Seascapes Read online

  Drew had arrived on the Grant doorstep with his trash bag and both fists clenched. Their home was the tenth Drew had been sent to. It was the last resort of the social worker, who had already given up on him.

  Peter’s parents refused to give up on Drew though. It had been a rough adjustment, but he was glad to be able to call Drew his brother and not just his foster brother. They were now best friends and Drew was another reason Peter had thought Haven was where he was supposed to be.

  Drew had moved to Haven soon after figuring out college wasn’t for him. He had originally gone to school for a degree in computer science but realized the desk style job wasn’t for him. He had moved to Haven and started his own handyman business. He also volunteered time to help the church with maintenance.

  Even though Peter had originally agreed to come to Haven to see if he could help revitalize the small church, it was really an excuse to be closer to Drew. And so far, helping the church had been a bust.

  Peter sighed. He thought he had this “waiting for God” and “trusting the Lord” thing down. He thought he knew how to communicate with God. He thought he knew a lot of stuff. But sometimes it felt like God threw a curve ball at him.

  Some church members were still mourning the passing of their long-time pastor who had died suddenly one morning of a heart attack in the middle of his sermon. It was taking them a long time to come to terms with the fact that Pastor Dan was gone, and Pastor Peter was now here.

  Peter closed his eyes and began to have another conversation with God. There was obviously something he was missing in all of this. He prayed God would make it known so he would know how to proceed.

  “Hey, dreaming on the job again?”

  As if thoughts of his brother had conjured him up, Peter’s eyes flew open and he jerked his head up to see Drew standing in the doorway.

  “Dreaming how I ever agreed to let you talk me into this. You know, you could have warned me about the congregation.”

  “Not this again. Come on, little brother, they aren’t that bad. And you know it’s not my fault you’re here.” Drew crossed the room and dropped into the chair in front of the desk.

  “I’m not your little brother, and you know it. Stop calling me that.” Peter always became slightly irked at the nickname. It wasn’t his fault he could barely claim five foot ten while Drew was a giant at six foot three.

  “When it stops being true, I’ll stop saying it.” A wide grin covered Drew’s tanned face. He knew exactly what buttons to push to get a reaction. He always had.

  Drew and Peter were opposite in looks as well. While Peter was slender with dark hair, he kept cut short, and dark eyes, Drew had a more solid build. He was blonde with slightly shaggy hair, and bright blue eyes. It was like he was meant to live in a beach-side community.

  “What’s bugging you now?” Drew reached out and grabbed a paperclip off the desk. He always had a hard time sitting still. He bounced the clip between his palms and then started to unbend it and bend it back.

  “The usual, I guess. How am I supposed to reach these people when they don’t want me here? Should I even be here? I’m starting to wonder if God had other plans for me and I was too blind to see them.”

  “I would think you would know how to talk to people. You know, have those hard conversations.” Drew grabbed another paperclip from the desk to mangle. “Didn’t Mom and Dad teach you anything?” He threw the clip at Peter’s head.

  Peter reached out and snatched it before it smacked him in the forehead. He had tried all the things he knew to win people over.

  He had done home visits. Some of the congregants had only reluctantly allowed him access. Others had outright denied him. He had kept his sermon topics light instead of delving into harder ones. It just wasn’t working.

  “Tell me more about Agnes Johnson.” She seemed to be the matriarch of the congregation. Peter felt if he could win her over, he could, perhaps, get everyone else on board with him staying.

  “Why don’t you jump in the Atlantic and swim to England instead?” Drew shot Peter a look that let him know he was in for a battle. “She thinks her way is the only way. Although, maybe if you flirted with her a bit, that would work.”

  Drew barked out a laugh, ducking as Peter chucked the paperclip back across at him.

  Chapter 3

  “Kate! Here, sit down!” Fiona hurried Kate behind the counter to sit on a stool. She grabbed a paper bag from underneath and fashioned it so that Kate could breathe into it. She held it in front of her friend’s face. “Breathe slowly.”

  Kate obeyed simply because she didn’t have the strength to do anything else. Gradually, the panic started to subside. Her breathing began to return to normal. Her racing heart slowed enough that she thought it would agree to stay in her chest.

  “Better?” Concern for her friend was etched across Fiona’s face.

  Kate still didn’t feel up to speaking, so she just nodded her head as she continued to work on her breathing. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. If she just concentrated on getting air into her lungs, she wouldn’t have to think about anything else.

  “I’m guessing you know something about this.” Fiona glanced at where the necklace was sitting on the counter. She didn’t want to prod Kate for information right now, but curiosity about the situation was starting to overwhelm her. Fee asked with caution, “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No. Not now. Not ever. Get rid of it. Toss it back in the ocean. I never want to see it again!” Kate could barely get the words out. She still didn’t seem to have quite enough air in her lungs to talk freely.

  Fee looked surprised. Kate had never once lost her temper in all the time they had known each other. Not even when Mrs. Johnson came in with her over the top demands. “Just concentrate on breathing. We’ll talk about it in a minute. Do you want something to drink?”

