by JM Dragon
“Hi, Shirley. It’s a beautiful evening. The sky is full of stars.”
Shirley placed the tray on the table and smiled. “It most certainly is. Kris will be here in a second. She had some laundry to put in the machine.”
The words threw Claire, but she recovered quickly. “You’re not joining us?”
“Not tonight, my dear. It’s the anniversary of when I met my husband. I’m going to celebrate that alone. Might sound strange to you young folks, but it’s my tradition.” She smiled and turned to leave.
“When and where did you meet him?” Claire was fascinated.
Shirley’s eyes glazed over, and then she shook her head. “Here actually. I was merely the assistant to the cook at the time, and he was employed in the vegetable garden. A bit of a rogue they said, and the girls loved him. I never thought he’d ever look at me.”
Claire felt her pulse race. Odd really, because they were talking about a heterosexual relationship, yet it resonated. She sat there silently, neither inside the room nor out, as Shirley continued.
“He was very handsome, my Ricky, and let’s face it, I’m hardly a picture postcard. It was raining on the day we met, and I fell in love.” Shirley’s cheeks grew red. “I was walking by the cottage. There used to be a decent herb garden there back then. My, it must be oh, almost forty years now.”
“What happened next?” Claire asked.
Shirley laughed. “He gallantly offered me his coat. You see, an unexpected shower. After that, the magic of the cottage encased us both. Now, enough of this.” She turned and smiled at Kris as she entered. “Seasons cottage is a very special place. Take advantage if you can.”
Claire was speechless but watched as Shirley left and Kris ventured farther into the room and sat in her usual chair. Eventually finding her voice, she said, “What do you make of that? I want to know more. It’s like that Jane Eyre movie.”
Kris grinned. “You don’t need to whisper, Shirley has left. For the record, I think it’s romantic, like it used to be in the good old days. Darn, did I really say that?”
“Yes, you did, and for the record, I agree—well, as much as I know of the good old days.” Claire chuckled. Then reached over and picked up a mug of hot chocolate. “Better drink this before it gets cold.”
Kris picked it up and took a sip.
“Look, today I was out of line. Your affairs have nothing to do with me. I’m sorry, Kris.”
After a few moments of silence, Kris replaced the mug on the table.
“You are right, they aren’t.”
Claire’s heart sank to a new low.
“Except for some unknown reason, I think it does matter…what you think, that is. I’ve arranged to meet Jess on Tuesday for the quiz.”
Claire sucked in her left cheek and then balled her hands. “Okay, that sounds good.”
Kris beamed. “Actually, I said you were coming too. Sorry if I spoke out of turn.”
“No, I will come. Hey, as I said before, another first. Tuesday it is.”
Claire sipped her cooling drink and grimaced.
Kris chuckled and stood. “How about I make us another.”
Claire grinned and stood as well. “Why don’t we both do that.”
They left the room.
Chapter Twenty
Buddy, the Baltimore oriole, languished on the bottom branch of the tree outside the cottage. He was preening his orange chest, and several feathers glided slowly to the ground, where they landed on a mess of russet fallen leaves. He hopped to another part of the branch and glanced around, then continued his grooming. His beak was making a fine comb. Then his head became still, and seconds later a similar bird with paler markings landed on the branch. His chirp of welcome must have impressed the other bird, as it hopped closer and within seconds began tugging at Buddy’s head. To the untrained eye, it looked aggressive, but Buddy seemed to like it.
A commotion of moving foliage indicated that more intruders had arrived, and Buddy along with his friend flew to the top of the tree to safety.
Out of the relatively sparse undergrowth, Kris and Claire arrived for their daily toil at the cottage. Both women were upbeat and smiling.
“What’s next on my docket, boss?” Claire asked as she looked up at the tree before them.
Kris pursed her lips and then grinned. “We should start on the shutters now, I think. I fixed the last one on Saturday and sanded them down.”
