“Calliope said your grandfather once worked up at Liberty Lighthouse.”
“Yes, he did.” Willa nodded. “He was one of the last keepers, but when he was a boy, he worked on the construction.”
“Any chance you still have any notes or records he kept from that time?”
“You’re looking to restore it to its original specs?” Xander’s interest was piqued.
“I am. Lighthouses are testaments of time. I’d like it to reflect that.”
“I can check with my mother.” Willa grabbed her cell phone and started typing. “We kept a lot of Grandpa’s stuff in the attic. Can you give us a few days? I’m not sure we’ll actually find anything, but it’s worth a shot. We have to go up for our Christmas decorations, anyway.”
“Great. I’ll check back in on Monday?” Kendall rapped her knuckles against the counter.
“Perfect.” Willa nodded. “Thanks for asking.”
“You know much about lighthouses?” Kendall asked Xander, pinning him with a dark-eyed stare that had him swallowing hard.
“I know some. I also have a few contacts on the east coast who have worked on restoration committees. Anything in particular you’re looking for?”
“Authenticity. And maybe some advice. The structure seems sound enough, but I wouldn’t mind a second pair of professional eyes.”
What an interesting prospect. “Give me time to do some research and hear back from my contacts.”
“Works for me. Just come whenever you want.”
“You sure? I’m an early bird.”
“Sounds good to me. I don’t sleep much, so my schedule’s pretty open. Thanks, Willa.”
“You bet.” Willa watched her leave. “I think that’s the most I’ve heard her say since she arrived in town.”
“Looks like she’s had a rough go of things.”
“Rumor has it,” Willa agreed. “She and Matt Knight are close friends. If you play poker tonight, you’ll meet him.”
Xander’s eyebrows shot up. “How did you know I was invited to poker?”
Willa grinned and tucked her mousy brown hair behind her ears. “Small town. We know everything.”
* * *
“ANTE UP!”
At Luke Saxon’s order, Xander tossed a red poker chip onto the center of the table as Jason dealt out the next hand. “Aces wild, pairs or better to open. Kyle, keep those cards up and close, please. No tempting eyes.” He looked pointedly at Ozzy Lakeman, one of Luke’s deputies who sat back in his chair as if he’d been caught cheating on a test.
“Simon, check your chips.” Luke motioned for his nine-year-old son to organize his pile.
Odd, playing poker in a sheriff’s station. A station that, if the residual paint fumes were any indication, had recently been remodeled and updated. Desks lined the perimeter of the room behind a large partition and pass-through. Luke’s private office sat in the back corner near another door leading to what Xander assumed were holding cells. Did anyone ever get arrested in Butterfly Harbor?
“You just asked me here to take my money, didn’t you?” Xander looked at his forlorn hand and folded immediately. Luke’s golden retriever, Cash, took that as his cue to leave his bed and come over to look for treats. “Hey, boy.” Xander sank his hand into the dog’s neck and scrubbed. He’d always wanted a dog, but with all his travelling, it had never been practical.
As if approving of the attention, Cash sat and leaned his head on Xander’s knee. If only life was as simple as it was for a dog.
Jason grinned as Matt Knight elbowed him in the ribs.
“Jason might have referred to you as new meat,” Matt said. “Fletcher? You in this hand or not?”
“Yeah, yeah.” Fletcher Bradley, Luke’s second in command, waved him off as he finished his phone call. “Sweetheart, I promise we’ll hit the beach tomorrow. Yes, I know what a promise is. How about I pick you up from school and we’ll get to go seashell hunting together. Just the two of us. Yeah. Okay. Yes, I’ll come in and say good-night when I get home. I love you. Not one word,” he said to the testosterone-filled table after he hung up. “Luke, I need tomorrow afternoon off so I can take Charlie shell-hunting.”
“Got you covered,” Luke said. “Or rather Ozzy does.”
