by Jenny Hale
“That’s a good idea,” Ben said. “I know Wes had someone helping Maggie when she had her knee surgery. We could go into town and ask tomorrow.”
Hallie scraped the melting ice cream in her bowl to get a mouthful onto her spoon. “Let’s go in together. I wanted to take a look at that gallery.” She finished her bite and then turned to Mama. “Would you like to go with us, Mama?”
“I’d love to. It would be nice to get out again and talk to people. Aunt Clara would’ve wanted that for us. She was a people person. Her love of being around others was what made her such an excellent designer. She could read people really well, and she was a great judge of what they’d want.”
Hallie had to wonder if it was that judgment that had made Aunt Clara give her the list. Her aunt might have known what Hallie wanted before she did. But only time would tell…
ELEVEN
“The key is water,” Uncle Hank said from the chair that Ben had set up for him under a nautical-striped beach umbrella in the sand this morning, so he could help Hallie build a sandcastle. Ben had taken everything out to the shore for them, but then Ashley had called and asked him if he’d go into town to have coffee. Hallie had encouraged him to go, even though Ben had wanted to be with them for this.
“Even when you think you’ve got too much,” Uncle Hank continued, “you dump more on. It won’t hurt at all. It just soaks in.” The umbrella flapped wildly against the wind, rippling above them, but Ben had secured it well.
Hallie tipped a bucket over, the salty water splashing onto the sand.
“Get one more bucketful.”
She turned another over, the white sand becoming a pale shade of tan, the umbrella casting a long shadow over it.
“Now, start to shape your sand. Pack it into that plastic castle mold you have there.”
Hallie did as she was told, and what had seemed nearly impossible was now so easy. She was building it high, each section staying in place perfectly. All she’d needed was a little help from Uncle Hank. For years, he’d held his secret in. No one knew how he was able to do it, and surprisingly none of them had figured it out.
She stacked another castle on top of the other, using her hand to mold it gently. “This is so easy. When I was growing up, why didn’t you tell me how to do this?”
“You never asked.”
Hallie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, thinking about his statement. They’d had lots of conversations and he’d offered so much about himself in them, but he was right: she’d never asked him about things. What had he felt over those years? What did he miss the most about them? Perhaps she should start now.
“What’s your favorite memory of this place, Uncle Hank?”
His focus landed on the bending sea oats before turning back to her. “It’s too hard to choose one in particular. That would be awfully unfair to all the other memories, and there are so many.”
“What would you take away from Starlight if you ever had to leave?” she asked, as she packed sand around the base of the tower, smoothing it with her fingers.
“Mmm. The soul of it.”
“Which is?” She rinsed her hands in the bucket of water and flicked off the excess.
He ran his fingers over his knees, thinking. “Love. There was a lot of love here. More than I’ve ever seen anywhere else in my life.”
Hallie stood up, her entire attention on him. Uncle Hank was the lucky one. Hallie’s father had run off when she was little, Sydney had met the same fate with Christian, and now Hallie had broken off her own engagement. Yet Uncle Hank’s first thought was of love. It had to be his and Aunt Clara’s. “How did you and Aunt Clara do it?”
“What do you mean?’
“How did you and Aunt Clara manage that level of happiness for so long?”
“There’s not just one answer to that question, but I suppose if I had to choose the most important thing, I’d say it’s just showing up. During the good times, the bad ones, the moments you can’t believe you’d ever be as busy as you are, just be there for each other. Show up.”
“How do you know when you’ve found that one person you want to show up for?”
“Because you can’t go through an entire day without thinking about them.”
Hallie considered this. The only person like that for her was Ben. “I hope I’m lucky enough to find someone like that one day,” she said.
“Sometimes, it’s when you stop looking that you find what you’re searching for. You have so many good years ahead of you. Don’t rush it. He’s out there. It’s just not quite time for the two of you yet.” He cleared his throat. “But when it is time, pay attention to every single moment because it flies…” He looked back out to the sea oats.
