Pawleys Island Paradise boxset, Books 1 - 3

by Laurie Larsen

  The more she ran it through her mind, the more she understood his reaction. And was appalled at her own judgment. She tossed the book on her bed and leaned back in her chair. In her mind, she ran through the awe-inspiring experiences of this roadtrip. She’d had so many successes, so many chances to help people and serve the Lord. He’d placed her right where He’d needed her, and she’d made many friends.

  She’d gotten smug. She’d come up with the Jeremy idea all on her own. She couldn’t say that was God’s plan. She couldn’t say it wasn’t. But prayer was nowhere around.

  There was a knock at the door. Marianne stood in the hallway, a look on her face a cross between embarrassment and sheepishness. “Do you have a minute?”

  Leslie shrugged and motioned to the room. Marianne swept past her. “I hope you don’t mind the intrusion but I spoke to my father.” She paused, uncertain. “Dang him! I’m so sorry, Leslie.”

  Leslie shook her head. “No, don’t. Seriously. I had no right.”

  Marianne’s chin dropped. “What? You planned a nice day for him and he blew it. He was so insensitive.”

  “Well, I can’t argue he was insensitive. And yes, he hurt my feelings. But the more I ruminate over it, I realize I was insensitive too. I shouldn’t have taken it upon myself to plan a surprise meeting with a son who destroyed his life, who he hadn’t spoken to in so long. What was I thinking? How was he supposed to react?”

  Marianne stomped a foot. “You were thinking this craziness between the two of them had gone on long enough, and I for one, totally agree with you. I’ve been talking to my dad for a long time, encouraging him to forgive Jeremy, to give him a chance, to speak to him. It’s the right thing to do. But he’s so stubborn. He won’t do it.” She grabbed Leslie’s hands in both her own. “My family isn’t like that, Leslie. At least, it wasn’t until Jeremy pulled this stunt. We were close. We had each other’s backs. That all changed when Jeremy went to jail and my mom died. It destroyed my dad. The anger was killing him. Forgiveness is the answer. But I couldn’t get him to open up. And then you came.”

  Leslie looked up into the younger woman’s eyes, basked in the admiration she saw there. The hope.

  “Somehow, you opened up my dad’s heart. Probably without even trying, without realizing what you were doing. I haven’t seen my dad happier than the last few weeks. It reminded me of when he was with my mom. You are so good for him. If there’s a possibility my family can reconcile and my dad can forgive my brother, I have the feeling you’re our only chance.”

  A cough escaped from Leslie’s lips. The responsibility Marianne had placed on her was too heavy, too important. A burden she, for one, didn’t want. She couldn’t be the savior of this broken family. Had she learned nothing? This didn’t feel like God’s will, especially after the disaster today.

  She pulled her hands away from Marianne’s and took a step toward the far reaches of the room. “I don’t know what to say. Let’s put this in perspective. Your dad and I have had a few dinners together, a few walks on the beach, a few conversations about our lives. I think your hopes that I can heal your family are unfounded.”

  Marianne wiped a tear that had formed in her eye. “It must seem that way to you. You didn’t know my dad before. But I know him. He has strong feelings for you. If he’s going to give Jeremy a chance, it’ll be because you convince him of it.”

  She turned and walked to the door. “I’m sorry. I’ve laid a huge burden on you, and I’m scaring you away, I can sense it. So please, have a good night’s sleep, and things will look different in the morning. But one last request: please don’t give up on my father.”

  And with those words, she closed the door behind her.

  Chapter Ten

  Leslie awoke after a fitful sleep, and at first glance, things didn’t look that much different. She’d prayed. She’d asked God to give her guidance. She was still unsure of her direction with Hank and Jeremy.

  But she needed coffee, so she dressed in shorts and a tee shirt and headed down to the back porch. When she was soaking in her hot drink and poking at a homemade muffin, her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. It was Tim.

  Really? Now?

  She took a deep breath and answered.

