The beach had become Elizabeth’s sanctuary. In plainest terms, it had saved her. In the past week, she’d spent hours sitting on “her” rock, rain or shine. The weather didn’t bother her one way or the other. Day by day, hour by hour, she became stronger.
Until today, finally, she was ready to step back into her ordinary world.
According to her planner, tonight—Thursday—was the yearly library auction and dinner dance. It was amazing that she’d forgotten, given the countless hours she’d spent organizing the event.
She picked up the phone and called her cochair, Allison Birch. “Hey, Ali,” she said when her friend answered. “It’s me, Elizabeth.”
“Oh, hi. I thought you’d moved to New York already.”
“I came back.”
She was trying to tack an explanation onto that when Ali said, “Is Jack back on the air? I haven’t seen him.”
“Just me. I came back. Jack and I are …”
There was a long pause. “Did you two split up?”
“We’re taking a break from each other, that’s all.”
“Jeez. I never thought he’d leave you. I mean … I know you guys were having problems, but I thought it was … you know. The way we’re all unhappy now and then.”
Elizabeth didn’t know which part to answer. Of course Allison assumed that the separation was Jack’s idea. Women like Elizabeth didn’t leave men like Jack.
“So, what are you going to do?” Allison asked.
“I thought I’d look for a job.”
“In Echo Beach?” Allison laughed. “Doing what?”
“I don’t know yet. Anyway, I’m still here and I wanted you to know that. Maybe we can have lunch together next Wednesday, after the site committee meeting?”
“Sure.”
“And tonight is the library auction. I guess I’ll see you there.”
This time, when Allison paused, Elizabeth tensed up.
“It’s a dance,” Allison said. “Who will you bring?”
Elizabeth had forgotten how paired up the world was. “I didn’t think about that.”
“You’d have to sit by yourself at our table. Wouldn’t that be weird?”
“I guess I have to learn how to go places alone,” Elizabeth said, hearing the little catch in her voice.
“Yeah,” Allison said on a sigh. “I guess you do. Should Chuck and I pick you up?”
“No,” she said quietly, knowing that she wouldn’t go now. Couldn’t go. She stumbled through a few more moments of awkward small talk, then pleaded a headache and hung up. She slumped down onto the sofa.
This damned separation was a never-ending series of late hits.
She was single now. A woman alone, one who’d blundered daringly into some unfamiliar country without a map or compass.
She started to get that sorry-for-herself feeling and refused to give in to it. She’d been hiding out long enough.
It was time to merge back into the traffic of her old life. So what that there would be no car-pool lane this time. Such was life. What mattered was conquering fear.
She got up and went into the kitchen for a glass of water. It was there, by the fridge, that she noticed the calendar. Today had two things listed.
Library auction: 6:30
Passionless: 7:00
She’d forgotten all about the meeting, which was odd, since she’d actually intended to go.
But tonight, she was going to the auction.
She went upstairs, showered, dyed her hair, and then poured her more-than-healthy body into the elegant DKNY red knit dress she’d bought last month. She put on her makeup with exquisite care, trying to look her very best. At last, she added a single piece of jewelry, an intricate butterfly necklace, handcrafted of sterling silver and onyx.
When she stood back and looked in the full-length mirror, she saw a slightly overweight woman in a clingingly sexy dress. Not a “new” Elizabeth at all.
She paused, debating the whole question again, then reached in her closet for a black pashmina shawl, and left the house.
She drove past several small seaside towns. At Manzanita, she turned off the main highway and followed the twisting, treelined road down to the beach. Here and there, houses glowed against the falling darkness. Finally, the road spit her out in the parking lot of one of the coast’s few glittering four-star hotels. As she neared her destination, nerves fluttered in her stomach.
What was she doing? She couldn’t go in there alone—
“Yes, you can.”
She parked the car and sat there.
It was twenty-five minutes after six. The auction would be starting any minute. If she waited too long, everyone would notice her entrance. Better to slip in quietly.
She took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m getting out of the car now.”
She wrapped the cashmere-blend shawl around her body and headed toward the hotel.
In the lobby, she saw several people she knew. Smiling, nodding, she kept moving, but she was certain she heard, Where’s Jack? whispered behind her.
She was imagining it, surely.