by Terri DuLong
“Are we there yet?” she asked.
I laughed. “Not yet. But we just came over the Georgia border.”
She yawned again. “A few more hours and we’ll be in the Sunshine State.”
I looked down at our winter attire. We had left Pittsburgh at seven the previous morning and it had been thirty-eight degrees. Each of us wore a turtleneck sweater with slacks, a winter coat, knitted hat and mittens when we arrived at the bus terminal. I was looking forward to shedding our clothes for the warmth of Florida temperatures.
Cynthia shifted in her seat to look toward the back of the bus.
“Sally and Carol are still sleeping,” she said.
We had met the two sisters at the bus terminal and discovered they had also been hired to work at Broadglen’s. Like Cynthia and me, they would be sharing a cabin provided by the hotel.
“They seemed nice,” I said, and smiled as I recalled how excited Sally had been about our new jobs. She marveled that the hotel had provided our bus tickets and would pick us up in Jacksonville in a van to take us to Amelia Island. Her sister, Carol, had been quieter, and I wondered if perhaps she had been coerced into accompanying Sally.
“They did seem nice,” Cynthia agreed. “Maybe we can hang out with them when we’re not working.”
She removed a compact from her handbag. Flipping it open, she assessed her face in the mirror. “Look at me,” she wailed. “I look like a ghost. I plan to soak up every bit of that sun on the beach and get a nice tan.”
Looks had always been important to Cynthia. I laughed. “Right. You better work fast. We’re going to be working six days a week.”
Cynthia groaned. “I know. That’s really going to cut into my fun time. With my luck, it’ll probably rain every day we have off.”
I shook my head and smiled as I leaned my head back on the seat. Cynthia pulled out from her tote bag the Danielle Steel novel that she had begun reading hours before.
The movement of the bus along the highway made me drowsy, and I must have dozed off. I awoke to Cynthia nudging my arm.
“Look, look,” she said, pointing out the window. “We just passed into Florida!”
I glanced out the window to see the bare trees of the north replaced by palm trees. Sunshine streamed through the window, and I smiled. Within a short time we would be arriving at the Jacksonville bus station—where my new life would begin.
Chapter 2
I had made plans to have lunch with Isabelle on Monday but decided to call her in the morning just to double-check on the time. Since her marriage to Chadwick, she had left her coffee and muffin delivery job with Yarrow to work in Chadwick’s real estate office.
“Hey,” Isabelle said when she answered. “What’s up?”
“I’m just calling to confirm lunch at twelve. We’re meeting at Frappes?”
There was a pause on the line and then Isabelle moaned. “Oh, no. Was that today?”
“Yeah, it was. Why? What’s going on?”
“Oh, gee . . . well . . . I forgot and told Chadwick I’d have lunch with him. He booked a table for us at Café Margot in Cocoa Beach.”
I felt disappointed but managed to say, “Well, that’s okay. Isn’t the office open today? You’re driving down to Cocoa Beach?”
“Things are slow around the holidays. We’re here at the office now but leaving shortly to take the rest of the day off.”
“Okay. Well . . . enjoy your lunch and your time together. Give me a call when you get a chance.”
“Will do,” was all she said, and the line disconnected.
I sat at my kitchen counter sipping the rest of my cold coffee. That was odd. Not even I’m sorry from her. I understood that she was newly married, but it was the first time I could recall Isabelle canceling a lunch date with me.
I heard Lotte whining at my feet and smiled. “Have to go out, girl?” I asked her and opened the French doors to let her outside. I stood watching her sniff the shrubbery before she squatted to pee and ran back into the kitchen.
“So,” I said, rinsing out my coffee mug and looking down at Lotte, “it’s just the two of us. What would you like to do today?”
I had my work with the software company caught up. The last part of the year was a slow time for me, and when I lived in Jacksonville this was normally the time I took for extra projects around the house, reading books I’d put aside, and finishing off knitting projects. But I was now living at Koi House and there were no projects that required my attention. My to-be-read pile lacked any books that interested me, and I wasn’t in the mood to work on my socks.
