CHAPTER 22
Sailor ran her hand lightly over the cover of her Upper Room, admiring the illustration. She pictured her mom reading the little devotional every morning, a habit she’d passed on to her daughters simply by her example . . . and because she’d given them each a gift subscription every Christmas. She tucked the little magazine into her Bible and set it on the table next to her chair. She’d fallen a week behind because she’d inadvertently packed her Bible and the little magazine in the bottom of the box of linens and just found them this morning. She always felt as if she raced through the readings, instead of savoring them, when she was trying to catch up. She sipped her coffee, looked up at the puffy, white clouds floating in the summer blue sky, and smiled. “I know I’m usually full of complaints, Lord,” she said, “but I can’t thank You enough for bringing me to this place.”
She looked around at the gardens. She’d spent all of yesterday weeding, pruning, adding topsoil—a luxury for plants on sandy Cape Cod—and mulching. While she’d been up close and personal with all the greenery, she’d discovered a wide variety of old-fashioned perennials: echinacea, bee balm, black-eyed Susans, peonies, irises, lilacs, several varieties of lilies, and of course, an abundance of hydrangeas! Near the back steps she’d also discovered a small garden with a cluster of chives coming up, and around it, small wooden signs telling her that there would be thyme, oregano, cilantro, tarragon, rosemary, and lemon balm, too. But she knew if she wanted basil and cilantro, too—both annuals—she’d have to buy new plants.
She leaned back in her chair and watched the birds flutter back and forth to the new feeder. It hadn’t taken them long to find it and they seemed to love their new little sanctuary. She watched a pair of grosbeaks land and sit there peacefully, having breakfast and enjoying each other’s company . . . and suddenly, she felt a twinge of envy. How crazy, she thought, jealous of a pair of birds! But she realized that although she loved her newly found solitude, she missed the easy companionship of someone she loved. It had been so long since she’d had that kind of relationship with Frank—their lives were so hectic and conflicted that she hadn’t even noticed what was missing. But now, out here, away from all the madness, and with room to breathe, she decided it would be really nice to wake up next to someone and laze around together, sipping an early morning cup of coffee and reading the paper.
She took a sip of her coffee now and wondered if Josiah might be that person. After she’d met him for coffee the other day—he hadn’t been the least put off by her disheveled appearance—he’d invited her to dinner, and the following Wednesday, they’d gone to the Ocean House in Dennis Port. They’d sat at the beach bar, eaten lobster rolls, and drunk Whale’s Tail . . . and it was just so amazing and . . . easy. And since he’d been on his way back from Boston, she’d met him there, but afterward, he’d walked her to her car, and like a true gentleman, kissed her . . . on her hand! Couldn’t he tell that she was ready for a long, full kiss on the lips? Or was he respecting the fact that they were both still married? She wouldn’t be certain that Josiah had true potential until she kissed him on the lips. So far, he had everything else going for him—he was handsome, well dressed, and almost divorced, but his kiss would definitely be a determining factor. Oh well, he’d get another chance this weekend because they were going to Provincetown.
She finished her coffee, carried her Bible inside, and set it on the table. She refilled her mug, grabbed her laptop, and went back outside. The phone company had finally hooked up her Internet and she had a lot of catching up to do. She’d been “off the grid” for over a week, and if she hadn’t been so busy working in the gardens and getting settled, she would’ve probably gone through withdrawal! She sat down, opened her laptop, and checked her mail—she had three hundred thirty-two new messages! Yikes! She quickly scanned the list—nothing urgent; checked the news—always a mistake; and then clicked on her Facebook page and realized she had two friends whose birthdays were that day—one was an old classmate from RISD . . . and the other was Birdie (Quinn) Snow! Oh my goodness, she’d almost forgotten Birdie’s birthday! Good thing they were both on FB or there would’ve been hell to pay! She sent her friend and Birdie quick birthday wishes and told Birdie she’d see her at Remy’s later. Then she closed her laptop and hurried inside to take a shower.