Sunsets & Second Chances Read online

  “I did.”

  “And how did it go?”

  “Not the best. He’s so different than he used to be. Will was a cool guy when we were growing up. He had a great sense of humor, and you could count on him, ya know? But, now he seems like a different person. I lit into him about the way he treated his Mom, but I don’t know if it made any difference.”

  “I’m sorry. Dixie is just so broken up about all of it. She doesn’t know what to do. In fact, she left early from work to get some rest. I’m worried about her.”

  “Do you think she’d let you go to her doctor appointment if you offered?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to ask. Somebody should be there, be her advocate. That’s so important.”

  Dawson smiled at her. “I’m so glad you came into our lives, Julie Pike.”

  Julie felt redness moving across her cheeks. Dang pale complexion always gave her away. “Thank you.”

  “No, really. Getting to know you has been one of the great joys of my life so far. As you can imagine, living on this island can get a bit lonely.”

  She smiled. “I can understand that. This is the quietest place I’ve ever been.”

  “After I lost my wife, I honestly thought I’d spend my life alone. I mean, there aren’t a lot of single women on the island, and who would want this quiet little life I love so much?”

  She wanted to raise her hand, but thought better of it. “It’s not a bad life, Dawson.”

  “I’m what most would refer to as a simple man. Most of the women I’ve met are much faster paced than I am.”

  “The world is pretty fast paced.”

  “True. Look, I guess what I’m trying to say is I know I might move really slow compared to a lot of men, but I want you to know I am interested in building a relationship with you, Julie. I mean, if you’re interested.”

  The redness moved up toward her cheeks again. “I’m definitely interested.”

  Dawson smiled broadly. “Good. I just didn’t want you to take my slow speed for me not being interested. I know it’s been years since I lost my wife and baby, but it’s still fresh for me sometimes. And these feelings I have for you… well, it’s just that it’s been a long time…”

  Julie reached over and held his hand. “I get it. Even though my husband is a jerk of the highest order, there are parts of me that feel like I’m being unfaithful. It’s silly, especially since he did what he did to me, but I never expected to be a divorced woman.”

  “You’re a good person, Julie.”

  “So are you, Dawson. Now, shall we dig into these sandwiches? Because I’m starving!”

  Janine stretched her arms over her head, reaching toward the sky as she closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath of the salty air. She’d never realized how much she loved the ocean until she’d ended up in Seabreeze. This place felt like home, and no place had ever felt that way to her.

  After spending most of her life going from place to place, working this job and that, she finally felt stable and at peace. Reconnecting with her sister had been an unexpected blessing, and now that she was about to start her own yoga business, she finally felt like her life was on track.

  Mornings were her favorite time to be on the beach. No one else was there but her and the curious seagulls who seemed to be convinced she had snacks. Occasionally, she’d throw out some granola, but they didn’t seem particularly interested in it.

  It was only a few weeks before her classes opened to the public. She’d be teaching on the stretch of beach behind Dawson’s house. So far, ten women had already expressed an interest, and she was excited to teach them. When the feeling of nervousness started to kick in, she pushed it away with breathing techniques as best she could.

  She sat down on her mat and crossed her legs. Closing her eyes, she spent a few minutes breathing in the clean ocean air and breathing out her worries and fears. Meditation was something that fueled her and kept her sane, even during the worst of times. It had been her only help in the months after her attack, when no one else knew or could help. Counseling and meditation had saved her, and she was thankful that her sister had stepped in to help her when she was at her rock bottom.

  She laid back against her mat, her eyes still closed as she felt the morning sun start to beat down on her body. It was a warm day, even for late December, but not warm enough to swim. She wore her favorite yoga pants and a long sleeve tee, her thick, curly hair pulled into a messy bun atop her head.

  One of her favorite games as a kid was looking at the puffy white clouds in the sky and deciding what animal they looked like. Today, the sky was a beautiful, rich blue, and there were no clouds to be seen. She watched overhead as an airplane made its way across the vast blueness and wondered where it was going. It wasn’t so long ago that she was in airplanes, traveling all over the world looking for herself. Who knew she’d find herself on a small island off the coast of South Carolina? Life was funny sometimes.

  She closed her eyes again, deciding to relax her mind. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, suddenly freezing cold water assaulted her body, causing her to sit straight up in a panic. She wiped her eyes and opened them, barely able to make out the blurry person standing in front of her. It seemed to take minutes, but was probably only a few seconds, when her eyes finally cleared and she saw William standing there.

  “Why did you pour water on me?” she asked, angrily, as she glared at him.

  He was wearing board shorts and a t-shirt, like it was the middle of summer, and carrying some kind of board. Seabreeze wasn’t exactly a great place to surf, so she couldn’t imagine what he was doing.

  William smirked and then rolled his eyes. “I didn’t pour water on you, lady. I rode my board in and it must have tossed water on you when I picked it up.”

  Janine knew it wasn’t an accident. He could’ve ridden his board back onto land in another spot on the vast beach, but he chose right where she was laying? She stood up.

  “Isn’t a little bit cold to be out in the water, anyway?”

