Page 60 of Share with Me

“Too bad we won’t be using these mugs together,” Brinley said as they left the store.

“But I’ll remember the color of your hair when I drink my coffee in the morning.”

Brinley wondered whether that was good or bad.

The sun shone somewhere above their heads, not directly, but still warm enough to counter the soft breeze coming ashore from St. Simon’s Sound. They dropped off their mugs in the truck, then decided to walk toward the pier and then to the lighthouse. Crossing Neptune Park afterwards, they could make their way to Barbara Jean’s, where their little walking tour would end.

End.

Such a definitive word.

Brinley didn’t want her time with Ivan to end. She felt like she wanted to get to know Ivan more but was afraid of what she might find. Her tea time with Yun McMillan had revealed a deeply religious woman with a broken family that she and her husband had pieced together and weathered for years. In spite of living in a rundown house that ran the risk of collapsing—especially that front porch—Yun had been adamant that her God was still good and that He still dispensed blessings.

Brinley wondered what sort of blessings Yun meant when the McMillans’ lives looked pretty rough.

Well, looks like Ivan turned out okay.

Maybe that’s one blessing.

* * *

Ivan feltself-conscious next to Brinley as they walked through the covered portion of the St. Simon’s Island Pier, as if this scene, this surreal time with a lovely lady, was too good to be true. Here was a pretty girl strolling with him like she belonged with him.

She seemed to be taking it all in despite the smell of squid, shrimp, and other fish bait around them. In front of and behind them, more island residents with fishing poles, folding chairs, and rolling coolers appeared, together with multilingual tourists in their sun hats, sunscreens, excited faces, and digital cameras, all heading in the same direction as Ivan and Brinley, toward the edge of the T-shaped pier.

They passed a police officer patrolling the pier, then by people who had already cast their lines over the side of the pier.

“We used to say it’s shaped like a hammerhead shark,” Ivan said.

“You and Quincy?”

“And Willow too. Did Grandma tell you about my sister, Willow?”

Brinley nodded. “She plays the piano.”

“She’s still somewhat mad at me because I disbanded Jade Strings when we were at the peak of our careers.”Now why would I tell Brinley that?

“After how many years?” The wind blew Brinley’s hair here and there, and she tried to pull it all back behind her ears.

“Six years.”

“A grudge?”

“I’m sorry,” Ivan added. “Too much information.”

“Yun is fortunate to have you, Ivan. It’s hard to be widowed, for sure. Grandpa Brooks was lonely for many years after Grandma passed away.”

“He didn’t remarry?”

“No. He was on a quest. You know, that one.”

“Ah, the Strad.”

“It was an endless pursuit.”

Ivan didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to cast the first stone. He had enough things to worry about. Family debts to pay off, Grandma Yun to provide for, those performances coming up next week he had to rehearse for. He had been so busy he hadn’t even thought much of his brother and his sudden marriage to Zoe. The thing was, the couple had all but moved to Paris. Out of sight and all that jazz. He wished his brother well.

Ivan and Brinley stopped at the wood railings at the edge of the pier. Ivan looked down at the water splashing about the pillars in greenish and brownish hues. He couldn’t see any fish or barracudas.

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