Cottage by the Sea

  “I have a few books that I thought she’d enjoy reading,” Annie told him. “I invited myself over for tea and conversation.”

  His smile started to fade, and he looked skeptical.

  “I’m patient. Before the year’s up I intend for Mellie and me to be the very best of friends.”

  Keaton barked a laugh in disbelief.

  “I honestly think she likes me,” Annie said, and then clarified, “Only she’s afraid to let me know. What’s her story, anyway? How can she afford to live, when she doesn’t work?”

  Keaton shrugged. “She came to her grandparents’ home when she was ten, after her parents were killed. She has a trust fund.”

  Annie mulled over the information, knowing that Mellie had left Oceanside when she was eighteen. Losing their granddaughter like that must have broken the Munsons’ hearts. Perhaps one day Mellie would feel comfortable enough to tell Annie her story, but that would mean that she would need to open up to Mellie regarding her own secrets.

  CHAPTER 17

  If Annie’s day had started out badly, it quickly went from bad to worse when Mellie’s call came later that afternoon.

  “I want you packed up and out of the cottage by the end of the week.”

  Stunned, Annie found herself unable to respond. “What? Why?” she finally managed.

  “You heard me.”

  Pushing the hair away from her forehead and holding her hand there, a dozen responses battled themselves out in her brain. “Can you tell me what I did wrong?” Perhaps Mellie had some connection with Carl Hoffert. Carl obviously wanted her gone, and maybe he had somehow convinced Mellie to kick her out of the cottage.

  “I don’t need to give you a reason. I want you gone before the end of this week.”

  “I…can’t. I don’t have anyplace else to go.”

  “Not my problem.”

  Annie was too shocked to think. “Can we talk about this?”

  “No.” Mellie’s voice was flat and sharp.

  “Give me one good reason,” Annie insisted, moving from disbelief to anger. This was grossly unfair. Just that morning she’d told Keaton she felt she was making progress with Mellie. She loved living in the cottage. Just being here with all the happy memories from her childhood summer vacations had helped her immeasurably. Moving now would set her back emotionally. Annie had to have some rights as a tenant.

  Then she remembered they had both signed a contract. “What about my lease?”

  Mellie hesitated, and then continued with the same angry edge. “I’m canceling it.”

  “It’s legally binding, Mellie. I’ll take you to court and I’ll win. I haven’t done anything to deserve this. I’ve paid my rent six months in advance. I’ve tried my best to—”

  “It’s because of Keaton,” Mellie insisted. “He doesn’t get upset like that unless provoked. What did you say to him?”

  “Say? When?”

  “This morning. He was furious. I don’t know what you did to upset him, but I’m not having it. Keaton is good people. I warned you once before, and you didn’t take me seriously. I told you if you do anything to hurt him, you’ll regret it.”

  Composing herself, Annie took in several deep breaths and slowly let them out. “Did you happen to see me talking to the sheriff earlier?”

  “Yes. Another reason I want you off my property. You’re nothing but a troublemaker. Don’t know what you did, but it’s a shame you weren’t arrested.”

  “Did you even ask Keaton what that was about?” Annie asked, calmer now, as she could see that this was nothing more than a misunderstanding.

  “No. Wouldn’t do any good. He wouldn’t tell me if I had. All I know is he thinks the sun rises and sets on you. Can’t understand it myself. Far as I can see, you’re not that great. Keaton doesn’t see that, though. He’d take a bullet for you.”

  Annie knew Keaton was attracted to her but not to that extent. For a moment, she held on to the happy feeling, knowing that reality would come crashing back. When next she spoke, she softened her voice. “Keaton means the world to me, and he’s everything you say he is. I would never do anything to hurt him.”

  “Then you better tell me what happened this morning that had him as angry as I’ve ever seen him.”

  Annie’s hand tightened around her phone. “Someone threatened me. The tires on my car were slashed. That’s why the sheriff was here. It wasn’t anything I did to Keaton.”

