“Didn’t you say your plan was to live here for a few months before finding a house?”
Kelly nodded. “I think I may change my mind.”
“And if you don’t, let me know and Chad and I will rent this out because this view… it’s so romantic.”
Kelly’s stomach lurched at the thought of romance. Her focus was strictly on Kori and the Java Hut. “Well,” Kelly said, clapping her hands and changing the subject, avoiding the risk of a conversation she wasn’t ready to have. “The Wrangler isn’t going to unpack itself.” Kelly instructed Kori to stay in the apartment while she and Melody brought boxes in. It was only a matter of time before Kelly’s parents showed up and her mother whisked Kori away so the adults could get everything moved.
“Does she know?” Melody asked as Kelly worked the combination lock on the back of the pulled U-Haul.
“She knows her father isn’t moving with us.”
“I can’t believe him.” Melody reached inside the trailer and picked up the first box she saw. “I would kill Chad if he…”
“I used to say the same thing and believe me the last verse of Shameless ran through my mind, but at what expense? I have the best of him,” Kelly said, nodding toward Kori. “She’s far more important to me than he will ever be.”
“Woman, I need your strength.”
“Oh, believe me, at night I’m a blubbering mess, asking myself why and what did I do wrong. Something like this really makes you question everything from how sexy you are, if you’re treating him right, to digging into his schedule and counting the nights he didn’t come home on time or had a random business trip that pops up out of nowhere. Questioning when our sex life changed. I stressed myself out, replaying conversations in my head, looking for clues, and do you know what I found?”
“No, what?” Melody asked.
“Nothing. Everything was fine until the day it wasn’t. This isn’t my fault, it’s his, and he must live with his decisions. I’m not going to let him rule my life or my emotions.” Kelly picked up a box and with Melody by her side, they made their way back to the store. Kelly knew she had to start with a clean slate and vowed that from this point forward, no more tears would be shed. Today, like tomorrow and the next day to follow, would be met with a smile, whether she liked it or not.
2
Danny
Danny Weatherly, and his German Shepard Rambo stood, with his feet buried in the sand waiting for the right moment to drop his board. He glanced at the sky, sighed and then looked down at Rambo, who was watching the ocean, likely wondering when he’d get the go ahead to dive in. The sun was straining to burn through the thick heavy cloud cover. It was either going to rain or be one of the most humid days the town of Gray had ever seen this early in spring. Neither appealed to him.
While most people ran on the beach, Dr. Weatherly sought peace and comfort among the waves. But even he had his limits. There was a time when he’d dare to do anything, even if it meant getting caught up in the storm. However, since his father retired and all but threw the family practice into Danny’s lap, he’s taken a step back. It’s hard to preach safety to teens when the one doing the preaching is out risking his life each morning.
After what felt like an eternity, he found himself trudging back to his beach themed Volkswagen Bus, and ditched the idea of trying to surf. When he saw the VW advertised in a Charlotte newspaper, he knew it was his. With a turquoise paint job and rack for his board, Danny had his perfect car. The tourists often stopped and took photographs of it. The locals loved it. His parents, not so much. Jabs like “you have to keep a clean image” and “what does a car like that say about you” came out of his parents’ mouths each time he parked it on their driveway for Sunday dinner. Still, he had no desire to upgrade. Or downgrade, as he preferred to think. Besides, the younger crowd thought he was cool and in a small beach town with a dwindling population, being cool made you a King.
Danny brushed his feet and stripped out of his very dry wet suit, tossing it into the back of his van. He whistled and waited a few seconds for Rambo to begrudgingly make his way into the parking lot. When he found his dog at the shelter a few towns over a few years ago, it was love at first sight. He taught his four-legged friend how to surf or at least how to stay on the board.
Rambo moped, dropping his head as he came near his owner. Danny reached down and patted his head. “Let’s take this off,” he said, removing the life jacket he insisted his dog wear. One near drowning incident was all it took for Danny to make sure his dog was safe. The swell had come out of nowhere, knocking both of them off the board. Rambo’s ankle strap loosened and when Danny surfaced, his dog was fighting to stay afloat. “Maybe tomorrow,” he sighed. He too felt the letdown of not being able to get out on the waves, but duty called. He had a job to do, people to keep healthy.
At home, he showered and slowly made his breakfast. His first appointment wasn’t until nine, and his office assistant would let him know if any emergencies arose beforehand. Instead of watching the news, Danny read the newspaper, choosing to skim over what he considered biased or fake news. Gray only had one reporter, who wrote everything through his viewpoint. Either you agreed with him or you didn’t. There was never a happy medium.
