A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber Page 0,41

Watching my sister work her magic was a sight to behold. While I might attract customers with my baked goods, all Harper had to do was show up. Her silver/lilac hair suited her perfectly. She really was beautiful. I thanked God every day that she’d been spared. The world would be a bleak place without Harper. Her smile lit up a room. People were naturally drawn to her. I could be halfway across the floor and could feel her energy radiating, warming the area. I marveled at her ability to attract others like a bee to honey.

She waved her arm above her head when she saw me and called out, “You forgot your cell. Dr. Annie called.” Meeting me halfway, she handed me the pink slip with the call information.

Thinking this might be related to Sean, I rushed to my office and returned the call. The receptionist answered and put me on hold. The seconds felt like minutes and my stomach knotted with concern. Thank goodness I had a short wait.

“Willa,” Annie greeted cheerfully. “Thanks for returning my call.”

“Of course. Is everything all right with Sean? Is there something I should be doing?” My brain was spinning, afraid there was more to this fever than typhoid. If so, wouldn’t she be letting him know and not me?

“No, no. This isn’t about Sean.”

My relief was instantaneous.

“How’s he recovering? Is his fever down?”

“It is. His parents arrived this morning.”

“Great.” She paused briefly. “The reason I called has to do with Relay for Life. I’m grateful you’re my cochair. I know how busy you’ve been and that you’ve already put in a lot of work, but time is getting short.”

No question, I was all in with the fight against cancer. “You can count on me.”

“Wonderful. I got word out on social media. The posters are up and the Chamber of Commerce is on board.”

“I’ll go back to the service clubs,” I offered. I’d worked my contacts with the Rotary, Kiwanis, Friends of the Library, and several church groups.

We spoke for several minutes, reviewing our efforts for getting the community involved.

I’d been active with the local Relay for Life ever since Harper was first diagnosed with leukemia. As the signature fundraising event of the American Cancer Society, it united those suffering with cancer, cancer survivors, and the families of those who’d lost loved ones in the battle to find a cure for all forms of cancer. The event was fun and inspirational. I’d been involved every year, cochairing with Dr. Annie.

Harper did her part as well and was instrumental in gathering volunteers. It was a twenty-four-hour walk, each person signing up to walk for an hour and collecting money for their efforts. The funds then went toward research and awareness.

My sister was a survivor and I considered it my goal to make sure she remained in remission. A job I would do everything within my power to fulfill.

CHAPTER 14

Willa

Sean’s parents stayed for a week, and I saw them every day. His mother was a hoot, fussing over Sean, cooking night and day, filling his freezer with dinners. She took his temperature every few hours and fretted over him like he was a five-year-old. In contrast, his father was laid back and easygoing. In many ways Sean was the perfect combination of Patrick and Joanna.

While he complained about his mother’s constant attention, I was grateful to know she had a handle on keeping him on track, taking his medication at the times prescribed, eating right, and drinking plenty of fluids.

Every afternoon, once I’d closed for the day, I stopped by Sean’s house, staying three nights for dinner and into the evening. His parents faithfully watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! That gave Sean and me time to be alone. Because he’d been so seriously ill, we’d never discussed what I’d learned about him playing professional baseball. Instead we played board games and UNO, laughing and enjoying each other’s company until he tired out.

Sean improved a little more each day. On the third day after the medication regime, he took a turn for the better. I could see it in his face and his energy level. He’d lost weight and didn’t have much of an appetite, despite his mother’s effort to get him to eat. She cooked all his favorite meals and wrote out the recipes for me to prepare after she returned home.

As soon as he started feeling more like himself, Sean started sorting through the thousands of photographs he’d taken. At