Wind Chime Point

12



Wade had been avoiding his sister for a couple of days now. He knew that sooner or later he’d have questions to answer, but right now he simply wasn’t up for the aggravation. Louise clearly didn’t approve of his relationship with Gabi, and he was tired of defending himself.

What he didn’t expect was to find his brother-in-law on his doorstep when he got home from dropping Gabi off at Cora Jane’s after the dinner at Boone’s Harbor. Zack’s medical practice and hospital rounds usually kept him tied up until early evening, but then he hightailed it straight home. Wade frowned when he saw him. If Zack was here at this hour, he had to be on some sort of a mission.

“Kids okay?” he asked as he unlocked the door and waited for Zack to precede him inside.

“Wild, as usual,” Zack said, then grinned. “But yes, they’re great. Even when the house is a zoo, I stop and look around and ask myself how I got this lucky.”

Wade heard the wonder in his voice and thought that maybe his sister was the lucky one. He hoped she knew and appreciated how devoted her husband was.

“How’s Louise?” Wade asked, suspecting she was behind this unexpected visit.

“She’s in a bad place,” Zack said, his expression sobering at once. “She thinks you’re mad at her.”

Wade smiled. “She always was perceptive.”

Zack looked startled by the response. “Then you are upset with her? I thought she was worrying about nothing. You two never fight. I wish I got along with my own siblings half as well as the two of you do. I figured you’d just been busy, maybe getting a life of your own.”

“Well, that too,” Wade conceded. “But I’ve gotten a little tired of her attitude about Gabi.”

“She only said what she thought because she was worried about you,” Zack said, jumping to her defense.

“I’m well aware of that.” He looked his brother-in-law in the eye. “And I even appreciated the concern the first time, but she hasn’t let up, Zack. It’s time she gave me some credit. I lived through the emotional roller coaster that was my life with Kayla. I’m not likely to forget it. This is not the same situation.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Zack agreed. “Gabi doesn’t strike me as anything like Kayla.”

“She’s not, and the circumstances are entirely different, too.”

“How? Maybe Louise would drop this if she understood,” Zack said.

Unfortunately, the answer was just some gut-deep belief on Wade’s part, not anything that his sister would find reassuring. “It just is,” he said, knowing the reply was unsatisfactory.

“Come on, man. You know that’s not going to cut it,” his brother-in-law said.

“Just pass along the message, okay?”

“If I have to,” Zack said, not looking very happy about the prospect.

“I’d appreciate it,” Wade told him. “Now, then. You’ve said what you came to say. And I understand that Louise is worrying because I’ve been staying away. Is that it? Any other messages you’re supposed to convey, or do you want a beer?”

Zack looked relieved to have the uncomfortable conversation behind him. “Absolutely. Being caught in the middle takes a toll. You and I, well, I like to think we’re friends. Louise...” He shrugged. “What can I say? I want her happy.”

Wade laughed. “I get that, trust me. I’m sure it’s especially difficult to be between a stubborn rock like my sister and an equally stubborn hard place like me.”

Zack lifted his beer. “Amen, brother.”

“I’ll stop by tomorrow,” Wade promised. “On one condition.”

“That she lose the attitude,” Zack said.

“Exactly.”

Zack sighed. “Good luck with that. When I suggested it, she told me I was reacting like a typical man who knows nothing about family dynamics.”

Wade tried unsuccessfully to hide his amusement. “And you said?”

“That I’d never been an overprotective big sister, but I had some idea of the havoc that butting in where you’re not wanted can do.”

Wade winced. “She must have loved that.”

Zack gave him a rueful look. “I’m here, aren’t I? It’s my punishment for not backing her a hundred percent. She sent me to do her dirty work.”

“Ah, so there was more,” Wade concluded. “Are you supposed to tell me to dump Gabi?”

“In so many words,” Zack acknowledged. “She suggested I phrase it more delicately. When I reminded her that I was a typical man, that I didn’t phrase things delicately, that even my bedside manner as a doctor has detractors, she threw a shoe at me. Thank heaven she has terrible aim, or that spike heel could have blinded me.”

“Sounds like fun times at your place.”

Zack nodded dolefully. “Which is why I’m going to have another beer after this one and hang out here. Want to watch some basketball? I think Carolina has a West Coast game tonight. Should be coming on about now.”

Wade tapped his beer bottle to Zack’s. “Sounds like a plan. Want pizza to go with it?”

