CHAPTER ONE
Donna Foster closed and locked the door to Parker’s General Store. She paused and swept her glance down the long brick road in front of the store. Couples leisurely wandered the sidewalk and gathered together, talking and laughing. Luckily for her, Moonbeam was a safe little coastal town sitting right on the edge of Moonbeam Bay. Most nights she walked home after closing up Parker’s.
She glanced up at the clear blue sky. Full moon tonight. She couldn’t wait to get home, sit out, and watch the stars come out and the moon rise.
She deserved a small break, didn’t she? She’d worked ten days straight, which wasn’t that unusual. As owner of the store, it wasn’t like she could just walk away and let it run itself. But a day off now and then would be nice.
She smiled and touched the small plaque by the door that proclaimed, established in 1926, like she always did as she left. Whether it was a superstition or just her way of thanking her great-grandparents who opened the store all those years ago, she wasn’t certain. But a quick touch as she closed the shop had become her routine after she took over running the store.
She turned and headed down Magnolia Avenue, anxious to get home.
“Donna, wait up.”
She turned when she heard Evelyn’s voice.
Her sister hurried up to her, dressed in what could only be called country-club casual, or cruise-casual, or something much nicer than Donna’s own work outfit. But then, Evelyn looked just as put together for an evening out on the town as she did for a brief run to the market.
“Hey, Ev,” she greeted her sister.
“Do you want to go get something to eat with me? I was thinking of trying that new place on the wharf, Portside Grill.”
“Is Darren still out of town?”
A flicker of uneasiness passed across Evelyn’s features but was quickly hidden with a bright smile.
“He is.”
“He’s been gone a long time this time, hasn’t he?”
“His business keeps him very busy.” Evelyn didn’t quite answer the question about her husband’s whereabouts.
Torn between her desire to go home and relax and the fact her sister obviously wanted some company, she held back a sigh and nodded. “Sure, dinner sounds great.”
“Perfect.” Evelyn bobbed her head, and her thick hair, carefully curled, bounced around her shoulders without a strand of gray in sight.
Donna knew that if she looked in a mirror right now, there would be clear evidence of gray hair at her temples and her mostly brown hair would be an unruly mess of curls. But then, Evelyn had always been the pretty sister. The popular sister. The one who got the admiring looks, while she got the well-that’s-unfortunate sympathy looks when compared to Evelyn.
Not that any of that mattered. It was what it was. And they were friends. Usually. Mostly. Except when they disagreed with their strong opinions that often went in divergent directions.
“Come on, Ev. Let’s go. I am starving.” They linked arms, headed down the street, and turned the corner to walk out onto the long pier at the wharf, ready to try the newest restaurant in their small town.
* * *
Olivia Foster waved to her cousin, who was threading her way toward her through the packed tables of Jimmy’s, their favorite restaurant on the wharf. The wooden high-top tables with layer upon layer of lacquer polished by years of use provided guests with the best view of the bay out over the long railings.
Although there was some inside seating, hardly anyone ever sat in there except maybe on especially cold days in winter, which were few and far between. And still, even then, Olivia preferred to sit outside. Jimmy’s served up fried food, cold beer, and the best hushpuppies in Florida, if she was any judge of hushpuppies—and she was.
Heather smiled and waved back, then enveloped Olivia in a hug when she got to the table. “Livy, so great to see you. I’ve missed you.”
“Sit down. Tell me all about your trip to Portland. I was going to order you a drink but wasn’t sure if it was a beer night or wine night for you.”
“I’ll have a beer.”
“Me, too.” Olivia caught the server’s attention and motioned for two beers. The server was a regular and knew their favorite beer was a local craft beer.
Heather slipped into the seat across from her and let out a long breath. “Ah, I really do love this place. It always feels like I’m really home when I get here.”
“I thought about checking out the new restaurant, Portside Grill, that just opened on the wharf, but why mess with a good thing?”
