Then Comes Baby

by Helen Brenna

  “It feels like we’re in an old movie,” Toni whispered to Sam, who was holding hands with her and Ryan.

  “Weird,” Sam murmured, looking around. “There really aren’t any cars?”

  “Nope,” Natalie said. “Except for the emergency equipment.”

  Ryan picked up a penny lying on the sidewalk and quietly stuffed it in his pocket.

  “Can we go sailing sometime?” Blake asked as they passed by the marina.

  “Sure,” Natalie said. “The plan is to take in everything Mirabelle has to offer at some point during the summer. Kayaking, windsurfing, horseback riding. We’re going to work hard and play hard.”

  That met with murmurs of approval. Galen appeared to be keenly interested in the sailboats, kayaks and windsurfer boards in the bay, and Natalie smiled to herself. He’d get there.

  As they continued down Main, Natalie glanced up a side street and noticed a man leaving the post office. The way he moved, with purpose and confidence, felt familiar, although a baseball cap and dark sunglasses shaded his face. Then she saw the dog tied to the lamppost and knew she’d been right. Her new neighbors, Jamis and Snickers, had also come to town.

  She was about to head toward them, when she met up with her first islander. “Hey, Doc.” She waved as she approached Doc Welinsky, a tall, always jovial fellow who seemed much older than she remembered.

  He pulled up short and studied her. “Well, if it isn’t little Natalie Steeger. Only you’re not so little anymore. How the heck are you?”

  “Very well, thank you.”

  His smile disappeared. “Sorry, about your grandmother.”

  “Thanks, but if I live to ninety-seven, I’m going to guess I’ll be ready to go. We can’t all live forever.” In her peripheral vision she noticed Jamis slinking into the drugstore, obviously hoping to avoid her.

  “Ain’t that the truth?” Doc turned pensive. “I’ve actually been thinking about retiring.”

  For as long as Natalie had been coming to the island, he’d been Mirabelle’s only doctor. “What’ll they do without you?”

  He shrugged. “Time for some new blood.”

  A tourist bumped her shoulder and passed on without pardoning herself. “Why is it so busy in town?” Natalie asked.

  “We put in a golf course and a couple swimming pools up on the hill.”

  “No kidding?” The pool would be another activity for the kids. “Doc, I’d like to introduce you to my summer kids.” She went down the line, introducing everyone. “This is Doc Welinsky.”

  “Hey, kids.” He gave them all his thumbs-up.

  “I’ve set up a camp at Grandma’s house.”

  “Yep, I remember hearing about that.” An oddly concerned look had passed over his features as the kids moved down the street and stopped in front of the drugstore to pet Snickers. “There was quite a discussion at the town council meeting when you first applied.”

  “There was?”

  “Oh, yes. There were a few folks who weren’t too sure about opening up the island to…” he said, pausing, “an undesirable element.”

  “Undesirable? These kids?”

  “Well, they come from some pretty tough neighborhoods, don’t they?”

  “Yes, but none of them are troublemakers.” Yet.

  “Well, it’ll probably take some time to convince some of the more stubborn islanders, but I wish you the best of luck, Natalie.”

  “Thank you,” Natalie said, but Doc’s comments had definitely colored the day for her. She’d had no idea that some of the islanders had been against her camp.

  She rejoined her kids and they all went into the drugstore. Bob Henderson was standing at one of the cash registers. He glanced up and opened his arms and hugged Natalie as if she were a long-lost child. “Natalie! It’s so good to see you.”

  “Good to see you, too, Bob.”

  “We heard through the town council that you were opening a camp for kids out at your grandmother’s place,” Bob said. “Boy, that created quite a stir.”

  “That’s what I’ve heard.”

  “Well, you know how some of the Mirabelle folk hate changes.” He smiled and whispered, “But I thought I’d better give you fair warning.”

  “Thanks. But Doc already beat you to it.”

  “He did, huh? Well, I’m gonna guess he’s looking out for you, too. How’s it going?”

  “So far, so good. Let me introduce you to everyone. Kids, this is Bob Henderson. I worked for him and his wife every summer all through high school and college.”

