Saving Sandcastles

by Meredith Summers

  She certainly couldn’t carry her, but Rob could. And he was so good with her, so kind and patient. Jane hadn’t been lying about that. This sort of thing, it wasn’t the kind of thing someone could fake.

  “I suppose if you want to carry me…”

  “I can think of no greater honor,” Rob teased. He stood, scooping Adelaide into his arms as he did. She let out a squeak and wrapped her bony arms around his neck.

  He turned to Claire. His thoroughly soaked shirt stuck to his body. Raindrops snaked down his face, but even the dark afternoon from the cloudy overhead sky couldn’t snuff out the brilliance of his eyes. He was calm, in control. “Are you okay making your way back to the inn on your own? I think it’s better if I run.”

  “Of course,” Claire said, stepping back without thinking. She met his gaze for a moment more before he took off. Adelaide whooped, the sound almost swallowed by a fresh peal of thunder. Dimly, Claire heard her shout something about jealousy and someone named Sadie Thompson.

  They were gone before Claire started to move. She couldn’t run as fast, but with the rain splattering her at every turn, she moved as quickly as she dared. She kept her eyes peeled for Addie’s other shoe but didn’t find it. She cradled the first between her hands and followed in Rob’s wake, wondering if she might have misjudged him after all.

  And what had he meant when he’d said he had “experience” with dementia?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Rain pelted the sides of the bed-and-breakfast. Outside, flashes of lightning reflected off the wavy glass of the old windows. Thus far, the power had held, but in a house as old as Tides, Claire wasn’t holding her breath.

  Everyone who had participated in the search had been contacted and accounted for. Some had gone, but a small crowd remained, clustering in the gathering room at the back of the inn, the only room big enough to accommodate that many people. Brenda had put together a platter of grapes, cheese, and crackers. It sat next to a pot of coffee on the table facing the wide windows looking out to the ocean.

  Everyone’s attention was on Addie. She sat in an oversized armchair, a heavy navy striped blanket tucked around her. She looked very small, like a child being tended to by her mother, as Jane knelt at her feet to examine the cut. The first aid kit was laid out next to her, bandages and gauze scattered haphazardly and spilling over the white plastic sides.

  Kneeling next to Addie, with a towel hanging around his neck, Rob held her hand and spoke to her, keeping her calm as Jane tended to her foot. His messy wet hair made him look as if he’d just stepped from the shower. Now why in the world was she having thoughts like that?

  As if he could feel her gaze, Rob looked up and smiled at her. Claire smiled back before she could catch herself. Rob was very attentive to Addie and had seemed concerned about the woman, but Claire warned herself not to be fooled. It was hard to fit this facet of him against that of the ruthless bakery owner she’d built up in her head, but people often acted nice when they had ulterior motives.

  Not wanting to stare at him, Claire moved to the window, popped a grape in her mouth and poured a cup of coffee. The rain was starting to let up, thankfully. Claire didn’t relish the idea of taking the Vespa back to Sandcastles. She could ask someone for a ride, but then she would have to walk back down and get it later.

  She was on her third grape when a dry towel was thrust into her arms. “Here,” Rob said unceremoniously. “You look like you could use this.”

  “Thank you.” She put the coffee down, wrapped the towel around her shoulders, and started drying her hair with the end.

  Rob tucked his hands into his pockets, reminding her again of that fifteen-year-old boy she’d kissed decades ago. “I’m glad you made it back safely.”

  “I know the beach pretty well, so it wasn’t that hard.” Had she sounded bitchy? She didn’t mean to, but she also didn’t want to encourage a friendship with the guy.

  “Of course.” Rob glanced around. Jane had finished bandaging Addie and was packing up the first aid kit. “I’d better see if Jane wants my help moving Adelaide to another room.”

  Claire was staring after him as a familiar feminine voice asked, “Who’s the cutie?”

  She jumped.

  Next to her, Maxi laughed. She hadn’t even noticed her come up. “I knew I caught you staring.”

  “I was not staring. I was watching Jane with her mom.”

