Tea & Comfort (Madrona Island Series Book 2), page 16
There was only one concern left. How would the dog get along with customers milling around his land and tasting room? And children? When they were back at the shelter, the volunteer slipped off the leash and placed Bailey back in his kennel. The dog’s eyes widened as he looked to Luke.
“Don’t worry, boy,” Luke said. “I’ll be right back.”
Inside the office, Sean gave Luke a stack of paperwork to fill out. Was he a homeowner? Yes. Was there a fenced area? Most of the perimeter was fenced and Luke would make sure the rest was completed. He filled everything out and handed the papers back.
“One other question,” Luke asked. “Do you know how Bailey is with strangers? Kids?”
Sean smiled. “He was raised in a daycare with lots of kids and parents coming and going. I think he’s been pretty bored here.”
“Why is he here?” Luke asked.
“Sandy owned the daycare. When her husband was transferred out of the country and they couldn’t bring Bailey with them, it about broke her heart. I promised her Bailey would find a good home.”
“Well, he’ll have one now. I promise.” Luke signed the final papers, paid the fee plus a generous donation, and waited for Bailey to join him on the journey to his new home.
As soon as they were secure in his truck, Luke called Kyla. He didn’t want to disturb her busy day, but he just had to tell her.
“Tea & Comfort,” she answered.
“Just a quick call,” Luke said. “Do you mind if I bring a new friend to dinner tonight at your place?”
“A new friend?” she asked.
“His name is Bailey. He’s three years old and he is an Australian cattle dog mix.”
“Luke, you got a dog!” she said.
“He’s a keeper for sure.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Kyla carried her laptop into the parlor and joined Lily—now sporting a baby bump under her shirt—and Jude, who waited at the dining room table. As usual when they met at Madrona Island B&B, Lily had coffee in a large thermos and scones waiting on silver platters. The warm air smelled of apples and cinnamon. There was no better place to meet and no better friends to help her with her quest.
“Thank you both for being here,” Kyla said.
“With such a juicy plan in the making, I couldn’t get here fast enough,” Jude said.
Lily scoffed at Jude. “And of course we’re always here for you, Kyla.”
“Right,” Jude said. “Now, what’s the plan?”
Kyla almost laughed out loud. With these three incredible women putting their heads together, watch out anyone who got in their way.
“Coffee?” Lily asked.
“The sooner the better,” Kyla answered.
Lily poured coffee into thick, handcrafted mugs. She took a seat across from Kyla and pulled out a legal pad of paper. “I’ll take notes,” she offered.
“Perfect,” Kyla said. “I’ll do research while we talk and I can type up the notes later.” She opened her laptop. “Password still the same?”
Lily nodded and leaned back into her chair.
Kyla typed in happy2Bhere and waited for it to connect. Living on the island, the signal was on-again/off-again. She looked up and all eyes were on her. “I’m still nervous about Luke and I sharing our everything, including my past.”
“With us?” Jude asked.
“You and the rest of the country,” Kyla said with a smile.
“Is that a wise idea?” Lily asked. “You’ll lose your privacy, and Luke’s family…how will they take this?”
“Don’t worry, Lily,” Kyla said. “If I keep running and hiding, how can I ever be happy? I’d always be looking over my shoulder and worrying. This way, the truth is out.”
“And the truth shall set you free,” Jude said triumphantly. “I get it. What can we do to help?”
Lily still looked concerned, or was it simply exhaustion that Kyla picked up on? Her translucent skin could be the winter white of Washington, but Kyla made a mental note to mix up some iron tonic and bring it over soon. A dark cloud crossed her vision, then vanished. This pregnancy was taking a toll on Lily, and Kyla needed to stay alert if she was to help her friend. She shook away the dark thoughts and spelled out her plan.
“First, I need your help to write up a short draft about Darcy Devereux. Who she really was and why she ran away. Then we can write a few paragraphs about meeting and falling in love with Luke in New York. But mostly the story will be about reunited lovers overcoming all obstacles to be together and follow their dreams to Madrona Island.”
“That will be quite a story,” Jude said. “You write it, and we’ll read it and give our feedback.”
“Of course,” Lily said. “Who’s going to publish the story?”
Kyla sat up straight, taking a model’s pose. “I’m going to call my agent in New York and have her contact Celebrity Magazine. ‘Darcy Devereux tells all.’” She winked at them.
“Celebrity Magazine? Will they come to the island?” Lily asked.
“That’s my plan,” Kyla said. “I’ll make sure we get some shots here and at the café.”
“Wait until I tell Ryan,” Jude said. “What should I wear?”
Lily shook her head. “Jude, what we wear is not the problem. Kyla has a lot at stake here. She may not want Ryan to know.”
Kyla sipped her coffee. “That’s fine, just make sure he keeps it a secret until the article comes out in February. I want everything to come out. Luke’s family will read the article, and whatever issues they have will be faced before the wedding.” She made a mental note to call her family soon and let them know about the engagement and the article.
“Have you set the exact date yet?” Lily asked.
“June twenty-seventh, in the vineyards if it’s sunny. And a reception in the barn. We were hoping you and Ryan would cater it, Jude. And, Lily, will you make the cake?”