  “And she spoiled us, she did. Haven’t found as good a clerk ever since.”

  Galen picked up a magazine off the rack and pretended to be flipping through it. With Sam craning her neck down the makeup aisle, it was clear even her attention was wandering. “Everyone up for some ice cream?”

  “Yeah!”

  “Sweet.”

  “I’ll meet you kids at Mrs. Miller’s ice cream and candy shop, ’kay? Galen and Sam, you guys are in charge. Keep everyone together.” She handed them some cash.

  “Will do,” Sam said.

  After they’d left, Bob said, “That crew looks like a lot of work.”

  “They’re all good kids at heart. They’ll be working a lot this summer, but should have plenty of fun times, too. I think the time away from the city will do them all some good.”

  “If you need any help, you let me or Marsha know.” A customer came to the register. “She’ll be disappointed she missed you.”

  “I’ll be here all summer.” Natalie turned to go and spotted her new neighbor in the hair care aisle, head down and searching the shelves. He was a tall man and in surprisingly good physical shape for a writer. She would’ve expected someone who made up stories all day at his computer to have rounded shoulders, pasty white skin and a potbelly.

  Wearing sunglasses and a hat, even inside the store, Jamis appeared to be hiding. She flashed on his reaction yesterday when she and the kids had brought him cookies. Pretend like I don’t exist, he’d said. As if. The man had a presence that simply couldn’t be ignored, despite being either totally antisocial or extremely shy. Good thing she was neither.

  She spun around and meandered toward him, flashing her brightest smile. “Fancy meeting you here.”

  Jamis glanced up, but wouldn’t hold eye contact. Not that she could see much of his eyes through the dark lenses of his glasses. “Yeah,” he said, sounding infinitely bored. “What do you know?”

  “We missed you at our campfire last night,” she said, hoping to start a normal conversation.

  “I doubt that.” He tossed a bottle of shampoo into his basket and then moved to the first-aid aisle.

  “We’d love for you to join us some time. Really,” she said, trailing after him and grasping for common ground. “S’mores. Popcorn. Hot dogs. You name it, I’ll make sure we’ve got it for you.”

  Ignoring her, he grabbed several items off the shelf, tossed them into his basket and moved to the next aisle, passing a section of books and magazines.

  Books. That was the ticket.

  Searching amidst the varied covers, she spotted his name toward the bottom of the display. “I’ve been thinking I should read one of your books.” She picked up a cover that caught her eye. “How ’bout this one?”

  His gaze swung toward her. “Um. No. You won’t like that one.”

  “What about this one?” She grabbed the next paperback in line and held it out.

  “You do know I write horror stories?”

  She nodded. “It’ll be good for me to expand my horizons.” In more ways than one. Her gaze automatically flew to his mouth. She’d never kissed a man with a mustache, let alone a beard. Stop it, stop it, stop it! As if reading her mind, he reached up and ran a hand down his cheek, smoothing his whiskers. Would they feel as soft as they looked?

  “Yes,” he whispered.

  Startled, she sucked in a breath and blinked up at him. “What did you say?”

  “I sa
id, yes. On second thought, maybe you should read one of my books.”

  “Oh.” She swallowed, relieved that her thoughts hadn’t been quite so transparent. “Then which one would you recommend?”

  As he studied her, she couldn’t be sure, but it seemed the barest hint of a smile worked the edges of his mouth. “This one.” He picked up the title Lock and Load at the end of the row. “Knock yourself out.” That time, the smile on his face and in his voice was unmistakable, and it was a surprisingly pleasing sound.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem.” He headed to the checkout counter and without so much as a backward glance was out of the store within minutes.

  By the time she’d finished with her own purchases and went outside, both Jamis and Snickers were long gone. More than a little disappointed, she moved on to her next stop, Mrs. Miller’s ice cream and candy shop. “Hi, Mrs. Miller!” Natalie sailed through the front entrance with a smile on her face. “I see you’ve met my camp kids.”

  “So that’s where these kids came from.” Mrs. Miller frowned.

