Page 43 of Echoes at Driftwood Cottage

“I’m sorry I was so late getting back. But the machine kept acting weird. Then the electricity went out. I had to start the batches all over again.”

“What time is it? Was there a storm?”

Daniel nodded. “It’s around midnight. The storm was a fast-moving front that knocked out the lights along the pier. I had to wait until the electricity came back on. Thank God Brent’s house is across the street. Our Chief of Police is on top of any power outage or rolling blackouts. Come on, we need to get you that good night’s sleep you wanted. I’ll tuck you in. Has this happened before? Have you had nightmares like this?”

“A few, but not for a long time. It’s probably stress-related.”

Daniel didn’t think so, but he left that subject on the table for later. He locked up, cut the lights out and led her into the bedroom, all the while, his brain kept replaying what he’d seen and heard. Fear of water was one thing. But why had she mentioned the taste of chlorine? Ocean water tastes salty. Boats don’t fit into swimming pools. So why had she thought she was on a boat sucking down the taste of chlorine?

Chapter Eleven

Rowan woke before Daniel. Tossing back the covers, she grabbed her clothes, then tiptoed into the bathroom to get dressed. She put on jeans and a top for now but would change before the Zoom call started later.

In the kitchen, she brewed coffee and checked the messages on her phone in case the client had canceled. But the meeting was still on. She went into the dining room to boot up her laptop in preparation for it. Once she’d tweaked the settings on the software app, she headed back into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee.

With the first hit of caffeine came a spate of nerves, a prelude to the Big Meeting. The fix for warding off the jitters was a walk through her grandmother’s backyard.

She went out through the backdoor and stood on the porch. The crisp morning air greeted her with the sweet fragrance of Mrs. Dimsdale’s row of gardenias next door.

Damp with dew and last night’s rain, the musky scent of land and soil had her breathing in the woodsy smell. She inhaled the earthy aroma of new growth, the newly planted wild herbs on the other side coming from Mr. Kercher’s garden, and the budding cherry tree near the back fence.

The once-thriving corner of the backyard—Gran’s pride and joy—was now a barren wasteland, thanks to a couple of years of neglect. She vowed to fix that, vowed to bring back the garden to its glory days. She could remember as a child, walking through the vegetable patch carrying a basket to pick cherry tomatoes or enough scallions and peppers for a flavorful stir-fry.

She leaned against the back gate, took a sip of her coffee, and studied the house. Gray and white didn’t exactly signal curb appeal. Maybe a soft green or blue would bring out the white trim better. Nothing gaudy or tacky. She’d stick to classic colors, maybe install a new backdoor with a pop of bold.

After deciding to go all in, she strolled around to the side to inspect the condition of the flower beds before ending up standing on the bottom steps of the front porch, only to realize that the front door needed a new look too.

“One thing at a time,” she reminded herself.

“Work on getting the plumbing up to date,” Scott directed. “Nobody likes listening to the sound of a constantly running toilet. Make sure that doesn’t come through on your Zoom calls.”

She acknowledged his presence by lifting her cup in salute. “You’re chipper at six-thirty in the morning in light of the fact that my toilet kept you awake all night.”

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“I’m used to it. Makes me feel right at home.”

“A woman who’s afraid of water wants to hear water running all night. Anyone ever tell you you’re sort of weird?”

“I’m weird? That’s rich coming from someone who rattles chains for a living.”

“Chain-free here. I’m surprised you handed off the investigation to Brent without a fuss.”

Rowan stared him down in disbelief. “That was your suggestion. You told me to let go and I did.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think you’d follow my advice.”

She glared at him even though she gave him a wide berth as she rounded the house into the backyard.

By the time she entered the kitchen again, Daniel stood next to the coffee pot, leaning against the counter. He’d already showered, shaved, and put the same clothes back on he’d worn the night before. “How’d you sleep?”

“I didn’t have more nightmares if that’s what you’re asking.”

“What’s your day like after your meeting?”

“Work, if they give me a thumbs-up, creating a fast turnaround design they’ll love. But after that, I’m heading to Ferguson’s Hardware to pick up paint samples. And I’ve been curious about Reclaimed Treasures. Do you think there’d be any interest in Gran’s furniture?”

“Maybe. They do take consignments.”

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