Seaview Inn

“We traveled all the time,” her mother protested.

“Only if you had to go somewhere for work. I hated those trips. When I was little, you’d leave me shut up in the hotel with some babysitter. When I was older you let me go sightseeing, but it was no fun doing that all alone while you were working.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“It was exactly like that,” Kelsey insisted. “Sure, we went to all sorts of exciting cities, but you never had any fun and I was always lonely.”

Her mother looked crestfallen. “I’m sorry. I never realized you felt that way. I always thought how amazing it was that you were getting to travel to places I’d never even dreamed of when I was your age.”

Kelsey felt guilty about ruining her mom’s memories of those trips. “It wasn’t all bad,” she told her. “Room service could be pretty awesome. It certainly spoiled me for staying in your basic motel.”

Her mom groaned. “Make me feel even worse, why don’t you.”

“Mom, I didn’t say any of that to make you feel bad. I was just trying to make a point about you being as much of a workaholic as your mother and Grandma Jenny. I think you have more in common with them than you realize.”

“I don’t think so. We always argued about everything. You don’t know what it was like.”

Kelsey chuckled. “Really? Come on, Mom. Think about it. You and I have our moments. It comes with the territory. It wasn’t until the past couple of years, when we’ve had some space between us, that we stopped arguing and started treating each other like actual people, instead of mother and daughter. You just moved away from here so I don’t think that ever happened between you and your mom. She was actually pretty amazing.”

“Well, I know that,” her mother responded, that defensive note creeping back into her voice.

“Do you really? Did you know she was on her college swim team? Did you know that she was the first woman president of the Chamber of Commerce here?” Kelsey saw the flush in her mother’s cheeks. “You didn’t, did you?”

“No. How do you know that?”

“Because we talked, just like you and I are doing now. Every day I was here, we would walk on the beach and she’d tell me stories about this place and her life. And at night, on the porch, Grandma Jenny would tell me things about her past, too.”

“Such as?”

“She won a prize once for doing the tango in a dance competition.”

“Grandma Jenny? You have to be kidding.”

Kelsey chuckled at her stunned reaction. “Not kidding. It’s true. She and Great-Grandpa could really dance. He sang, too.”

“In the church choir,” her mother said slowly. “I remember hearing him when I was little.”

“Not just in the choir. With a band. They played all over Florida. She showed me pictures.”

Her mother turned to her with a bewildered expression. “How did I miss all this?”

Kelsey shrugged. “Maybe you never asked or never listened.”

“Probably not.”

“Let’s never be like that, Mom, okay?”

“Never again,” Hannah said pointedly.

“I love you,” Kelsey said impulsively, giving her a fierce hug.

“Love you more.”

“Thanks for letting me come here. I know you’d be happier if I were in school, but I need this time to think and I needed to do that here. Not even in New York, but right here with you and Grandma Jenny.”

Maybe on Seaview Key she could start to understand who she really was and where she came from in a way that would be impossible anywhere else. Maybe she could figure out what family was supposed to be, so the thought of creating one of her own wouldn’t be so absolutely terrifying.

Chapter 6

Luke managed to avoid Hannah for most of the day. First, he’d gone to the mainland with Grandma Jenny to exchange the paint she and Hannah had bought. When they got home late in the afternoon, he made an excuse about needing some time to himself and walked into town.

Seaview’s official downtown, which was a few blocks farther away from the inn than the mom-and-pop grocery store he’d walked to the night before, had grown over the years, but it still wasn’t much. There were two or three new restaurants, maybe half a dozen clothing boutiques and gift and antiques stores, and a couple of places that called themselves art galleries. He was no expert, but the works on display seemed more like some of the crafts his kids brought home from school than high-end art. Still, it made him smile to see that Seaview had gone upscale. In the old days, those spaces had sold bait and tackle and cheap T-shirts.

Though he’d had no particular destination in mind when he’d left the inn, he found himself in front of The Fish Tale, an unpretentious place that used to offer the best grouper sandwiches he’d ever tasted, along with ice-cold beer. The memory of that particular combination drew him inside.

