Amber stirred her drink with her straw. “Yeah, they’re trouble. But of course they flock around you. You’re gorgeous.” She wasn’t exaggerating, either. Mary was model thin, with shiny white-gray hair that fell below her shoulders in waves that looked natural. She dressed simply but stylishly, mostly in white or gray, and she had that knack of adding a pop of color—red shoes, or a bright pink scarf—that made her look Parisian-chic. Her eyes were sharp and usually sparkling with a joke or a plan.
As if to confirm her judgment, a man Amber knew vaguely, Henry Higbottom, came to lean heavily on their table. “You two ladies look lonely,” he said. “Care to sit at the bar with me?”
“Thank you, but we’re having a confidential conversation,” Mary said quickly.
“That’s a little harsh,” he said, but his tone was philosophical. He shrugged and turned back toward the bar.
As he walked away, Mary added to Amber, “I know that sounded rude, but you have to be firm with him. He’s mostly interested in younger women—in fact, he probably was looking more at you than at me—but he’s also in the market for a nurse with a purse.”
“Hmm, maybe I should look into that, given my health and the fact that lots of men are nurses now,” Amber joked. “Sorry, dark humor.”
“Don’t apologize to me. Sometimes you have to laugh or you’ll cry.”
That was for sure. In fact, it was pretty much Amber’s philosophy of life, these days.
The waitress brought their food and they dug in. The seafood tasted delicious, fresh and fried and hot.
“I don’t think a nurse with a purse is what Kirk James wants,” Amber teased, leaning back with a jumbo shrimp in her hand. “He’s a pretty active guy, and he’s always talking about you.”
“Not interested, dear.” Mary dipped a fried clam into the Gull’s distinctly mediocre cocktail sauce. “I wouldn’t mind being friends with the man, especially since we’re neighbors, but I don’t want anything more, and he does.”
“And he’s persistent. I mean, he tried to get you a puppy, which was dumb, but it must have taken some thought and effort on his part.”
Mary blew out a breath with a pfft sound. “I told him I didn’t want one, but he didn’t listen. And that’s typical of men, especially of my generation. Your age-mates are better.”
Amber thought of Georgiana. “Men don’t have a monopoly on being obnoxious. And Kirk’s basically a nice guy. He ended up being a big help to my sister when she needed funds for the academy.”
“True, he did.” Mary shrugged. “Regardless of that, though, he wants more than I do. Not hard when I want nothing.” She smiled at Amber. “How about you? Are you dating?”
“Trying not to,” Amber said. “My chooser’s broken. I never pick the right guy.”
“We have that in common.” Mary leaned forward, suddenly intent. “So since you can’t leave the area right now, and you’re not interested in getting involved with a man, you have some time to do the project I described, don’t you? Was your ‘yes’ just to get those people’s goat?”
Amber sighed. “I guess there’s a need for a project like that. And you’re right, I may as well try to do some good in the world while I’m waiting for my next move to unfold.”
“Then you’ll do it?”
Slowly, Amber nodded. “I’ll do it.”
IT SHOULD HAVE been a happy thing, registering Davey for prekindergarten at a highly recommended, popular program in their new town.
Davey was certainly excited. He bounced in his booster seat all the way from the Healing Heroes cottage to the school, and when they pulled up to the Coastal Kids building next to the elementary school, he practically exploded out of the car. “Is this it? Are we late? Where’s my teacher?”
“We’re not late. Our appointment is in ten minutes.” Clearly, Paul had made the right decision getting Davey started in school right away. He needed to be around other kids and to make new friends while they were here.
But when they walked up to the school and were instantly buzzed in, hairs rose on the back of Paul’s neck. The secretary didn’t know him. Why wasn’t there some sort of security check?
To test the place, he walked right past the glassed-in office, holding Davey’s hand. No one came out to stop them or check his credentials.
“Where are the kids, Daddy?” Davey bounced on the balls of his feet, looking to the right and the left.
“I don’t know.” He wanted to urge Davey to be quiet, wanted to focus on the place’s level of security, but he knew he shouldn’t squelch his son’s obvious joy.
As they got closer to the big central stairway, the sound of children’s voices came from upstairs. Davey tugged at his hand. “They’re up there, Daddy. Do you hear them? Can we go see my teacher?”
“Let’s look around here for a little bit first.”
No one stopped them as they strolled around the downstairs area. A brightly decorated lunchroom was set up with two long, low tables surrounded by kid-sized chairs, next to a kitchen that smelled of freshly baked cookies. There was a library with shelves of picture books, a big rocking chair, and mats and pillows scattered around the floor.
At the sight of the library, Davey did a little hop. “I like it here.”
Paul pressed his lips together to keep from saying something derogatory. Maybe there was an explanation for the fact that anyone could walk into the place. Although he couldn’t imagine what it would be. Didn’t the school administrators know what the world was like now?
Paul’s head pounded and sweat broke out on his forehead. “Let’s go talk to the people in the office.”
Before they could get there, though, the front door opened again. Paul spun toward it, putting a hand on Davey’s shoulder, ready to push his son behind him. But the person entering was a colorfully dressed woman of about fifty, no more than five foot three