  Her explanation was met by silence.

  “Oh,” Mellie said after several tense moments passed, but she didn’t say anything more.

  Eventually Annie found the courage to ask, “May I stay in the cottage, then?”

  Mellie appeared to be debating her answer.

  “I’d be willing to sweeten the pot,” Annie added hopefully.

  “How are you going to do that?”

  “Put the tea on, I’m coming over.”

  “Hold on a minute,” Mellie said. “I—”

  Annie ended the call, grabbed the bag of paperback novels she’d collected, and walked across the yard. If she knocked, she knew Mellie would refuse to answer, so she took it upon herself to find the keys. She’d watched Keaton do this several times. She lifted the cushion on the porch swing, retrieved the keys, and let herself into the house.

  Mellie stood in the kitchen, frozen in place as though a spell had been cast over her. With all the boxes and other paraphernalia stacked about, there was little room to move. The entire area was like a maze, with pathways leading around tight corners. A few boxes had no tops and Annie saw newspapers with headlines dating back to the Obama inauguration, plus thirty-year-old copies of National Geographic. Heaven only knew what was buried in the others.

  Although she’d seen glimpses of her landlord gazing out the window, Annie was surprised at how attractive she was. She wore her dark blond hair shoulder length. It was straight and parted down the middle. Her eyes were a snappy blue. She wore faded jeans, cowboy boots, and a long-sleeve plaid shirt as fashionably as a model. What surprised Annie the most was her size. Mellie was petite, probably around five-two or -three, but with the command and resoluteness of Mellie’s voice, you would have thought she was seven feet tall.

  “What’s that?” Mellie asked, glaring at the bag in Annie’s hand.

  With effort, Annie kept from smiling. Mellie was curious, and that was a good sign. “A few of my favorite historical romances.”

  Mellie’s gaze went to the bag and Annie saw the interest on her face. Wonderful. Annie’s love of romances—the uplifting, powerful kind—had gone a long way toward getting her through many a sleepless night. And now it was the common ground that would allow her to connect to Mellie.

  “Is the tea brewing?” Annie asked, seeking out the kitchen table, which was stacked high with more newspapers and magazines. Annie saw that Mellie had carved out a tiny space for herself, but every other inch was covered with boxes and useless stuff. On the countertop, she appeared to have every small appliance imaginable, some still in their boxes. In a single glance, Annie saw a rice cooker, a deep-fat fryer, and a pressure cooker she’d recently seen advertised on television. It appeared Mellie maintained a connection with the outside world through online shopping.

  Mellie stared at her. “Don’t have time for tea. I didn’t invite you, so you should leave.”

  Taking the dismissal in stride, Annie shrugged, prepared to do as asked. She turned and started toward the door.

  “Leave the books, though.”

  Annie met her stare. “Before I do, I want the assurance you won’t cancel my lease.”

  Mellie pinched her lips together and reverted her eyes back to the grocery bag full of books. “Any Regency novels in that collection?” she asked.

  “Several. Regencies are some of my favorites.” Ready to walk away with the books, she turned the
doorknob.

  “Okay, fine,” Mellie relented. “I’ll abide by the lease. You have one year and then I want you gone.”

  “Fair enough,” Annie agreed. In the intervening months, she’d find a way to be Mellie’s friend whether she wanted one or not. She set the bag of books on top of one of the boxes and was about to return to the cottage when Mellie added another stipulation.

  “With the understanding…?” She paused for what could only be effect.

  “Yes?”

  “If you do anything, and I do mean anything, to hurt, embarrass, humiliate, disconcert, demean, or unsettle Keaton, your lease will automatically be terminated. Do we understand each other?”

  It wasn’t Annie’s intention to do any of those things. “Understood.”

  “Good. Now don’t let the door hit you in the butt on your way out.”

  Annie struggled to hold back a smile.

  * * *

  —

  Monday morning didn’t start out much better than Sunday had. When Annie arrived at Bean There, Britt refused to make eye contact with her.

