Rosemary Cottage

by Colleen Coble

  “Pranksters don’t want to be caught.” When Amy opened her mouth to protest, Pearl held up her hand. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t investigate. I’ll admit it’s troubling. But it doesn’t say someone killed him. Maybe Ben was involved in something that led to his death in another way. He may have been so distraught over it that he took his own life.”

  “He was surfing.” Amy should have known better than to talk about it yet. Not until she had something concrete to go on.

  The doorbell rang and Amy rose. “I’ll be right back.” When she threw open the door, she didn’t recognize the young woman standing on the porch. She appeared to be in her late teens. Her long blond hair streamed over a white tank top that showed toned arms. There was a sullen slant to her full lips, but behind the insolent expression in her dark blue eyes, Amy saw desperation. “Can I help you?”

  The girl swayed and put her hand on the door frame. Her color went to pasty. “I—I wondered if I might have some water?”

  Before Amy could answer, the girl swayed again and Amy caught her and managed to break the girl’s collapse to the porch floor. The girl’s eyes were closed, and Amy checked the pulse in her throat. Rapid.

  Pearl stepped into the entry. “What’s wrong with her?”

  “I think it’s heat stroke or dehydration. Would you get a glass of water? I think she’s coming around.” Amy helped the girl into a half-seated position. “How do you feel?”

  The girl’s eyelids fluttered, then opened as she put her hand to her head. “Woozy. Did I pass out?”

  “Don’t get up yet,” Amy commanded when the girl made a move to rise. She supported the young woman’s shoulders with her arm, then took the glass of water Pearl handed her and put it to the girl’s lips. “Slowly now.”

  The young woman drank a few sips. “I don’t know what happened.”

  Amy saw no car parked outside. “Where did you come from?”

  The girl waved vaguely. “I walked to Tidewater Inn and was on my way back when I started feeling funny. I saw your house and headed here.”

  “Come in out of the sun.” Amy helped her to her feet and guided her inside. Pearl followed.

  “Cute cottage.” The girl’s gaze took in the boxes and suitcases against the living room wall. “Looks like you’re just moving in or out.”

  “I’m moving in.”

  “I’m looking for a room to rent.” The young woman looked hopeful. “Any idea where I might find a place? I tried Tidewater Inn, but I was told they were full and the owner wouldn’t be back for several days.”

  Pearl had started to sit down, but she immediately straightened. “Oh? I thought she was just upstairs.” Her green eyes were avid.

  Amy bit her lip and glanced toward the stairs. It wasn’t her news to share. There had been no sound from the second floor since she’d come down, but she was tempted to make an excuse and slip up to the bedroom to tell Libby and Alec that Pearl was here.

  Pearl frowned. “Amy? Where’s Libby?”

  “Upstairs. I’ll let her know you’d like to see her. I’ll be right back.” Amy took the stairs two at a time. The door to her bedroom was open, and Libby sat up in the bed nursing the baby while Alec looked on. Amy paused and absorbed the heartwarming scene.

  Libby looked up and smiled. “I can’t get over how beautiful he is.”

  “Handsome,” Alec corrected with a grin.

  Amy hated to interrupt them. “Pearl is here. I didn’t want to be the one to tell her about Noah’s arrival if you wanted to.”

  Alec looked to Libby, who smiled again and nodded. “Send her up. She can meet our son.”

  “I thought you’d want to.” The smile still lingered on her lips when Amy stepped into the living room and faced Pearl. “Libby is upstairs and would like to speak with you.”

  “I wondered why she hadn’t come down.” Pearl heaved herself off the sofa and moved fast for her size.

  Amy turned back to her unexpected guest. “I should introduce myself. I’m Amy Lang.” At the mention of her name, a strange expression flitted across the girl’s face. Amy couldn’t decide if it was fear or elation. Or maybe she was feeling faint again. “Are you all right?”

  The teenager wetted her lips. “I’m fine. I—I’m Heather. Heather G-Granger. Could I have more of the water?”

  “Of course.” Amy retrieved the glass from the coffee table and handed it to her. “So you’re feeling weak again?”