  “Sure you were.” Maxi started toweling off her hair. “So who is he?”

  “You don’t know? It’s the Bradford Breads guy.”

  Maxi’s left brow hiked. “Ohhh, well at least he has appropriately nice buns.”

  “Maxi!” Claire exclaimed, but it emerged half as a choked laugh, no doubt her friend’s intention.

  “So you two aren’t enemies anymore?” Maxi asked.

  “I wouldn’t say that. We had to pair up to find Addie at Jane’s request. He’s still under suspicion as far as I’m concerned.”

  Maxi’s lips pressed together. “Really? He seems so nice to Addie, and didn’t I hear that he found her and ran back through the storm carrying her? That’s kind of a nice thing to do, especially as a newcomer.”

  “Maybe he has an ulterior motive.” Claire’s voice was missing some of the conviction she’d felt earlier.

  “What would that possibly be? To befriend Jane so he can ruin your bakery?” Maxi curled her towel around her shoulders and poured a cup of coffee. “Don’t you think you’re reaching a bit?”

  Claire chewed her bottom lip and studied her friend. Why did no one see things the way she saw them? There was only kindness and concern in Maxi’s eyes. She wasn’t being mean or malicious, but it wasn’t her bakery that was in jeopardy. “I don’t think I’m reaching. I tell you the guy is acting nice but there’s something odd about it. Why does he dote on Addie so much? That doesn’t seem normal to me.”

  Maxi shrugged. “Well, he has a soft spot for people with memory issues because of his wife.”

  “Wife?” Claire hadn’t even thought about him having a wife, but of course he probably did. She hadn’t seen any wife hanging around the store across the street. Where was she, and what did that have to do with Addie? “That makes it even stranger. Where is his wife?”

  Maxi looked at her funny. “She died. I heard him mention it earlier. Didn’t realize he was the bread guy. You didn’t hear him talking about that to Jane when he brought Addie in?”

  Claire shook her head. It must have been when she was still making her way back from where they’d found Addie.

  “Oh, well apparently his wife had early-onset Alzheimer’s.” Maxi’s face turned sad. “He took care of her while she was sick.”

  Something inside Claire softened. She glanced back at Rob, who had moved Addie to the couch and was still doting on her.

  Loudly, Addie’s voice cut through the murmur of people. “Stop fussing around me. I’m fine.”

  “Take it easy, Mom. You can’t walk on that foot for a while.”

  “Stop coddling me. All of you go on now. I have an inn to run! I can’t sit around all day.”

  If nothing else, she sounded back in her usual spirits. After the scare they’d had, it was a relief.

  Claire sipped the last of her coffee. The rain had stopped. She’d better say goodbye to her friends and head back to the bakery. She had a cupcake sale to prepare for.

  By the time Maxi checked her phone, she found not one but three text messages from James.

  The first had come not long after she had sent her initial text about Addie going missing. Jane’s family was a pillar of the community, and she thought he would want to know that she was missing and that Jane was organizing half the town to look for her. The second text must have come in while Maxi was out knocking on neighbors’ doors in search of Addie. And when she hadn’t answered that…

  Maxi, please text me back to let me know you are okay.

  He cared. Maxi had started to wonder about that. Especially after what Claire and Hailey
had said about their exes. Clearly she had too much time on her hands now, and it was making her overthink things. She leaned against the wall and tapped out a response immediately.

  I’m fine. A bit wet. Claire found Addie and we’re all inside now, warming up.

  When she hit send, she tucked the phone against her and smiled, releasing a long breath and all of the tension that had gripped her those past few hours since she’d gotten Jane’s call.

  Most people had left, including Claire, who had toweled off the seat of her Vespa, shrugged on her raincoat, and zoomed off. Addie was sitting contentedly on the couch, talking to Rob Bradford. As she watched, Addie let out a carefree laugh in response to something Rob had said.

  Maxi had been surprised to discover the good-looking stranger was the man Claire had built up to be some sort of dough-rolling villain. Claire hadn’t mention that he was cute or that he had a kind way about him.

