SOMEWHERE by the Sea

Jennie and James

Faith returned to the B & B and spent the rest of the day in her room, not because she didn't want to explore the town, but because she had an overwhelming desire to write. The story took on a life of its own as she began creating an historical romance about a swashbuckling pirate named Dax. Of course, she never expected it to be read by anyone, so Baxter would never know he was her inspiration. She even grinned at her audacity.

She tapped the story into her laptop until three and didn't even think about eating until her stomach growled. Hoping to find a bowl of fruit downstairs, she saved her file with the title of Dax, and then brushed her straight, auburn, shoulder-length hair. She applied some lipstick before going in search of something to tide her over until dinner. In the dining room she was relieved to find bowls of apples, oranges, bananas, and peaches on the sideboard and grabbed a banana.

"Oh, there you are," said Gabby. "We missed you at lunch and figured you were either exploring the town or the cove. Did you eat lunch?"

Faith grinned sheepishly. "Actually, no. I was in my room working on something and overlooked the time. Did missing lunch cause you a problem?"

Gabby made a tsking sound and glanced at the banana in Faith's hand. She motioned toward the kitchen door. "No problem, but let's find you something more substantial than a banana. Besides, I want you to meet our chefs, Jennie and James Pierson, affectionately known to everyone as J & J who work at the B & B." She grinned at her silliness and Faith returned her grin. For Faith, Hope Bed & Breakfast was turning into a wonderful place to regroup.

Gabby continued, "You didn't meet J & J sooner because they took some much needed R & R to spend with their kids. Goodness, soon I'll be talking in shorthand." She pushed the door open and Faith entered a large, country kitchen with pots hanging above a massive island. The cupboards were open-concept and displayed vast amounts of plates, bowls, cups, saucers, and serving dishes. A huge window brought light and beauty into the room, with a view of the B & B's private beach and forested peninsula. She had entered a cook's heaven.

Immediately, Faith recognized the couple she had avoided the previous day at the beach. Jennie glanced up from the food processor she was operating, turned it off, and grinned at Faith. James placed a tray of cookies onto a cooling rack and also grinned. Gabby made introductions while he removed his oven mitts.

Jennie said with a western accent, "It's a pleasure meetin' you, Faith. I saw you at the beach yesterday and was gonna invite you to join us in a game of volleyball, but you seemed to be in a hurry. Maybe we'll get a chance to play volleyball before you leave."

Before Faith could respond, James said in the same accent, "Nice meetin' ya, ma'am."

Faith smiled at the couple, knowing she would never join them on the beach. The heartache of watching them with their children would have been too much. She said, "It's a pleasure meeting you, too, Jennie and James."

There was an awkward silence and then Gabby said, "Faith missed lunch. Is there any chicken pot pie left?"

Faith started to protest, but Jennie gushed, "Yes, ma'am. It'll only take a sec to warm up."

The growling of Faith's stomach kept her from further protest.

After Jennie warmed the pot pie in a microwave, set it on a tray, and added tableware and the iced tea Faith had asked for, Gabby invited her onto the front porch to eat.

Faith wanted to return to her room to enjoy her meal and reread what she had written, but decided it would be rude after Gabby's kindness. She joined her hostess on the porch that ran the width of the house and faced Main Street. Suddenly remembering the question she'd been meaning to ask, she said, "How did Somewhere get its name?"

Gabby chuckled. "It was really the perfect name for the town because the founder, Oliver Hope, after making a fortune with an import business based in San Francisco, sold the operation to pursue a simpler lifestyle. He uprooted his wife and twin sons to travel the coastline looking for his dream and ended up in Oregon. It's reported that his wife, growing weary of travel said, 'You better find somewhere soon,' and shortly thereafter they entered this cove. Her husband then told her, 'Looks like we've found Somewhere.'"

"What a great story," said Faith, using her fork to break into the flaky, golden crust of her pie. Lifting a morsel of chicken she blew on it and gingerly placed it in her mouth. It was still hot, but deliciously so. She closed her eyes and moaned. "This is awesome."

Gabby laughed. "I've gained fifteen pounds since J & J started working here."

Faith enjoyed another bite as Gabby motioned toward the boulevard. "Some of the homes on the boulevard are owned by part-timers who only spend summers here, and I have to tell you, the houses are incredible. Can you imagine owning a four or five thousand square foot home that you only visit for a few weeks each year? And many are much larger than that."

Faith shook her head. "Not really. And besides that, this town is so picturesque I'd want to make it my permanent home." She closed her eyes again as she enjoyed a forkful of creamy vegetables.

When she opened them, Gabby was grinning widely. "J & J are the best cooks in town and I'm blessed to have them. They relocated to Somewhere about five years ago from Dallas, where they worked for some high class restaurant. They said they were sick of the big city and wanted to raise their children in a community where locals aren't strangers on the street. When they first arrived they stayed here, and when I found out they were chefs, I invited them to give my B & B a shot. They did, and the rest is history."

Faith picked up her spoon so she could include the juice of the pot pie in her next bite.

Gabby continued, "They've got a home near the top of Hope Hill behind us that, in my estimation, is a better place to live than the boulevard because of the elevated view. Seeing the entire cove from above and the endless blue beyond is incredible. And storms during fall and winter are indescribable when the sky and ocean turn gray, and you can't decide where one begins and the other ends." She got a faraway look as if reliving the scene, and suddenly Faith wanted to experience one of those storms.

When Gabby returned her attention to Faith she smiled sadly. "My husband died of a heart attack during a storm and you'd think I'd hate them, but I don't. Somehow they make me feel like Marcus is standing beside me." She chuckled. "Maybe it sounds crazy, but storms make me feel good, and the worse they are, the better." She reached to pat Faith's shoulder. "Perhaps I'm speaking out of turn, but there's sadness in you. If you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here."

Faith cleared her throat, said abruptly, "I'm a widow, too," and changed the subject. "I haven't explored downtown yet. I think I'll go there tomorrow. Is there any place I shouldn't miss?"

Calmly, Gabby responded,"Be sure to visit the museum." Then she named other places of interest. Faith finished her meal, stood to leave, and thanked Gabby again for her hospitality. As she was about to enter the house Gabby said softly, "Find your storm, Faith."