Gloria's Legacy Read online

  Gloria's Legacy

  Robin Alexander

  Intaglio Publications (2011)

  * * *

  In the third installment of the series, Hayden and Adrienne have decided to take the next step in their relationship—motherhood. Adrienne embraces the challenges that pregnancy presents, Hayden…not so much.

  To convolute matters, a strange guest has arrived at the inn alone. Along with her baggage, she carries two secrets that bring disruption and danger to the island paradise.

  Gloria’s Legacy

  By

  Robin Alexander

  Gloria’s Legacy

  © 2011 by Robin Alexander

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-935216-30-8

  First Printing: 2011

  This Trade Paperback Is Published By

  Intaglio Publications

  Walker, LA USA

  www.intagliopub.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  _______________________________________________

  Credits

  Executive Editor: Tara Young

  Cover design by: Tiger Graphics

  DEDICATION

  For the Rose with a golden heart.

  And my grandmother, who is now living the high life. She celebrated my triumphs and loved me the most when I fell flat on my face.

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to thank my daughter. My experience with her made writing this book much easier. I fell in love with her the minute I saw the positive sign on the pregnancy test.

  Becky, who loves me even though I really am Hayden and spend a lot of time with my foot in my mouth surrounded by a lot of broken crap. Like Adrienne, she didn’t freak out when I changed the bathroom faucet using gardening tools. That new faucet works like a freaking charm!

  Kate, my business partner, who helps me chase snakes out of the backyard and films the ordeal because no one would ever believe us otherwise.

  Diane King, who read through this book and kindly pointed out where I missed the boat.

  Ah, and Tara, my editor…you give praise when I do something well, and when I screw up…you are brutal! I love you so much!

  Prologue

  Oh, you’re back. Want to hear more of my story? Well, belly up to the bar and I’ll make you a drink. Mai tai perhaps? My repertoire for mixing drinks has expanded to more than just rum and Coke, which was the only thing I could concoct before coming to Cat Island.

  What’s that you say? I look tired? That’s me—Hayden the haggard. Why, you ask? Because I’m pregnant…Well, not me, but the love of my life is carrying my child. Don’t look at me like that. You know perfectly well in this day and age that two women can have a baby. I know, I know. You still want to know how.

  As you know, Adrienne has an odd gift. Occasionally, she can hear the thoughts of others, which is something she’s not particularly fond of. It’s something she’s lived with all her life and didn’t want our child to be saddled with it. So one of my eggs was inseminated by an anonymous donor, and she is carrying our child. And that, boys and girls, is how two women can make a baby. Well, one of many ways.

  So why am I so exhausted if Adrienne is the one doing all the work? Because I’m on back and foot rub duty constantly. I’m the one who runs out all hours of the night to fetch snacks. I’m the one who has worked with the builders to put the finishing touches on our new home.

  I’m not complaining. Staying busy has kept me sane throughout the pregnancy. But now that Adrienne is in the middle of the eighth month, things are slowing down. And that’s why I look so crappy, really. I’m scared to death.

  Chapter One

  “I’m restless, Aunt G. My shoulders and the back of my neck hurt constantly. When I dream, they’re usually bizarre or nightmarish. I can’t remember how long it’s been since I’ve quit smoking, but I crave cigarettes more than chocolate.” I pulled a weed that was growing close to Aunt Gloria’s tombstone and toyed with it. “How’re you today? A little stiff?” I laughed at my own joke, knowing Gloria would appreciate it.

  When I first came to the island, Iris, the cook, told me that she felt Gloria’s spirit all around us. I scoffed at the notion. But Iris had been right when she said that living on the island changes you. I did feel the presence of my aunt, especially at her gravesite where I came to sit and talk about whatever was on my mind.

  “Jeff’s jealous. Being the oldest of us two, he figured he and Wanda would be the ones to have the first Tate grandchild. They’ve tried but no luck. Maybe the world isn’t ready for a miniature Jeff.” I tossed the weed behind me and stretched out my legs. “Maybe the world isn’t ready for a miniature Hayden, either, but it’s coming and soon.”

  I quieted and listened for a response I knew wasn’t coming. Gloria had been full of smart-assed quips in her day. I imagined hearing her say something like, “’Bout damn time. I’m not getting any younger. Ha! Ain’t getting any older, either. I’m dead.” All I heard was the wind blowing through the trees and the scrub brush surrounding me.

  “Never saw myself as a parent, though I can see Adrienne as the perfect mom. She’s grounded, sensible, and patient. She’s had to be those things for me because I’m certainly not. Having a child is going to force me to grow up, and I’m not sure I want to.”

  I laughed as I imagined Gloria’s response—“Should’ve thought about all that before you gave up an egg.”

  “Adrienne wants a family—with me. I couldn’t deny her that. Making her happy makes me happy. Oh, G.” I sighed. “I love that woman so much. The inn was a wonderful present, but the best gift you’ve ever given me was Adrienne.” I got up on my knees and laid a hand on Gloria’s headstone. “I don’t know if you have any pull up there, but please put in a good word for Adrienne. I need her, and life wouldn’t be the same without her.”

