Karen let go, leaving a wet spot on the shoulder of her cardigan, and Mildred handed the girl a box of tissues, making a mental note to stock up.
“I was only with him twice. I was a virgin. He said I wasn’t any fun and dumped me. How can I afford to have a baby? I don’t even have a job!”
Tamping down the anger toward that spoiled brat of a boy, Mildred focused on the part she could do something about. This was an area Mildred was equipped to handle.
“Now don’t you worry about a thing. I know lots of people in town. We’ll find you a job. If that’s what you want.”
She sat down, reaching out to take Karen’s hand, stopping halfway, her hand hovering in the air like a lost thing. Then Mildred swallowed and took Karen’s hand.
“I never had children of my own, but from what my friends tell me, you’re in for a rollercoaster of emotions. No need to make any hard decisions right now. Take some time to think about it. You might consider waiting to find a job until the baby starts kindergarten or first grade.”
Impossibly big brown eyes looked up at her. “But what will I do for money? I don’t have health insurance, and babies are expensive.”
Apparently Mildred’s newfound kindness only went so far—her temper flared and her words came out sharp as a wasp sting.
“Now listen to me. You have a roof over your head. Food and clothes. You’ve been a huge help around here and it’s time you earned a wage for what you do for me, in addition to room and board.”
Mildred straightened the cardigan over her gingham shirt, pausing in the doorway.
“The doctor you saw, he’s an old friend. He made a few calls, and the hospital bills will be taken care of. Now come eat your soup. It’s probably cold as ice by now.”
Karen smiled. “I’ll warm it up.”
As they went downstairs to the kitchen, she hugged Mildred.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. This is the first time I made the right choice. Getting in the car with you.”
Mildred pulled away. “We all make mistakes. If my sisters and nieces could see me now, they’d never believe it. Losing them has made me look at life differently. It won’t be easy being a single mom, but I’ll be here for you, as long as you need me.”
“I don’t have any family. I was raised in foster care. So I don’t really know what it’s like to have a mom, but if I did, I think she’d be a lot like you.”
Mildred could see Alice and Pittypat laughing their heads off. She was the least maternal of them all. Life had a funny way of getting back at you.
“You’re sweet to say so. I’ll do my best. Anyway, we can read all the books and I have plenty of money. We’ll figure things out as we go. What do you say?”
The unexpected second hug squeezed the breath out of her. “How can I ever thank you?”
“People come into our lives when we need them. We just have to be open and look.” Even if it took forty years for Mildred to learn it her own self.
NINE
Poor Karen was suffering through terrible morning sickness. It was usually noon before she was well enough to move around, and Mildred had begun buying saltine crackers by the cartful. And while she knew it was important to the girl to feel like she contributed, Mildred wanted to make her life easier.
Perhaps in helping Karen, she was making up for her sisters and nieces all those years ago. At least, she hoped she was making amends. She could only hope they were looking down from above, giving her absolution for her treatment of them. But maybe now they knew why.
The ladies at her various clubs teased her about taking in strays, turning into her sister. Secretly, Mildred liked the thought, even as she fussed about the girl disrupting her life, though she’d never admit it.
It was cold today, the sky gray and dreary, the kind of day she wanted to curl up with a blanket and a good book. But she’d ventured out to meet someone she knew casually from Women’s Club. The woman’s granddaughter had a baby a year ago and didn’t want any more children, so she’d given Mildred the toys, books, and clothes. The outfits were so pretty. Mildred crossed her fingers the baby would be a girl.
After getting over the shock, Karen was excited to be a mother. She wanted to find out the baby’s sex so they’d know how to decorate the nursery and what to buy. Karen was turning out to be quite sensible, which Mildred heartily approved of.
As she was lifting the bags out of the trunk of the Caddy, a police car pulled into the driveway.
“You’re looking bright and cheery on this cold day, Mildred.”
Will, the police chief, looked handsome in his uniform, his salt-and-pepper hair still thick and full, the lines a little deeper around his eyes.
“Thank you, Will. I heard there have been several break-ins lately.”
He took the bags from her and shut the trunk.
“Now there’s nothing for you to worry about. We caught them. Couple of men from Myrtle Beach. They were staking out vacation homes and hitting them when they were empty.”
He opened the door and let her go in first. “Anyway, you know my officers and I keep an extra close eye on you. Can’t have anything happening to you.”
He grinned and she smiled, thinking about Pittypat teasing her about Will having a crush on her. He’d been a widower now for a couple of years, and the local single women had been bringing him casseroles and suddenly finding all sorts of reasons for the police chief to make a personal visit. A good-looking, kind man didn’t stay single for long.
Not that she was interested. No, Will was a good friend and she wanted to keep it that way. No way would she take that kind of risk again. And now she had Karen to watch over—no room for a man in their lives.
He helped her unpack the bags for Karen to look over and decide what she wanted. The rest would be donated.
“Going to be a big change having a baby around here.”
“It certainly is. And at my age. I guess chasing after her will keep me young.” She handed him a glass of tea.
