Gloria's Legacy

by Robin Alexander

  “Want to talk about it?” she asked sleepily.

  “It was nothing, sweetheart. Go back to sleep.” I didn’t want to analyze what the dream meant.

  *******

  “Wake up, love.”

  Adrienne’s fingers ran through my hair and massaged my scalp. I opened one eye and could see the sun barely breaking over the horizon.

  “Why so early?” I mumbled into the pillow.

  “We should get in the habit. The baby will probably have us up much earlier.”

  I opened both eyes. The baby. “Actually, we should be getting as much sleep as we can because we aren’t going to get a good night’s sleep for the next forty years.”

  Adrienne chuckled softly. “I made coffee. We can sit out on the deck and watch the sun rise.”

  That was enough to get me moving. As of late, time with Adrienne alone had been sparse and would be even more so when our bundle of…joy arrived. I pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Adrienne had already gone out to the deck, but she’d poured me a cup of steaming coffee and left it on the counter for me to pour a ton of cream and sugar into.

  I joined her on the swing and draped an arm over her shoulder. She leaned against me and rested the side of her head against my cheek. It felt so good, so perfect.

  “Last round of guests before the baby gets here. Are you excited?”

  “Scared shitless.”

  “I know.” Adrienne faced me and ran her fingers over my cheek. “Everything is going to be fine. I’m going to be fine. Women have babies every day in the worst of conditions.”

  “I know.” But that didn’t make me feel any better. “I’m going to worry until the baby is here and you’re out of the hospital.”

  Adrienne smiled. “I’d be the same way if it was you, but then again, I’m a pro at worrying about you.”

  “I’ll try to behave until the baby gets here. What’s your take on the guests?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “I think BJ and Audrey are going to be a handful. BJ barks orders like a drill sergeant and expects them to be followed. She has an adventure planned for every day of their visit, which I don’t think Audrey is too hip on, but she’ll go along with whatever BJ says. The other guests are pretty laid back and will probably entertain themselves.”

  “What about Kristen?”

  Adrienne’s eyes narrowed for a second. “I don’t really know about her.”

  “Haven’t been privy to any of her thoughts?”

  Adrienne averted her gaze. “No.”

  “Are you lying?” I asked in a teasing tone.

  Adrienne shook her head. “I haven’t heard anything, but…I…I don’t know. I just have an uneasy feeling about her.”

  Adrienne and I had been the recipients of unwanted attention from guests occasionally, Adrienne more often than I. Iris says it’s because I have an “unapproachable” look about me. I wondered if Adrienne figured since Kristen was traveling alone she might be willing to look past that in my case. “I think she’s running from something, maybe a bad breakup. She strikes me as someone who just wants to be alone.”

  “Maybe so.” Adrienne took the last sip of her coffee. “That was good. I wish I could have another cup.”

  “That’s all you get, girlie.” I did my best imitation of Iris’s accent. “Too much caffeine is not good for dey momma or dey baby.” For Adrienne’s sake, I drank the rest of the coffee she’d made. Between the sugar and caffeine, I was raring to go.

  By the time I’d showered and dressed, Adrienne was out cold on the couch. I stood for a minute or two watching her sleep on her side with a pillow tucked beneath the baby bump. Her bum-around-the-house clothes consisted of an oversized pair of blue boxer shorts and a Philadelphia Eagles football jersey just to spite the Saints fan in me. With a whispered “love you,” I quietly sneaked out of the house to begin the day’s chores.

  First on the list was to apply flea preventive to Saber and his brood. I didn’t want fleas invading our carpet in the bedrooms. The younger cats hadn’t learned to hate it yet, so catching them was easy. I applied the smelly oil and sent each one on their way while pretending not to notice Saber, who was watching beneath the shade of a tree. When I approached him, the fuzzy orange bastard darted into the foliage.

