Chapter 7 June
JUNE
The drive to Sandpiper Shores had been longer than June remembered, even with Carmen taking frequent breaks to check on her. By the time they pulled into Willa’s driveway on Sandpiper Lane, June’s head was pounding, and exhaustion weighed on her shoulders like a heavy blanket.
But the sight of her daughter’s house always lifted her spirits.
The six-bedroom beachfront home was everything June had dreamed of when she’d helped Willa and Shaun choose it twelve years ago.
White clapboard siding weathered to a soft gray by salt air, wraparound porches that caught the ocean breeze, and windows that seemed to glow with warmth from within.
The small apartment attached to the main house had been Shaun’s idea, a place for visiting family or rental income during the busy summer months.
Now, as June sat in the passenger seat looking at the home her daughter had made for her family, a wave of melancholy washed over her.
In just a few weeks, it would be ten years since Shaun had left them.
Ten years since Willa had become a widow at twenty-six, left to raise three children and carry on his legacy at the fire station.
The sadness was interrupted by the front door bursting open and three familiar figures rushing down the porch steps toward the car. June’s heart lifted as her grandchildren surrounded the vehicle, all talking at once in their excitement.
“Grammy! Grammy, you’re here!” Becky bounced on her toes, her dark hair flying around her face as she tried to get closer to the car window.
“Careful, Becky,” Grace warned, opening the passenger door and offering June her arm for support. At sixteen, Grace had inherited her mother’s sense of responsibility along with her auburn hair and determined chin. “Remember Grammy’s still recovering from her accident.”
“I’m fine, sweetheart,” June said, though she was grateful for Grace’s steady hand as she climbed out of the car. “Just a little tired from the drive.”
Andy appeared at her other side, vibrating with teenage energy. “Grammy, wait until you see my new drone! It has a camera and everything, and I’ve been taking pictures of the whole town from the air. Mom says I can show you later if you’re feeling up to it.”
“And I found three baby birds that fell out of their nest,” Becky added, not to be outdone. “I’ve been taking care of them in a box on the porch. Do you want to see them? They’re getting their feathers now and they’re so cute—”
“Where’s your mother?” June interrupted gently, looking around for Willa.
“She took Tyler to see his great-grandmother,” Andy explained, his face lighting up at the mention of his new friend. “Tyler’s dad had to go to Miami because his grandfather is really sick in the hospital. Tyler was pretty worried about it.”
Tyler. June filed the name away, though something about it nagged at her. “I’d like to hear all about your new friend,” she said.
“Oh, you will,” Andy grinned. “Tyler’s really cool. He knows everything about computers and baseball, and he’s teaching me how to code. His dad’s a detective, and Tyler says he might want to be one too when he grows up.”
Carmen emerged from the driver’s side, immediately swept up in hugs from the children who adored their great-aunt. While they helped carry luggage from the car, all four talking at once, June allowed herself to be escorted up the porch steps and into the familiar warmth of Willa’s home.
The interior was exactly as June remembered it, but somehow more so.
Beach glass and driftwood sculptures that Willa had collected over the years, family photos covering every available surface, and the comfortable furniture that invited you to put your feet up and stay awhile.
The house felt lived-in and loved, filled with the organized chaos that came with three active children.
“Grammy, would you like some tea?” Grace asked as they settled June in the living room’s most comfortable chair. “I was just about to make some when you arrived.”
Before June could answer, she heard Willa’s voice calling from the kitchen, followed by rapid footsteps. A moment later, her daughter appeared in the doorway, and June felt her heart swell with the familiar mix of pride and protectiveness that Willa always inspired.
At thirty-six, Willa had grown into the kind of woman who commanded respect without demanding it.
Her auburn hair was pulled back in a practical ponytail, and she wore the casual clothes of someone who’d spent the day managing both her job and her children.
But it was her eyes that caught June’s attention.
They were tired but bright with genuine happiness at seeing her mother.
“Mom,” Willa said, crossing the room to envelop June in a careful hug. “How was the drive? How are you feeling? You look tired.”