He aimed straight for the bar and was stunned when he recognized the man behind it. Jackson Ferguson—Jack to his friends—had opened the place thirty years ago. Luke could remember the occasion as if it had been yesterday. As rustic as it was, it was the first real restaurant, besides the local diner and a couple of hot dog and hamburger stands, that catered to beachgoers. There’d been one bar that had catered to a rowdier crowd, but for too many years the full-time population of Seaview had been too small to support anything more.

There’d been balloons out front to celebrate The Fish Tale’s opening, a small room with pinball machines off to one side to keep kids entertained, and a determinedly family atmosphere throughout. No one ever got drunk and unruly on Jack’s watch. If anyone had a few too many before Jack caught them and put a stop to it, they were escorted outside and tucked into the island’s only cab for a hasty ride home. If the cab driver—former New York cabbie John Blake—had gone home for the night, the cop on duty would provide the shuttle service.

Right now, Jack was busy at the far end of the bar, so Luke had a minute to study him. He still looked tanned and fit, though his face was more weatherbeaten than Luke remembered. He was filling orders with the alacrity and friendliness of someone who loved talking to people. When he spotted Luke, he blinked and then a grin spread across his face.

“Luke Stevens, I never expected to see you back in Seaview.”

Luke reached across the bar and shook his hand. “I never expected to be here, either. How’s Greta?” he asked, referring to Jack’s beloved wife, who’d worked this place by his side.

Jack’s expression fell. “Lost her last year,” he said gruffly. “Heart attack. Damn near killed me, too, but this place doesn’t run itself, and in the end, it saved me.”

“I’m sorry. How about your kids? Are they still in Seaview?”

Jack pulled a draft and set it in front of Luke without asking if he wanted it. “Bill left right after high school, same as you. He had big dreams. Made good on ’em, too. He’s a lawyer now. He works over in Biloxi. His home got hit hard by Hurricane Katrina, so the family came here for a couple of months, then went back to rebuild.”

“And Lesley Ann?”

“You stick around tonight, you might see her. She’s pregnant with her third baby and about two minutes from her due date, but that hasn’t slowed her down any. She’s over here once a day like clockwork to pester me about working too hard, telling me to hire more help.” He shook his head. “That woman can nag worse than her mama.”

Luke grinned. He’d had one memorable date with Lesley Ann and she’d done the same thing to him, nagged him from start to finish. Apparently some things never changed. “I’d like to meet the man she married,” he said. “He must be very tolerant.”

“That man worships the ground she walks on. He just lets all her talk roll right off his back. Maybe that comes with marrying later in life. They were thirty when they met, eloped two weeks later and never looked back.” He shook his head. “Listen to me going on and on. Did you want something to eat to go with that beer?”

“You still have fried grouper sandwiches and fries?”

“Put us on the map,” Jack said. “Of course we do. You want a table, you’d better get one now. This place’ll be crowded in another half hour or so.”

“I’m good here,” Luke said.

“I’ll put in your order and check in on you from time to time.”

“Thanks, Jack. It’s good to see you.”

The older man started toward the kitchen, then turned back. “You staying at Seaview Inn?”

Luke nodded.

Jack shook his head. “I feel real bad for Jenny. She loves that place, but I don’t see how she’s going to keep up with it now that her Maggie’s gone. I hear Hannah’s here now, but that she’s not staying.”

“That’s my impression,” Luke said.

“It’s a shame when there’s no one left to take over a family business. I’d figured on leaving this place to Bill, but ironically it’s Lesley Ann who’s taken to it. Once she has this baby, she’ll be back here full time, pestering me to modernize this or to experiment with the menu.” He shook his head. “I hope I don’t live to see the day when she refuses to serve fried food. She already carries on about transfats.”

Luke laughed. “I hear you.”

“I’d best get your order in so you can finish it before she turns up. Otherwise, you’ll be in for a lecture on what it’s doing to your arteries.”

Luke didn’t waste time telling him he already knew—probably better than Lesley Ann—the dangers of fried foods. But some food was meant to be cooked that way and he figured he’d survive anything in moderation.

