Chapter 6
Chapter Six
“Are we there yet, Daddy?” Lily asked for what had to be the tenth time since they had left Houston.
Calmly, Carson said, “Not yet, Peanut. But we should be there in the next ten minutes or so. As long as it takes to watch one Spidey cartoon,” giving his words context that a four-year-old could understand.
“Can I watch Frozen when we get there?”
“Sure, sweetie,” he promised. “Or Frozen 2 or 3,” he teased.
The five hour trip from Houston to Driftwood Bay had taken almost six-and-a-half hours, thanks to having a small child and dog in tow.
Where Carson would have driven straight through—maybe stopping mid-trip at a drive-through window for a drink—he had known that Lily needed to get out and stretch.
They had stopped at McDonald’s along the way for lunch and also stopped two other times to let her and Binky pee.
He had also told and retold a good many fairy tales.
Lily would beg to hear stories such as Cinderella or Rumpelstiltskin, and he would oblige.
Halfway into the stories, though, his daughter would take over, telling them with a wide range of emotions and a good deal of drama.
He wondered if she would be destined for the stage and supposed Driftwood Bay High School had a drama department.
If not, Lily Andrews would insist upon creating one.
“Let’s talk some more about our new home,” he said cheerfully. “We’re going to be living in a new friend’s house and taking care of it for him and his wife. They’re going far away to live in Australia. He studies fish.”
Carson substituted fish for sea snakes, not wanting his daughter to be afraid of stepping into the Gulf. Already, she was tentative about the water. He hoped living close to it now and playing in the surf on a frequent basis would alleviate her fears.
“I want a fish, Daddy.”
He didn’t think goldfish had extremely long lives, and he wasn’t up to having ceremonial funerals and a flushing of a pet fish down the toilet, so he said, “You have Binky. He’s way better than a fish.
You can cuddle with Binky. Pet him. Play with him.
A fish just swims around a bowl while you watch. That’s pretty boring.”
“Okay, Daddy,” Lily said brightly, leaning over and patting Binky, who sat on a blanket next to her car seat.
“We’re going to live in our friend’s house,” he continued, “while we’re looking for one of our own. We may find a house that we like, or we could have someone draw a house on paper for us. Then other people could come and build it.”
The more Carson thought about it, the more he liked the idea of commissioning an architect and building from scratch.
It would be nice to see every nail hammered into a place which would be what he hoped would be a forever home for Lily and him.
Though coaches bounced around from one job to the next, climbing the athletic ladder, Carson wanted stability for Lily, especially since she had lost her mother.
He liked what he had seen of Driftwood Bay and thought this community would be an excellent place to raise his little girl.
“Daddy is going to be the basketball coach at the high school.”
“You were a coach before.”
“I was. I also get to be the boss of other coaches and help them do their jobs.”
“Miss Gabby says you’re not supposed to be bossy,” Lily admonished, quoting her former preschool teacher.
“It’s one thing to be bossy. It’s okay to be a boss, though,” he explained. “A boss is someone who is in charge. Miss Gabby is right. You don’t want to boss people around, but if you are their boss, you need to be a good leader and help others.”
Lily brightened. “I like being the leader of the line at school. The leader gets to take everyone to the restroom so we can go to the bathroom and get water for our water bottles. Then the leader walks the line back to our room.” She paused. “Miss Gabby won’t be here, will she, Daddy?”
“No, Miss Gabby has to stay in Houston, but we’re going to find you another school in Driftwood Bay. You’re going to make a lot of new friends and have a wonderful time. The best thing is that we live close to the beach now.”
“I like the beach. I like making a sand castle. And a …” Her brow furrowed. “What’s the water thing called?”
“A moat,” he supplied.
“A moat,” Lily echoed, nodding her head. “Do I have to get in the water?”
“Only if you want to, baby.”
She sighed dramatically, and Carson looked in his rearview mirror, seeing she was put out with him.
“I’m not a baby, Daddy. Don’t say that. Babies can’t walk or talk. But I liked Baby Alex. I wish we had a baby like Rudy and Juanita. Do you remember when I was a baby?”
“You know I do. Don’t we look at pictures all the time on Daddy’s phone?”
He had hundreds of pictures on his cell of Lily from the time she was born until now. He regularly sat with her and went through those pictures, wanting his daughter to see her mother and what a big part Angie had played in Lily’s life.
“Answer me, Daddy.”
“What?” he asked, distracted.
“Can we get a baby?”
“Where do babies grow?” he prompted.