“I’ll be here a while. We can check it out some day next week.”
“Sounds good to me. But for now? I’m having a fish taco and a side of hushpuppies.”
“Of course you are.” Heather grinned. “I’m going to have a chef salad.”
“Really? So I can feel guilty?” She gave her cousin a stern look.
Heather laughed. “Okay, fish tacos and hushpuppies for me, too.”
“Much better.” The server came back with their beers and took their orders. Olivia took a sip of the ice-cold beer. “So good.”
Heather took a sip of hers and looked out over the water. “Going to be a brilliant sunset tonight.”
“The skies are just showing off for you. Letting you know what you’ve missed while you were gone.”
“Anything big happen while I was away?”
Olivia grinned. “In Moonbeam? I don’t think so. Does anything big ever happen here?”
“I heard The Cabot Hotel got bought out by some big-time hotel guy and they’re rehabbing it to reopen. I think that’s great. It used to be such a grand place. It had that wide porch wrapping around it with rockers looking over the bay. It’s a shame it was left to ruin.” Heather leaned back and grinned. “Remember when we used to sneak over and get ice cream there? Always felt guilty because we weren’t getting it at Parker’s.”
“I do remember that.” Olivia nodded. “I think I heard it’s been closed for over ten years. Can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m sure there’s a ton of work to get it up to code and back open.”
“Well, I’m glad it’s happening.”
“So what’s new with you?” Contrary to Olivia’s own life, her cousin always seemed to have something new and exciting going on.
“I got a new contract with a card company for my illustrations. This series is kind of beachy themed.” Despite Heather’s modest expression, Olivia knew Heather was proud of her accomplishments. “If that works out, the company will expand to some other items and put my illustrations on coasters, tote bags, wall signs. Things like that. And I have another company interested in all those coffee illustrations.”
“That’s fantastic. I love your work. That last series you did on friendship with all those women of different ages and the different friendships? That was great.”
“I do like to doodle.” Heather shrugged.
Olivia burst out laughing. She loved this cousin of hers, her best friend. As close as someone could get to being a sister without actually being one. “Doodles? That’s what you call your artwork?”
Their conversation was cut short by the delivery of their meals, and Heather deftly changed the subject to her travels while Olivia listened to the tales of adventure. Heather loved to travel, and she claimed she could get her inspiration for her art anywhere. The travel lust had started when Heather was barely old enough to escape Moonbeam and her constant conflicts with her father. Heather had left home right after high school—which was great for Heather, but it had left an empty spot in Olivia’s life.
“So, how’s that daughter of yours, my favorite almost-daughter?” Heather changed the subject from her travels.
“Emily’s doing great. Of course. I mean… I’m not sure what I did to deserve a kid like her. She’s helping mom and me at Parker’s, and she’s taken another job at the history museum.”
“She’s a hard worker.”
“She saves most of it for college. Although, she’s also hoping to get some scholarship money.”
“Wouldn’t be surprised if she does. Isn’t she like first in her class?”
Olivia beamed with pride. “She is. But she works really hard for it.”
“I’m proud of her, too. Can’t wait to see her.”
“She’s working at Parker’s tomorrow. You should stop in.”
“I think I will.” Heather yawned. “But for now, I’m sorry. I’m beat. I just dropped my suitcase at my apartment and rushed over here. I should go unpack, throw some laundry in the washer, and check my mail. Get back to real life.”
Olivia stood. “Sure. We’ll meet up again later this week.”
“Sounds good to me.”
They headed out of Jimmy’s and strolled down the long pier lined with shops on each side. White twinkle lights strung along the shop fronts made the whole walkway look magical. A lone singer sat with his guitar, singing a ballad at one of the outside cafes.
Olivia looked down the long pier and laughed. “Look who’s here. Like mothers, like daughters, I guess.”