  “I’m sorry. Have there been problems?”

  “No, not yet, but maybe next time you should all come in together so you can keep an eye on them.”

  “All right, I’ll do that.” She turned to her kids. “Well, guys, if you know what you want, tell one of the clerks.” There were several college-aged kids behind the counter scooping up ice cream.

  Every one of her kids hesitated. A couple dug into the pockets of their shorts. “And I’m buying!” Natalie quickly added. “So get whatever you want.”

  While the younger ones were ordering, Galen and Sam were talking to several teenagers, both boys and girls, sitting near the far corner. “Come to the pizza place Friday night,” one of the boys said. “Hang out. Play some foosball.”

  Yes! Natalie did an internal happy dance. Sam and Galen were already making friends. This was working out perfectly.

  After they left Mrs. Miller’s, Natalie said, “Last stop is the gift shop.” She wanted to touch base with the owner of the store, a very nice young woman who had agreed to take on consignment everything they made at her camp. Natalie had spoken with her on the phone several times and met her once or twice while visiting her grandmother. They’d connected immediately.

  Walking a couple of blocks down Main, she stopped outside the gift shop’s interesting window display. Instead of the standard Midwestern collection of painted wooden loons and coatracks made out of deer hooves, there were candles and incense, handmade jewelry, books on astrology and tarot cards and new age CDs.

  “Last stop, guys,” Natalie said. “You can come inside if you promise not to touch anything. Okay?”

  Their mouths full of ice cream, they all nodded or murmured in agreement. A soft chime sounded as she opened the door to Missy Charms’s shop and everyone filed inside. A row of wind chimes for sale tinkled in the warm breeze blowing in from outside. The scent of something spicy and warm hit Natalie’s nostrils and she noticed a stick of incense burning at the front counter. There were tourists in the store, a mother and daughter, flicking through a stand of T-shirts.

  A sign up front declared customers could Buy with a Free Conscience. Every product in the store was guaranteed as either free trade or made in the U.S.A. Natalie loved this place.

  With the sound of beads parting, a young woman’s familiar face appeared from the back room. “Natalie! You’re here!”

  “Hey, Missy!”

  Galen came alive the moment Missy appeared. But then with curly blond hair, green eyes and the angular face of an elf princess, there probably weren’t many men who didn’t immediately notice the woman.

  “I see you brought your whole group with you.” Missy glanced around.

  “Yep.”

  “Well, I need to meet them.” She charged up to each child and introduced herself. At least Missy didn’t have any reservations about these kids. “You guys need to get cracking. It’s been so busy already this summer that my inventory is flying off the shelves.”

  “We’ve started the ball rolling and should have something for you by next week. Right, kids?”

  “Right,” everyone except Sam agreed.

  She was enthralled with a stand of necklaces on the front counter. “Missy, can I make jewelry for you?”

  “Boy, can you ever. Hold on a minute.” Missy went into her back room and came out a moment later with a small box. “Here are a few samples and all the supplies you need to make bracelets, necklaces and amulets.” She leaned toward Sam and whispered, “If Natalie ever gives you some free time away, I’ll teach you how to bless the feathers.”

  “Awesome,” Sam whispered, putting the box in her pack.

  The younger kids were getting restless. “We need to get going.” Natalie turned. “See you next week, Missy.”

  As the kids all filed outside, Missy grabbed Natalie’s arm. “You got a sec?”

  “Sure,” Natalie said. “Sam and Galen, why don’t you two go get the bikes and take the younger kids back to the house? I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes, okay?”

  “Come on, guys.” Sam led the way for the younger kids and, with a last glance at Missy, Galen took up the rear.

  The moment they were out of earshot, Missy said, “Call me sometime soon. You can come into town and have dinner with me and a couple of friends.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” Natalie shook her head. It wouldn’t be right for her to just take off. “I should be with the kids.”

  “Twenty-four-seven out on that lonely end of the island with eight kids and no adults to keep you company? You’re going to burn out, honey.”

  That’s something Natalie hadn’t given a lot of thought. “You’re probably right.”