“You sanded them down? When? I don’t remember.” Claire’s face registered her surprise.
“That’s because I did them, well most of them, when you left me to my own devices the other day. I can assure you that I have three more for you to tackle, and I want them done by lunch. No dallying.” Kris winked.
“Hmm, I’m going to have take care not to leave you on your own, or Grandmother will think I’ve been no help while I’ve been here.” She rummaged in her pocket.
“Never a time waster, Claire. Right, I’ll leave you to it.” Kris mounted the steps to the deck.
“What? What do you mean? I thought you said you wanted me to—”
Kris laughed, and then pointed to the tree. “I think your friend will be waiting for his treat.”
Claire’s eyes widened, and she looked at the now-crumbled oat cookie in her hand. She shrugged, holding out her palm. “He has a name: Buddy. How did you know about him?”
Kris turned. “You are a very special person, Claire. I just knew. Don’t forget you have work to do,” she said gently as she unlocked the door and entered the cottage.
“I’m a special person.” Claire frowned as she neared the trunk of the tree. Kris was perplexing, maddening even, but…. Buddy’s irritated chirrup drew her out of her reflections.
“Buddy, sorry I didn’t come yesterday, but occasionally I get a day off. Here you go.” She threw the crumbles to the ground, and the bird immediately flew down and began vacuuming up the feast.
Then as she was about to turn away, he squawked loudly. That wasn’t normal. Frowning, she looked at Buddy, who was standing there defiant. He reminded her of her dad when he disapproved of something with that crossed-arm, negative look.
“Okay, yeah, I know. I’m sorry about yesterday. You can’t be starving though, right? You live by the darned sea. Plenty of fish in the sea, pardon the euphemism.” As she spoke, she noticed a flicker of movement about three feet above her.
“Now I know why you are mad. Okay, Buddy, damn.” She reached inside her pocket but found nothing. “Crap.” A few moments later, she entered the cottage and smiled as she saw Kris pouring over color palettes.
“Kris, did you by any chance snatch a spare oat cookie at breakfast?”
Startled, Kris swung around and frowned. “No, I don’t like them.”
“Me either.” Claire frowned.
Kris gazed at her for a few moments. “However, I do have—” She walked over to one of the newly renovated kitchen cupboards and withdrew what seemed to be a ball-shaped object. “Here you go. I think they will like this. It’s a wild bird feeder ball. Saw it the other day and thought of…doesn’t matter. Take it and hang it from the tree.”
Claire, having had the seed ball thrust into her hand, just looked at it. “How? Oh forget it, you know everything.” She grinned and headed out the door. Moments later, the ball was hanging from a branch that was too high up for most predators.
“There you go, Buddy, and you can thank…my friend for this. Share with your lady friend and enjoy.” Claire, with a satisfied expression, reentered the cottage. Sneaking a quick glance over her shoulder, she was delighted to see Buddy swinging from the ball.
†
The sage-green shutters totally made the renovation of the outside. They’d whitewashed the outer boards, at least the ones on the lower half of the building. They mutually agreed a contractor would be best for doing the upper area. They cleaned the interior from floor to ceiling and varnished and repaired the kitchen cabinets—those that could be. Only two would require
replacing.
All in all, in three weeks they had the place looking good. They only needed to complete the interior paintwork in neutral colors and stain the deck. With that, they’d restored the place’s homey atmosphere.
“What do you think?”
The hairs on the back of Claire’s neck stood up as Kris’s tentative question broke her out of her musings on the work they’d done. “Love the color. It’s a perfect match. Was that your idea or…?” She turned and burst out laughing.
Kris’s eyes flared. “What? What?”
Claire crooked her finger, and Kris moved closer, so close they could touch. She gently traced a finger over several splatters of pastel green paint of Kris’s face.
“That color suits you too.”
Kris chuckled. “Darn, and I thought I’d gotten off scot-free. Fortunately, it’s water based and will easily wash off.”
