Beachfront Embrace Read online

  “Ms. Mae, I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays. How’s everything?”

  “I can’t complain. Of course, if I did, no one would want to listen.” She chuckled.

  Mackenzie served Mae a glass of orange juice and took out her pad to jot down her order.

  “Oh, there’s no need for the notepad. We’re going to put in our usual order for the office if you don’t mind. I guess I could’ve called it in, but a little break every now and again never hurts,” Mae said.

  “The usual coming right up. I’m glad you decided to stop by. Clara talks about you and Jonathan all the time. How’s married life treating you these days?”

  Mae grinned.

  “Oh, Jonathan and I are enjoying married life, if I say so myself. We still fuss at each other like we’ve been together for forty-plus years, but we’re happy. That’s what matters most, right?”

  Mae leaned in closer, lowering her voice.

  “And the intimate time is absolutely amazing. Who can complain about that?” she said.

  Mackenzie’s uncontrollable laughter could be heard across the cafe. It wasn’t uncommon to be taken off guard whenever Mae spoke.

  “Ms. Mae, you’re too much. I’m so glad to hear things are going well,” Mackenzie said.

  “Thank you. What about you and your friend… what’s his name again?”

  “Bill? He’s the only guy I’ve been seeing off and on again,” she responded.

  “That’s it, Bill. I don’t like the idea of being on and off again. It’s either one or the other. Are you two having a hard time getting along?”

  “We get along when we’re together, but I don’t know, Ms. Mae. Lately, it seems like he’s always busy. His daughter was in town visiting from college for the summer, but she should be back at school by now,” she said.

  “By the sound of things, I’ll presume you didn’t have a chance to meet her?”

  “No. He seems rather protective about having his daughter involved in his personal life, which I can understand. But, it definitely made me feel extremely sensitive about introducing him to my Stephanie,” Mackenzie answered.

  “I don’t blame you. How is sweet Stephanie doing?”

  “She’s wonderful. She’s in second grade this year, she loves her teacher, and gets good grades. I’m pretty lucky to have her as my daughter. If only I can get my love life in order, maybe she’d actually have a steady father figure in her life again someday.”

  “Mackenzie, these things take time. If I were you, I’d start by addressing Bill and challenging him to be upfront with his feelings. He’s a grown man, by now he should know if he’s invested or not. Life’s too short. You don’t have time to waste,” Mae said.

  “You know what, Ms. Mae, I like the way you think. I’m going to take your advice to heart, but first, let me start by putting this order in with Chef Harold before Mike has to come looking for you.”

  “Thank you, dear. I’ll be right here, shooting the breeze with Josh when he comes over. Tell Harold I said hello.”

  Mae smiled at a couple of customers she recognized from the Island and watched the big screen for a little while before Josh came to greet her.

  “Ms. Mae, how are you… long time, no see,” he said.

  “Mackenzie said the same thing. Has it really been that long?”

  “Yes, ma’am, too long for a lady who works right across the street,” he said, giving her a hug.

  “Aww, Josh, it’s nice to know that I’m missed when I’m not around. I promise I’ll be more diligent about coming in, even if it’s just to say hello,” she said.

  “That’s more like it. Oh, well, well, well… look at what the cat dragged in. Another one who hasn’t been visiting the café regularly, like she used to.” Josh teased.

  “Not now, Josh. I’m in no mood for it today,” Clara said.

  Ms. Mae turned around, surprised to see Clara standing right behind her. She had bags under her eyes, as if she’d missed a good night’s sleep, and her hair was thrown together in a messy bun… the not so cute kind.

  “Clara, what are you doing here on your day off?” Mae asked.

  She hesitated, cautiously calculating how to answer.

  “Let’s just say I had to leave the house for a much-needed break from my sister. Is Mackenzie around by any chance?” she asked, looking around.

  “What am I, chopped liver?” Josh teased.

  “Joshua, I told you not today, and I mean it.” She snarled somewhat playfully, but mostly serious.

  He lifted his hands in surrender.

  “Okay, touchy today, I see. I’ll go get her. Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable.”

  Josh pressed his way through the double doors, disappearing to the back.

  Mae gave Clara an unusual stare, not speaking a word at first, hoping Clara would explain herself.

  “I take it that your visit with your sister isn’t going so well?” Mae asked.

  Clara pretended to be studying the menu, even though she knew the options by heart.

  “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me about it. I was just wondering if Mike knows you 're here?” she asked.

  “No, he doesn’t and please don’t mention it. He left me a message, and I’d kind of like to be the first to talk to him, when I’m ready.”

  “Clara. What’s wrong? What could be so terrible that would cause you to hide from Mike? Which… by the way, in case you hadn’t noticed, you picked a pretty bad hiding spot. Lighthouse Tours is just a few feet away. He was really concerned about you calling in a personal day at the last minute. The least you could do is call him back,” she said.

  Mackenzie emerged untying her apron with Josh following closely behind. Chloe was wheeling in a few cartons of milk when she noticed the serious look on everyone’s face and decided to keep moving.

  “Call who? What did I miss?” Mackenzie asked.