  I stood and brushed off the back of my shorts. “I’ve got some work to do now, so put in a good word for me, too. I know God has a sense of humor. Ask Him to go easy on me.” I turned to walk away but looked back over my shoulder. “Oh, Iris wants you to put in a word for her, too. She wants rain. Her herb garden is wilting.”

  *******

  “What are you doing?”

  I looked down at Adrienne from my perch on the ladder and smiled. “I’m thatching the roof.”

  “Honey,” she began patiently. “We have staff we pay to do this sort of thing.”

  “I know, but I thought I’d help. We’re in between guests and I’m bored.” I climbed up another rung on the ladder and slowly moved onto a part of the roof that was braced. I heard Adrienne inhale deeply as I did. “This cottage leaked during the last storm. Looks like a bird or something has been burrowing right here.”

  “I heard it say crack.” Adrienne moved from foot to foot as she watched me.

  “The bird?”

  “No, the roof.”

  She looked so cute staring up at me all pregnant and ready to pop. The baby bump was protruding through her teal sundress. She was glowing just like they say pregnant women do. Maybe it was all the prenatal vitamins or all the juice she drank, but her skin and auburn hair were absolutely radiant.

  “I don’t hear it saying ‘crack.’ I hear it saying ‘get this damn bird nest out of my thatching.’” I grinned as I pushed my materials closer to the weak spot.
/>   “Don’t go any farther.” Adrienne looked angry when I peeked over the roof at her. “Don’t do it.”

  “I am.”

  “No. I said no.” Adrienne was pacing back and forth now.

  “Yes, a little farther. I can almost reach—” The roof said crack. I froze and wondered if I had gotten off the beam. In those few seconds while I debated moving right or left, the roof made the decision for me. As it gave way and I began to fall, I saw our new house off in the distance. We were so close to moving in. I vaguely wondered how much this little trip would set us back.

  The thatching, a bird’s nest, and I rained down inside the cottage. The thatching and the nest landed on the bed and I on the floor about six inches away. As I lay there trying to draw breath back into my lungs, I heard Adrienne say, “And now the roof says boom.”

  And then it all went black.

  *******

  “You’re an idiot.” I opened my eyes slowly. The face of Shelby, the island doctor, was inches from mine. She was broad-shouldered with hair that was so blond it was almost white and stood off her head in spikes. She reminded me of a Norwegian wrestler, and she was equally as strong. “Don’t move anything.” I nodded, and she grabbed my chin. “I said don’t move.”

  Under Shelby’s direction, a group of our employees scooted me onto a hard wooden board. Shelby went to work fastening straps until I was immobile. She’d put two rolled-up sheets on either side of my head and half grinned when she put a piece of tape across my forehead. It rested firmly on my eyebrows.

  Adrienne’s worried face appeared above me, then Iris’s. She looked pissed. “I’m okay,” I said with a smile.

  “Better hope you are, girlie,” Iris said between clenched teeth. “’Cause if you’re not, you will be when I’m finished with you.”

  “I must be hurt because that made no sense at all.” I looked back at Shelby. “Are we ready to go yet?”

  I was taken to the clinic and x-rayed. Once Shelby was satisfied that I hadn’t broken anything, she freed me from the board that made me ache more than the fall. “I’d like to thank you for the fine job you did on my eyebrows.” I rubbed my forehead, hoping that they were still there. “I couldn’t help but notice that you seemed to derive some sick pleasure in ripping the tape off.”

  Shelby and Iris were on either side of me and started yelling the minute I sat up. “What were you thinking?” Shelby demanded.

  “Stupid girlie!” Iris jabbed me in the arm with her finger.

  “Don’t you ever stop and think before you do something?” Shelby asked.

  Iris opened her mouth to continue the verbal assault when Adrienne stepped in. “All right, ladies. I think she gets the point.”

  I reached into the back of my shorts and pulled out a piece of straw that was poking me in the ass and held it up. “In more ways than one.” I grinned at Adrienne, hoping she’d get the joke. If she did, she wasn’t laughing.

  “Can I take her home now, Shelby?” Adrienne asked with a look that said I wasn’t even close to being out of the woods with her.

  “Yes, but you’re on concussion watch for the next twenty-four hours. Look for disorientation,” Shelby grinned, “which might be difficult since we’re talking about Hayden.”

  I laughed, hoping to dispel some of the tension in the room. It trailed off when no one else joined me.

  “Someone is going to have to wake her up every hour tonight,” Shelby continued. “Get her up, make her walk around, and have her answer questions like her full name and the date. If she’s unable, I’ll need to be contacted immediately.”

  “I’ll do it,” Iris said irritably. “Adrienne needs her rest.”

  I paled at the thought of having to share a bed with Iris. I’d heard her snore and had no doubt she’d suck the roof down on us both.

  Adrienne waved her off. “No, Iris, I have to get up nearly every hour anyway to go to the bathroom.”

  “I want you both to take it easy for the next couple of days.” Shelby shot me a look when I opened my mouth to protest. “I know you’re moving tomorrow, but you have a ton of help. Sit back and supervise.”

