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“I don’t like to do that because potluck meals have never appealed to me. And I worry about another cook’s hygiene.” Kassandra laughed at herself.
“Gotcha. You bought enough flour to bake bread for a year.”
“Ha! Yes, I just moved into my house a few weeks ago, and I don’t have any staples.”
The pies and rolls and other traditional dishes she’d bake from scratch. Having the complete responsibility for a large meal like this was new, but she figured if she’d gotten through a cardiac surgery residency, she could do this. She’d prepare everything in advance and bake it the next morning.
“You should think about getting disposable foil pans. They’ll make your life so much easier.”
“I’ll do that!”
Dishes, silverware, and platters had all come with the house. She’d spend the rest of the day washing and sorting to make sure she had enough of everything, trying to forget about the confrontation with Sandra.
Laundering Igor’s stacks of table linens, something else she was sure had come from Pam, was therapeutic. Kassandra quickly folded the real linen items, hoping she’d get away with not ironing anything. The work was soothing. Hopefully, she wouldn’t say anything else inappropriate on Thanksgiving Day.
Down the beach, Pam prepared to go for a run, bundling up for the cold. Dan was at the gym, and it felt like a good time to get out alone. She grabbed a grocery bag for trash and treasures. Clear glass ginger jars on the kitchen counters were full of beach finds, including small shells, religious medals, and even a ruby ring. She had found nothing worth picking up in a while.
Out on the sand, in the fog rolling off the water, a wave of depression and sinking regret for everything that had recently transpired brought Pam to tears.
“What in the heck is wrong with you?” she mumbled, wiping her face with a mittened hand, a streak of beige makeup soiling the palm.
She missed everyone she’d lost—Jack, her sister Marie, her mother, and especially Brent. As the soles of her shoes hit the wet sand, she realized she missed more than dead people; Ryan was at the top of the list, along with Lisa and her children, to whom she just couldn’t keep a promise. Lord knew she had tried repeatedly to make plans to spend routine time with them, but it rarely panned out.
The problem with the beach now was that Pam couldn’t go in any direction without running into someone. The closer she gotto Kassandra’s house, the worse she felt, and she was practically crouching to get by undetected.
Kassandra saw Pam, and it was obvious she was in distress, hunched over with her head swiveling to look at the house. Kassandra’s first instinct was to run out and see if she could assist in some way, but she quickly disregarded that. Pam didn’t need to be rescued and was probably dreading being seen.
Sipping coffee, Kassandra watched Pam make her way up the beach and longed to join her. She decided, against her better judgment, that she would go out when Pam made the return pass. But Kassandra waited twenty minutes, and there was no sign of Pam.
Once Pam reached the causeway, she decided to climb the dune to the street and run home on the pavement. Dan’s car was in the driveway, and he opened the front door for her.
“Why’d you come this way?”
“I had a feeling Kassandra was watching me, and I wasn’t in the mood. How was your workout?”
“Good.”
“I’m going to head over to the gym now.”
Frowning, Dan shook his head. “You just ran miles, Pam.”
“It’s okay. I need to lift weights. Anyway, I can’t sit around here all day.”
He stepped aside so she could pass, pulling out an empty trash bag from her pocket. “No glass today?”
“I didn’t look.”
“I could use a run. Do you want me to go out with you again?” Dan asked.
She glanced at him. “You’d do that?”
“I would. I’d be honored.”
“Yes. I need to go again. I didn’t realize the beach is getting too crowded.”
Dan looked out the veranda window to the empty beach. “I didn’t invite any of these people to move here.”
“Ha! I didn’t either.” Pam went into the master bedroom and came out five minutes later, her hair re-combed and her makeup freshened. “I’m ready.”