  Again, he smirked. “I grew up here. I’m used to it.”

  “So, you’re surfing? I don’t see any waves.”

  “I’m not surfing. I’m stand up paddle boarding.”

  Janine had heard of that when she was in Bali a few years back. She’d always wanted to learn, especially since it was supposed to strengthen core muscles. She definitely needed that after being out of practice with her yoga for so long. Teaching yoga would help her get back into shape, but she wanted to be at the top of her game.

  “Is it hard to learn?” she asked.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Depends on what kind of shape you’re in. I mean, pardon me for saying so, but you seem a little…”

  “A little what?”

  “Weak.”

  Janine wanted to wring his neck. “Excuse me? You don’t know a thing about me.”

  “I know you eat granola and do yoga, and you seem to ‘relax’ a lot.” He did air quotes around “relax”, which made her even angrier.

  “That’s a stereotypical response. People who do yoga are some of the strongest you’ll ever meet! And, as for my ‘relaxing’, that’s called meditation. You might want to try it sometime.” She leaned down and started rolling up her mat, as it was obvious her peaceful spot had been intercepted.

  “No, thanks. Seems like a big waste of time to me,” he said, turning to walk toward the path back to the road.

  “Somebody like you needs it,” she mumbled. He stopped and turned around.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She walked closer and eyed him carefully. “As someone who has experienced trauma, I can tell that you have some stuff to work out in that head of yours. If you ever need help with that, you know where to find me every morning.” Without saying another word, she walked past him and headed for the road.

  Chapter 3

  Julie sat beside Dixie in the waiting room. Why did doctor’s offices always have such old magazines? Half of the celebrities on the front were already broken up. Julie had offered to go to the appointment with a new movement disorder specialist with Dixie, so they had closed the bookstore a few hours early.

  “Why can’t these doctors ever be on time? If I was late, they’d charge me a fee, but they can be half an hour late and I’m supposed to just sit here,” Dixie said. She wasn’t herself today. She was angry and bobbing her leg up and down, not from Parkinson’s tremors but anxiety. Julie felt for her and wished she could fix the whole situation.

  “Ms. Campbell?” the nurse called from the doorway. It occurred to Julie that she’d never asked Dixie’s last name, yet they’d been friends all these months.

  Dixie stood and turned to Julie. “You’re coming, right?”

  Julie nodded, thankful that Dixie wanted her in the room. She needed to understand more about Parkinson’s and how it was affecting her friend.

  After taking her blood pressure and weight, they put them in a room. Thankfully, the doctor came in quickly. He did a series of neurological tests, having Dixie squeeze his hands, follow his finger with her eyes and walk up and down the hallway. Once he was finished, they followed him to his office and sat down across from his desk.

  “Well, doc, what’s the verdict?” Dixie asked, trying to play it off in her normal fashion.

  “I definitely believe you have the early stages of Parkinson’s. However, this is a very slow progressing disease. People don’t usually die of Parkinson’s, they die with it. At your age and with your symptoms, I fully expect you to live a long, normal life.”

  “What about the memory lapses I’m having?”

  “I looked over your medication list, and I saw a sleeping pill you’re taking?”

  “Yes. My primary care doctor gave me that a few months ago when I was having trouble sleeping.”

  “Parkinson’s has many symptoms, one of which is insomnia or constantly waking up during the night.”

  “I was having both problems.”

  “I’d like to try you on a different sleeping medication. The one you’re on can have the side effect of memory issues. So, I’d prefer to cross that off the list of culprits before we worry about memory loss or early dementia.”

  Dixie squirmed in her seat. “Dementia?”

  The doctor smiled reassuringly. “I don’t think you have dementia right now, but it is a possible effect of the Parkinson’s. A substantial percentage of patients do go on to develop dementia at some point. That’s why it’s important to tell your family what you want now, as far as treatment options, living arrangements and so forth.”

  Dixie looked shellshocked. Julie reached over and took her hand.

  “Are there medications that Dixie can take?”

  “Dr. Arnold already has her on medication for her tremors, and it seems to be working well. It can cause fatigue, and maybe a little depression, so I’d like to give you an antidepressant to try, if you’re open to that.”

  “You know, I lost my son and my husband and never took a pill for that. I just can’t imagine that I need an antidepressant for this.”

  Julie smiled and squeezed her hand. “Dixie, if it will help, maybe you should just try it. Life’s too short to be miserable, right?”

  Dixie sighed and nodded her head. “Okay. I guess I’ll try it.”

  Dr. Holmes smiled. “Good. And I’d like to start you on our physical therapy program here too. It will help you keep in shape, and that’s the best treatment for Parkinson’s. We’ve found that vigorous exercise is the best weapon we have to combat the disease.”

  “How often will I need to do this? I run a bookstore.”

  “Probably twice a week to see how you do. Then you’ll have some at home exercises to do as well.”

  “Don’t worry, Dixie. I can work as often as you need,” Julie said, patting her leg.

  Dixie smiled gratefully. “What would I do without you?” Hearing her say that reminded her of what Dawson had said at the beach. It made her feel good to be needed again.

