that made his smile widen. He wouldn’t mind listening to that all day long.
T WELVE
A my relished the warm sun on her skin and the sound of the surf. She kicked off her sandals and dug her toes into the sand at the edge of the sheet. Being on Hope Island was rejuvenating for her, and the frozen state she’d been in since Ben’s death was beginning to thaw. Kites fluttered in the breeze against a backdrop of the surf’s mesmerizing murmur. Boston’s hustle-bustle was a million miles away. The island was a place apart, a Brigadoon. Different from any other spot, safer somehow.
Though it hadn’t been safe for Ben. She still reeled from everything she’d learned since she’d arrived. Drugs. Was it possible? If so, she wanted to hide it from her parents.
She let sand trickle through her fingers. She still didn’t see Curtis’s broad-shouldered figure. He’d gone down the beach to a vendor to fetch water for them both. It had been a pleasant interlude, but they still had yet to decide on a course of action. The problem was that they had so little to go on. Her gut instinct was all they had. At least he believed enough to help her pursue it.
“Amy?”
Dara stood about five feet away with another woman with dishwater hair that was styled in a spiky cut that gave her a youthful flair. She appeared to be in her fifties.
Amy stood and brushed the sand from her hands. “Hi, Dara. Are you enjoying the show?”
“It’s very thrilling. Are you going to compete?”
Amy shook her head. “Not hardly. You?”
“I wish I could! I love adventure. I’ve been trying to talk Aunt Winona here into learning.” She glanced at the other woman. “I don’t think you two have met. This is my aunt, Winona Anderson. We’re here for a month.”
“Pleased to meet you. Have you been here before?”
“This is our first time. I’m looking to buy a house next to the handsome Coast Guard officer who helped save us,” Winona said. “So you might be seeing a lot of us. We wouldn’t move here, of course. I have my constituents to take care of, and Dara has her modeling career to pursue. But I could see coming over in our boat every month.”
Modeling? Amy thought Dara worked for Preston. “How nice. You’re in politics, Winona?”
The older woman nodded. “I’m a North Carolina state senator.”
“So I’m sure you know Preston Kendrick as well.”
“Of course. That’s how Dara here ended up helping on his campaign. She’s hoping the visibility will help her modeling.”
“You live here?” Dara frowned as though she didn’t like her aunt talking about her.
Amy nodded. “I own Rosemary Cottage on the edge of town. You may have seen it? It’s the one with the herb garden in the front yard.”
“Cute place.”
Her tone insinuated otherwise, but Amy refused to take offense. “You’re a model, huh? How can you do that and work for Preston too?”
Dara colored a little. “Well, modeling is slow right now. It will pick up again soon. In the meantime, I’m doing good for the country. What do you do?”
“I’m a midwife.” Amy smiled, knowing how that was likely to go over.
Winona had a bottle of water to her lips, and she choked. “A—A midwife? They’re illegal in North Carolina.”
“I’m a registered nurse midwife, and we can practice legally. We’re working to change the status of all midwives in the state though.” She smiled at Winona. “You could help.”
“Oh dear, I’m quite opposed to the bill in the house right now. I’m afraid I can offer you no support.”
Winona’s warm manner had disappeared. Amy had gotten used to the prejudice she often encountered. Even people who should realize birth was a natural process and had taken place in homes for thousands of years sometimes gave her odd looks.
She saw Libby and Alec strolling on the beach with Noah in Alec’s arms. She waved them over. At least they could help defuse the tension.
“Hey, Libs, you look a little pale. Sit
T WELVE
A my relished the warm sun on her skin and the sound of the surf. She kicked off her sandals and dug her toes into the sand at the edge of the sheet. Being on Hope Island was rejuvenating for her, and the frozen state she’d been in since Ben’s death was beginning to thaw. Kites fluttered in the breeze against a backdrop of the surf’s mesmerizing murmur. Boston’s hustle-bustle was a million miles away. The island was a place apart, a Brigadoon. Different from any other spot, safer somehow.
Though it hadn’t been safe for Ben. She still reeled from everything she’d learned since she’d arrived. Drugs. Was it possible? If so, she wanted to hide it from her parents.
She let sand trickle through her fingers. She still didn’t see Curtis’s broad-shouldered figure. He’d gone down the beach to a vendor to fetch water for them both. It had been a pleasant interlude, but they still had yet to decide on a course of action. The problem was that they had so little to go on. Her gut instinct was all they had. At least he believed enough to help her pursue it.
“Amy?”
Dara stood about five feet away with another woman with dishwater hair that was styled in a spiky cut that gave her a youthful flair. She appeared to be in her fifties.
Amy stood and brushed the sand from her hands. “Hi, Dara. Are you enjoying the show?”
“It’s very thrilling. Are you going to compete?”
Amy shook her head. “Not hardly. You?”
“I wish I could! I love adventure. I’ve been trying to talk Aunt Winona here into learning.” She glanced at the other woman. “I don’t think you two have met. This is my aunt, Winona Anderson. We’re here for a month.”
“Pleased to meet you. Have you been here before?”
“This is our first time. I’m looking to buy a house next to the handsome Coast Guard officer who helped save us,” Winona said. “So you might be seeing a lot of us. We wouldn’t move here, of course. I have my constituents to take care of, and Dara has her modeling career to pursue. But I could see coming over in our boat every month.”
Modeling? Amy thought Dara worked for Preston. “How nice. You’re in politics, Winona?”
The older woman nodded. “I’m a North Carolina state senator.”
“So I’m sure you know Preston Kendrick as well.”
“Of course. That’s how Dara here ended up helping on his campaign. She’s hoping the visibility will help her modeling.”
“You live here?” Dara frowned as though she didn’t like her aunt talking about her.
Amy nodded. “I own Rosemary Cottage on the edge of town. You may have seen it? It’s the one with the herb garden in the front yard.”
“Cute place.”
Her tone insinuated otherwise, but Amy refused to take offense. “You’re a model, huh? How can you do that and work for Preston too?”
Dara colored a little. “Well, modeling is slow right now. It will pick up again soon. In the meantime, I’m doing good for the country. What do you do?”
“I’m a midwife.” Amy smiled, knowing how that was likely to go over.
Winona had a bottle of water to her lips, and she choked. “A—A midwife? They’re illegal in North Carolina.”
“I’m a registered nurse midwife, and we can practice legally. We’re working to change the status of all midwives in the state though.” She smiled at Winona. “You could help.”
“Oh dear, I’m quite opposed to the bill in the house right now. I’m afraid I can offer you no support.”
Winona’s warm manner had disappeared. Amy had gotten used to the prejudice she often encountered. Even people who should realize birth was a natural process and had taken place in homes for thousands of years sometimes gave her odd looks.
She saw Libby and Alec strolling on the beach with Noah in Alec’s arms. She waved them over. At least they could help defuse the tension.
“Hey, Libs, you look a little pale. Sit
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