Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
SHELLY
Two months later
“Did you see the news about the development going ahead?” Oli says as I walk into the hut.
“Yes, I had an email. I’ve already spoken to a lawyer and sent emails to the Sea Oats Conservation.” With the emergence of the turtles well under way, I have so much to do without dealing with all this crap. “Can you man the fort? I need to get up-to-date with our accounts and make sure we have the funds to take this appeal to court.”
“Of course.”
I open my laptop on one of the tables in the hut cafe and go through the accounts. Usually I keep on top of things at the end of each month, but with new turtles emerging every few days, I’ve been focusing all my attention on that. Now that the summer volunteers are back at school, college and uni, there’s only a few of us left .
Oli brings me a sweet tea. “Here you go. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thank you.” The staff and volunteers always look after me. I couldn’t do any of this without their support. They look up to me for answers and to lead them, but lately, with all the stress of the looming development, I feel like a failure.
The money we raised during our annual fundraiser will see us through the nesting season. With the extra money raised this year from the kissing auction, I hope it’s enough to pay for a lawyer. They charge a few hundred bucks just to send a letter. My pot of money will run out a lot faster than Dream Developments and Construction.
While I have the passion and determination to beat them in any fight, I don’t have the wallet to match. It’s obvious their connections and money are what got this development approved. No matter how good my presentation, or how valid my point was, they were always going to take a bribe from their golfing buddy.
I rub the creases in my forehead as I log into the charity’s bank account. My eyes widen when the balance pops up on the screen. I’m pleasantly surprised, but also confused as to where the money’s come from.
Standing out are several deposits from the same source in the past few months. Large deposits, but all random and different figures. There’s no pattern or reasoning.
When I click on the name, it’s deposited from the Creative Collective Gallery. Labelled Eagle Arts Studio. I’ve never heard of Eagle Arts Studio before.
Thinking of eagles, I’m reminded of Finn and our time on the boat, watching the white-tailed eagle soar above us. My heart’s never fully healed, but I try not to think about him, instead throwing myself into my work. Last I heard, he moved back to England. I don’t blame him for the development. I believe he tried where his father was concerned. He couldn’t even convince his father to let him follow his dreams, so he certainly would not get him to budge where my passions were concerned.
I hope Finn’s doing all right whatever he’s doing. A note was left in the hut before his departure over two months ago. I still have it in my purse. Feeling nostalgic, I pull it from the inside zip pocket and carefully unfold the paper to reread
Dear turtle girl,
I hope this letter finds you well. I was going to text, but I wasn’t sure if you’d blocked me, and I couldn’t handle another rejection.
I’m not sure when I’ll be back this way, if ever. Without you, there’s nothing here for me now.
I hope you keep fighting for what’s right. You’re the female version of my favourite Ninjas, seeking justice and protecting those in need. A real superhero. Whatever you do in life, I know you’ll do great things.
You’re a breath of fresh air. Knowing you for our brief time made me a better man. You taught me to soar to new heights like the eagle, yet gave me the courage of a lion. You’ll always hold a special place in my heart, turtle girl.
For what it’s worth, everything was real.
You said I have a piece of your heart. You possess a part of me as well. The real me. I could only ever be my true self with you.
All my love,
Just Finn.
P.S. If you tell me to stay, I will. I leave Friday.
With a heavy heart, I fold it back up neatly and tuck it back in my purse. I cried when I first read it. Back then, I was too stubborn and upset to open his note. Everything was so raw. But when I did finally read it, it was too late.
He’d already left.
I cursed myself, wishing I’d known there was an expiry date. Now all I can do is look back with fond memories. I don’t know if we’ll ever meet again. The conflict of interest with his father certainly muddied the waters, but I no longer blame Finn for his father’s actions.
I close the laptop and slide it into my bag. “I’m just popping into town, Oli. Won’t be long.” I step out onto the sand and walk over the boardwalk, past the marina, and towards the town’s gallery.
Steve’s worked in the gallery for years. He’s always supported the conservation effort, but never with sizeable sums of money like this. I have to thank him in person. Because of these donations, we’ll be able to afford the best lawyer money can buy.
The bell chimes as I push the door open into the stark white space of the gallery. A young woman greets me. “Hello, can I help you?”
“Is Steve around?”
“He’s with a customer in the back. He shouldn’t be long if you’d like to wait.”
“Thank you.” I peruse the walls of various artists’ work. The gallery boasts everything from large oil canvases to small paintings on glass, all with hefty price tags.