  “Hi Les, how’s it going?”

  She hesitated. Even if she thought he cared how her life was going, she wouldn’t tell him. “Fine.”

  “Are you still out of the state?”

  “Yes, I’m still on vacation at the beach.”

  “Okay,” he said, a touch of irritation invading his voice. “We’ll have to do this over the phone then. We have an offer on the house and I think it’s a pretty good one.”

  A sound like buzzing bees invaded her ears, and for a moment she couldn’t hear or concentrate on anything else. Someone bid on her house. Her house, where she’d put her heart and soul for twenty years, raised her daughter, treasured so many memories. Soon, it’d be gone, out from under her. “Tim?”

  “Yes, I think we need to give this offer serious consideration and we need to move on it. Our realtor wants to meet as soon as possible. There’s usually a short tail on these things.”

  The buzzing was clearing, slowly, and the total absorption it caused alarmed her. She needed a moment. “Tim?” she said dumbly, and immediately regretted it at his next words in a raised voice.

  “Leslie, are you listening to me? Have you heard a word I’ve said? We need to meet today, this morning if possible, and go over the details of this bid. Our realtor feels it’s a viable one.”

  She recognized the annoyance in his tone. How could she not? Half the conversations they’d had in their marriage involved Tim, the man in charge, being annoyed at her for one reason or another. But with a brief thrill, she realized, things were different now. He wasn’t the man in charge anymore. At least, he wasn’t in charge of her.

  She forced the unsteadiness out of her head. That was a brief moment of weakness, and that was over. This was her new life now. “Okay, slow down. This is a big decision and there’s no need to rush through it.”

  “Granted, but there’s no reason to dawdle either, Leslie. We need to meet to …”

  “I’m out of the state, Tim. Allow me a chance to get home, and then we’ll talk.”

  He cleared his throat and she knew he was trying to control his temper. For a split second, she felt sorry for him. He wasn’t accustomed to the Leslie who didn’t just roll over and do everything he said. The Leslie who had her own opinions and asserted them, even when they were different than his.

  Yeah, time to get over that.

  “I can’t wait for you to drive home. We can handle this on a conference call, or if you have access to a computer, we could do some sort of video call. We don’t want to delay and possibly lose this offer.”

  Leslie came to her feet, her mind made up. “It’s our first offer, Tim, and the house has only been up a few weeks. If this buyer is serious about it, they’ll be willing to wait a few days. I’m about done with my vacation. I’ll leave today, arrive home tomorrow, and I’ll meet with you on Tuesday.”

  She purposely didn’t ask his approval. She was co-owner of the house. Her opinion was just as valid as his, and under the circumstances, she enjoyed being able to control at least one thing in her life.

  Besides, she was done here. There was nothing left to stay for.

  He emitted a long sigh. “All right, Leslie, if you want it that way. I’ll call the realtor and ask for an extension till Tuesday evening. I’ll set up the meeting for Tuesday morning and trust that you can make it when it’s good for the realtor and I?”

  She smiled. “Yes. My schedule is open.” Is it ever.

  “I’ll be back in touch with the arrangements.”

  “All right, call my cell.”

  He hesitated before breaking the call and she knew there was more. “I have to ask. You are motivated to sell the house, right? I mean, you’re not trying to sabotage this sale?”


  A surge of anger flickered at his suggestion, but then it died. It wasn’t worth it. And if she were honest with herself, she had to admit he had a point. “I assure you Tim, I want out of the house as much as you do. I want to move on with my life. The best way to do that is to put the past behind me.”

  It sounded good. Now she just had to work on believing it.

  They ended the call and she savored the rest of her breakfast, then went back to her room. Her mind was made up. She was leaving Pawleys. The time was right. She was needed back in her real life, and truth be told, she was no longer needed here. Or, she couldn’t commit herself to those that felt she was needed here. Marianne’s plan for Leslie was way bigger than she could give. And although she’d thoroughly enjoyed her days with Hank, they were over. Could they get past the faux pas she made? She made a mistake, and now it would be easier to put it in its place. A brief summer romance at a time and place when she’d needed something like that. But nothing more.