Once he was alone with his cold beer and his thoughts, he tried to make himself focus on the future, but all that came to him was an image of going back to Atlanta to a life nothing like the one he’d left behind. Atlanta was big enough that he and Lisa could probably co-exist and maybe even manage to be civil to each other for the sake of his kids, but going back to his medical practice was out of the question. The man who’d once been his best friend and business partner had moved in on his wife the minute his back was turned. Luke doubted he’d ever be able to see Brad Reilly without wanting to punch his face in. He could hardly practice medicine with him.

Just thinking about Brad with Lisa stirred his temper. He couldn’t decide which of them he hated more. Betrayal, no matter how it happened, was devastating, but his best friend—the man he’d trusted to look out for his family while he was in Iraq—and his wife? He could still recall exactly how he’d felt when Lisa had told him in an e-mail. He could still feel the sense of shock as he read the words, the twisting pain in his gut as they sank in, and then the numbness that had followed.

What kind of woman told a man something like that when he was far from home, facing danger every single minute of every day? What kind of man blindsided a trusted friend by taking advantage of such a situation?

He knew the answer, of course. They were both self-absorbed. He’d known that about Brad since the day they’d met. Of every intern and resident he’d worked with, Brad’s vanity had been legendary. Luke had looked past that and seen that he was a damn fine surgeon. Their partnership had been based on mutual respect of their abilities. Their friendship, apparently, had been built on quicksand.

As for Lisa, on some level he’d probably recognized the same trait in her, though it hadn’t been exposed until the moment he’d told her about doing a tour of duty in Iraq. She’d made it plain just how unhappy she was, but he hadn’t expected her to repay him by going out and having an affair with someone. He wondered if she’d gotten involved with Brad specifically because she knew that would cut out his heart.

Before he could sink all the way into a really good depression, Jack was back with his meal and another beer. He studied Luke intently for a minute.

“You need a side of conversation with that?” he asked, his expression concerned.

Luke forced a smile. “Not tonight, thanks.”

“You change your mind, I’m always around,” Jack said. “This job should earn me a degree in psychology. I’ve heard just about everything at one time or another.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Luke promised.

“You going to stick around Seaview for a while?”

Luke nodded. “For a while.”

“Okay, then, I’ll let you get to your dinner before it gets cold. Holler if you need anything.”

Unfortunately, Luke figured what he needed wasn’t served in The Fish Tale, not unless Jack had a fortune-teller on staff that could offer him a clearer picture of the future than he’d seen for himself. The one he envisioned seemed pretty darn bleak.

* * *

After her walk with Kelsey, Hannah returned to the inn determined to take advantage of the afternoon and evening to get a start on some of the cleaning and paperwork that had to be done. Kelsey might be here to sort through the decisions she was facing, but Hannah had flown down here to get this place ready to sell. Despite Grandma Jenny’s strong objections, that was still the plan.

Dragging a vacuum cleaner, dust rags and furniture polish with her, she went from room to room in the guest wing, only to find that the rooms were already in good shape. Apparently her grandmother had gotten there ahead of her, either to prove she was still capable of running the place or in anticipation of reopening.

She approached Luke’s room last, but couldn’t seem to make herself open the door with her passkey. It felt too much like an invasion of his privacy. Or maybe she feared learning something about him she didn’t want to know...such as whether or not there was a woman waiting for him back home.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she muttered under her breath, and forced herself to go inside.

To her surprise the large room was neat as a pin. The few clothes Luke had brought with him hung in the closet. Towels had been placed on the racks in the bathroom, rather than tossed in a damp heap on the floor. The bed had been made with an almost military precision, sheets tucked in tight, the spread smoothed. If there was a speck of dust anywhere, she couldn’t find it. Nor did she see anything personal beyond a snapshot of two kids—a gap-toothed boy and a girl—stuck into the frame of the mirror above the dresser.

Drawn to the view from the spacious room, she stood by the window and saw Luke’s car turn into the driveway. Her grandmother emerged with several packages as Luke unloaded cans of exterior paint and set them on the porch. Hannah shook her head when she saw a sample streak of the bright turquoise color dabbed on the side of one can. Apparently Luke had approved of Grandma Jenny’s choice.