  Nodding again, Kate closed her eyes and continued to focus on getting air into her lungs. It shouldn’t take this much concentration just to breathe.

  She didn’t want to start thinking about what the necklace being here could mean. Instead, she continued to put all her attention on getting more air. Thinking would only make it worse. She didn’t want to remember. She didn’t want to feel. She just wanted to be left alone to live her life. She didn’t want this! She had never wanted any of it.

  Why had the necklace shown up here? And, more importantly, how had the necklace shown up here? She had thought it was gone forever.

  Carrying a bottle of water, Fiona pulled up a second stool. “I’ve never seen red sea glass before.” Fiona began speaking in a soft tone. “I have to assume it’s pretty rare.”

  “It is. That’s the only piece I’ve ever seen in my life.” Kate could feel her heart starting to return to normal and her breathing coming easier. “Fee, I really don’t want to talk about this right now. I’m feeling better. Let’s just get started on the inventory so we can go hunt for sea glass later. I promise, I’m okay.”

  “I’ve never asked about your past, and you’ve never told me, but I’d be a fool not to realize there’s something going on here. And since you’ve never told me much about your life before you showed up in Haven, I’m betting this necklace has something to do with your past. Am I right?”

  Kate nodded her head quickly in assent. Yes, the necklace had something to do with her past. Something she thought was long over. Something she never thought she’d have to deal with again.

  “I’m not going to push you to tell me about it now, but I really think we should discuss whatever this is about at some point. Agreed? And some point soon.”

  Fiona had that look about her, which meant she wasn’t going to let Kate push it off. Fee could be stubborn at times and Kate knew this would be one of those times.

  With a sigh so deep it seemed to come from the soles of her feet, Kate once more agreed with her friend’s statement. “Okay. Probably. Maybe. It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, Fiona. I’m just not su
re I can. You’re right, but not now. Please, just get rid of it. I really don’t want to see it ever again.”

  With a look of resignation, Fiona picked up the box and wrappings and headed to the office. Kate sipped on the water bottle and looked once more at the display in the window. It seemed as if her past had managed to catch up with her. Sighing deeply once more, she pushed the hard memories to the back of her mind, where they belonged.

  Chapter 4

  The doctor gently pulled Mrs. Winters aside and tried to usher her into an empty room nearby. The look of concern on his face made her begin to talk rapidly and she seemed rooted to the spot.

  “Doctor, I brought her in as soon as I could! Is she going to be okay? Is my baby going to be alright?” She nearly shrieked at him as she grabbed his arm in panic. Her other hand clenched her older daughter, towing her beside her.

  Kate didn’t understand what was happening. What was wrong with her baby sister? Why was her mom yelling so much?

  The doctor hadn’t wanted to have this conversation in the hallway, in full view of everyone, but the woman had ambushed him outside her daughter’s room. She refused to be budged and seemed not to care about disturbing other patients or staff.

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Winters. We’ve tried everything we possibly could.” He gently pried her fingers off his forearm. “I just don’t understand. She isn’t responding to any of the normal treatments. You’ll want to contact your husband to come in to say good-bye. I’m so sorry.” The doctor shook his head slightly as he turned to walk away.

  Mrs. Winters began to cry. Tears rolled down her face as she began to shriek at him, “No! Please, no! Doctor! I just can’t lose my sweet Lori! There must be something else you can do! There has to be!”

  Kate sat bolt upright in bed. Panting hard, she moved to the edge and sat, waiting for her racing heart to quiet. She had few memories of her younger sister, Lori.

  She had only been five years old at the time and hadn’t understood what was going on. Her sister had been three years younger. Much later she had learned why, and how her sister had died, and that she had almost experienced the same fate.

  Her father used to scream at Kate how it was all her fault when he was in one of his drunken rages. He never told her a reason why but would always blame her all the same. He had blamed Kate not only for Lori’s death, but everything with her mother as well. Even after all this time, after all the therapy, and after all the changes Kate had made to her life, her past still seemed to keep a tight grip on her and refused to let go.

  She pushed the covers aside and went to the bathroom to get a drink of water. Staring at her reflection, she couldn’t help but wonder why. Why had she survived but her sister hadn’t? She thought she’d already figured all this out with her therapist when she was younger, but apparently not.

  It was the necklace. That awful necklace!

  She may not remember her sister, but she certainly remembered the necklace. It had always hung around her mother’s neck. Always. She never thought she’d see it again.

  Kate walked back to her room and continued out the door to the living room. She didn’t think she’d get any more sleep tonight. Maybe a hot cup of chamomile tea would help her relax.

  As she moved around the kitchen, her mind wandered back to the conversation she’d had with Fiona while they’d been hunting for sea glass that afternoon.

  “Kate, what’s up with the necklace? Are you going to tell me about it or keep me guessing?” Fiona had prodded her relentlessly while they combed the beach. If there is one thing Fiona hated more than anything, it was being left in the dark. Kate knew she would continue to nag her about the necklace until she had dragged all the details out.