  She gave her best friend the once over, noticing Clara’s messy appearance, which was so unlike her.

  “Ooh, honey. What happened to you?”

  Chloe returned from the back, placing Mae’s order on the counter, laying the tab down beside the bag. Mae didn’t budge, and Clara was fully aware that she had an audience.

  “Guys, thanks for your concern. I had a long night, and I could really use a cup of coffee, and perhaps a little alone time to talk to Mack. I can always come back if this is a bad time,” Clara said.

  Josh and Chloe continued working while Ms. Mae placed her hand to her hip, appearing disappointed that Clara wasn’t including her.

  “Ms. Mae, I promise. Just give me some time to sort through things. If you could keep Mike occupied until I call him later today, that would be very helpful,” she said.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” Mae asked.

  “Yes, I’ll be fine.”

  Mae reached into her pocket and slid a bill across the counter.

  “Keep the change,” she said to Mackenzie, and then re-directed her attention toward Clara for the last time.

  “Just know, I’m here if you need me, darlin. You were kind enough to hold the fort down when Jonathan and I needed time off. So, if you need a few more days, just say the word.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Mae.”

  Once everyone cleared the front counter, Clara slid into her favorite chair and slumbered over the menu.

  “Shall we make it black, today?” Mackenzie asked, referring to her coffee.

  “If I was a drinker, I’d ask for a glass of whiskey,” Clara said.

  “But, since you 're not, one cup of black coffee coming right up. Can I get you anything to eat?”

  “Maybe something to go. I don’t have much of an appetite.”

  Mackenzie poured fresh coffee from a carafe into Clara’s mug. As she watched the steam rise, she wondered if Clara was ready to talk, but didn’t want to push her.

  “You picked the perfect day to take off from work. The kids are back in school, so it’s nice and quiet. Plus, I’m almost cer
tain if you throw a sweater on and head down by the shore, it will feel like a peaceful oasis. Maybe it will even help to clear your mind.”

  Mackenzie waited for a response… something … anything would be better than the awkward silence, with occasional sipping sounds coming from Clara’s mug.

  “My sister showed up at my door last night.” She acknowledged.

  “Agnes? The sister you haven’t seen in ten years?”

  “Yep, the one and only.”

  “Isn’t that something? I always wondered if the two of you would ever reunite,” Mackenzie said.

  “Well… wonder no more. We have officially reunited.”

  Mackenzie watched as Clara continued cradling her mug. She held up the carafe, offering to top her off, and Clara graciously accepted.

  “I take it your reunion didn’t go so well?”

  “Ha, that’s an understatement. I won’t get into the details. Not in here, at least. But let’s just say I was a lot better off prior to her arrival. A lot better off.” Clara repeated

  “You’re killing me here. I know you want to talk or else you wouldn’t have come down here to see me. You’ve got a whole beach in your backyard if all you wanted to do was quietly reflect,” Mackenzie said.

  “Oh, trust me. I’ve been on the beach since sunrise, contemplating the many ways I could elude my current reality, but I couldn’t come up with anything. So, I ended up here, thinking maybe you’d have time to take a break and go for a walk. More than anything, I just needed a change in scenery. If only for a little while.”

  “Josh is about to leave for an hour for his dentist appointment, and Chloe is handling the deliveries. I can’t leave right now, but we can grab a booth and I’ll be an ear for you.”

  Clara glanced around, noticing a few customers from the area, some who knew her from Lighthouse Tours.

  “It’s okay. Let’s save it for when you’re off. Maybe you can call me later on?” she asked.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive. Now… tell me something uplifting to help take my mind off things. Where’s Bill these days? You two planning anything special this week?”

  Mackenzie cracked a smile, but it wasn’t a happy one.

  “There must be a sign on my forehead today that says ask me about my love life. First Ms. Mae and now you. Except the only problem is there’s nothing to tell. He seems to be focused on other things. It’s like we’ve reached some sort of stalemate or something.”

  “No way, I’m not buying it. Just two weeks ago you were still on cloud nine after one of your dates. He didn’t have a change of heart that fast,” Clara said.

  Mackenzie shrugged her shoulders.

  “I can’t put my finger on it, but something is off. His daughter is back at college so it can’t be that. I don’t know. Mae said I should talk to him, and I probably will when the time is right.”

  “There’s no time like the present. Know who you’re dealing with before things get too serious. You have to be ever so careful with who you trust. Including your own flesh and blood,” Clara mumbled.

  Mackenzie drew her eyebrows together, trying to read between the lines.

  “Okay, that does it. Hey, Josh. What time is your appointment again?” she yelled across the café.

  “Not for another hour from now. Take your walk. You got time,” he replied, revealing that he’d been listening in.

  Mackenzie rolled her eyes.

  “I’ll tell you one doctor he doesn’t need to visit... his ears are working just fine.” She laughed.

  “Come on. Grab your purse and follow me. We have some catching up to do.”

  Chapter 3

  Mackenzie led Clara as far up the road away from the other businesses as possible. The sound of the seagulls and the fresh smell of water overwhelmed their senses, quietly leading them before they began speaking.

  Clara stopped abruptly and opened up about her troubles.

