The Coast Road Home

by Vickie McKeehan

  “Now you sound like Dr. Nighthawk. He was so good to me in the hospital, felt sorry for me, I’m sure.”

  “You know, that’s what I thought at first, too. But Gideon has a tender heart with everybody. It comes from compassion rather than sympathy. Even the nursing staff says so. He’s not like any doctor I’ve ever met.”

  “You’re in love with him.”

  The comment was said matter-of-factly. But the truth of it caused Marley to bobble the plates.

  “Well?” Bette said. “You gonna sit there and deny it?”

  “No, ma’am. That would be pointless, wouldn’t it?” She took a big bite of pastry and gulped it down with coffee. “It’s strange how things work out. You tell yourself you’re never gonna love again. And then, when you’re least expecting it, this guy comes out of nowhere and turns your world upside down. I’m not even sure how I ended up here.”

  “From what I hear, you woke up from a coma, and there was Dr. Right, staring down at you.”

  Marley shook with laughter. “Gideon’s right. That sounds more like what happens on a soap opera than real life.”

  Bette lifted a shoulder. “Real life sucks.”

  Before Marley could agree, someone started knocking on the back door. “Who could that be? Gideon’s not due back from the airport until around noon.”

  “Are you expecting anyone else?”

  “No.” A bubble of panic lodged in her throat until she looked out the window to see Caleb strolling through the grounds.

  “Ah, he’s come to start my garden,” Marley said, as she unlocked the door. “Come on, let’s go see what he has in mind.”

  Bette and Barkley followed her outside.

  “So…if you’re here, you must be done at Gideon’s,” Marley shouted to Caleb from the patio.

  Caleb waved. “Finished up this morning just under the wire. His backyard looks like an oasis. Wanna see?”

  “As long as you got rid of that crumbling pavement, anything would be an improvement.”

  “Now would I settle for just getting rid of something?”

  “No, I guess not. Where would be the best spot for the vegetable garden? And with Barkley, keep in mind that I’ll either need raised beds or a fence.”

  Caleb noticed Barkley pawing in the patch of dirt. “Dog’s a digger I see.”

  “That’s the least of his bad habits, but I think a fence would solve the problem.”

  “It sounds like you already know what you want.”

  “I drew up a design for the garden, but it’s up to you to tell me if it’s doable.”

  “Let’s see what you got.”

  For the next hour, Marley went over every detail she’d so painstakingly plotted on paper. “I want lush, as lush as it gets, green everywhere. I want a pathway built using steppingstones with a bench set where it curves around the bend there in the yard. It makes sense so that I can see it from the sunroom. I want to add a small fountain. My kids loved the water. And I want to be able to look out here and see them in the garden, with the ocean as a backdrop and imagine them playing among the flowers. I want these statues—a boy and a girl—incorporated into the design. I want plants that are indigenous to the California coast. It’s up to you to figure out partial shade or full sun or whatever each plant requires. I do want lots of flowers, all kinds, all colors, but especially white daisies and anything that draws the hummingbirds and the butterflies and the bees. My girl, she liked butterflies. And try not to disturb the trees that are already here. They’ve been here longer than I have. It would be counterintuitive to get rid of them. So, I don’t want them uprooted if possible. The vegetable garden will be a separate project. Start that later. I don’t care. I’m not fussy about what vegetable grows where. I’ll leave that up to you to tell me what will grow here in the soil and what won’t. Leo and his grandpa loved their cantaloupe, so I’d like to give that a try. Other than that, it’s up to you.”

  Moved by how she’d included her kids in her idea of a memory garden, Caleb simply nodded.

  “Is there a problem? Can you do it?”

  “No, no problem. And yeah, I’ll make it look awesome.”

  “Lolly brought her neighbor with her?” Marley intoned. “And that’s why you’re this upset because she didn’t make the trip by herself?”

  “Yeah. Why didn’t she say something? She could’ve given me a heads up.”

  “I don’t know, but maybe it’s because she knew this is the way you’d react.”

