by Kay Correll
“Nah, I’m good with the blanket.”
Ashley slid down and sat on the blanket in the sunny spot. He dropped beside her, partially in the sun, part in the shade. He stretched out and leaned back on his elbows. The beach was filling up with people enjoying the warm spring weather. A mother walked slowly along the water’s edge with a young girl with blonde curls. The girl stopped and picked up a shell to drop in her bright red bucket. A pair of women passed, talking as they jogged along the sand. Just a normal sunny day at the beach, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been to the beach. And he lived on an island, for crying out loud.
Only nothing at all felt normal to him this week. Not being back here in Indigo Bay. Not sitting within inches of Ashley.
“Ah, the sun feels so good.” Ashley stretched like a cat.
He looked over at Ashley, who had her eyes closed and her face lifted to the sunshine. He could see the young Ashley hidden in the woman she’d become. Time wavered between the past and the present.
The sun streamed over her like a warm blanket, heating her skin, soaking through until it felt like it was reaching all the way to her bones. She wasn’t a winter person, not that winters were too bad here in South Carolina. She’d been working so hard for months. This was the first time she’d taken a day off from anything having to do with the clinic.
She slipped out of her tank top and shorts, revealing a modest, red, one-piece swimsuit with a retro look to it. She’d fallen in love with it when she saw it at a shop on Main Street. She settled back on the blanket and looked over at Will stretched out on the blanket, his eyes closed, soaking up the sun. He’d thrown an arm over his eyes and his breathing was slow and relaxed.
For a moment she floated between the past and the present. So many times they’d snuck away to the beach when they were kids and stolen moments together, best friends when they were younger, then boyfriend and girlfriend in high school.
Until… they weren’t.
Will sat up and shrugged out of his t-shirt, grasping behind his neck and removing it with a smooth tug. His tanned skin glistened in the sunlight, and he settled back on the blanket.
Why was the man always insisting on being shirtless around her?
He’d filled out since their high school days. The boyish muscle had turned to firm, mature muscle in his arms, shoulders, and abs. He looked… good. Very good.
“You going to sit there and stare at me all day?” He opened one eye and grinned at her.
A blush heated her already sun-warmed face. “I… I wasn’t staring.”
“If you say so.” He flashed an easy smile at her.
That smile was her undoing. All her defenses and rational thought escaped her. He wasn’t right for her, she wasn’t right for him. Nothing had changed.
And yet…
She wanted his friendship back, she wanted to enjoy this day in the sunshine with him.
“Ash.”
“Hm?”
“You think too much.”
Will knew Ashley was analyzing every little thing. It’s what she did. Always. He’d bet anything that she was second-guessing her decision to invite him to the beach.
“It’s just a picnic, Ash.”
“I know.”
“Then relax.”
“I am relaxed.” Ashley glared at him.
“Yes, I can see that.” He shot her a grin.
“So when did you move back to town?” He figured he’d better change the subject.
“A year or so ago.”
“All that education, a medical degree, and you came back here? Did you come back so you’d be close to your dad?”
“I…” Ashley’s eyes clouded. “No, Dad died when I was in med school.”
“Oh, Ash. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It was a heart attack. Sudden. I was away. I should have seen signs of heart problems though. But I was too busy. I rarely made it back home.”
“I’m sure he understood. I’d think med school is crazy busy with impossible demands on your time.”
“It is, but I should have made more of an effort. I always thought we’d have plenty of time together after I graduated.” Ashley’s face was etched in pain.
“I am sorry.”
Ashley nodded.
“So then, why did you come back to Indigo Bay? There was nothing left here for you.”
“It’s my home. And—you’ll think this is silly—I wanted to prove to the town that I’ve made something of myself, that they were wrong thinking I was just a poor little girl from the wrong side of town.”
“You don’t need to prove anything to them. Look at you. A successful doctor. Why anyone would come back to this town if they didn’t have to, is beyond me.”
“You just don’t understand, Will.”
“No, I don’t.”
Ashley sat and stared out at the waves, the light breeze teasing a few strands of hair loose from her braid. He watched her trail her fingers through the sand beside the blanket.
So much for him finding a safer topic. She must feel all alone in the world with no siblings, no parents, no grandparents. He at least had Whitney. Well, and Warren, but Will didn’t really count him as family.
“So, I’m hungry.” Will poked Ashley’s arm to bring her out of her thoughts.
“Of course you are. You’re always hungry.” The corners of her mouth teased into a small smile.
“Well, let’s have this feast.” He sat up and handed the picnic basket to Ashley.
They sat and had their picnic while Ashley finally relaxed and regaled him with stories of her med-school days. He told her all about his home on Belle Island. The minutes rushed by into hours.
“Hey, you’re getting a bit pink. You might want to put on some lotion.” He pointed to Ashley’s arms.
“I put some on, but I should probably put on more.” She reached for the lotion and slathered it on her arms.
He watched, mesmerized when she began stroking it on her long legs, fascinated by each swipe she made as she spread the lotion on her skin.
“Here, I’ll get your back.” Who was the traitor that just said that?
“Uh, sure.” She handed him the lotion.