“In a mommy’s belly. But we don’t have mommy.”
“No, we don’t. So, I guess we won’t be having any babies. At least not now. Maybe someday.”
He made the turn which would lead them into Driftwood Bay as Lily asked, “Can we get a new mommy so I can have a baby brother or sister?”
“We’ll have to think about that,” he told his daughter. “First, Daddy would have to go out on dates. That’s when you go and do something fun with another person, and you see if you like each other. If two people get along and enjoy spending time together, they might even fall in love.”
“Like you and Mommy did,” Lily said eagerly.
“Yes, just like Mommy and me. But I haven’t been on any dates in a long time.”
“Maybe you can go on a date here, Daddy.” She frowned. “Where do we live again?”
“Driftwood Bay,” he told her.
“Driftwood Bay,” Lily repeated, saying it several times. “I’ll remember. I promise.”
“I hope we live in Driftwood Bay for a long, long time.”
They had entered the town, and Carson now played tour guide for his daughter. “There’s the police station. Policemen help people.”
“I see a fire truck!” Lily said excitedly. “Firemen also help people. Miss Gabby’s husband is a fireman.”
He pointed out the library and told her that they would get a library card for her soon. She loved being read to and was crazy about Dr. Seuss and Pete the Cat. Then he drove around the square slowly, pointing out some of the shops and the diner, promising her they would eat there soon.
Turning off the square, he said, “We live this way.”
Carson turned on their street, and Lily asked, “Where is your school, Daddy? Where’s my school?”
“I’ll take you up to my school soon. We have to find a new one for you.”
He turned on what would be their street for the next year and into the driveway. Glancing at the dashboard, he saw it was almost three o’clock.
“I’m tired. I don’t like driving in the car that long.”
“Well, we’re here now,” he said, undoing his seatbelt and climbing from the car.
He opened the back door and unbuckled Lily from her car seat before snapping Binky’s leash onto the dog’s collar. Lily climbed out of the car by herself, and he picked up Binky, easing the beagle to the ground.
Lily raised her arms high and stretched. “I can touch my toes,” she said, leaning down and doing so.
A woman in the next yard was watering her flowers. She waved to him, and Carson returned the greeting. She set the hose aside and walked over to speak to them.
Wiping her hand on her shirt, she offered it to him, saying, “I’m Dotty Williams. You must be Carson and Lily.”
Lily gazed at her with round eyes. “You know my name!”
“I sure do. Dr. and Mrs. Jacobs lived here and told me all about you coming.”
“We’re going to take care of their house. This is Binky.”
“Well, hello, Binky,” Dotty said, leaning down and scratching the beagle between his ears. “It’s nice to have all of you come to Driftwood Bay.” Glancing back to Carson, she asked, “Anything I can do to help?”
“Thanks for offering, Dotty. I just need to bring in some suitcases and boxes now. You wouldn’t happen to know if there’s a teenager on the street that might be willing to help me move in Lily’s furniture? That’s what’s in the small trailer.”
“I’ll bet Keaton would help you.”
Dotty waved, and Carson looked over his shoulder, seeing an SUV pull into the driveway across the street.
“Keaton just moved here last month from Colorado. He’s a painter. Going to open an art gallery soon.”
She motioned the newcomer over, and he crossed the street. He sported a tan which made his azure eyes stand out.
“Welcome to the neighborhood. I’m Keaton Maxwell.”
Carson shook the artist’s hand. “I’m Carson Andrews. This is my daughter Lily and Binky.”
“I’m four,” Lily said. “How old are you?”
Keaton laughed. “I’m thirty-three. Way older than you. I’m also new to Driftwood Bay, same as you. It’s a friendly place.”
“Carson needs some help moving in Lily’s bedroom furniture,” Dotty said. “Pete told me you were bringing Lily’s things.”
“I thought it would be easier for her to settle into a new environment if she were in a familiar bed.”
“You’re a thoughtful father,” Dotty praised. “If you’d like, I can take Lily with me and feed her a snack while you and Keaton move things in. Binky, too.”
“That would be terrific. Lily is all over the place, and it would be hard to keep an eye on her and get everything moved in.”
“Whenever you’re done, just come on over and get them,” Dotty said. She took Binky’s leash from him and held out a hand. Lily took it, and Dotty said, “I have all kinds of things for snacks. Strawberries. Trail mix. Peanut butter crackers.”
“I love peanut butter,” Lily declared as the pair walked off, hand-in-hand.
He turned back to Keaton. “Sorry Dotty roped you into this.”