“I will, I promise,” she said quietly. “Look!”
He peered down at her castle. “You did it.”
“I did!” She laughed, delighted to have finished it so easily.
“Number one on your list is done!”
Hallie didn’t want to mention that number one was the easiest on the list. “Was I supposed to learn something from this? I feel like Aunt Clara is trying to tell me something.”
“Oh, I suppose you could learn a lot of things: patience… perseverance… that you should spend time talking to an old man because he enjoys that…” He grinned. “Thank you for taking my mind off the hard stuff for a while.”
She soaked up the delight she found in seeing his happiness. “Any time.”
* * *
“Are you ever planning to bring Ashley to Starlight?” Hallie asked Ben as he got out of the jeep. She would be a breath of fresh air to have around.
Beau, who’d been running in the water all morning, raced over to greet him, and Ben reached down and scratched behind his ears. Beau pressed his forehead to Ben’s leg while his tail whipped back and forth.
“You really don’t have to spend all morning in town. Have her over. We can make her breakfast. It would be fun.”
“I think you all need to have family time.” Ben shut the door to the jeep. “I’d feel horrible imposing on the family with an outsider. Uncle Hank probably likes the solitude to grieve. It’s bad enough I’m eating his ice cream…”
“You might as well be family, so don’t think for one minute that you being here is an issue.” She walked around the vehicle and stood in front of him in the shade of the palm tree, to avoid the blazing sun. “And Uncle Hank told me today that he was glad I pulled him outside and talked to him. It got him away from all the heavy thoughts he’s been having for a while. I don’t think he wants solitude.” She walked along with Ben to the water hose. He cranked the rusty wheel and the water came on. “He really loves being around you. He wouldn’t mind at all if you brought Ashley over, I’m sure.”
“Maybe another time.” Ben held the hose over Beau’s water bowl and filled it up to the brim before turning the hose off. Beau ran over to it and lapped half of it up, the water sloshing back and forth, dropping spots onto the stoop.
“Nobody else would mind either. It would probably lighten the mood.”
Beau ran back out to the beach.
“It might not be the best timing. I went into town to give her some closure… I broke things off with her.”
“Oh my goodness, Ben. I’m so sorry. What happened?”
He stared into her eyes for a second before shaking his head. “I just didn’t have the same feelings for her that she had for me.”
“That’s too bad. I really liked her.”
Ben took in a long breath and nodded in understanding.
“What time are we taking your mama into town?” he asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.
Hallie let him. He seemed troubled by the situation with Ashley and she didn’t want to make him rehash things. “I think she’s ready whenever we are.” Hallie grabbed Ben’s arm. “But first, I want to show you something!”
“You do?” He gave her his complete attention, a loving grin on his face.
“Yep! Follow me.” She pulled him toward the water, leading him until they reached the sand. “Look what I made.”
“You built a sandcastle! That’s great, Hallie—I’m so excited for you.” He gave her a little squeeze. “Only four more things on the list. What’s number two?”
Hallie frowned. “Become a photographer. Just up and change an entire profession—no big deal.”
“Perfect. We’re stopping by the gallery in town. Bring your camera. With your talent, we’ll show the owner, he’ll hire you immediately, and we’ll be able to mark that off the list by dinner.”
“I hear you,” she said dryly, trying not to let on how much his upbeat teasing helped her through this.
“Let’s go in and get your mama. We should ask Sydney and Robby to come too. The more the merrier.”
“I’ll round them up while you get Beau into the jeep.”
* * *
Sydney offered to stay with Uncle Hank in case he needed anything, but Robby wanted to go, talking a mile a minute to Ben as they headed out to the guesthouse driveway. They all reached the jeep and climbed in.
“Should we go to Wes and Maggie’s first? We can have lunch and see if Wes can give us the name of that caretaker,” Mama said, holding back her hair as the warm summer wind whipped through the open jeep.