  Kate felt like all she had done today was sigh as another one filled her lungs. “I just don’t like talking about it, Fiona. It all happened a long time ago and I thought it was over. I never thought I’d see it again. I’ve been trying to leave the past in the past where it belongs.”

  But Fee wasn’t content to leave it alone. “Well, do you at least know who it belonged to?”

  “It was my mother’s.” Kate had continued walking after stating this simple fact. She kept scanning the beach for a twinkle to indicate sun glistening off glass.

  So far this morning they’d found quite a few pieces of brown, green, and white sea glass, which were the most common colors. There were even some similar enough in size to be made into earrings. She was hoping to find a few more and perhaps even a few blue ones.

  Blue glass was rare, but she had found some over the years. She had one large piece from a few months ago she was planning to make into a necklace. If she could find two smaller ones, she could make earrings for a set.

  “Is that all you’re going to tell me? It was your mother’s? Honestly, Kate. Don’t you trust me enough at this point to share your life with me?”

  Kate thought about her answer for a moment. She held back the sarcasm which would have been her normal defensive response. Fiona was the first person in years she had ever let past some of her walls. She had learned long ago it was better to never rely on anyone. They always let you down or hurt you. But Fiona was different. She had always proved herself to be trustworthy.

  She also knew Fiona had a wonderful relationship with her parents, who lived just a few towns away. Kate had even spent time with them during the holidays once Fee realized she usually spent them alone.

  Fee had a family who loved her, and she loved them. It was obvious in the way she talked about them. Kate didn’t begrudge her this. She wasn’t even jealous, not at this point in her life. It just made it harder to explain things. Fee would have nothing to compare it to.

  Kate sighed, “Fee, my family was nothing like yours. Just leave it alone. My mother didn’t love me. She just loved the attention having children gave her, but she certainly didn’t love me. I don’t want any reminder of her and that is what the necklace is to me. A reminder of something I want to forget. Just leave it be, okay?”

  To her credit, Fee had done just that. She had stopped pestering Kate while the two continued searching for sea glass. Kate had walked home from the beach trying hard not to keep thinking about her past.

  She had begun a cleaning frenzy as soon as she returned home. It was how she coped when things just seemed so far out of control. From a young age, whenever she had become scared or angry, she would start scrubbing every surface she could find.

  Standing now in her sparkling kitchen in the dark hours of the morning, Kate tried hard to stop her spinning thoughts. How had the necklace ended up at the shop? More importantly, why did it arrive? Had her father found her? Did her father even have the necklace in his possession? She had never seen him with it.

  While she hadn’t tried hard to cover her tracks when she’d left home, she had never dreamed he would come after her. He hadn’t wanted to be a part of her life when she had lived with him, so she couldn’t fathom he had changed enough that he would want to see her now. Most likely he thought he could get some money out of her to pay off his latest gambling debt.

  She grabbed her mug and headed to the living room. Curling up on one end of the couch and pulling a blanket over herself, she began to sip her tea. Her mind raced as thoughts of her past continued running through her mind.

  Setting down her half-finished drink on the small table beside her, she closed her eyes and began to take deep breaths. In and out. Just like her therapist had shown her. It had been years since she had fought anxiety, but tonight it seemed to be winning the battle. In and out. In and out. Slowly, slowly she could feel herself relaxing as she forced her thoughts into submission. Kate finally pulled in one last deep breath and drifted off into a fitful sleep.

  Chapter 5

  Drew laughed again to himself as he remembered the look on Peter’s face when he suggested he flirt with Agnes Johnson. That would definitely be something he would pay to watch. The town matriarch knew how to make everyone do her bidding. And she wouldn’t put
up with anything like that from Peter or anyone else either. Another laugh slipped out as Drew continued walking.

  She currently had decided Peter was not up to her standards of a “proper pastor” as she put it. What she failed to remember was Pastor Dan had also started at the church as a young man, younger even than Peter. Drew had looked it up in the church records.

  He would give her another few weeks to come around before he went to speak with her. He had learned during his time living in Haven that it was best to allow Mrs. Johnson to change her mind without letting on anyone had helped her do it. She liked to think she was in charge.

  Drew just enjoyed watching his brother squirm a bit. He wasn’t planning to let the church fail because the old woman couldn’t accept his brother as a pastor. Pastor Dan had been an excellent minister, but so was Peter. Peter was just having a hard time believing it at the moment.

  Drew whistled to himself as he strolled along the boardwalk. He had gone for his usual morning jog. The chilly air was welcomed. It had a hint of summer behind it. Soon it would be hard to have the beach to himself in the morning. It would be teeming with tourists in just a few weeks.

  The six-mile run had been just what he needed to clear his head. His breakup with Lucy hadn’t gone as he had hoped. But then, no breakup ever really did, did it?

  It turned out she was one of those crying, clingy ones who begged him to change his mind. He should have known. She had been a crying, clingy woman when they were dating, too.

  It wasn’t that he didn’t like Lucy. She was nice enough. She was definitely gorgeous enough. It was just that he couldn’t see himself settling down with her. He couldn’t picture her caring for children. Heck, he wasn’t even sure he could picture her having kids. And he wanted kids of his own one day.