Expecting to hear the sound of voices when they came inside, she slipped hurriedly from Luke’s room and shut the door securely. To her surprise, she was greeted with silence following the familiar slap of the screen door swinging closed.

As she descended the steps, her grandmother glanced up with a startled expression.

“Hannah, what on earth are you doing?”

“I was going to clean the guest rooms, but they didn’t need it.”

“Well, of course not. I cleaned them just a few days ago myself.”

“Gran, that’s too much for you,” Hannah protested.

“Don’t be silly. Besides, Jolene Walker’s girl, Macey, comes over once a week to help me. She scrubs the bathrooms and gets down on her hands and knees to dust around the baseboards.”

“She does a good job,” Hannah conceded reluctantly.

“Do you think I’d keep her on if she didn’t?”

Hannah bit back a sigh. “How did your shopping trip go? I see you got the color paint you wanted.”

Grandma Jenny’s expression brightened. “Luke agreed with me that a little color was just what this place needed.”

“Did he really? Or did you bully him into saying what you wanted to hear?”

“He’s a man who knows his own mind. Besides, I was asking his opinion. Why would I bully him into anything?”

Hannah dropped the no-win subject. “Where’s Luke now?”

“He went for a walk. He told me he’d get supper in town.” She gave Hannah a sly look. “He mentioned something about The Fish Tale. You could join him if you wanted to. I can fix something for Kelsey. It’ll give us a chance to talk. Maybe I can get to the bottom of what’s going on with her.” She paused. “Unless you managed to do that.”

“We talked. She told me the baby’s father wants to marry her, but she’s not ready for that. Then she changed the subject.”

“And you didn’t push?”

“I thought it would be counterproductive,” Hannah admitted.

“Well, I’m not so timid.” She waved Hannah toward the door. “Go on now. Take a walk and see if you can find Luke. Maybe you’ll have better luck figuring out what’s going on with him than you had with Kelsey.”

“What makes you think there’s something going on with Luke?”

“He appears back here after all these years without any explanation. He’s all alone. A man who looks as good as he does ought to have a woman in his life, a family.”

“He has children, so there must be a woman.”

“Well, she’s not with him, is she?” Grandma Jenny said. “Don’t even try to tell me you’re not curious. I saw you studying him the other night. And I remember the look in your eyes when he and Abby used to be over here every single day. You had a crush on that boy then, and something tells me it wouldn’t take much to spark it again.”

“You see entirely too much,” Hannah muttered.

“And I can hear, too, so don’t be making comments under your breath,” her grandmother retorted.

Hannah chuckled, despite her annoyance. “Just stop matchmaking, okay? Promise me.”

Her grandmother gave her a guileless look. “What can I say? It’s second nature. Besides, you need a man in your life. A real man and not some ne’er-do-well who’ll take off, rather than face his responsibilities.”

Hannah didn’t want another lecture on her ex-husband. That water was too far under the bridge. “I’m going to put these things back in the supply closet and then I’m taking a walk,” she announced.

Her grandmother gave a nod of satisfaction. “Tell Jack I said hello.”

“I never said I was going to The Fish Tale.”

Grandma Jenny shrugged. “You’re a fool if you don’t, and I don’t think we raised any fools in this house.”

“You just finished telling me I made a foolish choice when it came to picking a husband,” Hannah reminded her.

“You were young. It was a mistake. Now you have a second chance to do things right.”

“Why are you so sure Luke would be right? You don’t know anything about his life since he left here.”

“I know enough,” she replied. “And I’ve seen that look in his eyes before. He’s seen his share of sorrows. A man who feels things that deeply has strength of character.”

“If you say so,” Hannah said doubtfully. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay and fix dinner?”

“I already told you I want some time alone with my great-granddaughter.”

Dismissed, Hannah put away the cleaning supplies, washed her face and hands and brushed on a light coating of lipstick. As she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, she noticed that her cheeks had some much-needed color in them. Her hair, usually tamed with spray, was windblown from her earlier walk on the beach and had more curl than she was accustomed to. She looked almost carefree and relaxed. Which was a lie, given everything she had on her mind, but maybe for a few hours she could pretend that all was right in her world.

