Chapter 33

thirty-three

S helby waited until the doctor left before collapsing into her mother's arms. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too, sweetheart. I've missed you. Let me get a good look at you." Kate drew away, pressing her palms to Shelby's cheeks. "You look healthy. The salt air and sunshine agree with you."

"I have so much to tell you. Unfortunately, I need to get some sleep. With Izzy in the hospital, I'll have to get up early to serve breakfast to our guests. I can get Blossom to drive me home if you want to stay."

"You go ahead. I want to talk to Pritchard, and I'm hoping the doctor will let me see Izzy. Besides, I'm too wired from the trip to sleep. We'll catch up later."

Shelby followed Blossom outside to the bus, and they rode back to Water's Edge in silence. When they arrived at Magnolia Shores, Blossom said, "I'll cover for you if you decide to sleep in tomorrow."

"No way! I've got this. Although, if you happen to be awake, I wouldn't mind a little help."

"You've got it. I'll meet you in the kitchen at seven," Blossom said, and they parted with a hug in the courtyard.

Despite being exhausted, Shelby was too worried about her grandmother to sleep. When six o'clock rolled around, she gave up trying and headed to the kitchen.

Pearl and Hilda were distraught to hear about Izzy's stroke. "She was such a nice lady," Pearl said.

Shelby's jaw dropped. "Are we talking about the same woman?"

"Yes! She was set in her ways and had high expectations, but she was always kind to us."

"She's not dead yet," Shelby snapped. "Stop talking about her in the past tense."

Blossom and Shelby served the guests a simple breakfast of warmed croissants, fresh fruit, and sausage links. Most of the guests had seen the ambulance and asked with genuine concern about Izzy's health.

Once everyone had been served, Shelby left Hilda and Pearl to clean up and took a large tumbler of coffee outside. She walked down to the beach and around to the tip of Sandy Island, where the ocean met the inlet. She needed to be alone with her thoughts. As the world came alive around her, she sat in the sand and stared at the ocean. Her mind drifted back to childhood mornings on the beach. Izzy had often snuck a rambunctious Grace and Shelby out of the house so their parents could sleep in. They watched porpoises dive and sea turtles leaving their nests. They built sandcastles, swam in the ocean, and searched for shells. Her grandfather and his yellow lab, Honey, often joined them. The sweet old dog loved to race up and down the beach, chasing flocks of seagulls. Her grandparents were knowledgeable about wildlife, making every excursion a learning experience.

Shelby was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the rumble of a boat engine, and the loud ringing of her phone startled her. She had set the ringtone on high to avoid missing calls about Izzy. But the call wasn't from her mother or Pritchard. It was Matt.

"Good morning, sunshine. What're you doing sitting on the beach alone?"

Shelby looked up to see Matt waving at her from his boat. She waved back. "Thinking about my grandmother. Izzy had a stroke."

Matt's breath hitched. "I'm sorry, Shelby. When did this happen?"

"Last night, right after you left. She's still unconscious. We don't know the extent of the damage yet or if she's even going to make it." Shelby stood up and brushed the sand off her shorts. "What're you doing?"

"Getting minnows to fish with later. Wanna go for a ride?"

"As long as we don't leave the cell service area. I'm waiting to hear from my mom about Izzy."

"No worries. I'll stay near the shore."

Shelby waded knee-deep into the water, and Matt nosed the boat close enough for her to climb onto the bow. He cast his net a few times, filling his live bait well with minnows, and they took off at a slow speed up the coast with Shelby sitting beside him on the leaning post.

"So, how was your date last night?" she asked with a smirk.

"It was a disaster. I agreed to have drinks with her as a favor to my sister. The girl was my youngest sister's friend, but she was painfully shy. By the time I got home, I was exhausted from carrying the conversation."

Shelby laughed. "Poor girl."

Matt leaned into Shelby. "I'm not interested in other girls. A certain freckled face, strawberry-blonde has gotten under my skin. I'm willing to give us another go if you are?"

Shelby raised an eyebrow. "Are you suddenly okay with dating a kiddo ?"

Matt chuckled. "If you're okay with dating a lowly carpenter."

"I've learned the hard way that money doesn't matter."

His smile faded. "I hear a but in your tone."

She looked away from him, staring out over the bow. "A but that has nothing to do with you, Matt. Now that I've finally gotten Luke out of my system, I need to focus on myself for a change, to decide what I want to do with my life. But I enjoy hanging out with you, and I could really use a friend."

He chucked her chin. "I can be that friend. I won't pressure you. I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for you to come around."

"Do you really like my freckles?"

"I'm crazy about your freckles." He touched the tip of her nose. "Can I play connect the dots on your face?"

Shelby laughed out loud. "Many people have said that to me. You're the first person who's made me laugh."

Her phone rang, and she dug it out of her pocket. "This is my mom." Accepting the call, Shelby blurted, "How's Izzy?"

"The same. She hasn't woken up yet. They've moved her to intensive care. Where are you? Is that a boat motor I hear in the background?"

"Yep. I'm taking a ride with a friend," Shelby said, shoulder-bumping Matt. "Where are you?"

"On the way home. I'm crossing the Merriweather Bridge now. I need to shower and eat before heading back to the hospital."

"I'll get my friend to bring me back. I'll see you in a few."

Matt was already turning the boat around when she ended the call. "I know you're worried about your grandmother, Shelby. And I'm here for you. Whatever you need—a shoulder to cry on, boat rides, fish, if we catch any this afternoon."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you. For now, just being my friend is enough."

* * *

"Where should I sleep?" Kate asked as she lifted her rolling suitcase out of the trunk of her rental car.