  Gideon stood in front of the mirror, getting ready to go out for dinner. Marley moved in front of him to help him with his tie.

  “And why are they staying at the B&B?”

  Marley tried to stifle her amusement because she’d never seen him so dejected. “Maybe the two adults wanted some alone time. They didn’t want you to hear their rambunctious lovemaking going on down the hallway from your bedroom. Adults often seek places where they can be alone in a romantic setting when those initial feelings are in full bloom. It’s not that unusual, even at their age.”

  “Oh, shut up.”

  Marley’s shoulders shook with laughter. “I’m still not sure why you’re so angry. So, she brought a man with her. What’s the big deal? You were worried about her being alone back in Chicago. Now you don’t have to worry about that. She’s found comfort in her next-door neighbor.”

  “Across the street,” Gideon corrected. “He lives across the street. He used to be a dentist that probably got his training somewhere down in Guadalajara. I can tell he’s already got his hooks in her because this guy’s a charmer.”

  “A charming dentist? How awful for Lorelei. Well, we need to move it because I made reservations for three at The Pointe for dinner. I’m sure Perry can squeeze Angus in, no problem. I’ve already updated him to expect a foursome, not a threesome. That came out weird. Anyway, it’s all taken care of. We just need to adjust your attitude and the evening will be all set.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with my attitude.”

  Marley took his chin. “You’re so pissed right now that you’re radiating a wall of anger. Take it down a notch. You cool off. I’ll go pick up the lovers.”

  “Stop saying that! I don’t want that image in my head of the two of them, you know, like that.”

  “As a medical doctor, I’m surprised by your attitude. You should know that it’s perfectly natural for the elderly to enjoy a healthy sex life. In fact, studies show—”

  “Please, I beg you, stop putting that image in my head. You should see this guy.”

  She began to massage his shoulders, ran a hand down his back. “Wow, you have tension built up all over. My advice is, the sooner you accept Lolly’s relationship, the better off you’ll be.”

  “I don’t want to accept it.”

  “That’s just…dumb. But I’ll butt out. Are we picking them up? If so, we need to move. We don’t want to waste our reservation.”

  Gideon’s demeanor remained awkward through dinner. He seemed disgusted when Angus fed Lorelei little bites of food to sample off his plate.

  To Marley, the two seemed like a cute couple. But Gideon’s behavior persisted through the main course. And only got worse when Gideon began talking about houses in the area.

  “There are lots of homes for sale here to pick from, but there’s this one, cute as a button, a little Cape Cod oozing charm. I’m sure you’re gonna love it. It’s right across the street from here. I’ll drive by and let you take a look when we leave.”

  Because the subject jumped out of the blue with no warning, it caught Lorelei off guard. She exchanged a panicked look with Angus and put her hand on her fluttering stomach. “Gideon, honey, how many times in the last six months have you brought this up? And how many times have I tried to tell you that I’m not picking up and moving across the country?”

  Lorelei scowled over at Marley. “Help me out here. Can’t you help me make him understand what I’m trying to tell him?”

  “But the weather is so much
better here,” Gideon persisted, ignoring the plea.

  “It’s beautiful here, Gideon,” Lorelei said. “There’s no denying that. But it’s not for me. My home is where it’s always been, back in Geneva. I’m comfortable in my house. I know the neighborhood, and everyone knows me. The idea of packing up and starting over makes me physically ill. It’s not happening, honey. I’m sorry.”

  “Because of this guy?” Gideon snarled, not liking the sound of his own voice.

  Marley took hold of Gideon’s hand, did her best to deflate the ongoing tension. “He’s just disappointed. He was hoping you’d move closer. That’s all. He just wants what’s best for you. And now, he just needs time to accept that you’ve decided to stay put, where you’re happiest.”

  Marley continued to put pressure on Gideon’s fingers, squeezing them in a show of support. “She’s happiest back in Chicago, Gideon. That’s what’s important.”

  “I know, I heard,” he murmured, almost inaudible. “How long does this cruise last? And where are you sailing from? Los Angeles? San Francisco?”

