Beautiful Dreamer

by Melissa Brayden

  Elizabeth had been born in the mid-eighties and wished to hell she’d been old enough to fully enjoy it. To make up for it, she passionately embraced the time period now. With Duran Duran in her earbuds, she rode her longboard to Jill Winters’s home that Thursday morning, waving to the neighbors she passed along the way, high-fiving that ninth grader, Jimmy Rodriguez, as he set up his family’s sprinkler near the curb.

  “Lookin’ solid on that board, Ms. Draper.”

  “Thanks, Jimmy. I’m not great at it, yet, but I’m working at it. Life’s too short to walk everywhere, ya know?”

  “Preach,” he called after her.

  The longboard was something she’d picked up on a whim once she noticed folks on the boardwalk whizzing by on the things. They looked like fun, and she was always up for extra fun whenever she could find it. She’d taken a few informal lessons from teenagers at the beach and hopped on her own board whenever possible to keep her newfound skill set intact. Today seemed like the day for it.

  She arrived at Jill’s house and leaned her board against the brick wall of the porch, smiling at the spring flowers that Jill had meticulously spaced and planted in the garden out front. Perfect color combination of pinks and purples and yellow. She took out her phone and snapped a photo.

  “Are you stalking the flowers? Some sort of flower paparazzi?”

  She turned and smiled at Devyn. “No. It’s just that they’re beautiful. I’m putting them on my Instagram so more people can see them. Anyone who needs to be cheered up could use a dose of these colorful guys.”

  “Instagram cheer, huh?” Devyn asked, stepping back from the doorway so Elizabeth could enter the house.

  “It’s really very effective.” A pause. “Wow. You look…nice.” She blinked and took a moment to absorb the image of Devyn in front of her in dark, slim jeans with a sharp plaid blazer with a tapered waist. Her blond hair was down but had a little tousle to it. The look was…okay, a really, really good one. Elizabeth swallowed and smiled. “Well done.”

  Devyn glanced down. “Thanks. Not too dressy, but put together enough to make me feel ‘on’ while I work. It’s a whole psychological thing. Don’t get me started.”

  “Whatever it is, I’m sure it will work out just fine for you, looking like that. I mean, in your snazzy work outfit.” She covered her face and hoped to die right there.

  Devyn regarded her with a curious smile, and Elizabeth hoped she hadn’t been that obvious in checking Devyn out, emphasis on obvious, because she had been checking her out and tended to wear any and all emotion on her face.

  “So, what’s on tap for this morning?” Elizabeth asked, with too much gusto, attempting to rebound. “I can stay until noon.” When Devyn had called and offered her the temporary job of caring for Jill, she’d immediately said yes. It meant she’d have to delegate more of the incoming jobs to her small staff, but KC had already stepped up to the plate and offered to play point person and assign tasks to the runners during the first half of the day. She’d also pulled in two extra runners to cover the gaps.

  Devyn flashed a smile. “First of all, thank you for agreeing to help out.”

  “You don’t have to thank me. I’m happy to help Jill. You know that. Plus, you’ve officially hired me, so no volunteering required.”

  Devyn chuckled. “That part’s true.”

  “And you’re paying me really well.”

  Devyn met her gaze. “Well, I wanted to be sure you said yes.”

  “You could have negotiated if I’d balked,” she said light-heartedly.

  “Money’s not really that big a deal to me.”

  “Well, well,” Elizabeth said, with a raised eyebrow. “You don’t hear that every day in the Bay.”

  “Shit.” Devyn paused. “That sounded pretentious as hell, didn’t it?”

  Elizabeth held her thumb and forefinger closer together. She clapped Devyn on the side of her arm. “I’ll let it slide.”

  Devyn picked up a set of instructions and handed them to Elizabeth. “Jill’s on the back deck, getting a little sun. She’ll need help getting back inside. We’ve been using the wheelchair, but the physical therapist will be here in an hour and he can probably show you some other techniques for mobility. The contraption around her knee is the most tender area.”

  “Got it. Where will you be?”

  “Second bedroom down the hall doing some work. I have some calls set up throughout the morning with some potential international buyers, but if you need me, just pop in. I’ll take over when you have to leave.”

