The agent opened the door and let Karen go in ahead of her. Her first reaction was to feel her shoulders relax—she loved it at first sight. The white walls rose to a high ceiling adorned by a chandelier. An arched bay window looked out toward the park across the street, lush with ancient oaks and lawns. An old fireplace, fronted by a brass grate, was topped with a marble mantel. The office smelled of lemon polish and old wood. Even without furnishings, it felt dignified and solid, a firm foundation for her new life in the city.
“This used to be the library. Many features in the building are refurbished and historically accurate to the late eighteen hundreds.”
Karen wandered around, imagining clients visiting the office of Grace and Associates. The front of the room would make a perfect reception area where they could relax with a view of the park across the street. A cupboard was built into the wall, from which she could serve her guests coffee and cookies before they got down to work.
“And this could be your office.”
The long room had been divided in half by the tasteful construction of a wall, creating a private space for her. Spacious windows, laced by crape myrtle trees, afforded a veiled view of the backyard. Karen imagined a desk and file cabinets and a small conference table filling the room. This would be the heart of her business—of her future.
Alone.
She closed her eyes and exhaled.
Just put your head down and keep moving, she told herself.
When the agent unlocked the second-story apartment, Karen nodded in approval. The ambience welcomed her, reassuring her with abundant light from many windows, high ceilings with decorative moldings, and hardwood floors throughout. A cozy dining room looked out toward the park, while on the opposite wall, the kitchen had a view of a neatly maintained garden at the back of the house.
“The other renter maintains the garden,” said the agent. “She says you’re welcome to whatever veggies and flowers you like.” She continued down the hall. “The master bedroom has a walk-in closet.”
Karen followed. “The apartment is beautiful, but I didn’t realize it would be furnished.”
“It won’t be after the current resident moves out. Her lease is up April first. Is that a concern?”
“I’d hoped to move in sooner.” Karen stuck her head into the other bedroom, which was smaller but perfect for guests and storage. “But no, it’s not a problem. In fact, it’ll give me time to prepare.”
The office and apartment exceeded her expectations, the lease was within her anticipated budget, and the city was lovely. She could imagine greeting clients in her office downstairs, someday with the help of a receptionist. She would attend local events, make friends and contacts, and put down roots. If she had to wait an extra month, it would be worth it. “Where do I sign?”
The agent whipped out a pen. “I sent your deposit receipt by e-mail. Do you need anything else?”
Karen smiled. “No. I’m excited about the place. It’s gorgeous.”
“Great. Call me in four weeks, and I’ll meet you here with the keys.” They shook hands, and Karen walked out to her truck, but before getting in, she looked back at the brownstone. In its stately gentility, it seemed to offer comfort, safety, and a gracious start for the second half of her life. If she had to choose between love and business—and apparently, she did—this new home would ease the pain. Savannah would make a wonderful foundation for her future. Curt would have loved it here.
She swallowed hard and climbed into the truck.
Returning to Jekyll Island, she cruised slowly past the golf course and the ruins of Horton House and parked at Driftwood Beach, where she sat on a log and stared at the Atlantic. In a few weeks, Curt would be living on the other side of the ocean. No doubt he’d take up with that woman, Isabel. And once there, why bother coming back? Would she ever see him again?
It wouldn’t matter. He’d made his terms clear.
She took a deep breath and straightened her back. Any man who’d make such a rigid ultimatum wasn’t for her, anyway.
He was just being passionate. He didn’t want to lose you, so he doubled down. You’re a fool for letting him go.
If he didn’t want to lose me, Karen argued back, he’d have been more flexible. He’d wait for me.
No, he’s doing what he needs to do. You should do the same. After all, you’re both adults. And you’re both control freaks.
Karen made a face. Yes, we’re perfect for each other, she thought.
Sliding her feet into her sandals, she trudged back to the truck. That afternoon, she visited Ida and confirmed her plans. The older woman nodded sadly, wished her well, and told her to hide the key under the mat. By nightfall, Karen had packed, cleaned, and removed every indication that she and Curt had been there at all.
