Summer Reads Box Set, Books 4-6

by Freethy, Barbara

  When Alli and Tessa pulled away they were both crying.

  "Now, none of that," Phoebe said with a sniff. "It will make your eyes red."

  "I love you, Grams," Alli said.

  "I love you, too," added Tessa.

  "And I love you both. I knew you would find the pearl together."

  "You won't believe how we found it," Alli said with a laugh.

  "Mommy and Aunt Tessa had a food fight," Megan interrupted. "You should have seen your kitchen, Grams. I told Mommy she was in big trouble."

  Phoebe smiled down at Megan. "I think they've learned their lesson." She paused, glancing over at the man who meant so much to all of them. "Sam, come here, won't you?"

  Sam moved over to the bed. "You look beautiful in those pearls, Phoebe."

  "There's a mirror in the top drawer. Would you hand it to me?"

  Sam handed her the small pocket mirror.

  "They're perfect." She touched the pearls with a reverent gesture.

  And they were perfect, Alli thought, but as mismatched as any strand could be, all different sizes, all different shades of white and ivory, and yet still perfect because of what they symbolized, a lifetime of love. They'd found the missing pearl. They'd finished the strand. Now things would be better. Grams would come home, and... well, that was a start.

  Phoebe handed the mirror back to Sam. Then she pulled the pearls over her head. After looking at them for a long minute, she kissed one of the beads and then held them up to Sam. "I want you to have the necklace."

  "What?" he asked, stunned. "I couldn't."

  "Both my granddaughters have loved you. And I've loved you, too. You're part of our family.”

  "Still, I couldn't--”

  "I won't take no for an answer."

  Sam looked over at Alli. She didn't know what to say to him. She was as surprised as he was. Tessa, too, appeared startled by the request. But what could they say? The pearls belonged to their grandmother. They were hers to give as she pleased.

  "Sam," Phoebe said, drawing his attention back to her. "I want you one day to give these pearls to the woman you truly love. You'll know when it's right. And you'll know who." She held his gaze for a long minute, then said, "I'm tired now. I'd like to rest."

  Sam leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you soon." He turned to Megan. "Say good-bye to Grams."

  "Bye, Grams, see you tomorrow."

  "Bye, honey."

  Alli smiled down at her grandmother. "I'm not going to ask you why you did that."

  "Nor am I, Grams," Tessa said.

  "Good." Phoebe looked at them both. "Remember always that you're sisters above all else. Whatever you have now, don't lose it. Promise me that."

  "We promise," Alli and Tessa said together.

  "My darling girls. You mean so much to me and to each other and just like the pearls, you are so much better together than you are apart. That's what I wanted you to know."

  Alli followed Tessa to the doorway, feeling a strange uneasiness. She didn't like all the goodbyes. They felt too final. "I'll be back tonight, Grams. You'll be all right, won't you?"

  "Of course I'll be all right." Phoebe paused, sending her a tender look. "I can't die yet, honey. I haven't finished counting the stars, and don't you know that you will never be alone, because there is always love, and love lives forever."

  Alli looked at Tessa and saw the instant recognition in her eyes.

  "Everything will be all right," Tessa said softly.

  "Yes," Alli agreed. "Everything will be fine."

  * * *

  William sat down next to Phoebe as Tessa, Alli, Sam and Megan left the room. He didn't say anything for several long minutes. She'd seen him standing in the shadows when she'd given the pearls to Sam, but he hadn't said a word.

  "The pearls were beautiful on you, Phoebe," he said heavily. "I only wish John could have seen them."

  She smiled sadly. "So do I.”

  "I'll go back to Philadelphia next week, after you come home from the hospital."

  "I'm sorry," she said softly.

  "It's not your fault. You've been telling me all along that I couldn't see what was beneath my nose. I finally saw it today. When you looked in the mirror, when you saw the pearls—you saw John in the reflection, didn't you?"

  She saw the pain in his eyes but could only be truthful. "Yes."

  "I always thought that our love was the true one. But it wasn't."