I could spend some time on the computer doing research in an attempt to locate my father, but the idea that had excited me a few months ago had begun to lack appeal. Did I really want to find him? What if I didn’t like what I found? What if my mother had been right about the past staying in the past?
“Come on, Lotte,” I said, heading to get her leash. “We’re going for a walk on the beach.”
* * *
I had made myself a promise that when I stayed at Koi House I’d make an effort to enjoy the ocean more than I did when living in Jacksonville. It was just a short drive over the bridge and onto A1A and there she was: the mighty Atlantic.
I drove a short distance to Andy Romano Park, where I left the car.
I carried Lotte to the edge of the sand and put her down as I wrapped her leash around my hand. “Let’s walk,” I told her as I breathed in the fresh, salty air.
It was a gorgeous November morning with the sun shining, no humidity, and the temperature hovering around seventy. We had gone quite a distance, and I realized we’d been walking for more than an hour. As we got closer to the park I saw a figure farther down the beach waving at me and realized it was Louise, Mavis Anne’s friend.
“Hey, Petra,” she called as I got closer. “I thought that was you.”
“How are you, Louise? And Ramona, how’re you doing?” I bent down to pat her small dog as Lotte excitedly greeted her.
“I’m great,” she said and smiled. “I think our girls like each other.”
I nodded. “So are you off for a walk?”
“Yes, and then I was planning to get some lunch before going to the yarn shop. Can you join me, or do you have plans?”
I felt my earlier disappointment lighten, and I smiled. “No, actually I have no plans at all.”
“Great. Well, how about if we meet at twelve for lunch. Is Peach Valley okay, just up there on Granada?”
She pointed toward the west, and I nodded again. “Sure. That sounds good.”
“Wonderful. I’ll see you there. and then we’ll head over to Dreamweaver to do some knitting.”
* * *
Louise was already at the restaurant when I walked in. She was waving to me from a table in the back.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m so glad you could join me.”
“Me too,” I told her as I sat down. I had liked Louise Blackstone when I met her on my previous visits to Ormond Beach and I was looking forward to getting to know her better. She was in her early seventies and had been a good friend of Mavis Anne’s for many years.
“Are you settling in at Koi House?” she asked.
“Yes. It’s very comfortable and such a beautiful home.”
“It certainly is and the apple of Mavis Anne’s eye. She’s so happy you’re staying there.” She picked up her menu. “They have some nice sandwiches here.”
I glanced at the options and settled on a chicken salad sandwich with ice water.
After the waitress took our order, Louise said, “Mavis Anne mentioned you have no family.”
I nodded and realized how pathetic that sounded. “My mother passed away a few years ago and I never knew my father. He died when I was a baby and there was no other family left.”
Louise took a sip of her iced tea. “My husband passed away years ago and we had no children. I do have a wonderful nephew and his family. They live in New Smyrna Beach and we try to see each
other often. But he still works and doesn’t have a lot of free time.”
“It’s nice that you have him nearby.”
“It is,” she said. “But I’ve always maintained that we really end up forming our own families over the years, and they don’t have to be blood. Look at Mavis Anne. She’s become my family and so have Yarrow, David, and Clive. I think family can be more than just genes. I think it’s two or more like-minded people who love each other.”
I smiled and saw that Louise Blackstone was a very wise woman. “Yes, that’s true. I’ve always considered Isabelle and Haley my family, and Isabelle’s mother, Iris, was like a second mom to me while I was growing up.”
She nodded. “That’s exactly what I mean. And of course, my Ramona is family. She just happens to have a furry coat.”
I laughed as the waitress placed our lunch in front of us. “Yes, I can relate to that. Lotte is my best companion. Dogs and cats are such a comfort, aren’t they?”
“They certainly are, and it’s easy to see that you love them as much as I do.”
