “Yeah. So was his son Ezra. He’s my great-great-great-grandfather.” Pointing, he said, “This is what’s left of the house where Ezra and my great-great-grandfather Eli were born,” Leon said. “It was destroyed when a tropical cyclone touched down on the island in 1893. It struck this island, Hilton Head, Daufuskie, Parris, with some of the smaller islands getting the worst of it. The storm killed more than two thousand people along the coast—it was one of the worst storms to hit until Hurricane Hugo in 1989.”
“The Praise House doesn’t appear to have suffered any damage,” Misty said.
“I know,” Leon responded. “My family considered it a miracle that practically everything on this street was destroyed, but the church wasn’t touched.”
“I’m curious... Why didn’t they rebuild?” Misty inquired.
“They did. Just not on this side of the island. Aunt Eleanor said they always intended to rebuild this area—it just never happened. They built a house on the land where my aunt lives. Her grandfather built the house she’s in now when the one before that was damaged by fire.”
Leon had a captive audience in Misty. She loved hearing about his family and the history of the island.
“Did Polk ever leave the island?” she asked.
“Only once and that was to find a mother for his ten children,” Leon said. “His new wife brought her family with her. When Polk died in 1940, at the age of one hundred, the island had grown to a population of nine hundred. Seven generations of the Rothchild family has lived here.”
“And now it’s one of South Carolina’s most popular areas.”
“I know,” Leon replied. “It’s a good thing, but there are times when I wish we didn’t have so many tourists coming here. Especially during spring break. That’s when we have problems with crime—nothing big, but it’s still a nuisance.”
“I can imagine it gets pretty wild.”
“Yes, it does,” Leon agreed.
He bent down and plucked a handful of leaves from a prickly ash tree. “Put one in your mouth and chew it.”
Misty did as he instructed. Within a few seconds she experienced a numbing sensation.
“We call this the toothache tree.”
“I’ll have to remember this whenever Talei has one.”
Leon pointed to the Spanish moss. “Stuffing some of that in your shoes will relieve you of aches and pains. People here had to come up with their own first aid treatments at that time.”
“Wow.”
He chuckled. “They don’t do that anymore—we simply call 9-1-1.”
“I do know about this one,” Misty said as fingered a yellowed flowered plant. “Life everlasting. My mother uses it as a tea and an essential oil for inflammation and stomach issues. She says that it has anti-aging properties.”
“I have peppermint, aloe and life everlasting plants in my yard,” Leon announced. “Vera never liked taking medicine—she would always seek out alternative solutions.”
“She and I have that in common.”
Talei began jumping up and down on a piece of wood.
Leon figured she was getting bored, so he said, “This ends this part of our tour. I’ll take y’all around the island on another day.”
Smiling, Misty responded, “Looking forward to it. Thank you for sharing your family history with me.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
TALEI CLIMBED OUT of the car asking, “Mommy...where Eon?”
“He had to go home, sweetie. We’ll see him again another day.”
Inside the house, Talei ran over to the couch to get her teddy bears.
Misty noticed that her daughter kept Pooh Bear and the teddy in the fire department shirt with her most of the time. She would’ve taken them to the beach with her, but Misty had her leave them home.
While Talei played on the carpet with her bears, Misty stretched out on the couch with a novel she was determined to finish before going to bed.
She was able to read through five chapters before her daughter commanded her attention.
“I want Eon.”
Misty swung her legs off the couch and sat up. “Sweetie, he’s at his house.”
Talei pointed to the tablet on the coffee table.
Misty sat up. “You want to FaceTime Leon?”
“Yes, Mommy.”
“Let me see if he’s busy.” Misty sent him a quick text.
Seconds later, he called her via FaceTime.
Talei lit up when she saw Leon on camera. “Oseeyo...”
“I heard you wanted to talk to me, little one.”
“Yes,” she responded.
“I was happy to see you today.”
“I happy, too.” Talei proceeded to tell him about he
r stuffed animals and what was on the television.
Leon was an animated listener as he engaged her daughter in conversation.
“You can call me anytime you want to talk, okay?” Leon said.
“What you doing?” Talei inquired.
“I’m just sitting over here watching some television.”
“You want talk to Mommy?”
“Sure.”
Talei handed the tablet to Misty.
“Clearly she’s done with me,” Leon said with a chuckle.
“I think whatever is on television just caught her attention,” Misty responded. “Thank you for doing this.”
“Anytime. I’m always here for you both.”
There was something in Leon’s manner that soothed her. He made her feel safe.
Misty knew their attraction was mutual, but she resolved to keep her emotions grounded and in check. She wasn’t really looking for a relationship. Her most important priority right now was to make sure Talei was adjusting well to their move to the island and the sudden loss of her father.
* * *
“HAS THE ADJUSTER come by here yet?” Leon asked. “It’s been about a week and a half.”
Eleanor picked up some papers off her desk and pretended to be reading them. She was still trying to figure out what to tell her nephew.
“Do you want me to give the insurance company a call? It shouldn’t take this long to have someone come out for an inspection.”
“Uh gwine gone dey tomorruh,” she uttered as she turned her back to him.
Leon eyed her. His aunt spoke the Gullah language only whenever she was nervous or troubled about something. “What’s going on, Auntie? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Actually, I’m not gwine file a claim,” she stated, turning to face him. “I’m just gwine pay out of pocket for the repairs.”
Frowning, Leon inquired, “Why would you do that?”
“I don’t want to go through the fuss of all that.”
“But that’s the reason you’re paying for insurance, Auntie.”
“And I decided not to use it.”
Shaking his head, Leon said, “This doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Son, don’t worry. I have everything taken care of. Rusty told me he’s gonna come by with you on Saturday to get started on the repairs. I really appreciate y’all helping me.”
Harlequin Heartwarming June 2021 Box Set Page 58
