Cottage by the Sea

  Trevor gave an appreciative whistle. “Don’t know how I’m so lucky to be escorting three beautiful women.”

  CHAPTER 29

  The evening got off to a fun start. The bar had only a few people, and Annie’s friends were quick to liven it up. The music was turned up, and the first round of drinks was on the table while they waited for Keaton’s arrival before ordering dinner. Annie hadn’t had any alcohol in months and felt the effects immediately.

  “Maybe we should order appetizers,” she suggested, and waved the server over.

  By the time the sliders came out of the kitchen and they’d each had their share, Keaton had arrived. He’d changed out of his work clothes and wore jeans and a short-sleeve button-down shirt. Steph stared at him with her mouth hanging open. Annie too. He looked wonderful; she couldn’t keep her eyes off him.

  Introductions were made.

  “How’s the weather up there?” Trevor teased.

  Annie remembered that was one of the comments Keaton disliked the most about his height, but he cordially smiled and didn’t let on that he wasn’t amused. Annie appreciated his willingness to fit in with her friends.

  Keaton slid into the booth next to Annie and reached for her hand. She leaned her head against his shoulder, happy to have him with her.

  Trevor ordered another round of drinks. Cosmopolitans for the girls and a Manhattan for him. Keaton asked for a beer. Even with the slider in her stomach, the drink quickly went to Annie’s head.

  “You know we want to steal Annie away from you, right?” Steph teased Keaton as he read over the menu. “Trevor and I were originally planning to kidnap her and take her back to California with us.”

  “Annie, does that tempt you?” Keaton’s eyes bored into hers.

  “Nope.” She squeezed his thigh, letting him know there was no way that was happening.

  “She claims she likes living here,” Trevor said, and sighed, not trying to hide his disappointment.

  After the second cosmopolitan, Annie’s head started to swim. “I need more food.”

  Keaton motioned the server over and they ordered a selection of appetizers. The band had arrived and began to play. Couples started drifting onto the dance floor.

  “I’m feeling woozy,” Annie told Steph.

  “Then you should dance. You’ll feel better if you get your body moving.”

  “Yes, let’s dance.” Trevor turned to Keaton. “Do you mind if I dance with your girl?”

  He nodded toward Annie. “That’s her decision.”

  “Annie?” Trevor asked. Even before she could answer, he tugged her onto the dance floor. It’d been ages since she’d been out like this. Ages since she’d let her hair down, laughed, or drank a little. With so much on her mind, it felt good to let loose, enjoy herself, and be with her friends again. Annie liked to think she was a decent dancer, and she wanted Keaton to know she was more than a pretty face. She giggled to herself as Trevor led her to the middle of the floor. With her arms above her head, her body swayed to the beat while Trevor danced around her. Lots of people turned their eyes on them, and more than a few wolf whistles came from the gathering crowd.

  When she slid back into the booth, Annie was sweating and hot, but she didn’t feel nearly as drunk.

  Keaton smiled when she scooted next to him.

  “It feels good to let loose. I’ve been uptight ever since Dr. Bainbridge approached me about—” She abruptly bit off the rest of what she was about to say.

  Keaton was far too observant not to notice.

  “Since he approached you about what?” he asked.

  The table went quiet.

  “You should tell him,” Trevor advised. “He has a right to know what’s going on.”

  “Your friends know and I don’t?” Keaton asked, looking around the table, reading the looks on their faces. “Annie, what’s going on?”

  Her shoulders sagged with misery. The last thing she had wanted to do was lay this on Keaton so soon. “I have a decision to make, that’s all.”

  “What kind of decision?” His eyes narrowed with doubt.

  “About work,” she said.

  Keaton glanced around the table, his look questioning her friends, who remained stoic and quiet.

  Their food arrived, and Annie had never been more grateful for an interruption.

  “Would you like another round?” the server asked.

  “No,” Annie protested. If she hadn’t been drinking she would never have slipped up. She should have known she couldn’t trust herself not to say the very thing she didn’t want to say, especially after drinking two cosmopolitans.

  “I’m done, because I’m driving. But these two will have another,” Gabby said, pointing to Steph and Trevor. The three headed back out to the dance floor, leaving Annie and Keaton alone.

  Keaton remained silent. Before her eyes, Annie could see him withdrawing from her.

  “You’re leaving Oceanside, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “I…I haven’t decided yet.” Annie gave Keaton a quick rundown of the offer. “It’s a wonderful opportunity, and one that’s not likely to ever come again.” She trained her eyes on him, her heart racing while she waited for his reaction.

  Keaton shrugged. “Then you should go.”

  His words stunned her. “Don’t you want to talk about it?”

  “Not especially.”

  His body was stiff, and his eyes stared past her, as if looking at her was now painful.

  “Don’t you want me to stay?”

  “Not my decision.”

  “But…” Annie was too shocked to form a viable question.

  He turned to her then, and his look softened. “It’s okay, Annie. I always knew you would leave. I’d hoped you’d stay for a year, but I get it. I’m grateful for the time we had.”

