Pawleys Island Paradise boxset, Books 1 - 3

by Laurie Larsen

  Marianne turned to her and wrapped her in a hug. “Not a thing. You’ve done so much. I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Leslie smiled and shook her head.

  “You’ve made such a difference in our lives, you know.”

  “No.”

  Marianne gave her shoulder a playful pat. “Don’t deny it. It’s true. We’ve all become so fond of you, not the least of which, my father. I haven’t seen him so happy since, well, since before my mom died. He was surviving. Moving forward, one day at a time. But you brought him back to life.”

  Leslie knew she was blushing from the warmth that plunged into her cheeks.

  “For that, I will always thank you. And for the miracle of getting my dad to go talk to Jeremy, face to face. I’d tried and tried to convince him till I was blue in the face. He’d never do it. I tried for years, I honestly did. But you managed to get through to him. Not right away! But you were effective where I failed. Now, what does that tell you about what you mean to him?” She gave Leslie another squeeze. “I’m so glad he’s got you.”

  She didn’t know what to say to that, so she said nothing. Hank and Stella came bursting into the great room with big fistfuls of colorful helium-filled balloons, and Leslie ran to help organize and hang them.

  Ninety minutes later, Marianne, Tom and Stella sat together on the couch, having run out of preparation activities to perform, their work ground to a halt in the empty minutes waiting for Jeremy. Hank and Leslie shared a chair, Leslie sitting on the arm, half-on, half-off Hank’s lap with his arm around her. Empty iced tea glasses sat around the room, Marianne’s attempt to keep herself busy over an hour before. Conversation had ended at least a half hour prior. Jeremy had not been in touch since the initial contact with Marianne earlier this morning. He didn’t have a cell phone so there was no way to speak to him in transit. They were simply in wait mode, unable to concentrate on anything other than Jeremy’s pending arrival.

  The silence ended abruptly when the front door opened and Jeremy stepped into the doorway. He wore khaki pants and a plain white button up dress shirt over a white tee shirt. He carried a small backpack, which he hiked off his shoulder and onto the floor.

  “Jeremy!” It was Marianne, shrieking with joy. She ran to him and grabbed his hands, pulling him into the center of the room where she wrapped her arms around him, squeezing his slight frame and pounding his back. Leslie peeked a glance at his face. He was laughing and rolling his eyes. She hoped he’d survive Marianne’s enthusiastic greeting.

  “Hey sis, good to see you,” he managed.

  She pulled back, held his face in both hands and gave him a long kiss on the cheek. Her husband, Tom stood and rescued Jeremy with an outstretched palm. The two men shook hands, Jeremy dipping his head and looking up at his brother-in-law through his eyelashes.

  “Welcome home, man,” Tom said.

  “Thanks. I can’t tell you how much it means …” Jeremy’s voice broke and he shook his head.

  “No need,” his brother-in-law said and patted him on the back.

  Marianne gestured for Stella to come over. “Baby, we want you to meet your Uncle Jeremy. Jeremy is my big brother. He’s been away for a long time and now he’s come home. I’ve told you about him, remember?”

  Stella walked up easily and stopped in front of Jeremy. He kneeled so he was closer to her height. Stella held a hand out, which Jeremy took gently. “Nice to meet you, Uncle Jeremy. Are you going to live here with us?

  Jeremy swiped a thumb over first one eye, then the other, then looked over her shoulder at Marianne who was watching the exchange, beaming at them. “She looks just like you, sis. In fact, she’s a carbon copy of when you were a little girl.”

  Marianne nodded and curved her lips into a closed-mouth smile.

  Jeremy turned back to his niece. “Nice to meet you too, Stella. It’s so cool to finally talk to you. And yes, I’m going to stay with you for a while. Is that going to be okay with you?”

  Stella gave her head a vigorous nod. “Do you like the beach?”

  Jeremy smiled. “I love the beach.”

  “Great. We can go swimming and digging together. And I can show you how to crab and fish, too.”