  Immediately concerned, she asked, “Britt, is everything all right?” From the teen’s reaction, she feared the worst. She didn’t see any visible signs of abuse, but that didn’t mean the girl’s stepfather hadn’t hit her someplace where it wouldn’t be easily detected.

  “No, everything isn’t all right at home,” Britt returned in a fierce whisper. “And you’re the one responsible.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s a little too late for that, don’t you think?”

  “What happened?” Annie was afraid Carl’s anger with Annie had been taken out on his family instead.

  Britt’s head shot up and her eyes clashed with Annie. “What happened?” Britt repeated, whispering furiously. “You happened. Why did you butt into something that was none of your business? My stepfather has been on a rampage ever since your visit. My mom has enough to deal with already without you making matters worse.”

  “Britt…” Annie pleaded, but the teenager had already cut her off.

  “You make it sound easy. You don’t know…You have no idea. Please, just stay away from me and my family.” She whirled from the counter, turning her back to Annie.

  Jimmy looked stricken and sneaked a worried glance at Britt. The two traded positions, and Jimmy took Annie’s order. Upset and flustered, Annie needed to repeat it twice. She was shaken, and clearly he was, too.

  Seeing that Britt wanted nothing more to do with her, Annie swallowed hard and told him, “Please let Britt know I’m sorry. I was only trying to help.”

  “I will,” he said, and then lowered his voice. “Is it her stepdad?”

  Annie nodded.

  He briefly closed his eyes, fully aware of what was happening at home but powerless to stop it.

  * * *

  —

  When Annie arrived at the clinic, Candi sent her a warning glance. “Dr. Bainbridge is here.”

  “On a Monday?” He normally worked on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, but never on a Monday.

  “He’d like to see you in his office.”

  Annie leaned toward her friend. “Do you know what it’s about?”

  Candi glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Any reason you met with the sheriff this weekend?”

  “I reported a crime. Why?”

  Candi exhaled. “Dr. Bainbridge and the sheriff are good friends. I saw the two of them talking in the parking lot when I arrived. I didn’t intentionally mean to eavesdrop, but I heard your name mentioned with Carl Hoffert’s.”

  Annie’s shoulders sagged. She had to assume Dr. Bainbridge had learned she visited the Hofferts’. She might as well accept that she was about to find herself without a job. It seemed she’d bungled her opportunity to build a new life in Oceanside. Mellie had been ready to throw her out of the cottage, and now this.

  After giving her heart a moment to settle itself, she knocked gently on Dr. Bainbridge’s door. “You asked to see me?” she said, trying to act like she had no clue what this was about. Pretending to be oblivious was probably not the best way to start off the conversation.

  “Come in, Annie,” he said from behind his desk. He gestured toward the chair for her to take a seat.

  Clearing her throat, she lowered herself onto the chair and sat on her hands like a penitent child.

  “What’s this I hear about you visiting the Hoffert household?”

  “Yes, well…” She found it difficult to speak because her mouth had gone dry. “Logan missed his follow-up appointment and I was concerned. Also, Mrs. Hoffert cleans houses and I went to find out if she could take on another client.”

  He mulled over her answer. “It was more than that, though, wasn’t it?”

  She weighed her options, unwilling to lie but equally unwilling to dig herself into a hole.

  “I read the CPS report,” he said, before she could formulate an answer. “The underlying reason for your visit was to check out the home life yourself.”

  “Ah…”

  “Annie, do you have any idea of the danger you put yourself in?”

  She lowered her head. “The social worker was a friend of Mr. Hoffert’s…I think he got a pass because the other man knew him from years ago.”

  “So you decided to take matters into your own hands?”

  She nodded, but felt the need to explain. “I didn’t intend for him to know it was me who’d called in the suspected abuse. It slipped out when he insisted the boy was a sissy and his mother had overreacted and—”

  “It doesn’t matter how it came out,” the physician said, cutting her off. “What concerns me is that you put yourself at tremendous risk. What you did was foolish, in the extreme sense of the word.”

