Page 59 of Between Two Shores

“Are your folks okay with me staying?” She frowned. “You didn’t guilt them into hosting me?”

Lachlan chuckled and changed gears. “Not at all. They’re having a family dinner tonight with my sister and brother and their children. But if you want to skip that, I can take you out for pizza until they’re all gone.”

“No, that’s okay. I would like to be around people. Maybe if you don’t tell your sister and brother the details of why I’m here, it’d be less awkward.”

“Sure.” Lachlan turned on the stereo.

A song began to play. Beth closed her eyes. The steady high-hat beat, accompanied by gentle piano, calmed her soul. The melody washed over her. Her head fell back upon the headrest and she dropped her hands to her side, surrendering control of the future.

Upon the next song, her eyes fluttered open. The mid-morning sun filtered through the cloud cover, warming her face. She smiled at Lachlan.

“You seem more relaxed.” He grinned.

“I find it amazing how listening to music can clear the sould cobwebs almost instantly.”

“That’s one way of putting it.”

She looked at him curiously. “Have you had any major crazy stuff happen to you before?”

“Not anything uncommon for someone my age. But I’ve seen the effects of trauma in others. It’s not always easy to distance myself from their pain. Often, I’d be disturbed for days. The emergency relief projects can take a toll emotionally. During the action, I’m fine responding, remaining calm for the people I help. Then there’s the aftermath, and I can’t believe what I’ve witnessed. Especially when it’s small children. Breaks your heart.”

Her dilemma seemed insignificant in comparison to what Lachlan spoke of. Another reality check. She’d get through her heartbreak. And she’d be wary of another man pushing her into marriage so quickly. How did she not see the signs? She proved her naivety—trusted too much. But that would change now. Next time, she’d have her security walls ready.

An hour later, Lachlan paralleled parked the Ford close to a beach.

“Is this Oceanside?”

“Not quite. We’re in San Clemente. I need more coffee, and the stop will give me a chance to look up Susan DeHann’s details. Then we have another twenty minutes to get there.”

Beth stepped out of the car and stretched her legs. The wind flapped palm leaves that topped trees as tall as ten people. A rickety pier stretched out to the ocean.

Lachlan stood beside her and shielded his eyes. “Remember the Rottnest Island jetty? You looked like you’d struck gold when you got off the ferry.”

She laughed. “Do you remember me throwing up on your shirt?”

“I recall the smell, yes.” He bumped her shoulder with his.

“Ew.” She grimaced. “What an introduction. Amazing you stuck around for the day.”

Lachlan didn’t answer but scratched the back of his neck. “Wanna come with me to get coffee? Or you could take a walk on the beach while I make some calls.”

She wrapped an arm around her waist. “A walk and fresh air sounds perfect.”

“Okay. See you in ten minutes.” He turned and crossed the road to the three-level SeaShore Apartments. A take-away coffee vendor stood next to a shop lined with surfboards.

Beth made her way down a staircase and crossed railway tracks to reach the pier. Several blue umbrellas bordered a restaurant and bar, but she continued down another level to the bottom step. Slipping off her shoes first, she stepped into the cool sand. Bliss. How could this be winter? An urge to run and let the wind turn her hair into a kite filled her imagination. A strange sensation of freedom flashed through her soul. She’d nearly married Nick, and there would’ve been no return. Her upbringing taught her marriage was a life commitment. You don’t easily walk away when times get tough. Boy, it would’ve been tough with Nick.

A child played close to the water’s edge, making a sandcastle while the mother sat on a beach towel, reading a book.

Beth strolled along the beach, appreciating the sparkling reflection of sunlight on the water and waves. Diamond dust. The diamond ring had a safe place in her handbag, ready to give to Mrs. DeHann. Why hadn’t Nick asked for it back? The money would’ve covered his expenses in Israel. His impulsive behavior baffled her—one day proclaiming their destiny, the next day gone. She kicked at some sand and edged toward the water to test the temperature. Didn’t Nick see that his actions contradicted what he’d been all about? And what was that? More importantly, what was she all about? Cassie had encouraged her to quiet her soul and dig deep. Had she made time to do that before being swept into Nick’s plans and rushed to another world? She’d left everything she loved to follow an empty promise.

Beth dipped her big toe. A chill shot up her leg, similar to the shivers she got when thinking about how she nearly signed her future away at a marriage registry.

“Beth!” Lachlan’s voice called from a distance.

She turned, and above the rocky cliff, Lachlan stood behind a rail and waved. His hair had grown from his Navy days. He wore it ungelled, and it had a curl to the ends, tossed about in the breeze. His white cotton shirt rippled across his sculpted chest and stomach. Her breath hitched as she waved back and headed to the staircase. Lachlan Peters. If only he’d contacted her two months ago. Too late. He wouldn’t want her now. And he’d shown no desire for a relationship with her the last two years. Chasing after a sailor, and impulsively giving her heart to a stranger had tainted her reputation, leaving her no chance.

By the time she made it to the blue Ford, she’d lost her grip on the relaxed state she’d achieved. Knots formed in her belly.

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