“Maybe I can have the drink I like with the whipped cream and cherry? The Orange Smash,” Robby asked. “And their homemade caramel popcorn pie for dessert?” He reached over and rubbed Beau, who was sitting between him and Mama.
Wes and Maggie were friends with Sally Ann, and she delivered novelty pies daily for their dessert menu. The most popular was the caramel popcorn pie, exclusively baked for the restaurant. “I wouldn’t dream of going to Wes and Maggie’s without having the caramel popcorn pie,” Ben said, as he made eye contact with Robby in his rearview mirror. “That’s the real reason we’re going, right? So we can all have the pie?”
Robby giggled.
They drove down the scenic route connecting all the villages, and dotted with restaurants and shops along Firefly Beach’s little stretch of it. With the tourist season in full swing, the walk-up gelato and hot dog stands were full of vacationers, clad in their swimsuits, brightly colored beach towels thrown over their shoulders and wrapped around their bodies, their hair wet from a morning in the warm waters of the gulf. While Firefly Beach was known as Florida’s best-kept secret, the little village was slowly gaining traction among artists and those seeking a quieter beach vacation than its neighboring towns could offer.
It was only a few minutes’ drive into town and they pulled up at the restaurant. One whole wall of garage-style doors was open to the sea. The deck overlooking the gulf was crowded, the red umbrellas up on every table, with matching pots of geraniums lining the edges of the decking, which sat right in the sand. The brightness of it against the aquamarine background was the picture of summer.
“I texted Wes before we left, and he’s holding us a table just inside near the opening to the deck,” Ben said.
Beau jumped out with them and walked beside Ben. He was so well mannered that Wes allowed Ben to have him on the deck whenever they were in town. Their lunch table was the same one every time—right at the open doors so they could eat in the cool shade inside while Beau lay on the deck. Wes even had a water bowl for him. While Wes always joked that he was making special arrangements just for Ben, Hallie knew that he’d probably let anyone bring their dog if it was as good as Beau.
They all took their seats and Wes joined them from the other side of the bar.
“Glad to see my favorite family!” he said, assisting Robby with his chair. “Let me grab your drink order and then I’ll get Maggie. She’s in the back. She’d love to see you!”
“You know what drink I want!” Robby told him with a big grin.
“I’ve got you covered—one Orange Smash coming up!”
Wes took the rest of their orders and hurried into the kitchen to get Maggie. Hallie couldn’t wait to see her. Maggie was one of Aunt Clara’s good friends. If Hallie tried to count the number of times she’d found the two of them in the rockers on the back porch, drinking sweet tea, she’d be there all day. They’d met when Maggie had first moved to Firefly Beach, and they’d become fast friends.
“Oh, my stars!” Maggie said, shuffling quickly from the kitchen, both hands on her heart, showing off a large silver and turquoise ring. Her long, graying hair was twisted up into a clip to combat the summer heat, completely exposing her smiling face. She’d made a name for herself nationally, singing jingles for commercials, but gave it all up to run the restaurant, and she made everyone there feel like family. “I have missed you!” She ran over to Hallie and gave her a hug, moving around the table and greeting each person the same way. “We’re missing a few. Where’s your mom?” she asked Robby.
“She stayed with Uncle Hank,” he said.
Maggie offered a knowing smile toward Hallie. “Sydney is always the helper,” she said. “I hope Hank is doing okay.”
“He’s up and down,” Mama said.
“Is he able to come in sometime? I really miss him. And I know he could use a cup of his favorite coffee! I’ve always got a pot on for him.”
“We haven’t gotten that far yet. He’s still grieving pretty badly. It might do him some good to come in though.”
Wes maneuvered around Maggie and set Robby’s drink down in front of him. He’d put a dollop of whipped cream on top and two cherries instead of one. Clearly he remembered how much Robby liked them.