  “You’re not bringing fleas and ticks into the house, cat,” I yelled after him as I charged into the brush. “Come back and take it like a cat man.” Saber would get a good lead on me and stop while looking over his shoulder. As soon as I got close, he’d dart off again. When he made it to the trail leading to the inn, he got overconfident and failed to anticipate my dive. I snagged one leg and his tail as I rolled onto the ground. Saber and I were screaming when Kristen appeared above us.

  “What on earth are you doing?” she asked.

  I rolled up on my knees and pinned Saber to the ground. He growled and put his teeth on my arm in warning, though I knew he wouldn’t really bite. “Feral cat is a delicacy on the island. It’s what’s for dinner.”

  “If I thought you were serious, I’d kick you.”

  I squirted the preventive onto Saber’s neck and let him go. He shot off like an orange rocket. I figured I wouldn’t see him for a day or two until he calmed down. Then again, he might’ve been planning an assault on another bra of mine. I found pieces of the last one all over the grounds of the inn. I stood and brushed myself off. “Looking for inspiration?”

  Kristen looked at me oddly, then down at her sketch pad. “Oh, no, I was just exploring.”

  I can respect and empathize with those who enjoy their alone time, but there was something about Kristen that screamed to me that she did not really want to be by herself. “Is there anything in particular you want to see?”

  Her brow rose.

  “That sounded bad.” I could feel the blood rushing to my face. “What I meant to say was, would you like a guide on your exploration?”

  She smiled slightly. “I really don’t care to leave the inn, although I think I’d like to see the monastery ruins one day.”

  “I’m about to do my rounds. Would you like to join me?”

  “Sure,” Kristen said with a genuine smile.

  I started walking the trail to the bluff, and she fell in step beside me. “It’s nice to have company. As of late, Adrienne doesn’t feel like doing a whole lot of walking. We used to stroll the grounds every morning together.”

  “You live and work together. That must get stressful at times.”

  “Only when I do something stupid,” I said with a smile. “When I mess up, it tends to be big. Often there’s an injury and property damage. My latest stunt was falling through the roof of a cottage.”

  “Does Adrienne ever have any mishaps?”

  The smile dropped from my face. “Never. It makes me sick. Adrienne is the total antithesis of me. Sure-footed, her moves are smooth and calculated like a cat. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her put her foot in her mouth.” I looked at Kristen. “I meant that figuratively, not physically.”

  “Yes, I know,” she said with a nod.

  “Hopefully, Adrienne will begin to rub off on me, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

  Kristen looked at the thick foliage growing on either side of the path as though she expected something to leap out at us. “I guess by the time I learn my way through all the trails, it’ll be time to go home.”

  I stopped walking. “Do you hear the water?”

  Kristen nodded.

  “Turn your back to it and look over the tops of the banana trees. See the roof?”

  Kristen did as I instructed. “Yes, I see it.”

  “That’s the bar. If you ever get turned around, you can always find it. There are signs at every intersection of the trails that will point you in the right direction, too.”

  We started walking again and arrived at the bluff overlooking the beach. Beyond lay clear blue water. Kristen inhaled sharply. “This is spectacular. I’ve never seen anything like it. Then again, I haven’t tr
aveled much.” She glanced at me. “It must be mundane to you by now and you think me silly for being so taken aback.”

  I shook my head. “No, this is never mundane to me. I’m awestruck every time it comes into view. The sand is almost pink here, and when it meets the blue of the water, it’s breathtaking to me. Some days, I can hardly believe I call it home.”

  “How long have you lived here?” Kristen asked as we headed down the trail to the beach.

  “A few years now. I’m from New Orleans originally. I miss drive-thru junk food, movie theaters, and believe it or not, fall and winter. If I start to miss it too much, I go back home for a week or so, then I’m screaming to get back here.”

  We descended the steps to the beach and kicked off our sandals when we reached the sand. I looked over at Kristen, who had tucked her sketch pad beneath her arm. “Where do you live?”

  “Texas.”

  “You don’t have the accent.”

  “I’m not a Texan. I moved there for school.”

