Around the Bend (Sandy Cove Series Book 4) Read online

  “Thanks, Mom.” Michelle reached for the cup with a weary smile. “Where are the kids?”

  “Kelly called and said she was taking her brood to the beach. She asked if Maddie and Caleb could come along. I figured with all the birthday preparations ahead, it would give us a chance to get more accomplished.” She paused then added, “Hope that was okay.”

  “Sure. I’ll bet they were happy to be heading to the beach.”

  “Maddie spent quite a bit of time getting ready,” Sheila added with a wink.

  “So Luke was going, too?”

  “Apparently.”

  Michelle smiled, flashing back in her mind to the past twelve years since Madison’s birth. Their pastor and friend, Ben and his wife Kelly’s son, Luke, was 18 months older. Officially a teenager now, the playful friendship between him and Maddie seemed to be evolving into a new stage. Michelle and Steve assumed the kids would always see each other like brother and sister, but now they were beginning to wonder.

  By the time Madison was in kindergarten, Ben and Kelly had added a daughter, Lucy (now eleven), and another son, Logan (eight) to their family. Then four years ago they’d had the twins — Liam and Lily. Caleb seemed to vacillate between hanging out with Logan or playing with the little ones, depending on his mood and the activities at hand. The beach was a perfect venue for all of them.

  “Honey?” her mom’s voice broke into her thoughts.

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you know someone with a blue Impala?”

  “What?”

  “There’s a blue Impala that keeps driving by the house. I’ve noticed it several times this week. Today, it seemed to slow down as it passed.”

  Michelle thought for a moment and replied, “I don’t think so, Mom. Could you see the person driving it?”

  “It looked like a young kid, maybe in his late teens or early twenties. He had kind of long hair, but that’s all I could see.”

  “Was there anybody else in the car?” Michelle searched her mind for any neighborhood kids it might be.

  “There was someone in the passenger seat, but I really couldn’t tell you any more than that. Might have been a girl or another boy with long hair.”

  “I’m sure it’s just some kids from the area. Summer, you know. They tend to cruise around for something to do. Especially if one of them just got a license.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “If you see it again, let me know,” Michelle added, glancing down at her list for the afternoon.

  “Okay. So where do we start? Want me to do some cleaning around here while you finish your shopping?”

  “Let’s start with lunch,” Michelle replied with a smile. “And no, I do not want you doing any cleaning. But if you’d like to keep me company while I finish shopping for Caleb’s gifts, that would be great.”

  “My pleasure! Now, if you won’t let me clean, at least let me whip up some lunch for my favorite daughter.”

  “You won’t have to twist my arm on that one, Mom. I’ll go change my clothes, and after we eat we’ll head over to the Toy Factory.”

  When Michelle and her mom had finished shopping for Caleb’s birthday presents, they decided to swing into the Coffee Stop for a quick latte before picking up the kids at the Johnson’s house. The place was relatively quiet with only a few patrons scattered at various tables, most of them huddled over laptops or iPads.

  “Michelle?” a male voice said as they passed.

  Turning to look, Michelle saw her college anthropology professor. “Dr. Chambers?”

  “One and the same,” he said as he stood to greet her, his blue eyes sparkling and his silver hair cut short.

  “Wow. I can’t believe you remember my name,” she said.

  “I never forget a pretty face,” he replied.

  Michelle felt herself blush. Rick Chambers had an unnerving charm about him. A flood of memories took her back to the many class sessions where he’d made her squirm with his smooth presentation. Not to mention his very deliberate and verbal anti-Christian slant.

  The last contact she’d had with him was the day of the final exam. Wanting to somehow communicate her faith to him, but having lacked the confidence to stand up to him during class discussions, she’d written him a letter explaining how she’d come to develop a relationship with God, with the hopes it might somehow impact his life.

  Now he was turning to her mom, extending his hand. “Rick Chambers.”

  “This is my mom,” Michelle said. “Mom, this is my anthropology professor from college.”

