Marie stood in the hallway of her cottage, listening. Louise had been here for two days and they couldn’t keep Julie’s plans from her any longer. It was inevitable that it would come out somehow. Which it had, when Ike, Corey, and Ron met Louise and the first thing out of Ike’s mouth was “We sure hope Julie decides to stay.”
Ron’s kick came too late for any of them to salvage the situation, though God knew they had tried.
Marie had insisted Lucky stay out of it. There was no way he wasn’t going to get in trouble with either his sister or his niece. Now Julie was out helping with the community camp’s swim hour, and Louise and Lucky were in her kitchen. Marie was prepared for whatever would come, but she had no intentions of becoming a party to it.
It wasn’t that she was a coward; she just thought that what Lucky and Louise had to say to each other should be private. Besides, Julie might need her support later no matter what decision she made.
Lucky still hadn’t moved back to his own cottage, and Marie had wondered momentarily if that was any kind of sign. She doubted it, but she was glad that he was still here for the inevitable showdown between Julie and her mother.
Marie had tried not to influence Julie either way, not even as Madame Marzetta, when she’d encouraged her to leave; but that had been to get her out of harm’s way.
Now that Raymond was behind bars awaiting trial, and Ana and her children were about to be reunited as soon as she was able to leave the hospital, there was no danger to worry about . . . until the next thing happened.
She wouldn’t interfere, just let Julie make her decision and then support her either way.
She leaned closer to the door. The voices had grown quieter, the calm before the storm. Or at least that was Lucky’s way. She imagined Louise could hold her own.
“There’s nothing wrong with her taking a year off. And if she finds something she likes better—”
“Like what? Running a bar?”
Marie leaned up against the wall. If Louise thought running a bar was bad . . . She willed Lucky not to mention the other things he did.
“I’m sorry, Lucky, but she has a good job, one with benefits and job security.”
“And one that might not be the right one for her. But it’s up to her, not us.”
“I don’t want her to have to live the way we did. It was hard.”
“It was hard, sis, only because you wouldn’t accept help.”
Total silence. There went the calm, thought Marie, and braced herself.
“You think I should have gone on welfare after my husband died?”
“I think you could have accepted more than condolences from your friends. Let your neighbors watch Julie a few afternoons until you got your life together.”
“I did get my life together,” Louise said, her voice rising.
“You did. And did a damn good job of it. But you lost your joy, Lou. It was all hard work, even after I came to help out—because you asked me to—”
Marie closed her eyes. It was all going to come out. Be kind. Be kind. Be kind.
“—but you didn’t want me to help. I didn’t realize it right away. I thought you needed to be able to lean a little on your brother for a bit and I was more than willing, but you didn’t.”
“You had your own life.”
“I did. I still do, but you and Julie are a part of that life. But I couldn’t be what you really needed me to be, the little brother that you’d always taken care of. I didn’t need taking care of. I wasn’t just some bum roaming aimlessly from one beach to another.” He laughed. “At least most of the time. I made a good living at surfing. I’ve made a better living since.”
“Running a bar? Really, Lucky.”
“Owning a bar on a beautiful beach is pretty lucrative. Plus, I’m paid very well for reconnecting families who come to me for help.”
“But it’s dangerous, and I don’t want Julie involved.”
Do not engage, Marie telegraphed mentally. Not that she had any illusions about being successful.
“Sometimes it is dangerous, but usually it’s just a question of finding them and persuading them to go home, convincing people to forgive. This latest one was highly unusual.”
“Promise me you won’t do anything like this again.”
Marie would love to add her plea to Louise’s. She’d had enough danger and adventure for one lifetime, maybe two. But she would never turn her back on Lucky or anyone else who came to them for help.
“I can’t. But who’s to say Julie is even planning to stay here or even keep in contact with me? She only came here because you . . .”
Don’t push your luck, thought Marie.
“You were worried about me.”
Marie let out her breath.
“But what will she do? How will she survive?”
“Oh, Lou, just like you did. By being the incredible woman you are and she is.”
“Come on, Julie, the bus will be here in a few minutes and I promised Les we would be there to meet it.”
Julie looked up from her beach chair. “What? I must have dozed off.”