She took a bite of her sandwich and seemed to be thinking.
“I was wondering,” she said. “Do you think you’d be interested in volunteering at the animal shelter? We could certainly use help. Especially this time of year.”
“Mavis Anne mentioned that you dropped towels off there the other day. Do you also volunteer at the facility? What exactly would I be doing there?”
“I go a few times a week and walk the dogs for their potty breaks. The hardest part is when I have to put them back into their cages. They all want a forever home. Well, we do need somebody right now to manage the front desk. Answering the phone and assisting the people who have come to pick up their adopted pet.”
“Really? Now that sounds uplifting. I know my limitations, and I don’t think I could handle dealing with the dogs that have to stay there. I’m afraid I’d find it too heartbreaking and would end up taking them all home.”
Louise laughed. “Yes, I can understand that. But it’s a no-kill shelter and I just know that eventually every single one will find their forever home. But listen,” she said, reaching into her handbag and passing me a business card, “this is the name of our director. Suzanne is a wonderful person and I know she’d love to have you join us. Give her a call and see what you can work out.”
“Thanks, Louise. I think I will. My work schedule allows me to be flexible, so I can certainly volunteer a few hours a week.”
“That would be wonderful. I don’t think you’ll be sorry, and who knows where it will lead. A new adventure always opens new doors for us.”
Right, I thought, as long as I don’t end up with a house overflowing with dogs and cats.
* * *
I walked toward Dreamweaver and smiled. It was the perfect venue for a yarn shop. Located behind Koi House, the structure reminded me of an English cottage with the oval dark wood door, brick chimney, and window boxes filled with seasonal flowers. I inhaled the scent of wood smoke as I stepped inside and saw that the center fireplace at the back of the room was glowing. The flickering fire added coziness even if all the windows were open to let in some cooler air. Mavis Anne had a thing about lighting the fire if the temperature dropped below seventy-four degrees outside.
Chloe came running over to give me a hug. “Welcome, Petra. We were hoping you’d stop by. With Henry and me away for the weekend and the shop being closed for Thanksgiving, I haven’t had the chance to see you since you arrived on Friday. How are you?” She hugged me again and I smiled as I recalled what Louise had said about family.
“I’m great, and you look terrific. Married life must agree with you.”
She laughed and nodded. “Oh, it certainly does. And Henry said to be sure to say hello if I saw you. He also wanted me to extend a dinner invitation to you. Some evening this week if you’re free.”
“That would be great, so yes.”
Mavis Anne looked up from the lace shawl she was working on. “Come join us, honey. Brought your knitting, didn’t you? And where’s my sweet buddy Lotte?”
I laughed and held up my knitting bag. “Yes, I brought my socks to work on. Lotte is taking a nap in the house. We had a long walk on the beach this morning. Actually, I bumped into Louise and she invited me to have lunch with her. She’s on her way. Just had to stop off at her house to let Ramona out first.”
“Oh, good,” Mavis Anne said. “Well, you remember the others, don’t you? Fay and Maddie, and Paige called to say she’s on her way.”
We exchanged greetings and I glanced around to see what the others were working on.
“Oh, Maddie. That’s a gorgeous sweater. For your granddaughter?”
She held up the beautiful piece with lace edging around the cuffs of the sleeves and neck. She was knitting it in a shade of pale lavender.
“Yes. I think Tori will like this. I’m hoping to have it finished for Christmas.”
The afternoon flew by with knitting and conversation. The women brought me up to date on the news in the community. With Christmas approaching it appeared there would be a lot of various events to attend and fun things to do.
Just as I was getting ready to leave, Chloe said, “Weren’t you supposed to have lunch with Isabelle today? I thought maybe she’d stop by here.”
“Yeah. We did have a lunch date,” I said and realized that although Isabelle had forgotten, Chloe had not. I had mentioned it when she’d called me the day before. “But . . . well, I guess she forgot and made plans with Chadwick for the day.”