  “Really? Well I’m pleased to meet you,” Sheila replied, accepting his handshake.

  “You two look like you could be sisters,” he observed, focusing his attention on Sheila.

  Michelle’s mother smiled. “You’re very kind.”

  He smiled. “Please, allow me to treat you to one of the delicious concoctions here.”

  Michelle glanced over at her mother, who seemed to be unsure how to respond. “Thanks, but that’s really not necessary,” she said.

  “It would be my pleasure,” he said adding, “and it would give me a much needed break from this,” as he gestured to his laptop.

  Sheila surprised Michelle by accepting his invitation. “We can only stay for a little bit,” she said. “Then we’ve got to pick up Michelle’s kids.”

  “Kids?”

  “Yep,” Michelle replied, feeling herself regaining her footing. “A daughter who’s twelve and a son who’s about to turn six.”

  “Well, good for you! Congratulations,” he said warmly. “Now what can I get you two lovely ladies?”

  A few minutes later he was returning to their table with two steaming lattes in his hands. “Mocha,” he said, handing one to Michelle, “and vanilla,” he added, placing Sheila’s in front of her.

  As he took his seat, Michelle wondered if he remembered her letter and what he’d thought about it. Wow, that had been nearly thirteen years ago. Although she was confident the letter had communicated what was on her heart and mind, she couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy sitting here beside him having no idea how he’d reacted to her written testimony.

  “So, are you from this area?” he asked Sheila.

  “Actually, I’m just relocating here from southern California,” she replied.

  “You and your husband must be looking forward to spending more time with your grandkids,” he said.

  Michelle could see her mom’s face fall, and she cut into the conversation. “My dad passed away about a year ago.”

  Rick’s face seemed to reflect genuine concern. “I’m so sorry to hear that.” Turning to Sheila, he added, “Well, it must be a comfort to be moving close to your daughter and grandchildren.”

  She glanced over at Michelle and smiled. “Yes, it is. Do you have any grandchildren?” she asked.

  “Me? No. I’ve never found the right woman to settle down with. One of my biggest regrets,” he added, staring down into his coffee cup.

  For a moment, Michelle saw something in him she’d never seen before in class. A small chink in his armor of charm.

  “That’s a shame,” her mom piped in. “Family is so important.”

  He nodded. “Well, you two ladies are very blessed to have realized that and made it a priority in your lives. I’m sure I could learn a lot from the two of you,” he added. Then he turned to Sheila. “Your daughter is something special.”

  She smiled and nodded. “Yes, she is.”

  “And I have a feeling you had a hand in that,” he said with a wink.

  Again, Sheila blushed.

  Was Rick Chambers flirting with her mom? Michelle sat back and studied the two of them as they chatted on. Come to think of it, Dr. Chambers was probably about her mother’s age. Perhaps a bit younger, but not by more than a handful of years. And he certainly was giving her mom his undivided attention.

  “Michelle?” her mom’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

  “Yeah?”

 
“Dr. Chambers was asking you a question,” Sheila said.

  “Rick. Please call me Rick.”

  “Okay. Rick was asking you something, honey.”

  Michelle turned to face her professor. “Sorry. Guess I’ve got a lot on my mind. Come again?”

  “I was wondering if you ever ended up teaching. If I recall correctly, that was your goal.”

  “Oh, yes. As a matter of fact, I’m an English teacher at Magnolia Middle School,” Michelle replied.

  Sheila smiled at her proudly. “While you two are catching up, I’m going to excuse myself to use the ladies’ room.”

  As soon as she was out of earshot, Rick leaned forward. “I’m glad we have this moment to talk, Michelle. I want to hear more about your teaching, but first I’d like to just say that your letter meant a lot to me. I’ve had many Christian students pass through my classes, but none of them have taken the time to reach out to me in that way.”

  Michelle studied his face. Was he being sincere? Or was this another ploy to launch a conversation challenging her faith?