  “After all this time had passed, I thought surely, if Agnes and I ever reconnected, it would be for good reasons. Never in a million years did I think she’d show up at my door, confessing she’d been in a relationship with my ex,” she said.

  Mackenzie's mouth dropped open as she struggled to find the right words to console her friend.

  “What?”

  “Yes, they’ve been seeing each other for the last four or five years. According to her, he never revealed that we were still legally married until recently,” Clara said.

  “Is she aware that he was in town, seeking your inheritance, which then led to the divorce?”

  “She claims she didn’t know. I asked her why she would ever entertain getting involved with him to begin with. It just happened, was all she could say. What a likely story… she said they ran into each other when things were hard and they were lonely. Give me a break.”

  “Unbelievable,” Mackenzie said, trying to process everything as they continued to walk.

  “I swear, if it wasn’t because she showed up with a black and blue eye with no place to go, I may have been inclined to slam the door in her face.”

  “Did he hit her?” Mackenzie asked.

  “No, but his new lady friend did. I guess she was defending her man. If only she knew… Agnes may have some twisted ways about her, but she’s no fighter. The more I think about it, I can totally see how this whole thing happened. My sister has always gravitated toward those who could easily play with her emotions, and she can be naïve. Except this time, it finally caught up to her. She has no money, no place to go, and she had to come looking for me, out of pure desperation. How pathetic.”

  Mackenzie stopped at a nearby bench and sat, crossing her legs over. She had the most stern expression on her face, questioning everything about Agnes and what was to come of this.

  “I’m having a hard time digesting that you’re here talking to me while she’s at your house,” Mackenzie said.

  “I needed to get out and take a breather. It was too much to handle. I literally buried Keith in my past with the final divorce papers a couple of months ago. I know I should’ve acted on it years ago but you know my reasons for not doing so… I needed to get away from him and start a brand new life. It’s the exact thing I’m trying to do with Mike… start fresh and move forward.” Clara complained.

  “I understand that, honey. You didn’t ask for this, but don’t you think it would be wise to go back to the house and sort this out with your sister? Heck, can you even trust the woman after all these years? Who’s saying she’s telling you the whole story? What if she knew about Keith coming to Solomons Island, trying to threaten you for money? Since that whole thing backfired on him, what if they’re teaming up for part two of their little scheme, sending her this time to do some damage?” Mackenzie implied.

  “Mack, thank you for looking out for me. Trust me, I considered all these things and lost a lot of sleep trying to cover every angle. But, even if there was an ounce of truth to it, she can’t do any more damage than what’s already been done. Besides, I never leave anything of importance in the house. Everything is in a safe where it ought to be. I’m more concerned about my emotional well-being than anything else. Do you realize how mortified I am? To think we come from the same bloodline. How can I even begin to explain this to Mike? Especially after everything with the inheritance and the divorce. He will not want to be associated with someone like me.” Clara swiftly smeared a tear away from her cheekbone.

  “I think you’re being a little hard on yourself, and you 're not giving Mike a fair chance. What do you plan to do? Avoid him all week?” Mackenzie asked.

  “No. I’ll call him later on, but I need to figure out what to do with my sister first. My parents would roll over in their grave if I kicked her out when she has nowhere to go.”

  “Better you than me, girl. Better you than me.” She grunted.

  A couple strolled by, riding two vintage bicycles, laughing playfully with one another. Clara watched them, recalling that same feeling of pure
joy in her life less than twenty-four hours ago. She wiped away another tear.

  “Come on, now. Whatever happens, you will not let this thing defeat you. It’s a temporary setback. Every family has a rotten apple or two. You’re going to be fine. I suggest at some point, once the dust has settled, you allow me to meet Ms. Agnes. If you introduce her to the rest of us, she’ll see how protective we are of you. We won’t stand for any nonsense, Clara,” Mack said.

  “That would assume that I’m okay with being seen with her in public. I don’t know about that. I love Solomons, but news travels way too fast around here for me.”

  “It’s a small island, but the people around here have nothing but love for one another. Please don’t let this influence you to return to the secluded life you once lived.”

  McKenzie waited for a response and pressed the issue when Clara didn’t seem to react.

  “Okay, I’ll work on it. You just have to give me time. This is a tough pill to swallow. I still have to go back to the house and look her in the eye. This isn’t easy.”

  The ladies walked back toward the café, Clara deviating to her car and McKenzie waiting for her friend to pull off before returning inside.

  Back at the house Agnes stood in an oversized t-shirt, hovering over the stove, sampling something she was stirring with a ladle. Clara didn’t know whether to be grateful that she was at least making herself useful in the kitchen or annoyed at how comfortable she was.

  “There you are. I was wondering if you ran away, leaving me with this huge place and such a sweet little dog,” she said, bending to pet Holly.

  Clara tossed her purse on the counter, not at all impressed by her comment.

  “I left to grab some fresh air.”

  “How much fresh air does one need? I saw you walking on the beach earlier this morning,” Agnes said.

  “And, I may need to go for walks every morning to help keep my sanity. Either way, I don’t have to answer to you about my whereabouts.”