Chapter Five #2
Rosie peered around him to the tide pool all three children were gazing into. “That is a frosted nudibranch, or ‘sea slug.’
They are incredibly rare. You’re so lucky to have found one!”
“It’s too pretty to be a slug,” Zara declared. “Slugs are gray and slimy. This one is almost see-through and is all frilly
and cute.”
“It is cute. You’re right,” Rosie said. “She probably prefers to be called a frosted nudibranch rather than a slug.”
The children admired the creature before moving to a larger tide pool where several sea stars clung to the rocks.
“Why are they all different colors?” Finn asked.
“Lots of different reasons. Their diet, their age and their particular species all play a part,” she answered. “Sea stars
are actually more rare than they used to be. Unfortunately, many of them have died of a disease. It’s one of the most widespread
marine wildlife diseases ever.”
“That’s so sad,” Zara said.
“It is. But there are a few signs that they’re making a comeback. You can see more of them now than even a few years ago.”
“How do you know so much about tidal creatures?” Andrew asked when the children moved on to admire a tide pool brimming with colorful
anemone that undulated in the water. “Have you read the book about local flora and fauna, too?”
“No. I’ll have to look for it. I’ve lived in this area for years and have spent a lot of time on the beach. You learn a thing
or two along the way.”
“Where did you live before you came here?”
His question took her by surprise and she paused a moment before answering.
“All over the place, actually. My dad was in the military, so we never spent long anywhere. He died when I was twelve. My mom was restless for a few more years. I went to six different schools in four years. Finally, she took a job here as the director of the high school library right before my junior year. I’ve been here ever since. ”
Where did the time go? It felt like only yesterday she was that scared, defiant, angry kid moving to yet another school.
From the very beginning, Wood Briar had felt different. More like home. Unlike some of the other places where they had lived,
the other students had been kind and welcoming. She had loved the scenery even back then and would take long walks on the
beach or drive down the coast in her beat-up Toyota to find a long stretch of sand where she could be alone.
“Was it tough, moving around so much?”
Rosie considered his question as she watched the children tire of the sea creatures and go over to Dottie’s shady spot to
pet the little terrier-Chihuahua mix.
“It was all I really ever knew. I can’t say I loved never staying put in one place for long, but it did teach me a lot about
the world and about people. That was also where I developed my deep love of books. There was inevitably a lonely time in every
new place when I didn’t know anyone, but I always had friends inside the pages of the books I loved.”
“I’m worried my kids will struggle to make friends, with the move. They’ve been through so much over the past few years. Losing
their mom, then losing everything we owned in a wildfire. I want everything to be perfect for them here. Finn is doing okay
but Zara is still struggling with the move. I hope I haven’t messed them up for life by dragging them here.”
It was an admission she suspected he did not make easily. That he would be so frank and open with her, a woman he had only
met once, touched something deep inside her.
“They’ll be fine,” she assured him softly. “They seem like lovely children and this is a very warm community. Once your house is finished, I’m sure they will feel more settled.”
She would have to see what she could do about moving things forward even faster on that front.
“Is that what compelled you to stay in Wood Briar all these years? That warm community?”
“And the lovely surroundings.” She inclined her head to take in the long stretch of beach and the soaring rock formations
offshore that added drama and beauty to the area.
“This has felt like home since Mom and I moved here. I met my late husband on the first day of school only a few weeks later.
We started dating and never stopped.”
“High school sweethearts, then.”
She nodded. “We were married a year after I graduated and had Emma a month before my twentieth birthday.”
“That’s young.”
She shrugged. “We were in love and both knew what we wanted.”
“The whole hearts and flowers, white-picket-fence thing?”
“Is something wrong with that?” she demanded.
“Not as far as I’m concerned,” he replied.
Okay, perhaps she was a smidge too defensive about the choices she had made twenty-five years ago. She knew she and Gary both
had been far too young, but they had known their own minds.
“We had planned to marry after I graduated from college but then I got pregnant with Emma and we didn’t see any point in waiting.”
Those early years had been tough. She would be lying if she said otherwise.
They had both been forced to grow up together.
Because she had always been a good student, Rosie had earned enough credits while still in high school to attain her associates degree by the time she graduated and she had been attending college in Eugene, working toward her bachelor’s in business administration, when she found out she was expecting.
Gary had been working in his dad’s drywall business here and working toward his own contractor’s license. Everyone from his
parents to Sylvia to their friends had encouraged them to wait a while before settling down.
Rosie could only be glad they hadn’t listened or she would have had even less time with Gary.
“Can we take Dottie for a walk down the beach?” Zara asked her.
Rosie smiled at the sweet girl. “Sure. She would love that. Make sure you walk above the high tide line, though. We don’t
want to scare any sea creatures.”
The small dog pranced around them with excitement as they bickered over who would hold the leash first. Zara won by force
of will. Rosie suspected that was not an unusual occurrence. The girl struck her as possessing a very determined personality.
As if by tacit agreement, she and Andrew fell into step behind the children and Rosie was again aware of the sheer physicality
of the man. He seemed surprisingly fit for a man who probably spent a lot of time at his laptop.