“Thank you kindly. You make the best tea in town.” Will grinned. “Don’t you two be so sure it’s a girl. Velma said she’s betting on a boy.”
Velma worked at the police station, keeping everyone in check, a big-boned woman with a big heart to match. Mildred had heard she was knitting up a storm for the coming baby.
“A boy. I wouldn’t have a clue what to do with a boy.” Mildred shook her head. “I’m sure it’s a girl.”
He put the glass in the sink and she walked him outside. Before he got in the car, she stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Have you found out anything about that dreadful Tom Bush?”
Will looked to the windows of the house. “Comes from money. Family up north. They’re sending a letter saying they’ll have no part of the child. Accusing her of tricking him into getting her pregnant on purpose. He’s done this before—has half a dozen bastards out there.” He rubbed a hand over his chin.
“But at least he’ll stay away. That’s what he does once he’s done with the girls. He’s going to college in D.C., so I don’t think we’ll have to worry about him showing up to harass Karen.” Then he grinned at her. “If he does show up, we’ll make sure to arrest him for disturbing the peace. We take care of our own.”
Knowing Will and others here in town had accepted the girl as one of them… Mildred impulsively reached out, pulling Will into a hug, her throat tight.
“I don’t know how to thank you.” She sniffled. “Having her here…it’s made up for so much.” She pulled away, wiping her eyes, feeling foolish. “Now you go on back to work before the gossip gets hot. I’d hate to deprive you of all that good home cooking.” Mildred tucked her blue gingham shirt back into her jeans where it had come loose.
“I’d rather have your home cooking any day,” he said with a cocky grin, and climbed into the cruiser.
As he left, she caught sight of a dark sedan pulling away from the curb. Not recognizing the car, Mildred thought it must have been
someone looking at property or gotten turned around. In the off-season, they didn’t see many strangers around here. Everybody knew everybody and strange cars garnered a lot of attention.
“Let’s go,” Drake bellowed at the driver. The sedan pulled away from the curb, driving past Mildred’s house, to the other end of Holden Beach where he’d rented the last available house for a week. The rental company told him usually there’d be plenty of choice, but a large convention was going on and there wasn’t anyplace left within an hour to stay.
What a dolt. She might not be married to another, but he recognized the look of a man wooing a woman. That police officer was interested in Mildred. His Millie.
Nay, she might be his on paper. But in reality, she wasn’t his. Not any longer. Too much time had passed for her. Likely she had moved on with her life. The urge to challenge the man, to meet him on the field of battle, was so strong that Drake started when he realized he’d been thinking in Norman French. The language had come back along with his memories. Memories of her and of his time before. A time when a man would be within his rights to kill another man for stealing his woman.
The car came to a stop, the rear passenger door opened, and Drake stepped out, grateful for the heavy wool sweater as the cold wind off the water blew through him. He inhaled deeply. The scent of the ocean would always remind him of her.
“The car you requested will arrive tonight, though I’d be more than happy to drive you wherever you need to go this week, Mr. Gregory.”
Drake took his bag from the trunk. “No need. I like to drive myself. But I’d like you to take me back to the plane next week when my business here is finished.”
“Of course, sir.”
It was the holiday season, so Drake generously tipped the man and went inside the house. The rental company had seen to the essentials in the kitchen, along with a bottle of whisky and several bottles of wine, as he’d requested. Glass of whisky in hand, he wandered through the house, choosing the bedroom on the second floor with the ocean view and balcony.
The sound of gulls and the waves pulled him to the deck, where he stretched out in a lounge chair, content to watch the ebb and flow of the water, the spirits keeping him warm from the inside out. Or that was what he told himself as a chill swept through him, having nothing to do with the wind. ’Twas the cruel fates whispering in his ear that he’d lost Millie twice now.
TEN
Quite pleased with herself, Mildred was thinking about beating that awful Pearl at bridge today when she pulled the Caddy into the carport. The smell of stew filled the air, her stomach rumbled, and she thanked the stars for Karen. It was so nice not to have to cook or shop when she didn’t feel like it. To rely on another person to help out around the house made her life easier and more pleasant.
Distracted by the smell of freshly baked bread, she held a sack of groceries in one hand and the fall arrangement she’d won at the club in front of her as she made her way to the steps. The scent of cloves, leather, and steel sent a ripple through her, every cell remembering a long ago similar scent.
“It’s been a long time, Mildred. I need a divorce.”
That voice. Somehow she managed to hold on to the arrangement, but in slow motion, the bag of groceries hit the ground, cans of green beans and corn rolling across the driveway before coming to a rest in the gravel.
Him.
Drake Gregory. Her husband. The man who’d left her without a word all those years ago.
He picked up the cans and put them back in the bag. He offered a cup to her. The smell of coffee overlaid with the salt air and his own scent was enough to make her dizzy. Maybe the flu shot hadn’t worked and she was sick. Hallucinating. The years fell away and she was eighteen again instead of sixty.
“Just the way you like it. Sweet enough to make your teeth ache.”
He was all too real. She narrowed her eyes at him. The nerve.
“Only took you forty years.”
“Forty-two. Not that I’m counting,” he said as he picked up a manila envelope from the ground near his feet.
