“Not to worry, my friend. I’ll move forward,” Shelley replied, turning her head to look at him. “And I’ll be satisfied—in every way. But on my terms.” Her raised brow and unblinking stare reinforced her message. “No more promises for a lifetime.”
He didn’t believe her. The words made sense, but they didn’t suit. Not Shelley. Not the woman for whom home and family were everything. Shelley Anderson was not the type to play musical beds. And he’d prove it right now.
“Since you’re not looking for the commitment of a lifetime, how about a commitment to one short summer?”
CHAPTER NINE
SHE TOOK a breath. “Thought you’d never ask.” Her heart pounded, but her voice was steady—very low, but steady. Dan’s suggestion made some sense. Short-term relationship. No strings attached. Healthy for them both. She was physically attracted to him. No doubt about that.
Then why, suddenly, were her hands shaking so badly she couldn’t fit the key into the ignition? Three times she tried to push the metal into its slot without success. When she glanced at him, he eyed her jingling key ring and started to laugh. Laugh!
“For God’s sake, Shelley, you’re not going to jump into my bed on a whim. You’re a kindergarten teacher, for crying out loud. Kindergarten teachers don’t go around sleeping with every Tom, Dick and Harry!”
Her glance morphed into a glare. “What century are you living in? And you, from California! That’s where the action is, isn’t it? Where it all starts.”
“Don’t let Hollywood’s reputation fool you. Life’s the same in California as in Anytown, U.S.A.,” replied Daniel, reaching for her keys and slipping the correct one into the ignition. “And that’s because people are people wherever you go. The good, the bad and the—”
“—snuggly,” said Shelley automatically.
“The what?”
Lord, had she actually said that? She must sound like an idiot. All Dan’s fault. With clear conscience, she assigned the blame and led with her chin. “The snuggly. The good, the bad and the snuggly. When Josh or Emily get a case of the uglies, we try to change it into snugglies—you know, with hugs and kisses and stuff. And,” she continued very slowly, “if you dare laugh at me, you are definitely walking home.”
He laughed. Hard. “We’re only a mile away, Shel,” he said between breaths. “I can handle the walk, but you could never handle an affair. At least not now. Listen to yourself! People who do ‘snuggly’ don’t do one-night stands or even one-month stands. Maybe—” his voice gentled “—not even for a summer.”
Unexpectedly, she felt her lips tremble. “Then I guess I’ll be alone for a very long time. Maybe forever.” She had trouble getting the words out and couldn’t stop the quiver. She put the car in motion, and silence descended for the short ride until she pulled into their driveway and parked.
“Shel?”
His gentle voice lured her, and she shifted to face him. His hand rose and cupped her cheek. “You will not live alone for the rest of your life, Shelley. Believe me. Women like you and Nikki have too much love to give. Warm and nurturing spirits. Trust me when I say your ex-husband is a schmuck! And that word is now used all over the country, not just on the coasts.”
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but she was touched by his words, by the use of his wife’s name. And she was also human enough to appreciate his opinion of Carl.
“You know something, Daniel? This may scare you, but right now, you’re not only my upstairs neighbor and my coaching partner, but you’re quickly becoming a wonderful friend. Maybe the best friend I have!”
His eyes darkened and he leaned toward her, but she had no time to prepare for his kiss. A wonderful kiss—warm, firm and unhurried. “I’m flattered,” he whispered, finally releasing her. “And not scared at all.”
SHE BURNED the pancakes the next morning, proving her mind was not on the task. Both Josh and Emily pinched their noses closed and she couldn’t blame them. “Okay, another batch coming up.”
The doorbell rang, and Shelley looked at the kids. “How about some cereal today with bananas?”
“Yes! It’s faster.”
Shelley shrugged, then chuckled as she walked to the front of the house.
When she opened the door, a lovely blond woman stood there with a young boy on either side. One was Casey. Before Shelley could speak, the woman held out a hand.
“Hi. I’m Laura McCloud and these are my boys, Brian and Casey.”
“Is J-Josh home?” piped up Casey.
Shelley nodded. “In the kitchen. Have you guys eaten breakfast yet?”
