Justin hadn’t been so lucky in love. His last relationship ended a few months ago, when he found out the woman he’d been living with for almost a year had tried to advance her career by sleeping with their boss. He should never have gotten involved with someone from work. They’d been two rising stars, and he realized now the only thing they’d had in common was a misguided drive to reach the top, to become part of the coveted inner circle at the firm. All he’d had left to do to get there was sell his soul.
Ben charged into the kitchen with his dog Hunter, his ever-constant companion, close on his heels. “Hi, Uncle Justin.” The boy skipped over to him and wrapped his arms around Justin’s legs in a hug.
“Hey, buckaroo.” Justin gave Ben a head rub. “I hear you caught yourself a rockfish last week.”
“Yep!” Ben’s boyish grin twitched with pride. “Daddy said it was a whopper! We ate him for supper. Mom got all grossed out when we took it off the hook, but Daddy said that was because baby Kate must not like fish.”
“Well, baby Kate doesn’t know what she’s missing yet. Wait till she’s big enough to taste it, and she’ll want us to teach her to fish, too, so she can eat it all the time.”
“I’ll teach my daughter how to fish, thank you,” Blake piped in. “I don’t want to be making any more trips to the emergency room than necessary.”
“Oh Christ,” Justin spouted, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling. “I hooked your aaa..ahh butt once,” he quickly corrected for Ben’s sake. “And I’m not even sure it was my fault anymore. Maybe you were just standing too close to me, or the wind caught my line.”
“The wind? Really, Jus?” Blake smirked. “Give it up, bro. You’re just lousy at casting.”
“I’ll teach you how to cast, Uncle Justin,” Ben offered, as seriously as a six year old could. “Daddy says I’m almost as good as him.”
“Thanks, buddy, but I think I’ll leave the fishing up to you and your dad. Now that I’ll be living nearby, though, I can teach you how to pitch. I was better with a baseball than a fishing rod.”
“Now that’s something I’d trust you to teach my kids.” Blake glanced at his son. “Your uncle had the best slider on the Eastern Shore, Ben. He almost became a professional baseball player.”
“Really?” Delaney looked from Blake to Justin.
Justin nodded. “I was approached by a couple of scouts when I played college ball. They invited me for a tryout, so I thought what the hell. A couple of teams were interested, but after I got over the flattery, I realized it wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
“Wow.” Delaney looked impressed. “I never knew you almost became a professional ball player.”
“Long time ago,” Justin said with a shrug. “Now I’m just a boring, soon to be even more boring, small town lawyer.”
“You’re far from boring, Justin,” Delaney said.
“Wait a minute,” Blake objected. “What about me?”
“You’re far from boring either, honey. Now, if everyone is feeling sufficiently pumped up, Ben and I are going into town. I need to go to the post office to pick up some stamps.”
“And we’re gonna go to Curly Custard for ice cream after,” Ben added, which earned him a frown from Delaney.
Blake grinned and hiked a brow at his wife.
“So you need stamps, do you, darlin’?”
Delaney harrumphed. “Come on, Ben.” She waved for the boy to follow her. “Little traitor,” she mumbled under her breath.
Blake laughed, his eyes glowing with humor as his wife and son walked out of the kitchen, and then looked at Justin and shook his head.
“What’s that about?” Justin asked.
“What she really needs is a vanilla soft serve with cookie crunch coating.” Blake gathered his breakfast dishes and stood up from the table. “She gets a craving for it almost every day now. That and Oreo cookies. I’m beginning to worry my daughter will be born with sugar running through her veins instead of blood.”
Justin studied his brother’s expression and felt a deep sense of happiness for him. He never would have pictured Blake so settled in the role of father and husband a couple of years ago. Now, he couldn’t picture him being happy any other way.
A SHORT while later, Justin drove into town to pick up some groceries. Although he’d found a building for his law office, he wasn’t ready to shop for a house. After he closed on Doc Simpson’s place, he planned to move into the second floor apartment until he could look for something more permanent. In the meantime, he was renting the cottage at their neighbor, Mary O’Meara’s, bed and breakfast.