  "Our love was young. We weren't fully grown. You never realized that I changed or even that you changed."

  "I thought once John had passed, once time had passed, that you might see your way back to me. But I think I've worn out my welcome."

  "Never. You are my dearest friend. And I do love you in a way that has always belonged only to you."

  He tipped his head, his voice turning gruff, as he said, "I'll always love you, Phoebe. Do you mind if I sit with you for a while?"

  "I would like that. I hate to be alone here."

  "And when you fall asleep, I'll go." He looked deep into her eyes. "Because you'll be with him then, won't you?"

  "Yes," she said softly. "I'll be with him."

  * * *

  They were beautiful, Sam thought, watching as Alli and Megan ran with the wind, trying unsuccessfully to launch their home-made kite into the air. He would have helped, but it was more fun to watch them, their hair blowing in the breeze, Alli's a shiny copper penny, Megan's a glorious blond. Their faces were flushed, their voices pitched with excitement, their efforts broken up with laughter. They'd come to the park just down from Phoebe's house with Tessa and Jimmy, but while Jimmy was busy taking pictures of Alli and Megan, Tessa had disappeared. He realized where she'd gone when she walked up to him with a ragged kite in her hands.

  "Where did you dig that up?" he asked.

  "Grams's attic. Do you think it will still fly?"

  He took the kite from her hand and examined the edges for tears, but everything appeared intact. "A little ragged, but it should work.”

  "But not the way it used to, right?"

  She was talking about more than the kite. "Nothing stays the same, Tessa."

  She didn't say anything for a moment, her gaze moving from him to Alli, then back again. "Alli and I declared a truce," she said. "I wonder if you and I could do the same thing."

  "Of course. I never wanted to be at war with you, Tessa. I'm sorry I hurt you."

  "I'm sorry I hurt you, too," she admitted. "I didn't want to recognize my part in what happened, but I did play a role."

  "Alli and I were wrong. Unfortunately, we can't take it back, and neither one of us can regret our daughter."

  "No, you can't. She's beautiful and a part of you." Tessa paused, giving him a speculative look. "Alli is willing to let you go. Is that what you want, Sam? Do you want to be free of my sister?"

  There was a challenge in her words, a call to speak the truth. He thought about the pearl necklace Phoebe had given him, and her instructions to give it to the woman he truly loved. Was that Tessa—his first love? Or was it Alli—his wife, the woman who shared his life?

  "No, that's not what I want," he said.

  Tessa blew out a breath and slowly nodded. "I had a feeling. You should tell Alli. She'll never figure it out on her own. Now give me back my kite. I need to practice so I can beat you in the contest tomorrow."

  He smiled, relieved by the lightness in her voice. Things were going to be all right. "You can try."

  "I can do more than try. I almost always get what I want," she said. She gave him a wistful smile. "For a few minutes, I thought what if... but we can't recreate the past, and the truth is neither of us really wants to go back. So... friends?"

  "Always," he said.

  "Good.”

  As she left, he felt an incredible weight slip off of his shoulders. He headed across the park to join his wife and his daughter.

  "About time," Alli said. "We could use your help."

  "You've been doing a goo
d job."

  "Nobody does it as good as Daddy," Alli said, mimicking Megan's little girl voice. "You're her hero, you know, especially after you saved her from the bees yesterday."

  "I didn't think. I just acted. That doesn't make me a hero.”

  "That's exactly what it makes you." She paused. "I feel happy today. We found a pearl, Sam, among all those wild oysters, against all those odds—a beautiful pearl in a muddy, ragged shell. Who would have thought we could have done something like that? Who would have thought you and I could have brought a beautiful child into the world? Who would have thought that Tessa and I could be sisters again? Sometimes life amazes me."

  "It is a good day," he admitted.

  "I want to kiss you."

  His breath caught in his chest. It was the first time in a long time that she'd admitted to wanting him.

  "What's stopping you?" he asked.

