Lowcountry Stranger Page 4

  Laughing, Faith and Mike exchanged a look of relief that their daughter hadn’t reset to silent mode during the night.

  “I’m hurt,” Mike said, placing his hand over his heart, wounded. “Here, I’ve been trying to get you to talk to me for months, and you go and open up to a total stranger. What is it you like about Annie more than me?”

  Bitsy giggled. “She’s a lot prettier.” She placed her tiny palm on the top of Mike’s balding head. “And she has hair.”

  “Funny, haha.” Wrapping his arms around her, Mike snuggled closer to Bitsy, settling his chin on the top of her head. “Let’s be serious for a minute. Your mom and I really want to know what Annie said that got you to open up to her?”

  “She told me she was new in town and asked me if I wanted to be her friend. She seemed sad and lonely. I felt sorry for her. Did you see her feet? They were really dirty. She doesn’t have a mommy to make her take a bath.”

  The situation suddenly made perfect sense to Faith. Despite the difference in their ages, the girls had something in common, something tragic no child should have to experience. Neither of them had any friends. Faith had told her daughter time and again, “You can’t expect to be invited for playdates when you don’t talk to your classmates.”

  “What else did you and Annie talk about?” Faith asked.

  The little girl bit down on her lower lip. “She told me that friends don’t keep secrets from one another.”

  Faith’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that why you haven’t been talking to us, because you’ve been keeping a secret? You can tell us anything, honey. We’re your family. We love you.”

  Mike held his ear close to her lips. “Tell me your secret?”

  Thumb in mouth, she buried her face in his chest. “I’m scared.”

  Mike rocked her gently. “Everyone gets scared sometimes.”

  “What are you afraid of, sweetheart?” Faith asked.

  Thumb still in mouth, Bitsy said, “That daddy will break out of jail and come back to hurt us.”

  “Look at me,” Faith said, lifting her daughter’s chin. “That’s not going to happen. Your daddy is in prison. He can’t hurt us anymore.”

  Bitsy nodded. “That’s what Annie told me. She said I needed to be tough, that the police will keep Daddy locked up. She also said that I’m lucky to have such a nice family with three big strong cousins to protect me.”

  Mike kissed the top of her head. “And a stepdaddy who loves you very much.”

  Bitsy tilted her head back so she could see Mike’s face. “Does this mean Annie can come over?”

  Faith blew a raspberry on the back of her daughter’s neck. “Today is Sunday, kiddo. Mike is going to work while you and I get settled in our new house.”

  “When are we going on our honeymoon? Annie says that’s what newlyweds are supposed to do.”

  Faith blushed. “We’re already on our honeymoon, sweetheart. Right here in our brand-new house.”

  Mike’s face filled with mischief. “Actually, Bitsy, I was thinking of taking you and your mama to Disney World in a few weeks.”

  “Disney World!” Bitsy looked at him wide-eyed and he nodded. She kicked back the covers and sprang to her feet. “We are going to Disney World,” she sang, jumping up and down on the bed. She stopped suddenly. “Do you mean it, really?”

  “Yes, I mean it, really. Come here, you little rascal.” Mike reached for Bitsy, pulling her back down and tickling her until she begged him to stop.

  Bitsy rolled over to face her mama. “Can we have pancakes for breakfast? Puh-lease.”

  Faith dragged her fingers through her daughter’s unkempt hair. “Of course. But go find your robe first. I think it’s on the foot of your bed.”

  Once Bitsy had left the room, Faith snuggled close to her new husband. “Disney World? Seriously, Mike. You are too good to us.”

  “I can’t think of anyone more deserving,” he said, nuzzling her neck.

  She stretched out her legs. “Mmm… I could stay like this all day.”

  “Wouldn’t that be nice?” He nibbled at her earlobe. “What’s on your agenda for your first day as Mrs. Neilson?”

  “Well, let’s see.” She folded her arms across her midriff. “After I finish unpacking, I plan to make my new husband a spectacular dinner. Any special requests?”

  He paused for a minute to think. “Well, the market is closed today, so seafood is out of the question. Why don’t you surprise me? Everything you cook is good.”

