“Why don’t you let me buy you a cup of coffee? They make a great vanilla latte at the snack bar.”
“I don’t go for whipped cream drinks.”
“Not macho enough, huh?” she teased. “I think they have straight black coffee, too.”
“Can I have a rain check? I need to get to work.”
“Any time.” She paused. “Your wife must be really upset about Mr. Devlin. They’re good friends, aren’t they?”
“She hasn’t left his side,” he said heavily.
And as he walked away, Charlotte had a feeling he’d just given her the real reason he hadn’t slept all night.
Lauren slept for a few hours, showered and dressed, then headed down to Dina’s Café to find her father and, she hoped, some lunch. She felt restless and unsettled, her mood amplified by the dark storm clouds blowing in from the ocean. The photographs she’d looked at hadn’t provided the definitive evidence she’d been hoping for. She needed to go through the rest of them, but she’d left the envelope on Shane’s boat. She’d go by later, maybe take her father as a buffer.
She picked up her pace, taking side streets to avoid the marina and to drop some bills off at the post office. At least she could keep her father’s lights and electricity on while she figured out how to handle his living situation. As she turned down the next street, she came face-to-face with yet another of her past dreams.
Martha’s Cakes and Cookies. The bakery was now just an empty storefront. Its name was still etched on the glass, but the counters were empty, the wallpaper peeling, and the floor was covered in dust. She’d worked at Martha’s all through high school, helping sixty-five-year-old Martha and her daughter, Rosemary, make cakes and pastries. She’d told Martha that when she grew up, she was going to open her own bakery and they’d have cookie wars.
But Martha had died two years ago and Rosemary had moved, and no one had wanted to keep the bakery alive. It was a shame. It had a great location, not far from the marina. The local fishermen always picked up hot breads before their early morning trips. And the elementary school was only a few blocks in the other direction. Her mother had often taken her and Abby to Martha’s after school for a treat.
As Lauren looked through the dirty windows, she imagined fresh paint on the walls, shiny counters, and sparkling glass shelves stocked with cookies, pastries, cakes, and pies. She could see small tables set up and a coffee bar in one corner. In nice weather there would be more tables outside, with bright red umbrellas over them.
She gave herself a mental kick at her wayward thoughts. She was not going to refurbish Martha’s. Just because she could see the possibilities didn’t mean she should do it. She had a job she liked in San Francisco, a job that she would need to get back to next week. She had her own bills to keep up with.
Dina’s Café was just around the corner, and as she stepped inside she saw her father and his friends at their corner table by the window, where they could see all the comings and goings. The warm, inviting restaurant had both character and good food. The dining room was decorated with assorted knickknacks that Dina picked up whenever she went antiquing, and they were displayed on every available counter and wall space. There were a dozen or so tables, and a long counter with bar stools fronted the kitchen. Almost every seat was taken, and the smell of pancakes and bacon was in the air.
Her father waved her over with a cheerful smile. “Lauren. You remember Mort,” he said as she joined them.
“Yes, hello.”
“And this is Will Pachowsky and Don Lowenstein,” he added. “Fishing buddies of mine.”
“It’s nice to meet you all,” she said with a smile.
Her father grabbed a chair from a nearby table. “Have a seat. Don just made an incredible discovery,” he added, excitement in his voice. “Show her, Don.”
As Lauren sat down at the table, the white-haired man held up what appeared to be a gold coin. “I found a half dozen of them on the beach,” he said. “They’re from the Gabriella.”
“Really?” Her heart leaped with anticipation. As a teenager she’d gone diving with her friends in search of missing treasure, and they’d routinely scoured the beaches and the rocks at low tide. They’d never found anything of interest, but they’d always had high hopes.
“Check out the date,” her father told her.
Don handed her a coin. The numbers jumped out at her, 1849; the ship had gone down in 1850. Of course, many other Gold Rush ships had made their way down the coast, too.
“Can’t you feel the pull of the past, Lauren?” her father asked. “When I held the coin in my hand, I felt like it was taking me back in time.”
As the men began talking among themselves, the coin actually grew warm in her hand. As she stared down at it the symbols and words started to blur, and she felt shaky, almost off balance.
The boat pitched beneath her feet. It was all she could do to stay upright. Tommy was desperately trying to steer them through the storm, but the waves were too big, the ocean too angry. He looked over at her, and in his dark eyes she could see the world ending. Her big, strong man, the love of her life, was afraid—and he was never, ever scared.
“We’ll be okay, Tommy. We’ll make it,” she said.
One of the other sailors grabbed the wheel as Tommy came toward her. He pulled a velvet pouch out of his pocket and handed it to her. “You’ll need this,” he said.
“No.” She knew what he was trying to do. “We’re going to make it through this storm.”
“We’re filling the lifeboats now. You and Jeremy will be on the next one.”
“Not without you.”
“Leonora, I’m the captain. I go last.”
Which meant he wouldn’t go at all. They both knew the boat had taken on too many passengers.
“We have to stay together,” she pleaded.
He closed her fingers around the sack of coins. “There’s enough money for you to start over, to raise your son, to have a life.”