  “We’ll be gone two weeks,” Lorelei replied. “And we fly from Santa Cruz to Seattle. A shuttle is supposed to pick us up when we get there and take us to the ship. The brochure says we get to see Denali and the Yukon territory, in addition to stopping at several ports along the way.”

  “How’re the accommodations at the B&B?” Marley asked, trying to flesh out more conversation. “I’ve heard it’s like a five-star hotel.”

  “It’s wonderful. We got The Starfish Room with a big king-sized bed. You know we could’ve eaten supper there. The innkeeper was a little disappointed we didn’t stay for dinner.”

  “You could have done that,” Gideon conveyed in annoyance. “But we thought you’d be staying in town.”

  “It’s a good restaurant,” Angus noted. “The food’s tasty. I’d order the coconut shrimp again.”

  “Wait till you see Perry’s infamous dessert list,” Marley added, flagging down the waiter. “Could we see the dessert menu? I don’t know about anyone else, but I could really use a big helping of Perry’s fresh strawberry shortcake right about now. And coffee.”

  The waiter handed off menus as thick as a book listing all the chocolate delicacies, as well as fruit pies that came with a side of ice cream. “Our special tonight is southern pecan pie with homemade vanilla bean.”

  “That sounds good,” Lorelei stated, snapping the menu shut, grateful for Marley’s intervention. “I’ll take that. We can share, can’t we, Angus?”

  “Sure thing.”

  The women were the only ones to order dessert and the only ones to chat while eating it. After the last bite, Gideon paid the bill and headed to the valet to get the car. Much to his dismay, Angus tagged along after him, leaving Marley alone with Lorelei.

  “I’m sorry about this,” Lorelei began. “I had no idea Gideon would take the news quite like this.”

  Across the table, Marley studied the woman. “I think you kinda did, right? Isn’t that why you didn’t mention you were bringing Angus along, hoping to soften the blow? It was a twofer, right? You let him know you didn’t want to move while shoving Angus in his face.”

  “You’re a smart girl. Okay, so my plan backfired. Angus is a nice man. I’ve known him forever. And I’ve spent the last twenty years alone since my husband died. I deserve some happiness, don’t you think?”

  “No one’s saying otherwise. And hey, I’m just the girlfriend. You should have this conversation with Gideon…just the two of you to set things straight.”

  “He’s so stubborn.”

  “All I know is that when I first met him, he told me about you, told me that he was hoping you’d move here. That’s all I know. Sometimes adult children find it difficult to accept that their parents are in a relationship, more so, when it concerns the mother. Seeing Angus with you took him by surprise, knocked him for a bit of a loop. He hasn’t had time to process it. A little warning might have diffused this entire thing.”

  Lorelei put her hands over her face. “I let Angus push me into letting him come, let him change the airline reservations to include himself and set us up at the B&B instead of staying at Gideon’s. I should’ve known better than to shove Angus in Gideon’s face. I didn’t handle this very well, did I?”

  “Look at it this way, you have four days to change Gideon’s mind about Angus. Make the most of it. And then you can look forward to that cruise you wanted.”

  “What I want is to have Gideon less angry with me.”

  “That might take a little longer.”

  Twenty-Four

  Over the next few days, Gideon’s anger leveled off. He spent more time with Lolly and got to know Angus. After all, they were a matched set. But to Gideon, Angus seemed a little too controlling, never letting Lorelei out of his sight for very long.

  It helped that a mix-up with overbooking had Lorelei and Angus checking out of the B&B and ending up staying at Gideon’s place.

  Marley wasn’t sure the mix-up was legit, but she didn’t pursue the reason behind the move, choosing instead to encourage some one-on-one time between Gideon and Lorelei. To do that successfully, she had to cull Angus from the herd and keep him busy.

  On Friday, she made a point of getting him involved with the party on Saturday, sending him on errands to fetch booze and supplies. She gave him a list of things to pick up and even let Angus drive the Scout. Anything to make sure Gideon had time to repair the damage with Lorelei.

