really. I Ji^t came down here for a little break, but I’d better get back to work. “
Rory stood up and folded her chair for her. “You must love driving,” he said, alluding to all the time she was spending in the car for a mere half hour on the beach. Especially when she had a beach a few blocks from her own home. He had to think she was either madly in love with him. or simply mad.
“I don’t mind,” she said.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to give your shells to Shelly for you?” Rory asked.
“No,” she said.
“If I leave now, I’ll have time to stop at the church.”
Grace had never been to St. Esther’s and was not certain if she should go into the church itself or the small building beside it. She opted for the building, and once inside, found herself in a wide, woodsy-smelling corridor. A man stepped into the hallway from one of the offices and walked toward her.
“Hello,” he said. He was dressed in a short-sleeved, blue plaid shirt and khaki pants, and he was sandy-haired and handsome. He eyed the jar of shells in her arms, then looked at her quizzically.
“I’m looking for Shelly Cato,” she said.
He motioned toward one of the wooden benches against the wall.
“Have a seat,” he said.
“I’m Father Macy. I’ll find her for you. I think she’s working in Father Wayne’s office right now.”
“Thank you.” Grace took a seat, the heavy jar on her lap, and watched the priest walk down the hall and disappear into one of the rooms.
In a moment, Shelly stepped into the hallway from the same room. She smiled as she walked toward Grace, a small look of confusion on her face.
“Hi, Grace,” she said.
Grace stood up. Her heart did a dance in her chest, as it had every time she laid eyes on this young woman.
“Rory said you were here, so I hope you don’t mind that I stopped by,” she said. She held out the jar in front of her.
“I have this collection of shells that’s been lying around my house forever, and I thought, rather than throwing them out, I’d see if you might be able to use any of them.”
“Thanks.” Shelly took the jar from her arms. She tilted her head to discern what might be behind the glass.
“There’s probably some in here I can use,” she said.
Grace did not want to leave, but there seemed to be little else to say. Her throat began to tighten and ache.
“Okay, then,” she said.
“I’ll probably see you in the cul-de-sac next time I come up to see Rory.”
“Okay,” Shelly said.
“Bye.”
“Bye.” Grace turned to leave, but Shelly stopped her.
“Grace?” she asked.
“Are you and Rory just friends?”
“Oh. Yes, Shelly. We’re just friends.”
Shelly’s smile broadened.
“Good,” she said.
“Thanks for the shells.”
Back in her car, Grace had to force herself to drive out of the church parking lot and away from Shelly. She was going to have to be very careful. Her heart was going to give her away if she didn’t keep her emotions in check. She had not expected things to play out this way when she’d first gone to Kill Devil Hills. She’d only wanted to find out how much Rory had learned about the discovery of the newborn. She had not known then that the baby had lived.
Poor Rory was so far off the mark with his investigation. She was torn between being glad of that fact and wishing he knew about the nurse.
Why had no one seen the nurse? She would love to have a word or two with that woman, although she wasn’t at all certain she could control her actions if she were ever to find her. She almost felt sorry for Rory that he was barking so tenaciously up the wrong tree, but she would never help him. As a matter of fact, she would have to do all she could to lead him astray.
JVLy calves are killing me,” Kara said as she huffed up Jockey’s Ridge next to Daria.
Kara was a beautiful whiner. She was one of the prettiest girls Daria had ever seen, but she hadn’t stopped complaining since she and Daria had turned onto the beach road from the cul-de-sac. She’d studied her French manicure in the car and seemed quite shy; if a complaint didn’t come out her mouth, nothing else did, either, despite Daria’s attempts to get her talking.
Rory and Zack had invited them to watch their hang-gliding lesson, and although Daria figured her invitation came as a result of Grace being unavailable, she accepted it readily. It was a Thursday, which meant she’d had to take off early from work, leaving Andy to finish a project in one of the older homes in Southern Shores, but he had