The ad for Gray Harbor’s High School Reunion caught his attention. He groaned, realizing the purple envelope sticking out of his long-ignored stack of mail, which he considered mostly junk, was his invitation to the event, marking fifteen years since leaving the halls of purgatory. He pulled it out and read his name in perfect script. As much as he hated the idea of attending this time around, he didn’t have a choice, at least not the same one he used to while attending school in California when the last invitation arrived. His excuse then was it was too expensive to travel home, and now that he’s home, there really wasn’t any excuse to skip it. Nor could he blame it on some other family plans that were happening on this particular day. That was the downfall of living in Gray. While living in a small town had its privileges, none of which Danny could think of right now, it definitely had its drawbacks. Everyone knew your business. They knew what you ate, how often you filled up your car, which is unbelievably huge gossip in Gray, and how you spent your time. There was no hiding. There was no going on dates without the rumor mill bursting at the seams and the Women’s Guild planning your wedding. If you wanted some semblance of a normal social life, you traveled out of town and prayed you didn’t run into someone from Gray, yet someone always knew because they saw you at the gas station filling up and heading toward a route that would eventually take you to the freeway. News traveled fast in this town. He quickly filled out the response card, stuffed it into the self-addressed stamped envelope and licked the flap, sealing it shut. Now all he had to do was drop it in the mailbox or leave it for Rosie, the postal carrier, to pick-up on her daily stop to his office, that’s if he could remember to bring it with him.
At his office, the sign bearing his name swung back and forth. Danny looked at the sky, wondering how he missed the weather report on a storm moving in. This wasn’t exactly storm season, but it’s not unheard of to get an early spring down pouring, although he wasn’t sure how the freshly planted flowers along the front of his office or along the cobble stone walkway would hold up with a torrential downpour.
The medical practice of Dr. Weatherly was in an old Victorian home painted in cream and purple. Not Danny’s first choice in paint color, but he has never had the heart to change it because it was his grandfather who first established the practice. The grand living room served as a waiting room, cluttered with outdated magazines and an assortment of children’s toys. It was his assistant who suggested one wall become a chalkboard, allowing the youngsters to color until it was their appointment. Danny had balked, but Martha, his assistant, went ahead and painted the wall anyway.
Some of the old charm still existed, like the massive staircase, which led to the second-floor storage area. Filing cabinets, filled with the records of past patients, oc
cupied two of the three bedrooms, leaving the last as a place for Danny to stay in the event he couldn’t get home. It was very unlikely for him to have to stay, but he wanted to be prepared, nonetheless. His favorite part of the house was the pristine entryway. He remembered coming here as a child and being mesmerized by the chandelier hanging above. He used to lie on the floor and imagine he was in space, with each crystal teardrop acting as a star. He also used to challenge himself to count each one, but he often lost count or grew bored. Still, to this day, the chandelier hangs with who-the-hell-knows how many teardrops there are.
Rambo was way ahead of his master, sitting on the wide plank front porch, waiting for someone to open the door. Inside, there was a nice cushy bed with a box full of chew toys waiting for his attention. Danny smirked and patted his pooch on his head before opening the door. Like most businesses, the bell chimed overhead, announcing the arrival of a patron.
Instead of turning toward the waiting room, he went down the hall and opened the door that read “Staff Only.” The smell of a freshly brewed pot of coffee welcomed him, along with a box of donuts. Even though he had already eaten, he couldn’t help himself and picked up the chocolate cake donut he knew Martha had left for him.
With a cup of Joe in his hand, he went into his office and booted up his computer, launching his email application as soon as his screen came to life. After perusing the inbox for anything exciting and finding nothing but every medical list service he’s ever signed up for, he made his way out to Martha.
“Good morning, Doc,” Martha said from over her shoulder. She typed rapidly on her keyboard, for what, Danny had no idea. He trusted her to do her job and never hovered over her.
Martha Reynolds was a woman in her fifties, with two teenaged children, whose husband happened to be Dr. Weatherly’s accountant. She kept her hair in a short bob and wore scrubs to work every day. She had taken nursing classes up until her oldest son was born and decided that being a stay at home Mom was the life for her until her youngest, a daughter, started high school. When she applied for the position as assistant, Danny hired her immediately because she had told him it had been her dream to become a nurse. With his encouragement, she attends night classes every few days, in hopes of getting her degree. He’s very supportive of Martha but fears the day she puts in her notice to leave him for something better.
“Did you see the weather report this morning?”
“No, why?”
He shrugged. “I think it’s going to storm.”
“Full moon is coming. I bet that’s it.”
At those words, his stomach did a flip. Without fail, a full moon brought out the crazies. His office would be, no doubt, full of people who think they’re dying, been bitten by some deadly bug, struck by lightning or worse yet… in labor.
“How many women are pregnant in town?”
“Just one, she’s due in four months.”
Four months was something Danny could accept. Still, knowing that a full moon was about to appear left him feeling uneasy.
“Did you hear about Java Hut?” Martha asked.
He shook his head and smiled at his assistant. “No, I look to you and my mother for all my gossip.”
Martha grinned right back. “Someone from the “city” bought it.”
“The “city”?” he asked, using the same air quotes as Martha did. “Any city in particular?”
“As in New York. Do you know what that means?”
“That they’re looking for a simpler life?” he hedged.
This was not the right answer according to Martha’s frantic head shaking. “They’re taking over. The next thing you know, they’ll buy up every storefront on the boardwalk and turn it into a fashion mall. I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford Tory Burch.”
“Who’s Tory Burch? Is that who bought the Hut?”
Martha’s hands went up in the air and her head fell back in dramatic fashion. “Do you not know anything?”