“Not without you.” She shook her head, tears sliding down her face. “We fought so hard to find each other again. I can’t lose you now.” She had left her life behind to run away with him, to be with her one true love. God couldn’t be so cruel as to take him now, before they’d had a chance to really live, to really love.
“If I could stay with you, I would.” His dark gaze bored into hers. “But you have a son, and he needs you to live. Go now, Leonora. Before it’s too late.”
She didn’t have a choice. She was a mother first. “We’ll find each other again,” she promised. “Someday, we’ll be together the way we were meant to be.”
“Lauren? Lauren?”
She jolted, suddenly aware that her father and the other men were staring at her.
“Are you all right?” her father asked with concern.
She set the coin on the table with a shaky hand. What the hell had just happened? She’d felt as if she were Leonora. The coins—were they the same ones that had come with Leonora to the shore?
“You felt the draw, didn’t you?” her father asked.
She’d felt something—something very strange.
“Who needs coffee?” Dina asked as she stopped by their table with a pot in hand. Dina’s hair had grayed and she’d put on some weight over the years, but her generous smile was just the same. “Lauren, I didn’t see you come in. My goodness, honey, you look white as a sheet. Are you feeling all right?”
“Coffee, please.” Lauren’s voice was hoarse, as if she’d been screaming into the wind like Leonora, begging her lover to come with her. After Dina filled her cup, she took a gulp to clear her head.
“Can I get you something to eat, hon?” Dina asked. “Cheeseburger and fries, maybe?”
“You read my mind.”
“They were always your favorite.”
“How could you possibly remember that?” Lauren asked in amazement.
“I remember all my customers. I’ll tell Sam to put extra pickles on your burger.”
“Sold,” Lauren said.
Joe Silveira entered the café. He wore a suit and tie today, and there was grim determination on his face. She tensed, wondering if Jason had told him about catching her and Shane at the high school last night.
“Hello,” he said as he stopped by their table. “Ms. Jamison, may I speak to you for a moment—outside?”
“Of course,” she said, getting to her feet.
“Is something wrong, Chief ?” her father asked. “Is this about that Devlin fellow?”
“Your daughter will fill you in.” Joe waved her toward the door.
“What did my father mean?” Lauren asked as they stepped onto the sidewalk. “What’s up with Mr. Devlin?”
“You didn’t hear?”
“I just got to the café five minutes ago.”
“Mr. Devlin was hit by a car last night. He’s in the hospital in Montgomery. His condition is serious.”
“My God!”
“I don’t believe it was an accident,” the chief continued, his gaze sober.
“You think someone tried to kill him?” she asked slowly.
“Or scare him off. Either way, he’s going to be out of commission for a while.”
“Why did you want to talk to me?” He didn’t think she was responsible for the accident, did he?
“To tell you to be careful. Someone is getting nervous.”
“Do you have any idea who that is?”
“I have a few thoughts.” He paused. “By the way, where were you last night around one o’clock in the morning?”
“I was on Shane Murray’s boat. We were together.”
“Did you drive to the marina?”
“No, I walked.”
“So your car was parked in front of your father’s house all night?”
“It still is,” she said.
He nodded. “I stopped by your house before I came here. If you see Mr. Murray, let him know I’d like to talk to him. I left him a message, but apparently he’s out at sea.”
“Shane doesn’t even have a car.”
“I’d still like to speak to him.”
She watched him walk away. It was a good thing Jason Marlow had followed them from the high school to the marina; he could attest to their whereabouts. If Jason was on patrol all night, he was probably the officer who had responded to the scene of the accident. How ironic that a man who had every reason to be unhappy with Mark Devlin’s movie was the one called to save his life.
She shivered as a gust of wind rocketed down the street. There was definitely a storm coming . . . or maybe it was already here.
EIGHTEEN
Colin’s room felt cold, and Kara tucked the blanket around his body. She glanced toward the window, noting the spatter of raindrops across the window. She’d never liked storms. She preferred bright sunny days filled with promise. It was only a little after two o’clock in the afternoon, but it felt like ten o’clock at night. She turned on the bedside lamp, trying to warm up the room and erase the sense of foreboding that had been weighing her down the last few days.
The door opened and one of the nurses popped in. “Everything all right, Mrs. Lynch? Can I get you anything?”
“No, I’m fine. I’ll probably spend the afternoon here.” She’d brought along her needlework. She knew her mother’s friends were making a quilt for the baby, but she’d wanted to make something special as well, something to be passed down from mother to daughter.
The nurse smiled and pulled the door shut. Kara moved a chair closer to Colin’s bed and sat down, feeling weary. She picked up Colin’s left hand and played with the gold wedding band on his finger. The nurse had taken it off during his initial surgeries, but Kara had put it back on, wanting to keep that bond between them. It had gotten loose in the past few weeks. She was afraid if he got any thinner it would fall off, and she couldn’t bear the thought of that. It would be another symbol that she was fighting a losing battle. But she couldn’t give up.
She rubbed her abdomen; her muscles felt tight and crampy. A tiny foot kicked against her rib cage. “It’s okay, baby. I know you’re getting impatient, but we have to wait for your daddy.”
