Cottage by the Sea

  Annie felt bad that she couldn’t do more. “I wish I could be of more help, Jimmy, but this is a matter between you, Britt, and your parents.”

  “You won’t talk to her? She likes and trusts you. I know she’ll listen if you—”

  “Sorry, Jimmy, I can’t do that.”

  He seemed to accept her answer. “I didn’t think you would, but I felt I should at least ask.”

  Seeing that there wasn’t anything more to discuss, Jimmy stood. Annie led him to the door.

  After brewing a cup of tea, she mulled over the situation. It had taken courage for Britt and Jimmy to tell their parents, and it pleased her that they’d done it together. From the beginning, Annie knew Teresa would be upset, seeing history repeating itself in her daughter.

  Although Annie didn’t want to be involved with the decision that Britt, Jimmy, and their families needed to make, she wanted to help in any way she could.

  * * *

  —

  After making a salad for dinner, Annie decided to visit Teresa at her home. She’d make the excuse of seeing how Logan was doing with the puppy.

  When she arrived, she saw Keaton’s truck parked at the house. A smile came over her. She hadn’t seen him for a few days and missed him. He had painted Teresa’s house, she noticed.

  “Hey,” she said when she saw Keaton. He was at his truck, putting away his equipment.

  Logan was running around the front yard, the puppy nipping at his heels. The sound of his laughter filled the evening.

  Keaton saw her and grinned. “Hey.”

  Teresa stepped onto the porch and Annie said to Keaton, “I’ll check in with you later.”

  Keaton’s face warmed as he nodded. “Later.”

  Annie joined Teresa on the top porch step. “Thought I’d stop by to see how everything is going,” she said, leaving it up to the other woman to lead the conversation.

  “It’s good.” Teresa folded her arms around her middle. “Logan’s crazy about that puppy. I found the dog sleeping with him when I went to check this morning. Been like that every night since the pup arrived.”

  “I noticed Mellie’s kitchen windows are sparkling clean.”

  “Never seen dirtier windows,” Teresa mentioned.

  “She still upset with you?” Mellie was a safe subject for both women.

  Teresa grinned. “Oh, she put up a fuss all right, but in the end she had nothing more to say. I’ll give her a few days or so before I move on to one of the other rooms. She’s standing guard over her stuff, afraid that I’ll cart it away, right under her nose. This morning she watched me like a hawk and wouldn’t let me near her bedroom or the living room.”

  Annie did her best not to smile, with limited success.

  “I won’t be back until the end of the week. That’ll give her time to adjust. Much as she complained and whined, I can see she’s enjoying all the space she has in the kitchen now.”

  “Don’t give up on her.”

  “I won’t,” Teresa promised. “I can be just as stubborn as she is.”

  “Good.”

  She wanted to ask about Britt and the pregnancy, but the subject felt awkward. Annie wasn’t certain Teresa was aware that she knew.

  After about twenty minutes, Annie returned home to her cottage and was happy to see Preston’s truck still parked outside. This was real progress for her friend. And for Preston.

  Changes, they’re a-comin’ to the big house. All Annie could do was pray that Mellie was able to accept all the upheaval in her life.

  Keaton arrived about ten minutes after she did. Annie met him at the front door of the cottage. By standing on the top step she was almost tall enough to look him in the eyes.

  “You were busy this weekend.” Annie had walked past the bank and saw that the mural was nearly completed.

  He grinned.

  “The mural is beautiful.” And it was. Keaton was a talented artist. She’d learned that he’d had no formal training, and yet his work stood out like few others in her mind.

  “Got a bit more to do on it,” he commented, brushing off her compliment.

  As they spoke, their voices grew soft and low. Annie found herself leaning toward him as he gradually eased his head forward. His breath fanned her face and she closed her eyes, wrapped up in the familiarity that was Keaton.

  His lips were close to her ear. “Your friends still coming to visit Oceanside?” He whispered the question.

