Page 1 of Miracles and Marriage
1Chapter One
Zoe Blackstone sat bundled up in an old quilt. The wind blew from the sea, the tang of salt filling the air. It was too cold to be outside, but she snuggled in the warmth of the quilt and stared out at the gray sea. It had been raining until a half hour ago. The gray skies looked as if they melded into the water at the horizon. It was a dreary day. One that suited her mood to perfection. Tears welled again. Sniffing, she refused to cry.
Staring over the deserted beach from the family cottage, she tried to make her mind go blank—but the doctor’s words echoed over and over. Her recommendation—a hysterectomy.
Zoe blinked back the tears. She was only twenty-eight, far too young to face this. Never married, she still held the hope she’d find the man of her dreams one day and get married and start a family. That wouldn’t happen if she had the operation. She’d thought she had all the time in the world. Instead she was limited to months.
The painful menstrual cramps and heavy bleeding contributed to her being almost incapacitated several days each month. If she wanted relief from the pain, this was the option her physician recommended. She snuggled against the hot water bottle pressed to her abdomen. Pills and heat helped, but nothing fully relieved the pain.
Not that she’d get an operation based on one doctor’s opinion. Zoe believed Dr. Wright, however, and expected a second and even third doctor to support her prognosis. But not yet. She couldn’t bear to end all hope of having a family one day. She had already made an appointment with another ObGyn. But she knew it was only a matter time. Her doctor wouldn’t have recommended the procedure if she hadn’t been certain it was the only option left.
The pronouncement had been unexpected. Visiting the doctor yesterday afternoon, she’d been hoping for a new treatment, something that would work after five years of trying different medication.
But the miracle she hoped for hadn’t appeared. Each month the pain grew worse. This month she’d been compelled to visit her doctor again. Too distraught to even think after the doctor’s recommendation, she’d hopped in her car and driven to the Seagrass Point; to the cottage that had been in her family since her grandfather had been a little boy. It was a refuge, a haven. She sorely needed some time to come to terms with the change in her life.
Cottage was a bit of a misnomer—the old Victorian style house had five bedrooms and a kitchen large enough to feed a family of twenty. And there were usually that many in and out all summer long.
This stretch of beach on the Virginia side of Chesapeake Bay was privately owned. And in October it was practically deserted. The perfect place to hide away and come to terms with the realities of her life.
Zoe hadn’t even told her twin yet. Chloe would insist on driving out to join her as soon as she heard and at this moment, Zoe didn’t want anyone around—not even the closest person to her in the world.
Her cell rang. It had rung a dozen times already today. Each time the chirpy ring startled her, bringing her out of her reverie for a few seconds. It lay on the counter in the kitchen. She could hear it but couldn’t bring herself to leave her warm cocoon to walk inside to answer.
The relentless wave action of the sea mesmerized. The cool breeze chilled her cheeks. Tucked inside the warm quilt, getting up would mean being enveloped in the cold until she went inside. Maybe she’d just stay huddled in the quilt forever.
The phone went quiet. No one knew where she was. She’d phoned in to the office after she’d left the doctor’s office and told her assistant she’d be out for a couple of days. Not stopping to check in with any of her family or friends, she’d driven straight to the beach. Sooner or later she’d have to call someone or they’d all worry. But not yet.
The phone rang again. For a moment Zoe thought it sounded angry. She smiled for the first time since seeing the doctor yesterday. Ring tones didn’t sound angry. They just played whatever ring tone was set. Sighing, she rose and went inside. Her cramps were manageable, but she hunched over slightly. It was most likely Jedidiah Callahan—Cal for short–she could tell by the intense vibes winging their way unseen. Her boss didn’t do things by half measures. If he decided he needed to speak to her, she’d better answer or who knew what he’d do next.
She grabbed the phone.
“Yes?”
The door hadn’t latched behind her and the wind whipped it wide-open, slamming it against the wall. Zoe winced as the cold air whirled around the kitchen.
“Where the heck are you and why isn’t the Schribner folder where I think it ought to be?” Cal growled.
“I’m taking a couple of days off and the folder is with Ginny, ask her,” she replied almost in the same snarl as she slammed the door shut. She was not in the mood to placate her boss. She had her own problem at the moment.
“And when I take time off from work, I’m not supposed to be working. You have a building full of employees, get one of them to find your blasted folder.”
The silence on the other end lasted only a second. Then the silky tones of one trying to sooth a fractious child came over the line.
“Are you sick? It’s not like you to miss work at all, much less without any warning.”
She took a deep breath. Her private life was just that. She wasn’t best friends with her boss though they had worked together for years. The longer she worked there, the more she and Cal meshed. He’d bounce ideas off her. She’d bring up situations that were beyond her for his input.
For a moment she wished she could confide in him. He was good at problem solving. But close as they were at work, they’d kept their personal lives private.
“I’ll be back in a couple of days. You can manage until then.”
Zoe disconnected and then turned off the phone. She’d have to call her sister soon. Once she came to terms with things, she’d want Chloe’s advice. But in the meantime, she wanted to hole up and not talk to anyone—especially her sister.
Not that she was envious of her twin precisely. Okay, maybe she was just a little.
Chloe and Gabe married five years ago. They lived in a lovely apartment near Dupont Circle in the District of Columbia. Both successful in their respective professions, they traveled often, frequently to exotic locations. Sometimes trips were connected with Gabe’s work as a troubleshooter for a tech company. Other times just for fun.
The only person Chloe loved as much as her twin was her husband. And once in a while Zoe almost wished he hadn’t come along. Almost, but not really. Her sister was blissfully happy in her marriage and that was what Zoe envied.
