The Beach House

by Rachel Hanna

  “Pardon me?”

  Julie hadn’t realized that Dixie was watering the plants in front of the bookstore, down on her knees.

  “Oh no. Mother, honestly, you need to think about what you say sometimes!” Julie said. “I’m so sorry, Dixie. This is my mother, SuAnn Lewis.”

  Dixie eyed her up and down. “Ah, your mother. That explains it.”

  It was obvious the two women were not fans of each other in that moment. SuAnn and Dixie couldn’t have been any different if they tried.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Dixie? Now, that’s a Southern name if I’ve ever heard one.”

  Dixie smiled, but it wasn’t her normal smile. It was the smile of a pissed off Southern lady who would wring your neck if she didn’t think the police would drag her off to the pokey.

  “I’m very proud of my Southern roots, SuAnn. And I do believe you were born in the South as well?”

  “I was. But I always try to rise above my raising, as my momma used to say. And no offense intended on my comments about your adorable little bookstore’s name.”

  “Honey, to be offended by your comments, I’d have to care about them in the first place,” Dixie said, the same sweet smile plastered on her face.

  Janine was grinning from ear to ear like she wanted a bag of popcorn for the show.

  “Well, let’s be on our way, Mom. We have lots of shopping to do,” she said, pushing her mother forward down the sidewalk. “I’m so sorry, Dixie,” she whispered as they passed.

  Dixie nodded and waved. “Don’t you worry, sweetie. I know how to handle a woman like her.”

  Janine continued ushering their mother forward as Julie hung back for an extra moment. “Well, can you tell me how to handle her then?” Dixie laughed.

  Their final stop was a small furniture store just before the bridge. Julie was planning to just let her mother criticize everything, go home and then she could choose her own furniture after she left. Of course, she’d have to pay for it, which would stink but would be entirely worth it to get what she wanted.

  “Now, this is surprisingly lovely,” SuAnn said, pointing at an off white sofa. She was actually spot on as the couch was exactly in line with the period the home was built. “And the price is reasonable. That’s the good thing about shopping in poor areas.”

  “Mother, this isn’t a poor area. You do realize the houses on the beach are in the millions, right?” Janine finally said.

  “That seems like a rip off for the area. Anyhow, I think this sofa would fit nicely in the living room. What do you think, Julie?”

  “Oh, do I get an opinion?”

  “Of course you do, darling. I’m just here to help!”

  “Right. Well, I actually do like it. And I think that blue chair over there would accent it nicely.”

  “Hey, Julie, did you see these tables over here?” Janine asked.

  Within an hour, they’d picked out everything Julie needed for her living room, dining room and bedrooms. Her mother paid for all of it, thankfully, and it would be delivered the next day.

  “Thank you for the furniture, Mom. I really do appreciate it,” Julie said as they stood in front of her house, telling her mother goodbye before she made the trip back to the Georgia mountains.

  “Just think of it as my contribution to your new start. Just knowing you girls are getting along makes my heart smile.”

  As bad as she could be, Julie knew she meant it. And if her health issue was serious, she wanted to give her mother this last wish of having her daughters together at the holidays.

  “Have a safe trip,” Janine said, trying to usher her mother along. She gave her a quick hug and then walked up to the porch.

  “Say, how is Janine really doing?” SuAnn asked when she was out of earshot.

  “Better, I think. She seems to really like it here.”

  “She looks a lot better, like she’s gained some weight.”

  “She has. And she’s going to a counseling group.”

  “Good. I know this has been hard, Julie Ann, but you’re doing a good thing for her.”

  Finally, a normal conversation with her mother. She’d been waiting her whole life for this moment.

  “And one day, you’ll find a man again and won’t have to live in this wild place.”

  Ah, there it was.

  “Mom, this is my home. I don’t ever plan to leave Seabreeze. I love my job and my friends and my house. I don’t need a man to take care of me.”

  “Oh, Julie, I hope you’ll change your mind one day.”

  “Have a safe trip, Mom.”

  SuAnn waved and got into her car, and Julie decided she was going to go eat a pint of ice cream.

  “Where are we going?” Janine asked as they continued to walk.

  “I know it’s around here somewhere. There’s a big tree with moss covering it.”

  “Seriously,” she said from behind. “All of the trees here are covered in moss, Julie!”

  “Yeah, but this one is special. There’s a platform… There it is!”

  They walked closer and Janine looked up. “And Dawson built that?”

  “Yes, when he was a kid. I’m telling you, it’s the best view on the island.”

  “And you climbed it?”

  “Yep. I was terrified, but it was so worth it. But, Dawson wouldn’t let me take pictures of it because he said I needed to hold the image in my mind.”

  “He’s a little woo woo sometimes.”

  Julie looked at her sister. “Really? And you’re not?”

  “Takes one to know one. So, why are we out here?”

  “Well, for one thing, I want to show you the island and tell you some of the things I learned, like the fact that this here is a live oak tree.”

  “Okay…”

  “And for the second thing, I’m writing a novel. Don’t laugh!”

  “Why would I laugh, Julie? I think that’s awesome!”