  “A little.” Heather sipped the water slowly. “You live here by yourself, or does the old lady live here too?”

  Amy managed not to grin. Pearl wouldn’t appreciate being called an old lady. “I live here alone.”

  “I don’t suppose you’d consider renting out a room? I’ve been told there is no place to stay on the island because of the stupid festival. I’ve got to find somewhere to stay, or I’ll be sleeping in a field or on a park bench.”

  Amy watched the girl pick at a piece of lint on her jeans. Panic lay just under the surface. There was much the girl wasn’t saying. Where was her family? What had brought her here?

  Amy studied her expression. “You don’t live on Hope Island? How did you get here?”

  She looked up again, her blue eyes hopeful. “I came by the ferry. I have a job and everything. Just no place to stay.”

  “You’re too young to be out on your own.”

  “I’m eighteen.”

  When Amy lifted a brow, Heather grabbed her purse and dug out her driver’s license. “See—eighteen! Please, I need a bed. Even the attic.” Her eyes glistened with tears, and her soft mouth trembled.

  The desperation in Heather’s voice tugged at Amy’s heart-strings. And she wasn’t looking forward to listening for Ben’s footsteps and hearing echoes of his voice in these empty rooms. What could it hurt to give the girl a place to stay, at least until the festival was over? “I’ve got a spare room.”

  Libby and little Noah were just down the hallway, but the cottage still felt empty. Amy sat on the edge of her bed and listened to the sea wind whistle through the eaves. Her eyes burned and her muscles ached as she pulled on her short nightgown. She pulled back the comforter and sheets, and the faint scent of rose petals wafted from the bed.

  Tears moistened her eyes as she climbed onto the smooth cotton sheets. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the aroma of roses. Who knew it would be his last gift to her?

  “Amy?” Libby’s voice outside her door sounded panicked.

  Amy threw back the covers and sprang to open the door. “What’s wrong?”

  Libby wore a blue nightgown and held her sleeping baby. Tears rolled down her face. “I—I’m scared, Amy. I don’t know how to be a mother, and what if I hurt him?”

  Amy drew her into the room and guided her to a seat on the bed. “Oh, honey, you’ll be fine. Babies aren’t as fragile as they seem. All they need is lots of love. He’ll let you know when he’s hungry and needs to be changed.”

  Libby sniffled. “My mother was a drunk. What if I fail Noah somehow too?”

  “Every parent makes mistakes, but kids survive. Look at you. Even with the problems in your family, you turned into a caring, wonderful person. Trust yourself, Libs. Noah is lucky to have you for a mommy.”

  Libby’s smile came then. “You always know the right thing to say.” Her eyes sobered. “You doing okay? It’s your first night.”

  Amy blinked quickly but not soon enough to hold back the tear that escaped. “Smell the roses? Ben always put petals in the sheets when they were folded. Even when they’re shaken before making the bed, the fragrance stays.”

  “I wish I’d known him better. You loved him very much.”

  Amy nodded. “He was eight years older than me and I idolized him. And he knew me better than anyone. He was the one who knew I’d never make a good lawyer. He saw my love of children and told me to follow my heart.” She smiled and shook her head. “I don’t think he realized I would take it quite this far. I’m sure I drove him crazy when I was small. I fo
llowed him around everywhere until he went to college when I was ten.”

  Libby brushed her lips across Noah’s soft, dark hair. “Tell me more about him. I only met him a couple of times.”

  Amy loved nothing better than talking about Ben. “He was so smart. I don’t even know how many things he had on his plate, but he knew so much about business. I think he would have ended up richer than Dad if he’d lived.”

  “He was engaged, wasn’t he?”

  Amy nodded. “Poor Elizabeth was devastated by his death. She still isn’t dating.”

  “Such a tragedy. I’m so sorry, Amy. Did you get to see him a lot?”

  “Not nearly enough. Mostly just the two weeks we spent here every summer.” She fell silent. There had been plenty of times he’d begged off meeting for dinner or dessert, but she hadn’t faulted him for that. He had a lot of friends and was always on the go.

  And losing him wasn’t something she’d ever dreamed would happen, or she would have pushed harder to spend every minute with him.

