Page 47 of Taking a Chance on Charlevoix
“The feeling’s mutual.” What a joy it would be to watch Holly grow up. Marlowe might not be a mother but she would make a darn good aunt. The idea thrilled her, although she had a lot to learn.
“I'll be right back with that quiche.” Tucking her tissue back into her pocket, Izzy was up and gone, zipping down the hallway toward the kitchen. The long narrow space had been a dress shop before Izzy snapped it up, with some help from Aunt Cate. The back rooms had been reconfigured into a first-rate kitchen.
Getting up, Marlowe walked over to the coffee carafes that Izzy kept on the sideboard. Bypassing the vanilla surprise, she chose caramel macchiato. A squirt of whipped cream on the top made it perfect. When she turned to go back to her table, she was surprised to see Sam and Josh come through the door.
She couldn't remember when she'd seen her older sister so happy. After her sad story about Kurt's deception, Marlowe was thrilled that Sam and Josh had met up again. But she still wanted Sam to take things slow with her old boyfriend. “Hey stranger,” Sam said through her beaming smile as she approached.
“Nice to see you again.” Marlowe turned to Josh, aware of his hand on Sam's elbow. The sweet gesture made her smile.
“Are you checking out your patient?” Marlowe asked. “Want to see how that ankle’s doing?”
He chuckled. “Yes, but she won’t listen to me. I keep telling her to get off her feet.”
That probably wasn’t what Sam had been doing back in Oak Brook. Instead, she’d been packing things up, getting her place ready to show. Marlowe held up both hands in disbelief. “Certainly that's not news to you? Why don't you join me?” She pushed out one of the chairs.
“Okay you two. No more ganging up on me.” Still wearing a silly smile, Sam slipped into the chair.
“Have you guys had lunch?”
“Not yet,” Josh said. “We were thinking we'd have it here.”
But as he snapped up the menu, he only had eyes for Sam. Really, when was the last time a man had looked at Marlowe like that? She couldn't remember, if ever.
Before long everyone was eating together and laughing. Revisiting those memories of summer nights on the beach was fun. Someone always brought a boom box and the guys would build the fire from driftwood found on the beach. They roasted marshmallows over the open fire and put messy smores together, laughing at the chocolate on each other’s faces.
“So, Marlowe, are you going cross country skiing this trip?” Josh asked between mouthfuls.
“I don't think so. I have a flight out tomorrow. A lot to do back in Florida.” And maybe now she’d found the energy for it.
“How did everything go at your interview?” Sam asked. Marlowe filled them in on her meeting with Gabby and Chip. While she was finishing up, a white van with Tall Oaks scrolled across the side in green pulled up in front of the shop.
“Ladies, our chauffeur has arrived,” Jenny called out to the other women.
A man in a green uniform came through the door. Brad, wasn’t that his name? Marlowe had met him at their Christmas open house. He nodded to her as he moved among the tables and chairs to talk to the women. The ladies began tying plastic bonnets over their gray hairdos, while Brad helped them with their coats. Sam was in the restroom at the time and Josh didn’t hesitate to pitch in.
“Oh, Dr. McCall,” one of the ladies said. “What are you doing here today?”
Josh blushed and Marlowe felt sorry for him. This probably happened to him all the time.
“Having lunch. Just like you,” Josh tossed back with a smile. “No office hours on Saturday.”
This was a small town, not Naples and certainly not Chicago. If Sam did move here, and that certainly looked to be the case, Sam and Josh would be under constant scrutiny. And if it didn't work out between them? That could be embarrassing. But that wasn't Marlowe's problem, and she might have to remind herself of that many times.
Coaxing the ladies along, Brad shepherded them toward the door. Obviously the driver wasn't taking any chances. Although salt was spread across the sidewalk, he helped each one onto the bus and made sure they were seated before he went back for the others. Meanwhile Josh was talking to Dawn, who was having trouble with her walker.
Marlowe scrambled to her feet. “Let me help you.” Within a few minutes she'd cleared some of the chairs so the woman had a clear path. Dawn insisted that she could do this herself. Working very hard, she thumped along with Marlowe behind her.
“Let’s be careful on the ice,” Marlowe said as she pushed open the door. “It looks okay but you never know.”
“Oh, aren’t you a dear?” Dawn was trying so hard. “Had my hip replaced a while back and I’m still having trouble getting my legs to work again. I didn’t want to miss a day out with the girls.”
“No need to.” Brad came down the bus steps with the easy gait of a basketball player. “Not while I’m around. Hey, thanks….”
“Marlowe,” she supplied, still concentrating on Dawn. “The Christmas party at our house?”
“Right. Marlowe Quinn.” He knew her full name? She’d gotten Dawn to the steps and Brad took over.
“Oh, aren’t you the sweetest thing?” Dawn said, climbing the steps sideways, one foot at a time. She must have learned that in physical therapy. “You should come to Tall Oaks, Marlowe. We need some help with bingo.”