“Absolutely, but weren’t you at dinner earlier?”

“I’m a guy. There’s always room for pizza,” he said, placing the call for a delivery. After he’d finished, he held the phone out to Zack. “Should you call Louise to let her know you’re staying?”

“Heck, no. Let her think we’re bonding and that I’m getting through to you. That’ll keep her happy enough.”

Wade shook his head. “The dynamics of your marriage are a total mystery to me.”

Zack laughed. “Me, too, my man. Me, too.”

And yet Wade didn’t have a doubt in his head that whatever those dynamics were, they worked for both Louise and Zack. He also knew that, as annoying as her tactics were, his sister wanted that same kind of strong, unbreakable bond for him. Sadly, she just didn’t believe he could find it with Gabi.

* * *



After several frustrating tries, Gabi finally found a pair of slacks she could still fit into, even though the waistband had to be held closed with a safety pin. She found a loose-fitting blouse in Samantha’s closet that had enough pizzazz to make the ill-fitting pants almost unnoticeable. She sighed as she studied the effect in her mirror. Clearly she needed to do some shopping soon, or else her only wardrobe was going to be comprised of elastic-waisted shorts and baggy T-shirts.

Excited about meeting Meg Waverly, she grabbed her purse and walked into the waterfront district, arriving at the shop right after it opened.

The woman who glanced up when she stepped inside looked to be in her late thirties or early forties. Her black hair was going unapologetically gray and had been pulled back in a tight knot that, despite its severity, flattered her face. Her eyes were a deep turquoise and alight with curiosity. She wore a pair of sea-glass earrings in that same shade of blue.

“Hi. I’m Meg. And I’ll bet you’re Gabriella Castle,” she said.

“Good guess,” Gabi replied.

“Not really. I seldom have customers wander in when the store first opens. Tourists seem to get a late start, and the locals are at work. Things don’t pick up till closer to lunchtime. I can get a lot of my ordering and paperwork done in the morning. Today, though, I was expecting you to drop by. Now, tell me what I can do to help you.”

“As long as you promise not to laugh hysterically,” Gabi said. “This idea is a little new to me, so I’m fairly sensitive.”

“But it has to do with wind chimes? Lily said you bought one yesterday and were asking who’d made it.”

Gabi nodded.

“Just natural curiosity about the artist?”

“No.” She took a deep breath, then explained. “I think I’d like to learn to make them, the old-fashioned glass kind like the one I bought. I was hoping there might be a class I could take or that the artist could recommend someone who could teach me or even work with me one-on-one—for a fee, of course.” She regarded Meg worriedly. “Is that being too presumptuous? Would the artist consider me to be competition? Believe me, I’m not.”

“I guess that remains to be seen,” Meg said. “And some artists actually enjoy helping beginners. Others, not so much.”

“And the one who made the wind chime I bought?”

“She’s more openminded than most. You’ll like her.” Meg studied her openly. “Something tells me there’s a story behind all this. No offense, but I don’t meet a lot of people your age who suddenly decide to take up art, not in a serious way, anyway. Or did I misunderstand? Are you looking for a hobby?”

“I don’t have much time to take up a hobby right now. I think I’d like to do this as a career.”

“With no artistic experience?” Meg said, her expression incredulous. “Or do I have that wrong?”

“Nope. You’re exactly right.”

“Pardon me for being nosy, but what are you running away from? A man? Or a job? Experience has taught me it’s usually one or the other. Personally, I moved to Sand Castle Bay and opened this shop when my marriage broke up,” she confided. “I wanted a fresh start, and I thought this might be the perfect place to raise my rebellious teenage daughter.” A fleeting smile crossed her expressive face. “The store, at least, is working out well.”

“I want a fresh start, too,” Gabi said, relieved that Meg understood.

“What did you do before?”

“Public relations over in Raleigh. Big company. High-stress job.”

“And you left because?”

Surprisingly, Gabi wasn’t offended by the personal questions. It was small-town curiosity at its finest. Most people around the area knew the details by now, anyway. She rested her hand on her stomach. “I got pregnant. Then I got dumped. Then I got fired.”

Meg’s eyes widened as she spoke. “Holy cow! I’m surprised you’re still talking in complete sentences. I’d be curled up in bed in the fetal position with a drink nearby.”

“I probably would be, too,” Gabi said. “With the baby, though, that option’s pretty much off-limits.”