  “I know I was pretty hard on you and your classmates,” he continued. “I know the pain of losing a parent. But my loss…well, it left me cold toward the possibility of the existence of God. Instead of bolstering my faith, it was a crushing blow to it. And I didn’t want my students to ever face such a disappointment themselves, when they realized their god wasn’t going to be able to fix everything.”

  She nodded. “I see.”

  “At any rate, I kept your letter. And I’ve reread it numerous times. Especially on the days when my mother’s memory resurfaces to haunt me. You need to know that the message of that letter…” He gazed off into space, then looked back into her eyes. “…it’s chiseling away at the wall I’d built around my heart.” Again he averted his eyes. Then clearing his throat, he picked up his coffee cup and concluded, “I thought you should know.”

  “Thanks for telling me that. I had no idea it would mean that much to you. In fact, I almost chickened out when it was time to hand it over.”

  He smiled warmly. “I’m glad you didn’t.” Pausing, as if trying to make a decision, he added, “And if your invitation still stands, I’d like to take you up on it.”

  “Invitation?” What is he talking about?

  “Your invitation to join you at church sometime,” he replied, leveling his gaze at her.

  “Uh…sure. Of course. You’re always welcome.”

  “We’d love to have you join us,” Sheila added warmly as she rejoined them at the table. “Sorry. I couldn’t help overhearing the last bit of your conversation. Wouldn’t it be nice to have Dr. Chambers join us, honey?” she asked Michelle.

  “Yes. That would be great.”

  “Rick. Please. I reserve Dr. Chambers for my students.”

  “Rick, then,” Sheila replied with a smile. “This Sunday’s going to be a bit busy because my folks are coming for Michelle’s son’s birthday party. But perhaps you could join us the following weekend?”

  “I’d love to,” he replied, this time completely focused on Michelle’s mom.

  “Michelle, give him the information, dear,” Sheila instructed.

  And so Michelle found herself giving Rick Chambers the location and service time they’d be attending. He carefully wrote it down on a napkin and slipped it into his shirt pocket. “It’s a date then,” he said. “I’ll look forward to it.”

  “Great,” Michelle replied, pushing back her chair. “We’d better get going, Mom.”

  “Yes. Well, it was very nice chatting with you, Rick. And thank you for the latte,” Sheila added as she stood to join Michelle.

  After they’d left the coffee shop, Michelle said, “Mom, Dr. Chambers was really checking you out.”

  Sheila blushed and shook her head as she pushed the air away with her hand. “Nonsense. He was just being a gentleman.”

  “Right.” Michelle smiled, suddenly seeing her mother in a new way. Although Rick Chambers was not the man for her mother, it was wonderful to see her mom feeling attractive and young enough to still catch an eye. She noticed a new bounce in her mother’s steps as they walked to the car to go pick up the kids. Maybe God has another man in the future for Mom.

  Sheila stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bedroom and studied her image. Was it possible Michelle’s professor really did find her attractive? In her youth, she’d turned a few heads. But now? In her early sixties?

  Turning to the side, she examined the profile of her figure. Sucking in her stomach, she drew her shoulders back and tried to view herself objectively. Compared to the willowy thinness of her daughter, her body seemed short and somewhat rounded.

  Facing forward again, she gave herself a resigned smile. Nope. You’re definitely not a youthful gal anymore, she whispered.

  Besides, she just couldn’t picture herself with any other man than the one she’d married and loved for 38 years.

  Sinking down onto the foot of the bed, she allowed herself a journey back in time. She was working as a salesgirl in a department store. At only nineteen years old, the temporary position during the Christmas holidays provided her with a chance to accumulate some spending money for the following semester at college.

  While she’d been helping a rather impatient woman find some cologne, she’d noticed a good-looking young man waiting for assistance. Before he could wander off, she spotted the woman’s fragrance and handed it to her, then turned her attention to the handsome stranger.

  “Can I help you with something?” she’d asked. They’d spent the next hour trying to find just the right gift for John Ackerman’s mother.

