“You’re out running. You’re supposed to.”
Dora wasn’t going to argue with that.
They reached the corner where Dunleavy’s Pub sat.
“Hey,” Dev said. “Can I buy you a drink? There’s a parking spot right in front. That don’t happen every day.”
“Good God, no. I’m not going in there dressed like this.”
He continued on past Dunleavy’s and the strip of restaurants on Middle Street, most of them not crowded yet. In another hour, all of them would be overflowing with guests.
“Well, how about I drop you off, then you can spruce yourself up. Then I’ll swing by and pick you up in, say, an hour? How does that suit you?”
“I don’t know . . .” she hedged. This was going too fast.
“Come on, Dora,” he cajoled in that easy drawl she never could say no to. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Let me buy you a drink. Or dinner.”
Right now, all she wanted was to shower and collapse back into bed. Maybe she’d watch a little television. Going out for a drink was not part of her usual repertoire.
“Not tonight.”
“Tomorrow night?” he persisted.
“I don’t know.”
“I’m just gonna keep on asking, so you might as well say yes.”
She laughed, falling under the charm of his smile. “Okay,” she said, surprised that she was sincere. “What time?”
Devlin pulled into the gravel driveway of Sea Breeze, put the car into park, and turned toward her, letting his arm slide over the top of the seat. He had that same irascible grin on his face now that she remembered all too well.
“Honey,” he said, playing out each vowel, “I’ll sit there till judgment day if you tell me you’ll be there.”
She tilted her head, believing he might just do that. “We can’t have that. Let’s say the day after tomorrow? Five o’clock.”
Dora waited till Devlin’s car drove off before letting loose the belly laugh that she’d been holding down. What a hoot! After all these years, Devlin Cassell had invited her for a drink.
She felt flustered. Giddy. She hurried to the house to shower and change, then stopped short as a new thought took root. She recalled how Harper and Carson always went to the outdoor shower after a run or a trip to the ocean to hose down before entering the house. There hadn’t been an outdoor shower when she was a girl coming to Sea Breeze. Back in the day, they’d just used the hose to wash off.
Dora retraced her steps and followed the stepping stones around the enormous gardenia bush to the outdoor shower. It was just four wood walls with no ceiling. Dora stepped inside, avoiding the spiderwebs in the corners. There was only one spigot; in the summer on the island all the water came out warm. Mamaw had lavender soap, shampoo, and conditioner in wooden bins, and smelling them, she recalled catching that scent on her sisters.
Dora stripped down and stood under the miserly spray of water. Even still, it felt luxurious on her hot skin. Being buck-naked outdoors under the sun was exhilarating—freeing—and she laughed for the pleasure of it. And the idea that she was like her beautiful, trim, sexy, and single sisters. Sure, she had a way to go before she got back in shape, but for the first time, she felt like she could do it. Her goal wasn’t to be thin. After the scare with her heart, Dora just wanted to be healthy and glowing with the confidence of a woman at ease in her own skin.
Harper and Carson sat at the kitchen table eating fresh strawberries and rehearsing what they would say to Dora.
“I don’t think she’ll go for it,” Carson said.
“I think she will,” Harper countered. “We’ve done all the research.” She lifted up the pile of papers she’d printed about various dolphin therapy programs and pertinent medical reports as proof.
“You’ve done the research,” Carson amended.
“You asked Blake to help. I still can’t believe he got us a slot at the Dolphin Research Center so quickly.” She looked at her sister, eyes narrowed in speculation. They’d both been excited about the plan, but now Carson appeared hesitant. “Are you getting cold feet because you don’t want to take Nate? If so, I can take him alone.”
“No, it’s not that at all. I was just remembering how Dora responded when Cal suggested she leave Nate at Sea Breeze.”
“For the summer,” Harper reminded her. “This is only for a week. And it’s completely different. She won’t be dumping Nate. We’re offering to take him. This is for Nate’s benefit. And hers. Once she understands that, I think she’ll go for it.”
Carson puffed out a plume of air, then slapped her hand on the table. “All right, then. Let’s do this.”
They gathered the reports and Harper’s laptop and headed to the bedroom Dora shared with Harper. After a quick knock, they pushed open the door, rushed inside, and jumped onto her bed like they used to as girls.
Dora grabbed hold of her magazine, laughing.
Carson and Harper moved to sit cross-legged facing her, their eyes wide with excitement. Harper could smell the clean, lavender scent of her soap and shampoo.
“What’s going on?” Dora asked them.
“You look good,” Carson told her. “Your cheeks have some color.”
“Thanks. I was walking.”
“Good for you!” Harper exclaimed, settling onto the bed. “Did you do warm-ups?”
“No.”
“I’ll teach you some. You don’t want to get stiff.”
“Okay,” Dora drawled.
There was a beat of silence while Harper and Carson shared a glance.
“We have a proposition for you,” Carson announced with import.
“Just hear us out before you say anything,” interjected Harper at seeing the quick flare in Dora’s eyes.
“Okay,” Dora replied, this time more hesitant.
“So,” Carson began while Harper opened her laptop and flicked it on. “While you were out walking, we’ve been talking. Here’s the thing,” she said, putting her hands out to emphasize the point. “We think you deserve some time for yourself, totally selfish time, without anything to worry about.”
“Kind of like going to some spa for a week, only the spa is here,” added Harper.
Dora smirked. “I like the sound of that.”