  The drink order arrived, and while Annie asked for a glass of water, Keaton quickly slipped out of the booth. She thought he was headed to the men’s room but saw him walk out the door instead.

  Her heart dropped at the sight of him walking away. This wasn’t how she wanted things to play out. That he’d been flippant about it, acting like it was of little concern to him, cut deep. She hadn’t expected that from him, and it hurt.

  Trevor, Steph and Gabby returned at the end of the dance. “Where’d Keaton go?” Gabby asked.

  “He left,” Annie told her friends.

  “He left?” Steph repeated. “That was abrupt. Was he upset about…you know?”

  Annie nodded.

  Trevor reached for his drink. “I should have kept my mouth shut. I’m sorry, Annie.”

  “It wasn’t you. I was the one who blurted it out.”

  Gabby placed her hand over Annie’s in a comforting way. “He’ll come around. It’s a shock. Give him time.”

  “Finding out that we knew and he didn’t must have been a blow to his ego,” Trevor added.

  Annie suspected he was right. “I’ll talk to him later and explain everything.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Gabby said sympathetically.

  “Me too,” Annie whispered.

  They paid their bill and left soon afterward. Gabby dropped Annie off, and the three of them went on to the motel.

  As soon as she was inside the cottage, Annie tried calling Keaton. She felt horrible and wanted to do what she could to make it right. He must have turned off his phone, because her call went straight to voicemail.

  She sent him a text, but that, too, went unanswered. After several tries and after leaving him two voice messages, Annie decided it was best to let him come to her when he was ready. She told him as much in her last voicemail.

  They needed to talk this out.

  It wasn’t a done deal.

  If he’d only give her a chance to explain the details.

&n
bsp; * * *

  —

  Annie tossed and turned all night and woke with a throbbing headache. Despite a massive hangover and the unsettled situation between her and Keaton, she needed to be available to her friends. They met for brunch and were full of questions about what had happened with Keaton. Annie had nothing to tell them. He hadn’t returned her calls. By noon, the three were ready to return to Seattle. Annie didn’t blame them for leaving early; she was too out of sorts to be a good hostess. The rain didn’t help, and Seattle had a lot more to offer.

  As they were heading out, Steph hugged her close. “Don’t worry. Everything will work itself out.”

  Annie returned the hug. She had her doubts. She’d thought she’d hear from Keaton before now and there’d been nothing.

  Trevor hugged her next. “Keep in touch, okay?”

  “I will,” she promised.

  When it came to Gabby’s turn, she hugged Annie closely. “I’ll call later.”

  Annie nodded and then stood and watched them climb into the vehicle and drive away.

  After seeing them off, she turned to the cottage. It was then that she saw it. Annie gasped, and her hand automatically flew to her heart.

  The medallion. The gift Annie had given Keaton for his birthday.

  It was curled up in the corner to the right of the door, the silver chain glinting in contrast to the old wooden porch deck.

  He’d returned her gift, carefully placing the piece where he knew she would find it…where he’d left her small gifts a dozen times before. Gifts she treasured.

  Her stomach pitched as she reached for the medal. She held it protectively, folding her fingers around it. She stared at it for a long time, and prayed this wasn’t Keaton’s way of telling her good-bye.

  CHAPTER 30

  Annie had waited all day Saturday to hear from Keaton and didn’t. This made it clear he had no intention of reaching out to her, despite her voicemail messages and the texts she’d sent. Well, fine, she’d seek him out and make him listen.

  The first place she thought to look was at his home. Although she knocked loud and hard, there was no answer. Lennon barked loudly from the other side of the door, which led her to believe Keaton might be there but stubbornly refusing to answer. But, his truck was missing.

  “Keaton,” she called out. “It’s me.”

  If he was inside, it was apparent that he knew it was her, but he wasn’t ready to clear the air, which frustrated her even more. She wanted him to know she wasn’t taking back the medallion. He had her heart whether he wanted it or not, so she hung it on the door handle by the chain.

  On the off chance she was mistaken and Keaton hadn’t been at the house, she drove around town, looking for his truck. That proved to be a futile effort. With nothing more to be done, she returned to the cottage, then sat depressed while she decided what to do next. She felt the overwhelming need to make things right with him. It ate at her, leaving her frustrated and vexed.

  It was past dinnertime, but she wasn’t hungry. When she saw Preston pull up and park his truck, she hurried out of the cottage and called to him, hoping he would know something.

  “Hey, Preston.”

  He glanced over at her and raised his hand in greeting.

  Right away she noticed he was grinning, which told her things must be going well between him and Mellie.

  “I’m bringing Mellie some dog food,” he said, walking around to the back of his truck and hefting a twenty-five-pound bag over his shoulder.

  Annie didn’t think Mellie was currently caring for any injured dogs and suspected Preston used the dog food as an excuse to visit. He might not realize he was being obvious, but he was. No worries. If Mellie didn’t want him visiting, she’d find a way to tell him so there’d be no question and he’d know it.

