A Tender Touch

“Wow,” Tina said. “That’s so sad.”

Freddie couldn’t tell her new friends how horrible her former life had been. She couldn’t tell them that Gary had been controlling and overbearing, that he didn’t allow her to have girlfriends. Or that her marriage had been on the verge of ending long before her husband got killed. “I have relatives in Georgia, not far from Savannah, so I decided to move back here. I needed a fresh start.”

“Good idea,” Jackie said, getting up. “Girls, I think we need to get back to work. Let’s get the kitchen in order so we can knock off early this afternoon.”

Ana shot her friend a thankful look. Freddie was relieved that none of the women pressed her further, but she felt as if they couldn’t wait to get in the kitchen and whisper about what she’d just revealed. Soon, she was alone with Ana, the sound of seagulls cawing giving her a sense of peace. The afternoon breeze had a touch of fall in it.

Freddie lifted her head, enjoying the fresh, crisp air. “I love it here.”

Ana nodded, poured them more hot tea. “This island has that effect on people. It has a way of healing any hurts.”

Freddie took a sip of tea. “I can see that. Rock and you, Stone and Tara—you all seem so happy.”

Ana’s smile was bittersweet. “It wasn’t always that way. Rock and I had a lot of things standing between us, but we managed to work them out. I’m happy for Tara and Stone, too. Oh, and I got a postcard from them today. They’re in Paris, shopping for pieces to refurbish Hidden Hill, and of course, Tara is worried about the girls.”

“Your parents are with them in Savannah, right?”

“Yes, but you know how it is, being a mother. Tara can’t wait to get home and help the girls get ready for school.”

“Yes, I have to get Ryan settled into his new school, too,” Freddie said. “I can’t believe he’ll be in first grade this fall, plus he has a birthday coming up in October. And speaking of that, I’d better get over to the day care and pick him up. I promised him we’d go frolicking on the beach this afternoon.”

Ana looked wistful. “I can’t wait to be a mother.”

Freddie saw Ana’s secretive smile. “Any chance that might be happening?”

“We’re trying,” Ana admitted. “You know, we’ve only been married three months, so we don’t want to rush things, but we’re both so ready to be parents.”

“You’d be a great mother,” Freddie replied, happiness for Ana pushing away her own dark memories. “And Rock—that man has such a way with children.”

“Yes, he does,” Ana said, her smile beaming. “Tara’s girls love him so much.” She went back to gathering dishes. “Anyway, we’ll see.”

“I hope you get your wish,” Freddie said, touching a hand on Ana’s arm. “Being a mother—it’s like nothing else. The love you feel…well, let’s just say it’s going to be hard to watch Ryan grow up, but I guess that’s part of the deal. Until then, though, I’m going to enjoy him being a little boy by taking him down to the beach to make sand castles.”

“School starts next week. Better enjoy these last days of summer.”

“I intend to,” Freddie replied as she grabbed her tote bag.

“I am sorry about your husband,” Ana said. “I mean, we all knew you were a widow, but I guess no one wanted to be too nosy and ask exactly how your husband had died.”

“Now you know,” Freddie said, hoping Ana wouldn’t press for details. “I’m adjusting, though.”

“That’s good. It took Tara a while to accept her first husband’s death. I’m so glad she found Stone.”

Freddie thought about how happy and in love Stone and Tara had looked at their wedding reception, a little stab of some unspoken emotion piercing at her heart. “They make a beautiful couple.”

“Freddie?”

She turned to find Ana staring at her. “Yes?”

“About Clay?”

“He’s very nice and very cute. But…I can’t date a cop.”

“That’s too bad,” Ana said, a determined look on her face. “Clay is different from his brothers. Rock was once bitter and a bit controlling, and Stone had just shut down on all levels, but thankfully, they’ve both changed a lot lately. But Clay—he has a tender nature that hides all his hurts.”

“What kind of hurts could Clay Dempsey possibly have? He seems very down-to-earth and centered to me.”

Ana smiled again, then began gathering their dishes. “Like I said, he has a tender nature that hides a world of hurts. And…he was so young when the Dempseys lost their father. He might be a big help to Ryan.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Freddie replied. “But I don’t intend to get involved with another policeman.”

“End of discussion?”

“End of discussion.”

Ana didn’t look convinced, Freddie thought as she walked back up the street toward Ryan’s day care, the sound of the ocean’s continuous waves falling into a rhythm with her footsteps. The air smelled so clean and pure, she took a deep, calming breath and put Clay Dempsey out of her mind.

But if she admitted it to herself, Freddie knew she wasn’t entirely convinced of her declaration to not get involved with a policeman. Clay did seem like a nice enough person. But then, she’d only had two conversations with the man.

Clay Dempsey might be different from his brothers.

But would he be any different from her husband?

“She’s different from the women I’ve dated back in Atlanta,” Clay told his mother later that day.

They were sitting in Eloise’s vast, high-ceilinged kitchen. Eloise was peeling peaches for cobbler, while her trusty caretakers Cy and Neda Wilson worked on a dinner of blue crabs and fried oysters—both favorites of Clay’s.

“Are you dating her?” Eloise asked, the pride and hope in her silver eyes making Clay cringe.

“No, Mother. I told you, she’s Samson’s doctor.”

The big dog heard his name and came trotting into the kitchen, whimpering a greeting.

“Yes, he’s talking about you, fellow,” Eloise said, smiling down at the waiting dog. “I can’t pet you right now, Samson. My hands are covered in peach juice.”

Samson’s big brown eyes widened, then he circled the long butcher-block work space and found a worn spot on the hardwood floors.

“Good boy,” Clay said, watching the dog. Samson’s eyes held a trust and loyalty that still amazed Clay. He wished humans could be so trusting.

“You know, Samson is Josiah’s first name,” Eloise said, that burning hope still in her eyes. “Or is it his second name? Anyway, we call him Josiah. He lives out in the marsh—you met him at the wedding. You’ll probably get to know him when Stone and Tara return from Europe. Your brother expects you to help him out in that swamp.”

“That swamp is going to be their front yard,” Neda reminded Eloise with a chuckle. “I still can’t picture sophisticated Tara living out in the marshes.”

“Tara is tougher than she looks,” Eloise replied as she finished the last peach, then began layering the slices into a long glass baking dish. “And so is our Freddie, I believe. Now, Clay, tell me more about her.”

“I don’t know a whole lot,” Clay admitted, silently laughing at the way his mother had turned the conversation back to Freddie Hayes. “She’s been here a few weeks. She’s living in a small cottage down by the boardwalk, not far from the animal clinic, and…she sure is prettier than old Doc Bates.”

“You can say that again,” Cy called from the stove. He was a big man with a precision crew cut. He’d been a cook in the navy and now he cooked for Eloise.