Laura looked startled, and turned to the kids. “Uh…did we eat today?”
Identical grins, identical shakes of the head. “We figured you’d take us to the diner,” said Brian, the older of the brothers.
“How about settling for cereal with my kids instead. They’re just starting and there’s plenty. Eat on the porch if you want. Have a breakfast picnic.”
The boys ran off, and Laura’s expression held relief. “Thanks a lot. I don’t know if I’m coming or going lately. But I wanted to stop by and thank you for the use of the driveway, and for taking over the team for Matt.”
Shelley ushered the woman in. “Our pleasure.”
Laura’s eyes scanned the room, then moved upward toward the Crow’s Nest. A sweet smile crossed her face. “You know, I’ve heard a lot about the summer tenants. Is the place all you had hoped it would be?” She began studying the room, slowly, as if memorizing every piece of furniture, every nook and cranny.
“Hmm…” murmured Shelley, deciding Laura really wasn’t expecting an answer.
“This place,” continued Laura, “this house made all the difference in my life. At first, it was my sanctuary, a hidey-hole where I could lick my wounds, and then a world opened to me that I’d given up on. Like a miracle.” Her clear voice reflected her wonder. She reached for Shelley’s hand. “That’s why the ceremony had to be near Sea View House. At the water’s edge. I knew that from the beginning. But only a few days ago, I realized I needed an aisle. Thanks again so much.”
Shelley had to blink away tears…and she’d never met this woman before! But she recognized truth when she heard it. She squeezed Laura’s hand. “I’m going to decorate your aisle. Leave it to me.”
When Laura began to protest, Shelley laughed, knowing that she, her mom and even Emily would work wonders with crepe paper and ribbons.
“How will you walk on the sand?” asked Shelley.
“No problem. I’m wearing white running shoes!”
“What a great idea!” Shelley met Laura’s eye and both women began to giggle.
“Just nerves,” gasped Laura.
Shelley nodded. “Bridal jitters.”
“But I am very happy.”
“Yes,” agreed Shelley, her voice now quiet. “Just as you should be. And from what I saw last night, Matt is just as happy.”
Laura nodded, but her smile faded. “Only one person’s absence will mar the event. Matt’s brother, Jason. He left Pilgrim Cove eight years ago after his twin was killed on the night of their senior prom. I guess he blames himself, but the folks here are heartbroken over his absence. Not only Sam and Matt, but Lila, too.”
“Lila?” asked Shelley.
Laura nodded. “I don’t think Jason even knows about Katie.”
Shelley’s eyes opened wide. “Oh….”
“Yes. A miracle is waiting for him here. But I guess we can’t expect two miracles in one season.”
TWO EVENINGS LATER, Shelley, Daniel, Emily, Josh and the Duffys stood among the guests toasting the bride and groom after their personal vows had been spoken. The new Mrs. Parker wore a simply cut gown that hinted at the curves of her body. The straight lines of the dress were offset by her thick wavy hair, now layered and formed into natural curls. Shelley nodded. The style suited her perfectly.
Bart Quinn escorted the bride as though she were made of glass. Sam Parker blinked constan
tly as he looked at his son and his new daughter-in-law. But Shelley studied the boys. Brian and Casey were almost totally focused on their new mom. They obviously adored her. Anyone could see the happiness shining in their eyes.
“New beginnings,” she murmured to Daniel, who stood next to her.
“Which are followed by endings.” His words were barely distinguishable, almost choked.
Startled, Shelley turned toward Dan. He stared out at the horizon. He didn’t blink, but he swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.
Shelley squeezed his hand. She knew he was thinking about Nikki. His faraway expression gave him away. Apparently, neither of them was ready to commit to another partner. Even on a short-term basis.
DANIEL STOOD in his kitchen early the next morning staring at the accumulation of his work. The curriculum would be unique. No standard texts for this course—until he wrote one. In the meantime, his chosen primary sources were organized into piles across the table.
