A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber Page 0,65

and I were headed and that I would be living with Lucas for the foreseeable future. My sister insisted she didn’t want anything to interfere with Chantelle and Lucas’s wedding plans. The date had been set and the arrangements made. No matter what the future held for her, she wanted them to go through with the wedding whether she was there as a bridesmaid or not. I felt she was being a pessimist again but didn’t want to waste her energy or mine arguing.

Once we left the party, Lucas drove us to the hospital. He dropped us off at the front door while he went to park the car.

Harper and I stood frozen in the hospital foyer, unable to move.

My sister was the one who propelled me forward. “Let’s do this,” she said.

I nodded and followed her to the reception desk.

We were prepared and ready for battle.

CHAPTER 21

Sean

The heat of the Philippines was the most intense I’d ever endured. The assignment was multifaceted. Our mission was to look first at the offshore fisheries and then later, if time allowed, the mangrove forest, seeking to document the damage done by climate change. I was working with an entire team of scientists and naturalists.

The days were long, and my thoughts continually drifted to Willa and Oceanside. Long before I boarded the plane that would take me halfway across the world, I knew I would miss her, but I had no clue how strong those feelings would be.

The frustrating part was my inability to connect with her. My guess was that she was working too hard, not caring for herself, because she felt it was her duty to take care of everyone else first. With her brother’s wedding coming in a few months, I could imagine she was doing all she could to make the wedding cake of the century. Curious, I wondered which of the four flavors the couple had chosen. I was hoping for coconut.

Exhausted after a morning-long session of photographs, I returned to our campsite to download the photos I’d gotten earlier. I’d promised Willa I’d be safe and thanked God she couldn’t see some of the crazy chances I took to get the perfect shot.

This was an important assignment, my most prestigious to date. In the oppressive heat of the afternoon beating down on me, I faced the naked truth. I was scared to death of failing. From the moment I joined the rest of the team, I’d been driven by the fear of failure. I was willing to do most anything to get the picture, and that included putting myself at risk. Danger can be an aphrodisiac for some. Not me. All I could think about was how furious Willa would be if I returned home injured or sick again. The thought made me smile. How important Willa’s opinion had become to me.

Sweat rolled down my back as I bent over my computer, downloading hundreds of photographs. Working in the middle of the day was nearly impossible. The light was best in the early morning and late afternoon. Dawn and dusk. My afternoons were spent downloading and editing, napping when I could, writing, trying to keep cool, and missing Willa. Missing home.

Doug, the leader of our team, returned to our camp, mumbling under his breath about the necessity of a trip into the nearest town. More of a village with dirt streets and a few minor businesses. I barely remembered seeing it when we first arrived. Whatever it was he needed went straight over my head. All I heard was what mattered to me. Small as this village was, there might be an opportunity to find an Internet café. Even the smallest of towns would sometimes boast of one. I was desperate to connect with Willa and check in with my family, too.

When my mother learned I was taking another assignment on a remote island in the Philippines, she nearly blew a gasket. She’s always been a worrier, and my leaving again so soon after suffering with typhoid sent her on a rampage. I was surprised she didn’t connect with Willa and demand that the two of them do whatever they could to stop me from leaving. For all I knew, Mom might have done exactly that.

Three of the five-man team opted to take the hour-long ride into town. The road, such as it was, was unpaved and filled with potholes big enough to swim in. Thankfully, Doug was an experienced driver and managed to