  She didn’t elaborate, and a polite soul wouldn’t push…I did, though. “Where in Texas?”

  “San Antonio. Are there public schools here?”

  “There are schools, but our child will be home-schooled. Iris, our business partner, has a son she home-schools. “He’s six, and he’s reading and writing. If you have the time to work with them, you can get amazing results. What are you studying?”

  “Nothing that’s going to make me rich.”

  I stopped and looked at Kristen. “You’re not comfortable talking about yourself, are you?”

  “Trust me,” Kristen said with a slight smile, “my life isn’t all that interesting. Frankly, I’d rather hear about yours.”

  I returned the smile. “Point taken.”

  I checked the ice chests to make sure we had plenty of water and soda. Some of our guests were already occupying the beach chairs, and they looked content. Normally, I would’ve headed to the bar to see if Iris needed anything, but that day, I deviated and walked the strand of beach that would come out behind our house.

  I regaled Kristen with stories of Lusca, a creature that locals believed inhabited the blue holes found on Bahamian islands. Lusca caught the blame for everything from missing bottles of booze to horses and cows and occasionally a person. Like the islanders, I had come to believe that something did live in those holes, perhaps a shark or two washed on the tide through the cave systems that connected the holes to the sea. Folklore or not, people and things went into the holes and were never seen again. When Iris was in a foul mood, she often suggested I swim there, so I could solve the mystery…dear God, I loved that woman.

  “Superstitions abound on this island, makes for great stories around a beach campfire at night. Ol’ Iris can spin a yarn when she’s in the mood.”

  “Are you superstitious, Hayden?”

  I came to a stop where the vegetation grew to the water’s edge. “I didn’t used to be…actually, it’s more than being superstitious. This island changes you. It did me. I have more respect for the beliefs of others. Their faith has an energy of its own.” I scratched my chin, feeling suddenly silly. “I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m more open-minded these days.”

  Kristen reminded me of Teddy as she stood there with the wind whipping her hair around her face. When Teddy had secrets, he often shared them with me. I’d come to notice when his brow was furrowed and he had that distant look in his eyes he wanted to admit something. The last time he shared, he admitted to dying Iris’s white cat green with Jell-O mix. Kristen had that same look, but I was fairly certain it was far more serious than making a cat look like a leprechaun.

  “Hayden…I’ve got a headache. Do you mind if I cut my tour short?”

  “Not at all. We have several different types of pain relievers at the bar. I can run up and get you something if you’d like.”

  “No.” Kristen shook her head and smiled weakly. “I’ve enjoyed our chat. See you later.”

  I watched as she turned and trekked across the beach. I’d learned over the past few years to entertain our guests, even if I didn’t particularly care for their personalities. Unlike Adrienne and even Iris, I kept my distance and didn’t allow myself to get close. With Kristen, however, I felt something different. I wanted her trust, and I wanted her to confide in me the secret that seemed to torment her so.

  *******

  “Iris, I’m hungry.”

  Wordlessly, she slid a plate of conch fritters toward me.

  “I’m not that damn hungry. Hell will freeze over before I eat a giant slug.” I barged around the counter intent on raiding one of the big refrigerators and was stopped with a hand in the center of my chest.

  “It’s an hour before lunch, girlie. Did you not eat the breakfast I sent over this morning?”

  “Iris,” I whined. “There’s no salt in it. I need a break from the pregnant woman diet.” She grabbed a banana off the counter and slapped it into my hand. “I could eat a bear ass end first, a banana ain’t gonna cut it.”

  She made a face. “Where do you come up with the expressions you use?”

  “It’s a gift. Now give me that bag of ginger snaps you have hidden in the pantry. I want milk, too.”

  “Get it yourself, bossy girl.”

  Yes, victory! I knew if I pushed Iris’s buttons, she’d let me into the sacred land known as the kitchen.

  “My bones are talking, Hayden.”

  I looked back over my shoulder as I reached into the pantry. “Ya know, you never say which bones do the talking. Is it the ribs, shoulder blades…assbone?”