He was so deep in thought, that at first Jessie’s barking seemed to come from far off, although she was on the deck outside the kitchen with the sliding door open. Dan knew his dog as well as a parent knew a child, and her anxiety registered just as she dashed to him barking nonstop. When she ran back to the deck, Dan was at her heels. He looked out toward the beach, toward the water, his heart beating in double time. And then it almost stopped.
Someone was being tossed by the rough breakers in the morning’s high tide. The weather had changed, and the day was overcast, the beach deserted. Too early for lifeguards anyway. The wind gusted in his face, and it was hard to see from where he stood, but he was almost sure the swimmer was a child.
“Let’s go!”
He and the golden scrambled down the outside stairs, ran to the back side of the house and continued to the shoreline, which was closer than usual because of the high tide. But Dan still strained to see the swimmer. There! Out there, a head appeared above the water. And then it was gone. Sucked under. From the corner of his eye, he saw Josh playing with a kite on the sand near the house. So it had to be Emily. “Tell your mom to call Doc Rosen. Now!” he ordered without taking his eyes from the ocean. “Bring blankets.”
He tossed his shirt as he ran, giant-stepping into the surf and not stopping until he could dive where he’d last seen Emily. But where the hell was she? He was chest high and felt the undertow try to pull him down. He stood his ground, but knew a little child like Emily couldn’t.
Jess swam toward the right and Daniel followed her. He’d trust the dog’s instincts over a human’s any day of the week. Then he spotted Emily again, her long hair plastered like seaweed against her face. He swam toward her with the outgoing tide, then inhaled deeply and dived beneath, trying to estimate where she’d be pulled down again. He opened his eyes, desperate for a glimpse, but without the sun to brighten the underwater murkiness, he was out of luck.
He felt the outbound tide push him, just as something smashed against his body. Emily! He had judged distance correctly. He grabbed a leg, then her waist and hauled her out, raising her over his head while digging his toes into the sea bottom for stability. He gulped a breath of air a nanosecond before another breaker submerged him. But it didn’t touch Emily!
When that wave passed behind him, he shifted the child into his arms and jogged toward shore as quickly as possible to keep ahead of the next breaker. Damn, the kid had been pulled far out! He scanned for Jess and saw her a quarter mile away trotting slowly back along the waterline. She’d performed as she’d been trained, and she’d get a thousand treats later.
But now, he turned Emily facedown in his arms while striving for the safety of the shore. One arm encircled her bottom, while one hand fisted on her belly. He’d begin rescue breathing when he got to dry land, but now he thrust the side of his fist into her stomach in the Heimlich maneuver adapted for a child. “Cough for me, baby. Come on, cough!”
Nothing. Her lips were blue tinged, and he started to curse. He pressed again, harder. “Now, baby, now. Cough!”
Water dribbled from her mouth. Finally, on dry sand, he laid her flat on her back, tilted her head backward with one hand and lifted her chin with the other to open her airway. He scrunched down, put his ear against her mouth to listen for her breathing and felt a shiver run through her body. She rolled slightly to her side, and then let go a fountain of ocean all over his face.
“Atta girl, Em. Come on. Give me more.” And she did, three more times. She gasped. And breathed. Daniel watched every rise and fall of her chest, inhaling along with her. “Cough again. Good girl, Emily. Good girl.”
Then she started to cry, little kitten sounds. One thin arm reached for him. She crawled onto his lap, laid her head on his chest and rested there, so tiny against his big frame.
He held her close, and from deep inside him, Daniel cried silent tears. He hadn’t lost this child. He kissed the top of Emily’s head over and over, and rocked her and gave thanks for being in the right place at the right time.
“I love you, my Daniel p’fessor.” She spoke into his chest.
And now he laughed. Laughter through tears. “And I love you, my Emily first-grader.”
She shook her head and yawned. “Second-grader.” Her eyes closed. She slept.
He felt her relax, felt her full body weight against him, then felt his own muscles loosen up. Emily and he were both fine.
Dan sighed deeply. Little by little, pieces of the outside world impinged on his consciousness. An unnatural stillness surrounded him, as though the world were off-kilter. As though he and Emily were being watched under a magnifying glass. He took another deep breath and finally raised his eyes.
