Page 39 of Hibiscus Heights

A man near the entry called out to her. “I should’ve tried harder,” he began, his voice a quiet apology. “Your brothers just ganged up on me.”

“Too late, Seth.” Deb kept marching. The man was married with three children.

Still furious, she swung into her car. More than ever, she needed that run with Duke, but she also needed to vent. She punched April’s number.

“Can you meet me now?” she asked when her friend answered. “It’s important.”

“Of course, I’m just leaving the Historical Society,” April replied, concern evident in her voice. “You sound upset.”

“Oh, it’s way beyond that,” Deb said in a tight voice. “I’ll meet you on the sand at the end of Beach View Lane in twenty minutes. I need to get Duke first.”

She drove home in a haze of rage, resentment, and disappointment, her mind spinning with long-buried memories and thoughts of what might have been.

By the time Deb pulled into her driveway, Duke was frantically pacing and whining at the fence as if sensing her distress. She rushed to open the gate and gathered him in her arms.

“I’m upset, but not with you, buddy. We’ll run this off.”

With his tail wagging, he licked her face, and Deb buried her head in his fur to hide her angry tears. His loyalty and uncomplicated joy were exactly what she needed.

Quickly, she changed into her running gear, clipped on his leash, and headed toward the beach.

The late afternoon breeze was cool against her flushed skin as she and Duke made their way toward the beach. April wasn’t there yet, so she ran some sprints on the wet, hard-packed sand with Duke to let off steam. The tide was coming in with waves crashing against the shore, matching her turmoil.

Suddenly, Duke stopped, looked back, and tugged his lead. April had arrived. They trotted toward her.

“My gosh, what’s happened?” April asked.

Deb unclipped Duke’s leash to let him play in the water. “You remember that woman I told you I met in the ladies’ room today?”

“Kitty,” April said, falling into step beside her. “Did you meet her in the Library Bar?”

Deb nodded. “You’ll never believe who she is. Do you remember that glamorous couple from years ago, Jock and Kitty Emerson?”

“Do you mean Grant’s parents?” April’s eyes widened. “Oh, my gosh. Did you talk about him?”

“Worse. He’s here. I didn’t recognize him at first behind the dark sunglasses. It’s been more than thirty years.”

“And how does he look? Paunchy, bald, and poorly dressed, I hope.”

“Unfortunately, no. Full head of hair, slightly gray at the temples, and looks like he works out. Probably still sails, and he’d look good in whatever he wore.”

April shook her head. “That’s truly terrible.”

“But there’s more. Remember Mason and Teddy?”

When April nodded, Deb went on to tell her about the encounter, explaining that the boys were his sons and that her brothers were at fault for the breakup, which dredged up a fresh round of rage.

Wiping hot tears of anger from her face, Deb added, “My brothers broke my heart for their amusement. I don’t know how I can ever look at them again.”

April smoothed a hand over Deb’s arm. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t have dreamed your brothers would do that.”

“Well, they did. This changes everything.”

After a moment, April slid a glance toward her. “Besides that, how did it feel to see Grant again?”

A flood of conflicting emotions filled her. “It was an emotional rollercoaster, but the young man I’d loved was still behind those mesmerizing hazel eyes. When I looked at him again, it all rushed back—not that I let him know. But the sound of his voice and his touch of his hand…he’s still got it.”

“Would you go there again?”

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