“How long has your husband been gone?” he asked.
She blinked at the unexpected question, hoping he couldn’t read the direction of her thoughts. “Ten years,” she said after
a moment. “It feels like a lifetime in some ways and like yesterday in others.”
Though she didn’t really want to talk about Gary, she knew his next question before he even asked it. She might as well spare
both of them.
“He was killed in a car accident.”
“I’m sorry.”
The compassion in his voice had an undeniable ring of sincerity to it.
“Thank you. And I’m sorry for your loss as well. Your wife died of cancer a few years ago, isn’t that right?”
“Yes. Leukemia.” He sounded surprised and not particularly pleased that she knew that much about him.
“Your mother and my mother are good friends,” she reminded him. “I know we’re all strangers to you but some of us already
feel like we know you through your mother.”
“Perhaps my mother ought to stop gossiping about me with the neighbors.”
“You’ll have to take that up with her.”
“I will. Trust me.”
She smiled at the annoyance in his voice. “As far as I’m aware, your mom doesn’t blab your business all over town, if that’s
what you’re worrying about. I probably know more than most people, simply because I worked with your mom on her own renovations
and then she hired us again after you bought Stormhaven. In the course of our working relationship, she has told me a few
things about your situation. I know, for instance, that you bought the house basically unseen and wanted to completely renovate
it.”
“What was I thinking?”
Oh, she liked him, far more than she might have expected. “You were thinking you and your children needed a fresh start somewhere
and it made sense to move closer to your mom. For what it’s worth, I think you made a great choice.”
He smiled down at her and Rosie suddenly felt warm despite the breeze blowing off the water.
“Thank you. It’s good to hear at least one person in town doesn’t think I’m reckless and irrational to pick up and move my kids hundreds of miles from the only home they’ve ever had.”
“I’m not the only one. Trust me. Everyone is thrilled that someone is finally doing something with Stormhaven. It’s a gorgeous
property and most people in town would much rather see a family live there then have it be turned into vacation condos, like
the previous owners planned to do.”
“I suppose that’s something.”
“I’m sure people will tell you the same thing themselves when they have the chance to meet you.”
“I’m not exactly a hermit. I’ve met a few people.”
“If you’re ready to meet more, we have our summer neighborhood party coming up soon.”
“What summer neighborhood party?”
“When you live in a small town with a big tourist presence, you have to work hard to socialize with your neighbors or you
end up disconnected and outnumbered.”
“I can see where that might be a problem.”
“A few years ago, a core of about ten of us decided to start up occasional gatherings. It’s grown exponentially since then.
We take turns. Every few months we have a potluck and everyone is invited. There are usually brats, burgers, chicken breasts
and a few vegetarian options. I can’t promise you grand entertainment or gourmet food, but it might be a good way for you
and Finn and Zara to meet some of your new neighbors.”
She could tell at once that he did not look thrilled at the idea. Did he have something against meeting his neighbors or was
he simply naturally introverted?
“We could do that.”
“I’m sure your children would enjoy it. This time it’s a barbecue at my house, as long as the weather cooperates.”
“What if it doesn’t? It’s Oregon, after all. You get your fair share of rain.”
“True. Then we’ll move the party to the community center, over on Thimbleberry Drive. We have a standing reservation. But
keep your fingers crossed for good weather.”
“I’ll be sure to do that,” he said, his voice dry.
“I should give you fair warning that you will probably be the center of attention. Don’t be surprised if you end up fielding
a bunch of questions about The Starbound Chronicles. You have a lot of fans here.”
A funny expression crossed his features. He opened his mouth as if to answer then appeared to think better of whatever he
intended to say, leaving her to wonder again if he had overheard her talking about his books with Emma.
More than ever, she hoped he hadn’t.
“And of course,” she went on, “everyone is going to want to talk to you about Willow Voss.”
“Hate to break it to you, but you’re not exactly making your little neighborhood shindig sound appealing.”
She again had to smile at his dry tone. She really did like the man, she decided.
“If anybody becomes too intrusive, you can give them that exact death stare. It’s quite intimidating.”
He made a face. “For your information, I know how to occasionally make small talk with people. It’s not my favorite thing
but I have to go on book tours and speak with strangers all the time.”
“Good to know.” She could do dry, too.
“But if I get into trouble with some talkative neighbor or other, it will be your job to rescue me.”
She snorted. “My job? Why me?”
“You’re the one trying to drag me out of my writing cave for a neighborhood party.”
“Fine. Be a hermit crab if you want to. Your mom can always take your kids to the party without you.”
Before he could answer, Olive raced over to them, her hand outstretched.
“Grandma, look what I found. Zara says it’s a sand dollar. My friend Finn found one, too.”
She dutifully exclaimed over the shell in her granddaughter’s hand, trying to decide if she was grateful for the interruption
or not.
Either way, Olive was a great reminder that she and her sexy new neighbor were at completely different places in life. She
was a grandmother, for heaven’s sake, while he was a single father of two young children who were still grieving for their
mother.
As attracted as she might be to him, she had to keep all that in mind before she did something stupid like develop a serious
crush on the man.