  With a sigh, Maxi shook her head. How long was Claire going to hold onto this nonexistent animosity? To the outside eye, it was obvious that Rob held no ill will toward Claire. In fact, from the way he looked at her, he might even be smitten.

  They would make a good couple. Both passionate about baking, they had a common interest. Claire had gotten a bit flustered when she’d tried to dismiss Rob’s attractiveness. Maxi knew her friend too well. Claire did think Rob Bradford was cute. She was simply too scared, and too busy protecting her territory, to acknowledge that he might be worth pursuing.

  Neither Claire nor Jane had dated in years, although Jane’s reason was different. She’d been widowed quite suddenly. Maxi repressed a shudder, thinking how horrible it would be if she lost James. Maxi wanted her friends to be happy, but that didn’t necessarily mean they needed a man in their lives.

  But if Claire decided not to date again, it shouldn’t be because of the hateful way her ex-husband had treated her. Maxi was certain she saw a spark between Claire and Rob.

  Was there something she could do to help them over that initial hump? Probably not. Claire was as stubborn as a lobster sometimes. But even if nothing came of it, Maxi wished she could figure out a way to show Claire that Rob wasn’t her enemy. In fact, he seemed like an all-around nice guy, and those types of people were hard to find.

  The phone chimed again in her hand, and Maxi glanced down at the screen. She smiled at the words greeting her. Warmth spread through her, chasing out the lingering cold of the storm.

  I’m glad you’re safe. I love you.

  She tapped out the reply on reflex. I love you too.

  Jane was putting up a brave front, but Rob knew from personal experience how upsetting it was to have a loved one wander off.

  “Honestly, I don’t think I can thank you enough for what you’ve done.”

  “It wasn’t me. I carried your mother here, but the person who found her is Claire.”

  “It took both of you. And thanks for being so nice to her. I appreciate you distracting her while I bandaged the cut. She might have been hard to handle otherwise.” Jane hugged herself and glanced at Addie, now seated calmly on the couch.

  “Is the bandage enough? I could help you take her to the emergency clinic,” Rob offered. The gash in Addie’s foot hadn’t looked half as bad once it was cleaned out, but it was best to be on the safe side.

  “Norma Barnes looked at it. She’s a nurse. She said it didn’t need stitches, so I think we’ll be okay.” Jane hugged herself tighter and shivered. “I’m sorry I’m such a wreck about this.”

  Rob clasped her shoulder. “This was a big deal. Taking care of someone is a lot of pressure. It’s okay to be a wreck sometimes.”

  When Jane looked at him, her eyes shone with unshed tears. “This isn’t the first time we’ve lost track of her. She gets so confused and I—I thought I had all my bases covered, that she was safe.”

  “This isn’t your fault.”

  Jane looked away. “I guess I wasn’t paying close enough attention to her.”

  Softly, he confessed, “I know how you feel. Believe me, I don’t envy your position or the decisions you’ll have to make, but you’re strong enough to handle this. Today was a bad day. There are still good days.”

  Rob sympathized with her, and he was surprised he wasn’t spiraling into all the complicated feelings about Caroline’s illness. Maybe time really was starting to heal those wounds. It helped that Addie was older. Rob could separate her failing mind from that of his late wife, who had had her entire life ahead of her. Caroline had been his best friend, and he’d lost that long before he’d lost the empty shell her body had become. He managed on his own, but he missed having that connection with someone.

  His thoughts turned to Claire and how determined she’d been to find Addie. He knew she still didn’t trust him, but she’d set that aside because she wanted to help Jane. Claire was a good friend. If nothing more, he could use good friends like that. But how to win her over?

  “Do you think there are still good days? Because sometimes, I’m not so sure.” Jane’s question tugged him out of his thoughts.

  “Of course there are.”

  Jane sighed. “Sometimes, I really don’t know what to do. When she’s having a good day, she’s almost like her old self. A little forgetful maybe but not scaring me like this.”

  “I know,” Rob said softly. He infused those two words with all the sympathy he could muster. He understood all too well how she felt in her position.

