Jude put up her hands. “Fine with me.”

  Inside, the momentary sunlight streamed through the window, lighting up the parlor. The room was toasty warm, and Lily had the formal dining room table set with rose china, a silver coffee pot, and a glass serving dish piled hot with sweet-smelling blackberry scones. “Ode to Joy” played softly in the background. It was one of Kyla’s favorite pieces of music.

  Shirley was already seated in the place of honor at the head of the table. She waved. “Hello, ladies. Did you come for the “tell all’?”

  For a moment, Kyla felt underdressed. Shirley was in a purple pant suit, full makeup, coiffed hair, and sporting pink saltwater pearls around her neck. Kyla gave Shirley a hug and then sat down next to her. “I hear you have some exciting news to share with us.”

  Shirley beamed. “I do.”

  Jude scooted in next to them. “We want all the details.”

  “Wait for me,” Lily said, pouring coffee and laying cream and sugar on the table. She pulled a chair up next to Kyla. “Now tell us, just how did you find Ron?”

  Shirley poured cream into her coffee and added a teaspoon of sugar before stirring. She was obviously enjoying being the center of attention, Kyla thought. How cute.

  “Search and find,” Shirley said, as if it were so simple. “Google can find anyone. And if they can’t, you can pay someone to find them.” She smiled. “Even long-lost loves like Ron.”

  Kyla had to chuckle. Shirley looked so pleased with herself. Kyla hoped Ron was all Shirley found on that search and not some of the weird people out there in cyberspace.

  A log snapped in the fireplace with a loud pop, releasing a fragrant smell of pine.

  “How come we’ve never heard about Ron before?” Lily asked.

  “I hadn’t thought of him in years,” Shirley said. “We dated in college at UW. I met him at a fraternity party, and it was love at first sight for both of us.”

  Kyla felt her stomach clench. She remembered what love at first sight felt like. One look into Luke’s eyes and she’d known she’d met her soulmate.

  “And then?”

  Shirley looked off dreamily into space. “I couldn’t eat or sleep, thinking about him all the time. Ron wanted to be a veterinarian, and in those days there weren’t many schools. We were thrilled when he got accepted to Iowa State Vet College.” Shirley sighed. “Our plan was for both of us to work and save money to get married when he finished school. In those days, girls didn’t live with their boyfriends unless they were married.”

  “What happened?” Jude asked.

  “Iowa is a long way from Seattle and a lot can happen in between. My mother got ill. I had to drop out of college to stay home, take care of her, and put my dreams on hold. Phone calls were expensive. Vet school demanded every second of his time. His letters grew further and further apart.”

  Kyla saw a tear trickle down Shirley’s cheek. Love found. Love lost. But in Shirley’s case, it was love found again. No longer hungry, Kyla laid her fork down on the antique tablecloth.

  “It was the 1950s,” Shirley continued. “My mother was dying and my father never home. They pressured me to marry. Ron told me it would be years before he could even think of marriage. He understood and suggested we date other people and stop writing for a while. I was twenty-three years old. Lonely and afraid. When Fred asked me to marry him, I said yes. A telegram congratulating me from Ron, and that was the last I’d heard of him until now.”

  “How sad,” Jude said.

  “Don’t get me wrong, ladies. I had a good marriage. After Fred died, I moved over here to live with my sister, Betty, and life has been good. And now it’s very good.”

  Lily rubbed her stomach softly. “So what’s the story with Ron? Did he ever marry?”

  “He did eventually. I saw a clip in the local paper one day and cried my eyes out. By then I was pregnant with my son. Ron had opened his very own veterinary clinic in Iowa. I was so proud of him.”

  “Does he still live in Iowa?” Lily asked.

  “Oh no. He’s eighty-four years young and has been retired close to twenty years now. He moved back to Seattle last year after his wife died. Boy, was he surprised when I emailed him on Facebook. He said he’d never stopped thinking about me.”

  “How romantic,” Lily said. “And how does Betty feel about the new development?”