Mary was like a second mother to him and Blake. She spoiled him with home-cooked meals and was always dropping off a pie or cookies. He adored the woman, but he didn’t feel right having her cook for him all the time, not when she wouldn’t let him pay her something extra for it.
The cottage had a small kitchen, so he ate half his meals there and the rest, he either gave in to Mary’s offers or went into town and ate at Mosey’s Diner. His condo in DC had a gourmet kitchen, and he’d enjoyed the rare occasion when he had time to prepare his own food. He was no culinary master like his sister-in-law, but he could throw together a respectable meal.
As he approached the grocery store entrance a short while later, he saw an attractive woman and a young girl standing in front of the long row of shopping carts stacked against the side of the building. The woman was trying to extract one, to no avail.
“Need some help, ma’am?” Justin offered as he came up behind them.
The woman looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. Three things struck him simultaneously: she had a smile that radiated kindness; she had the bluest eyes he’d ever seen in his life; and she had an aura that told him, here was someone special. It was just one of those feelings you get about certain people from nothing more than a look. Instinct—and if his was correct, this woman was somehow unique.
“Thanks, I always seem to get one that’s stuck.” She stepped aside. Justin took hold of the cart and with a solid tug, dislodged it.
“There you go.” He slid it free and gave her an abbreviated bow. “Always happy to help a damsel in distress.” He found it hard not to stare. She was stunning, and…he realized quickly, his steadfast ogling was making her uncomfortable. He stuffed a hand into his jeans pocket and then, grinning at his obviousness, backed away from the cart.
The corners of her lips twitched, lifting just enough to let him know she didn’t hold his male appreciation against him. “Thanks. You’re my new hero.”
“Come on, Chloe.” She put a hand on the young girl’s back and steered her toward the front doors. Justin took in their departure with appreciative eyes. The woman glanced around at him as he followed them toward the entrance and gave him a parting smile.
“Can we get some Trix, Mom?” he heard the little girl ask as the two headed inside. They veered off toward the produce section. The gentle sway of the woman’s slender hips set off an enticing rhythm in his brain, the memory of which he suspected would torment him for the better part of the day. He usually went for women with long hair. He knew it was a guy thing, but he liked it. This woman’s hair was short, super short, and dark as night. She was tall, with a pair of legs that went on forever and a pair of baby blues that would put a crisp July sun to shame. Justin clucked his tongue. Too bad she was married.
He shook his head and ambled off in the opposite direction. About ten minutes later he ran into the woman and her daughter again in the cereal aisle. She stretched her arm over the top shelf, trying to snag a cereal box that had gotten pushed to the very back, but even with her height it was beyond reach.
“Would you like me to get that?” he asked.
“Oh!” She spun around and slapped her left hand over her heart. “I didn’t realize anyone was there.”
“Didn’t mean to startle you.” He glanced at the hand on her chest and noticed her finger was devoid of a wedding band. Justin smiled broad
ly.
“I usually don’t have a problem reaching things, but the only large-size box is at the very back of the shelf.”
He retrieved it easily. “At your service, sugar,” he said with a drawl and a wink. She blinked. Man, her eyes were blue.
“Umm, thanks again.” The woman glanced down at her daughter, who was looking up at him. The girl’s eyes were brown; otherwise, she was a miniature version of her mother.
Justin looked back at the woman. “You’re welcome, again.” He was about to introduce himself and ask her name when she took her daughter’s hand and said, “We need to get moving, honey, or we’ll never finish everything we have to do today.”
Already in motion, she gave him a parting, almost dismissive glance. “Have a nice day,” she said, then hurried off with the girl in tow.
THAT NIGHT Justin made a simple supper of roasted chicken and salad. He ate on the patio behind the cottage and watched a great blue heron stalking along the bulrush that grew on the side of the marsh in search of its own meal.