First, he saw a semicircle of legs—mostly bare and attached to different bodies—but then, like a homing pigeon, his eyes found Shelley. Skin the color of alabaster, eyes wide and unblinking with tears running silently down her cheeks to the sand. She clutched a pink quilt so hard, her knuckles shone white, and a moaning sound came from her throat.
She looked close to being in shock, and he wanted to wrap his arms around her, too, but that option was out at the moment. So he tried the reverse. “Don’t faint on me, Shelley Anderson,” he snapped. “Emily’s okay.”
She blinked. “No. No. I won’t faint. I’m strong.” Her choked words said otherwise, but she knelt beside him and her child, and with careful, slow motions tucked the blanket around them both.
His index finger stroked her cheek. “We’re fine,” he whispered. “Everything’s okay.” Her dark eyes met his, and in them, he saw sorrow. Pain. Guilt. And overriding those emotions was fear. But he murmured reassurances and watched her. She wanted to believe him! He squeezed her hand. “I promise, everything’s fine.” A myriad of voices overhead joined his. Shelley’s parents were both talking at once, thanking him over and over. Several neighbors were heaping congratulations on him. He could have done without all of that.
Fortunately, Jess appeared then and lost no time nosing her way into the little group, sniffing hard. The small crowd, in unison, took a step back and watched Jess tug the blanket from Emily and start licking her face, hands and any part of the child she could reach. As she worked, she whined.
“She’s okay, Jess,” said Dan, rubbing the scruff of her neck, the words coming from him automatically now. “Emily’s fine. You did it girl, you did it again.”
Dan had learned long ago not to question how much Jessie understood and remembered. Her natural instincts had been honed for rescue, and Dan knew she wouldn’t calm down until she realized they’d been successful with Emily. A few years ago, Jess had been half-crazed when they’d rescued her adored Nikki from the water.
The dog succeeded in her efforts, and Emily’s eyes opened. “Jessie!” She hugged the golden. Then she saw Shelley and held up her arms. “Mommy!”
Shelley grabbed her daughter with lightning speed, and held her in her lap, squeezing her so hard, the child protested. Jessie sat squarely on her haunches and smiled h
er golden-retriever smile. And Daniel leaned back on his elbows, enjoying the mother-and-daughter reunion.
“So, I guess it’s all over but the shouting,” said a man’s voice from above.
Daniel jumped to his feet and shook Max Rosen’s hand. “Thanks for coming, Doc. But it’s not over until you say so. Always a chance of infection from the brine.”
“Let’s check her out at the house,” said the doctor. “And while I’m at it, I’ll check you, too.”
Daniel reached for Emily, but Shelley wouldn’t let go. He helped Shelley to her feet instead. Now she looked at him square in the eye.
“‘Thank you’ seems so inadequate,” she said quietly. “There’s no way I could ever thank you enough.”
“Then don’t try,” he said, giving her a gentle hug. “Sometimes words aren’t necessary.”
She smiled at him with such warmth, he almost believed it was something more. Almost. But he knew better. He’d saved her child’s life. Of course she’d confuse deep appreciation with affection.
The neighbors drifted away then, but not before offering their help and support. Daniel watched Shelley step closer to the doctor, saw Max peer at Emily and make the child laugh. Good. He hoped the experience would soon be a vague memory. But some rules would be changing around Sea View House this summer for the children’s sake. Which reminded him…where was Josh through all this?
Just then, he saw Shelley pause, turn, then call for her son. He followed her gaze. The boy didn’t answer even though he stood only ten feet away from his mother. Instead, Josh’s eyes were glued to Dan, his expression guarded while he watched Daniel’s every move. He held something blue in his hand.
“I’ll bring Josh back,” Dan called to Shelley and the grandparents. “You folks and the doc take care of Emily.” Shelley waved her acknowledgment and turned toward the house, Emily still in her arms. Phil and Ellen Duffy followed without a word.
Dan meandered over to Joshua. Emily may have had all the attention, and justly so, but that didn’t mean her brother wasn’t having a hard time, too. “Hi, sport,” said Dan, reaching out a hand to ruffle the boy’s hair.
No Ordinary Summer Page 12