“Man, I swear we are one phone call away from becoming a knitting group,” Ozzy muttered as Fletcher grabbed a plate and piled on the sandwiches Jason had provided, then made up a second plate of fresh veggies to bring to Ozzy, who had been on a self-imposed diet as of late. Cash abandoned Xander for fuller meat pastures and walked around to bug Fletcher.
“Glad to be out of that phase and into grandfather-dom.” Jake Campbell, former sheriff and Luke’s father-in-law, raised the bet then leaned over to check Simon’s hand. “How you doing, Simon?”
“I should bet, right?” Simon asked.
“I would,” Jake said in a way that made Xander glad he’d folded.
“Charlie’s got a head full of sandcastles now that Calliope’s agreed to supervise,” Fletcher said as he sat down, checked his cards and folded immediately. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s great and all, but this holiday season might be the death of me. You do not even want to know the list of assembly-required gifts she’s getting this year. I won’t sleep until New Year’s.”
Xander smirked. That besotted expression on Fletcher’s face told everyone in the room how crazy he was about his new daughter.
“What’s Charlie going to do with seashells?” Simon asked from his seat between his father and grandfather.
“That’s none of your business,” Luke said as Jason dealt new cards to Luke, Jake, Ozzy and himself. “You gave up that right when you ditched her.”
“Because her ideas won’t work! They don’t know what they’re doing.” Simon insisted. “Kyle does. He thinks like me.”
“Scary prospect.” Matt grinned across the table at his soon-to-be son.
“Keep me out of this.” Kyle shook his head and flinched.
“Doesn’t make what you did right, Simon,” Luke said. “You hurt her feelings. Now you’ll have to deal with the consequences.”
“We don’t have an adult to help anyway,” Simon grumbled.
“Should have thought about that sooner,” Luke told him. “You could be working with her and the other girls instead of being left out.”
Xander admired how Luke spoke to his son. There was respect there, affection. Along with the gentle guidance that was needed when a boy made a mistake.
“I’ll fix it. Not sure she’ll forgive me though.” Simon looked forlorn, there was uncertainty in his eyes.
“Who needs a refill?” Xander pushed out of his chair and collected the empty beer, water and root beer bottles.
“I’m good,” Luke said as the others chimed in. “Wouldn’t mind one of those brownies, though. Holly hasn’t been able to stomach chocolate since she got pregnant.”
“Coming up.” Xander thought back to Alethea’s comments in the diner and had to agree about the welcome he’d received in town. After only a few days he considered Jason a friend and by extension that meant he’d been included in this group of men. Decompressing like this, getting away from thoughts of business and drawings and deadlines and...Calliope. Xander dropped half the bottles before he reached the recycler. “Sorry. Brain blip.” He scooped them into the bin and wiped his hands on his slacks.
“I’ve had those blips. Mine’s named Lori.” Matt reached for the water bottle he’d been nursing for the last hour. “Who’s yours?”
“Calliope,” Jason, Luke and Fletcher all said at the same time.
“I was wrong. We are officially a knitting group.” Ozzy banged his head on the table. Kyle and Simon laughed.
“How did you all...?” Xander frowned. “Oh, right. Never mind.”
“Doesn’t have anything to do with our women
.” Fletcher slapped a hand on his back when he returned to the table. “Jason outed you.”
“Seriously?” Xander looked at his friend. “Are you punishing me for siccing my sister on your kitchen?”
“Hardly. Alethea’s got talent, man. Serious talent. She’s a natural. But next time you want to make out with our local butterfly woman, might I suggest you do it somewhere less public than a hotel lobby?”
“We weren’t making out.” Xander felt his face go hot.
“Are you kids calling it something else these days?” Jason grinned.
“Please. I’m older than you are. We’re friendly, that’s all. And Ozzy’s right. When did poker turn into a gossip session?”
“Ain’t gossip if you have an eyewitness,” Matt laughed. “Dude, relax. As long as you don’t plan on breaking her heart, we’re all for Calliope finally finding someone.” He arched an eyebrow and locked his jaw. “You aren’t planning on breaking her heart, are you?”
