SOMEWHERE by the Sea

Sorry

At precisely three o'clock Baxter pulled to the front of Faith's house. When she opened the door at his knock, once again he was overwhelmed with both desire and compassion. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, and offer comfort for the sorrow she had suffered. Instead, he handed her the bouquet he'd purchased and said, "Especially for you."

She appeared flustered. "Oh, my goodness! They're beautiful! Thank you. Please come in. I've been unpacking boxes from my storage unit that my sister was kind enough to ship. Have a seat while I put these flowers in water."

The house didn't have a foyer so he entered directly into the living room. He was impressed by its simple beauty and the stunning view beyond the glass slider. A circular area rug depicting sail boats with masts of many colors on a deep blue ocean covered the center of the hardwood floor. A tan sofa and two aqua chairs facing the view rested on the rug. Pillows a shade lighter than the blue in the carpet were placed on the sofa and chairs. And other than two paintings showing different perspectives of beach goers, there were no other pictures. Baxter walked to the slider to enjoy the view.

Faith returned after a few minutes with the flowers in a vase and set them on her fireplace mantle. "I found the living room ensemble at Chip's Furniture on Third Street and I've ordered a coffee and end tables from him."

Baxter tried to swallow the lump in his throat. When he considered his behavior toward this soft-spoken, beautiful woman who had suffered so much, he felt appalled. As far as he was concerned, she could believe she was talking to a dead boy and it wouldn't change the love he felt for her. "Your home is beautiful, Faith." He wanted to add, And I've fallen in love with you, but said instead, "May I walk outside?"

"Oh, yes! I wanted an ocean view and Doris and Dave delivered magnificently."

He opened the slider and stepped onto the patio. Faith followed and motioned to the outdoor furniture. They sat and gazed at the scene below—aqua ocean, sunbathers, colorful beach umbrellas, a few cars driving along Ocean Boulevard, and pedestrians walking the portion of Main Street visible from the house.

Baxter was about to break the silence when the back door to the house behind Faith's burst open and Darren and Dirk rushed outside. He glanced at Faith and she seemed to read his mind. She smiled slightly. "At first I talked myself out of buying this home because the boys reminded me so much of my own son, but gradually, since coming to Somewhere, something inside me shifted, and in a moment of clarity I knew this was the home I was supposed to live in. It's still difficult at times hearing the boys play, but it's getting better." She bit her bottom lip and then confided, "And I have you to thank for that. Opening up to you and sharing my pain made me realize I could begin a new life."

Baxter felt his heart expand and reached to hold Faith's hand. "I'm so happy to hear that." He saw her eyes well with tears and quickly said, "Are you ready to see Stone House restored?"

She regained her composure. "I sure am."

As they walked to his car he said, "I ordered dinner from Seafood Heaven and it's waiting for us at Stone House. I know how much you like shrimp, so I ordered shrimp spaghetti." He grinned mischievously. "We can try heating it on the stove that's also been restored." He chuckled. "Or the microwave."

Faith laughed. "Have you tried out the stove yet?"

He winced. "Maybe we'll use the microwave tonight and experiment with the stove another time."

Baxter drove to the B & B and parked in his reserved space. He said, "My mother is at her church preparing for a crafts fair and Jennie and James are at Costco in Brookings, so let's just head to Stone House."

"Sounds like a plan. But who's overseeing the B & B?"

"We're down to four guests and they all decided to drive to Gold Beach for the evening. Mabel said she had some chores to finish, so she offered to stay until my mother returned."

They exited the car and he punched his fob to lock it. Then he held Faith's elbow as he guided her to the sidewalk and crosswalk. Within minutes they had crossed the B & B's private beach and entered the coolness beneath the evergreens. Their stroll along the trail was melodic with birdsong, and the sunlight filtering through the trees created crisscross patterns on the ground. Tangy sea air tickled their noses. Faith didn't say much and neither did he. Disturbing the sights and sounds of nature seemed irreverent.

When they arrived at Stone House, Faith walked to the edge of the bluff and turned around. With an expansive motion encompassing the house she exclaimed, "Your home is magnificent! I think your ancestors would be very proud of you."

Baxter had remained on the porch and now leaned against one of the new log posts. He watched the play of light on Faith's auburn hair, and in a spontaneous gesture, opened his arms. For a moment she appeared puzzled by his action, but then understanding beamed across her countenance and she ran into his arms. He whispered in her ear, "I'm so sorry, Faith. Forgive me." And then he was kissing her.

**********

Faith refused to analyze her actions because, for the first time in three years, she felt intact. She felt protected from the sorrow that had plagued her since the death of her family. She felt that once again she could live a happy life. But just as important, she knew she could give her heart to Baxter. Dinner was forgotten as he whispered words of love and then acted on those words by carrying her to the bedroom. Later he left the bed to light an oil lantern, but quickly returned to pull her back into his embrace. "I guess we'll have to spend the night at Stone House since it's too late to walk back."

Faith could feel him smile against her neck and she moved her mouth to whisper in his ear, "What do you think we should do until then?"

"I think we should perfect what we just did. You know the old adage—practice makes perfect."

"I thought it was perfect."

"Oh, baby, I love the way you talk. It was definitely a ten, but I think we should go for eleven and then twelve, and then–"

Faith placed her lips on his. "How about we don't set a limit?"

Baxter made a growling sound. "I also love the way you think."

Later, Faith woke with her head resting on Baxter's shoulder and sighed with contentment. Her stomach growled and she decided to wake him and suggest they eat. She was about to say his name when she heard a voice.

"Rex! Rex!"

She inhaled sharply and found herself silently praying. Please, God, no! I don't want to ruin my reunion with Baxter!

"Rex!" The child's voice was louder than before and she jumped upright. Her movement woke Baxter and he said groggily, "What is it, baby?"

When she didn't respond he sounded more awake when he said, "Is something wrong?"

When she still didn't respond he sat up. "Faith, what is it?"

In a frightened voice she rasped, "I heard Owen again. I heard him calling for Rex."

Instantly, he encircled her with his arms and pulled her into the protection of his body. She knew he was waiting to hear the voice as she shivered against him. There was only silence.

"Rex!"

Baxter exclaimed, "What the–"

"Rex! Come here boy!" There was a dog's bark in response.

Faith pushed away from Baxter. "You hear them?"

He jumped out of bed, pulled on his pants that were slung over a chair, and grabbed the lantern. "I sure as hell do and I'm going to get to the bottom of this nonsense. Stay here, Faith."