CHAPTER 36
ON THE WAY HOME FROM Jekyll Island, Karen tried to rehearse her speech about Jessie clearing out, but Frieda kept interfering, griping about the girl and her baby thrown out on the streets.
At Paradise Shores, Karen drove to her trailer, but a primer-gray sedan was parked in the short driveway, and there was no room for her truck. The neighbor, sipping a cocktail on his patio, scowled as if angry at all the cars crowding his property, so she parked in the visitor lot and hiked home. A tall, thin blonde with her hair in a towel answered the door.
“Jessie? I’m Karen.”
Jessie held the door open. “I’m sorry about the mess.” The living room was filled with diaper boxes, baby clothes, a toy box, and a playpen, in which stood a one-year-old baby.
Karen set her suitcase on the floor. “So this is Sunshine.”
Jessie leaned down and picked up the little girl, who tucked her face against her mother’s neck. “She’s shy with strangers.”
“Most babies are.”
“It’s her bedtime. We were waiting on you.”
Karen glanced toward the bedroom.
“It’s all yours,” said Jessie. “I’ll sleep on the sofa. She’s fine here.” Jessie laid the baby in the playpen and dimmed the lights. Sunshine popped up and began wailing.
Karen pulled the flimsy divider closed. The bed looked freshly made, and the room was empty and clean. What now? It was too early to sleep, but she sensed the baby needed to forget about the stranger who’d just arrived. Karen flopped on the bed, feeling awkward. She busied herself on her phone, checking email and the news. Eventually silence fell.
Karen slid the divider open and tiptoed into the bathroom. There she found childproof locks securing every door and cabinet.
“I’m sorry for the hassle,” said Jessie. “When I realized we’d be staying a while, I put them on.”
“It’s not a problem. They’ll come off.” Karen felt like a jerk, but she had to ask. “How’s the house-hunting going? Have you found a place?”
“We’re waiting for a couple of callbacks, tomorrow or the next day. I don’t have that much stuff, so when we get the call, I can be out of here pretty quickly.”
“Okay, well...goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Karen escaped to her bedroom. She put on her pajamas, laid the Sandford novel on the nightstand, and slipped into bed. She reached for the phone to text Curt good night but then remembered and leaned back against the headboard. She looked up at the ceiling. Her eyes stung.
Well, what’d you expect? You let a man like that get away like he don’t matter at all. If it was me, I’d be chasing after him with everything I had. Maybe there’s no hope for you.
Karen turned out the light. Good night, Frieda.
BABY LAUGHTER WOKE Karen. She smiled at the sound and then remembered and pulled the pillow over her head. No way around it, this was going to be awkward. Hopefully, the apartment prospects would pan out today and Jessie would begin packing. Soon, Karen would have the place to herself.
Sunshine began fussing.
“No, you can’t.” Jessie spoke in a loud whisper.
Fuss, whine, fuss.
“Shhh.”
The trailer jiggled.
“Stay here. Sunshine, no.” With the single-mindedness of babies everywhere, Sunshine grasped and pulled at the flimsy divider, trying to get into Karen’s room. When Jessie pulled her away, the baby began to cry.
“You can open it,” said Karen. “I’m awake.” As if I could sleep.
“Are you sure? I can take her for a walk.”
“It’s barely light out.”
The divider slid back, and Sunshine crawled over to the foot of the bed and pulled herself into a standing position. Karen, propped on her elbow, smiled at the baby, who simply stared.
Jessie stood in the doorway. “She’s a very curious little girl.”
“She’s okay. I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“I’ll make coffee.”
Sunshine eased closer to the nightstand, eyeing Karen’s red phone. Karen grabbed it and stuck it under her pillow. The baby saw where it went and lifted one foot, expecting to find a toehold in order to climb onto the bed. Her little hands grasped at the bedding, trying to haul herself up.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Jessie called from the kitchen. “She’s used to crawling in bed with me in the morning.”