“No, I am not.” Near as Xander could tell, he couldn’t get anywhere near her heart. Every time he tried she shut him down like a storm cellar door during a tornado. “Rest easy, fellas. I’m leaving next week. That’s not enough time to break anything, especially someone’s heart.”
“Huh.” Jason inclined his head. “Clueless, party of one.”
“Listen up, boys,” Jake said in his oldest-man-in-the-room voice, addressing Kyle and Simon. “You can’t get this education in school.”
“I already know about girls.” Simon shrugged.
“Girls are what make the world go ’round,” Fletcher told him. “Around and around and around...”
Around and around. Xander nodded in agreement as he stared at the growing pile of circular chips on the table. An octagonal table. With a center of chips. A center... “That’s it.”
The table went silent as hands froze in midbet.
“I thought you were out?” Fletcher frowned.
“No, no, sorry. Wait. Can I...give me a second.” Mind racing, heart pounding, Xander popped back on his feet and started arranging the chips into stacks. If the table acted as the outline of the building, then the building itself, with a center...
“Is this a New York thing?” Matt asked Jason, who hushed him.
“This...this could actually work.” Xander stood up straight and looked down at the arrangement. “She was right. Calliope. She was absolutely right. We don’t have to cut down the trees. Well, some at least, but then we could use them... I can’t believe this.” He slapped a hand on his head. “This could actually work!”
“What’s he been drinking?” Fletcher asked.
“I have to go.” Xander needed his notepad, and his computer. And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. “This has been great. Really great.” He grabbed his suit jacket off the back of his chair. “You’ll never know how great. Just...thanks.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CALLIOPE JONES WASN’T a coward.
At least that’s what she kept telling herself following that kiss she and Xander had shared in the lobby of the Flutterby. Just because she hadn’t left her farm and cottage for the past two days. Or that she’d finally found time to do all those tasks she’d been putting off for months. Record-keeping, cleaning, organizing. She’d set aside a part of the garden by the greenhouse as a sandbox for Marlie, Charlie and Stella to practice their sandcastle skills. And they were becoming quite adept with various pans and molds from the kitchen, not to mention the shells, flowers and plants from the farm. The girls were a nice distraction and reminder of what was important in life.
When she found herself using manicure scissors to trim tiny weeds off her bonsai, however, she realized she was wrong.
She was absolutely a coward. At least when it came to Xander Costas.
Her bridesmaid dress hung on the door to her closet, a constant, visible reminder of how much she’d loved being in his arms; how utterly and completely at peace she felt despite the tornado spinning inside of her whenever she looked at him.
Even the phone call from Hildy had been a distraction, albeit not a welcome one. She’d had to accept it was time to begin making preparations for alternative care. The unpredictability and erratic behavior had increased.
“It’s time,” Hildy told her. “It’s not that I don’t want to help, Calliope, I do. But she’s gone beyond anything I can do for her.”
“I understand,” Calliope had told her. “I’ll work things out with Mama’s doctor and we’ll get this resolved as quickly as we can.”
Quickly meant finding a place in a facility that could take her in on short notice. Calliope’s good luck seemed to have kept pace with her hopes for once. The Stanhope Clinic was even farther away than Hildy’s home, a three-hour drive, but the facility specialized in psychological disorders. It would cost more—significantly more—but if what Emmaline’s doctor said was true, sadly, it might not be for long.
Which was why Calliope found it so difficult to sign the admission papers that had been emailed to her. Once she did, it was as if she’d finally given up. But if she didn’t...there simply wasn’t an alternative. Not if Calliope was going to give Stella the life she deserved.
“Hello?”
The familiar female voice brought a smile of relief to Calliope’s soul and she clicked off the computer monitor and set aside the papers. “Alethea.” She stood up from her desk and walked to the open door. “Hello. Welcome. Please, come in.” She ushered her inside and automatically turned on the stove for the teapot. “What brings you by?”