  Annie’s eyes shot open. How on earth could she have forgotten? Gabby would be driving Steph and Trevor to town over Memorial Day weekend. They were scheduled to fly into Seattle, meet up with Gabby, and then spend a couple nights at the ocean.

  CHAPTER 28

  Annie’s head was spinning. This opportunity couldn’t have come at a worse time. If her parents were alive, she’d get their advice, although she was certain what her father would say. His face would break into a huge smile and he’d say, “Go for it. You know this was what you were born to do.” With her family gone, Annie reached out to Gabby. Her cousin knew her as well as Annie knew herself.

  Gabby picked up on the first ring. “I know why you’re calling—”

  “You don’t,” Annie said, abruptly cutting her off. Her mind was speeding at an alarming rate as she reviewed the conversation with Dr. Bainbridge.

  “This isn’t about our trip to see you?”

  “No.” That said, Annie leaned back in her chair, petting Ringo as she spoke, giving comfort while seeking it. “It’s about Dr. Bainbridge.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Not really. He’s getting eager to retire. His wife wants him to slow down so they can travel. He’s concerned with how much longer he’ll be able to continue at this pace. He went into Seattle last week and returned with a proposition for me.”

  “What kind of proposition?” Gabby sounded as leery as Annie had when Dr. Bainbridge first approached her.

  “First off, he told me how well I’ve fit into the community, which I’ve grown to love. I’ve found peace here, Gabby. It was a nice compliment and it made me feel good. He explained, other than that one minor mishap with Carl Hoffert, how much he’s come to respect and trust me.”

  “As he should. You’re great at your job,” Gabby reminded her. “I can remember when we were kids you were doctoring all your dolls, covering them with Band-Aids. They didn’t wear diapers; they had their heads wrapped from injuries you were treating.”

  Annie closed her eyes, remembering those times, too. When Gabby came for play dates, Annie would insist on Gabby being her patient so she could work on her, bandaging up her arms and legs, prescribing medication, even wheeling her down the hallway on a stool.

  “Okay, sorry to interrupt. Tell me what Dr. Bainbridge wanted.”

  Leaning back in the chair, Annie continued. “At first I hadn’t known what to think. It almost sounded like he was about to lay me off.”

  Sensing the tension in her, Ringo scored his claws into Annie’s thigh. She carefully disentangled him from the fabric of her pants.

  “Then he mentioned how difficult it is to find physicians willing to serve in these small communities, and when they do, it often doesn’t go well. It takes the right kind of personality, and it’s often hard to find a good fit.”

  “Where is this leading?” Gabby asked, sounding confused.

  “When Dr. Bainbridge was back in Seattle, he told the head of HR how well I was doing. Apparently, the parent clinic’s health organization has started a new accelerated program for physician assistants like me that will pay my medical school expenses in exchange for a commitment to serve in a small community like Oceanside.”

  “Annie, that’s wonderful. I don’t understand why you don’t sound over the moon over this chance. You always wanted to be a physician.”

  “Yes, I
know but…”

  “But nothing. This is a fabulous opportunity. Why aren’t you excited?”

  “I am, only…It’s complicated.” Annie loved hearing the enthusiasm in Gabby. She felt it herself, wanted this in the worst way. The drawback, and it was a biggie, was that it would mean leaving Oceanside…leaving Keaton and Mellie and Teresa.

  Oceanside was her home now, and these people she’d come to love were important to her. Although she wanted to come back to serve as a physician in this community, the program gave her no guarantee she would be able to return to Oceanside.

  “I am excited,” Annie insisted, and she was, but at the same time she was concerned, too. Uncertain. Afraid.

  “You don’t sound it. Okay, yes, so you’d be away for a few years, but after that you’d be back again. Right?” Gabby was doing her best to talk her into accepting this offer. She didn’t need to do too much convincing. Annie wanted to accept in the worst way, but at what cost? This wasn’t a decision she could make quickly. There was more to consider than the obvious.

  “Not necessarily,” Annie explained. “It’s not a sure thing that I’d be back in Oceanside. It might not even be in Washington state.”