“I’m fine,” June insisted, though she leaned into her daughter’s embrace longer than usual. “Just happy to be here with all of you.”
“I was just offering to make tea,” Grace said as Carmen entered the room and greeted Willa with her own warm hug.
“Actually,” Willa said, stepping back to study June’s face, “if you’re feeling up to it, I thought we might go to Teacups for a late lunch. Margo’s been asking about you since she heard you were coming to stay, and I know she’d love to see you again.”
June’s first instinct was to decline, to ask for her bed and several hours of sleep to recover from the journey. But looking around at her family’s expectant faces, she realized how much she’d missed being part of their daily life instead of just visiting for holidays and special occasions.
“That sounds lovely,” she said, mustering a smile. “Just let me freshen up first.”
Twenty minutes later, they walked the six blocks to downtown Sandpiper Shores.
Grace and Becky decided to stay home, but Andy came with them.
The walk was actually lovely. June found it was just what she needed after being trapped in a car for hours.
The town was charming without being precious, busy with summer tourists but not overwhelmed by them.
Teacups Coffee Shop and Bakery occupied its familiar corner location, the cheerful yellow building with hand-painted signs that made it look like something from a storybook.
The wraparound porch was crowded with locals and visitors enjoying the afternoon sunshine, and June could see why Willa loved this place so much.
“June!” called out Mrs. Patterson from her corner table, her ancient poodle napping at her feet. “How wonderful to see you again, dear. How are you feeling after that terrible accident?”
“Much better, thank you,” June replied, touched by the elderly woman’s concern. This was what she loved about Sandpiper Shores. The sense of community that wrapped around you like a warm blanket.
Similar greetings came from other familiar faces as they made their way to a large table near the windows.
Dr. Lucy Tanner waved from the counter where she was picking up coffee before her afternoon rounds.
Small towns had their advantages and made you feel noticed.
Not like living in Miami, where only a few people knew you, and they were scattered across the city.
“Let’s get that table,” Willa said, steering them toward a spot with a view of both the harbor and the town square.
June, Willa, Andy, and Carmen had barely settled into their chairs when a young woman in an EMT uniform approached their table.
“Captain Grant? It’s so good to see you again.
I’m so sorry to interrupt, but I was just about to text you for advice on some protocol changes we’re considering. If you have a minute?”
“Of course, Lieutenant Hadley,” Carmen said, standing immediately. The professional mask slipped over her face, the same expression June had seen countless times when Carmen’s expertise was needed. “I’d be happy to help.”
Carmen looked apologetically at June. “Would you mind ordering me one of Margo’s delicious croissants? I’ll just be a few minutes.”
“Of course,” June said, waving her away. “Take your time.”
As Carmen walked off with the younger EMT, June shook her head in amusement. “And she lectures me about never turning off work,” she muttered.
Willa laughed, settling into her chair with a cup of coffee that Margo had somehow produced without being asked. “I think both of you need to learn how to actually take a proper vacation. When was the last time either of you went somewhere without bringing work along?”
“That’s what this is supposed to be,” June pointed out. “Though I have a feeling your aunt will find ways to consult on EMS protocols even from here.”
They were enjoying their sandwiches and catching up on local news when the coffee shop door opened to admit a tall, elegant woman with silver hair and a young boy who looked to be about Andy’s age.
June’s attention was caught first by the woman’s bearing.
The kind of natural grace that came from good breeding and confidence rather than effort.
Then the woman’s eyes found June across the crowded café, and they lit up with recognition and genuine pleasure.
“June!” the woman called out, her voice carrying easily over the conversation around them.
June felt her stomach drop to her feet. Of all the people to run into on her first day in town, it had to be Mina.
Of course it did. She was part of the Strand family, one of Sandpiper Shores’ founding families, and Mina’s brother Abe had been the longtime mayor before his death last year.
June had known she might eventually encounter Mina, because Sandpiper Shores wasn’t that big a town, but in the past twelve years, June had managed to avoid seeing her during her visits to Willa.
While she’d always held her breath and thought she was mentally prepared for the encounter, being weakened from a head wound and a recent accident seemed to shred all June’s resolve.