Free Sea Glass Cottage by Vickie McKeehan Page B

took priority. Not only did she have a son to raise she had another on the way.
    No doubt, she had a lot on her plate. Since Marcus had put her in charge of running the Chumash Museum in town, due to open next month, she’d find a way to work around her duties there. She had seven and a half months to get ready for the new addition. The clock ticked toward that family she and Brent wanted. Even though they hadn’t yet announced the news to the world, they would, probably this weekend at the barbeque they planned. From there, town gossip would do the rest.
    Brent came up behind her carrying Luke. “I see that look on your face. You’re worried that you caused this erosion. You didn’t. The storm we had in August contributed to the drop in sea level.”
    “I know, but I started this. When I got here it was such a beautiful spot. It breaks my heart to see the water this high.”
    “Give it time, it’ll recede. But Dad put a call into the conservation group out of San Francisco. They’ll be here next week to evaluate the best way to handle it.”
    “That’s something, I guess.”
    “Feeling okay?”
    “I’m fine. Stop worrying about me,” River said as she rested her head on Brent’s shoulder, which had him in turn, resting his hand on her still-flat belly.
    “The next few months are sure to be busy but since crime is almost nonexistent in this town, I can help you with the museum.”
    She looked up into his deep brown eyes so like her own. “Never let it be said that the top cop doesn’t know how to use his angles. I wouldn’t mind having your help but I was thinking about getting the word out that I needed an assistant, someone who knows their way around cataloging.”
    “What about Isabella Rialto? Word has it she used to work in some type of art gallery.”
    River ripped out a laugh. “I thought she was a former ballet dancer. That story came from Hayden who got it from Myrtle Pettibone. I suppose the only way to know is to go right to the source.”
    “Now there’s a novel idea, the direct approach. Is that a polite way of telling me I don’t qualify as your coordinator?”
    “Nope. Your input is crucial. Even with both of us though, I’m afraid I could use help getting ready for the opening. Besides, I don’t want to get accused of taking the police chief away from his duties in an official capacity.”
    “Ah, there is that. Okay. Then go see Isabella. Who knows, maybe the real story is even more interesting and exotic than the one the wagging tongues made up?”
    “Ah yes, real life usually is.”
     



Chapter Six
     
    O ver the years the Delacourt home on Landings Bay had seen its share of kids come and go through its doors. The Spanish Colonial where Thane had grown up with his younger sister, Tessa, had acted as the popular hangout on the block. Friends often gathered in the front yard, got into mischief in the treehouse built in the back, or watched cartoons in front of the TV set early on Saturday mornings.
    It became routine for Thane and Tessa to share their after-school cookies and milk with classmates. In summer they’d gulp down glasses of cherry Kool-Aid with little league teammates celebrating a victory or sulking over a loss. Both were hosts to countless sleepovers, created enough batches of s’mores in the old kitchen to delight every chocolate lover within forty miles.
    Even though Millie and James Delacourt had moved around a lot during their early years of marriage, once the couple settled down in Pelican Pointe, they put the focus on raising their kids. James hired on as a shrimper on one of the trawlers while Millie got a part-time job as a teller at the bank.
    With a growing family some months the Delacourts had struggled with their finances, but for the most part, James and Millie had provided their kids with a typical upbringing. After a year on the job, Millie approached Milton Carr and talked him into giving them a loan to buy the single-story, three-bedroom stucco