  Janine really did seem excited for her, and in that moment she felt guilty. Her sister was genuinely happy for her, and for so many years she’d just been flat out jealous of her good fortune.

  “Really?”

  “Of course! You’ve always been an amazing writer. I’m sure your novel will be great.”

  “Wow,” Julie said, staring at her.

  “What?”

  “I thought you’d think it was silly.”

  “That makes me sad. We’ve gotten so off track through the years, haven’t we?”

  “We have.”

  Janine put her hands on Julie’s shoulders. “I’m your big sister, and I’m always proud of you. And maybe I’ve been jealous of you from time to time. I’m sorry.”

  “Jealous of me? Why?”

  “Because you had the life I wanted with a husband and kids and stability.”

  “You wanted that? But you traveled and never stayed in one place.”

  Janine shrugged her shoulders. “I was running from my feelings of inferiority.”

  “That sounds like shrink talk.”

  “Well, my therapist has helped me work through some things. What I’ve realized is that I was putting up a wall, trying to be different, as a way to get Mom’s attention and not feel so envious of you.”

  Julie was stunned. “I was jealous of you all these years.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes. I thought you judged me for having this boring life.”

  “I did, but it was just because you had what I wanted.”

  “Boy, we’ve really been messed up, huh?”

  Janine giggled. “I guess so. But at least we figured it out, and we still have years ahead of us to be closer, right?”

  “Right,” Julie said, feeling like a weight was starting to lift off of her shoulders.

  “So what does this large tree have to do with your novel?”

  “I need to learn to describe this place better because my novel will be set here, on Seabreeze Island. I want to get a good look, take some notes.”

  “We’re g
oing to climb it? Without Dawson?”

  “We don’t need a man, do we?” Julie asked, a grin on her face. “Besides, I don’t want him to know I’m writing a book just yet.”

  “I guess we can try it,” Janine said, uncertainty in her voice.

  “Remember when we would climb the magnolia tree behind Uncle Dan’s place in the mountains?”

  “Yeah, but this is three times that size.”

  “True, but I think we can do it.”

  “Okay, then let’s do it.”

  The two women took their time, carefully making their way to the platform. When Julie was finally sitting there, she took in a deep breath and sighed with relief.

  “Look at this view!” She said.

  Janine took it all in, her eyes wide. “Wow. It truly is beautiful. Look at the beach. I haven’t been on that end before. I’ll have to add it to my daily routine. I’ve started doing yoga on the beach, you know?”

  “Really? You’re doing yoga again, huh? Good for you.”

  “I thought you hated yoga and thought it was stupid?” Janine asked.

  “Since the class you gave me, I have a whole new appreciation for it, trust me.”

  Janine laughed. “Thanks. That means a lot. I’ve been thinking about starting my own business.”

  “Really? Doing what?”

  “Teaching yoga to trauma victims. My therapist said I could put a flyer in her office and probably have full classes. I was thinking of doing them on the beach.”

  “That’s a great idea! I’m sure Dixie wouldn’t mind if you put a flyer at the bookstore too.”

  “That would be great. I’m pretty excited about this new beginning.”

  “You know, you can stay with me as long as you want, Janine.”

  “Really? I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I mean, we’re doing well but I know there’s still a lot of baggage between us.”

  Julie leaned her head over and put it on Janine’s shoulder. “I think we can get through it.”

  “I do too,” she said, leaning her head over too, as they watched the sea gulls dive bomb into the water in front of them.

  After nearly falling out of the tree when they climbed down, Janine and Julie made it safely back to the cottage, famished from staying way too long in the tree.

  Julie had taken meticulous notes and had lots of questions for Dixie, and maybe Dawson, about local vegetation. She wanted her book to be as realistic as possible.

  “I’m going to take a nice, hot shower,” Janine said as soon as they crossed the doorway. Dawson was standing in the kitchen, finishing up the tile backsplash Julie had added after the fact.

  “Hey,” he said. “Where’d you ladies run off to?”

  She smiled. “We climbed the tree.”

  He stopped and turned around. “The tree? Alone?”

  “Yes, we did,” she said, proudly.

  Dawson looked a little perturbed. “You could have fallen.”

  “What?”

  “Ya’ll shouldn’t have been up there alone.”

  “No offense, Dawson, but we’re grown women. We don’t need a man to protect us.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “Maybe not, but do you know there are ants in that tree that could send you to the hospital? Do you know which type of plants not to touch or you’ll break out in a rash that’ll make you want to die?”

  “Well, no…”

  “I’m not saying you need protection, but this island is unlike anywhere you’ve lived. You need to be safe.”

  “Sorry. I should’ve asked you. But, we’re okay.”

  “Good,” he said, finally smiling. “Did Janine like it?”

  “Yes, she loved it. She’s getting a shower.”

  Her phone rang, and she dug it out of her pocket.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi. I’m trying to reach Julie Pike.”

  “This is she.”

  “This is Nurse Linda Dunkin at Boston Regional Hospital. Is your husband Michael Aaron Pike?”

  Her heart started racing. “Soon to be ex-husband, yes. Why?”