  Curtis couldn’t remember the last time he’d been to Rosemary Cottage. Probably last summer. Libby’s family crowded around the rocker where she sat to meet little Noah. The rest of the Coasties team hadn’t come by yet, but Alec had called him to ask him to bring by some things he’d left in his locker. Curtis suspected the small box in his pocket was a gift for the new mom.

  Vanessa, Libby’s younger sister, demanded to hold the baby, so while Libby was distracted, Curtis motioned for Alec to meet him in the kitchen. “Here’s what you wanted. I think you should give it to her in front of everyone.” He handed over the small white box.

  Alec’s eyes crinkled in a grin. “Want to see me embarrassed, is that it? Did you peek at it?”

  Curtis shook his head. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out a jewelry box. What is it?”

  “It’s a mother’s ring.” Alec’s gaze went over Curtis’s shoulder. “Anything wrong, Amy?”

  Curtis turned to see Amy standing in the doorway from the living room. Something about her always set him on edge. Guilt, maybe.

  “I thought maybe you fellows needed something.”

  Alec grinned. “Nope, just some sneaky stuff going on.”

  He gave her the box Curtis had passed to him, and her smile lit up the room. Or so it seemed to Curtis. She always seemed to be alight with an inner spirit that drew everyone to her.

  She handed the box back to Alec. “When are you going to give it to her?”

  “In a few minutes. Once Brent and Zach get here. Zach was out fishing, and I asked Brent to pick him up.”

  Amy was in no hurry to meet Libby’s half brother. She’d heard how he treated his newfound sister at first. She moved toward the counter. “I think I’ll make fresh coffee.”

  “Can I help?” Curtis followed her. “Alec needs to go back and worship at the shrine of mother and child.” He nudged his friend and grinned.

  Alec smiled back. “Says Uncle Curtis, who is curled around Raine’s little finger.”

  Amy tilted a brow his way. “You have a niece? I didn’t know.”

  Curtis’s face heated, and he turned away to open cupboard doors in search of cups. “Yes, Gina’s daughter. I’m raising her.” He found the cups and pulled them out.

  “I’m sorry about Gina.”

  “Me too. And sorry about Ben. We both had tragedy strike and not too far apart.” When he glanced at her, her expression was hard to read.

  She put coffee beans in the grinder and turned it on, then filled the carafe with water and poured it in the coffeemaker. “Gina was struck by a boat, is that right?”

  “Yes. Idiot was going too fast.”

  “Did he stop after he struck her?”

  “No. I turned the island upside down looking for him too. It’s hard to believe he didn’t realize he’d hit her. It was probably some young kid who panicked and rushed off without stopping.”

  “Um-hmm,” she muttered under her breath.

  He read the skepticism on her face. What was she getting at?

  FOUR

  The wind from the helicopter rotors kicked up the waves below them. Two women clinging to the swamped boat waved frantically. Curtis clipped Alec into the harness. “Clear!” He slapped Alec’s shoulder and stepped back.

  Alec dangled his legs out the chopper door and gave him a thumbs-up. Curtis returned the gesture, and Alec shoved away from the door and plummeted into the sea. Curtis returned to the door and readied the basket for retrieval while he watched the rescue unfold below.

  With strong, sure strokes, Alec reached the first of the women. Curtis waited while Alec talked to them. When Alec held up his thumb, Curtis lowered the basket.

  The rescue was as routine as facing the wind and weather ever was. Ten minutes later both shivering women were aboard the aircraft. Sara swaddled them in wool blankets and checked them out. Other than being cold and thirsty, they were both fine.

  “That wave came out of nowhere,” the older woman shouted above the roar of the rotors. She took a sip of the hot drink Sara had poured them. “One minute we were sailing along and making good time, and the next we were upside down.” Her dark blond hair hung in wet strings down her neck.

  The sea was capricious. Curtis had heard the same story so many times over the years that he’d lost count. He leaned in so they could hear him. “Where you headed?”

  “Hope Beach.” The younger woman studied him over the rim of her cup.