  “We have our plan. Go, team.” She held up her hand for a high five and Devyn obliged.

  “Sorry,” Devyn said, with a laugh. “It’s been a while since I’ve participated in an actual high five.”

  “Thank God I’m here, then,” Elizabeth said, letting the partially judgmental comment slide right off.

  “Yes, thank God.” Devyn glanced around. “You good? Anything I can get you?”

  “I’m good,” Elizabeth told her, and then dropped her voice to a whisper. “Plus, I work for you, so maybe don’t cater to my every whim. Just a friendly employee-to-boss tip.”

  “Right, right. I guess I’ll get to my calls, then.” Devyn made her way to the bedroom that would serve as her office, but not before pausing and offering one last lingering look back.

  Hold it right there.

  Was Elizabeth crazy or had Devyn just given her a once-over? A checkout from head to toe? Huh. The information from Dexter sat on her shoulder like an annoying little canary, but the truth of it certainly resonated. Devyn was so incredibly gay. How had she not picked up on it herself earlier?

  She shook herself out of the moment, and the tiny shiver she got from the sexy once-over, that may or may not have happened.

  Devyn was Devyn, and not someone with the qualities she looked for anyway. Yes, she was hotter than hot on a hot day, but she was fast paced and sophisticated and pretty much out of Elizabeth’s league. That wasn’t a bad thing. Elizabeth liked her two-jalapeño league. Not too mild, but not too hot. Devyn came with at least four out of five in the jalapeño-ranking game. Probably five, and who could keep up with a five? And why was she thinking about jalapeños when she could be spending time with Jill? She remedied that quickly.

  “How’s the patient?”

  Jill turned and smiled serenely, which was a great way to describe Jill, in a nutshell. “Great, now that you’re here.” She was the poster child for everything calm and warm in the world, which was why she was known for having great patience with her students. Of the sisters, Jill had been blessed with the darker hair from their mother, and Elizabeth had always admired the way it fell in natural layers to her chin. She could only imagine that Devyn’s blond hair had come down from their father’s side, though Elizabeth had never known the man.

  Elizabeth plopped down next to Jill on the comfy sofa on the covered patio and looked out over the well-taken-care-of lawn. It wasn’t a large outdoor space, but what they had was covered with beautiful, mature live oaks. “Nice out here.”

  Jill had her leg propped up on the coffee table, and she gestured with her head to the yard. “Devyn had a lawn service tend to it while I was up the river. They did a great job taking care of all my babies out here.”

  “Up the river? Isn’t that jail?”

  “Is it?” Jill looked thoughtful, and then shrugged. “Felt like jail. Do you realize I was in that hospital for over three weeks?” She sat back and waved off the comment. “Of course you do. You were there for much of it, which, I have to say, makes you a saint.”

  “Not a saint. Couldn’t let you get all the attention is all,” Elizabeth said, and adjusted the pillow under Jill’s injured leg. “Better?”

  “Much. You’re a good nurse.” A pause. “Devyn seem okay to you today?”

  Elizabeth glanced behind her to the house. “Yeah, she seemed…driven. From what I learned in the hospital, she’s pretty much always that way, no?”

  “T
he total truth. I feel like she’s staying in town because I guilted her into it.” A cloud seemed to settle over Jill, and Elizabeth hated that. She shouldn’t feel like a burden to anyone, and the look on her face made Elizabeth want to say something to Devyn about it privately, and right away. Jill sighed. “She has a million things going on in Philly and she’s stuck taking care of her burdensome sister.”

  Elizabeth shook her head resolutely. “Nope. Impossible. You should have seen the way she looked after you in the hospital, how worried she was.” It was true. Elizabeth couldn’t count the number of times she’d popped in to find Devyn next to Jill’s bed, holding her hand, or curled up in the chair nearby, choosing not to go home for the night. “Nothing about her said forced responsibility. I promise.”

  “Yeah, well, now is different. She’s got some giant building she’s gotta sell, and the clock is ticking.” She took a deep breath. “But I’m grateful to her. That she stayed. It’s nice to have family here when I need them.”

  “Isn’t that the truth? If Dexter, my pseudo family, didn’t show up for my car accident, we would have some serious words. I already know KC would be there.”