  As they drove back to Dixie’s house, Julie kept going over the information the doctor had given them. She worried about Dixie’s prognosis, but she was also hopeful that the medication changes would help her live a long, productive life.

  “You’re awfully quiet over there,” Julie said.

  “Just thinking about everything. So much to take in.”

  “I know, but don’t you worry. I’ll be there for you no matter what.”

  Dixie reached over and patted her leg. “I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know. Wait. Isn’t today New Year’s Eve?”

  “Yes, it is,” Julie said with a laugh.

  “Hard to keep up with these days lately. So, you and Dawson have a date tonight, right?” She grinned like a Cheshire cat.

  “We’re going to the big party on the island.”

  “So, a date?”

  “I honestly don’t know what to call it. I just know he wants to take it slowly, and I’m okay with that.”

  “Are you?”

  “Of course I am! I just got out of a very long marriage. I don’t want to jump into anything.”

  Dixie scoffed. “You won’t find a better man than Dawson, you know.”

  Julie smiled. “I know you love Dawson, and I know he’s a good man. But, honestly, I’m not sure either of our hearts are ready for a new relationship.”

  “Well, I’m rooting for both of you!”

  “I’m sure you are!” Julie said with a laugh as they pulled into Dixie’s driveway.

  Julie and Janine stood in front of the mirror, each of them putting on their make up. They hadn't done this since they were teenagers, getting ready for dates. It was a familiar scene, although there were quite a few more wrinkles involved and neither of them could get their hair quite as high as they did back in those days.

  "So, let me get this straight. You actually had a conversation with William?" Julie asked.

  Janine chuckled. "Well, as much of a conversation as you can have with him. He's so prickly, like a porcupine."

  Julie brushed through her blonde hair, flipping it side to side, trying to find just the right style for the New Year's eve party. Her sister was so blessed to have thick, curly hair. She could do so many more things with it.

  "I know Dawson says he used to be a nice guy, but I just can't see it. Every time I look at him, I just want to smack him across the face."

  Janine paused for a moment and then looked at her sister. "I guess I get him a little bit more than most people. He's struggling. There's something going on inside of his brain that is obviously bothering him. I think he just doesn't know how to deal with it."

  "I'm glad you're more compassionate than I am about this."

  "So, are you excited about your date tonight?" Janine asked, a knowing smile on her face.

  "I don't even know if it's a date."

  "Oh, please. It's New Year's Eve and he's invited you out. Somebody is going to be smooching before the night is over," she said, giggling and poking her sister in the side.

  "Doubtful. I just don't get the feeling that he's going to make that move. Dawson is a very slow mover, and honestly it's probably for the best. Two decades of marriage has really done a number on my brain. Maybe I'm just not ready to move on."

  Janine stopped what she was doing and put her hands on her sister’s shoulders, both of them looking in the mirror.

  "You'll know when you're ready. And Dawson is a catch. The two of you just need to calm down and stop thinking so much. Just let it all happen naturally."

  Julie smiled. "When did you become so levelheaded?"

  "I think it's the ocean air."

  Julie hadn't been this nervous in years. Dawson was picking her up any minute, so Janine had gone ahead to the beach. She didn't want to be in the middle of their first date, she said.

  When she heard his truck pull up, she peeked out the window. He looked incredibly handsome wearing a pair of jeans, dress boots and a button up white shirt that was untucked.

  She opened the door, and his lips immediately formed into a smile. "You look stunning.”

  Julie had chosen a simple black sundress and a sheer black shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She hoped the night air wasn't going to be too much for her, but tonight fashion had taken precedence over the weather. Since they were going to the beach, she had thought better of wearing high heels and opted instead for a pair of ballet flats. They didn't exactly accentuate the dress, but she didn't want to get stuck in the sand and need to leave her shoes behind.

  "Thank you," she said. He pulled a rose from around his back and handed it to her.

  "How thoughtful. And roses are my favorite.”

  "Good. I'm glad I stole it from the neighbor’s yard then.”

  Julie let out a laugh. "Did you really do that?"

  "I did. They have plenty. They'll never miss it."

  He walked her to his truck and helped her climb inside. As they drove, they chatted about Dixie and the doctor’s appointment. Dawson was worried about her just as much as Julie was, and they both decided they were going to keep an eye on William and make sure Dixie had whatever she needed.

  When they arrived at the beach, Julie was surprised to see so many cars. People had come from the mainland for the party, but it was unusual to see so many vehicles on the island. It was a little unsettling, and she was glad they would all be going home in a few hours. The island had become her oasis, and she had adjusted to such a slower pace of life. Living in the city seemed foreign to her now.

  They walked down to the beach, and she could hear music. There was a dance floor set up with the string lights that looked like something out of a movie. The DJ was playing music from the 80s and 90s, her favorite decades.

  "Are you hungry? They usually have a buffet set up over there."

  "Who pays for all of this?"

  "They sell tickets on the mainland, and those of us who live on the island usually contribute for the catering as well. Local fishermen also donate a lot.”