  “Oh sweetie, Uncle Jeremy knows how to do all that stuff,” her mom said. “He grew up on the beach, just like you.”

  Jeremy swung his head from his sister down to his niece. “But you’re right, I’ve been away from it for a while. I need your help, Stella. How about we do that together later?”

  Stella nodded and wandered away, and Jeremy got to his feet, his stance tentative now after all the hugging and greeting. He glanced around the room, grinned at the balloons and the banner, and then his eyes lighted on his dad. Hank had stood when Jeremy first came, but stayed in the corner, his hand joined with Leslie’s, more for moral support than romance.

  “Hey, Dad.” Jeremy stayed where he was in the center of the room, facing Hank. His eyebrows rose, cutting a crease in his forehead and his arms hung at his sides. He seemed uncomfortable in the position the family had placed him in: in the center of everything, both literally and figuratively.

  Leslie turned to Hank. The older man gazed calmly at Jeremy, not saying a word, but memories probably running a highlight reel through his mind. Jeremy being born, Jeremy as a little boy, Jeremy as a teen learning his dad’s craft. An expression of pain flickered across his face before clearing and Leslie could pinpoint exactly when, in the memory slideshow, Jeremy’s life and therefore the family’s, had taken an awful turn. But today wasn’t a day to dwell on the destruction of their lives. Today was a day for redemption.

  Jeremy had paid the price for his crimes, his family had forgiven him, and he was home.

  Hank freed his fingers from Leslie’s and covered the few steps to his son quickly, holding out his arms. The two men embraced and held on, their closeness giving comfort to them both.

  “Great to see you, son. Welcome home.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “Marianne, you got a room planned for our boy?”

  And with that, Marianne grabbed Jeremy’s shoulder and directed him toward the stairs, Jeremy dodged to grab his small bag of belongings before following her to his room. Marianne yelled over her shoulder, “Family dinner in the dining room at 6:15. Be there, everyone!”

  * * *

  The summer days continued on, one after another. Leslie savored each beautiful, sunny beach day, painfully aware her deadline was approaching. It wouldn’t be long before school would start in Pittsburgh, which meant she had to spend at least a week in preparation for her class. Getting her class list, making nametags, posters for the walls. A variety of personalized wall hangings designed to make twenty-five potentially anxious third graders feel at home in their new classroom. Every year she simultaneously dreaded and looked forward to the return of normal after a heavenly three months of carefree.

  But not this year. The dread was there alone, no trace of giddy anticipation. Probably because everything was so up in the air. Her house was sold, waiting for its new owners. She needed to get back home, clean out her closets, pack and move. To where? She didn’t have a place to stay. She hadn’t gone through the work of house hunting, of deciding on a new permanent place, of buying a new property.

  Why? What was wrong with her? This was so unlike her. Some moments she was sure she should leave immediately and return home, and others, that feeling of panic would pass and she’d thank God for the cozy room at the Inn and the happiness she found there.

  That night, she walked with Hank on the beach. The sunset painted a gorgeous pallet of orange, pinks and purples across the sky. They held hands and pushed their speed past the comfort zone, agreeing the walk was for exercise and help digesting, not a leisurely stroll. Later, when they stopped to catch their breath, Leslie told him, “I think it’s time I get back to Pittsburgh. I’ve got to finalize the house before closing, and I’ve got to figure out where I’m going to live once the school year starts.�
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  He looked at her and she could make out the sadness in the set of his mouth. “I suppose you do. Or, you could stay here.” He said it with a smile.

  “As much as I’d love to, I can’t just stay on vacation mode the rest of my life.”

  “Why not?”

  She considered it a moment. “I don’t know. I guess I have to get back to reality. Much as I dread it.”

  “Why can’t this be your new reality?” He reached for her hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb.

  She choked out a half laugh, half scoff. “Some days I think it is. I love it here, always have. But a couple problems. My job is in Pittsburgh. I have to go back to it. And I’m homeless, basically. I need to wrap up my housing plans, preferably before school starts. Because once the school year is off and running, I won’t have any time or energy for anything else for a while.”

