With No Warning (Romance/Inspirational)(Complete)

CHAPTER 13: Skeletons in Scrapbooks

CHAPTER 13: Skeletons in Scrapbooks

The sunroom addition to the Winslow home looked out over immaculate, terraced gardens, that even in the winter, were rich with color. A regular hired hand showed up, faithfully, once a week in the spring and summer, but Mr. Winslow had always done the majority of the landscaping, planting and pruning.

     With her elbows on the glass and iron table, and her phone to her ear, Dakota’s eyes settled on first the fountain, then the sundial, as she listened intently to Evan, who was on the other end of the wire. She had called him after deciding to remain with her family through the New Year.

     “I know I was planning on being back for Jolee’s party, but my father is sick, and I guess I am going to stay the extra few days before the semester starts.”

     He was compassionate and understanding, and then after hanging up, called her several hours later on her cell phone. “I was thinking, I might fly down, and then ride back with you–if you were serious about that, ‘I wish you could be here stuff.’”

     Surprise electrified through her like a 220 volt current. When she had told him about the fireworks on the beach, a tradition each New Years Eve, as well as 4th of July, she had most certainly been serious that she would like him to experience it. But she had never expected that he could, or would. “That would be great! Do you really think you can?! What about Jolee’s party?”

     “She understands. I’ll check on flights and call you back if it is really possible.”

     The plane taxied down the Pensacola Airport runway at 4:17 p.m. New Years Eve. Dakota stood in the  lobby, along with her nephew, watching the digital screen change from the estimated arrival time to arrived. The girls were busy baking with her mother, and he had jumped at the chance to sneak off with Dakota to the bustling airport. 

     Evan stepped from the escalator, as dashing as ever, and she restrained from throwing herself at him in a welcoming hug. The large saucy smile, however, she had no control over.

     “So how was your flight?” Politely, she phrased to hopefully conceal the way she had been checking him out.

     “Uneventful. Not even a little turbulence to shake things up.” His eyes were moving over her face in silent welcome. If it were possible to envelope another person in a bear hug with a look alone, that is what he was doing, as she laughed at his joke.

     Introductions were made, and he had no baggage, other than his carry on, so the three of them headed down the terminal, toward the parking garage. Dakota had driven her parent’s four door sedan, and she depressed the unlock button on the key chain as they advanced on the parking space. While they walked the last stretch, and as they piled into the car, Evan shared a humorous story from his flight. The parking ticket was paid, and she accelerated from the concrete cave, into the bright, sunny day. It was only forty minutes to her family home, even with the short detour to the coastal highway.

     “You grew up here?” The inquiry was almost awestruck, as Evan's eyes took in the sunny horizon, and the emerald waves breaking over bleached, white sand.

     “For the most part. I was born in Greenville, Mississippi, but my parents moved here before I even started school.”

     “Lucky girl–and you too.” Evan informed the car's other occupant, with a twist of his head and a friendly smile.

     “Except for evacuation.” Surly the riposte was tossed back. Dakota smiled, knowing her nephew had never gotten over the time that he had big plans to go to a motocross track with one of his friends, on the particular weekend that Hurricane Brielle had taken out much of their neck of the coastline. The wind and water damage to the track, outside of Pensacola, must have been more than the owners wanted to repair, as it had never reopened. It was now a strip mall.