  Once more her cousin grew quiet. “Your father always wanted you to be a doctor, but more important, you did, too, until Davis broke up with you.”

  Annie didn’t need the reminder. “I know.” A few scenarios had been floating around in Annie’s mind and she didn’t see how any of them would work. Keaton would be miserable living in Seattle. She would hate leaving him, and while seeing him on weekends would probably pan out for a while, she knew she would have to put all her physical and emotional energy into medical school. Relationships would need to go on the back burner. If she agreed to enter medical school, it would mean giving it her all.

  “You can’t pass this up, Annie,” Gabby said. “If you do, you’ll regret it the rest of your life.”

  That was true. Annie was aware that she wouldn’t ever get another chance like this. She loved medicine. She was good with people and loved helping those in need. Being a family doctor had once been her dream, but she’d become impatient while in college, and eager to be done.

  From the beginning, Keaton had been afraid she would leave. He seemed to be mentally prepared for her to walk away, holding back his feelings for her. Their kisses would go only so far before he’d pull himself away. He had built a barrier—a wall, of sorts—that he would raise when it came to expressing his feelings for her. Annie had been determined to prove him wrong. Now she was about to prove him right, and she feared it wouldn’t go well.

  “It’s a hard decision to make, Gabby.”

  “What decision? You know you want this, Annie. Do you want me to tell Trevor and Steph that now isn’t a good time to visit?” Gabby asked.

  Automatically, Annie shook her head. She couldn’t disappoint her friends. Not when they’d already made all their travel arrangements. “No, don’t do that. I think a weekend with all of you is exactly what I need before I get back to Dr. Bainbridge.”

  * * *

  —

  Steph, Gabby, and Trevor showed up at the clinic just as it was closing Friday night. Annie had expected them sometime that day; she didn’t have the exact time. She was happy to see them, excited.

  “Annie!” Stephanie threw her arms around Annie and hugged her so tightly she found it difficult to breathe. “It’s been forever.” Holding her phone up, she posed for a selfie with Annie and snapped the shot.

  “My turn,” Trevor said, easing Steph out of the way so he could hug Annie next. With his arms circling her waist, he lifted her off the ground and gave her a noisy kiss on her cheek. “Missed you, girl.”

  Annie laughed and glanced over his shoulder at her cousin. Gabby’s face was split in half with a huge smile. When Trevor finally set her feet back on the ground, Annie held her hand out to Gabby, who quickly grabbed hold of it, squeezing her fingers.

  “I wish you’d been able to get away for a couple days,” Gabby said, unwilling to hide her disappointment. “There’s a music festival this weekend in Seattle that we could’ve all attended.”

  “I couldn’t, Gabby, I’m sorry.” Because Annie had been with the clinic not even two months, she didn’t feel she could ask for four days off during a holiday in the middle of tourist season. In fact, it’d been a mad rush at the clinic every day that week. Twice she’d had to work through her lunch hour to keep up with the demand.

  “Well, if Muhammad won’t come to the mountain, then the mountain must come to Annie,” Trevor teased. Rubbing his palms together, he asked, “What’s the nightlife like around here?”

  Annie laughed until she realized he wasn’t joking. “Trev, this isn’t L.A. We have a couple bars, but nothing like the clubs in Seattle or Beverly Hills.”

  “Then the local bar will have to do.”

  “Come on, show us this cottage you’re always talking about,” Steph said, looping her arm through Annie’s and matching their steps as they left the clinic.

  Her friends drove her to the cottage. Annie was eager to show off her place. They admired her garden, but she could tell it wasn’t really their thing, which was fine. Undoubtedly, it surprised them that it was hers.

  To get ready for their night out, Steph immediately invaded Annie’s lone bathroom to redo her hair and makeup, while Trevor looked around her cottage. Gabby petted Ringo, lavishing attention on him.

  “I didn’t know you liked cats,” Trevor commented.

  “I didn’t either until Keaton gave him to me.”

