While a part of her was not looking forward to another sisterly grilling, she did miss her family, and as someone who loved art and who had not chosen to save lives and fight fires or bad guys like the rest of her family, Mia was the one most likely to understand what she was going through.
Her apartment bell rang, and she jumped to her feet to buzz her sister inside. Then she went to open her door.
A moment later, Mia came up the stairs. Mia had thick, wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was followed into the room by her husband Jeremy Holt, who had dark hair and dark eyes, and Mia's stepdaughter Ashlyn, who was the spitting image of her father.
"You're all here," she said, giving her sister a tight hug, and then following up with Jeremy and Ashlyn.
"Oh, my gosh, this is amazing," Mia said, heading straight for the windows. "You have an incredible view."
"I love it," she said. "It's a nice change from where I was living in LA. My only view there was of the dumpster behind my apartment building. But I'm trying not to get too spoiled. I only get the place for six months. Then my friend will be coming back." She paused. "Can I get you guys anything—water, soda, orange juice?"
"Water would be great," Jeremy told her.
"Of course." She turned to nine-year-old Ashlyn, who had started to get past her shy nature when it came to the big, often loud, Callaway family. "How about you, honey?"
"Orange juice," Ashlyn said with a small smile.
"Coming right up. Mia?"
"I'm good."
She got drinks for everyone while Mia, Jeremy, and Ashlyn sat down at her table.
"What are all these?" Mia asked, picking up some of her sketches.
"Just some random ideas I'm working on."
"They're really good," Jeremy commented. "Are you doing a graphic novel?"
"No, I'm making a pitch for a job with an animated film company. I have an interview at the end of next week and I need to come with ideas."
"It looks like you have a lot to bring to the table," Mia said. "You're so talented, Annie. Any company would be lucky to have you. I know it's been a tough few months, but I hope you haven't lost your confidence."
She didn't want to admit that until yesterday she'd thought she'd lost a lot more than her confidence. "I am hoping for a turnaround in my career path," she said lightly. "And it's nothing for you to worry about. I hope you didn't drive all the way down here because you're concerned about me."
"Would I do that?" Mia asked with mock innocence.
"It was a nice day for a drive," Jeremy put in with a smile.
She smiled back at him. "You're a good sport. I know Mia wanted to check up on me, because I missed Thanksgiving."
"I did," Mia admitted. "I couldn't believe you didn't come. You don't usually miss the holidays."
"I was busy. I had things to do."
"Like what? You should never be too busy for family."
"I'll make it for Christmas. So, what's new with everyone? How are our brothers?" she asked, changing the subject, as she sat down.
"Ian and Grace, and Dylan and Tori are planning their double winter wedding," Mia said. "They were all disgustingly in love at Thanksgiving."
"You should talk," she said with a laugh. "You and Jeremy couldn't keep your hands off each other the first time you brought him home."
"I'm sure that's not true," Mia said, with a flush of pink in her cheeks.
"What about Hunter?" she asked.
"Who knows? Like you, Hunter seems eager to keep his family on a need-to-know basis. He's still traveling the world. I guess he'll be able to get another firehouse slot when he gets back, if he wants it, but Dylan said he wasn't sure if Hunter wanted to be a firefighter anymore."
"What would he do instead?"
"Who knows? Hunter doesn't seem to confide in anyone these days. Maybe you should reach out to him."
"I'll text him," she said. "Not that he usually gets back to me in under a week, but you never know. What about Mom and Dad? All is well?"
"Yes, they're both doing great. I spoke to Kate yesterday. She said she'd just talked to you and that you were almost attacked by a shark, which seems like information you might have shared with me, too."
"I'm fine. A surfer rescued me, and no harm was done."
"Was the shark big?" Ashlyn asked with wide, curious eyes.
"I saw some shapes in the water after I got out, and they looked big to me," she replied.
"That's scary," Ashlyn said.
"Very scary," she agreed.
"You're lucky someone got you out of the water," Mia said. "I think you should go back to being afraid of the ocean, Annie."
"Trust me, I'm already there."
"I'm glad you're okay." Mia tucked her hair behind one ear and gave Jeremy an odd look.
Annie frowned. "Wait, is something else going on? Is there another reason you came down here besides wanting to check on me?"
Mia gave her a sheepish smile. "There is. You always could read me like a book."
"Well, tell me already."
"I'm pregnant. Jeremy and I are going to have a baby."
"What? Yay! That's so wonderful." She got up from the table and threw her arms around Mia. "I'm so happy for you."
"I'm happy, too," Mia said with a blurry smile.
Annie gave Jeremy a quick hug and then sat back down. "How far along are you? When is the baby coming?"
"I just hit seven weeks. It's probably too early to be making an announcement, but I told Kate yesterday, and then I knew I had to tell you, too, because Kate can't keep a secret."
"That's for sure. Which means you need to call Mom and Dad and the boys, too."
"We're going to make some calls tonight, but since you were close enough to see in person, I wanted to tell you now."
"I'm going to be a big sister," Ashlyn interrupted.
"There is nothing more fun than that," she said, giving her niece a smile. "I love being a big sister."