He poured some lotion into his hand and moved to sit behind her. He rubbed it onto her warm skin, and his hands burned with memories etched deeply into his mind. His hands slid slowly over her shoulder, up her neck, then down her back. He worked the lotion in, hoping it would never absorb and he could keep trailing his hands over her.
“Do you have it?” He didn’t miss the faint tremor in Ashley’s voice.
“Ah. Yes, you’re all good.”
He reluctantly moved back over to his spot on the blanket and stretched out, concentrating on steadying his breath.
Ashley leaned back beside him again, inches from him.
He let himself get lost in thoughts, and what-ifs, and the silken sunshine.
Later his thoughts, or maybe dreams, began to clear. His shoulder was numb, and he opened his eyes to find Ashley curled up asleep on his chest.
He didn’t dare move, though the pins and needles begged him to, but his heart begged him not to. Not a muscle.
His traitorous shoulder twitched and Ashley stirred. She opened her eyes and smiled a lazy smile at him.
Then her eyes widened and she sat up straight. “Oh, sorry.”
“No problem.” He sat up and stretched his arm and shoulder.
“I guess the sun got to me.”
“Nothing wrong with a little nap in the sunshine.”
“I… I should probably go in. I’ve gotten a lot of sun.”
“Or you could just move over here in the shade for a bit.” But it was probably a good idea if she went inside, because if she moved over here next to him, he was pretty darn sure he would try to kiss her.
And he was pretty darn sure she’d let him.
But Ashley slowly rose, taking his hopes with her. “I’d better go.”
Chapter 9
It wasn’t like Ashley to run late, but she was on Monday morning. She’d gotten sidetracked sitting and staring out at the ocean, thinking about yesterday with Will. Yesterday when she’d gotten up and fled from him like a scared little schoolgirl.
She’d wanted to nestle up next to him and spend the rest of the day in his arms. Talking, or silent, it didn’t matter. But instead, she’d been her normal overly-cautious self and fled back to her cottage. He wasn’t part of her plans. She had big goals and big dreams.
She pushed through the door to the clinic, expecting to see the waiting room full of people.
Not a one.
Jerri Lynn greeted her. “We’ve… um… had a few cancellations.”
“Really? How many?”
“Well… most of your schedule for the day.”
“Why? Did anyone give a reason?”
“No… but… I heard some talk.”
Ashley crossed to the reception desk and eyed Jerri Lynn. “What talk?”
“Well, Victoria Tanner was saying that you didn’t take care of her daughter properly when she brought her here. She’s suggesting people go over to Charleston to the doctor she goes to over there.”
“Mia had the virus that was going around. I told Vicki that. She needed to give it time to run its course.”
“I know, poor kid. Though I did see Victoria brought Mia to the festival this weekend. She must have thought Mia was fine.” Jerri Lynn shrugged.
Just then the phone rang and Jerri Lynn snatched it off the cradle. “Yes? Well, okay. I’ll take you off today’s schedule. Would you like to reschedule? Okay. Well, call when you’re ready.” Jerri Lynn hung up the phone.
“Another one?” Ashley sank into a chair in the waiting room. “Is anyone going to come in today?”
“I’m not sure. I’m sorry. Did you do something to make Victoria mad? She’s not one to cross.”
“You’d think I would have learned that lesson years ago, wouldn’t you? Had a bit of a dustup at the festival, you know, after we watched Mia for her for hours.” Ashley took a deep breath. Vicki—Victoria couldn’t still have the power to ruin her and keep her tucked in the place Vicki thought she belonged, could she?
Ashley set her jaw, her teeth firmly clenched together. She couldn’t let this happen. Vicki had kept her out of the clubs she’d wanted to join in high school, kept her out of the Ashland Belle Society, though they rarely let anyone in it that wasn’t at least a third generation Indigo Bay resident. Well, she was a third generation on her father’s side—her family just hadn’t run in the same circles as Vicki’s. Goodness, they were hardly from the same planet as Vicki’s.
But she was proud of her father. He’d been a hard worker. He’d done his best to raise Ashley on his own after her mother left. Her mother hadn’t been able to handle being the outsider in Indigo Bay when she married her father. Indigo Bay was never going to accept her as a real resident. She’d left the town when Ashley was nine.
Ashley had grown up quickly then. She’d learned to get dinner on the table for when her father came home from work. She took their laundry to the basement in the apartment building and washed it in the coin laundry machines while she did her homework. Their neighbor Mrs. McCloud checked in on her and taught her to cook, so their dinners got better over the years.
Ashley had become a list maker to keep things running smoothly. She’d cleaned the tiny apartment, planned the weekly grocery list, and given it to her father to get the items.
She had a schedule. Mondays her father worked late, and she went to Mrs. McCloud’s. Tuesdays she did laundry after school then made dinner for her dad. Wednesday was cleaning day. Thursdays she usually hung around the school until her father was ready to come home. On Friday nights they made dinner together and watched old black and white movies on their tiny TV.
Weekends were her time with her father. They’d go to the beach, or he’d take her into Charleston. Once a month he’d take her out to dinner. They’d get all dressed up and he’d let her pick a place to go. It was never an expensive place, but those nights were some of her dearest memories.