“Well, my brother was raving about this place. And you, of course.” Alethea turned in a slow circle, her wide blue eyes filled with wonder. “Every time I walk down a new street in this town I find something even more amazing,” Alethea sighed. “I feel like I’m in Ireland or something.”
The cloud of despair had dissipated around the young woman. Her face was bright and shining, her eyes bereft of the shadows that had echoed so much heartache. “That is the highest compliment I could receive, thank you. Please. Sit down. Have you had lunch? I baked some bread this morning.”
“Oh, I’m good, thanks. I’ve been making a pig of myself over at Jason’s restaurant. Xander asked him to give me cooking lessons. Did you know that?”
“I did not. But they seem to agree with you.” When the kettle whistled, she pulled it off the stove and poured water into the pot with the cinnamon-apple tea she’d been drinking for the holidays. “How is your brother?”
“Acting stranger than usual,” Alethea mumbled. “Sorry, that’s partly why I’m here. He’s locked himself in the cottage. Apparently the other night at poker he got inspired about the sanctuary. He’s been sitting at that table ever since. All I hear from him are grunts and mutterings.” Calliope pressed her lips together to stop from laughing. Why did it not surprise her that Xander was the kind of man who would get completely obsessed with a project? “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“I’m not so sure. I’ve never seen him like this. He literally cannot stop working. And it’s weird. I mean, yeah, he stops to eat, because I make him, and I think he’s sleeping. But I was wondering if maybe you could talk to him? Get him to take a break long enough for his brain to settle? There’s the bonfire tonight? Maybe he’d go with you?”
Calliope shook her head. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Alethea.”
“I’m not playing matchmaker, I swear.” That Alethea would have even thought such a thing told Calliope she was right to say no. “He’s just not listening to me. He’s ignoring calls from Antony and my mom. He’s making me talk to them and all they keep telling me is how they can’t wait for me to come home. I need him to surface long enough for him to get them off my back.”
“Ah.” Calliope pushed the untouched mug closer to Alethea. “Drink. And take a deep breath. Now that we’ve gotten to what is really bothering you.”
“For Christmas,” Calliope clarified.
“No.” Alethea’s blue eyes shone with determination. “I don’t want to go home at all. I mean for visits, sure, maybe, and I suppose I can’t get out of Christmas because of Dad, but... I don’t know how to explain it.”
Calliope reached out and covered the young woman’s hands with hers. “Try.” With a gentle push of energy, she broke through the worry and uncertainty, just enough for Alethea to work free of the walls of expectation that had been built around her.
“I’m not who I was before Talia died,” Alethea whispered. “I can’t just go back to school and take classes I don’t care about for a career that doesn’t interest me. Do you know how many times I’ve changed majors? I finally settled on prelaw because it seemed easiest with Dyna being a lawyer and my talent for arguing.”
Calliope didn’t want to smile at that.
“But that’s not living. And as much as part of me wants to just crawl into a hole, I need to live. Not just for me, for Talia too. I need to find what’s really me.”
“What is really you?”
“I’m still working that out, but ever since I got here to Butterfly Harbor, I feel like there are new possibilities, you know? And now...” She took a deep breath. “Jason’s offered me a job. As his sous chef. With all the construction that will be going on with the sanctuary and the tourist business picking up, he’s thinking about getting a food truck for the restaurant. He’s offered it to me to manage, if I want it. I mean, I’ll have to take some business classes and learn that side of things, but I can do that online. He...believes in me. I don’t know that anyone other than Xander ever has before. Though my folks are trying.”
“This is all good, Alethea.” Calliope gave silent thanks for Jason Corwin. He was passing it forward. “If cooking is something you want to do, if it is something you love doing, then you should follow your heart. That is how I started this farm. And I’ve never once regretted that choice. And I don’t think you will, either.”
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