She didn’t want to get out of her chair. She was exhausted with indecision. Her mother had been here for two whole days; she was leaving with Kayla and Aggie the next day, since Julie “wanted to spend some time with Lucky and Marie.”
And that part was true.
Still, Julie felt like time was running out to make her big decision. She wanted her mother to know before she left.
Sure, she could wait, take a few more weeks before handing in her resignation, leaving the school in the lurch and scrambling to find her replacement. But she wouldn’t do that to them. It wasn’t their fault that she hadn’t worked out. They were pleased with her work.
She wasn’t. She’d rewritten her resignation and printed it out on the hotel’s printer. It was sitting in her hotel room, still waiting to be mailed.
But was she strong enough to do this on her own? Call her a wuss, but she needed her posse around her or she was afraid she might give in to her mother’s fears—and hers.
Time was running out, and she still couldn’t get herself to pull the trigger. A terrible metaphor, considering their close call with Joseph Raymond.
What was she going to do?
“Yo, Julie.”
“Right.” She got up, looked over to the private beach. Still no sign of people. Then she saw two little faces on the deck. And Rosie standing next to them.
“I’ll be right there,” she told the others, and walked across the beach to say hello. “Morning,” she said. “We’re going to help out with the camp’s beach time. Do you think it’s too soon for Cecilia and Pablo to come?”
Rosie bit her lip.
Julie understood. “You can come with them. They can just play in the sand if they’re afraid of the water. They might meet some friends.” Then she stopped herself. “There’s no reason for them to hide anymore, is there?”
Rosie shook her head. Held up a finger, then bent down to talk to the children. “I will bring them. We will see.”
“Great, we’re looking forward to it.” Julie waved and trotted off across the sand just as the bus arrived.
The first person off the bus was Dee Hoyes.
There were eighteen children today, all in various degrees of excitement, from ready to float off on a wave to clinging to Les’s leg as he walked them toward the water.
Dee saw Julie and came over. “Usually Geraldo comes, but I wanted to have a beach day, too. And really I was hoping Alex would at least get down to say hello.”
Julie smiled.
“Because,” Dee continued, “I have his other half here at last.”
“His other half?” Julie said, astonished.
“Yes, his abuela finally agreed to let him come, though I’m afraid he’s even less enthusiastic than she was. Ven aca, Alberto.”
A small boy standing near the bus, head bent, eyes down, came slowly toward her.
“Do you remember Ms. Julie? She’s Dos Al’s friend.”
“Ah,” said Julie. “Dos Als. He hurt his hand,” she attempted in Spanish. “Did I say that correctly?”
“Close enough,” Dee said, and explained to Alberto that Alex had fallen down and hurt his hand. And that he couldn’t come today. “And then again, he just made me a liar.”
Scatter was walking across the beach with Rosie and the two kids in tow.
The rest of the adults organized the other kids and led them off to various activities.
Julie, Dee, and Alberto waited for Scatter to reach them. He knelt down and went through some goofy handshake with his good hand. Alberto at first didn’t appear very enthusiastic. But by the third try he laughed, and little Pablo, who had been holding Rosie’s hand, came over to try it himself.
Scatter left the two boys trying to accomplish the handshake with each other.
“How are you?” Dee and Julie asked simultaneously.
“Fine,” Scatter said. “Do you have enough people in the water?”
“Trying to get rid of me?” Julie asked, only half kidding. “Anybody for the water?”
She didn’t get any volunteers from Alberto, Pablo, or Cecilia, so feeling slightly disappointed, she waded into the waves by herself.
Julie made herself not look toward Dee and Scatter; she still wasn’t sure of what their relationship was, and it didn’t matter, she chided herself. She had more important issues to deal with than a beach fling.
Soon she was totally involved in beach ball volleyball in ankle-deep surf. When she did look over, Scatter and Dee were still standing together with Alberto silently sitting in the sand between them. Rosie was standing at the edge of the water, holding on to Pablo and Cecilia in a death grip.
Julie waded over. “Want me to take one?”
“No. They do not swim.”
“Maybe they would like to play.” Julie rummaged in the cart for three sets of beach pails and shovels. She brought them close to the water, just where the sand was wet enough to make a castle.