Her body felt so warm compared to Colin’s hand. She rubbed his fingers, trying to increase his circulation. He got physical therapy three times a week. Had anyone been in today? She got up to check with the nurse, and suddenly she felt a swoosh of fluid between her legs, followed by a sharp abdominal pain.
She gasped, realizing that her water had just broken.
“No,” she said in shock, putting her hand to her abdomen. She sank back down on her chair, feeling panicked. She couldn’t go into labor now; she wasn’t ready. But the water on the floor told her it was too late.
Drawing in several deep breaths of air, she gathered her strength. Okay, if this was it—this was it. She scooted her chair up against the bed and grabbed Colin’s hand again, squeezing his fingers tightly. “You have to wake up,” she said forcefully. “It’s time. I’m going into labor. Our baby is coming.”
He didn’t respond, not even the tiniest flicker of his eyelid. She stood and pressed his hand to her belly. If he felt the baby, somewhere in his mind he would know that he had to wake up. The childbirth instructor had told her that first labors could last hours, and she wasn’t leaving until he opened his eyes. He’d be there to see their baby come into the world. She wasn’t going to do it without him.
Shane brought his fishing charter back at four o’clock, the large waves having sent one burly ex-football player heaving over the side. It wasn’t much of a storm yet, but too big for a pleasure trip. He was relieved, actually. His mind was on Lauren, and for the first time in a long time he’d been eager to get back on land.
He’d spent most of the day thinking about what she’d said to him, how she couldn’t give her heart to a man who couldn’t be completely honest with her. He didn’t blame her. He’d wanted to tell her the truth for years, and maybe it was time to do just that.
The idea had been brewing in his mind for a while. Before he could talk to Lauren, though, he had to see Kara. She was the most vulnerable member of his family right now. He needed to feel her out, to see if she could handle what might follow.
He parked his motorcycle at the Bayview Care Center and entered the long-term-care facility. A couple of elderly people sat in wheelchairs in the lobby, one watching television, the other staring into space. While the room was decorated in warm, happy colors, there was no disguising the medicinal smells or the scent of sickness. How could Kara stand to come here every day?
The fact that Colin was even here was a crime. He was in the prime of his life. He had a wife and a baby on the way. He shouldn’t be lying in a bed, with no purpose or joy to his existence.
After getting off the elevator, Shane walked down to the end of the quiet corridor. Colin’s door was closed, so he gave a short knock, then pushed it open.
Kara sat next to the bed, her hand in Colin’s. When she saw Shane, her eyes widened with fear. There was a fine sheen of perspiration on her forehead, and the hair that fell against her face was also damp. There was more than fear in her eyes; there was pain.
“He has to wake up, Shane,” she said, desperation in her tone. “Dammit, Colin, wake up!” Her voice broke in defeat.
Whatever composure Kara had been hanging on to all these months had snapped. She was obviously on the edge of a breakdown; he needed to get her out of this room. “Why don’t we get some coffee, take a break?”
She shook her head and bit down on her bottom lip, a moan escaping. Her pain wasn’t just emotional, it was also physical.
“Kara, what’s going on?” He rushed to her side. She drew in quick, sharp breaths, her hand pressed against her abdomen, and he suddenly realized . . . “Oh, my God, you’re in labor, aren’t you?”
“I’m just having a few cramps. I’m fine.”
He saw the lie in her eyes. “I need to take you to the hospital.”
“I’m not le
aving,” she said with stubborn determination. “Colin will sense that the baby is coming, and he’ll wake up. I have to stay here, Shane.”
She was beyond reason. He had to get her to the hospital, but aside from physically throwing her over his shoulder, he wasn’t sure how to do that. “I’ll call the nurse, then.”
She grabbed his arm. “Don’t you dare! She’ll get some orderlies to drag me out of here, and I’m not going. If you love me at all, you will not call the nurse.”
He had to call someone. “What about Charlotte?”
“Not yet. I have lots of time, Shane. It’s not that bad, really.”
“Okay, but I am calling Lauren. You need a woman here with you.” This was definitely not his area.
She gave a weary nod. “Fine, but don’t tell her I’m in labor.”
Shane punched in the number of Lauren’s house. It was still burned into his brain from his high school years. She answered on the third ring. “Lauren, I need you.”
He heard her quick intake of breath. Then she said, “Where are you?”
“Bayview Care Center, room twelve, second floor. I’m with Kara.”
“What’s happening?”
“Just come,” he said, hanging up the phone. “She’s on her way,” he told Kara.
“You still love her, don’t you?” Kara asked, her eyes searching his face.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do, Shane. Why are you so afraid to admit it to yourself? Or better yet, tell her?”
“There are things between us. I haven’t been honest with her, and she’s moved on. She’s planning to leave next week.”
“So make her change her plans. Whatever it is you’ve been keeping from her, tell her. And don’t wait too long. Life is short.” She glanced over at Colin. “There are so many things I wish I’d said to him. You think you have time, but you never really know if you do.” She bit down on her bottom lip again and closed her eyes.
Shane put his arm around her. “Just breathe. You can do it.”
A moment later the pain seemed to ease, and she looked at him through teary eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”
On Shadow Beach Page 21
