Page 5 of To Have and to Scold

I nod. “Probably about fifty in that chamber alone.”

Her bottom lip drops open with a quiet “Wow.” She turns to me. “Soyou’reobviously from around here,” she says.

“Born and raised, yes.”

“I heard this place is dead in the winter. Like only a couple thousand people live here year-round. How do you stand that?”

“How do I stand it? It’s glorious.”“Doesn’t sound glorious to me.”

“Cause you haven’t lived it. You’re probably city folk.”

She laughs. “I guess you could say that.” She points to a mound. “So, that’s another nest of eggs under the sand?”

“The momma turtles come to this beach and lay their eggs and then bury them with their back flippers. Enough sand to protect them, but not so much that the turtles can’t dig their way out.”

“Where’s the momma?” She looks startled, like it’s going to come out and snap her leg in two.

Normally, I don’t have much patience for the helplessness of a tourist. But with her, it’s cute. Her clothes and that scream on the diner patio earlier make me think she’s particular.

“Don’t worry. Sea turtles go back to the ocean after laying their eggs.”

Her mouth gapes open. “They abandon their babies before they’re even born?”

“Their babies don’t need them. It’s the way of things.”

She gazes out at the sunset, the vivid orange and pink permeating the sky. “The sky’s showing off again,” she says, and then quieter, “It really is beautiful.”

I tear my gaze away from her and look out at the ocean. It’s quiet out here. Except for a small family down one direction and an older couple with a dog walking away from us on the other side, we’ve got the beach to ourselves.

“When will the eggs hatch?” she asks.

“Not quite yet. Maybe in a few weeks. So, what brings you to Willow Cove?”

The wind picks up her auburn waves and she moves them off her face with her fingers. Her face is resolute as her chin goes up. “A quest to prove myself.”

“Sounds ominous.”

She darts a glance in my direction. “Well, thankfully, I won’t be here long.”

“Thankfully?” I place a hand on my chest. “That hurts my Willow Cove loving heart.”

“Oh, I just meant I have a five-year plan I’ve got to get back to as soon as I can.” She tilts her head to one side, shooting a glance at me. “But your town is lovely. Idyllic.”

“Alright. I can live with that, I guess.” When she doesn’t say more, I continue on. “I’m assuming this five-year plan involves your work. What do you do?”

“I try not to tell people right off the bat what I do for a living. It’s easier that way.” She presses her lips together and darts a glance at me.

“A mystery, huh?”

She starts walking down the beach again, and I join her. “Not mysterious, it’s just that sometimes I need a break from people’s reactions. It’s a need-to-know basis type of deal.”

Maybe it has to do with the fact that my brother, Elliott, just got engaged that has me wanting to keep talking to this woman. Elliott finding Portia means that all my siblings are now attached and that’s a little hard. It’s like I’m losing my oldest friend.

Besides, I have concerns about Elliott and Portia tying the knot. For starters, they haven’t known each other nearly long enough.

I glance back at the woman. “Okay. Well, let’s not talk about work. What do you like to do for fun?”

She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Right now, I’m working a lot, so I’m not very caught up on my hobbies.”

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