Both women nodded enthusiastically.
“First Lily, then Shirley, and now you. Three weddings in less than a year.” Jude frowned. “I better catch the bouquet this time.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Kyla said. She pointed out the window toward the porch. “I think we have company, ladies.”
There was a knock at the door and a familiar voice said, “Anybody home?”
Grandpa John walked into the parlor. Lily rose and waved him over. “Come join us,” she said. “I’ll make fresh coffee.”
“Don’t go to any fuss for me.”
Lily waved him to a seat. “We need the fuel ourselves.”
“Morning,” Kyla said. She watched him ease into a chair on her other side. “How are you today?”
His smile was warm and bright as always. “Doing fine. How about you ladies?”
“We’re good,” she said. “Just having one of our powwows.”
“Well, don’t let me disturb you.”
Kyla placed her hand on his arm when he tried to rise. “You are the perfect person to join us. We could use some of your sagely advice.”
His laugh reminded her of Santa Clause. “Me, wise? Happy to help if I can.”
Lily entered with fresh coffee and placed a mug before Grandpa John. “Just the way you like it,” she said. “One sugar and a splash of cream.”
Ian poked his head in. “Mind if I stoke the fire a bit?” No one spoke as he added logs and adjusted them until the fire caught at the edges. “Don’t mind me,” he said.
“Why don’t you join us?” Kyla offered. “I would never have come to Madrona Island if it wasn’t for you.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Ian joined them at the table. He reached over, picked up a scone, and took a big bite. “So, what’s up?”
“Kyla’s going to tell Celebrity Magazine her and Luke’s whole story,” Jude burst out.
“Sounds like an interesting idea,” Grandpa John said.
His warm gaze overflowed with love and filled her heart.
“Secrets take a lot of energy to keep,” he said.
Kyla took Grandpa John’s hand. “That they do.”
His warm fingers tightened on hers. “We’ll all be here for you. No matter what.”
“We will be,” Ian echoed.
Tears filled her eyes. “I’m not afraid anymore,” she said. “I’m even going to talk again with the Lupus Society and see how telling my story might help others.”
“The best way out of your own troubles is to help somebody else with theirs,” Grandpa John said. “Works every time.”
Kyla wiped away her tears. All she had to do was look around the table at the people she loved, and any doubts she had about what she was planning vanished in the golden light of the fire.
***
As Kyla walked in the front door of her cottage after leaving the morning meeting, the phone was ringing. She looked at the caller ID—it was her mother. Perfect timing.
“Hi, Mom. Great to hear from you.”
Her mother asked about her holidays. They’d talked briefly on Christmas Day about all the great food and baked goods her grandmother had made, but Kyla had not shared her news yet.
“We miss you so much,” her mother said. “And…I have a little surprise for you.”
Kyla used to love surprises. “As a matter of fact, Mom, I have a big surprise for you, too.”
Her mother laughed. “Synchronicity. You tell yours first.”
“Luke proposed to me. I’m engaged to be married.”
“What wonderful news!”
Kyla could hear her grandmother in the background yelling, “What? What?”
“Go ahead and tell Grandma Mona,” Kyla said.
Now they were both on the line. “Comhghairdeas,” her grandmother said.
Kyla had not heard the Gaelic word for congratulations since she graduated high school. “Thank you, Grandma Mona,” she said. “The wedding is all set for June twenty-seven. I hope you both will be there.”
“And our surprise is….” her mother said making a noise like a drumroll, “we are coming out for a surprise visit in March to see you. And now we’ll be able to help with the wedding plans.” Her mother sounded ecstatic.
“That will be great,” Kyla said. “We’re trying to keep it simple. Not too many people or fuss.”
“Of course, dear,” her grandmother said. “And we’ll help you do just that.”
Kyla liked the idea of three generations of women all working together to plan the wedding. And this way, Luke would get to know and, hopefully, love her family. A shadow crossed before her as she remembered Stefan. Would he try to stop this wedding? And what about Luke’s family? She shook the thoughts away.
“I have other news,” her mother said. “My book on herbology is going to be published. I’ll tell you all about it when we get there.”
“While we’re on the subject of surprises,” Kyla said, “be sure to buy the Valentine’s Day issue of Celebrity Magazine. I’m going public.”
Kyla was relieved to tell her family everything and have their love and support promised every step of the way.
Before they hung up, Grandma Mona told Kyla to sit down, close her eyes, and let the words of this blessing she said fill her: “May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, and all your heart might desire.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The last few weeks had been a whirlwind of activity. The early afternoon sun trickled in, casting rainbows through the glass prism that hung in the window. The colors sparkled off her curtains and flashed on her walls. It was a rare sunny day for February and the temperature had jolted to fifty degrees outside. The cats sat in the front window, basking in the rays and giving each other a bath with their tongues.
Mondays were her day off, and she usually used them to get caught up on her paperwork. But not today. She walked around, gathering her coat and gloves, singing aloud the words to the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” She slipped her Keens on over heavy socks, zipped up her fleece coat, and went out to the car.