She’d liked their well-planned life and the control it gave her. Her father had laughed at her lists and her planner with everything written down, but he’d humored her. He’d been her biggest supporter and encouraged her to apply for scholarships for college and then medical school.
There was such a void in her life now that he was gone. She missed him every single minute. She wanted one more Friday night making dinner together with him. One more black and white movie night. One more hug…
Why all these memories had decided to surge over her and drown her right now was beyond her comprehension.
Her dad would have had the right thing to say to her today though, when she needed some support while the town, once again, dismissed her.
Will lounged in the open doorway to Coastal Creations, taking a break from the tedious work of sifting through all of Whitney’s paperwork. He felt like he was finally making headway. He’d found the backup for the deductions she’d taken, along with some that she’d missed, and lectured her on keeping better track of expenses, though he knew it was a lost cause. He was going to find her a bookkeeper before he left town. She needed one to come in weekly and keep her on track, otherwise he was going to repeat this whole process again next year… and that would mean returning to Indigo Bay.
He looked up as Ashley came walking down the sidewalk towards him, lost in thought. The sunlight bounced off the reddish highlights in her hair. Her hair was pulled back in what he now considered her normal workday, out-of-the-way, practical braid.
Whitney had laughed at him when he’d mentioned it and said it was a French braid. Okay, was there a Spanish braid? An English braid? Women had strange terms for things, like the way they had fancy names for colors. Seafoam blue, chartreuse—he’d admit he had to look that one up. Or orange—why call it orange when you could call it tangerine, or melon, or coral? He watched Ashley come closer in her red dress. Red. Not a fancy what-the-heck-color dress.
“Hey, Ash. What are you doing wandering the streets in the middle of the day?”
She looked up, startled. “Oh, it’s you. I… well, I have an unusually light schedule today.”
“I thought doctors were always busy on Mondays, isn’t that some kind of rule or something?”
“Well, I’m not.” Her words came out in a short staccato burst.
“Hey, sorry. I didn’t mean to make you mad.” He reached out to touch her arm.
She sighed. “You didn’t. I’m just… upset. Just about my entire day cancelled on me today.”
“That’s strange.”
“Not so strange when I heard Vicki’s been spreading rumors about me. How I didn’t take care of Mia and who knows what else.”
Will felt a lump in his throat. He’d caused this by telling Vicki off at the festival, and Vicki had gotten even by taking it out on Ashley.
“I’m so sorry, Ash. It’s my fault. I stood up to her and told her off. You said it wasn’t good to make Vicki mad. I should have listened to you. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. She was already gunning for me. I’m sure she’s behind me not getting into the Ashland Belle Society, too. She’s never liked me.”
“Vicki only likes herself. You saw how she treated Mia.”
“Well, people in Indigo Bay listen to her.” Ashley shaded her eyes with her hand and looked down the street. “I told Jerri Lynn to call if anyone else shows up at the clinic. I’m headed to Sweet Caroline’s to drown my sorrows in a piece of her pecan pie and some sweet tea.”
“How about I join you?”
“If you want.”
“Ouch, don’t sound so enthusiastic.” He grabbed at his heart with an exaggerated grimace.
She sent him a wry smile. “I’m sorry. Let me try that again. I’d love to have the company. I just hope I don’t clear out Sweet Caroline’s when I go in there.”
“More pie for us, then. Let’s go.” He placed his hand on her elbow, steering her down the street. “Caroline’s pecan pie always cheers you up.”
“I’m afraid it might take more than pie to fix things this time.”
Will held the door open for Ashley as they entered the cafe. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust from the bright sunshine to the darker interior of the restaurant. Caroline hurried up to them.
“Will, I was hoping you’d come back here again before you left town. Ashley, always good to see you.”
Unless, of course, her being here drove away Caroline’s customers…
Caroline led them to a table by the window and they slipped into their seats.
“We’ll have two pecan pie slices and two teas.” Will ordered for both of them.
“Coming right up.”
Ashley looked around the restaurant and caught the furtive glances some of the customers were throwing their way. “From the looks of it, most of the people here have heard Vicki’s rumors.”
“Or maybe they are wondering why a beautiful woman like you is here with a scoundrel like me.” Will teased her in an obvious attempt to make her smile. “Or maybe some of them are remembering we were an item back in the day.”
“Or they heard Vicki’s talk…” Ashley wasn’t going to let Will coax a smile out of her. If Vicki continued, she might ruin Ashley’s attempt at expanding the clinic. It probably wasn’t what Doc Browning had planned when he hired Ashley to run the clinic while he was on leave. She’d hoped he’d keep her on after he returned, but how could he if the town avoided the clinic if she was there? What if she ruined his practice before he came back?
Let the pity party begin.
She wasn’t usually like this. She was upbeat and worked her plan and things fell into place.
She just hadn’t taken Vicki Holloway—Victoria Tanner—into her plans.
Caroline brought their pie and drinks. “Here you go. I don’t usually see you in here in the middle of the afternoon, Ashley.”