Rosie brought the children and stood feet braced in the sand, arms crossed like a guardian figure, while Julie showed them how to pack the sand. The first efforts were pretty unrecognizable, but Cecilia and Pablo didn’t seem to care.
Soon Julie became aware of Alberto watching the proceedings with a keen eye. She smiled and motioned him over.
He shook his head.
She nodded hers.
Scatter gave him a nudge with his toe. He reluctantly walked over to where Julie was overseeing the growing mound of sand. She handed him a shovel; he looked at Pablo, then Cecilia, wary as if they might snatch it away.
“It’s fun,” Julie said, and kept an eagle eye out for any sign of trouble.
Which was ridiculous, she told herself, they couldn’t be more than five or six. And yet bands of the same-age children roamed the streets of Central and South America, she knew. Probably even in the States. Scatter had been a pro at twelve.
Julie had always made sand castles imagining the prince and princess inside. She wondered what these children were imagining as they shoveled and patted and the pile of sand grew. Were they thinking of home far away or of mountains—or was it just a pile of sand to while away some time in the sun?
She took a shovel and began digging a moat around the lopsided castle, then took a pail and poured water into the moat.
“Safe now,” she said. The water would protect those inside. “Salvo ahora.”
When it was time to leave, Alberto waved goodbye and got on the bus with the others. Dee counted heads and started to get on, but ran back at the last minute. “Julie, if you’re still here tomorrow, get Alex to bring you to my engagement party. I want you to meet my fiancé, John.”
Julie smiled. “Thank you. I’d love to come.”
The bus drove away.
“Got time for a glass of cabernet?” Scatter said.
“Yes, but not right now. There’s something I have to do. I really am a teacher after all.”
“Oh.” Scatter watched the bus drive out of the parking lot. “Well . . . it’s good you figured things out. See you later. Rosie! Leave those pails for someone else to pick up. Let’s get these kids back home.”
Alex reluctantly walked over the dunes path to Marie’s cottage. He was not happy about the phone call. Julie had just said to meet her at Marie’s cottage. He didn’t hold out hope that she was going to stay. Her words to him when she’d left the beach pretty much said it all.
Well, of course she was a teacher. She’d always trained to be a teacher. Was good at it, had the rest of her life planned. What did he expect? That she’d see him, reconnect with Lucky, and live happily ever after at Lucky’s Beach?
He hadn’t expected that. He wouldn’t even want that. But she had so much more to give. He mentally kicked himself. What was he talking about? She was a teacher; she gave every day of her life. It’s the way it should be.
Unfortunately it made him feel like shit.
Dougie was sitting at the door looking depressed. Julie was right. He was probably uncomfortable in the heat with all that fur. If she had decided to stay he would have told her to take him to the groomers or whatever. Maybe he could get Rosie to give him a bath. That would help.
“What’s up, Doug? Did they throw you outside?”
Dougie didn’t even give him a welcoming thump of his tail. They both probably wore the same hangdog expression.
“Yeah, me, too,” Alex said, and knocked on the door.
He walked in to find Louise and Lucky standing in the middle of the kitchen, scowling at each other across the table. Marie was seated and staring at a teapot as if she were conjuring spirits.
Dougie shuffled past him, sniffed at Lucky, looked at Louise, and kept going through the kitchen and into the front room.
Great, even Dougie knew when to cut his losses.
“Have a seat, Scatter,” Marie said. “Would you like tea or maybe a beer?”
“No thanks.” Alex sat down at the table, looked around at the three of them. “Julie called and told me to meet her here. She’s not here yet?”
“No, not yet,” said Marie, who seemed to be the only one who had a voice.
They heard Dougie’s bark before they heard the front door open and close. Marie smiled at the others and left the room. She returned in less time than it took to turn around, being pushed back into the room by Dougie and Julie, looking somber.
Alex’s stomach plummeted. It was the pills, he told himself. He would stop taking them as soon as she left; his pain would keep his mind off Julie. He’d welcome a little wrist pain, in comparison to the way he felt at this moment.
Julie was carrying a stack of papers and she put it down on the table. “Is that tea? Could I have a cup?”
“Sure.” Marie went to the cupboard, brought down a mug.
“Are those your school papers?” Louise asked.
