“How’s the leg?”
“It’s driving me crazy,” she said honestly.
Concern immediately etched his face and he ran his fingers down the calf.
“No, I meant … it’s driving me crazy because it’s making me housebound. I’m so bored.”
“Do you have any pain or discomfort?”
“No.”
He removed the gauze and undressed the wound. He pushed at it a little bit and squeezed some of her skin surrounding the sutures. “Does this hurt at all?”
“No.” Although even if the answer had been yes, she would’ve said no, just to entice him to lift her bedrest orders.
He held out an elbow. “Here, take hold and I’ll help you stand. I want to see you walk.”
Her heart jumped at the chance and she stood carefully, determined to prove that she could walk. He let go of her and she rested her weight on the troubled leg. She stepped and stepped and was pleased to see she had no pain. “It’s good!”
He watched her wound as she took several more steps and then he must’ve been satisfied. “Okay. I’ll give you a much smaller dressing. And then I have one last question for you.”
“Yes, Doctor?”
He pulled out an adhesive bandage, appropriate for the wound size and concentrated on fitting it over her laceration. Then he looked up. “Can I interest you in a dinner out?”
There were those dimples again, accompanied by that gorgeous grin. She didn’t take the time to analyze – was this a date? A medical motivation to make sure she wasn’t malnourished? Or simply a thank you for letting him store his mare in her stall? She answered what her true heart wanted, “Yes, I’d love to.”
“You hungry now?”
“Sure.”
“Great. I’ll help you out to my truck.”
She chuckled. “I’m not an invalid, Shaw.”
She grabbed her purse from the table. Passing a mirror, she wondered if she should take a moment to freshen her makeup, re-curl her hair. But she decided against it. The beach pace was different than the city pace. It made her not worry too much about her appearance. The southern sun had given her face a better foundation than makeup could. She settled for running a brush through her hair, and a lipstick over her lips, and she locked the door.
He took her by the arm and oversaw her careful climb into the passenger seat. Once she was settled, he circled around to the driver’s seat. “I assume you like seafood?”
“Of course!” she affirmed.
“Have you been to the Marsh Walk?”
“No.”
He laughed. “You’ll love it. It’s a long row of restaurants that sit on the shore of a salt marsh. A wooden boardwalk runs along the water and it’s a nice little walk for a mile or more, covered with trees. Artisans and craftspeople set up their booths and sell their wares. There are outdoor bars along the boardwalk so you can get a drink as you stroll along. And across the water, not too far, is an island where a herd of goats live.”
“What? Goats?”
“Yep. A bunch of goats that live there, a little barn, no humans.”
“Are they … wild?”
“No, they’re glorified pets. They’re owned by a farmer, but they inhabit the tiny island all by themselves.”
“Wow.”
“Last time we had a hurricane, their owners were worried about them so they had to go over to the island, load them up onto ferry boats, cart them across the water and into trailers, where they were transported to a safe place inland till the storm passed. You shoulda heard the bawling and bleating. They did not want to give up their land. We were taking them under protest, for sure.”
“You were there?”
“Yep. I’m their vet. I examine them once a year; more often if they get sick. They asked me if I’d help. It was quite an experience.”
“Did they all survive the hurricane?”
“Oh yeah. As did the Marsh Walk. The storm battered the boardwalk a little bit, but the restaurants were all fine, and with a few days of repair, the whole place was back in business.” He smiled at her. “We’re a hardy bunch in Murrells Inlet.”
She grinned. “Sounds like it.”
They reached the parking lot for the Marsh Walk, parked and crossed the street. Shaw took her hand and led her between two buildings and onto the boardwalk. He was right. It was lovely. Quaint, artsy and friendly. She tried to concentrate on the beauty of the salt marsh and the goods being displayed but she was distracted by the way her hand fit naturally into his.
They stopped at a rugged wooden booth that sold drinks. “What would you like?” he asked her.
She peered up at the menu painted on the wooden wall. She had no idea. She hadn’t had alcohol in she couldn’t remember how long. Maybe she’d get a drink now.
Or, maybe not. Maybe after so long without, her body would throw her a reaction she wasn’t prepared for. “I think I’d like that lemonade with strawberry drink, but leave out the rum.”
The bartender nodded and glanced over at Shaw.
“Same for me.”
In a few minutes they were strolling the boards and sipping on the delicious sweet taste of summer. After all the hours of being sedentary, the movement felt great. Even her leg didn’t protest.
“How’s the leg?”
“It’s perfectly fine. I want to go out there.” She pointed to the pier that stretched far into the water.
“That’s probably a mile round-trip.”
“Seriously, Shaw. I need some exercise. I’m stir-crazy.”
He looked at her, debating. “Okay, but we’ll go slow, and if your leg bothers you, we’ll sit down.”
She nodded and looked at him innocently. “Or you could carry me.”
He laughed. “Yes, that’s an option.”