  “You’re paying Sam and Galen, aren’t you? Let them take care of the kids now and then. You’re going to need some adult time.”

  “But you’re forgetting.” Natalie grinned. “I’ve got Jamis Quinn for company.”

  Missy laughed.

  “What do you know about him?”

  “Very little. He’s a tough man to read.”

  “He seems very private. And quiet.”

  “So unlike you.”

  “Seriously. You must know something about him.”

  “I’ve never talked with the man.” Missy sighed. “But I hear things about him and the blue aura I see around him when he comes to town is quite an enigma.”

  “Why?”

  “Blue usually signifies a person who’s extremely balanced and relaxed.”

  “Doesn’t sound like the Jamis I’ve met.”

  “Exactly.”

  “So tell me—” Natalie smiled at Missy “—what color is my aura?”

  “Mostly turquoise. Dynamic, energetic. People want to follow you, Nat. You’re perfect for these kids.” She squeezed Natalie’s hands and then grinned. “And now that I think about it, blue goes awfully well with turquoise.”

  “Oh, no.” Natalie shook her head.

  “I thought you liked flings. Minimum time commitment for maximum fun? Three months and you’ll be leaving Mirabelle. Doesn’t get any better than that.”

  Leaving the fling before the fling could leave her. That was—used to be—right up Natalie’s alley. “I’ve sworn off all men.”

  “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

  “I’m serious. I haven’t dated anyone for…three whole months.”

  Missy laughed.

  “Okay, so I’m trying. You would, too, if you had the kind of luck I do with men. Things will be going fine and then all of a sudden a major deal-breaker pops up out of nowhere.” She shook her head. “I just want to be friends with Jamis. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

  “Then you’d better watch out for that gray shadow I sometimes see surrounding him.”

  “Meaning?”

  “He has an unpredictable dark side,” Missy said. “I have a feeling a friendship with Jamis might get you more than you bargain for.”


  CHAPTER FOUR

  AS THE SUN DIPPED lower on the seemingly endless Lake Superior horizon, Jamis paddled his kayak to Mirabelle’s rocky shoreline. He’d circled one of the outer lying Apostle Islands before heading home, so it’d been an acceptable workout. Stowing the kayak away, he headed up the steep hill to his cabin. After a shower and a cold beef sandwich, the silence was getting to him. He put on an alternative rock CD and, with Snickers close on his heels, went out onto his deck, cold beer in hand.

  He wasn’t entirely comfortable relaxing after having had, so far, such an unproductive writing week. Unproductive? It’d been disastrous. With all the comings and goings next door, he hadn’t written anything except e-mails. But he needed to unwind and the beer tasted good on this warm evening.

  Doing his best to ignore the Victorian, he took a swig from the cold bottle, followed quickly by two more and glanced out over the lake to watch the sun sink below the horizon. Quickly now, it slipped lower and lower still until finally disappearing completely. Dusk, quiet and heavy, settled over the lake. From here he could see for close to five miles on a clear night. Most nights he contemplated the serenity of the uninhabited islands to the north, but tonight it was the flickering lights of the mainland that grabbed his attention.

  Lights from homes and businesses where life was taking place. People making dinner. Running children to various activities. Reading. TV. Talking. Laughing.

  As if he’d conjured the images in his mind, voices low and indecipherable came to him on the light breeze. But these were real. He glanced toward the sound and saw firelight flickering in the distance. Miss Camp Director and her rug rats were having another campfire.

  Snickers glanced up at Jamis as if asking permission to join the group. “Sorry, Snicks. Not our game.”

  Closing his eyes, Jamis listened to his music and let his mind wander. Ideas for a new book were bound to come to him. Any time now. Now would be good. Perfect setting for creativity to burst forth. Right…hold it…hold it…now!

  A little squeak of a whine pierced his thoughts. Next a tail swishing on the surface of the wood deck. Then a whimper.

  Jamis opened his eyes. The dog immediately stood and pawed at Jamis’s leg, clearly hoping for an invitation. “Okay. Up you go.”