The Beach House

by Rachel Hanna

  “Yeah?”

  “You seemed lost in thought there for a minute.”

  “Sorry. I’ve got a lot going through my head. So, what are you doing on the mainland?”

  “I needed some different nails for some of the porch boards, and a few other things. The tile guy is coming tomorrow morning, so your new bathrooms will be done soon.”

  “I cannot wait.”

  “They’re installing the garden tub now, and my buddy, Dan, is putting in a new sink in the kitchen.”

  “It’s really coming together, isn’t it?” she said, unable to hide her smile.

  “It is. I’m so happy for you, Julie. You deserve a fresh start.”

  “Thanks. So, how’d your date go last night?” It was a personal question. She shouldn’t have asked. She knew that in her heart, but she wanted to know, if for no other reason than to live vicariously through someone else who was dating. But the look on his face made her sorry she asked.

  “Not great.”

  “Oh, really? Sorry.”

  “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting much. It was a set up by a friend of a friend. She’s more of a city woman, if you know what I mean.”

  “Dawson, I’m from the city,” Julie said, laughing.

  “Yeah, but you’re not a city woman.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “I don’t know how to explain it. But you’re… deeper.”

  “You think so?”

  “I do.”

  “So what went wrong on your date?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant as she took another bite of the cupcake.

  “Well, for one thing, she can’t swim.”

  “And she lives near the beach?” Julie was incredulous.

  “Right? Crazy. Anyway, she also hates being outside. We sat at an outdoor restaurant, and she complained nonstop about the heat.”

  “Why did your friend fix you up with this person?”

  “Who knows?” he said, laughing. “But, I’m not making wedding plans anytime soon.”

  “Do you want to get married one day?”

  “I was married for a time, back in my twenties, actually.”

  “Really? Mind if I ask what happened?”

  He paused for a moment. “She passed away.”

  Julie froze, her fork in mid air. “I’m so sorry I asked, Dawson. It wasn’t my place.”

  “You’re my friend, Julie,” he said, a soft smile on his face. “You can ask me anything.”

  “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  “Her name was Tania. We met on a deep sea fishing trip that was set up in my senior year of high school. We got married two years later. We were married for five years, planning our future, when she told me she was pregnant. We were over the moon excited.”

  “You have a child then?”

  His face fell a bit as he stared into the distance behind her, memories obviously overloading his brain.

  “No. When she was six months along, she went into labor early. They tried to stop it, but the baby came and didn’t survive. It was a boy. We named him Gavin. He was so cute. Had a head full of dark brown hair, just like I did when I was born. The men in my family are blessed with great hair,” he said, a small smile on his face.

  “I’m so sorry about Gavin. That must’ve been devastating,” she said, holding back tears.

  “It was. It still is when I really think about it. I’ll sometimes think of what he’d be doing now, ya know? Maybe he’d be working with me renovating your house, learning carpentry.”

  “I’m sure Tania was shattered when she lost her son too.”

  His eyes welled with tears, and he wiped a stray one that escaped, before clearing his throat. “She never knew.”

  “What?”

  “She started bleeding. They couldn’t stop it in time.”

  “Oh my gosh…” Julie reached out and put her hand over his.

  “There was nothing I could do. I just stood there, helpless, watching the nurses hover over my baby on one side of the room and my wife on the other. Then, they ushered me out as all of these people came running in to try to help her. A few minutes later, they came out and told me she was gone. Her mother passed out. It was terrible. Worst day of my life.”

  Julie didn’t know what to say. Her own problems seemed trivial in comparison now. How had this man survived all of this?

  “I’m in awe of you,” she said without thinking.

  “What?”

  “You’ve just been through so much loss. Your wife, your child, your brother. How have you managed to come out the other side being such a kind, caring man? I think I’d be in the fetal position. I’d hate God and everyone around me.”

  He smiled. “I don’t hate God. I sometimes don’t understand why I’ve lost the people I love, but then I see the beauty of the marsh and the ocean, and I know there’s a bigger purpose, ya know?”

  “I wish I did. I’m angry, and my problems are so much smaller than yours. I feel awful having even complained about them to you.”

  “Julie, your grief over losing your marriage is no less important than my grief. Loss is loss. But I hope that experiencing Seabreeze fully will really help you see that there’s more in this life for you. And for me.”

  “I hope so too.”

  Chapter 11

  Julie stood behind the cash register and waited for her first customer of the day. Working at Down Yonder had been interesting to say the least. Dixie had trained her over the course of a week, and the two of them had had more fun than should’ve been allowed at work. They’d blared music when customers weren’t in the store, pigged out on cupcakes and cookies and gossiped about all of the new people Julie was meeting in town.

  But, today seemed slower. The summer was winding down a bit as more schools started in other areas. Tourists were more interested in being at the beaches and local restaurants than coming to the little mom and pop bookstore.

  She decided to busy herself straightening one of the bookshelves. Then, she heard the bell on the door and walked to the front. Dawson was standing there, a bag in his hand.

