CHAPTER FOUR
“THAT WAS QUICK.” Serena Delgado, the firm’s most recent hire before Joy, spoke from her desk, which was positioned across from Joy’s. They shared a spacious office set off by rich wood trim and a startling view of the Cascade Mountains.
“It was a simple last-minute crossing of t’s and dotting of i’s. You know, medical stuff.” Joy held back a grimace at her clumsy cliché. “They’ll probably call me in again over the next day or so. The Navy moves at its own pace.”
Serena typed on her keyboard before replying. “My experience was more with the Army, but from what I’ve seen on base when my son or I go to the clinic for our medical care, the Navy is pretty efficient.”
Was that a tone of disbelief? A glance at Serena allayed Joy’s paranoia. Serena had a large stack of files at her elbow, eyes glued to her computer screen. She was just making small talk to help Joy feel welcome.
Joy hated lying, and Serena’s generosity made her guilt that much worse.
I’m going to hell for this.
“I agree with you about their efficiency, but separating from the Navy is an administrative function with a lot of hoops to jump through. Just when I think I’m done, I get another phone call to come in and take care of yet another piece of paperwork.”
“I know all about military red tape and paperwork, trust me.” Serena’s attention was entirely on Joy.
“Oh?”
“My husband was killed on active duty. In the war. The Army was wonderful to us, but the process was long. If I hadn’t had such a good CACO, Pepé and I would still be waiting for our benefits to kick in.” Serena referred to the Casualty Assistance Calls Officer, the military person who took the surviving family of a deceased active duty member through the complexities of survivor benefits.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Serena. I trained as a CACO when I was on board the Abraham Lincoln.” And she’d been grateful she’d never had to serve the duty of being a surviving family member’s sole link to the military during a time of such grief. Many of her friends had been CACOs and had found it emotionally taxing.
“It was a while ago, and Pepé and I have a good life here.”
“You said you were Army. Where were you stationed? What brought you to Whidbey?”
“The short version is that I’m originally from Texas. I had a long-lost relative here, and she and I reconnected. I inherited her home when she passed away. But initially I’d learned about Whidbey when Pepé and I attended a resort for Gold Star families on San Juan Island. You might have heard of it—Beyond the Stars. I fell in love with the area and started to research the feasibility of staying. And then, of course, there was Aunt Dottie... Anyway, I was looking for a new life for Pepé and me, and this proved to be it.” Serena restacked a pile of papers on her desk. “How about you, Joy? Are you planning to stay on Whidbey?”
“Yes. I’ve bought a house out on West Beach with just about all my life’s savings. My last tour was here. I requested it after coming up to Whidbey for a weekend break from the carrier.”
“Is there someone special here? Someone who gave you a reason to stay?”
The flush that was heating her face was impossible to stop. Until this morning, she would’ve answered with an unequivocal “no.”
Before Brad pushed open her kitchen door and pressed his body against hers...
“Um, no. No one special here. I made the move on my own.”
“That’s brave.”
“No braver than moving here after such a huge loss—with a child.”
“Touché.”
They shared a moment of quiet commiseration before Serena’s gaze went back to her screen. A few seconds later she spoke again. “Believe it or not, we almost met last year. I’m involved with someone you know.”
“Oh? I thought you looked kind of familiar.”
“We didn’t exactly meet but we were both at the Fords’ Christmas party. Winnie pointed you out, but I never got the chance to talk to you.”
Recognition dawned. “You’re with Jonas, aren’t you?”
It was Serena’s turn to blush. “Yes. We’re engaged and getting married at Thanksgiving. He told me you and he had briefly dated, and I didn’t want it hanging between us. He thinks the world of you.”
Stunned at the revelation, Joy stared at Serena. They were complete opposites physically. Joy had a boyish figure, and Serena was all curves. Serena’s hair shone black and straight, while Joy’s was strawberry blond and curly.
If Serena was Jonas’s type, Joy had never stood a chance.
Her laughter surprised her as much as it did Serena. At the wariness on Serena’s face, Joy said, “Please don’t take this the wrong way—but I’m relieved! I blamed myself for not being able to make it work with Jonas. We never got past the dating part, you know.” A kiss on the cheek was all she could give Jonas without reminding herself he wasn’t Brad.
Because, even then, thoughts of Brad were still with her, months after the last time she’d seen him.
“I didn’t even bother to ask him to recommend me to Paul.” Paul, her boss, was Jonas’s older brother.
“Jonas didn’t give me details about you two, and I’m not fishing for any. I just thought you should know.” Serena looked so happy, Joy knew it was the truth.
“There aren’t any details to tell you. We went out a few times. That was it. He’s a good man. You’ve got a keeper there.”
“Yes, I do.”
“I promise I won’t be such a chatterbox every day, Serena. Don’t let me interrupt your work.”
“It’s nice having you here, Joy.”
“Thanks.”
Joy settled into her chair and braced herself, trying to focus on her new cases without letting her mind wander back to Brad.
“Don’t worry about Paul, by the way. He’s the most easygoing boss I’ve ever had. As long as the work gets done and we satisfy our clients.”
Serena’s fingers were on her keyboard and her eyes on her screen as she spoke. Joy liked a woman who could multitask.
“Have you ever not done that?”
Serena’s luminous brown eyes blinked before her attention rested on Joy again.
“No, not yet. But there’ll be a first. There has to be. There’s always something waiting to go wrong.”
Serena had no idea how astute her observation was. In Joy’s case, something very large had gone wrong, or at least thrown