Danny shook his head. “Not unless you tell me.”
“Tory Burch is a fashionista. She’s a designer.”
“And now she’s living in Gray?”
“What? No. I don’t know. What I’m saying is the new buyers are likely going to take over and put in some high-end store that none of us can afford. Keep up, will ya!”
“Right, sorry. So, this not Tory Burch named person bought the Java Hut, who is from New York City. Do they have a name?”
“Franklin something or other.” The name didn’t mean anything to Danny, not that it would. He wasn’t joking when he told Martha he depended on her and his mother to fill him in.
“Well, let’s hope Franklin doesn’t burn himself making coffee. I hate for that to be how we make his acquaintance.”
Martha turned and smiled. “Franklin is her last name, and from what I gathered, she’s single.” Her eyebrows shot up. “So, I’m hoping she does burn herself because you’d get a chance to be her knight in shining armor.”
He leaned over Martha and shook his head. “Every time someone comes in here, I save them. That doesn’t mean I want to date them.”
She patted her boss’s cheek. “I’m going to find you a good woman, Doc. One who can keep up with you and keep you on your toes. Just you wait and see.”
Before he could respond, the door chimed and in walked his first patient. The young Jimbo Brown, who was a pudgy ten-year-old accused of being the town bully. He was carrying his arm in a sling, with his father looking rather upset.
“Oh boy,” Danny muttered. He knew his morning wasn’t going to start off quietly.
3
Kelly
Kelly parked in front of her old elementary school. It hadn’t changed since she had last been here. From the brick exterior and the flagpole with the American flag to the principal standing out front, greeting the students as they arrived. She only remembered bits and pieces of her time here, her memory fading with age. This was where she met Melody. They were in kindergarten and thick as thieves, best friends from the first day of school. Now, she was dropping off her daughter, in the middle of the school year no less. Not something Kelly had ever planned.
She was that parent. The one who vowed her child or children would maintain lifelong friendships, like she had with Mel. They would stay in the same school district, even if it meant living in the bustling city as opposed to the suburbs, forgoing the house with a large picture window, shutters and a white picket fence. Friends would be there when a crisis hit, that much Kelly knew.
“Are we going to go in or sit in the car all day?” Kori’s voice startled Kelly. Her daughter was right at her shoulder, in her personal space. She wanted to tell Kori to get back into her seat and to buckle up, but she knew deep down she was being ridiculous. Life happened and life changed. Kelly needed to accept it and move on. In under an hour, she’d open the doors to the Java Hut, and would welcome the first customer. Tomorrow, her mother or Melody would take Kori to school so the coffee shop could open at six in the morning. Something Kelly was dreading.
“I was just remembering what it was like when I went here.”
“Mama, that was ages ago.”
“Thanks for the reminder.” Kelly smiled and pulled the lever to open the door of her Wrangler. Her plan was to ask her father to remove the doors, at least the front ones. There was no way she’d drive around with Kori in the back and no door to protect her. She didn’t care how silly it made the vehicle look.
Kelly reached for her daughter’s hand, but she had other thoughts as she skipped ahead, meeting up with Brett and Carolyn, with Melody waiting. “You look exhausted,” she said, greeting Kelly.
“I was up half the night with worry.”
“Everything will be fine. I’ll be there. So will your mom and dad.”
Kelly shook her head and tried to smile. Her motto recently had been “fake it until you make it” but she was starting to wonder how much faking she was going to have to do. She didn’t know if she was trying to convi
nce herself, or the people around her, and for either, she wasn’t sure if she was doing a decent job. “It’s not just the shop. What if she doesn’t fit in?” Kelly pointed to Kori, who was already walking hand in hand with Carolyn.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about there.” Melody tried to comfort her friend and for the most part, it worked. Kelly didn’t know what she’d do without Melody and her husband, Chad. Without them, she’d still be in New York trying to piece her life back together. At least here, she had her family and now a business that she was determined to make successful.
Stepping inside the classroom was like walking into a time machine. Fragments of memories came rushing back as soon as Kelly saw the finger-painted art taped to the walls, the cotton ball clouds resting over the rolling green construction paper grass with the student’s pictures stuck in mid-air. Children brushed past her, while she stood there, taking it all in. This room was nothing like Kori’s back home. No, this classroom screamed love and nurturing, not tuition.
“If I’m not mistaken, you’re Kelly Taft.”
Kelly’s eyes went wide as the older woman approached her. They clasped hands as she took in the woman who was once her teacher. The long dark tresses of Mrs. Lange have since been replaced by a mountain of silver kept tidy in a bun. Her once soft face was now wrinkled with time and age, yet just as beautiful as Kelly remembered.
“Mrs. Lange, I had no idea you were still—”
“Alive?” the teacher chuckled.
“Well, not exactly.”
“What can I say, I love what I do.” Kelly nodded in agreement. Mrs. Lange’s love showed throughout the classroom. There wasn’t a spec of visible wall available, each space adorned with pictures, artwork, and posters of various places throughout the world. This was exactly where she wanted her daughter to study. “What brings you by?”
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