“Excellent, because I’d hate to see your pretty face with red blotches where you’d scrubbed hard to remove the evidence.” Claire winked.
Kris moved away with a jerk and pressed her body against the deck rail, her cheeks glowing.
Oops.
“Did you choose the color or did Grams?”
“Hmm, well, I did. Do you think I should have consulted with Melissa?” Kris’s body went rigid.
“No, Grams will love this. It’s her favorite color. Well, green anyway, and shades of it must be a plus. Right? You did great. They look wonderful.” Claire stepped over to the rail and stood next to Kris.
“Thank you. I toyed with sand as they were originally, but I thought a fresh start needed a fresh outlook.”
“No. It’s perfect, like I said.”
Soft footfalls came up the stairs and they both turned to see Shirley arrive with the picnic basket.
Claire watched Shirley’s facial expression change from neutral to entranced. Her smile softly curved, and her eyes took on a glow. As she neared them, Claire stepped forward. “What do you think, Shirley? The color works, doesn’t it?”
Shirley hugged the basket closer to her body and she beamed. “It’s exactly how I always wanted it. Ricky and I talked of changing the color to this.” Tears welled in her eyes.
Claire felt helpless at the show of emotion. What the hell? It’s only a color change.
“I’m glad you like it. I noticed you loved greens, and you said this place had many happy memories,” Kris stated and stepped down and took the picnic basket from Shirley.
Claire bit her inner lip. How does Kris know all these things?
Shirley blinked back tears and nodded. “Ricky and I disagreed about many things in the beginning but found agreement in the color green. As strange as it sounds, it was the start of our relationship, that and the rain.”
Kris smiled, and Claire watched the two women, comparing them as best she could. “Okay, I’m famished. Are you joining us, Shirley?”
Shirley shook her head. “No, I have…I need to do something. It’s important.” She turned away and gave Kris a teary smile before disappearing into the foliage.
“I think I upset her.”
The anguish in Kris’s voice galvanized Claire. “Hey, she loved it. You brought back memories for her, Kris. I think that should make you feel good.”
“It doesn’t. It really doesn’t. She was crying. How can that be happy for her? Damn, I wish I’d chosen blue instead.”
Claire sped down the steps to where Kris stood clutching the picnic basket and took it from her. Then she tilted Kris’s chin up. “You know, from the first moment I met you, you have tried to be everything to everyone.” Claire shook her head. “Don’t you dare think that’s a bad thing. It isn’t. I wish there were more caring people out there. Maybe there are, but I have never met any. Granted, I lived a life that probably excluded that privilege.”
“I’m just ordinary.”
The whispered reply had Claire’s heart racing. She wanted to drag Kris into a hug but wasn’t sure she would take that well. “Hey, how about we have our lunch on the beach and enjoy the sea, surf, and the company?”
Kris grinned at the suggestion.
I was right. She is beautiful; she just doesn’t believe it.
†
The sea gently ebbed and flowed ten feet from where they had placed a blanket and the picnic basket. They had expected the beach to be deserted, and it was, save for the odd dark figure that appeared in the distance, either walking or running, sometimes with a tiny companion, obviously a dog. Right now, the scene couldn’t get any more tranquil.
Kris opened the basket and removed the plates and glasses. Then she spied the mineral water and poured two glasses. She passed one to Claire, who smiled gratefully. Kris removed the sandwiches, salad bowl, and fruit, placing them on the blanket. Then she noticed two other items and giggled.
“What’s so funny?”
“Claire, Shirley has left you a treat, or should I say one for your best buddy.”
Claire frowned, and Kris held up the oatmeal cookie and they both burst out laughing.
“Does she have second sight too?”
“No”—Kris shrugged—“and I don’t have second sight.”
Claire didn’t reply immediately, instead gazing around her at nature. “How beautiful it is sitting here on the sand and watching the sea that makes up seventy percent of the earth’s surface. Don’t you wish you were a mermaid and could swim in it all?”