  “How do you think?” Shirley said, scrunching up her nose. “She’s pouting, banging around with her damn hammer when Ron is visiting, and barely saying hello.”

  “It seems long-lost loves are springing up all over. Like Luke coming back for Kyla.” Jude popped a big bite of scone into her mouth.

  There was a collective gasp in the room at the mention of Luke’s name and then silence.

  Jude put her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, Kyla. I was just…”

  “It’s okay. But don’t count on us having the same happy ending.” If she were honest with herself, Kyla had never stopped thinking of Luke either. She pushed his memory further back in her mind every day, but her heart never forgot.

  “Stupid me,” Jude said. “I was just hoping one might ride up on a white horse looking for me. too.”

  Shirley winked at Jude. “What about the hot chef you hired for your café? I see the way he looks at you.”

  Kyla caught Jude blushing. It didn’t take a tealeaf reading to see love was brewing there.

  “We’ll see,” Jude said with a shrug. “We’re here to talk about you, Shirley. Any wedding plans?”

  Shirley almost spit out her coffee. “Not so fast. If it were up to Ron, we’d be married already. He thinks we should spend all the time we have left together.”

  “Ron’s completely smitten with you,” Lily said.

  “And I with him. But I want a little courtship to make up for lost time. Ron said he has a big surprise for me today.”

  “Sounds mysterious,” Kyla said. “Perhaps it’s the big question.”

  “Perhaps,” Shirley said with a mischievous grin.

  Kyla remembered her fast and spellbinding courtship with Luke in New York. Was there a chance for them to rekindle what they’d once had? Slowly this time, with their feet on the ground?

  The sound of a car door closing echoed inside the house.

  “Knock, knock,” Ron said as he stepped through the front door, flowers in hand. “I hear you girls are having coffee. I hope I’m not interrupting.”

  “Of course not,” said Lily, heading toward the door to greet him. “Come in and join us.”

  Ron looked over to Shirley. “You look beautiful this morning. Are you ready to go on our little adventure?”

  Shirley set her cup down on the table and stood up gracefully. “Sorry, ladies, Ron and I have plans for the day. Thank you for the lovely scones, Lily.”

  Ron offered Shirley his arm and the two turned to go.

  “Have fun,” Jude called after them.

  Kyla watched them walk out the door hand in hand. A longing pulled at her heartstrings.

  “Betty doesn’t sound too happy about those two,” Jude said.

  Kyla nodded. “I have a feeling Betty could use a little support about now.”

  “You’re right,” Lily said. “Let’s bring over some scones and say hi.”

  ***

  Betty answered the door wearing overalls and holding a wrench in her left hand. “What are you all doing over here? Everything okay?”

  “We’re just being neighborly,” Lily said.

  Betty eyed them suspiciously. “All three of you?”

  Kyla stepped forward. “We wanted to know how you’re doing with Shirley’s new development.”

  “Oh, that.” Betty rolled her eyes in her classic fashion. “Fine, just fine. You’re all here, so why don’t you come in for coffee? It’s been in the pot a while, but it’s still warm.”

  They walked through the entry into the living room. Oak floors covered in rugs supported couches and recliners and various antique pieces of furniture. Milk-glass vases filled with fall flowers added color. At the end of the long room was a dining alcove with table and chairs facing the water.

  “What a lovely room,” Jude said.

  Kyla thought the room was exactly what she’d imagined with these two sisters. Shirley was just over eighty and Betty was the younger one in her late seventies.

  Betty motioned toward the table. “Go ahead and have a seat. Cream and sugar for any of you?”

  “Black,” they all said at once.

  Kyla set the scones on the table and took a seat by the window. She never tired of the incredible view on this side of the island.

  When the tea was set, Betty joined them at the table. Kyla looked from Jude to Lily, but neither spoke up. “So, Betty,” she finally said, “what’s it like having a man around the house?”

  “Don’t need one,” Betty said.

  Lily laughed. “They can be nice sometimes.”

  “You’re young and got a good one.” Betty sipped her coffee and bit off a corner of a scone.

