Page 14 of Wisteria Winds (Wisteria Island #2)

“Hey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Danielle laughed. “One major life event at a time, if you don’t mind.”

The rain started to ease slightly.

“Sounds like the storm might be passing,” Bennett said.

He made no move to get up. Spending this alone time with her was perfect, and these times together without somebody popping in were few and far between. She seemed to feel the same, curling in closer to his side.

“Oh, a few more minutes won’t hurt,” she said. “I’m comfortable right where I am.”

He tightened his arm around her, filled with a contentment that had nothing to do with where they were, but everything to do with the woman sitting beside him.

Here in this ratty construction trailer with rain drumming on the roof, he had everything he could ever want - Danielle, a plan for their future, and a certainty that no matter what storms might come, they would weather them together, side by side.

* * *

C lara stood at the edge of the water and watched as the sun rose over the Atlantic. She loved taking these early morning walks along the shore. There was something about the rhythm of the waves and the gradual lightening of the sky that gave her solace.

Two weeks had passed since her impromptu performance at the talent show.

Two weeks of small, steady steps back toward the living.

She’d played at three of the sunset gatherings on the beach and brought her husband’s compositions to life.

She continued working with the Wisteria Philharmonic, guiding them towards greater cohesion, and she’d started working on wedding music with Danielle and Bennett, choosing pieces that would be complementary to their ceremony in the nearly completed gazebo.

The gazebo. Clara smiled when she thought of the structure taking shape over on the bluff.

Despite the early rainstorm delay, Miguel’s crew had worked quickly and efficiently, and now the framework stood proud against the sky with its clean lines and graceful proportions.

Yesterday, they had started installing the roof, and soon all the finishing details would transform it from a construction site into a wedding venue.

She saw some movement down the beach that caught her eye, another early riser taking advantage of a beautiful morning. Then she recognized Bennett’s frame as he jogged along the water’s edge. He waved when he spotted her and stopped as she approached.

“Good morning, Clara. Beautiful sunrise today, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely stunning,” she said, “although I didn’t expect to find the island’s owner out running at dawn. Don’t you have people to do that sort of thing for you?”

Bennett laughed. “I’ve always been an early riser. There’s something about seeing the island wake up that just centers me for the day ahead.”

Clara nodded. “The gazebo’s coming along nicely. Cecilia really added some beautiful design elements to make it elegant.”

“She has excellent taste,” Bennett said, “and a surprising knowledge of architectural details. The wedding’s in less than three weeks, you know. We moved up the date once we realized how quickly the gazebo would be completed.”

“So I’ve heard. Morty is in an absolute tizzy trying to speed up all his planning.”

“Oh, Morty exists in a permanent state of tizzy from what I’ve seen over the years,” Bennett said. “But his heart’s in the right place.”

They turned and watched a pair of sandpipers darting along the water’s edge.

“Listen, I wanted to thank you,” Bennett said, “for agreeing to play at the wedding. It means a lot to Danielle, well, to both of us.”

“Oh, it’s my pleasure. Music for a wedding should be as unique as the couple themselves, and it’s giving me a purpose.”

“You seem a little lighter these days, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

Clara nodded. “I think I am. The weight doesn’t disappear, but somehow it becomes more bearable. Like I’m building up a muscle through repeated use.”

“Grief is strength training,” Bennett said.

“That’s a perspective I haven’t heard before, but it fits. I think here on Wisteria Island, what I’ve seen happen to people is that when they don’t have to carry that grief alone anymore, they realize they can carry it with a group of people, and it makes everything lighter.”

“I’m a work in progress for sure,” Clara said. “Some days are better than others, but this place…” she gestured toward the island behind them. “It helps. All these people have helped, and I really didn’t think that was possible.”

“That’s what I hoped to create here,” he said. “A place of healing and connection. My grandmother used to say the worst thing about growing old wasn’t the physical limitations. It was the loneliness, the feeling of being forgotten or irrelevant.”

“She sounded like a wise woman.”

“She was. I wish…” he paused. “I wish she could have seen this place. I wish she could have lived here. But I was far too young when she passed away. I couldn’t help her, but I can help other people.

Or at least I hope I’m helping.” He glanced at his watch.

“Well, I should finish my run. Contractors arrive at eight.”

Clara nodded. “I promised to help Janice with something called chair yoga this morning. Apparently, my ‘excellent posture’ makes me qualified as an assistant instructor.”

Bennett laughed. “Welcome to island life, where everyone’s talents get repurposed in all the most unexpected ways.

” He started to jog in place, preparing to continue his run.

“Oh, and before I forget, Danielle mentioned you were having some issues with your piano. Something about the humidity affecting the tuning?”

Clara sighed. “Yeah, unfortunately. It’s an occupational hazard of coastal living, I suppose. I’ve called a tuner from the mainland, but they can’t come until next week.”

“I might be able to help with that,” Bennett said. “My mom was a piano teacher for a long time. I learned to tune by ear out of necessity. We couldn’t afford a professional when I was a kid. Not all my skills are business-related,” he said with a wink.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“It’s not an imposition. Besides, Danielle’s at a medical conference on the mainland until this evening. I could use the distraction.”

“Well, that would be wonderful. The wedding music really needs to be practiced on a properly tuned instrument.”

“So, this afternoon? Maybe around two?”

“Oh, perfect. I’ll bake you some cookies as payment.”

Bennett laughed. “Deal.”

With a final wave, he continued his run down the beach, disappearing around a bend into the coastline.

Clara looked back toward her cottage, feeling anticipation for the day ahead.

It had been months since she’d woken up looking forward to anything, but today she had chair yoga with Janice, lunch with Dorothy, who wanted to discuss music for some mysterious wedding surprise, and now Bennett’s visit to tune her piano.

A full day. A good day.

She walked home in the strengthening sunlight and found herself humming one of Robert’s melodies. It was a piece he’d written after they spent a summer in Provence, full of light and warmth. For the first time, the music brought more comfort than pain.