  Her mind raced ahead to those first weeks, months of a new school year, and how it would be her first one without Tim or Jasmine at home. Her routine as a teacher was so familiar to her. But not the home part. She’d be all alone, in a different house, probably a different part of town. Everything would change.

  Could she do it? Would she be happy? Could she thrive?

  She’d learned so much this summer about opening herself up to God’s will in her life. It was amazing what experiences God could place you in if you were willing to be where He placed you. Would a tiny one-bedroom apartment in Pittsburgh, all by herself, be the place God wanted her?

  She gripped Hank’s hand. “Would you pray with me, please?”

  He nodded.

  “God, where do You want me when this summer ends? Is it Your will that I go back to Pittsburgh and teach children there? If so, where will I live? How will I bear being totally alone? Is it Your will that I stay here? If so, where will I work? Where will I live?”

  She squeezed her closed eyes and sighed. “Please help me listen to Your answer. Make it clear to me, Father, just what it is You want me to do. I want to follow Your plan. I need to know what it is.” She waited for a few moments. “Amen.”

  Hank put an arm around her, rubbing her shoulder with his palm. “That’s pretty clear. Now you wait.”

  “Now I wait,” she said nervously.

  As it turned out, she didn’t need to wait very long. A few days later, she was at the grocery store with Hank, shopping for a dinner she planned to make at his house.

  “How about spaghetti and meatballs tonight?”

  He agreed. “I’ll go get the pasta. How about you get the meatballs?” He pointed at the freezer a few feet away. She pulled open the heavy door, but soon he tapped her on the shoulder. She pulled her head out of the icy freezer and looked at him.

  “Your cell phone is ringing.” He handed it to her. The number was unfamiliar but local. She answered. It was Mrs. Robinson from the local elementary school.

  “Well, Leslie, I’ve finalized my decisions about the job openings, and I’d like to offer you one. We were impressed with your interview, and your teaching experience made you one of our top candidates. I know you were interested in the kindergarten opening, but we didn’t slot you there. We see you in the sixth grade opening. Would you be interested?”

  A wave of dizziness struck her and she gripped the grocery cart, locking eyes with Hank and begging him wordlessly to stop its movement so she could lean heavily on it, regaining her balance.

  “Um, wow. You’ve given me a huge surprise and a lot to think about. ”

  Mrs. Robinson let out some sort of emission of air, most likely an amused one. “Are you still looking for a job for the fall?”

  Was she? She had no idea.

  “Could I think about your generous offer and get back to you in a day or two?”

  There was a slight pause. “Tomorrow, please. Then I’ll have to move on to the next candidate.”

  “Absolutely. Thank you very much.” She barely remembered pushing the End button on her phone and slipping it into her purse but she must have. “I got the job.”

  Hank emerged from expectant silence with a whoop. “You got the job!” He fist pumped the air and lifted her up, off her feet, swinging her easily in a circle right there in the produce section. His mouth curled into a sly grin. “Do you believe in answered prayer?”

  Anxiety started in her chest and was growing into full-blown panic. “Do you think? Is this God answering my prayer? Or am I pretending it is?”

  Hank made an unbelieving scoff. “Are you serious? Of course it’s an answer to prayer. God is putting this new job right in your lap. I believe that means, He wants you … here.”

  He returned her feet to the floor. “Sure seems that way,” she muttered.

  “Let’s celebrate.”

  “Not yet.”

  He let his head drop backward and rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

  “Hey, God knows I’m cautious. It’s all part of the deal.” She glanced around. “Can you finish up this shopping without me? You have the list. I’m going to make a few phone calls in private.”

  “Sure. You wouldn’t be you, otherwise. Love you, darling.” He rolled the cart away as she dug in her purse absentmindedly, found her phone and pulled it out. She’d flipped it open and pushed a few digits when she jerked her head up. “Wha—?” What did he say?

  He’d already pushed the cart half an aisle length away. She shook her head. She’d have to worry about that one later.