  She glanced over her shoulder. Megan, Tessa and Jimmy had disappeared into a thatch of trees, their kite string caught in some branches. "Just one kiss," she told him.

  "For starters," he murmured, standing perfectly still, his heart thudding against his chest as she stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

  Her lips were warm, shy at first, then growing bolder as the kiss became deliciously familiar. He groaned down deep in his throat as he ached for a deeper, harder, longer kiss. But she was gone almost as quickly as she had come. And her eyes were not as happy as they had been a minute ago.

  "Don't keep saying good-bye," he told her. "It's not the last kiss."

  "It could be," she whispered. "Maybe it should be."

  "Since when have we done what we were supposed to do?" His words coaxed a reluctant smile out of her.

  "You've got me there." She hesitated. "Sam, I know about the offer to buy your business."

  "Tessa told you?"

  "No, Tessa didn't tell me. You told Tessa?" she asked sharply.

  "It doesn't matter, Alli. I'm not going to sell out."

  "Are you sure? This could be your chance to start over, Sam, in every way. Maybe you should take it."

  "I don't need to start over, Alli.”

  "Daddy, we need help," Megan interrupted, running toward them.

  "Looks like it's time for you to be a hero again," Alli said.

  "We're not done talking."

  "For now we are. We found the pearl, Sam. And I think somehow everything else is going to work out the way it's supposed to. For the moment, I'm going to just do what Grams always tells me to do."

  "What's that?"

  "Have faith."

  * * *

  Phoebe put a hand to her neck and felt the warm pearls against her skin. She looked at the man standing a few feet from her "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

  "As are you."

  "The girls found it together. They're a family again. I wish you could see them."

  "I can," he said simply. "And you, my love, are you ready to sail away with me?"

  She wasn't afraid anymore. In fact, the water was deliciously warm, and when she reached out to John, she could feel him. No more elusive longing. He was here. He was hers.

  "You won't leave me again?" she asked.

  "Not ever again. I love you, Phoebe. I've missed you."

  "And I've missed you."

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Alli grinned as Jimmy tried to talk Sam into climbing the tree and rescuing the kite entangled in the branches. Before she could suggest that Jimmy make the journey himself, her cell phone rang.

  "Hello," she said, flipping it open, expecting to hear Mary Ann's voice, but it was William. "What?" His words rocked her to the core. The group around her fell silent as she tried to make sense of what he was saying.

  "Phoebe has had another stroke," William repeated. "They're trying to resuscitate her. Hurry, Alli. Hurry."

  She flipped the phone shut, her gaze running immediately to Sam. "Grams has had another stroke. We have to go now."

  "No," Tessa cried, putting a hand to her mouth. "That can't be right."

  "She'll be fine. We have to believe that." But the word resuscitate ran through Alli's head.

  "Is Grams going to die?" Megan asked her.

  The question hung in the air for a long moment. "Why don't Megan and I stay here and practice our kite flying?" Jimmy suggested. "We'll meet you back at the house later. What do you say, Megan? I could use some more practice."

  She looked uncertain. "Mommy?"

  "It's a good idea, honey." Alli gave Megan a quick hug.

  "Okay. But you'll tell Grams I love her?"

  "I'll tell her."

  Alli just prayed she would have the chance.

  * * *

  In the minutes that it took to get to the hospital, Alli went through a hundred different emotions, but the one she kept coming back to was fear. Phoebe couldn't die. They'd found the pearl. It was supposed to make everything all right.

  Somewhere between the parking lot and her grandmother's room, Tessa took her hand, and Alli clung to it like a lifeline.

  Dr. Price stopped them outside the door to Phoebe's room. His face was a picture of compassion, of pity, of sympathy. Oh, God!

  "I'm sorry," Dr. Price said. "Phoebe had another stroke. A massive one this time. Her heart stopped. She didn't make it."

  "She didn't make it? What does that mean?" Alli asked wildly. "How could she not make it? She was getting better. You told me she was getting better. She was going home on Monday. I don't understand. She's not dead. She can't be dead. I have to see her."