"I hope I get a sister and not a brother," Ashlyn said. "I want someone to play with."
"Boys can be fun, too," she said with a laugh.
Ashlyn didn't seem convinced, but she was already moving on. Turning to her father, she said, "Daddy, can we go down to the beach and see if the sharks are there?"
"Sure," Jeremy said. "Why don't you two have some sister time, and Ashlyn and I will meet you down on the beach in a bit? Then we can take a walk to the pier and get lunch? Does that work for you, Annie?"
"It's perfect," she said. "When you leave the building, go to the right, and you'll find steps to the beach."
"Got it."
As Jeremy and Ashlyn left, she gazed back at Mia, noting the glow in her sister's eyes. "You're really happy, aren't you?"
"So much, and not just because of the baby, Annie. I love Jeremy and Ashlyn so much; this baby is just going to make our little family that much better."
"Of course, it will."
"And I'm so lucky to have a job that I love, one that will work around my pregnancy." She subconsciously rubbed her stomach as she spoke. "Living in Angel's Bay, I've found a community of friends and support. It's quite amazing, really. You should come up and visit. It's really not that far."
"I will definitely have to do that. You've really blossomed since you moved there and met Jeremy. How does he like working for the police department?"
"It's pretty tame compared to his military adventures, but he's happy with the slower pace of life." She paused. "I like your hair, Annie. It's blonder than it used to be."
"You and Kate always told me blondes have more fun, but I've also been spending more time in the sun."
"I think Kate is the one who has more fun," Mia said with a grin. "I'm glad you've had some time to relax in the sun. I must admit you seem more energized than I thought you would be. You've been a little down the past few months."
"I've been restless," she admitted. "Even before my last company closed, I knew things were going bad; I should have made a move e
arlier. But almost getting eaten by a shark on Friday kind of changed my perspective. It made me realize I'm not ready to give up, and I don't want to waste my life."
"I guess I should be thanking the shark then."
She grinned. "It's weird. That experience broke my creative block. I haven't been able to draw the last couple of weeks, but last night I spent hours with my sketch pad."
Mia picked up one of the many sketches of Griffin. "So, this guy…is he purely out of your imagination? Because you have quite a few drawings of him."
Mia had always been perceptive. "That's the surfer who rescued me from the shark."
"Oh, really? What's his name?"
"Griffin Hale."
"Is he as attractive as he appears here?"
"More so, I think. His face is complicated and fascinating, angles and planes, light and shadows. He's hard to pin down on paper."
"Well, you've certainly thought about his face. Is he single?"
"I actually have no idea," she said, realizing that it hadn't actually occurred to her that he might have a wife or a girlfriend, although there definitely had not been a ring on his finger. "But it doesn't matter if he's single or not," she added. "He is not interested in me at all."
"Why would you say that?"
"Because it's true. I went to thank him for saving my life, and he acted like I was bringing him the plague."
"Really? That's not usually the reaction you get from men. Maybe he was just shy about accepting thanks."
"He didn't seem shy, just very unapproachable, and very eager to get rid of me."
Mia tilted her head to the right, giving her a thoughtful look. "You like him."
"I wouldn't go that far."
"Then how far would you go?"
"He…intrigues me."
"And apparently inspires your work. You should find out if he's single."
"I have enough problems in my life without adding a man into the mix."
"The right man wouldn't be a problem."
"Then I have definitely not met the right man, because so far they've all been problems." She got up from her seat. "Let's go to the beach and find your awesome family."
"Okay. Then we'll have lunch, and you can tell us more about this rescuer of yours."
"I've told you everything I know…so far anyway."
"Then you are planning to see him again?" Mia asked with a gleam in her eyes.
"He owns a bar. It's possible I might stop in sometime."
Mia laughed. "Not only possible, incredibly probable. I know you, Annie. When you get curious about something or someone, you don’t stop until all your questions are answered. Just be a little cautious. I can't imagine why anyone would be rude to you without knowing you, so even if this guy is hotter than hot, make sure you know he's a good guy."
"He did save my life, so he has to be a good guy, doesn't he?"
"I would think so, but hearing the doubt in your question, I'm not sure you think so. Is there something you haven't told me?"
She definitely had not brought up the mysterious Megan, but she was going to keep that to herself for now. "I don't know what I think about him. But you're right, I have some questions, and I'm going to get the answers."
"I'm sure you will."
* * *
After a two-hour lunch filled with great food and even better conversation, Annie said goodbye to Mia, Jeremy, and Ashlyn at the pier. They were going back to her apartment to get their car, but she wanted to check out the downtown winter arts fair before returning home, so she decided to walk the half-mile from the pier to Main Street.
While San Clemente was one of many beach cities on the Southern California coast, it had more of a small-town feel, and local events seemed to bring out the community in a big way. Today's fair was no exception.
Most of the booths were crowded, and items on sale were quite impressive, with everything from jewelry to photographs, paintings, silk scarves, knitted sweaters and blankets, flower arrangements and homemade quilts. Being an artist herself, she felt a strong connection to the vendors who were not just putting their products on display but also their hearts and souls.