  The room was silent. Kyla nudged Lily to say something. She was her closest neighbor and knew Betty the best.

  “It is pretty amazing how Ron and Shirley got together after all these years,” Lily said.

  “Not really, if you saw how much time Shirley spent on Facebook searching for him. That girl got it in her mind to find him and that’s what she did. Thank goodness they stay most of the time in Shirley’s wing of the house.”

  “She seems happy,” Kyla said. “So does he.”

  Betty sighed. “All I wanted the last year was to get a dog. But, oh no. Too messy, Shirley would say. Can you tell me what’s more messy than a man?”

  Jude laughed out loud. “Amen to that.”

  In her mind’s eye, Kyla could see Betty with a perky little dog to keep her company when she worked. “That sounds fair to me. How about we all take a ride over to Madrona Island Animal Shelter and find a dog that needs a new home?”

  Betty’s eyes lit up. She popped up from her seat. “Let’s go. Won’t Shirley be surprised.”

  Kyla could swear that for a fraction of a second Betty had sported an evil grin.

  ***

  They piled in Jude’s car and drove a few miles down the main highway to the makeshift MIA shelter. It was one small building and a grouping of kennels, but it served—with a few small outreach sites—all of the island’s stray animals.

  Sean, the front desk attendant, guided them into the back and pointed out where they could find the dog kennels. “Just let me know if you want me to take one of them out for you,” he called to them as he shut the door to the office behind them.

  Betty leaned up close to a few kennels, cocked her head, and then moved on. “I’ll know him when I see him,” she said.

  Kyla knew that feeling.

  “Well at least we know it will be a boy,” Lily whispered to Jude and Kyla. They walked behind Betty, watching her inspect each dog. A gigantic chow threw himself against the cage door, and Kyla prayed he was not the one of Betty’s choosing. As strong as Betty was, the dog was way too big and strong for her. The echo of dogs barking reverberated through the shelter.

  Up ahead, Betty squatted down in front of a kennel and put her fingers through the bars. Kyla watched her talk sweetly to the dog and try to pet him.

  “Any guess what kind it is?” Jude asked as they approached.

  Kyla was surprised to see a small, about-ten-pound, brandy-colored poodle. That was the last dog she expected Betty to pick out. She did have a soft center after all. The dog jumped in the air, hoping to make a good impression.

  “He sure has a lot of zing,” Betty said. “Those poodles are smart, you know. And they don’t shed. Shirley will like that.”

  Lily leaned down and tried to pet the little guy. “You could call him Zinger.”

  Betty stood hands on her hips, a smile slipping across her face. “Zinger it is. Now let’s get this guy out of his cage and take him home.”

  “Don’t you even want to hold him first?” Kyla asked.

  “Nope. I told you I’d know him when I saw him.”

  When the attendant removed Zinger from the cage, he leapt straight up in the air into Betty’s arms.

  While they filled out the paperwork to adopt the dog, Lily spotted a flyer on their bulletin board. “Hey, Betty, look at this. They need volunteers to help build the new animal shelter.”

  Betty read over the flyer. “I can bring my tools and help out for sure.”

  A lady behind the counter gave Betty a skeptical look.

  “Don’t underestimate this lady,” Kyla said. “She was up fixing her own roof last week.”

  “And she fixed my kitchen plumbing,” Lily piped in.

  The woman smiled. “We can always use new volunteers. Welcome aboard, Betty.”

  The happy crew headed home, dog and all. Kyla wondered how Shirley would like this development.

  If only it were that easy to ease her own ills, Kyla thought. A headache played behind her eyes. A long nap, that was all she needed.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Kyla stepped out of the shower and towel dried. She ran a comb through her hair. A handful of red strands slipped between her swollen fingers and spilled into the sink. With a long sigh, she examined the small butterfly rash starting on her cheek.

  “No, not now,” she said. “Not after over a year in complete remission.”

  Every time she tried to focus on all the things she had to do, overwhelm sent her back into a spin.

