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Dirt plumed under our feet, the trail dry and cracked despite last week’s rain. The air was scented with peat, decay, pine. I bumped his arm with my elbow. “I’m going to start thinking you’re living a secret life there.”
He said, “No, I live thathere.”
I adjusted the brim of my cap to see his eyes better. “Really?”
The gold in his eyes flashed with earnestness. He shrugged. “Well, I did before you came along.”
Ihadunwittingly discovered that he played instruments. “Is there more beyond your musical talent?”
“Maybe.”
“That’s rather mysterious.”
“I haven’t been voted Driftwood’s Mr. Mysterious two years running for nothing.”
It took me a minute to realize he was joking. “You almost had me. Because you just never know around here.”
I watched a cardinal flit in between trees, wondering about this man. Obviously he was kindhearted. Gentle. Giving. Why would he be keeping secrets? I wanted to push, to see if he’d open up to me, but it was a fine line I walked, because I didn’t really want to tell him about the big secret I kept.
We walked along, the cardinal’s chirp following us. The forest slowly thinned, giving way to wetlands. Spanish moss–covered branches stretched out over the murky water, casting shadows over the reeds and floating vegetation. Here, the air held a hint of sulfur, and I could hear the movement of creatures in the water, sloshing and splashing, but couldn’t see any.
“I was married once,” Sam said seemingly out of the blue.
I imagined the internal war he’d been waging whether to tell me, and I was humbled that he trusted me enough to share.
“To my high school sweetheart,” he added.
I was trying hard to read his tone and struggling. It was a cross between disbelief and mournfulness. “She divorced me three years ago.”
There was a long, heartbreaking story hiding in those words, and I could only tease out pieces of it. Some sorrow, some despair. But mostly regret. “I’m sorry.”
As we kept walking, I picked up the strong scent of the beach. Soon, we passed a branch of the trail that led into tall dunes, but we kept to the dirt path.
“Then a year after that, I got word that she passed away.”
My breath caught. That would have been right about the time he’d moved here, chasing happy memories. I debated what to say and decided on the absolute, plain truth of the matter. “Life shouldn’t be so hard. It just shouldn’t.”
“Agreed,” he said with a slight smile.
Normanquabarked, pointing his nose toward a sand pine, and I saw another lizard trying its best to blend into the bark.I didn’t recognize what kind it was, but I’d do a little research tonight to see if I could figure it out.
“I’ve been going over to Orange Beach to meet with a lawyer. He’s doing the legwork so I can set up a scholarship in her name at our old high school back in my hometown. A silver lining to a dark cloud.”
I addedunselfishandcompassionateto his attributes. “You’ve got a big heart, Sam.”
He shrugged. “It just felt like the right thing to do.”
We rounded a bend, crossed a bridge, turned left, and realized we’d walked a loop. Ahead, I saw Dez’s house. When we reached the pink pylons, I said, “Thanks for letting me join you two.”
“Anytime, Ava. We enjoy your company.”
I smiled at him, then I gave Norman a good petting before heading for the porch stairs. The wind had picked up, and the waves were hitting the beach with more force. I walked into the house and closed the door gently when I heard Dez talking to someone, whispering really.
I didn’t want to interrupt, so I started up the stairs but stopped when I heard him say in a nostalgic, somewhat sappy tone, “Where have you been, my little ghost? I haven’t seen you in a few days. I miss you.”
I tiptoed down the hallway and spotted his cell phone charging on the kitchen counter. The house didn’t have a landline. Goose bumps rose on my arms.
Dez’s back was to me as he leaned against the doorjamb of the French doors, looking out at the water. He was alone.