  “Hey there!” Julie said, always happy to see her friend. Of course, she saw him almost everyday at home as he was always working on something. Her house was more livable now, and it was almost time to start the decorating process.

  “Hey. Boy, this place is empty today.”

  “Yeah, I’m pretty bored. What’s in the bag?”

  “Old Mr. Schuster isn’t feeling well, so I offered to pick up his prescription. He’s the man who lives in the little green house by the bridge.”

  “Ah, yes, I know the one. That was nice of you to pick it up for him.”

  “No big deal. Where’s Dixie today?”

  “She’s at a training for something about protecting sea turtles. All I know is she was very excited to get back to volunteering more,” Julie said as she went back behind the counter and leaned against it.

  Someone walked into the store, interrupting their conversation. It was a middle aged man wearing a suit, not something they commonly saw around town. Everybody wore shorts and flip flops, even on the mainland.

  “Can I help you?” Julie asked.

  The man walked to the counter and sat his briefcase there. “I’m looking for Julie Pike.”

  “Oh. That’s me.”

  He popped open the briefcase and pulled out a folder. “Then I guess you’ve been served.” He handed her the folder, closed his briefcase and walked out.

  Julie stood there, stunned, holding the folder. “What on Earth?”

  “Sounds like someone sent you legal papers?”

  She opened the folder and saw the word divorce at the top. Then it made more sense.

  “My divorce papers,” she said, softly. It wasn’t like she wasn’t expecting them. But Michael had texted to tell her they could handle this amicably and not get attorneys involved. Looked like he changed his mind.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I mean, I knew I would get them event
ually,” she said, looking them over. “But it’s obvious that Michael wanted everything done by the book to protect his money.”

  “Can’t you get alimony?”

  She closed the folder and sighed. “Maybe. But I don’t want it, honestly. I want a fresh start, and I don’t even want his money near me. Probably sounds stupid and short sighted to you.”

  Dawson shook his head. “No, actually it sounds strong. Listen, I want to show you something. What time do you get off?”

  “We close at three today.”

  “Okay. I’m going to draw a little map here,” he said as he sketched out the shape of the island. “Meet me here at four,” he said, as he placed a big X on the paper.

  “What is that?”

  “You’ll see,” he said, smiling. “Don’t be late!”

  He walked out of the door, waving as he went, and Julie wondered what was in store for her.

  Was this a date? This couldn’t be a date. They were friends, nothing more. And she wasn’t even officially divorced yet. These were the thoughts Julie was thinking as she drove over the bridge and back onto Seabreeze.

  Did he like her as more than a friend? Did she feel the same way? Was this too soon? Did she even know the signs of someone liking her?

  She looked down at the little map Dawson had drawn and then looked at the time on her car clock. A late customer had kept her at Down Yonder longer than expected, and now she was rushing to meet him in time. She would have preferred to go home first, change her clothes and make herself more presentable.

  This is not a date, she reminded herself.

  She pulled down a small road that she honestly hadn’t noticed before and parked where Dawson put the X. His truck was sitting there, so at least she knew she was in the right place.

  She stepped out of her car and looked around. “Dawson?” she called, a bit of a quiver to her voice. This was how those real crime shows started on TV.

  “Over here!” Dawson called from down a path to her right. She followed his voice and then stopped.

  “Where are you?”

  “Look up,” he said. She craned her head and saw the silhouette of him above her in a tree with thick, low hanging branches covered in moss.

  “What are you doing up there, crazy person?” she yelled back.

  He climbed down and jumped the last few feet, landing in front of her. “The better question is what are you doing down here?”

  “If you think I’m climbing up into this tree, you’ve lost your mind,” she said, turning to walk back to her car.

  “I guess your sister is the more adventurous one.”

  She stopped in her tracks and turned around. “Excuse me?”

  “I bet she’d climb this tree.” He stood there, his face expressionless.

  “Are you trying to be mean?”

  “I’m trying to show you the island from a different perspective.”

  “I don’t like heights, Dawson.”

  “Do you like staying in your box?”

  “You’re being awful right now.”

  He finally smiled. “I was trying to be a tough guy. I can see that doesn’t work well with you.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Seriously, I hate heights.”

  “I would never let you fall. I hope you know that.”

  She sighed. “I believe you. But, I can see everything just fine down here on the safe ground.”

  “Not what I’m going to show you.”

  He was peaking her interest, but not enough to cause her to risk life and literal limb.

  Dawson walked closer. “Your husband is a freaking jerk.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know,” she said with a laugh. Dawson stood right in front of her.

  “He’s in Boston right now with some tart while you’re here starting over.”

  “You’re being mean again.”

  “He thinks you need him. He thinks he got to you. He thinks you’ll always stay in your little box and not have a life without him.”

  “Oh, I see what you’re doing now. You’re trying to goad me into climbing this tree to spite my husband.”