  “You mention Keaton every time we talk,” Trevor said. “Are we going to get a chance to meet him?”

  “Of course. He said he’d stop by at the bar later.”

  “Great. I’m looking forward to meeting this guy who’s captured your heart.” Her friends were crazy fun and she did miss them. At the same time, she loved her life now, too.

  Trevor sat down and took Ringo away from Gabby, setting the kitten in his lap and looking at him. “Gabby mentioned the medical-school thing. It must be a hard decision, but what an opportunity!”

  “It is.” She wished she’d told her cousin to keep the news to herself. No one else knew about it other than Gabby, and now, Trevor and Steph. Not Mellie or Candi, and certainly not Keaton.

  “Personally, I think you should go for it,” Trevor continued.

  Steph stuck her head out the bathroom door. “Me too. It’s something you’ve always wanted.” She looked toward Trevor. “We shouldn’t try to influence Annie. She needs to make up her own mind.”

  “You stated your opinion. Why can’t I state mine?”

  “Okay, we’ve both let her know what we think,” Steph agreed, “but in the end the decision is hers.”

  “It’s life-changing,” Annie said, sighing with the weight of it. A lot of questions remained, a whole lot to consider. She was happy with her work in Oceanside, and if she did refuse the offer, she had to assume she would remain here and be just as happy. In the back of her mind, though, she had to wonder if the day would come when she’d regret turning down something that wasn’t likely to come her way again.

  “I’ve found peace and healing here,” she said, thinking out loud. “Gabby is the one who suggested I find my happy place, and I have. I’m not sure returning to Seattle is the best thing for me right now.”

  “What if Keaton came with you?” Gabby asked.

  Although she hadn’t discussed any of this with him, she knew the answer. “I doubt he would consider it.”

  Trevor frowned, knitting his brows together. “If he loves you…”

  “He cares about me.” Keaton might never have said anything about loving her, but she suspected he did. He didn’t need to spell it out with words; she knew how he felt simply by the things he did for her. No man would work that hard and relentlessl
y to clear a thorn-infested garden for a woman unless he had strong feelings for her.

  “Then he would want you to do what’s best for you,” Gabby said.

  Annie didn’t disagree. “The problem is I don’t know what’s best for me yet. Please don’t say anything to him,” she begged, looking from one to the other. “I haven’t told him yet.”

  “He doesn’t know anything about this?” Steph asked, her eyes widening with surprise as she peeked out the bathroom door again.

  Annie shook her head. “It would only upset him, and that’s the last thing I want. I’ll let him know if I decide to accept the offer. If I make the decision to stay in Oceanside, then there’s no reason to even mention it.”

  Gabby and Trevor exchanged a look, but Annie refused to be influenced by their disapproval. She knew Keaton, and they didn’t.

  Gabby, naturally, had her own opinion. “I won’t say anything more other than it would be wonderful to have you living back in Seattle. I’ve missed you something terrible.”

  In a gallant effort to change the subject, Trevor said, “Are you girls ready for dinner? I’m famished.”

  “Heavens, no,” Annie cried. “I need to get out of these work clothes.”

  “I want to change, too,” Gabby said, leaping to her feet. “I have dibs on the bathroom next. I’ll get my suitcase out of the trunk and be back in a flash.”

  Annie knew her friends had booked motel rooms, but apparently they were intent on getting ready in her small cottage.

  It was with a sense of unrest that Annie retreated to her own room to change. She needed this night out. Now, if she could only put the medical-school decision out of her mind for the time being and enjoy being with her friends. She would need to let Dr. Bainbridge know soon enough. He wanted her answer by the end of the following week.

  Annie dressed in her skinny jeans and worked like crazy getting them over her hips. It’d been a while since she wore them. She didn’t remember them being this tight before. Funny, she hadn’t gained weight, but her daily routine of walking had changed her figure, apparently. She put on a bohemian top and piled her hair up in a loose ponytail. When she opened her bedroom door, she found Gabby and her two friends waiting for her.