Kris handed Claire her favorite sandwich and settled back on her haunches with her own. “Not me, a mermaid at least. I’m not much of a swimmer. You know, if I could do anything at all, I’d love to live in the cottage with Knight, my cat, and enjoy both realms.”
“You wouldn’t consider more company?” Claire pressed a finger to her own chest.
Kris grinned. “Maybe, though they would have to be like-minded. Are you?”
“Sure.”
“How do I know this for sure?”
Claire leaned in and gazed into Kris’s eyes, and Kris’s body tensed with anticipation. Then she felt a finger tenderly run down her nose, followed by a gentle chuckle, and Claire moved away to prop herself up on the blanket.
“You’ll have to test me, I guess.”
Kris’s heart beat double-time as she pondered that prospect. “I don’t think you’d enjoy spending the rest of your life here quietly by the sea. You’re a city girl.”
Claire munched on her sandwich and waved it around, only speaking once she’d swallowed. “You know, if you’d said that to me two years ago, I’d have agreed. But now, having been here and getting to know people properly, it changes your perspective.”
“Got to agree on that. It does change things. I’d love to live here, but realistically I don’t have the means and I doubt there are many jobs in town that would match up with my skill set.” Kris sat upright, selected a shiny, red apple, and heard the delightful crunch as her teeth sank into the flesh. Juices overflowed.
Claire grinned and then threw her a napkin. “Kinda juicy, huh?”
Kris laughed as she mopped away the juice. “Yep, kinda.”
Several gulls must have detected they were eating and made a pack about three yards from their position, squawking madly.
“Not having my lunch, fellas, and I’m not giving you Buddy’s either.” Claire jutted out her chin defiantly as she stared at the birds.
The gulls didn’t seem to be intimidated, as one or two moved closer, obviously on a fact-finding mission.
“Gulls are notoriously greedy and can be quite nasty too. I fed one twice a day at my apartment, and then one day it nearly took my finger off. Needless to say, I never got that close again.” Kris peered down at the finger in question. “Must have looked like a delectable morsel.” She wriggled it.
Claire laughed, then her face took on a serious look. Kris had seen it before—it meant she was concentrating.
“Which skillset?”
Kris frowned. “I’m sorry, what?”
“You mentioned the town pr
obably didn’t want your skillset. Which one?”
“I…well, I only have one. I’m a clerk at an insurance company, or was.” Kris drank from her glass and then replaced it on top of the basket.
“That was in the past. There must be insurance companies here. I was thinking of the renovations you’ve carried out. Don’t you think you could have opportunities to do that? I do,” Claire declared.
The squawk of a gull close to her left ear had Kris turning to swat it away.
Claire leaned back and nestled on her side. “You could be the only female renovator in the area. What do you think of that?”
“Claire, don’t be silly. I don’t have qualifications. When people spend good money, they expect the best.”
“You think because you don’t have a diploma you won’t give it your best. Never going to happen.”
Kris was lost for words. Why did Claire have so much faith in her? They hadn’t known each other long enough for her to make those kinds of judgments. Then again, how long does it take to know someone? A day, a week, a year?
Claire shredded the sandwich she hated but which Shirley had religiously made for her and tossed some of it to the gulls. Unfortunately, with her weak arm it landed in Kris’s lap.
The commotion the gulls made along with her own noisy response, as two of them virtually landed on her lap to take the food, was something to see.
She turned to Claire, who was looking remarkably innocent. Hmm. “Well, one thing I know for sure, your aim definitely needs work. Give it to me.”
Seconds later, the shredded remainder of the sandwich was in Kris’s hand. She shook her head, then turned back to the gulls and tossed the morsels into the pack. The scuffles and pandemonium that broke out were loud but entertaining.
Ten minutes later, they collected the debris and picked up the blanket. “This was a good idea, Claire. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, and it was rather nice, even if our unwanted friends need to tone down their conversations.”