  Annie stared down at her feet. “I know.” And then, because she couldn’t stand the suspense, she blurted out, “Are you going to fire me?”

  Dr. Bainbridge took far too long to answer for Annie’s comfort. “To be honest, that was my first inclination. The thing is, Annie, you’re good with the patients and have gained the trust of this community in only a short amount of time. I’m only going to write you up for this, but, fair warning, if you do anything like this again, I won’t have a choice but to let you go.”

  Annie had learned her lesson. “I understand.”

  She’d already felt the consequences of her lack of good judgment. The slashed tires. Mellie threatening to evict her. Plus, she’d managed to alienate Britt. Seeing how upset the teenager was, Annie didn’t know if she could repair the damage. Keaton had been furious, too. Not at her, thankfully, but at Carl Hoffert. If she hadn’t stopped Keaton, there was no telling what he might have done. If all that wasn’t enough, she was basically holding on to her position at the clinic by the thin strand of a spiderweb.

  This wasn’t the way she intended to start her Monday.

  Candi sent her a sympathetic look when Annie left Dr. Bainbridge’s office. “You okay?” she asked, her face showing her worries.

  Annie expelled a long sigh. “I think so. Thankfully, I still have my job.”

  Candi looked nearly as relieved as Annie. “Thank goodness. I didn’t know what to think when I saw Dr. Bainbridge talking to the sheriff this morning.”

  “I’ve learned my lesson,” Annie assured her, and she had. She knew better and was determined she wouldn’t do anything to put her position in jeopardy again.

  * * *

  —

  For the remainder of the week Annie did everything by the book. She didn’t see Britt working at Bean There and wondered if she’d quit her job. High school graduation was a little over a month away and that might be the reason. Or, maybe, the teen had traded shifts to avoid having to deal with her. That depressed her.
br />   To find Britt at the clinic on Friday afternoon as a patient came as a total shock. Candi told her that Britt had asked to speak privately to Annie. Surprised and wondering what this could mean, Annie entered the exam room where the teen waited.

  Britt looked up, her face pale and her eyes sad and red, rimmed with tears.

  “Britt,” Annie said, comforting her with an arm around her shoulders. “You asked to see me?”

  Britt nodded and kept her head lowered. She seemed to square her shoulders and find the courage to sit up. “I’m pregnant.”

  Annie sat next to the teen and took hold of her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, hoping to comfort her. “Are you okay?”

  Britt shrugged. “I can’t tell Mom. She’s got enough on her plate as it is.”

  “Oh Britt, of all people, your mother will understand.”

  The teenager didn’t confirm or deny it. “Mom has enough worries without dealing with mine.”

  “Are you positive you’re pregnant?” Seeing the amount of stress in the home, it wouldn’t be unusual for Britt to skip a month of her menstrual cycle.

  “As positive as I can get. I bought one of those tests at the drugstore, and it confirmed what I already knew in my heart.”

  “Did you tell the father?” Annie asked. She hated the idea of Britt keeping this secret all to herself when she would need the emotional support of those closest to her.

  Avoiding eye contact, Britt shook her head no.

  “Do you plan to let him know?”

  Again, she shook her head and then emphasized her refusal. “No, and I’m not going to, either.” She covered her face with both hands and broke into heart-wrenching tears.

  Annie hugged Britt again, her own heart heavy, while she debated how best to help the teenager in the months ahead.

  CHAPTER 18

  Unable to sleep that night, Annie gently petted Ringo, who was curled up in a tight ball, sleeping beside her. Her thoughts were full of Britt’s visit to the clinic. Further conversation revealed that the teenager was terrified of letting her mother and stepfather know about her situation. Although Annie had encouraged Britt to confide in her mother, the girl insisted she couldn’t. Not yet. By necessity, she would in time, but for whatever reason, she wanted to wait.