  A decent cook at best, Faith knew her culinary skills failed in comparison to Lovie’s, who was known as the authority on seafood in the Lowcountry. “Liar!” She tossed back the covers and threw her legs over the side of the bed. “Maybe I’ll stop by Mama’s on the way to the grocery store. With any luck, she’s trying out one of her new recipes.” She slipped on her robe. “I want to check on Mack, anyway. He didn’t seem like himself last night.”

  Mike propped himself up on one elbow. “Now that you mention it, Mack was quieter than usual last night. And he looked pale and drawn. He’s probably overdue for a checkup.”

  “Like eighty-five years overdue,” Faith said, running a hairbrush through her tangled locks.

  “Tell him to give me a call,” Mike said. “I’ll make it as painless as possible for him.”

  She set the brush down and turned to face him. “Whatever you do, don’t suggest he give up the bourbon and cigars unless you want it to be his first and last visit to the doctor.”

  Six

  Faith

  Bitsy chattered nonstop about Annie Dawn during the ten-minute trip through town, past Sweeney’s Seafood Market and the Inlet View Marina, to her grandmother’s townhouse in the Dolphin Run subdivision.

  “Puh-lease, Mama,” she begged. “Can we go see Annie today?”

  “We’ll see, honey,” Faith said, parking her bucket-of-rust truck in front of Lovie’s corner unit. “I promised Mike we’d make dinner for him. If we have time, we’ll stop by the farm after the grocery store. But only for a few minutes.”

  “Yay.” Bitsy bounced up and down in her car seat behind Faith.

  Faith was not at all surprised when Mack answered the door, his white hair sticking up straight on the left side of his head. She knew he spent most nights at the townhouse. Whether he slept on the sofa in the sunroom or in Lovie’s bed was none of Faith’s business. She preferred not to think about the intimacy, if any, that took place between her mother and her boyfriend. Logistically, it made more sense for Mack to stay in town rather than drive all the way out to the property where he kept his houseboat. Especially if they’d been out to dinner or at a party like the previous evening.

  “Good morning, Mack. Is Mama here?”

  His face went blank and he stared at her with a puzzled look, making her wonder if he’d forgotten who she was. “Oh, Faith,” he said, shaking his head as if to clear the cobwebs. “Yes, of course, come in.” Opening the door wider, he stepped out of the way. “Your mom is in the bath. She should be out in a minute.” He left them standing there and returned to the fishing show he was watching on the TV in the sunroom.

  “What’s wrong with Captain Mack, Mama?” Bitsy said, her lip trembling. “He didn’t even speak to me.”

  In fact, he’d barely glanced at the little girl he considered his granddaughter.

  “I think Mack is tired after the big party last night, sweetheart. But that’s nothing for you to worry about,” Faith said, scooping Bitsy up and carrying her to the kitchen. She set her daughter down in a chair at the square pine table and poured her a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. While Bitsy slurped on her juice, Faith surveyed the contents of the refrigerator to make certain nothing was growing legs, before moving on to the stack of mail on the counter beside the telephone, checking for any past due bills.

  Despite the doctor’s report that their mother was the picture of perfect health, both physically and mentally, the Sweeney sisters had agreed to keep close tabs on her. Which inclu
ded making sure she kept her home neat and paid her bills on time.

  When her mother entered the room a few minutes later and found Faith studying her credit card bill, Lovie took the stack of mail away from her, including the bills, and placed it in a nearby drawer. “What a pleasant surprise to see two of my favorite girls,” she said.

  “Mack is being mean to me,” Bitsy complained to her grandmother.

  “Aw, honey.” Lovie kissed the top of Bitsy’s head. “Did Mean Mack refuse to give you a cookie so close to lunchtime?”

  “I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s being mean,” Faith said. “But he is acting a little strange. If you want to know the truth, I don’t think he even recognized us.”

  Lovie waved off her daughter’s concern. “There you go again, making plans to ship us off to the old folks’ home. You girls need to stop getting your knickers in a bundle every time one of us has a lapse in memory or behaves out of the ordinary.”