My breath halts when I come to one of Finn’s pieces. I recognise the style from the ones we sold in the hut. Signed in the corner, Just Finn. A label underneath states the price with the name Eagle Arts Studio.
My eyes fill with emotion, ready to burst out at any minute. More paintings by Finn line the wall, most of Magnolia Point. He’s captured the whole town from the river including our favourite Mexican restaurant, Just in Queso.
With a tremble in my hand, my fingers dance over the canvas as if I can reach into the painting and touch the man I love. My heart aches for him. Deep down I know I made a mistake. The man wasn’t perfect, but none of us are. It’s our imperfections that make us who we are, like the shells on a turtle’s back, each one unique with its own story to tell.
Another painting portrays Mug Life coffee shop and Lennon’s thrift store. More of the beach hut and the baby turtles, along with their tracks in the sand.
And me.
I’m on his boat, holding on to my hat with the wind blowing my hair as I look out at the ocean. There’s no label with this one. I swallow the lump in my throat. “How much is this one?” I ask the girl with a wobble in my voice.
“That one’s not for sale,” a familiar voice with a British accent says behind me.
I spin around, my heart pounding out of my chest. “Finn.”
Steve shakes Finn’s hand. “Good to see you again.” He nods towards me. “Can I help you, Shelly?”
“I’m just…” I blink at the man standing in front of me, making sure my eyes aren’t deceiving me. Many times, these last few months, I thought I saw him in town, but it was just my hopeful soul. “I’m just browsing.”
Steve nods and disappears into the back.
“It’s you.” My palm rests over my thumping heart .
“It’s me.” Finn smiles, turning my bones to mush.
“You’re Eagle Arts Studio?”
He nods, stuffing his hands into his beige slacks.
“I thought you were in England.”
“I went back for a short time to sort through my art pieces. My work is mostly here now, with only a few pieces in a London gallery.”
“I’m so proud of you.” Tears drip onto my cheeks when I smile. I can’t decide if they’re happy tears for Finn achieving his dream, or sad tears that I’m not a part of it.
“I wouldn’t have done it without you, Shell.”
A ball of words lodge in the back of my throat. The three words I long to say are stuck there, jumbled with other unspoken declarations. All I manage to cough up is, “I got your note.”
He nods, rocking back on his heels. “Good.”
“You’d already left by the time I read it.” I stare into his ocean-blue eyes, pulling me deeper into his soul the longer I gaze into them. I place my palms on his chest, over the white shirt that shows off the outline of his ink through the thin cotton.
He leans into my touch, inhaling with a low grumble from his lips as if in pain at being near me.
I’m like the turtle, using a magnetic field that pulls me back to Finn. I thought I could move on, but seeing him again and knowing that he’s still there for me, it’s clear now that there’s no escaping this man.
Reaching up on my tiptoes, finally finding the right words, I whisper in his ear, “I’ve missed you.”
His hands slide around my waist, over the bare skin between my shorts and my knotted t-shirt. “I’ve missed you too, turtle girl.”
“All this time, you’ve been selling your paintings and depositing the money into the Save Our Seas account.” More tears drip onto my cheek.
He cups my face, wiping the tears away. “The turtle carries the world on its back like you carry the weight of the ocean. I want to take some of that weight and ease your burden. You don’t have to fight alone.”
He knows I needed the money to fight the battle with his father. If he’s willing to sacrifice his relationship with his own family for me and my cause, I should sacrifice something, too. Although I have nothing to offer but myself.
“Stay.” I pant out the word with a trembling breath.
His mouth parts, his heart beating wildly beneath my palms. “What was that?”
“I want you to stay.” I swallow the thick air between us. My body trembles as I beg him to stay. “Stay with me, Finn.”
“I thought you’d never ask.” His lips crash to mine as waves of emotions wash over me. His arms wrap around me like a safety net, holding me upright.
I kiss him back, my tongue licking his in soft soothing strokes, feeling all the love he still has for me. It’s as if we’ve never been apart, yet we’re both different people than we were months ago. Both changed for the better because of each other.
He pulls away to gaze into my eyes. “Is this real? I've dreamt of this moment so many times.”
“It's real. What else have you dreamt of?”
“I couldn't possibly say out loud.”
“You'll have to show me then.” I press my lips to his once more, losing myself in his warmth. I don’t know what the future holds for the beach or for us, but like the turtle’s teachings of patience and resilience, I know that we’re stronger together and love will conquer all.