“Yes,” said Julie.
“So you decided to go back and take your summer course as planned,” Louise said, her face brightening.
“No, Mom, I just sent in my resignation. This is just some paperwork that I needed to fax over to them.”
“Oh, Julie.” Louise gathered up the papers as if maybe she could put the genie back in the bottle.
But it was too late.
Alex was almost afraid to breathe.
“I’ve turned in my resignation and I’m going to stay here.”
She’s staying here. Alex thought he’d heard it but he wasn’t sure. He stared at her, willing her to look at him, but she kept focused on Louise.
“I’m sorry, Mom, I know you’re disappointed. But I can’t live the life you envisioned for me. I thought I could, but I can’t. I’m still going to be a teacher, but I want to help those who really need me. Somewhere where I can make a difference. My kind of difference.”
Lucky squeezed Louise’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Lou. I’ll take care of her for a change.”
“You don’t have to,” Julie said. “I can look after myself; I always could. You guys gave me the tools to do that, now it’s my turn to take care of myself.”
Now she looked at Alex.
Well, finally.
“But what will you do?” Louise pressed.
“I have some money saved. I’m going to finish out the summer helping Dee Hoyes over at the county camp, and I’ll look around for something more permanent for the fall.”
Louise groaned and sank into a chair.
“It’s going to be fine, Mom.”
It at least will be okay, Alex thought. Who knew where things might go.
“I’ll just put on water for more tea,” Marie said, and moved to the stove.
“I think, Marie,” Louise said, “I may need something a little stronger.”
The next day, Aggie and Kayla departed for home, taking Louise with them and leaving Julie behind.
“I’m sorry I have to leave,” Louise said, taking Julie by the shoulders. “I only had two weeks off. I shouldn’t have frittered away two days in Bermuda.”
“But you had a good time,” Julie reminded her.
“I did, but I should have . . .”
“Mom, I think it’s great. I’ll call you tonight to make sure you got home okay.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Louise climbed into the back seat where she’d insisted on sitting.
Kayla closed the trunk. “Thanks for helping us pack. I thought it would be a breeze without your stuff, but Louise . . . What do you think she has in all those suitcases?”
“Not a clue. I’m guessing clean uniforms?”
Aggie teared up. “We’re going to miss you.”
“I’ll be back in a week or two for a few days to get some more clothes and deal with the moving and stuff. I’ll let you know when. You can help me pack,” Julie said brightly, then her lip quivered.
Aggie’s tears spilled over, but Julie thought they were as much because of leaving Les as they were for leaving Julie.
“We’re only a few hours away,” Julie reminded them. “We can visit.”
“It won’t be the same,” Kayla said, “but I’m glad for you. Besides, the kids are already planning a vacation here since we’ll have a place to stay.”
“You know you do,” Julie told her, and gave her a hug. “I’m definitely going to get a place that has room for everybody.” She turned to Aggie and hugged her. “You okay?”
Aggie nodded as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Like you said, we’re really close.” Her mouth twisted. “I knew it would be this way. Les won’t leave his job, and I won’t leave mine. I guess it was just another summer fling. But I’ll still come to visit you.”
“And who knows?” Kayla said, pushing her friend into the front seat. “Stranger things have happened, right, Jules?”
“Right.” Stranger things had happened. Julie was headed toward an un-thought-out future. You couldn’t get much stranger than that. Actually, that wasn’t exactly true. There was the summer camp, the swimming lessons. She still planned to get her master’s. And Dee had already promised to put her in contact with several of the schools where she had subbed during the school year.
Then there was Lucky and Marie and Scatter.
And yeah, she pretty much decided to go where Julie had never gone before. And go there without a plan.
She blew her mom a kiss, silently thanking the cosmos that she wasn’t riding back with them, and watched until the SUV crossed the bridge and drove out of sight. Then she looked at her phone.
As always, they had been late leaving, and she’d be late if she didn’t hurry. She sprinted across the parking lot and into the bar. “Can I borrow the Jeep?”
Alex looked up from where he was helping Lucky dry beer steins with one hand and having little success from the looks of things. He tossed her the keys with his good hand.
“Thanks.” She headed to the door.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
“Out to the camp,” she called back. “I have ants to count.”