  Faith noticed for the first time that her mother was still wearing her robe and the hair on the back of her head was splayed out from the pillow. “Why aren’t you dressed? Mack said you were taking a bath.”

  A worried look crossed Lovie’s face, but she quickly tried to hide it. “Believe it or not, I just woke up. I was worn out after your lovely wedding. Why don’t you girls help yourselves to some cantaloupe salad—it’s in a container on the top shelf—while I go say good morning to Mack.”

  Cantaloupe salad? Faith located the container and sat down at the table with Bitsy. She took a bite, and then fed her daughter a forkful. They were devouring the salad when Lovie returned. “This is really good, Mama,” Faith said, jabbing the fork at the container. “What’s in it?”

  “Hmm, let’s see,” Lovie said, tapping her chin. “A little bit of ginger, some lime juice, a few sprigs of mint, and cantaloupe, obviously.”

  Faith rolled her eyes. Only Lovie Sweeney could toss together such an unlikely mix of ingredients and yield such outstanding results. “It’s refreshing in a tropical kind of way. Something I might expect to be served at a five-star resort on Tahiti.”

  Bitsy smacked her lips, eager for more. “I like it, Lovie!”

  “And I like hearing your sweet voice again.” Lovie grimaced as she lowered herself to the chair next to her grandchild.

  “Is your hip bothering you again, Mom?” Faith asked.

  Lovie shot her a warning look. “Nothing I can’t live with,” she said, reaching for the container of cantaloupe salad.

  They heard a knock on the door, but before they could get up to answer it, Jamie strolled into the kitchen. Bitsy stood up on her chair and dove on top of Jamie. Caught off guard by her surprise attack, he stumbled under her weight.

  “Good grief, squirt,” he said, catching her and righting himself. “Are you trying to put me back in the wheelchair? You need to warn me before you jump on me like that.” He sat down at the table with his young cousin on his lap. “Say something.” He held his ear close to her lips.

  She looked up at him, her hazel eyes sparkling. “Will you take me to see Annie Dawn today?”

  He snickered. “You really like her, don’t you?”

  Bitsy bobbed her head up and down. “Don’t you?”

  “I guess she’s pretty cool. For a girl.” Jamie pinched Bitsy’s nose between two fingers, wiggling it back and forth. “And I’m thankful to her for getting you to talk again.”

  Bitsy’s face lit up. “Does this mean you’ll take me to see her?”

  Faith brushed a lock of hair out of Bitsy’s face. “We’ll get by there at some point this afternoon. I promise.”

  Lovie turned to Jamie. “What brings you out here so early on a Sunday morning? Not that I mind having my wonderful family visit me, especially since we’re all playing hooky from church.”

  “I came over to check on Mack,” Jamie said. “He didn’t seem like himself last night.”

  “Mack is fine.” Lovie gestured toward the sunroom. “He’s in there watching some old fishing show. You should go in and say hi.”

  “I will before I leave,” Jamie said.

  “Where’s your mom?” Faith asked. “Working herself to an early grave as usual?”

  “Pretty much. She’s already cut the grass and blown the driveway. When I left a few minutes ago, she was cleaning the house.”

  “Sounds like she’s got a bee buzzing around her bonnet today,” Lovie said.

  “You know my mom. Keeping busy is her coping mechanism. She’s trying to forget she just made the worst mistake of her life.”

  Lovie went still. “Uh-oh. What’d she do?”

  “She broke up with Eli last night.”

  Lovie gasped, and Faith’s hand flew to her lips. “I thought the two of them were next in line for the altar.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Lovie said, stroking her grandson’s arm. “I know how much you like Eli. Did your mother tell you why they broke up?”

  “Not really. She made some lame excuse about love not being enough. If you ask me, I think Eli was pressuring her into getting married, and it freaked her out.”

  “What a shame,” Lovie said, with a solemn shake of her head. “After all these years, the idea of marriage still terrifies her.”

  “What was my father like, Gran?” When Lovie hesitated, Jamie added, “Don’t hold out on me. I’m old enough to hear the truth. He’s a dirtbag. I know that much. Good guys don’t walk out on their pregnant girlfriends the way he walked out on Mom.”

