The Marine's New Family. Roz Dunbar

her next words carefully. “She’s been asking about you. Since Caleb has been here, she says she rarely sees you. Is there something going on there that we should know about?”

      Luke was caught off guard by the question. “Not that I know of. But I appreciate your interest.”

      He had gone out with Sarah Fulcher a few times, long before Caleb had come on the scene, but nothing in any way that was serious. Since Jen, he had always felt that his life was too unsettled for a wife and family. That was, after all, why his wife had left him all those years ago, not even telling him that she was pregnant at the time.

      After Jen’s death, when Caleb came into his life, Luke’s perspective had taken a radical shift. Now he actively sought stability, where there had been none before. On the surface, Sarah could provide some of that stability. She was the minister’s daughter, she was well respected in town and she’d had the sort of idyllic childhood that he wanted to give his son. But there was something about Sarah that made him not want to rush into anything with her. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was there. He enjoyed her company, but not enough for the serious relationship she was looking for. At least not right now.

      Both ladies nodded as if they totally understood, taking his words at face value.

      Katie pushed her sunglasses up with purpose. “Well, we’re off. I honestly do not know how this village would function without us. Three thousand people and half of them don’t have a clue!” Skillfully, she put the cart in Reverse as Annie blew a kiss to Luke, her eyes sparkling playfully behind her leopard-print sunglasses.

      “Good thing they have us.” Annie patted her sister’s hand soothingly before the golf cart bounced away from Moon Gate Cottage down the shady, sandy lane.

      Luke shook his head, smiling as he watched their departure. It’s a good thing we do have you, he thought. Looking at the list in his hand, he called for Caleb to come with him before making his way to his truck to do the shopping.

      * * *

      Tess drank in the view as she crossed the bridge that led into the charming hamlet of Swansboro. Large brown pelicans flew in lazy circles near the bridge before veering off toward a sun-bleached wooden dock to her right. Several men sat on benches in front of the boats, mending nets and throwing small silver fish to the birds from buckets sitting near their feet. To her left a number of miniature lush green islands dotted the water. She turned off the air conditioner in the car and rolled down the windows, her senses delightfully assaulted by the scent of fresh salty air combined with the vibrant perfume of the white, pink and red oleander that lined the narrow street she had just turned onto.

      She could easily see gentle, kind Livie growing up in this beautiful seaside town. The place was storybook perfect, and for the first time in months, Tess genuinely smiled, feeling innumerable layers of stress and pain begin to dissolve, at least a little. Her experiences overseas had wounded her in body and spirit. Both sets of injuries were slow to heal. But coming to this town to rest and recover was helping her already. It was a beginning and she would take what she could get.

      Her first order of business was to get directions to the house. She had told Livie she would call the aunts when she got to Swansboro, but she wanted to do this on her own. She was glad that Livie had given her a key. There was no need to bother anyone. Besides, there had been too much fussing over her and doing for her lately, and she wanted to establish her independence again—something she had sorely missed the past eight months.

      Spying the police station on a nearby corner, she pulled into an empty parking spot and reached for the aluminum cane that had been her constant companion since she had finished rehab. With some difficulty she stood up, leaning heavily on it. Her left leg was sore and stiff from the three hour drive, but she managed to keep her balance as she made her way slowly into the building.

      “Can I help you?” The bald, portly man behind the outsize oak desk seemed distracted by something on the floor as he glanced up quickly at Tess, then back to the vicinity of his feet. She couldn’t see what the distraction was, but the man seemed very anxious about something down there.

      “Yes, I’m looking for this address.” As Tess tried to hand him the paper, the man yelped and jumped to his feet. Startled, she moved back a few steps, wobbling as she grasped the cane firmly to keep from falling.

      “Are you all right?” Surprise mingled with concern in her voice.

      As he moved to the center of the room, shaking his leg, Tess spied the problem. A small turtle had attached itself to the police officer’s pant leg. Determination glinted in the turtle’s beady black eyes as the beak-like mouth maintained its firm grip, unwilling to release its prey until it had brought him down.

      “Snapping turtle,” the officer puffed, continuing his awkward dance around the little room.

      “Are you hurt?” For the life of her, Tess could not figure out how to help the poor man.

      “No, just has the pant leg, not the skin.”

      “Maybe if you tried to pull it off with your hands?” she ventured, on the verge of laughter as the dance became more comical by the second. For a big man he certainly could move.

      “Not a good idea. Don’t want to rip the uniform.”

      “Of course not,” Tess murmured, as she watched the duel between the man and the little snapping turtle continue.

      This was just too funny and she worked hard to keep her face free of any expression other than polite concern. She had to admit she had smiled more since she had arrived in this picturesque town than she had in the past eight months combined. Maybe Livie was right.

      With one more mighty shake of his leg the officer managed to dislodge the gray-green turtle, which landed with a thud next to a shiny metal bench. He immediately went over to check the reptile to make sure it was not hurt. The turtle stared at them both accusingly and snapped its powerful little jaws once more, as if to make a point.

      “Aw, he’s just fine. Good thing he’s a baby or I’d have never gotten the little critter off me. Fierce animals.”

      “Is he a pet?”

      “Well, now, I suppose you could say he was for about twelve hours or so. My wife found him in my son’s room this morning in a box, with a whole head of lettuce sitting next to him. Boy brings home every creature he finds.” The policeman shook his head, smiling broadly. “The wife threw out the lettuce, I got the turtle and the kid got another lecture on appropriate pets. It’s all good. Just can’t figure out how he got out of the box.”

      “Are you sure he didn’t bite you?” Tess asked with concern. Animal bites could become easily infected.

      “A small nip on the leg. No big deal.”

      “I can look at it if you like,” she offered.

      “You a doc?” He glanced at her with interest as he sat down behind the desk.

      “No, physician assistant.”

      “Close.” He seemed impressed. “Are you in town to apply for a position at the clinic? It’d be nice to finally get someone qualified in there. Real shame it’s only open every other Monday.”

      Tess felt a brief stab of panic at the thought of working again. She was not sure she could ever go back to practicing medicine, no matter how much she loved what she did. She just didn’t have the heart for it any longer. She only wanted to forget, and that was an exercise in futility when the pain in her leg and the heavier pain in her heart reminded her each day. She used to believe that God had a plan for everyone. Not anymore. God hadn’t been there on that awful day, and if that was His plan, she could well do without it. She cleared the lump that had formed in her throat, before speaking.

      “Sorry, but no. I do hope you find someone, though. Actually, I’m looking for directions to this address. Can you help me?” She handed the paper to the officer again. The dull ache in her leg reminded her that she had been standing on it a little too long.

      “Sure