  “Dex would be there in an instant. Though he’d be sad if you were hurt. He used to have the cutest little pout when he was a kid.”

  “Still does. Now he just uses it to pick up women.”

  Jill sighed. “Men.”

  “Can’t say I mind dodging the man bullet.” She studied Jill, who shifted uncomfortably. “Want to go inside? We can get you set up on that comfy couch like a kept woman.”

  That earned a laugh. “Sold. Would you mind helping me?”

  Following the instructions in the hospital paperwork and what she’d witnessed from the nurses firsthand, Elizabeth delicately helped Jill maneuver her way inside to the couch. After a late breakfast, physical therapy, and lotion application to keep her skin smooth and awesome, the two of them settled in for a session with the Game Show Network before Elizabeth had to head out for the rest of her workday.

  “Speaking of the man bullet,” Jill said, between episodes of The Price Is Right, “are you still seeing that girl from Hilton Head?”

  “Pam the trust-fund baby? Nope. We fizzled two and a half years back.”

  She deflated. “I’m way behind on my town gossip.”

  Elizabeth grabbed the remote and paused mid-prize-reveal. “You’ve come to the right place. I know all of it. I mean, I don’t generally spread the negative stuff, because that just hurts pretty much everyone, but I’ll happily dish out the good stuff. In recent news, Mr. Connor from security at the strip mall is also stripping down with Elaine the florist.”

  “No.”

  “Yes. I couldn’t make this stuff up, and she’s all glowy. I love it.”

  “That makes me so happy.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “Right? Me, too.”

  “What’s everyone so happy about?” Devyn asked, entering the living room with a tired smile. It was the first they’d seen of her since she’d shut herself away to wheel and deal, or whatever it was she did during her working hours.

  “Security guards and florists hooking up,” Jill told her matter-of-factly. “It’s all the rage.”

  Devyn raised an eyebrow as she collapsed onto the love seat. “That’s celebration-worthy?”

  Jill tossed a pillow at her sister. “Small-town celebratory, yes. Get on board.”

  “With small towns?” She winced. “Been there. Done that.”

  “Biggest mistake you ever made was not embracing this place,” Jill said, with a wink. Apparently, Dreamer’s Bay was a point of disagreement between the two. Elizabeth couldn’t imagine anyone not loving their town. But she had more friendly gossip to report and turned to Jill. “And Darlene, the assistant librarian, is going back to school to get her master’s so she can be head librarian, and the lizard in the waiting room at Dr. Piedmont’s dermatology practice is apparently a girl and not a boy as they thought, which has opened up all sorts of breeding issues with the other lizard, who remains male.”

  “How do you know all this?” Devyn asked, the edges of her mouth tugging in amusement.

  Elizabeth shrugged. “I do odd jobs for a living. I’m everywhere throughout the week. Plus, people think I’m unassuming and speak freely in front of me.”

  Jill pointed at her. “They trust you.”

  “And they should.” Elizabeth pointed right back. “Remember. I don’t pass along any of the negative stuff.”

  “How can you not?” Devyn asked, incredulous. “That’s the fun part. C’mon. Tell us something bad about someone, Elizabeth. Who’s having a torrid affair with their next-door neighbor? Live a little.”

  She sat up straight and laughed outright at the notion. Devyn was bold, that was for sure. “I most certainly will not divulge that kind of tawdry gossip. Plus, I’m saved by the clock and need to run.” She kissed Jill’s cheek with an affectionate smack, and turned to Devyn. “Walk me out?”

  “Yep,” Devyn said. She got up and followed Elizabeth to the front porch.

  Once they made it outside and the door was safely closed behind them, she turned to Devyn. “It’s about Jill. She thinks you don’t want to be here.”

  Devyn’s eyes went wide, understanding crossed her features, and she sighed. “No. It’s not that. I want to be here for her. I just…have a lot going on, and my home is in Philly, and…” She glanced behind her and swallowed, regrouping. “She said that?”

  Elizabeth nodded, feeling the concern crease her features. “And it’s not necessarily my business, except that my heart aches for her and what she’s working through, ya know? And then for her to imagine that her sister is anything but happy to step into her life for a while? Gotta be rough.”