  She finished packing, a much easier task than unpacking, since all she was doing was returning everything to her suitcase. She took a last look around the room, removed Stella’s and Deakon’s drawings from the wall and folded them into her bag. She peeked out the window for a last glance at the gorgeous view, and left.

  Downstairs, she dragged her heavy luggage to the front desk. No one was behind it so she left her bag and wandered into the dining room. There, she found Marianne sitting with Stella at a table, playing a game of dominos. The little girl laughed as her domino fell against another, resulting in a miniature chain reaction around the tabletop.

  “Atta girl!” Marianne praised her.

  As Leslie approached, she noticed Marianne’s expression change. She didn’t want that. This really had nothing to do with Marianne. At least, it shouldn’t.

  “Good one!” Leslie said to Stella. The girl giggled and started picking up the fallen dominos again. She turned to Marianne. “Sorry to bother you, but do you have a minute?”

  Marianne popped up, hope evident on her face. Leslie motioned to the doorway. Marianne followed her out of the dining room, but when she noticed Leslie’s packed suitcase, her expression fell.

  “What? What’s happening? You’re leaving?”

  Leslie reached out and patted her shoulder. “I am, but not because of yesterday. Well, not exactly.”

  Marianne sighed. “I’m so sorry I butt my nose in. Please don’t leave on account of me.”

  “No. I got a phone call this morning from my ex-husband. We have a bid on our house. I need to go back and meet with him and the realtor. I’m thinking this will probably be it.”

  “Oh.” Marianne’s sad face poked at Leslie. “Will you be coming back?

  “Well, no. I mean, I’ll need to get the house ready, and find somewhere else to live. I guess I’m done here.”

  Marianne visibly lifted herself up by the bootstraps. She sniffed. “Of course. I just hoped it’d be different.”

  An awkward moment of silence filled the room. “Marianne, I don’t think I can give you what you want.”

  She nodded, looked down at the desk. “I’m sorry.” She busied herself on the computer, preparing Leslie’s final bill. Leslie handed over her credit card and they completed the transaction.

  “Are you going to say good-bye to my dad?”

  Even if she hadn’t asked with such hope and anticipation in her eyes, Leslie knew her answer. “Yes. Of course I will.”

  “Good. I believe he’s over at the Hinthorns’ today.”

  Leslie shook her head. “I don’t know … oh! Is that Bob and Martha’s house?”

  Marianne nodded. “And please come say good-bye to Stella. She’s grown quite fond of you, you know.”

  They returned to the dining room and Leslie gave Stella a warm hug. “Thank you for your drawings for my room. I’m going to treasure them.” Stella said her good-byes.

  “Do you need help getting your luggage to your car?”

  She smiled. “I’ll manage. Thank you for opening your beautiful inn to me.”

  “I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you,” Marianne said. “But I can’t say I’m not a little disappointed by the way things worked out. And I can’t get over the feeling that it’s my fault.”

  Leslie shook her head firmly. “Not at all. Remember, God has a plan for all of us. We can’t always write the script. I need to get home. But I’ll always remember you. And your family.”

  She took off before the tears hit.

  After she threw the luggage into the back of her vehicle and settled into her seat, Leslie started the engine and headed into the residential part of Pawleys Island. She knew how to get to Hank’s house, but she had no more than a vague memory of how to get to the Hinthorns’ house from there. But the town was small. Maybe it would come to her if she wandered around enough.

  She found Hank’s, then focused her memory on what direction they had gone that night. Fortunately, after wandering up and down several streets, she saw Hank’s truck parked in front of a house. She pulled in and parked. Sitting there for a moment seemed like a good idea, gathering her thoughts. What would she say to him? She wasn’t running away after their first argument. Not really. She had business at home that couldn’t be avoided.