Divorce papers. What else would be inside an envelope that size?
Her left eyebrow twitched and she took a deep breath, eyes narrowing at the man in front of her. The one she’d sworn to cherish for all time. Until he went out to get her favorite coffee and breakfast from a tiny hole-in-the-wall diner and never returned. Never bothered to tell her why. She’d been married to the man in front of her for forty-two years.
“You got the chip in your front tooth fixed.”
“Of course I did. It looked terrible.”
“I always liked it. That single flaw told me you weren’t perfect after all.”
He was so still, watching her with those dark blue eyes…and his hair was still full and thick, the black threaded with silver, making the horrid man even more attractive than when he was young. He looked lived-in, sexy as hell, which she’d never in a million years admit out loud. Heavens above. Her heart pounded, the pain palpable. Was she having a heart attack?
“Are you just going to stand there scowling at me or are you going to invite me in? I’d like to see that Southern hospitality you went on and on about in action.”
Blinking at him, she closed her eyes and counted to ten. Took a few deep breaths then opened her eyes. He was still there. So many times, she’d imagined what had happened that morning. And what she’d say if he ever returned.
But none of those scathing words she’d rehearsed over and over came out of her traitorous mouth.
“Please, do come in,” she said, but added “jerk” under her breath.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch that?”
By the twitch of his mouth, she knew damn well he’d heard her.
For forty-two long years, she’d kept the man following her up the stairs a secret. All because she’d wanted a fun summer before going to college and had found a job working in Las Vegas. Then she’d met him. A fairytale romance and a love she’d only thought possible in books or movies. But it wasn’t to be. Two weeks before she was to go back and off to college, he left her—or ghosted her, as the kids today called it. How could she have been so stupid?
The door opened and there was Karen in the kitchen, stirring a pot of stew on the stove.
“Oh good, you’re back. I thought I’d make cookies for dessert. Doesn’t the bread smell amazing?” Then she turned and caught sight of Drake. “Oh…hello.” She widened her eyes at Mildred, mouthing, Who’s that? but Mildred shook her head. Later, she mouthed back.
Before she could tell Karen to call the cops and have him thrown in jail forever, Drake placed the bag on the counter and took the girl’s hand.
“Drake Montgomery. An old friend of your…”
Mildred snorted, enjoying his discomfort. Karen looked from one to the other, her smile faltering as she read Mildred’s mood.
“Mildred is a dear friend of mine. But I don’t ever remember her mentioning you.” Karen raised her eyebrows at Drake.
Good girl, Mildred thought, breathing through her mouth. How was it possible he stood in her kitchen making conversation with them as if nothing had happened? As if he’d never loved her? Did she mean so little to him?
What on earth was he doing here, and how did he find her? At that moment, she wished Thomas were still here to point a sword at Drake and send him back to whatever hole he’d crawled out from.
Drake took the arrangement she was still clutching to her chest and put it on the counter.
“Mildred, might I have a word in private?”
“I’ll leave,” Karen said, untying her apron.
“No.” Mildred stopped her. The cookies smelled like they were almost done. “Let’s go for a walk on the beach and you can tell me why you’re here, Drake.”
“Lovely to meet you,” he said to Karen, and followed Mildred outside, down the stairs and across the walkway, down to the beach, all without saying a word. Mildred wore a pair of embroidered jeans and a thick sweater with her flora
l sneakers. The wind had died down, so it wasn’t too cold walking along the sand as the waves crashed against the shore. She hoped they hid the sound of her heart beating out of her chest.
He was the same, yet so different. He’d aged well, a few laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. He was fit, though she missed the odd accent and strange way he’d had of phrasing his words.
Drake blew out a breath.
“I don’t want to argue with you. And I had no intention of disrupting your…life. So let’s just get it over with. Sign the papers and we can both go back to our lives.”
She stopped, a cloud passing by, placing part of his face in shadow.
“Just like that? Sign the damn papers and go away? I’d like to know what my husband of the past forty years has been up to.”
“Forty-two.”
“What?” She looked at him, unable to comprehend how the man she’d loved more than anything else in the entire world was standing in front of her. And she hated him with every cell in her body.
“It’s been forty-two years,” he said softly.
“Who cares if it’s one, five, or five hundred. You’re a horrible man to show up unannounced. Why now? You could have found me years ago.”
They glared at each other.
He raked a hand through his hair. “I couldn’t have found you. Not until now. What’s your excuse?”
She arched a brow. “Right. Whatever. I don’t care about your excuses. That girl doesn’t exist anymore.” Mildred poked him in the chest. “And for your information, I tried to find you. I looked for such a long time.”
He was dressed casually in boots, jeans, and a sweater, and she hated him for looking so amazing, for stopping her entire world.
“I found out about your sister. Your nieces.” The waves almost drowned out his words. “I’m sorry, Millie.”
“Don’t call me that.” She was perilously close to tears, and there was no way she’d let him see her fall apart. No way she wanted him to know how badly he’d hurt her. How much it was costing her to stand in front of him and see such icy coldness in his eyes.
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