  Because of the party, Caleb had held off starting the backyard garden. But he had drawn up the blueprints for the landscaping design. He’d taken her through the stages of what he planned to do, and Marley had signed off, anxious for him to get started.

  The three-day weekend kicked off Saturday morning at ten with the parade down Main Street. But people had shown up as early as seven to plunk down their chairs in a good spot.

  Marley marveled at the way everyone seemed to respect each other’s space. There were no shuffling chairs around, jockeying for a better seat, no hijinks stealing people’s stuff.

  At the staging area, participants gathered with their golf carts, go-carts, bikes, trikes, and everything in between. Taggart Farms brought four tractors decorated with red, white, and blue streamers. Kids pulled their wagons. The 4-H club rode horses.

  Music came courtesy of Blue Skies and Dark Horse, both bands playing their tunes on the backs of flatbed trucks. But it was the fire department that led off the festivities with three blasts from their horns, signaling the firetrucks could roll at the front of the procession.

  Crowds lined up in front of the stores. Marley sat in her lawn chair in front of Reclaimed Treasures in between Keva and Bodie.

  “I should be home putting the finishing touches on the potato salad, but I didn’t want to miss this. You’re both coming to the party tonight, right?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” Bodie drawled. “And since I don’t have to work tonight, I’m looking forward to it. Hard to believe Margie and Max are closing the Diner early to make your shindig. But I’m not complaining. Look at all these people. Where did they come from?”

  Keva waved over Julianne and Ryder who’d shown up late. “I hear the tourists have already set up near the wharf, well in advance of the fireworks.”

  “They ran out of space near the bay, so folks drifted over to Phillips Park and set up there,” Ryder added. “It’s like this every year I’ve been here.”

  “The town’s population doubles during the summer. Memorial Day is the start of it. There’s no bad spot in town to catch the fireworks, though,” Julianne declared as she took out an iced coffee and handed it off to Keva.

  “Thanks, boss.”

  “Anyone else?” Julianne asked, handing another off to Ryder. “There are two left.”

  Marley looked over at Julianne, then Ryder. “You guys are stopping by, right?”

  Julianne patted her shoulder. “We’ll be there. Something tells me half the town will sh
ow up. Are you sure you’re prepared for a massive crowd to feed?”

  “Gideon’s mom is helping. I’ve got Angus hopping. Ellie and Hannah have agreed to lend a hand. And the top surgeon in town is manning the barbecue grill.”

  “I offered to help,” Quentin said, standing with Beckham, looking on. “You’ll be okay if we don’t get called away on an emergency.”

  Marley scowled over at Quentin, beginning to panic at the thought of running out of food for that many people. “Don’t even think that. If I lose my grill master, what happens then?”

  “Relax. If Gideon gets called away, someone will step in and take over the cooking chores,” Simon Bremmer assured her, toting Jayden around on his shoulders so the boy could see the parade better. “Guaranteed.”

  “You won’t get left in the lurch,” Gilly piped up, holding her daughter, Delaney, in her arms.

  Marley took note. “If you guys are all here, who’s at the hospital with Gideon? He had to check on a patient.”

  Gilly shifted Delaney to the other hip. “Aubree’s there and so is Sydney. Sheena’s taking the late shift, so I won’t miss the fireworks with the kids. Let’s just hope everyone stays safe and healthy for the rest of the day, and there are no mishaps to deal with.”

  Marley hoped that, too. She’d thrown parties before, but this one seemed different. This seemed more like a carnival atmosphere from the very start.

  Because she expected so many people to drop by—at least a hundred—she and Gideon had decided to keep things simple. They served hotdogs and corndogs to the kids, burgers to the adults. They grilled corn on the cob and made veggie kabobs skewered to metal sticks. They had stocked several ice chests with beer and soda pop, along with providing gallons of lemonade.

  The locals appreciated not having to mingle with the tourists down at the pier. Her backyard provided the perfect place to gather with a view of the bay and the fireworks show that would start around nine.

  Many people brought their own blankets and settled in for the duration, stretching out on the lawn. Familiar faces blended with those she didn’t know.