“Want to come up?” Karen lifted the baby onto the bed. Sunshine scrabbled to the pillow and lifted it, but the phone was gone. In its place was a silly-looking back scratcher with jiggly eyes glued onto the handle. The baby reached for the tool.
“Coffee’s ready,” said Jessie. “Looks like you two are going to be friends.”
“She’s adorable,” Karen said, “but would you mind getting her? She can have the scratcher to play with.”
“She has her own toys.” Jessie picked up the baby and left the room.
Karen shrugged and stuck the back scratcher up in the closet. Then she closed herself in the bathroom with its profusion of baby locks. After dressing, she poured a cup of coffee and sat on a barstool to drink it. The baby’s antics served as distraction in what would otherwise have been an uncomfortable silence. Karen finished her coffee. “I’m going to say hi to Fern and Belle.” Outside, she felt free, sprung from the stifling closeness of the overcrowded RV.
“Figured we’d see you one of these days.” Fern held the screen open.
“Welcome home,” Belle said. “I made cinnamon rolls. Did you eat?”
Karen asked about Eleanor, who was still hanging on. She got updates on everybody, and then the conversation turned to Jessie. “She says you found her a couple of rental options.”
“I was hoping.” Fern set her coffee cup down. “But there’s nothing.”
“Rents are sky-high, and there are no vacancies anywhere,” said Belle.
“What about Homestead or the towns around there? I’d think the housing there would be a lot cheaper.”
“It’s an hour away,” said Belle. “She wouldn’t have anybody to help her.”
“Bigger problem is that Jessie has no money,” said Fern. “Flat broke and no child support.”
“What’s she planning to do? Does she have any ideas?”
“Other than going back to Atlanta?” asked Fern. “Nope. So I guess you’re stuck with her for a while, until something turns up.”
“I’m stuck?”
“Not you alone,” said Fern. “We’ll keep looking. Something will turn up.”
Belle said, “The Andersons might let her rent their RV for a couple weeks. They’re flying home to Texas for a wedding.”
“Forget that,” said Fern. “Renee’ll never let anybody stay in her trailer. It’s too tricked out. She’s too prissy.”
“We need to think of something.” Karen stood. “Thanks for the coffee.”
“Leaving so soon?”
“I want to see Eleanor. Also, I need to think, and it’s hard to do in the trailer.”
“It’s just short term,” said Fern. “She’s a good kid. Don’t be a grouch about it.”
Belle pulled on a sweater. “I’ll walk with you.”
As they headed for Eleanor’s, Karen said, “She had a month to resolve this, and now I’m the bad guy.”
“I feel terrible. We tried to find her a place, but everything is so expensive. Short of driving to the mainland, there is nothing,” said Belle. “On the plus side, we lent her our laptop, and she’s doing her college classes while we watch the baby. Everybody in camp loves the two of them.”
“I’m glad for all of you, but the trailer isn’t that big,” said Karen. “It’s uncomfortable having all three of us in there.”
“It’s always harder at first, but you’ll adapt. I have faith in you.”
“Faith or not, Jessie needs to find another place to stay. I’m leaving at the end of February.”
“Why? I thought you were a part of our group now.”
“Belle.” Karen stopped walking and looked at her friend. “I can’t live in an RV forever.”
“I know it’s small but I thought you’d trade up.”
“It’s not that. I rented a place in Savannah.”
Belle’s shoulders slumped. “What will happen to Jessie?”
“I did what I could. What else do you want from me?” A gust of wind came out of nowhere, whipping up dust and sand from the campground and lashing the two women so hard that they raised their arms to shield their faces.
At Eleanor’s driveway, Belle said good-bye. “I need to speak with Fern.”
Karen knew the two of them would be back, working her over, trying to effect some compromise that suited Jessie.
Doc let her in. “She just woke up.”
Karen stood at the foot of Eleanor’s bed. The old woman opened her eyes, blinked, and then smiled. “I knew I’d see you again.”