  Sort of.

  A few minutes later, she still didn’t have an idea of how to handle it, so she got out and walked to the house. He came to the door when she rang the bell, and she was happy and dismayed, to see the same big smile that always greeted her, do so today.

  “Hi!” he said, opening the door wide so she could enter.

  “Hi.” She stepped into the house, looked up at him and shrugged.

  He studied her, then wrapped her into an uncertain embrace. “Good to see you. Thanks for stopping by.”

  She nodded. “Marianne told me where to find you.”

  He nodded, then fell silent. After a beat of motionlessness, he held his arm out. “Come on in. I’ll show you what I’m doing. Want anything to drink?”

  “No, uh, really. I can’t stay long.”

  He led her to the bathroom and gave her the rundown on the retiling project. The floor looked beautiful. He always did amazing work. Soon though, he ran out of work to show her. She ached over the awkwardness hanging between them now, knowing she was the one who had unwittingly introduced it.

  “Hank, I’ve come to say good-bye.”

  “Good-bye,” he laughed. “Where are you going?”

  “Home,” she said. “It’s time to go home.”

  His chin dropped and a wrinkle of concern marred his forehead. “Seriously? You’re leaving Pawleys?”

  She nodded.

  He turned away, expelled a puff of breath. “Why so sudden?” he asked the floor.

  “My ex called. We got an offer on the house. I need to go home and meet with him and the realtor about it.”

  He turned his head. His gaze turned long.

  “This could be it. I might be selling the house.”

  He blinked and shook his head. “This has nothing to do with what happened yesterday?”

  “Nothing,” she replied automatically. Maybe it was too fast. Maybe he’d interpreted it that way too.

  He brought his hands up to massage his temples. “Look, I’ve thought a lot about why I reacted the way I did. I panicked. I want to apologize …”

  “Don’t. You have no reason to apologize.”

  His eyes met the floor again. “Let me try to finish this.” He waited and when she didn’t say anything else, he went on. “I want to be able to apologize for reacting the way I did. Hell, I want to be able to talk to Jeremy, to go visit my boy. I want to be happy about your surprise. But I can’t. I can’t do any of it.”

  His voice cracked, which was her undoing. He was such a strong, kind, loving man. He didn’t deserve any of this. It was ridiculous that life had done this to him.

  And yet, we can’t control life. It hands us what it hands us, and all we can control is how we handle it.<
br />
  She walked to him and wrapped her arms around him. She pulled him close and tucked her face into his shoulder. He brought his arms up her back and squeezed her for a moment. When he relaxed his arms, he didn’t step back. She breathed in the scent of him — coffee, sunshine and sawdust. How long will she remember his smell? And when will she ever stand in a set of arms that felt as good as his did?

  When they separated, he leaned close and kissed her cheek, then her forehead. She grabbed his hand.

  “It was so good to meet you,” he said. “I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to me. How much you’ve meant to me.” He squeezed her hand.

  “Me too.” And because she didn’t want to leave any doubt, “You did nothing wrong, Hank. I never should have presumed I knew the right thing to do with Jeremy. I was so naïve to think you’d be happy about it. I didn’t think, at all. And I’m sorry.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t blame yourself. You were right. But not right now. I can’t.”

  “I understand.” She looked around the house. “So….”

  His hand lingered in hers. “Do you have your directions all figured out?”

  She smiled. “Yep, I guess I’ll go the way I came. Reversed.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” He walked her to the door. “Do you need anything?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll be fine.” Then, because she didn’t want to change her mind, she gave him a wave and left. By the time she’d driven off the island, she had to dab her eyes of tears.

  * * *

  The roadtrip home was different from the first. Just a few weeks ago, she’d set out, escaping an undesirable summer, an undesirable life. God had led her to meet people who’d needed her help, that much was clear. But on the trip home, no such opportunities arose. She drove straight home.