His thoughts drifted to the woman he encountered at the grocery store. She had looked close to him in age, so if she was from Glebe Point or one of the surrounding towns, he probably would have known her. She could’ve been a few years behind him in school and he hadn’t paid her any notice, but even so, he would most likely have known her family.
Who was she? She’d attracted him at first glance, but when he saw the kid, he’d assumed she was married and didn’t act on it. When he ran into her again and saw she wasn’t wearing a ring, well, that changed things. Unfortunately, she’d bolted before he could discover anything about her. If she was shopping at the grocery store in town, though, she must live nearby. He was bound to run into her again, and when he did, he’d make sure he didn’t let the opportunity slip away before satisfying his curiosity.
He forked in the last bite of chicken and leaned back to enjoy the view.
“Good evening, Justin.” He turned his head to see Mary come around the side of the cottage. “I made a carrot cake today. I know it’s your favorite so I brought you a couple of pieces.” Carrying a plate with three enormous pieces of cake, the innkeeper stepped gingerly onto the patio.
“You know, sweetheart, if you keep bringing me cake and cinnamon rolls, I’m going to need to shop for some bigger jeans.”
She waved a hand in the air. “You’re a growing boy.”
“I’m thirty-four, Mary. I think I’ve done all the growing I’m going to do, unless it’s out.”
“A piece of cake once in a while won’t hurt.” She brushed off his remark as if it were, as she liked to say, poppycock.
Justin grinned. She loved spoiling him and, because it gave her so much pleasure, he usually let her. “I put a pot of coffee on before I came out here. Why don’t I pour us both a cup, and we’ll share this cake.”
“I’d love to, son. It’ll give us a chance to catch up.”
Justin went inside for the coffee and also grabbed a couple of plates and forks. When he came back out, Mary asked, “Did Toby Simpson accept your offer yet?”
“He did, and settlement’s set for June 28th.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.” She reached over and squeezed his hand. “It’s so nice you’re back in Glebe Point again. I know Blake and Delaney are thrilled, especially now with baby Kate on the way. You’ll get to see the children growing up.”
They had an enjoyable visit over coffee and cake. When Mary got up to leave, Justin mentioned casually, “I ran into a young woman in the grocery store today…tall, short black hair, I guess you’d call it a pixie…blue eyes. She may have moved to the area sometime after I moved away. Ring any bells?”
Mary’s own bright blue eyes perked up. “I can’t think of anyone matching that description. What’s her name?”
“I don’t know. I was hoping you might.”
“Hmm.” Mary wrinkled her brow. “What else can you tell me about her?”
Justin scratched his head. “Nothing really, except that…well, she was real pretty. Oh, and she had a daughter, probably close to Ben’s age. Cute kid.”
“Sorry, son.” His neighbor shook her head. “I’m afraid I’m no help. I could ask some of my friends to see if any of them know her.”
“Don’t bother. I was just curious because I’d never seen her around before. It’s no big deal.”
He probably shouldn’t have mentioned anything. Everyone knew Mary was a world class matchmaker. If she thought he had the slightest interest in a woman, any woman, she’d start trying to fix him up with every available female from here to Oxford. He certainly didn’t need that. After what happened with Brin, he had no intention of jumping into another relationship anytime soon.
By their third week in Glebe Point, Gabriella had begun to learn her way around. She hadn’t made any friends yet, but that would come in time. She’d spent every spare moment ripping out carpets, painting, and fixing up what she could on her own. There were more significant changes she wanted to make, but they would require professionals. The house would be a work in progress, but the things she’d accomplished so far had already made a big difference, and their new home felt lighter, brighter, and more cheerful.
Even without the remodeling she wanted to do, Gab loved the place. Their lives would be different here…more peaceful, more rewarding. She’d never lived in the country, or near water. Seeing deer cross their yard, or a bushy-tailed fox trot along the perimeter of the woods, filled her with a simple pleasure she couldn’t explain. She felt more content than she had in years.