  “Have you been in touch with Keaton today?” she asked, anxious to find out what she could.

  Preston shook his head. “Haven’t seen him in a couple days. That’s not unusual. He’ll show up when he’s ready.”

  Annie was worried. They usually connected at least once a day. Often by text.

  She returned to the house and reached for her phone. Although she’d tried several times earlier, she felt compelled to try again. Aware that he wouldn’t answer his phone, she sent a text.

  Please call me.

  Setting her phone down on the kitchen counter, Annie stared at it, waiting for it to ding, hoping he would text right away.

  He didn’t.

  Keaton couldn’t ignore her forever. Eventually he would need to talk to her.

  * * *

  —

  Annie didn’t sleep well on Saturday night and spent an anxious Sunday until she remembered that Keaton had mentioned he’d be working on the mural. He generally worked on it late at night. She waited until a few minutes after ten and walked into town, keeping in the shadows until she was at the bank building where Keaton had nearly finished his current mural.

  Just as he’d casually mentioned earlier, Keaton stood in front of the mural. Only he wasn’t painting. Instead, he was working frantically, whitewashing the work he’d already done, obliterating the hours and hours he’d already put into the project. He was destroying the scene, one stroke at a time.

  “Keaton,” she cried, horrified. “What are you doing?”

  He paused but ignored her.

  “Keaton, please! Don’t!”

  He reacted by doing exactly the opposite, painting over a portion of the mural that she had openly admired.

  “Stop it! Stop!” she demanded, growing angrier by the minute. She clenched her fists, outraged that he would destroy something she found incredibly beautiful.

  He continued, slopping white paint in frenzied movements, unable to obliterate the scene fast enough.

  “It hurts me to see you doing this. What’s wrong with you? Why would you destroy all your work?”

  He turned to look at her, his face a hard mask. “Go. Leave.”

  “Leave?” she repeated, gesturing toward him with her hands, swallowing down the hurt. “Apparently all of this is your way of saying that you can’t wait to see me gone. If that’s what you want, then that’s exactly what I’ll do.”

  He shrugged, as if it made no difference to him.

  Turning on her heel, she all but ran away, determined to get as far from him as she could. By the time she returned to the cottage, her lungs ached with pain, anger, and frustration.

  Keaton had made it clear he intended to cut her out of his life. While she recognized he was trying to protect his own heart, it didn’t hurt her heart any less. All she could do was pray he’d realize how unfair he was being to himself and to her.

  Exhausted, she sank down on the top step of her small porch and buried her face in her hands while she struggled to control her raging emotions. When her phone rang, she had a fleeting hope it was Keaton, calling to apologize.

  It died a quick death when she saw Mellie’s name appear on the screen.

  “What’s going on?” she demanded. “You hurt your leg or something?”

  “It’s nothing.” Annie was in no mood to explain what was happening between her and Keaton.

  “Yeah, right. You’re sitting under the porch light like you’re carrying the weight of the world. Get over here. I’ll make us coffee.”

  Annie debated if she should go, then decided talking this out with a friend would help. The kitchen door was unlocked when she tried the handle.

  Mellie was standing by her coffee machine, brewing a cup, when Annie let herself into the house.

  “Sit,” she ordered, pointing toward the table. When the cup finished brewing she carried it over to Annie and set it down before returning to brew her own. Once she’d finished, she joined Annie at the table. Not one to waste time, she sipped her coffee, looked Annie in the eye
, and said, “Spill.”

  “It’s Keaton,” Annie managed to whisper.

  “I suspected as much. Better tell me what you did.” She braced her elbows on the table and leaned forward to listen.

  If there was anything amusing in this scenario, it was the way Mellie had automatically blamed her. She briefly went over her conversation with Dr. Bainbridge.

  “In other words, you’re breaking your lease and moving away from Oceanside.” She made it a statement rather than a question.

  “I…I don’t know yet. I wasn’t going to say anything until I’d made my decision, but I blurted it out when my friends were visiting.” She leaned against the table and brushed the hair away from her face. “Being a doctor is something I’ve always wanted. And my dad would want me to do this.”

  “Your dad. I get it. You lost your parents, and you’re thinking that this would have made them happy?”

  Annie swallowed hard. “It isn’t just my parents that I lost, Mellie,” she said, pain bleeding into her voice as she struggled to keep her voice even. “My entire family died.”

  A moment of stunned silence followed. “Your entire family? What the hell happened?”

  “A mudslide.”

  “Wait a minute,” Mellie said, her head jerking back. “I remember hearing about that. It was all over the news. It was on an early Thanksgiving morning well over a year ago, right?”

  Annie nodded, grateful it was unnecessary to go into the details. “I should have been with them that day,” she continued, doing her best to hold back tears. “Mom wanted me home, so the entire family could be together.” Her voice cracked as she continued. “I lost both my parents, my brother and his wife and Bella…She’d just started walking. A baby. She was just a baby.” She began to softly cry.