“Oh. That’s too bad,” was all Chloe said, but I couldn’t help but feel the expression on her face said more than her words.
Chapter 3
On Wednesday morning I decided to contact Suzanne Palmer at the rescue shelter.
“Oh, yes,” she said when I told her who I was. “Louise Blackstone mentioned your name and said you might call me. That’s great because we can always use the help here.”
“Louise told me you needed some help with the front desk and the phone?”
“Yes, we do. About how many hours a week do you think you could volunteer?”
“Well, I work from home and my job is pretty slow this time of year, so I could be available about six hours a week if that would help.”
“It certainly would. In addition to handling the phone, we need somebody to drive around the area to pick up donations for our thrift shop. Would you be able to do that too? Maybe one morning a week for a couple of hours? It doesn’t involve any heavy lifting or anything. Mostly knickknacks, clothes, books, that sort of thing.”
“Sure. I’m fairly new to the area, but if I had directions, that wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Wonderful! Also, we’re having an adoption day this Saturday at Petco on Granada Boulevard. Is there any chance you could volunteer a couple of hours to assist with that?”
My calendar was pretty empty at the moment. “I’d love to. That wouldn’t be a problem, and I’d enjoy seeing a few dogs get a good home.”
“Louise told me you have a Yorkie who is a rescue dog?”
I smiled. “Yes, my Lotte.”
“Please feel free to bring her with you on Saturday. Sometimes it helps when people see that other dogs have been rescued and now have a loving home.”
“That would be great. I’ll definitely have her with me.”
“Okay. Is there any chance you could stop by here in the next couple of days? I’ll get your information and explain the phone system to you.”
“Sure. I can come later this afternoon.”
“That would be great. I’ll see you then.”
I hung up the phone and looked at Lotte, who was curled up beside me on the sofa.
I hated to think what might have happened to my precious dog if I hadn’t rescued her three years before. She wasn’t quite a year old when she was found abandoned and filthy along the highway, and some kind person had brought her to the shelter where I was able to adopt her. Every single dog d
eserved another chance for a good life, and I wanted to give back and help make that happen.
I planned to go over to the yarn shop before lunch but decided to give Isabelle a call first. I hadn’t heard from her since she’d had to cancel our lunch on Monday. I didn’t want to bother her on the business phone at the office, so I called her cell but it went to voice mail.
“Hey, it’s me. I haven’t heard from you. I know you’re busy working, but give me a call. Maybe we can reschedule our lunch date.”
I had hoped to chat with Isabelle for a little while, so I was disappointed that she didn’t answer my call.
I let out a deep sigh. “Well, Lotte, why don’t we pay a visit to the yarn shop before lunch?”
She barked and danced in circles before following me along the walkway to Dreamweaver’s.
I walked in to find Iris and Chloe sitting at the table knitting.
“Petra,” Iris exclaimed, jumping up to embrace me. “I knew you were busy getting settled in and I didn’t want to bother you, but it’s so nice to see you.”
I smiled and returned her hug. I had always liked my best friend’s mother. My own mother had been withdrawn and seldom displayed affection. She was the opposite of Iris Brunell, who always welcomed the company of Isabelle and me during our growing-up years.
“It’s great to see you too, Iris.”
“Did you bring your knitting?” Chloe asked. “Come and join us.”
I glanced to the back of the shop and saw that Yarrow was busy waiting on customers.
“Thanks,” I said, as I sat down and removed my socks from the tote bag.
I noticed that Chloe was working on a cabled hat with a cream-colored Aran yarn.
“How was your trip to the mountains?” I asked. “Is that what the hat is for?”
She laughed. “We had a wonderful time. And yes, we enjoyed it so much that Henry has booked us to return in February for a week. So I thought I’d knit up some hats and mittens for us. How are you settling into Koi House?”
“Very well. Lotte and I feel right at home.”
Chloe smiled. “Yes, Koi House has a way of enveloping a person with love. You’re still coming for dinner this evening, right?”