  Lovie looked at her granddaughter, who was playing with the buttons on Jamie’s polo shirt, oblivious to the grown-up talk. “I think it’s time you heard the truth.” She straightened her shoulders. “Your grandfather and I didn’t necessarily dislike Allen. He was always polite when he came to the house. We just thought he was ordinary, not good enough for Samantha. We wanted more for our daughter than to be married to a fisherman.”

  Jamie’s mouth fell open. “That’s kind of hypocritical, don’t you think? Considering Big Pops was also a fisherman.”

  “It was different with your father. He seemed so restless. And we worried that he lacked the drive to ever be more than a deckhand. We never questioned his love for your mother. That much was obvious. But we got the sense he wasn’t ready to put down roots.”

  “Why do you think he took off the way he did when he found out Mom was pregnant?”

  “I can’t answer that, son. Your father always had a dark side. I guess maybe he felt like he was in over his head, and he let that get the best of him. His leaving took us all by surprise. Allen had already asked Oscar for Sam’s hand in marriage, and we were planning the wedding.” Lovie paused, lost in thought. “Your mother was never the same after Allen left. He destroyed her confidence and spoiled her fun-loving nature. All she knows how to do now is work.”

  “That definitely explains why she’s so opposed to getting married,” Jamie said.

  Lovie squeezed his arm. “Sometimes your mother has a hard time seeing what is right in front of her. Which means it’s our job to show her the way.”

  Seven

  Jackie

  Eager to get on with their day, Cooper and Sean excused themselves and their new friend Annie Dawn from the lunch table, leaving Jackie and Bill alone on the porch overlooking the creek.

  “I left a stack of clothes on the sofa in the living room for you,” Jackie called after Annie. “One of the bathing suits should work.” Earlier that morning, she’d gone through her closet and found an assortment of clothes that she’d aged out of. “Poor girl has one pair of ratty jean shorts to her name,” she said under her breath to Bill once the kids were out of earshot.

  “Why don’t you take her shopping?” he asked, and stuffed the crust of his grilled pimento cheese sandwich in his mouth.

  “You know the shopping is terrible in this town.” Jackie sipped her sweet tea. “I’ll pick up some things for her when I go to Charleston tomorrow.”

  “What bathing suit did you give her? I hope it�
�s not my favorite black-and-white striped bikini.”

  “I gave that old thing away years ago.” She walked her fingers up his arm. “I bought a new one for the summer. Maybe I’ll show it to you later.”

  Excitement crossed his face. “Can I see it now?”

  She sat back in her chair. “Sorry. But you’ll have to wait.”

  Annie and the twins crossed the lawn below them, weighted down with nets, fishing rods, and bait buckets. Jackie got up and walked to the railing. “I thought y’all were going tubing,” she hollered down to them. “I seriously doubt Annie wants to go fishing.”

  The three of them stopped walking and lifted their faces to her. “Whose idea do you think it was?” Sean said.

  Annie nodded enthusiastically, her honey-colored ponytail bouncing around her head. “It’s true, Miss Jackie. I challenged Cooper and Sean to a fishing tournament.”

  “You do realize my boys are veteran watermen, don’t you?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll try not to show them up too much.”

  Jackie covered her mouth to hide her smile. She had to admit, she admired the girl’s spunk.

  Not so long ago, Jackie had tried to control her sons’ extracurricular activities. But she’d recently come to appreciate their love of the water. This summer, instead of insisting that Cooper and Sean work as counselors in the mountain camp in North Carolina they’d attended every year since they were boys, Jackie had agreed to let them work for her family by supplying seafood of all sorts to the market. Whether they made money or not was immaterial. She wanted them close to home. She had a lot of making up for lost time to do.

  Bill joined her at the railing. He shielded his eyes from the sun as he stared out across the water. “The tide is about right for flounder, if you go out near the shoals—”

  Cooper dismissed his father with a flick of his hand. “We know, Dad.” And they headed off again, down the hill to the dock.

  “I’m not sure what to think about a girl who likes to fish,” Bill said. “Especially one so pretty.”