  "Alli," Sam said softly, putting his arm around Alli's shoulders. "She's gone."

  "No. No." Alli looked into his eyes and saw the truth but she didn't want to believe it. "I didn't say good-bye. She can't go until I say good-bye." Alli turned her head and saw Tessa frozen in place, staring at the door to her grandmother's hospital room with an expression of pure terror.

  Alli slipped away from Sam and put her hand on Tessa's arm. Tessa looked at her in confusion. "Why is this happening, Alli?"

  "I don't know," Alli said shakily.

  "You can both go in if you want," Dr. Price said quietly. "Mr. Beckett is with your grandmother now, so whenever you're ready..."

  Alli glanced back at Sam. He nodded in encouragement. "I'll wait here for you."

  She took a deep breath and entered the hospital room. It was dark, not only from the closed blinds but because the bright lights that had disturbed her grandmother so were now dimmed in respect. William rose from the chair when he saw them, his eyes anguished, his hands trembling as he put his arms around both of them.

  When he released them, Alli looked over at her grandmother, lying flat in the bed, so still, so pale. Her heart broke and the tears streamed down her cheeks. "Oh, Grams," she whispered. "I wanted to tell you that I love you, but now you're gone, and I can't." She sat down on the edge of the bed and kissed her grandmother on the cheek, shocked by the coolness of her skin.

  Tessa came around the other side of the bed, keeping some distance between herself and Phoebe. "She looks like she's sleeping, like she might wake up any second and tell us that she can't die yet, because..." Her voice broke.

  "She hasn't finished counting the stars," Alli said with a sob.

  "She told us it would be all right," Tessa said in confusion. "Why isn't it all right, Alli?"

  Alli shook her head. "I don't know. I miss her already. I can't believe she's gone." She took a breath, feeling overwhelming sadness. "I'm never going to talk to her again. She's never going to walk into her house or kiss Megan or pick a flower in her garden or tell me to stop acting so childishly. I wanted her to see that I've changed, that I've grown up."

  "She knows that, Alli. She knew us better than we knew ourselves."

  Alli looked into Tessa's eyes. "How can we go on without her?"

  "We just will," Tessa said helplessly.

  The clock ticked off another loud minute. It was the only sound in the room, a painful reminder that they had been too late.

/>   "I thought the pearl would save her somehow," Alli said. "But instead I think it set her free. That's why she gave it to Sam. She must have known, must have felt something."

  "That's why she sounded like she was saying good-bye to us earlier. She didn't want to scare us but she wanted us to know that she loved us," Tessa said.

  "I feel so alone, so terribly alone."

  "You're not alone." Tessa held out her hand across the bed. "I'm here."

  Alli squeezed Tessa's hand. "Yes you are, thank God. We wasted so much time, but we can't forget again that we're sisters, Tessa. We share more than just blood and memories. We share love. And we are better together than we ever were apart." Alli looked down at Phoebe, feeling a deep and penetrating sorrow. "If Grams taught us anything, she taught us that."

  * * *

  Two days later, on the Fourth of July, Alli walked down the pier toward the boat where Sam, Megan, Tessa, and Jimmy waited for her and the silver urn she carried in her hands. It felt strange to be carrying her grandmother's ashes, but then the past forty-eight hours had been surreal as they had dealt with the business aspect of death all the while being frozen with grief and despair.

  There had been little time for reflection. They'd been busy answering the phone, receiving casseroles and desserts and filling out forms. Alli wasn't sure when it would all sink in—maybe today, when they spread her grandmother's ashes across the sea that she could never bear to leave.

  William met her at the end of the dock, standing away from the others in a stark black business suit. He'd lost weight, and there was a bleakness to his eyes that she would never forget. When she reached him, she gave him a hug, blinking back the perpetual moistness that claimed her eyes every time someone looked at her with sympathy.

  "Are you all right?" she asked.

  "Never again," he said gruffly. "But somehow I'll go on. We all will." He paused. "I'm not going out on the boat with you."