  Quietly, she confessed, “She’s afraid I’m going to put her in a home. She’s mentioned it before and broken down because of it. I don’t know what to do.” Her eyes bleak, she raised them to meet Rob’s. “What did you do for your wife?”

  Rob hesitated. He rarely talked about the details of his wife’s illness if he could help it. Jane had asked him earlier how he knew so much about dementia, and he’d simply told her he’d gone through the whole thing with his wife. But he knew the exact turmoil Jane was experiencing, and he wanted to help her.

  At his hesitation, Jane apologized. “I don’t mean to pry. It’s just so hard to know what’s the right thing to do, but I don’t want to dredge up unhappy memories for you. You’ve gone through more than you should have had to.”

  Normally, Rob grimaced at that answer. Pity was one thing he didn’t need or want. But a shadow in her eyes made him wonder if she was echoing a sentiment she’d been trying to teach herself.

  “I have,” he answered. His gaze drifted, this time to Adelaide. “But so have you. I didn’t put my wife in an assisted living facility.”

  Jane nodded briskly. “So, I’m doing the right thing in keeping her here.”

  “Not necessarily.”

  Was it a trick of the light, or did something like hope flit through her expression that time? She was tired. She wanted some relief. He knew exactly how that felt.

  He told her, “I should have put Caroline in an assisted living or memory care facility. She asked for it, but I—I was selfish. I wanted to hold onto her for as long as possible.” His left thumb travelled to meet his ring finger, where he no longer had his wedding ring. Sometimes, it surprised him to find it in the box in his nightstand instead of on his finger. Most days, he’d stopped thinking about it at all. “I was in a different position than you. I can work from home and only need to connect with my store managers in person once a week at most. And I had the money to hire a nurse to come in twice a day to care for her and sit with her while I did office work from home. I wasn’t trying to run an inn. My managers are self-sufficient.”

  Jane hugged herself again, but she seemed to consider his words at the very least.

  He added, “Ultimately, I kept her at home until the end. But I did extensive research into memory care facilities nearby. I’m happy to help you if you need it. I’ve been exactly in your shoes, and I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing to put your mother somewhere safe where she’ll be lovingly cared for all the time.”

  Jane let out a gusty sigh, blowing the strands of hair f
alling into her face. “Maybe. I know she doesn’t want it, but maybe it would be better to put her in a place where she’d have proper care. It… she scared me today. And I can’t run the inn and be with her twenty-four hours a day.”

  “It looks like she scared a lot of people.” He gave Jane’s arm one last squeeze. “Let me sort out where I put all those pamphlets and emails, and I’ll bring the information later this week.”

  Her smile only halfway reached her eyes, but the weight of the afternoon seemed to have lifted. “Thank you. I really don’t know what I would have done without you today.”

  “Me and Claire,” he reminded her. “We’d make a better team than she thinks.”

  Jane rolled her eyes. “So it seems, but it’s going to take a bit of work to convince Claire of that.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The next morning, Claire was buzzing around the bakery, trying to get ahead of the regular chores so she could get in some extra cupcake baking. After the search for Addie, she’d returned to Sandcastles and, with the help of Sarah and Aston, had baked well into the night. Now she was standing in front of the fridge, taking an inventory of the cupcakes and trying to block out all distractions as she counted.

  “I think it would do you some good.”

  Sally’s voice buzzed distantly behind Claire. She shut the fridge door and wiped her tired eyes. The handywoman stood, leaning against the counter, chewing on a corn muffin slathered in butter, and dripping crumbs onto the top of her overalls.

  “What are you talking about?”

  The old woman swallowed then gestured through the air between them with half of the muffin left. “You and Bradford. It would do you good to work together, like he wants.”

  “Who told you he wanted that?”

  “He did.”

  “He did? When did you talk to him?” Sally knew Rob Bradford? That was news to Claire. And why was he telling everyone that he wanted to work with her? It was odd that he was being so obvious and insistent about it. Clearly he was up to something.