She’d taken up the habit of going down to the dock early in the morning with her first cup of coffee. Starting the day with nothing but the waves whispering against the shore, or the occasional sighting of an eagle soaring silently overhead, was a delicious, tranquil luxury she embraced.
Chloe seemed to love their new home as well. That meant more to Gab than anything else. She had enrolled her daughter in a summer camp. Although she’d only put her in Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, it would give Chloe a chance to make some friends before school started in the fall. It also gave Gab three dedicated days, in addition to evenings and time spent on weekends, for her work.
Right now, she and Chloe were on their way to the Thursday afternoon children’s swim class Gab had located online. She’d also found one for herself on Monday mornings, but her first priority was that Chloe learn to swim. This would be her daughter’s first session, and Gab was thankful she’d been able to get her into a class so quickly.
They arrived at the recreation center a few minutes early and went inside to register. A short time later, Gab and Chloe stood around the pool with a small group of moms and their kids while one of the instructors went over the rules. Next, the staff divided the children into two groups, those who could swim and those who couldn’t.
It became quickly apparent to Gabriella that all the other moms knew each other. She supposed that was to be expected in such a small town. She felt a little like the odd duck out, standing off to the side by herself, but she wasn’t comfortable inserting herself into the group without some sign of invitation.
A splash drew her attention to the other side of the pool. The kids who could swim were getting into the water. A little further away was Chloe’s group. They were sitting in a circle on the cement with the teenage boy who was their instructor. They were too far away for Gab to hear what he was saying, but the kids were laughing. Gab smiled. He seemed to be taking his time to gain their trust and make them feel comfortable with him.
“Hi, I haven’t seen you around before. Are you new to the area?”
Gab glanced around to see one of the women who had been chatting with the group of moms standing a few feet away, a warm smile on her face.
“Yes, I am. My daughter and I just recently moved to Glebe Point from Connecticut.” She reached out to shake the woman’s hand. “I’m Gabriella.”
“Delaney,” the other woman said. “Is this your daughter’s fir
st lesson?”
Gab nodded. “We’ve never lived near the water before, and our new home is on a small bay. Until the poor girl learns to swim, I’m afraid she’s going to think I’m the most overprotective mom on the planet. She’s actually already hinted to that effect.”
Delaney laughed. “I don’t blame you. I felt the same way when my son Ben and I moved here a couple of years ago.”
“I thought everyone here, aside from Chloe and me, had roots about a hundred feet deep,” Gab joked before thinking. “Don’t get me wrong; I think it’s wonderful everyone seems to know one another. We’re just used to a much larger town, where people tend to stick to themselves.”
“I understand exactly how you feel. I’m originally from New York. Glebe Point took me a while to get use to, but I love it now.” She ran a hand over her belly. “It’s an especially nice place to raise a family.”
“When are you due?” Gab asked, having already taken note of Delaney’s condition.
“Mid-September.” The woman absolutely glowed, and it was hard not to share her joy.
“Congratulations.” Gab said warmly, feeling an immediate liking for this woman. “Do you know whether it’s a boy or girl?”
“A girl. Kate. My husband picked the name. And I have to admit, after being surrounded by males, I’m just itching to buy some frilly things to dress her up in.” Delaney chuckled. “It’ll be a refreshing change from dirty jeans and sweaty tee shirts.”
“Then for your sake I hope she’s nothing like Chloe. She’s got an aversion to anything pink, purple, or lacey, and she hates dresses—it breaks my heart, especially since I enjoy being a girly girl myself sometimes.”
Delaney frowned at the possibility. “Well, if Kate turns out to be a tomboy like your Chloe, you and I will just have to sneak off and go shopping together for nail polish and hair bows.”
“Deal,” Gab agreed, the prospect of becoming friends with Delaney delighting her. “But I’m afraid I’ll have to limit myself to headbands.” She ran her fingers through her ultra-short strands. “There’s no way a bow would stay in this.”
Letters to Gabriella Page 2