  “I’m serious, girl.” Iris followed me to the fridge where I poured myself a giant glass of milk, then she tailed me to the dining room where I took a seat at the big table. “Da bones say dere’s a storm coming to the island.”

  And out popped the island accent. I knew she was serious then. “Are you speaking figuratively, or are we talking about a hurricane because The Weather Channel isn’t showing anything.”

  Iris scowled. If there was one thing I loved, it was taunting Iris, and she gave as good as she got. She intimidated me when I first came to the island whipping out that accent like a sword. It didn’t take me long to figure out that Iris had loved me like her own before I ever came to Cat Island. She’d watched me grow up in the pictures I’d sent to Aunt Gloria. And Aunt G entertained Iris and Adrienne with my exploits.

  Iris’s skin wasn’t anywhere near as dark as Colie’s, but rather a rich brown. Her black hair was long and curly, and lately, she’d taken to twisting and clamping it to the back of her head with an alligator clip. She was fond of wearing brightly colored shirts, and she was sporting a yellow button down.

  “Dis storm is of human making. Joy, fear, and danger swirl in its depths.”

  I wanted to comment on her poetic rendering but bit my tongue instead. She was dead serious, and something told me not to take her lightly. “I do wish your bones were more explicit.”

  “I’m telling you, dere’s trouble coming. How much more information do you need?”

  Icy fingers gripped the back of my neck. “Does this have anything to do with Adrienne and the baby?”

  “No.” Iris shook her head. “No, not at all. Dis is different.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You can’t tell me something like this and be vague. It makes my butt pucker.”

  Iris made a face at my choice of words. “I don’t have the gift Adrienne has, I just get feelings in my bones.” Iris pointed at me. “Be warned.” She left me to my snack, and once the milk was gone, so was I.

  Chapter Five

  Adrienne’s body was hot and wet beneath mine. The taste of her was still on my tongue. Her fingers were entwined with mine, and her hot breath was against my ear as I ground into her, feeling our wetness comingle. All the sweet sensation seemed to gather in the pit of my stomach. The muscles there began to constrict, I was so close. And then I heard it—a loud wailing baby cry. My eyes flew open, and Adrienne was starin
g at me with a smile.

  “Must’ve been some dream. You were humping the bed,” she said casually with her head propped in her hand.

  I flopped over onto my back and released a frustrated groan through gritted teeth.

  “The really sad part is I can’t help you in your present state, and we don’t have time for a shower. Iris called a little while ago, and she’s short-handed for breakfast. Christina had to stay home with a sick child, and Naomi isn’t feeling well herself.”

  “I’ll go.” I toyed with a lock of Adrienne’s hair. “You stay here and relax.”

  “Iris said the same thing, but I can handle picking up a few dirty dishes and pouring a glass of juice or two. Frankly, I’m tired of relaxing.”

  “Okay, you go and I’ll stay here.”

  Adrienne gave me a playful shove, and I rolled out of bed, thinking I should take a long swim after breakfast. I doubted even that would quell my frustration.

  *******

  The guests were atwitter as they ate and talked about their plans for the day. Iris and I worked doubly hard to keep Adrienne from doing too much. She took the hint and sat at one of the tables where a few guests were discussing their tour of the island.

  Kristen was off to herself again at a table that was well away from everyone else. Her sketch pad was conspicuously missing, replaced by a book that she only pretended to read. I caught her a few times looking around, but when our gazes met, she feigned interest in the book.

  When the guests had finished their breakfast and were loaded in the vans, Adrienne and Iris took cups of coffee and went to the patio behind the bar. Adrienne had a new baby things catalog, so I waved off their invitation to join them. I swept up and walked over to Kristen’s table. “You’re not fooling me with that book.”

  She looked up at me. “Why is that?”

  “Because you’re looking at everything but it.”

  Kristen blushed. “I wasn’t really in the mood for conversation.”