  Luke had only been on the Island a few weeks and her past was creeping back up to her present. The dreams of love she’d long since put to bed were waking up and haunting her racing mind. She didn’t know what to expect next from him. One minute he was sweet, the next angry or unreadable.

  And now Lily was pregnant. Even with all the joy of the announcement, fear tinged Kyla’s thoughts. Her gut would not stop churning. She wasn’t sure if it was a warning about the pregnancy or her own fears of never being able to have a child coming to the surface.

  Luke was here to stay. That left only two options for Kyla…stay or go. The thought of packing and running brought immediate relief. She could disappear again, reinvent herself. But why would she run from everything she’d always wanted?

  It was Luke’s fault she was even thinking that way. If only he hadn’t come to the Island. In the whole country, he had to pick Mardrona Winery to follow his dreams. Well, she had settled here first.

  Kyla tossed her hair into a ponytail and put on a warm robe. Back to her routine. No one was going to interrupt it. Breakfast first. She cut up spinach and mixed it with almond milk and frozen blueberries in the blender, then added some Greek yogurt and flax seed. The water was boiling for tea. She poured it into a cup over the fresh tealeaves and joined Merlin in the rocking chair by her small fireplace in the den.

  Merlin curled up in her lap and purred. “Sweet little guy,” she said. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone take away the peace we’ve found here.” He purred louder as if in answer to her words. Oz was bundled up under his blanket in his fuzzy bed with his tail hanging out.

  Kyla was glad the Halloween party was over and there were no events she had to prepare for until the Christmas season. But now there was Shirley’s wedding to deal with. Ron had popped the question all right. All she really had to do was make it a gift for the couple. But Kyla was not pleased it was being held at Luke’s winery.

  “Isn’t it sweet of him to offer?” Shirley had said. Real sweet. It was like Luke was throwing all the dreams they’d had of marrying in their own winery right in her face. But it was not about her and Luke. It was about Shirley and Ron’s sweet story of finding each other again after all these years. Luke had found Kyla again too. The image of him in his dashing pirate costume sent heat through her body. His devastatingly good looks, black plunging neckline with golden hair running over his shoulders had taken her breath away. Every cell in her body longed for his. The pain in her limbs, the aching of her heart, how was she going to heal that? Rescue remedy helped with trauma, but she and Luke were linked beyond this time and place, and it had to be played out.

  She wandered into the kitchen and placed her teacup on the sink. The leaves had formed distinct patterns at the bottom and she was transfixed with the images. Right in the center was clearly the symbol of purest love—a heart. A bird took flight in the upper right corner…a message was coming. But cloud images prevailed throughout. Trouble. Was Luke out for revenge? Kyla tossed the leaves into the sink and rinsed out the cup. Her way of dealing with conflict had always been to run. All the way to Madrona Island. She’d told her family where she was but with strict instructions not to contact her.

  Kyla dropped back into the rocker. She was tired all the way to her bones. She thought of the courage her grandmother had shown coming to a new country and facing possible ridicule with her Irish ways. When she sought customers for her herb and healing business, she told Kyla, “They will come to me, and I can help them. All will be well. You will see.”

  Her mother had cried when Kyla told her about the lupus. But her grandmother had immediately mailed Kyla a list of remedies and told her she would be praying for her. But Kyla had turned her back on them. Now, more than anything, she wanted to call her family. She picked up her cell phone from the side table and waited for the familiar voice to answer.

  “My Kyla, how are you?”

  “Not that great, Grandma. I miss you.” Kyla burst into tears. “I am so sorry I didn’t call sooner.”

  “Don’t worry yourself. Your mother and I knew you would find your back to us,” Grandma Mona said in her soft, steady way.

  Kyla wiped her tears. “I did everything you both told me and was in full remission. Everything I used to make fun of was exactly what healed me.”

  She could hear her grandma sigh. “Was in remission?” she asked.

  Kyla heard the click of another line picking up. “Is that you, Kyla?” her mother asked.

  “It is, Mom. I miss you both so much.”

 

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