AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The house is on a long island. The ocean and the beach scenes are different in California – starting with the fact that Galveston is found on the Gulf of Mexico. This may be the chosen place for my friends, but I find it disappointing. It's like we have landed on an alien planet.
We finally reached the lovely beach cabana that had been a rental property for the last year before my friends bought it. "Where'd the previous owners move to?" I ask.
"They died," said Clive flatly. "Their kids inherited it, and I guess renting it out on Airbnb was not working.
"They got a lot of business," Jordan chirps.
Clive adds, "Well, that was part of the problem. Hard to be long-distance landlords. No one wanted to take the lead and function as the landlord/host. As is often the case with family members, one sibling did most of the work and got tired of no one else willing to step up and help."
Those were the first words Clive uttered since leaving California. Jordan takes me on a tour. We step out onto the deck, one of the first things I click with. I could see myself doing some yoga on a deck like this one, which extends the entire length of the house.
But the weather is tropical, humid, and sticky. It's not like Dove Point, which can get hot but is not uncomfortable. My hair frizzes. I fish around in my purse for a hair tie and draw my strands back in a bun – but it doesn't stop loose curls from escaping and becoming plastered to the sides of my head.
I spy a "Beach Closed" sign down near the shore, saying that the closure was due to bacteria in the water.
"At least it wasn't due to alligators," I murmur.
Jordan stared at me like she didn't quite understand me.
"What? Todd said there were alligators here," I clarify quietly.
"There are," she says brightly. "It's still a resort town with everything but a Clive's Bakery. While most of the Dove Point refugees, which is what we call ourselves, moved to Austin, we wanted to be by a beach. It will be fine. We will settle in."
"Sure, we will," Clive chimes in, perking up. "Besides, it's not written in stone. We can always return to Cali and keep this as a home away from home. We can rent this out if all else fails. I don't mind flying down and making repairs. We should have done this a long time ago."
"Good for you guys," I say.
I am so conflicted. I step away and leave my friends to themselves for a bit.
I figured out how to connect to the internet and reviewed my messages. Texts from Jack. Love notes, really. And they make me want to crawl through the phone to him. But I can't. I was sent a picture from a flower arranger who set a breathtaking vase full of flowers on my porch.
I can hear Jack saying,"Please don't do this."
For a few minutes, I linger, gazing out over the gulf. I need to sort out my thoughts before I get in touch with Jack. So, I text Todd first.
"There are flowers on my porch," I write. "Can you swing by and pick them up? They will go to waste. Give them to Gretchen."
"Where are you?" he writes back. "Jack is asking me if I know where you are."
"I am out of town with Jordan and Clive for a few days," I reply.
"Are you really considering moving to Jamaica Beach?" he asks. "It looks cute at first, but it's weird."
"I am just hanging out with them," I say. "They sign on the house tomorrow."
"So, was this planned or spur of the moment?" he asks.
"A little of both," I say.
"You know I just met Gretchen, but if she took off without a word, I would be hurt," he says. "You ought to check in with Jack. He is going crazy with worry about you."
"I will," I say. "You're right. I didn't like it when Jack took off one morning after a night together without explanation. But I don't know if Jack is such a victim. By the way, his stalker admirer came to see me the other night at the inn. Scared the shit out of me. She's suing me. I'll be back by Friday. I just needed to get away."
"So, you think he knew about all that?" he says.
"I don't know which end is up," I write. "But I'd like to think he didn't."
"I get that," Todd answers. "But you should tell people in your inner circle what's happening with you. We care about you."