They walked all the way to the end, and turned their backs to the ocean front hotels miles way. Shaw got his phone out and took a selfie of the two of them with the stunning backdrop, and sent it to her phone. She admired it for a while and then forwarded it to Patty. Within ten minutes, Patty sent her a text back. Nora wasn’t sure if she should read it, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she opened it casually. “Hubba hubba,” it read. She tried not to laugh. The last thing she wanted was to explain it to him.
They made their way back to the restaurants and Nora let him suggest one. He did, and they went in. Despite the volume of people milling around the Marsh Walk in general, this particular restaurant didn’t have a wait. They sat at a table next to a big plate glass window with a beautiful view of the water and … the goats. Nora laughed and pointed.
“Yep, there they are,” he said.
“Do they each have names?”
“Sure do.” He pointed. “See that one, white with red splotches? That’s Percy.” She laughed, amazed that he knew their names. “The pure black one is Coal.” He thought for a few minutes. “I know one of them is named Randy after the owner, but I can’t remember which one it is.”
They settled into silence to eat. When she finished the mahi mahi and mashed potatoes, some of the best she’d ever had, she pushed her plate away and leaned back in her chair. “That was amazing.”
He grinned. “I’m glad you liked it. They call Murrells Inlet the …”
“Seafood Capital of South Carolina. I know. I did the research.”
He nodded approvingly, eyebrows raised. “You were doing research which will help you decide if you’re going to accept your inheritance or not?”
She shrugged. “I guess. I’ve thought of little else since I arrived here two weeks ago.”
“Have you settled on a decision?”
“No. I mean, I’m a lawyer, so I can make strong arguments for both sides of any decision. And that’s what I’m doing inside my head. On the one hand, I’d be crazy to leave my chosen profession in the prime of my career. Walking away from a firm partnership I’ve worked hard for. Especially at a time when the firm craves strong leadership. I love Philadelphia. I’ve made
it my home. There’s so much American history there, I have a beautiful apartment, there’s lots to do. Not that I do much of it because I’m always working.”
Shaw lifted his chin to meet her eyes. “Sounds to me like you’ve made your decision.”
Nora huffed out a breath. “Not even close. On the other hand, this is an amazing gift my aunt has offered me. I absolutely love the beach. I could walk the beach every single day, enjoy the sunshine, never have to see snow again. The pace is much healthier here. I wouldn’t be working twelve hours a day, racing here to there to meet my commitments. It’s quiet. It’s safe, well, other than an occasional alligator.” She chuckled. “It’s peaceful. Maybe it’s a lifestyle change I need. Get out of the rat race. I’ve been practicing law longer than I care to admit. Been there, done that. Here’s my chance to do something else with the later years of my life. Aunt Edie wants me to use this property to help others. Maybe I could think of something totally awesome to do that. Which would, I assume, bring all kinds of satisfaction and joy to my life.”
“Sounds pretty convincing.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I know. But to be honest, leaving a high-pressure career may be normal to other people, but not to me. The mere thought of giving up my career makes me hyperventilate. I’m successful doing what I do. What if that’s the one thing I’m good at? What if I can’t do anything else?”
He studied her face in silence for a moment, then reached into his front pocket and pulled out a quarter. He held it up so she could see it. “I know a way you can come to a definitive decision. Care to toss?”
She let out a moan. “Probably a coin toss would be just as effective as any other method. It’s just that … I don’t want to make the worst mistake of my life. And I can see disaster regardless of what decision I make.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“If I leave my law career, which I know so well, I could give it all up to move here and be absolutely miserable.”
Shaw shrugged. “Okay. But look at it this way. You could practice law anywhere. If you leave your firm in Philly, move here to do something amazing with the property, and it bombs, so what? You can always practice law again. Even in South Carolina.”
She considered his words. He was right. Gibson, Monroe and Ramsey wasn’t the only law firm in the world. If it was practicing law that she missed, she could do it anywhere. Knowing that, lifted a little bit of stress from her heart.
“And, let’s say you put the property up for sale and go back to Philly, and you hate it. You can always come back here. For the right price, I bet the new buyer would sell. It’s not a one and done decision. There’s always do-overs in life.”
Nora let her gaze go to the big window beside them, where because of the darkness, she could just make out the water and distant shoreline lights. “You know, that’s true. I hadn’t really thought of it that way before. I mean, it’s a big decision. But if I make the wrong one, I can always change it.”
“Sure.”
“Believe it or not, that helps a great deal. I’m going to set myself a deadline. I work better that way. One way or another, I will make up my mind by Saturday.”
“Good.”
They declined dessert but ordered cups of decaf coffee before taking off. They walked to Shaw’s truck. He drove the short distance to her barn, quiet the whole way. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. Maybe he had an animal patient on his mind. Maybe he was tired. She decided not to ask, just to thank him for the wonderful night out.