And her grandmother was correct about one thing: Luke was the most intriguing male distraction to cross her path in eons. She’d enjoyed talking to him on the porch last night. She’d enjoyed testing her out-of-practice flirting skills on him. If that was as far as things ever went between them, it would be enough to remind her that, cancer or not, her life wasn’t over yet. She needed to live every moment that remained as if it might be her last.

* * *

Hannah strolled through town, assuring herself that The Fish Tale didn’t have to be her destination. She could explore for an hour or so and go home. Luke would never have to know that she’d gone out intending to track him down.

She shook her head. She was acting like a teenager with her first crush. How many times had she and Abby plotted to run into Luke “accidentally on purpose”? More times than she could count. None of those encounters had had the desired result, though. It had taken something far more dramatic to finally catch Luke’s attention. Abby had nearly drowned and Luke had saved her. Afterward, he’d finally taken notice. From then on three of them had been inseparable. The situation had tortured Hannah, who’d developed her own crush on Luke but kept silent about it, especially after Luke had chosen Abby. Girlfriends didn’t poach. Luke was as off limits to her as if he and Abby had had rings on their fingers.

When she reached The Fish Tale, she stood outside the door debating whether to go inside.

“The food’s really good,” a chipper voice announced behind her. “I can vouch for it. My family owns the place.”

Hannah whirled around, a smile spreading. “Lesley Ann?”

“Oh, my gosh, Hannah! I can’t believe it,” Lesley Ann said, enveloping her in a hug made awkward by the size of her belly.

“You’re having a baby,” Hannah said, standing back to look at her. “And you’re absolutely glowing.”

“My third,” Lesley Ann told her. “He’s due any minute, so I’m not even supposed to be here, but I like to come down and check on Dad about this time every day. Since my mom died, he works too hard, but getting him to slow down is like talking to a wall. I imagine you’re having the same problem with Jenny.”

“Oh, yeah,” Hannah confirmed.

“Come on, let’s go in. I’ll treat you to dinner on the house,” Lesley Ann offered.

Hannah nodded, relieved not to be walking in alone.

Lesley Ann pulled open the door and stepped inside. “Hey, Dad, look who I found lurking on the sidewalk.”

Just as she spoke, Luke slowly swiveled around on his seat at the bar and met Hannah’s gaze. His lips quirked into a smile, though Hannah wasn’t sure if it was meant for her or Lesley Ann.

“And look who turned up here earlier,” Jack called back to his daughter, gesturing toward Luke. “Why don’t you three find yourselves a table and catch up? I’ll bring over some drinks. Hannah, what can I get you? A beer? Soda? Something to eat?”

“A beer and a fish sandwich,” she said at once.

“Just some water for me, Dad,” Lesley Ann said, then wove her way between the tables. “Let’s take that empty table by the window, instead of a booth,” she added, rubbing a hand protectively over her stomach. “This tummy of mine doesn’t fit in the booths so well at the moment.”

She led the way toward a table and pulled out a chair before Luke could get to it. He shrugged and gestured for Hannah to sit in the one he’d pulled out.

“Same old independent streak,” he said to Lesley Ann.

“My mother taught me well,” she retorted. “Now, tell me everything about yourselves. Hannah, you’re living in New York, right?”

“Yes, and working in public relations.”

“That sounds so exciting. Do you love it?”

“I do. It’s everything I ever wanted,” she claimed, then wondered why, if that was true, she wasn’t happier these days. It had to be because of all the pressure she was under lately, not any dissatisfaction with her life.

“Luke, how about you?” Lesley Ann asked. “I haven’t heard anything about you since your folks moved away while you were still in college.”

“There’s not that much to tell,” he said tightly. His expression shut down momentarily, then turned to relief when Jack came over with their drinks and Hannah’s sandwich.

Hannah took her first bite, then sighed. “It’s every bit as good as I remembered.”

Luke grinned. “I said the same thing.”

“Well, of course it is,” Lesley Ann said indignantly. “It was Mama’s recipe and we don’t let anyone mess with it.”

“I hear you’re going to take over one of these days,” Luke said.