  She went outside, punched Jasmine’s number and waited till her daughter’s treasured voice answered. “Jasmine.”

  “Mom. What’s up?”

  “I’ve got some awesome news to share and I need help interpreting it.”

  “Sounds intriguing.”

  “You know how Hank and I prayed for a clear sign whether God wants me to go back to Pittsburgh or stay in Pawleys? Well, I just got off the phone with the school principal here in Pawleys. They offered me the sixth grade teaching position.”

  A second of silence, then an explosion of joyful laughter. “Congratulations, Mom! Sounds like things are falling into place, doesn’t it? You sold your house, you found the man of your dreams, you got a job near him.”

  “Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa.” Leslie gasped. “I never said a word about Hank being the man of my dreams. Why would you say that? We are friends. Acquaintances, really. He’s easy to talk to, at a time when I needed a friend.”

  “Mom, come on. Seriously?”

  “What?”

  “Righteous indignation? It’s me, Mom. And friends? Acquaintances? Get real.”

  Leslie’s head was spinning again, like when she’d gotten the job offer.

  “When you talk about this guy, your voice changes tone. You go softer and happier, thinking about him. And he sounds so sweet. He does so many nice things for you. I’ve actually thanked God for sending him to you. He’s exactly what you need, and he’s more than just someone to talk to.”

  “I’m barely divorced.”

  “Yeah, from my dad. But life moves on. People aren’t meant to be alone and I think it’s cool you found a man friend you enjoy spending time with. I get the impression he’s hot too.”

  “Jasmine!” Leslie darted her head around, looking to see if she spied Hank anywhere. Of course, she didn’t. He was inside shopping. “Have I ever said anything about his physical appearance?”

  Jasmine considered. “No, but I guess I’m picturing him in my mind as a Richard Gere type.”

  Leslie let loose an unbidden chuckle. “No, Richard Gere’s the stuffy suit type. That’s not Hank.” She bit her tongue because she nearly said, “That’s not my Hank,” before she refrained. “I always considered him more of a Harrison Ford type.”

  “Oh! Nice work, Mom!”

  Leslie shook her hands out, then put her phone back to her ear. “Stop this. He’s simply a good friend who I enjoy spending time with. I was married more than twenty years, you know. The last thing I need to do is jump into another relationship.”

  “Ok
ay, Mom. That’s fine. Just have fun and enjoy your new life. I’m jealous you get to be that close to the beach all the time.”

  “So your advice is to take the new job?”

  “In a heartbeat.”

  “And not move back to Pittsburgh?”

  “To what? Not trying to be funny, but you obviously don’t need to go back for the house or Dad. I still have a year left of college, so I won’t be there. You have a new job, so that battle’s done. Grab this, Mom. Grab hold and savor it. A lot of people dream to be in your position. In fact, I’m proud of you.”

  They wrapped up their conversation. Leslie felt better, more at ease, knowing Jasmine’s reaction. She had one more call to make. She called the cell number of her boss back in Pittsburgh. Mrs. Peterson, but because they’d known each other so long, Bev.

  Bev answered on the second ring and they chitchatted about Bev’s summer as educators do. Then Leslie dove into the condensed story of her summer — the divorce papers being final, the sale of her home, her roadtrip and finally, the offer of a job down here at the beach.

  “You’re quitting?” Bev’s voice took on a tinge of alarm.

  “Well,” Leslie faltered.

  “You have a job here, and now a job there. You can’t do them both.”

  Leslie sighed. “For some reason, this is so stressful for me.”

  “Can I ask you a question? Is there a man down there?”

  “My gosh! Why is everyone asking me that? Jasmine just said something similar. It doesn’t have anything to do with a man.”

  Bev smirked. “That doesn’t really answer my question.”

  “I have met someone …”

  “Say no more.”

  “No, but it’s not like you think.”

  “Do you like him?”

  “Well, yes, but …”

  “Leslie, after what I saw you go through with Tim, I couldn’t be happier for you. Life’s too short, honey. You have to go where you’re happiest.”

  Leslie sat silent.