He pulled the truck to a stop, and before she could issue her thank you, he turned to her in the dark. “For what it’s worth, Nora, I really hope that you decide to move here and fulfill the goal your aunt had for you. I think you’d love living here, and I know I would be happy to see you regularly.” He stopped talking but reached over and pulled both her hands in his. “Nora, I haven’t felt this way in a long time. I’m rusty. But I just want to put it out there. I …” He sniffed, turned his head away, then back, his gaze finding hers in the dark. “I know we haven’t known each other long at all. And I know I have no business saying this, none at all. But I like spending time with you, and I look forward to seeing you. I don’t know if you feel the same way. I don’t know if I’m making a darn fool of myself, but honestly, I enjoy every minute with you.” His words came to a halt, he waited the length of a heartbeat and he leaned closer.
And he kissed her. His lips landed perfectly on hers, despite the fact that he probably couldn’t see them in the darkness. She tasted the coffee he’d had after dinner and she breathed in his unique scent. An overload of senses and she found them all amazing. She had no idea how such a handsome, rugged, capable and wonderful man felt this way about her, after a romantic dry spell that had lasted longer than she cared to admit. But she wouldn’t question it. She wouldn’t debate it. She wouldn’t wish it away. She would just close her eyes and kiss the man.
On Thursday morning, two days before her self-imposed decision deadline, Nora heard a rap of knuckles on her door. She opened it to find Shaw with a takeout coffee in each hand. Her nose caught the tart aroma right away and she breathed it in.
“Mmmmm,” she moaned. “What kind?”
He shrugged. “Nothing fancy. Just the dark blend from the gas station. Doesn’t sound appetizing but amazingly, it is.”
He came in and put her cup on the table. Then he dumped out a bag-full of individual creamers, flavored and regular Half ‘n Half. Nora chose a French Vanilla and poured several in. She stirred and took a long sip. “Oh, my gosh. It’s delicious. I haven’t had a cup of coffee this good since … well, since Patty left.”
He laughed. “High praise then.”
She yearned to kiss him. She wanted to show him, not just tell him, how much she appreciated the gesture. She wanted to taste his coffee on his lips.
But the moment passed and … she didn’t. If they were heading down the road toward an adult relationship, she was really going to have to learn to take chances and be more fearless.
“I wanted to apologize.”
She cocked her head. “For what?”
He took a deep breath and let it out. His hands free of coffee, he ran a shaky hand through his hair. “I was feeling bad about that kiss.”
Nora pursed her lips. For the life of her, she had no idea what to say. But obviously his thoughts were running in a completely different course than hers. “You were?”
“Yes. I let my emotions get the better of me and I kissed you, which wasn’t fair at all.”
Fair? Was there fair in love or war? “I don’t understand.”
He nodded and let out another breath. “I don’t expect you to.”
Nora stared at him.
He shook his head, like he was pushing away a false start. “I really want to be friends with you. I want to spend time with you, get to know you better. I want us to work together on your property, I want to talk to you, have fun with you. I want to help you meet your goals.” He cleared his throat and paused.
Was he leaving something unsaid, or was his request all there, at face value?
“Is that something you are interested in?” he asked softly, his gaze steady on hers.
She studied him for a second, confused. Everything he was laying out sounded perfect. That was exactly what she wanted. A man in her life, by her side, growing a relationship. However, she wanted to kiss him, too. Why was he taking that off the table? Maybe it was part of the southern gentleman thing. Who knows?
They’d only known each other a few weeks. Maybe he was trying to slow it down, let their friendship progress naturally. Which was probably a good idea. She let her heart know, there was nothing dangerous here. “Yes, that’s something I’m interested in.”
His face took on an expression of happiness and relief. “Good. That’s … good. Great.”
The moment passed. He sat at the table and motioned for her to join him. He pulled a book out of a leather satchel he’d looped over his shoulder. It wa
s a Bible. “I wanted to show you something.”
She sat too. “In the Bible?”
“Yeah. I was doing some Bible study last night and I think the Lord might have pointed me in the direction of something he wanted you to see.”
“Really?” The concept was foreign to her. Not reading the Bible. She did own a Bible, and she had opened it … occasionally. But to have it occur to her that God was pointing her to a particular section? Way out of her comfort zone.
“Yeah. Here.” He plopped the thick book in front of her and pointed at it. He tugged a yellow stickie note off the front cover. “Look it up. Matthew, chapter 25.”
Nora could feel her face heating. She could do this. Matthew, thankfully, was the first book of the New Testament, not one of the obscure ones that she’d have to find by flipping through page after page. She opened the book in the middle, then opened the second half in its middle. She ended up in Mark, which she knew was immediately following Matthew. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts of the Apostles, she recited to herself. Practically the only books of the Bible she’d memorized other than Genesis, Exodus.
“Okay?” She looked up at him when she’d found chapter 25.
“Start at verse 31.”
She used her finger to scan through the verses till she found the right one. She looked over at him.
“Read it.”
“Out loud?”
He chuckled. “Yep.”
She looked back at the page. “Okay. It’s called The Sheep and the Goats.” She smirked. “I’m really curious why this particular passage made you think of me.”
He shook his head good-naturedly.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Sanctuary (Murrells Inlet Miracles Book 1) Page 11