“So, instead, you want to make wind chimes?”

“Exactly.”

Meg nodded as if it all made perfect sense. For that, Gabi was incredibly grateful.

“Let me make a call,” Meg said. “As you said yourself, artists can be funny about this kind of thing, but Sally doesn’t have a lot of the hang-ups some of the others do. In fact, I think the two of you probably have a lot in common. And she’ll be honest with you. If you don’t have a lick of talent, she’ll tell you. She won’t let you waste your money.”

Gabi nodded. “And that’s exactly what I want.”

“Give me a sec,” Meg said, then went into the back.

Gabi wandered through the shop again, captivated once more by the selection of wind chimes. There were some she was certain hadn’t been on display the day before, each one prettier and more distinctive than the next. She tried guessing which had been done by this particular artist, but she couldn’t be sure.

“You’re all set,” Meg said when she returned. “She’d like me to bring you by her place, though, and I can’t break free from here till around two after Lily comes in and things quiet down again. Would that work for you?”

“Absolutely,” Gabi said eagerly.

“If you can wait until then to grab a bite to eat, I’ll treat,” Meg offered. “I want to hear more about this dramatic change you’re trying to make.”

“I may not be able to wait that late for lunch, but there’s rarely an hour of the day when I’m not starving,” Gabi said. “I’d love to join you.”

“Then I’ll tell Sally we’ll be there around three-thirty or four. How’s that?”

“Perfect. Thank you so much for doing this.”

“My pleasure. I’ll see you this afternoon. Meet me down the block at the Seaside Café. I’m parked close by and I’ll drive from there after we’ve had a bite to eat.”

“Looking forward to it,” Gabi told her.

She left the shop with a sense of wonder. So, that’s how it’s done, she thought to herself. All these years when she’d been surrounded by colleagues, rather than friends, she’d been unable to imagine how real friendships were born. Something told her she was about to find out.

* * *



Since she was already in the shopping district, Gabi decided to poke around in a few shops to see if she could find the new clothes she desperately needed. She only found one boutique that had a selection of maternity clothes, but she did find two pairs of pants, a few blouses and even a couple of dresses that would suffice until she could drive back over to Raleigh or get to the one major department store in Sand Castle Bay.

Since it was still too early to meet Meg, she called Emily. “Where are you? Do you have time to grab a quick bite, or are you and Boone about to take off for the airport? I know you’re flying back to Los Angeles tonight.”

“I have some time,” Emily said. “Where are you?”

Gabi told her the name of the sandwich shop on the waterfront.

“I won’t have a ton of time,” Emily said. “Order me a tuna salad on whole wheat and some iced tea. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“I should probably call Samantha and see if she wants to join us,” Gabi said.

“She’s at Castle’s. It’ll take forever for her to get away. Besides, she and I said our goodbyes last night. I’d like a few minutes alone with you.”

“Then I’ll see you soon,” Gabi said, shaking her head as she disconnected the call. There was an old rivalry between her younger sister and her older sister that she’d never understood. Emily and Samantha were nothing alike, so the competitiveness made little sense. Still, it seemed that more often than not over the years, she’d found herself mediating between them.

She placed their order, then sighed, relieved to be off her feet. She glanced down and noticed that her ankles were slightly swollen. She’d read that was to be expected, but wasn’t it too soon? She really did need to get back to Raleigh to see her ob/gyn. It probably made even more sense to find one over here if she intended to stay with Cora Jane and take these art classes until the baby was born.

“Why are you staring at your feet?” Emily inquired as she pulled out the chair opposite her.

“My ankles are swollen.”

“Get used to it,” Emily said. “I hear that’s just one of the things you’ll have to deal with for the next few months.”

“Given your fondness for fancy shoes, how do you intend to cope with that?” she asked Emily. “You and Boone are planning to give B.J. some brothers or sisters, aren’t you?”

Emily sipped her tea, her expression surprisingly wistful. “You know, if you’d asked me that a year ago—about having babies, I mean—I’m not sure what I’d have said. I never really thought about being a mom. Now, with Boone and B.J. in my life, it’s just about all I think about.” She studied Gabi. “Is it wonderful? Being pregnant, I mean? Knowing that you’re carrying a tiny little human being inside you?”

