Twilight at Blueberry Barrens (Sunset Cove #3)(3)
Shelley nodded. “Tomorrow’s the big day. Pray for me. I’m dreading that drive across country by myself. At least I’m not pulling a trailer full of furniture. Everything is packed up, and the movers come in the morning. I’ll leave right after they do. I’m going to take my time and stop when I feel like it. I want to see Niagara Falls on the way, and I might stop off in Ohio Amish country and have a big plate of homemade noodles and pie.”
“It’s all about food with you.” The hot bisque, rich with lobster and butter, hit Kate’s taste buds. “Oh man, this is so good. I could eat it every meal.”
“Me too.” Shelley surveyed her on the other side of the table. “How’s Claire holding up? She’s got a lot going on with the wedding approaching.”
“She’s okay. Luke arrived on scene right away.” She rubbed her forehead. “Let’s talk about something else, okay? The reason we were even there was because there’s a new puffin nesting site!”
“No way!”
“I saw it with my own eyes. I’m going to let Kevin know.” Kate lifted the spoon to her mouth and froze at the purplish mark on her arm. She set her spoon back in the bowl and examined the skin. “I’ve got a bruise. A big one.”
Shelley studied her extended arm. “Looks like a thumbprint. Did anyone manhandle you today?”
Kate started to deny it, then remembered her plunge into the water to try to reach the cliffs. “Claire hauled me out of the sea and wouldn’t let me go back in. The riptide was bad. Think I should see the doctor?”
“Your color looks good. Are you feeling okay? Any weakness, heart palpitations, nosebleeds?”
“No, nothing. I feel great.” But staring at the bruise made her feel a little light-headed.
“Then put it out of your mind. You’re cured, Kate. That aplastic anemia is never coming back.”
Kate reached for her huge blue-and-white bag and pulled out a small amber bottle of lemon oil. She dripped a couple of drops of it into her water. “Can’t hurt.”
“No, it can’t hurt.” Shelley sat back in her chair. “You have to quit worrying though. You seem to be stuck in yesterday. I want to see you move on and make a new life. Are you going to stay in Folly Shoals forever? You don’t even like working the blueberry barrens. You only quit school and came back because your mother insisted. You don’t have to do that anymore.”
“With her in jail, there’s no one else to take care of the fields.” She knew her duty even if she didn’t love it.
“And would that be so bad? The neighbors can harvest any of the berries they want. The rest can rot. It’s not your concern.” Shelley shook her head. “I see you wincing. The entire world doesn’t rest on your shoulders. It’s your turn to find out what you really want out of life. What makes you happy and fulfilled. God gave you specific gifts, and you’re not using them at all.”
“I’m running the children’s department at church. That’s using my gifts.”
Shelley rolled her eyes, then smiled. “I’ll give you that. I see your joy in working with kids. But you love color and texture. You’ve got an artist’s heart for creativity, and you never get to use it. You’re great with people, but you rarely see more than Claire and me except on Sunday. You’re stuck in a loop here. Maybe you’re the one who should be looking for a new job somewhere else.” Shelley’s eyes widened, and a grin spread across her face. “I know! Come with me to Rock Harbor. The place I rented has three bedrooms. You can live in one and look for a job. It would be a fresh start.”
Kate shook her head. “Claire is here. I’ve just found her again and I can’t leave her.” But Shelley’s words resonated more than she wanted them to. Was she really stuck in this place, unable to move forward with her life?
*
Drake Newham rolled over in his big bed and looked at the clock. Two in the morning. In the distance he could hear the hum of cars and trucks on I-93. Traffic in Boston was a constant, even in the middle of the night. The moonlight filtered through the curtains and illuminated the faces of his two nieces who’d crawled into bed with him an hour ago. It was nearly an every-night occurrence since his half brother and sister-in-law had died a month ago, and his chest felt heavy from trying to conceal his grief.
He still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that his older brother was dead. Heath had so much to live for—a thriving law practice and a beautiful family that was the envy of everyone, including Drake.
He tucked the covers around his nieces, then swung his legs out of bed. He’d taken to sleeping in sweats since he was up with the girls so much. They’d get through this somehow, though right now it looked as hard as climbing Mount Everest.
Over the past couple of weeks he’d reached for the phone to call his brother until the stab in his gut reminded him he’d never hear Heath’s voice again. How was it even possible to bear this much pain? Drake couldn’t imagine how the girls felt. They cried a lot and clung to him even as he’d clung to them as all he had left of his brother.
He peered out the window. For the past week he’d had the uncanny sensation of being watched, and yesterday he’d taken a quick turn down an alley to escape a black pickup he’d been certain was tailing him. Unsure of what had awakened him, he slid his feet into slippers and padded down the steps to the kitchen. A snack of peanut butter and crackers sounded enticing. Maybe he’d pull up his computer and see if he could find out anything new about Heath’s death.