Where to go? she asked herself. The view from the cliff where the lighthouse stood would be spectacular today and she could walk the driftwood-filled beach afterwards. Kyla thought about calling Luke but then decided against it. She’d once been told that good relationships were built on each person having their own alone time, and that sounded wise. Today was hers to be with herself and clear her head. She did her best thinking alone and in nature.
There was almost no traffic as she drove across the island to the state park that used to be an old fort for the military during WWII. It covered almost 500 acres with green hills, forests, trails, and even had an old cannon that kids could crawl on topping one of the now-vacant bunkers. The old-fashioned lighthouse was now a museum and offered the best view of Madrona Island.
Kyla drove slowly toward the parking lot. Deer meandered across the narrow road. A young fawn stood right in front of her and stared into the car. “Go on with your mother, little one,” Kyla said out the window. She waved it along. It scampered into the woods and Kyla cautiously drove on.
She parked and locked the car. She hiked up to highest point in the park, stood on top of the old bunker, and looked out to sea. The tip of Canada was visible to the north. Stretching along the peninsula across the water were the pristine, snow-peaked Olympic Mountains, glowing against the crystal blue sky. Next week the article would come out in Celebrity Magazine and Darcy Devereux would be revealed to the world once again. Many people would remember her face and even her name. Some would know her old persona well. But in the end, it was a passing story. That’s all it would be. People could be cruel and kind. She did not want pity for her lupus, just understanding of the disease and how it affected others. Mostly, the readers would see her blissful reunion with Luke and sigh at the romantic ending to the story. Then they would move on to the next juicy story.
She and Luke would move on as well. Kyla cringed. She hoped people wouldn’t treat her differently on the island. Or avoid her shop. Suddenly she was back as a little girl, playing in the herb gardens behind the house with her mom and grandma, singing songs and harvesting remedies. Kyla had been quick to learn and her grandma told her she was gifted. But that was not the gift she wanted back then. She wanted to be safe and she thought money would buy that. But it hadn’t.
“Stop it,” she commanded herself. It didn’t really matter what others thought. Her real friends and family already knew the truth. And her old crowd? Friends, foes, or casual acquaintances, users and abusers, only those who fit with her new life would remain. And maybe now she could do some good for other people with the disease, especially those who tried to hide it like she’d done.
Kyla watched a couple walking down the beach with their two young boys. The man had his arm around the woman’s shoulder. The tallest boy threw a stick for the lumbering dog that chased after it. The dog retrieved the stick and ran off with the boy running after him and yelling to stop. What a cute family.
Seagulls dove overhead, their cries filling the air, their white wings flashing against the sky. Kyla looked up into the massive wingspan of a red-tailed hawk. Her Native American father had believed in totems. She hadn’t spent a lot of time with him, but she remembered some of their walks together in the woods of upstate New York. “Hawk is a messenger,” he had told her.
“What is the message?” she’d asked.
Kyla remembered the essence of his answer. “Free yourself of your limitations, soar high above, and see the world as it really is.”
She closed her eyes and imagined letting go, letting her life flow and trusting her wings would be filled. Her worries drifted away on the light breeze. Everything began to fall into perspective. The island was her home. Her roots would grow into the fertile soil and here she would stay. With Luke. She could see them together, walking through the fragrant vineyards, Bailey frolicking at their side. A dog barked in the distance. She opened her eyes and watched a wave wash to shore. Everything was just as it was supposed to be. She filled her lungs with the clean, salty air and blessed the day she’d met Ian and heard of Madrona Island.
A ferry horn blasted as it left the dock. She turned and followed the trail down to the water. The white, three-story ferry moved steadily across the water heading for the cute old towns on the peninsula. Kyla walked out on the rocky beach and held her hand up to her eyes to block the sun. Her eyes searched the water. Whales. A pod of the incredibly beautiful orca whales were heading out to sea. She ran down the shore alongside a young family. Their little boy was skipping along the shore shouting in excitement, “Whales!”
Kyla fought the urge to run into the water and join the whales. The freezing sound was not a place to be swimming, especially in winter. She remembered that orcas’ offspring remained with their mothers their entire lives. Family.
Gracefully the majestic mammals moved along in the water, a few lingering as if saying hello. A black and white giant broke the surface with a full breach in the air. Kyla caught her breath at the magnificent sight. As if peeking out to say hello, another orca lifted its head above the surface, looking right at them. Her heart burst with joy as she felt contact with this amazing creature. In complete awe, she watched as the pod splashed and glided by.
A day of signs. A day of blessings.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“C’mon, boy,” Luke yelled to the dog, “let’s go check out the chickens and get some eggs for breakfast.”
Bailey had a real fascination for the chickens, so Luke made sure their coop was sturdy and dog-proof. The fields were covered in a light frost that glistened in the pink morning light. His breath came out like miniature clouds. Together they walked across the icy paths between the vines. He’d had to lime the vineyard because of all the rains, but in a few months they would dry and fill with sunlight.
Luke looked up at the sound of the mail truck making its way down the dirt drive. He’d ordered a copy of Celebrity Magazine special delivery. This was the day it had been promised to arrive and would also hit the stands. He walked back to the tasting room and waved.