  In her mid- to late twenties, she had long dark hair and eyes as deep blue as the waves she’d just been pulled from. She didn’t wear a wedding ring, which was a good thing with the flirtatious glances she was throwing his way. He’d hate to think a married woman would be so blatant. He shifted away.

  “We’ll be landing on Hope Island.” Alec pulled down the top of his wetsuit and pulled on a sweatshirt over his goose-pebbled skin.

  Her teeth still chattered. “We’re staying for a few weeks. Out at Tidewater Inn.”

  “That’s my place,” Alec said. “It’s been in my wife’s family for years.”

  She brightened and glanced at Curtis again. “That’s great! We’re here to help set up the campaign rally for Senator Kendrick.”

  “I like him,” Curtis said. “I’m hoping to meet him when he comes for the rally. It’s not often we get to participate like this in an election season.”

  The young woman tucked a strand of hair out of her eyes. “It will make for good media coverage.”

  Curtis supposed it would. The senator reaching out to the often-forgotten segment of his voter pool would be appealing to constituents. He suspected the senator hadn’t thought about it like that though. It was clear these women considered every angle. “Are you his campaign manager?” he asked the older woman.

  “Oh my, no,” she said. “Dara here is his wife, Zoe’s, best friend, and we’re just here as a favor to the family. He tries not to spend much money on campaign expenses. He’s very frugal.”

  “Too frugal sometimes,” Dara put in. “But we were glad to help.” She stared at Alec. “But about the inn. We’ve heard so much about it. Would you mind if we went exploring in the attic?”

  “Not at all. I’m sure Libby won’t mind.”

  Sara refilled their hot chocolate. “Lieutenant Bourne here is a new daddy. His son was born two days ago.”

  The older woman lifted a brow. “And you’re back at work already?”

  “And it’s good for you that he is,” Sara countered. “Alec is the best swimmer we have.”

  “We’re very thankful,” the woman said. “I didn’t mean to sound critical. I’m Winona Anderson, and this is my niece, Dara Anderson. Congratulations, Lieutenant. I hope we’ll get a chance to take a peek at the new arrival.”

  “I’m sure you will,” Alec said. “He’s a keeper, nearly eight pounds.”

  Curtis grinned at the pride in his friend’s voice. All babies looked alike to Curtis, and young Noah had the usual tiny red face and c
hubby cheeks. The night before, Alec hadn’t even wanted to hand the little guy over when he squawked to be fed. The minute Libby had returned to the living room with Noah in her arms, Alec had demanded him back, though he’d had to do battle with Libby’s siblings and his nephew. Alec was going to be a good daddy.

  The village was still talking about how Amy had delivered the baby in her cottage. Scuttlebutt said she was thinking about staying permanently, and he wished he’d flat-out asked her last night. He hoped it was only a rumor. If she stayed, Raine’s parentage was sure to come out. Not even his teammates knew who her father was. If they’d wondered, they hadn’t been crass enough to ask.

  He was sure Alec would urge him to tell Amy the full story as soon as possible, but the Lang family would want Raine, and it would be a battle to keep her. Edith meant well, but she didn’t know the family like he did. Curtis would fight to his last breath to keep Raine.

  Dressed in capris and a pink top, Amy rode her bike to downtown Hope Beach on Friday to meet Libby. The small shops had once been houses for fishermen, and their clapboard faces with their small porches looked out on the narrow village streets. She made a mental note to stop at the feed store later and look at the plants. Though she’d made inroads on the yard, the garden needed serious weeding.

  She parked the bike in a rack as Libby pulled up in her SUV. Amy saw little Noah in the back and opened the door to get him out of his car seat. The plastic latch resisted her attempts to free the baby. “You have to be a physicist to figure this out.”

  “I practiced before he got here.”

  “Good decision.” Amy gave up and stood back to let Libby unbuckle the little guy and lift him out.

  “Amy,” a woman exclaimed as Libby backed out with Noah in her arms.

  Amy turned to see a young woman about eight months pregnant standing on the sidewalk. The top of her large purse was unzipped and bulged with romance novels. Amy struggled to remember the attractive redhead’s name. She’d been the attorney’s secretary.

  The name came to her. “Mindy Jackson. It’s been a long time.”