“I’m glad you’re still hanging in.”
“Yes.” The word came out a croak. “I’m too tough to kill.”
“I knew that.”
“But this isn’t much of a life.” Eleanor gestured for her water bottle, and Karen handed it to her. “On the plus side, the child is delightful.”
“And her mother is a good person, everybody keeps telling me.” Karen sighed. “I’m so stuck.”
“I knew that the first day.” Eleanor closed her eyes.
“I can’t boot them out on the street.”
“No, that would be cruel.”
CHAPTER 37
LOUD MUSIC AND LAUGHTER blasted out of her RV as Karen approached. She stood in the doorway, her mouth a straight line. She’d hoped to get some work done, but inside, it was like a reunion of the Golden Girls television show, if they were hosting a baby shower. Doc, Patti, Fern, and the rest of them crowded into every inch of seating. In the middle of the room, Sunshine held on to a chair and danced—or tried to—to a Beyoncé number. Knowing she was the center of attention, the baby laughed as she wiggled and jerked, up and down on her fat little legs, occasionally plopping down on her well-padded rear. The ladies wiped their eyes and howled, the trailer jiggled, and the baby danced on.
Not exactly a place to get any serious work done. Karen remembered seeing a public library by the grocery store, so she threaded her way through the crowded living room into her bedroom, gathered up her laptop and files, and left.
The girl behind the desk pointed her over to a bank of carrels, and Karen got busy developing new job descriptions for Ben’s employees. The library wasn’t very busy midweek during the school year, with all the retirees outside enjoying the tropical sunshine. It was easy to be productive, here in the quiet with no dancing babies or hysterically-laughing grandmothers. Karen was able to focus, and she raced through her work.
After an hour, she stood and stretched. The library was a tomb. She sat back down, ready to start on Ursula’s work, but since the free Wi-Fi was so fast here, she decided to play around with Google Earth instead. She found her destination and zoomed in. The University of Barcelona looked to be within walking distance of the ocean, with beaches and attractive boardwalk areas. The university sprawled across the city with mu
ltiple campuses; a cosmopolitan environment, offering every kind of cultural opportunity. She was proud of Curt for landing such a gig—a year in Barcelona, beginning in August. As she tumbled deeper into the rabbit hole of blogs, websites, and YouTube videos, Karen began to understand what she was missing. He had offered her all of that—romance, art, beauty, culture, dining, nature, and history in a Mediterranean setting—and all she had to do was give up her thriving young business.
She’d seriously considered whether it was possible to work in Europe while maintaining her business here in America, but the answer was no. So instead of working at a desk overlooking the beaches of Barcelona, she was hunched in a small cubicle while people took over her trailer. Tomorrow was supposed to be the day Jessie moved out, but clearly, that wasn’t going to happen.
Karen had bristled at the way Fern and Belle acted like it was no big deal for Jessie to move in indefinitely. The crowding was bad enough, but the feeling of being a doormat was worse. She knew they meant well, but she felt taken advantage of. Not that she didn’t want to help Jessie, especially given that she was Frieda’s family.
Thank you.
You’re welcome.
But how were they supposed to manage for the next month? And whether Jessie believed it or not, in thirty days the RV would be sold. Then what?
Not like it was Karen’s problem.
Karen packed up and drove a few miles down the highway to Lorelei’s, a bayside waterfront café whose dock served as a hot spot for the fishing guides in the area. She munched on fish tacos watched boatloads of tourists arrive and depart. Tarpon splashed madly in the shallow water of the bay, fighting each other for the occasional dropped French fry. While she watched, inspiration struck.
On the way home, she stopped in at Fern’s and told her what it would take for Jessie to be able to stay another month in Karen’s RV. Fern stood listening, hands on hips, nodding.
Back at the trailer, the ladies had cleared out. Jessie looked up from hand-stitching a hem. “The baby was late going down for her nap, and it’s my shift with Eleanor. Would it be okay if I left her in your care?”
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