  I hopped off the table with gusto to show that I was fine. I was of course wrong but managed to fake a confident smile. I’d cry later when no one was around. “Thanks for patching me up, Shelby.”

  Adrienne gave Shelby a hug while Iris gave me the “you’re so gonna get it when we get outside” look. I’d seen it used on her son Teddy often, so I did what he always did—shrugged and grinned.

  I headed straight for the driver’s seat of the golf cart that Adrienne and Iris had followed us to the clinic with. We called it a golf cart because it did sort of look like one, but it was more of an all-terrain vehicle that would go as fast as our Jeep. I knew this because when no one was looking and I had some room, I’d push it to the limit. But as of late, I was on “don’t do anything stupid” restriction, so I didn’t share that tidbit with anyone.

  As I climbed in, Adrienne appeared at my side, and the look on her face said, “I’m driving, don’t you dare argue.” I scooted over and bumped into Iris.

  “I hate riding in the middle. Let me get into the back.”

  “No,” Adrienne and Iris said in unison.

  We’d barely gotten out of the parking lot when Iris went to gnawing on my ass again. “Pregnant women do not climb on roofs, Hayden.”

  “I’m not pregnant.”

  Iris elbowed me in the ribs. “You might not be carrying dat baby, but you are expecting one.” Iris’s Caribbean accent was more pronounced when she was upset or angry. On an anger scale of one to ten, I would’ve given her a twenty because of the way she was gripping the bar just above our heads. “Adrienne needs you to be in one piece.”

  “I’ll tell you what. If I don’t find a way to burn off this nervous energy, nothing on this island will be in one piece.” My stupidity was more pronounced when I was upset or angry. Iris elbowed me in the ribs again, causing me to grunt.

  “Are you hurting?” Adrienne asked calmly.

  “I wasn’t until Iris started jabbing.” She rammed me again for ratting on her. “And what Shelby said is total bullshit. I don’t have a concussion, not even a slight headache. She just wants me to be made miserable for the next twenty-four hours.”

  “She’s the doctor, and what she says goes.” Adrienne looked at me. “That’s what you’ve been telling me for almost nine months.”

  By the time we pulled up at the bar, I was feeling stiff from the fall and Iris’s abuse. Most of our employees were gathered inside finishing up lunch. They at least seemed happy to see me in one piece.

  Jacob, our lead maintenance man, approached me with a smile. “If you wanted a skylight installed, you should’ve mentioned it. There are easier ways to make the hole.” Everyone in the bar roared with laughter.

  I smiled wryly. “Any chance we can have it repaired before the guests arrive day after tomorrow?”

  “Won’t be a problem. We’ll get to work on it right after we finish…the other holes you made.”

  Peals of laughter went around the bar again as I looked at the golf cart-sized hole in the half wall of the bar. There was a matching one on the opposite side of the room. Backing up was never my strong suit. Fortunately, no one was hurt except for a table and two chairs that died a grisly death. “Thanks, Jacob.”

  I joined Adrienne at a table and watched as everyone filed out to repair my recent modifications to the inn. “If you would’ve gone a little more to the left, you would’ve taken out a brace, then we could’ve remodeled the whole bar,” Adrienne said before taking a sip of her tea.

  I laughed at what I thought was a joke, but Adrienne wasn’t smiling.

  I slumped down in my seat and watched as Jacob and his crew worked. If the inn had a heartbeat, the bar was it. Open on three sides, it allowed the breeze to blow in off the water and keep us cool without air conditioning. The back of the building housed the kitchen and dining room, which was Iris’s
domain.

  In addition to being a couple, Adrienne and I were the owners of this small inn hidden away on Cat Island in the Bahamas. My Aunt Gloria started the business, and upon her passing, she left her half to me. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with her business partner, Adrienne. Until last Christmas, Iris had been our cook; our gift to her was part ownership. We loved her like family, and it seemed only right to make her a part of the business that was thriving despite the recession in the States.

  Aunt Gloria loved people…in spurts. When she opened the inn, she devised a unique plan that most business-minded people would consider foolish. For two weeks, the inn would have guests for an all-inclusive stay, then be closed for five days afterward. The first two days of the off time were used to prep for the next round of guests, and the remaining time was for relaxation. It was a good deal for us, guests and staff alike, so we kept on with the tradition.

  “Thank God we don’t have guests all the time.” Iris sat in the chair next to me and sighed loudly. “Because we need the extra time to repair all of Hayden’s mishaps.”

  “You’re a riot today.”

  “And you’re a mule-headed child with the grace of one,” she retorted.

  Adrienne raised both hands. “Enough. You two are giving me a headache.” She took another sip of her tea. “Are we ready for the arrival of the guests?”

  Iris nodded. “All the food arrived today, and the bar is stocked.”

  “The cottages are ready…except for the one I…remodeled.”

  “Good.” Adrienne sighed. “Now all we have to do is move into the house tomorrow.”

  Iris patted Adrienne’s hand. “Don’t you worry about that. We have plenty of help, so all you have to do is sit back and tell us where you want your things.” She looked at me as she stood up. “Both of you, doctor’s orders.”