Gabi considered the question. “Even though I’m not even remotely in love with the baby’s father the way you are with Boone, it is amazing. Sometimes I just lie in bed at night with my hand on my tummy, waiting for the baby to move around. I can’t help wondering if it’s going to be a boy or a girl, what the baby will look like. I want to count the little fingers and toes.”

Even as she spoke, she recognized the yearning note in her voice. “I’m so messed up about this, Em. I don’t know what’s right anymore.”

Her sister smiled at her. “Yes, you do. Keeping this baby is the right thing for you. It’s in your voice. I can hear it. We all can.”

“But I don’t want to be selfish.”

“You will give this baby a loving, supportive family. You’ll be an incredible mom. There’s not a doubt in my mind about that.”

“How can you say that after all the years when I was totally absorbed by work, just like Dad?”

“Because you, of all people, know what it’s like to have a workaholic parent,” Emily said simply. “You won’t be that person. I know that as well as I know anything.”

Her sister’s vote of confidence brought tears to her eyes. “Thanks for saying that.”

“I said it because I believe it. Now, tell me what you’ve been up to today.”

Gabi filled her in on her meeting with Meg Waverly and the planned visit to the wind-chime artist. “I’m really excited,” she admitted. “Even though the sane, rational side of me says this whole thing is crazy, it feels amazingly right.”

“Then go for it,” Emily told her.

“How about you? Are you anxious to get back to Los Angeles?”

“Not so much to Los Angeles,” she admitted. “But I love the work I’m doing for the foundation. We have two safe houses being remodeled right now, and we should be closing on three more properties in the next few weeks. Knowing that I’m helping to create places where these women and their kids can be safe and get back on their feet is incredibly rewarding.”

“You look so happy,” Gabi said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look happier, in fact. While some of that’s obviously Boone’s doing, the job is making a difference, too.”

“I’m more than just happy,” Emily replied. “I am so grateful that Boone understood how I felt about this and decided to open a restaurant on the West Coast, so we can be together.”

“Any thoughts about making this your home base?” she asked.

Emily made a face. “How could I not consider it? This has been home for Boone his whole life. The headquarters for his restaurants is here. And, as he likes to remind me whenever he thinks I’m feeling particularly receptive, I have family here, and there are people around who might be in need of the kind of work I enjoy doing.”

“Valid points,” Gabi said.

“True,” Emily agreed. “But I’m happy with things as they are. The West Coast suits me, and I think maybe Boone’s coming around.”

“Really?” Gabi asked doubtfully.

“Well, I hope he is,” Emily amended. She gave Gabi a penetrating look. “Any particular reason you’re asking this now?”

“To be honest, I’m thinking of sticking around here after the baby’s born. It would be great to have you and Samantha both close by.”

“Samantha? I don’t see it,” Emily said. “She’s determined to stay in New York, even though it seems to me she’s getting more and more frustrated by the lack of acting jobs coming her way.”

“But you’re not considering Grandmother’s cleverness,” Gabi said, grinning. “You know perfectly well she has something in mind for Samantha, or should I say someone?”

Emily laughed. “Not a doubt about that, now that you mention it. So, I suppose anything’s possible. It would be awfully nice to have us all settled in one place, wouldn’t it? Every time the three of us have been together, it reminds me of how close we once were. But thanks to flying, I’m not really that far away. Look how often I’ve been able to get back here. We’d have lots of time together, even if Boone and I stay in California.”

“Not quite the same,” Gabi said, though she tried to hide her disappointment. “Will you be away long this time?”

“A few weeks,” Emily responded. “Now that the wedding date’s been moved, I want to pick out some bridesmaid dresses for you and Samantha and bring them back here for you to try. Plus Grandmother gets anxious if I don’t go over all the wedding details in person, even though we know she’s perfectly capable of making all the right decisions.”

“But it is your wedding,” Gabi reminded her. “And you tend to be a bit of a control freak. I don’t blame her a bit.”

“Well, at least now she can drive Dad crazy over the budget. I think she’s going to get a huge kick out of spending his money. A couple of weeks ago, she was grumbling about the cost of the flowers. Now she’s considering doubling the order.”

Gabi chuckled. “Go, Cora Jane!”

Emily laughed. “I know. I can hardly wait till Dad gets a look at that bill, and it’s only the tip of the iceberg. One minute she was talking about baking the cake herself. Now she’s wondering if we shouldn’t hire some Hollywood bakery she heard mentioned on Entertainment Tonight. She doesn’t want any of the guests coming from L.A. to think we’re a bunch of small-town hicks. Her words, not mine.”

