Husband Wanted: Will Train [Jason McCann]

Ch 7

Aunt Doris Discovers California And...

The weather couldn't have been better for touring the coast. Aunt Doris opted for a trip south to Santa Barbara, since she'd seen most of Destiny Bay on her last visit.

Jason had a moment of unease. He was actually more likely to run into people who knew him in Santa Barbara than here in town, as he'd done more work there in the last few years, and actually had a house in the hills. But he shrugged that away. After all, Destiny Bay was full of his family, too. He was just going to have to count on a little luck.

An offshore breeze carried the haze away, leaving the California Central Coast skies crystal blue. Jason drove Charity's Fiat with Aunt Doris in the front and Charity scrunched into the miniature back seat. They cruised out along the shore, then turned in and drove through the lovely Spanish-Mediterranean neighborhoods to the mission.

"This one is called the Queen of the Missions," Jason explained as they walked across the patio where eighteenth-century priests once roamed. "Each of the twenty-one California missions was established a day's ride apart along El Camino Real-the Royal Highway."

"Don't you love these old adobe walls?" Charity said as they walked through the gardens, her hands shoved down deep into the pockets of her denim skirt.

"I prefer red brick myself," Aunt Doris sniffed, stepping firmly across the red tiles. "But I suppose they were few and far between around here in those days."

After a tour of the historic downtown buildings and the restored structures of the presidio, she began to change her tune.

"I've got to admit," she said grudgingly, coming out of the old padre's quarters and blinking in the bright sunlight. "Those thick ugly walls do keep a place cool in the summertime."

"Hey." Jason gave Charity an exaggerated poke with an elbow. "That's the first step. She's coming around. We'll make a laid-back Californian out of her yet."

"Don't you believe it," Aunt Doris said with vinegary spirit, but a quick smile for Jason. "I've got too much energy for that."

Evidence was abundant. Before the afternoon was over, she ran the two of them ragged. They raced through the botanic gardens, the Orchid Estates and then the natural history museum before heading out to see the giant fig tree at Chapala and Montecito.

"They say this was brought as a tiny plant from Moreton Bay, Australia in 1876," Jason said, shaking his head as he leaned against the tree. Giant gnarled roots covered half a city block. "I don't think I'd ever really appreciated that before." He stretched and grimaced. "Today I feel like I might have swam all the way from Australia myself."

"Getting tired?" Aunt Doris asked brusquely. "Perhaps we ought to find a place to get a spot of tea to buck this young man up," she suggested to Charity.

Charity nodded dully. "Good idea," she said. A strained smile was her attempt to hide the fact that she was as tired as Jason. "There's a lovely little restaurant near here. It overlooks the shoreline."

A fairy godmother with a magic wand might have whisked them there more quickly, but not much. Soon they were sitting in padded wicker chairs and sighing with contentment, tall, cool drinks in hand.

"Now this is what I call sightseeing," Jason mused. "A comfortable chair, a delicious drink, and an ocean sunset ready to begin before my very eyes."

"Californians," Aunt Doris scoffed, only half joking. "Lazy hot-tub-loving no-accounts."

"Unlike New Englanders," teased Jason. "Who use credit cards only to hold up uneven table legs, would never drive when they could walk, and claim to enjoy an invigorating swim in an ice-laden stream at least once a day- and never let you forget any of it."