  Dawson pointed upward. “This tree represents you climbing out of that pit of marriage you were in… all those lies… all that betrayal. And when you get to the top, you’ll see your whole new beautiful future laid out in front of you. Don’t you want to see that? Don’t you want to push past all of your fears? Don’t you want to be something… someone… totally new?”

  It was working. He was getting to her.

  Julie took in a deep breath and blew it out. “Yes! I want to climb up there! But if you let me fall, I will haunt you forever.”

  Dawson laughed. “I believe it.”

  Slowly but surely, he helped her climb up the lower branches. Every time she faltered, he was there with a steady hand on her back, pushing her upward. The man was strong, no doubt about it. She tried not to think of whether he was looking at her butt. After all, she’d had two kids and no gym membership for a few months.

  Every so often, they’d stop for a moment to catch their breaths, but Julie didn’t dare look down. She was afraid she might just pass out if she did.

  “Just reach up and grab that platform,” Dawson said, as they neared the top. Sure enough, she felt around and there was a flat area made with two by fours. He pushed her up a bit and she crawled onto the area, never so happy to be anywhere in her life. The thought of having to get back down was a bit terrifying, though.

  Dawson joined her a few moments later. They didn’t speak for a moment as they caught their breaths again, but then Julie finally looked outward and saw the most beautiful view she’d ever seen.

  “Oh my goodness. Look at this!” she said, not thinking about the fact that he’d probably seen it a million times in his life. “Why is this platform here?”

  “This property belonged to my uncle when I was a kid. We built this together so we could see the best views of the island.”

  “It’s gorgeous, Dawson. I mean, I can see the whole stretch of beach over there and then the views of the marsh over here.” She stared at it for a few moments before looking at him. “Thanks for making me do this.”

  “Glad you like it,” he said with a wink. Between that and the crooked smile, she felt like she needed to fan herself.

  Julie pulled her phone out of her pocket and pressed the camera app.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, reaching over and touching her phone.

  “I was going to take pictures of these beautiful views.”

  “You can’t do that.”

  Julie was confused. “Why?”

  “Because a picture can’t capture this present moment. It can’t capture the smell or the sounds or the colors. You have to save those in your mind.”

  “You’re pretty deep yourself, Dawson Lancaster,” she said, sliding her phone back into her pocket.

  “This place is beyond what you can express in a photo,” he continued as he looked out over the marsh. “People can’t understand why I love it here so much, but once you see the island from up here, it’s hard to ever leave.”

  She looked around again, closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. It really was the most tranquil place on Earth. In all of her visualizations about a beach house, this wasn’t what she’d pictured. Instead, she’d always seen the requisite glass front beach house sitting on white sand with multiple decks overlooking the ocean.

  But this was somehow better. It was real. It was beautiful and complicated and simple at the same time.

  “I’d like to teach you some things about this area, if you want to learn?”

  “Of course! I’m all ears.”

  “Okay. This tree we’re sitting in is called a live oak. These are the ones covered in moss that line the streets on the mainland. They’re great for climbing, as you can see.”

  “Yes, I can definitely attest to that,” she said, smiling.

  “We also have other trees like the bl
ack gum, longleaf pine and river birch. The river birch trees are the ones that look like the bark is peeling off. See, there’s one over there.” He pointed off into the distance as Julie followed along.

  “I think I have one in my yard. I thought it was dying.”

  “Nope. That’s just how they look.”

  “Glad I didn’t cut it down,” she said.

  “This area has over three-hundred fifty thousand acres of everything from beaches to saltwater marshes to cypress swamps. We’ve got several endangered species here including loggerhead turtles and bald eagles. Of course, we have our share of alligators here too.”

  “Terrifying.”

  “Generally speaking, if you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. So, tell me, in the marsh, what is all that grass called?”

  “Cord grass.”

  “Man, you’re a wealth of information.”

  He smiled. “Growing up here, we learned a lot about our own area in school. We take pride in this coastal area and all of the unique parts of it. From the plants to the bugs, I spent my whole childhood learning everything I could. I wanted to be a biologist.”

  “Why didn’t you become one?”

  “Aw, life got in the way, I suppose. But I still get to learn as much as I want. I just don’t get paid for it. Now, you’ve noticed the tide comes in and out of the marsh behind your place, right?”

  For the next hour, Dawson explained just about every part of the island and surrounding areas. He was like her own personal tour guide, giving her fact after fact. She worried there might be a test later.

  As she watched him, she was in awe yet again. His knowledge, and excitement about his home, was fun to watch. She’d never felt close to her hometown where she grew up. But Seabreeze was already starting to feel like home and like a place she could never imagine leaving.

  “Thanks for bringing me up here,” Julie said after they’d finished talking.

  “You’re very welcome. Sorry I talked so much.”

  “I’m not. It was nice to hear about this new place I call home.”

  He smiled. “Do you think you’ll stay here?”

  She nodded. “I actually think I will.”