  “He’s been in a car accident, and it’s pretty serious. You might want to come.”

  “But I live in South Carolina. Isn’t his fiancee with him? Her name is Victoria.”

  “She has been here, yes. But you’re still legally married, and you will need to make the decisions about his medical care.”

  She felt sick. As much as she hated Michael for what he’d done, she didn’t wish him harm.

  “Okay, I’ll catch the next flight out.”

  She hung up the phone, her eyes overflowing with tears.

  “What’s going on?” Dawson asked. Janine walked down the hallway, a towel still wrapped around her.

  “What’s happening?” She asked.

  “The hospital in Boston called. Michael was severely injured in a car accident. I’m still his wife, so they called me… I have to go…” she said, running around the room like a headless chicken.

  “Julie, take a breath,” Dawson said, holding onto her shoulders. She took in a couple of deep breaths and tried to calm down.

  “Should I call the girls?” Janine asked.

  “No. Not yet. I need to get there and see what’s going on first. Where’s the closest airport?”

  “Charleston,” Dawson said. “I’ll drive you there.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’m going with you to Boston,” Janine said.

  “You don’t have to.”

  Janine looked at her. “Yes, I do.”

  Chapter 13

  As Julie and Janine arrived at the hospital, Julie's heart was skipping and racing all over the place. She feared that she might need a hospital bed before it was over with. Her anxiety was at the highest level she could ever remember.

  But, she was anxious about a whole bunch of things. What was Michael's condition? How would she tell her daughters? How would she interact with Victoria? How would she ever make life-and-death decisions for a man that she was so angry at? How could she be sure she was making the right decisions?

  "Hi, my name is Julie Pike. Someone called me about my husband, Michael."

  "Yes, we've been waiting for you to arrive. Let me get Dr. Sadler." The nurse walked away and made a phone call before returning to the desk. "Dr. Sadler will be with you shortly. You can wait right over there in that small room."

  Julie and Janine walked over to the room and sat down.

  "I can't believe how long it took me to get here. I would've just driven if I'd known I was going to have such a long wait to get a flight."

  "You got here as soon as you could, Julie. This isn't your fault. And Dawson is holding down the fort at home. Dixie has the bookstore covered. You just need to concentrate on what you have to do here."

  "I know. Thank you for coming with me."

  "Of course. That's what sisters do, right?"

  Julie reached over and held her sister’s hand tightly. "I'm so glad we've been working on our relationship because, honestly, right now, I don't know what I would do without you."

  "Well, you don't have to ever worry about that," she said as she put her arm around her sister and held her close.

  A few moments later, Dr. Sadler appeared in the room. "Mrs. Pike?"

  "That's me. And this is my sister, Janine."

  "Nice to meet you. Why don't we go to my office so we can chat about Michael's condition." He waved them back out into the hallway. They followed him down a short distance and then went into a small office with just a desk and a couple of chairs.

  "So, Michael was in a very serious automobile accident yesterday evening. When he first arrived in the emergency room, his condition was grave. He has a broken pelvis, a broken femur and multiple broken ribs. He has lacerations to his face, swelling around his eyes and a head injury that we don’t yet know the extent of until he wakes up. We honestly weren't sure he was going to make it when I had my nurse call you."

  "Oh my gosh. I just can't believe this
is happening."

  "I realize from my nurse’s conversation with you that you and your husband are in the process of a divorce?"

  "That's correct."

  "And I'm sorry that we had to call you and have you travel here, but legalities being what they are…"

  "No, it's fine. Michael and I were together for over twenty years, and we have two grown children together. They would expect me to take care of their dad and make sure he got proper medical care."

  "Of course. I understand he is engaged to someone else?"

  "Yes, that is also correct. And they have a child together."

  Dr. Sadler looked at her and shook his head slightly before continuing. "So, I understand this might be something that causes conflicting emotions, having to take care of someone you have this kind of history with. But, honestly, to be candid, his fiancée doesn't seem very interested in being here to care for him."

  Julie stared at him, like she wasn't understanding his words. She cocked her head to the side. "What?"

  "To be frank, we have only seen her here once in the last twenty-four hours. She was here for about half an hour, just initially after he came in. When we asked her who she was, she seemed to distance herself. In fact, she told one of our nurses that she was not interested in caring for someone with such debilitating injuries."

  "What a complete skanky narcissist!" Janine said, throwing her hands in the air. Julie held her hand up at her sister. "Janine, please. Dr. Sadler, what exactly are you saying?"

  "I'm saying that you're his next of kin, even if it's just on paper. His condition is still very serious. He is not conscious right now and he has already had one surgery. We expect to do more surgeries in the coming days. He's going to require care here in the hospital for quite some time, and if his fiancee isn't interested in being here for him, we don't know who will sit with him and be his emotional support."

  Julie realized what he was getting at. They wanted her to stay, to play the doting wife until he was recovered. Life wasn't fair. Up until a few hours ago, she would've strangled him with her bare hands. Now she was expected to sit at the hospital and be his support system because his stupid fiancée wasn't interested in getting her hands dirty.

  "What do you need me to do?"