Shelby mentally ran down the list of their current guests. "Most of the rooms in the garden and pool houses are occupied. Do you mind staying in the caretaker's cottage?"

"But isn't that where you're staying?" Kate asked, slamming the trunk closed.

"Izzy and I were cramping each other's style, so I moved to a tiny room in the pool house."

"Good. You should have your own space. I guess it's the cottage for me, then." Kate cast one last longing look at the main house before wheeling her suitcase in the opposite direction.

Shelby followed her inside the cottage.

"This place is depressing," Kate said about the outdated interior. "I can't believe Mom agreed to stay here."

"She didn't have a choice," Shelby muttered.

Kate parked her suitcase in the middle of the room and lifted back the heavy drapes to let in light. "We should spruce it up before she comes home from the hospital."

"That's a great idea! She'll be spending a lot of time here while she recovers. Harper can help. She owns an interior design firm."

Kate's face registered surprise. "She does? I didn't realize that. Good for her." She turned back toward Shelby. "Darling, I've missed you so much. I want to hear about everything going on in your life. Give me a few minutes to get settled and cleaned up, and we'll meet in the kitchen for an early lunch."

"Sounds good. I need to shower and change as well."

Twenty minutes later, Shelby entered the kitchen, dressed in white jeans and a blue linen top, her hair still damp from the shower. Blossom was at the table, sipping sweet tea and thumbing through one of her grandmother's recipe books.

Jolene greeted her at the door with tail wagging. "I'm happy to see you too," Shelby said, leaning over and rubbing the dog behind the ears.

"Mom's here," Shelby reported to Blossom. "She says Izzy is still unconscious."

Blossom looked up, concern etched in the lines on her pretty caramel face. "I'm sorry to hear that. Have they done another scan?"

Shelby straightened. "I'm not sure. She didn't say." She went to the refrigerator. "Do we have any sandwich meat?"

"I don't believe so. If you'd like a BLT, there's plenty of bacon and beautiful summer tomatoes. I'll go to the market this afternoon."

Blossom got up from the table and rummaged through the junk drawer for a notepad. While Shelby microwaved bacon, Blossom made out a list of groceries. When Kate arrived, Blossom helped Shelby toast bread and put the sandwiches together, adding a scoop of potato salad and a deviled egg to each plate.

The threesome sat down at the table together for lunch. Kate appeared refreshed in a green summer dress with her beautiful auburn mane tied back in a low ponytail, but dark circles rimmed her emerald eyes, and lines creased her forehead. Yesterday had been a long day for her mother. Shelby wondered if she'd gotten any sleep at the hospital.

"I'm going to cook dinner for your family tonight," Blossom announced, still working on her grocery list. "You'll need a break from the hospital, and you have to eat. You should all be together at a time like this."

Kate offered her a weary smile. "Thank you, Blossom. That's very kind of you."

Blossom set down her pen and bit into her sandwich. "It's the least I can do. Staying busy keeps me from worrying so much."

Kate checked her watch. "I should get back to the hospital soon. I want to be there when they do the second CAT scan."

"How long are you staying?" Shelby asked. "I'd like to see Izzy, but I shouldn't be gone for too long with guests in the house."

Kate shrugged. "Then we'll take separate cars. I doubt I'll come home until dinner."

Shelby cut her eyes at her mother. "I'm not allowed to drive, Mom. Remember?"

Recognition crossed Kate's face. "Oh, right. I forgot about that. I talked to Pritchard for a long time after you left the hospital last night. He raved about your performance, your capability, and how well you carry yourself."

Shelby beamed. "Wow! I'm glad he thinks so. I've been trying really hard."

"And it shows," Blossom said, jabbing a forkful of potato salad at Shelby.

Kate smiled. "I agree. You can drive Izzy's car until we figure out how to get yours to South Carolina." She paused, staring up at the ceiling in thought. "Although logistically, it might be easier to sell that car and find you something here."

Shelby would be happy driving a golf cart if it got her where she needed to go. "Thanks, Mom. Izzy's car is fine for now."

After finishing her sandwich, Blossom excused herself to take Jolene outside to potty, giving Kate and Shelby a moment alone.

Kate wiped her lips and dropped her napkin on her empty plate. "I'm glad to hear you're making new friends. Who were you boat riding with this morning?"

"His name is Matt. He's a super nice guy. I like him a lot, but he's older than me. We've agreed to be just friends for now."

"Mm-hmm. The look on your face tells me otherwise. How much older is he?"

"Thirty-one." Shelby held her breath, waiting for her mother to freak out. But her response surprised her.

"That's only seven years. I know couples who are ten years apart. Age doesn't matter much when you reach a certain point in life."

"We'll see. Maybe something will come of our relationship. But for now, I need some time to myself." Shelby took one last bite of her sandwich and dropped the crust on her plate. "Luke came to see me this week," she said and told her mother about his visit.

Kate appeared horrified. "Why that rotten little . . . I have in mind to call his mother."

Shelby laughed out loud. "Don't, Mom. He's not worth it. Believe it or not, I'm finally over him."

Kate narrowed her eyes as she looked closely at Shelby. "I think you mean it."

"I do. And I'm tired of talking about him. How's Dad?"

Kate stiffened. "I'd rather not talk about him either."

Shelby's skin prickled. "Why? What's wrong, Mom?"

"There's nothing for you to worry about, sweetheart. I'm sorry I brought it up. Your father and I are going through a rough patch. But we'll be fine. We always are."

Shelby watched her mom rinse her plate and place it in the dishwasher. Kate seemed down, and Shelby sensed it was more than her concern over Izzy. Were the problems in their marriage worse than her mom was admitting?