Heather glanced down the pier. “Ah…” A rueful look crossed her face. “This won’t go well…”
Olivia waved and caught their attention. Her mother and Aunt Evelyn walked up to them, and a careful, neutral expression settled on Heather’s face as she hugged her mother. Family dynamics were always difficult in her cousin’s family…
“I didn’t know you were back in town, Heather.” Aunt Evelyn frowned, an accusing tone in her voice. “Donna, did you know she was back? You didn’t tell me.”
“Just got here, Mom. Like minutes ago,” Heather assured her.
“What are you two doing here?” Olivia asked as she hugged her mom.
“We went to the new restaurant,” her mother said.
“How was it?”
“It was really nice. We enjoyed it.” Aunt Evelyn’s eyes still held a bit of a reproachful look for Heather. “I supposed you two were at Jimmy’s?”
“But of course.” Olivia nodded. “Got to welcome Heather back home in style.” Maybe if she just prattled a bit, Aunt Evelyn would quit frowning.
“Do you two want to get a drink with us? We were going to sit out here and listen to the music and enjoy a glass of wine.” Her mother offered up an invitation, either oblivious to the undercurrent between Heather and Aunt Evelyn, or, more likely, ignoring it.
“I’m pretty beat.” Heather shook her head.
“I’ve had a long day, too.” Olivia chimed in. “I think I’m just going to head home.”
“Okay, well, we should all get together while Heather’s back in town,” her mother insisted. “I’ll set something up.”
“That would be great,” Heather said unconvincingly. “Come on, Livy, I’ll walk part way home with you.”
They turned and strolled the rest of the way down the pier. Olivia wanted to broach the subject of Heather and her mother, but really, what was there to say? They’d never been that close. Aunt Evelyn was kind of a walled-off, self-protecting person. Her aunt had been that way for almost as long as she could remember.
She’d been the lucky cousin with her own mother, and she thanked her lucky stars every day.
“We could sneak a drink out on the lanai at my house.” Olivia tapped Heather’s arm. “They’d never find out. Or are you too tired?”
“You know, I’d like that. I love your view. You’re lucky to live on the waterway system.” A small smile lit Heather’s face. “And real life is over-rated. It can wait.”
“I am lucky. I love that it faces the sunsets and that Emily and I both have our own rooms. It is nice. But you have a view of the bay from your balcony.”
“Somehow a one-bedroom condo in a four-floor complex doesn’t really feel like a home like your place does.” Heather shrugged. “But it works for the small amount of time I’m in town. I just need someplace to call mine and have my mail sent to.”
They entered her home, and she grabbed a bottle of Pinot Grigio from the fridge. They headed to a pair of Adirondack chairs out on the lanai. The whole patio area was screened in—she was forever grateful for its defense against mosquitos and no-see-ums that plagued the area during the spring and summer months, especially when heavy rains and high tides would stir up the mosquitos in the mangroves lining much of the waterways.
She lived where two waterways converged, and one flowed on out to the harbor. Many of her neighbors had huge boats sitting at docks by their homes. She and Emily had an old fifteen-foot fishing boat that she constantly had to encourage to run. But she did like puttering around the canals. They often took it over to her mother’s house nearby, too. It was closer by water than driving, like so much in Moonbeam’s twisted canal system.
They settled into the chairs and Heather kicked off her shoes. “So, do you know if my dad is in town or not?”
“I haven’t seen him for months. Not that he comes into Parker’s much anyway. Mom hasn’t said anything about him.”
Heather sighed. “I’m hoping he’s out of town the whole time I’m here.”
“How long do you plan on staying this time?” Olivia crossed her fingers that her cousin was planning a nice, long visit.
“I’m not sure. A month or so, maybe.”
Olivia would take that. It was longer than she usually got with her. She raised her glass. “To a nice long visit.”
Heather nodded, touched glasses, and they both took a sip of the delicious wine. And somehow, things seemed right in the world, sitting here with Heather just like they’d done so many nights before.
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