  As she was ringing up his purchase, the manager came over and informed her it was time for her dinner break.

  “Please let me buy you a burger,” John offered. “It’s the least I can do to thank you for giving me so much of your time.”

  She’d agreed. And the rest, as they say, was history.

  Oh John. I miss you so much, she said softly.

  Shaking off the past, she stood and walked out of the room. Surely Michelle could use some help in the kitchen. There was no point sitting in here reminiscing about days gone by.

  Checking herself out in the mirror once again, she smoothed a loose wisp of hair and let herself hear Michelle’s claim replay in her mind one more time. Dr. Chambers was really checking you out.

  Rick Chamber’s face and his warm smile accompanied her to the kitchen.

  CHAPTER SIX

  It was 3:00 in the morning when Michelle awakened from a troubling dream about her grandfather. He’d been gasping for breath, gripping her arm tightly and searching her face as he said over and over again, “I tried to call you.”

  As she sat up in bed and shook off those images, a dozen thoughts assaulted her. What was wrong with Grandpa Phil? Was he the one who’d tried to call her classroom? No, wait. Daisy said it was a young girl. It couldn’t be him. But why was her grandfather struggling to breathe? Was he sick? Was it serious?

  Glancing over at Steve sleeping soundly beside her, she slipped out of bed and into her robe then headed downstairs. Experience had taught her it was better to get up and move around after a nightmare, or she’d fall asleep and be ensnared in it again.

  As she settled on the couch, their old cat Max jumped up beside her, pressing against her arm and purring. “What are you doing down here, little man?” she asked. Cradling him in her arms, she scratched under his chin and behind his ears, feeling her body relax along with his.

  She thought about the weekend ahead. Caleb’s birthday was Sunday afternoon. Steve would be picking up her grandparents at the airport in the morning, while she ran the last few errands. Gently laying Max down on the cushion beside her, she picked up her list that she’d left on the coffee table.

  Paper Goods

  Balloons and Streamers

  Cake and Ice Cream

  Call in Pizza Order

  Set up Games

  Chop salad ingredients<
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  Make sign on computer

  Clean bathrooms

  I’ll do the errands first, she thought. If she got going early enough, she’d be home by 11:00 and would have the rest of the day to clean house, visit with her grandparents, and decorate for the party.

  Better get back to bed. It was going to be a busy day and she’d need her rest. As she climbed the stairs, she flashed back to the image of her grandfather in her dream. Please watch over him, Lord. We all love and need him so much, she prayed silently.

  Joan studied her husband across the kitchen table. “You look pale, Phil. Are you up to this trip?”

  “I’m fine,” he replied with a weary smile.

  “When we get home from Michelle’s house, I’m making appointments for our annual checkups,” she said.

  “You already said that, remember?”

  She was stunned by his tone of voice. “Sorry, dear.”

  “No. I’m the one who’s sorry. You’re right. We should get in for our physicals when we get home.” He rubbed his back and then added, “Well, I’d better get the suitcase in the car. We need to leave for the airport in half an hour.” Gripping the edge of the table, he pulled himself to his feet.

  “I’ll just water those planters out back and then I’m ready,” Joan said.

  It would be so nice to be with their daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandkids again. She could hardly believe Caleb was already turning six. Seemed like less than a year ago she’d been rocking his tiny body and rejoicing with Michelle over the surprise adoption.

  Thank you, Lord, for the miracles you’ve done for all of us. Turning her attention back to the present, she rinsed off their breakfast dishes and headed outside.

  “Busy day!” Steve said, as he gave Michelle a quick hug. “What can I do to help?”

  “Can you watch the kids until you pick up Grandma and Grandpa at the airport? I’ve got tons of errands to run.”

  “You’ve got it, babe,” he replied. “What time’s their flight again?”

  “They’re arriving at 1:30. Mom will be here with Caleb and Maddie if I’m not back from my errands.” Michelle handed him a paper with the flight number. “Hey, speaking of Mom, guess who we saw yesterday at the Coffee Stop?”