A Walk Along the Beach(5)

“Willa? Are you there?” Lucas asked, cutting into my thoughts.

“Yes, sorry. My mind drifted there for a minute. I was remembering when we first got word of how sick Harper was.” Our sister had come face-to-face with death and walked away a winner. Lucas was right. I was overreacting. If Harper wanted to live an adventurous life, then who was I to question her? Even knowing I had no control over the future, I couldn’t help being concerned.

    “I’m afraid for her,” I admitted, lowering my voice. I couldn’t help it. I felt responsible for keeping a close eye on her and her health. Last winter when she’d gotten the flu, I’d watched her like a hawk. Harper had gotten angry with me and insisted I leave her to her misery.

“You’re such a worrywart,” Lucas joked, lightening my mood. “Harper is fine. She’s not showing any signs of a recurrence, is she?”

“I…I don’t think so.” I knew what to look for—at least I thought I did.

“When was her last blood test?”

“A few months ago. Her next one isn’t until July.” Only a month away. I dreaded each one, barely slept the night before, and then breathed easier when everything showed Harper remained in remission. My stomach tightened. I wished this feeling, this sense of foreboding about my sister, would go away so I could let go of my worries, but they persisted.

“Then it’s coming right up,” Lucas said. “That should put your mind to rest.”

Then and only then would I be able to let go of my concerns.

“I’ll look forward to seeing you and Chantelle.”

We spoke for a few minutes longer, deciding on the time and what restaurant. When we ended the call, I felt better. Bouncing my fears against Lucas had a calming effect on me. He always knew the right thing to say.

Although it was still light out, following my talk with Lucas, I headed for bed. I was still sitting up and reading when Harper returned from her training session. My bedroom door was open. With sweat beading her forehead and a hand towel around her neck, she leaned against the doorjamb, breathing heavily.

    “That was a killer workout,” she said, loudly exhaling.

I ignored her choice of words. “When’s the climb scheduled?”

“August twenty-second. We’ll do a practice climb to Camp Muir. If I can’t make it to Camp Muir, I won’t be allowed to go the following weekend. That’s why I’m training this hard.”

“You’ll be ready.”

“I’m ready now.” Her face, already red from exertion, reddened more with excitement. “Imagine climbing Mount Rainier. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.” She wiped her face with the towel. “I’m heading for the shower and then bed. See you in the morning.”

“Sure thing.”

Because I left the apartment early, Harper stopped by for coffee on her way into work at Oceanside Fitness. Her first class was at eight. She taught yoga at nine and another exercise class at ten three days a week. She had a break then until the afternoon. The woman was a machine. No one drove themselves harder than my sister.

“Are you turning the light out soon?” she asked.

“Another fifteen minutes.” It was far too easy to fall into the trap of staying up late. I had to set a rigid bedtime—otherwise, I was worthless come morning.

“Dream of Sean.”

“Very funny.” I rolled my eyes. “What you did today wasn’t cool.”

“Yes, it was. He’s into you.”

“Hardly.” I didn’t know why my sister would ever say that.

“Willa, don’t be dense. Of course he is.” She gave me a look that suggested I was a complete idiot. “He couldn’t keep his eyes off you. Surely you noticed?”

I didn’t believe her for a minute. It seemed Sean had concentrated on his coffee with the same intensity that I had my own. He’d been as uncomfortable as I’d been, and too polite to say anything.

    “I hope you realize you embarrassed us both.”

My sister shook her head as if giving up on me and headed for our shared bathroom to shower.

Fifteen minutes later I heard her enter her own bedroom. I set my book aside and turned out the light. It was barely dark out. During the summer months in the Pacific Northwest, it was close to ten o’clock before it went completely dark. I would be sound asleep by then.

Closing my eyes, I tucked the sheet up close around my shoulders, and instantly Sean’s face came into my mind. I liked him. I wanted Harper to be right, but I didn’t dare allow myself to get caught up in the fantasy.





CHAPTER 3





Sean


I didn’t even like Americanos, and here I was driving into town every day for a cup I tossed after the first few sips. Not that it mattered, I would gladly pay ten times the price of that Americano for an opportunity to see Willa.

What got me was how beautiful she was without knowing it. She was tall, nearly five-eight, I’d guess, and curvy in all the right places. She wore her straight brown hair in a short bob, parted in the middle, and often looped the ends around her ears. Her dark brown eyes reminded me of a teddy bear. She was warm and friendly and completely unlike other women I’d dated.