“We’re looking for someone to take care of him when we aren’t there,” Mama said. “Didn’t you have a woman who helped you while you recuperated from your knee surgery, Maggie?”
“I did, but she left town to be a songwriter. Moved to Nashville—I should’ve called you, Ben. You might have been able to show her the ropes.”
Ben smiled.
“I wanna be a music producer when I grow up,” Robby said, attempting to join the conversation. “I wanna be just like Ben.”
“You do?” Ben said, clearly amused. “What makes you think so?”
“I like hearing different instruments.”
“That’s a big part of it. The fun bit is when you get to put all the sounds together. It’s like that big puzzle we did last year: the whole picture isn’t there until all the pieces are in the right order.”
Robby moved up onto his knees and took a drink from his straw. Then he said to Ben, “Do you ever get tired of doing your job?”
“Nope. It’s one of my favorite things to do.”
Robby sucked down a little more of his drink, never taking his eyes off Ben. “What’s something else you like to do as much as making music?”
Ben glanced over at Hallie. “Hanging out with this family.” Ben’s parents had been older when he was born, and by the time he was old enough to travel around, they weren’t able to keep up, so he’d spent most of his days with Hallie and her family. His parents had been grateful to Mama for taking him in and allowing him to travel with them.
Maggie put her hand to her heart. “Ben, the family is lucky to have you in it.”
“Oh my goodness!” A familiar sugar-sweet voice sailed over to their table. Ashley walked toward them, smiling, her white and red floral sundress showing off her tan. Her blonde hair was pulled loosely into a ponytail with little wisps falling around her face, complementing her blue eyes, which seemed sad today, despite her pleasant demeanor. She was one of those people who seemed to have no idea how pretty she was; her beauty was effortless. And she was as nice inside as she was out. She looked over at Ben with unsaid words, but she didn’t break that welcoming smile of hers. “Hi Hallie!”
Hallie was genuinely happy to run into Ashley. She’d been able to spend time with Ashley on a few different occasions, and the more they got to know each other, the more they realized their similarities.
“Hi, I’m glad we saw you!” Hallie said. “We should have coffee sometime. Ho
w long are you here?”
“A couple of weeks.” She looked unsure. Her gaze fluttered back over to Ben.
Ben was silent, but his expression was kind. He had one arm propped up on the back of his chair, his concentration on Ashley.
“You can eat with us now, if you’d like, Ashley,” Mama offered. “I’m sure Ben would appreciate having you join us for lunch. He’s too polite to ask since he’s here with all of us, so we’ll do it for him.”
“Oh, I can’t. I’m sorry. I’m here picking up a to-go order for my grandparents. Mimi’s bridge club is playing today and they’ve ordered everyone lunch. But maybe another time.”
“I’ll get Wes to bring it out for you,” Maggie said. “Follow me up to the bar.”
“She’s such a nice girl, Ben,” Mama said when Ashley was out of earshot.
“Yes, she is,” Ben said. He was quieter than usual in Ashley’s presence. His lightheartedness and fondness didn’t come through the way they did when he and Hallie were together, and Hallie realized that she hadn’t ever seen that level of affection between Ben and Ashley. They seemed like the best couple on paper, but sometimes things just weren’t meant to be.
Wes came out with carrier bags full of food, and handed them to Ashley.
Ben stood up immediately, going over to them. “Let me help you,” he said, taking the bags.
When he’d left, Mama addressed the rest of them. “I feel bad that he’s setting his own life aside to help us. Please make sure Ashley comes over. It’s the least we can do after everything he’s done.”
“I will,” Hallie said. Why did everything feel like it was changing all at once?
TWELVE
The water was restless today, crashing as angrily as the small gulf waves could muster, the red warning flags flapping wildly on the public beaches. There was the possibility of a thunderstorm, according to the weather report, but so far the sun was still shining. Ben and Hallie walked ahead of the others as they made their way to Coastal Lens Gallery, the sunshine glaring off its shiny new sign.