  Devyn nodded and rubbed her forehead. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right. I’ll talk to her.”

  “No,” Elizabeth said. “Then she’ll know that’s what we were talking about out here, and everything you say will feel inauthentic.”

  “Inauthentic.”

  “Right.” Elizabeth stepped in, and dropped her voice. “The best thing to do is find little ways to show her.”

  Devyn stared at her as if she’d spoken another language. “I’m awful at this sort of thing. I’m a go-getter. I barrel into things headfirst. I don’t do subtle. I’m results oriented.”

  Elizabeth took a moment, caught off guard by Devyn’s show of weakness, and the true remorse that radiated. “Okay. That’s fair. Can I make a suggestion, then?”

  “Please.”

  “Spend time with her. Maybe find ways to point out that you’re enjoying that time. Less preoccupation with work when you’re together. You seem really focused on email specifically. Also, less glancing at your phone every five minutes as if something more pressing is looming.”

  “Well, I have a job back home,” Devyn pointed out.

  “You also have one here.” Elizabeth delicately placed a hand on Devyn’s shoulder.

  “Fine,” Devyn said, closing her eyes momentarily. “I’ll give it a shot. Less phone. Stay present.”

  “There ya go. That’s all I’m asking. For Jill.”

  “For Jill.” Devyn gave her head a shake. “Elizabeth Draper. Unlikely voice of reason.”

  Elizabeth gasped. “Unlikely? Excuse me. More like the most likely. I have this town and the people in it figured out.”

  “That include me?” Devyn raised an eyebrow, and Elizabeth’s entire midsection squeezed.

  “Duh.”

  “Duh? We’re back in high school now?” But she said it in jest, and jesting Elizabeth could hang with. She enjoyed it, even.

  “Does that mean I should kiss your popular feet, then?”

  “No, but maybe we could talk about my ass.” With a wink she headed back inside, leaving Elizabeth standing there gaping, unable to reply, and not at all thinking about Devyn Winters’s perfectly shaped ass as it sashayed its way through the door.

  Okay, so that just happened.<
br />
  She blinked and turned to the street, cheeks aflame and libido firing without even consulting her. Yeah, maybe she had time to find a bottle of water before heading to her next job.

  Her mouth had gone unexpectedly dry.

  Chapter Ten

  Ronnie Roo’s was packed like a dented can of plump sardines when Devyn arrived. Now that she was back in town, she was actually reverting to sentences like that one. Comical and tragic at the same time, but she decided to roll with it.

  The familiar smell of freshly fried onion rings and sizzling burgers smacked her in the face and transported her in time. Years back, she and her friends had patronized Roo’s, the sloppy and wonderful burger joint, after each and every football game, still in uniform and riding high on their teenage high horses. They were good days, if a little stunted in the depth department. She’d felt happy and confined at the same time back then, wondering about the great big world beyond their town. She’d always been an adventurer at heart. But Roo’s was a welcome sight that evening. She smiled and took in the room. The cluttered walls hadn’t changed. License plates, traffic signs, fishing poles, coffee mugs, musical instruments, farm equipment, and pictures of the four celebrities who’d passed through town were all thrown together in a series of endearing collages that flanked the room.

  She scanned the bustling dining area until her eyes landed on the table of women near the bar, seated around a high-top. They turned as she approached, breaking into an identical four-way grin. Cricket was the first to call out to Devyn. She’d gained about twenty-five pounds over the years but still looked as glamorous as ever with her red hair piled on top of her head like a soft and flowy billow of smoke. Devyn glanced at her gaping neckline and blinked. Hello. She’d also had the girls done. Maybe twice.

  “Well, look who just waltzed her way into Roo’s looking drop-dead gorgeous and successful,” Cricket said loudly. Several nearby tables turned and smiled. She recognized Mrs. Hudson from the Laundromat and nodded hello, before turning back to Cricket.

  “Shut up and hug me,” Devyn said. She pulled Cricket into a one-armed tight embrace and turned to Lisa, who she’d heard was a Mary Kay consultant now. Made sense, as her makeup had always been perfection. “Good to see ya, Lees. It’s been too long.”