“How big is this guest list?” Gabi asked. “I thought you were just thinking family and a few friends.”

“I was, but it started getting bigger and bigger. Grandmother doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I think if she keeps this up, Boone’s going to start pushing for an elopement, though I honestly don’t think he’d ever deny Cora Jane anything she wants. I sometimes think the only reason he’s marrying me is to be able to claim her as a relative.”

“Everyone should have someone like Cora Jane in their lives,” Gabi agreed.

“Which is exactly why you shouldn’t even consider denying your baby that chance,” Emily said, then held up a hand to prevent the not-fair protest on the tip of Gabi’s tongue. “I’m just saying.”

“Message received,” Gabi assured her. “Now about those bridesmaid dresses.”

“I promise you won’t look ridiculous,” Emily said. “This will be classy and elegant all the way.”

“And Boone honestly didn’t object to waiting till after I have the baby?”

“Actually, I think he was relieved. Things are heating up with the new restaurant. He wants to open by late spring. By delaying the wedding until later in the summer, he won’t have to feel guilty if he can’t get back here quite as much to help with the planning. This could be his last trip until after the opening.”

“And you?”

“I’ll be back with those dress samples before you know it. I expect to see your wind chimes on display in Meg’s shop by then.”

“I think that might be an unrealistic stretch,” Gabi said, then glanced at her watch. “And I’d better head over to the Seaside Café to meet her now. It’s almost two.”

“You’re meeting at a café?” Emily said, her amusement plain.

Gabi merely grinned. “I’ll be having dessert while she has lunch. These days I never miss an opportunity for more food.”

“Which is definitely going to make the fittings for the bridesmaid dresses interesting,” Emily noted.

“Yeah, you might not want to bother with fitting mine till after the baby comes. Anything else will be an exercise in futility.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. We’ll focus on the style and color for now, and I’ll have a seamstress on call right up until my wedding day.”

Gabi nodded. “Definitely a wise plan. My plan is to lose every ounce of baby weight before I walk down the aisle, but the way I hear it, that is probably a little too optimistic.”

“Samantha can probably help with that,” Emily suggested. “The woman’s a fanatic about exercise and diet. She’s terrified if she picks up an ounce, the camera will add ten pounds.”

“That is what they say,” Gabi reminded her.

“But seriously, how often is she in front of a camera these days?” Emily asked, then winced. “Please don’t tell her I said that. I know she’s having a rough time of it. I don’t want to make it worse.”

Gabi gave her a penetrating look. “Are you sure you’re not taking a tiny bit of satisfaction in her struggles?”

Emily looked taken aback by the question. “Do you really think I’m that shallow?”

“Not shallow, but you’ve always had this competitive thing going with her. I’ve never understood it.”

“To be honest, neither have I,” Emily admitted. “When I think back, I can’t even pinpoint when it started.”

“Maybe you ought to figure it out, because even this hint that you’re taking pleasure in her current situation isn’t very attractive. We’re sisters, Emily. It shouldn’t be this way, not between any of us.”

“I know,” Emily said contritely. “I’ll work on it. I promise. I know it’s ridiculous and petty.”

“And mean,” Gabi added.

“Okay, mean, too. Cora Jane would tan my hide if she’d ever heard me so much as hint that I was happy about Samantha’s failures.”

“Maybe even more important than stopping it would be figuring out why you feel that way in the first place,” Gabi suggested.

“Any ideas?” Emily asked. “Because I’m at a loss. It seems as if it was always there between us.”

“Not on Samantha’s part,” Gabi reminded her. “It’s all on you, Em. And for the life of me, I can’t figure out what she ever did to deserve it.”

“Neither can I,” Emily said miserably.

“But you’ll work on fixing it?” Gabi pushed.

“Yes, Mother Hen.”

Gabi gave a nod of satisfaction. “All I can ask. Now run along before Boone starts fretting about missing your flight. I’ll get the check.”

“Love you,” Emily said, bending down to give her a hug. “Even if you did give my conscience a nasty poke.”

“I live to make you a better person,” Gabi told her. “Love you.”

She watched as Emily left, her step a little slower, as if she suddenly had a lot on her mind. Gabi hoped she did, because it was way past time for this silliness between her and Samantha to stop. It was the sort of thing that could crop up at the most inopportune time, and she didn’t want any sort of spat to spoil Emily’s wedding.