She wished she had a little more cash in her bank account, so she could invest in some of the art, but until she got another job, she needed to watch her budget carefully.
As she reached the end of the street, she paused to dodge a group of moms with baby strollers and thought about the life her sister would soon be moving into: babies, burping cloths, diaper bags, and car seats. But Mia would handle it all well. She was great with kids and she'd be even better with her own.
Even though Mia was already a stepmother, this baby would be the first new biological Callaway of the next generation. It was weird to think of her younger sibling having a child, but no doubt there would be more to follow soon, with Dylan and Ian getting married.
Just more fun, more family, she thought, trying to get rid of the wistful feeling running through her. It wasn't like she wanted to have a baby right now. That wasn't the case at all. But she wouldn't mind having someone to share her life with.
Shaking her head, she put that thought away. She'd survived a shark attack, and she had a lot to be grateful for. Today was a beautiful day and she was going to enjoy it.
While she was waiting for the crowd to move, her gaze drifted down a side street, and she suddenly stiffened.
A woman sat on a low brick wall in front of a deli, wearing faded jeans and a long-sleeve top, her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, thick glasses on her face. She looked exactly like the woman from the bar the night before, the one called Megan, the one Griffin had hurried upstairs.
On impulse, she headed down the street. As she drew closer, she could see Megan's shoulders shaking and she pulled off her glasses to wipe tears from her eyes. Clearly, she was in distress, and she was also alone—no Griffin or other guard dog in sight. Never one to ignore someone in distress, she said, "Excuse me."
The woman jerked at the sound of her voice. As she lifted her head, she shoved on her glasses, but they did little to cover the fear in her eyes.
"Are you all right?" she asked softly, not wanting to spook her. "It looks like you've been crying."
"I'm—I'm fine."
"You don't look fine. Can I get you some water or something?"
The woman shook her head. "No, just leave me alone."
Despite the woman's words, she took another step forward and then sat down on the brick wall next to her. "You remind me of my sister Kate. When I'd catch her crying, she'd always tell me nothing was wrong, and she just had something in her eye. She hated to look weak. I could understand it, because we grew up in a big family where strength is a prized trait. But I told her sometimes tears are good for washing away the bad stuff. And she didn't need to hide them."
"What did she say?" the woman mumbled.
"She usually told me to go away," she said honestly. "But I'm not very good at doing that, not when someone is obviously upset."
The woman turned to her with dark eyes filled with so much pain that it almost hurt Annie to look at her.
"I can't cry the bad stuff away," she said. "If I could, it would be gone by now."
"I'm sorry." She paused, licking her lips uncertainly. She didn't want to spook Megan, but she wanted to be honest. "I saw you last night at the Depot. You went upstairs with Griffin."
"What?" The woman's momentary trust vanished as she stiffened and look around. "You saw me? You know Griffin?"
"I wouldn't say I know him exactly. He saved my life on Friday, but aside from that we've only had a short conversation."
"He saved your life?" she asked in confusion.
"Yes. From a couple of sharks. I was in the ocean. He was surfing. He saw the sharks circling me, and he rescued me before I was attacked."
"That's crazy."
"It still feels unbelievable to me, too, but it happened, and I'm really grateful to him. He put himself in danger for a stranger. Not many people do tha
t."
The woman stared back at her. "No, not many people do."
"Anyway, I'm Annie Callaway. I just moved here a few weeks ago, so I don't know too many people. Sometimes I get a little bored with my own company, and then I go out in public and talk too much." She gave her a self-deprecating smile. "You're apparently today's recipient."
"I'm—I'm Megan," she said, stumbling a bit, as if she wasn't sure she should volunteer even that much information.
"It's nice to meet you, Megan. What do you think of the fair?"
"It's—all right. People are—happy."
Megan's comment seemed a little odd, as if it surprised her that people could be happy.
"Everyone is enjoying the great weather. It's hard to believe it's almost Christmas, and it still feels like summer."
"I know. I miss snow."
"You're not from around here?"
"No."
She waited for the woman to expand on her comment, but she didn't seem interested in sharing any more information.
"I can't do this," Megan said suddenly.
"Do what?" she asked.
"Be someone else. I don't know how to do that. I barely know how to be myself."
"Why do you have to be someone else?"
"Because I have to. But I'm so unhappy, and I don't know what to do about it."
She could hear the desperation in Megan's voice and while she had no idea what was going on, she wanted to try to help. "I don't know what you're facing, Megan, but the best advice anyone ever gave me when I was feeling down is to go out and do something. Take action. Make a decision, even if it's a really small one. It gives you back your power, and the belief that you can change things, that you can control your life."
Megan stared back at her. "Who told you that?"
"My mom. She's pretty wise. Of course, it's easier to give advice than to take it."
"I have to go," Megan said abruptly.
"Wait. Look, if you need a friend, someone to talk to, you can call me. Let me give you my number." She dug into her bag and pulled out a business card she used for freelance work. "We don't have to talk about anything personal. As you can tell, I'm pretty good at keeping up my end of the conversation without much help."
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