Love On Anchor Island: An Anchor Island Novel

toys and baby stuff. One of those electric swings sat next to a playpen, which was surrounded by toys.
As if reading Roxie’s mind, Beth said, “I had this living room cleaned up yesterday, but these girls make keeping it clean impossible.” She set the glass of lemonade in front of Roxie. “So are you going to tell me why Aunt Jody asked me to invite you down here?”
That confirmed her suspicions. “I did something stupid.” With her eyes on the drink, she added, “I’m sure you’re surprised.”
A slender finger under Roxie’s chin nudged her gaze upward. “Tell me what happened.”
Before Roxie could spill, Mary Ann came tearing into the kitchen. “Mommy, the toilet isn’t flushing.”
“Did you put something in it again?” Beth asked, abandoning her company and chasing after her daughter.
“I thought the little ship would float,” Roxie heard from the distance. She’d never given having a family much thought, but she had a feeling this visit was going to be an excellent motivator for birth control.
Lifting her drink, she felt a tug on her pant leg. Looking down, Roxie found Daphne staring up at her with giant green eyes. When the child remained silent, she said, “Can I help you?”
To her surprise, the munchkin held out her arms and said, “Up.”
This was an unexpected turn of events. Roxie set the glass back on the counter and rubbed her hands on her thighs. “Okay. Come on up.”
The little one weighed almost nothing, and when her bottom landed on the countertop, her eyes stayed locked on Roxie’s. One tiny finger poked her bottom lip, and Roxie endured the contact until the tiny digit headed for her nose.
“I don’t think so.”
The child froze for several seconds before her bottom lip started to quiver.
“Oh, shit,” Roxie mumbled before catching herself. “I mean, crap. Don’t cry, baby. It’s all good.”
Her words had no effect, and as soon as the first whimper crossed Daphne’s lips, Dozer was practically on Roxie’s lap. He pressed his nose against the baby’s chubby cheeks, and she leaned into him, the tears drying up.
“You’re good at this, buddy.” Roxie scratched his head as Beth re-entered the kitchen.
“Dozer, give her some space.”
“It’s okay. These two are pretty close, aren’t they?” she said as Daphne tugged on the dog’s ear.
“Sometimes I think she’s more his baby than mine. He was protective of Mary Ann, but once Daphne came, he turned into a canine nanny.” Beth retrieved her glass and settled on the stool two down from Roxie. “Mary Ann will be in her room for a while. That’s the third toy she’s flushed this month, and we’re only ten days in. Don’t you want five of your own?” she asked with a laugh.
“I can barely keep myself out of trouble.”
Daphne rubbed her eyes, and Beth said, “Let me put her down for a nap, and then you can tell me about this stupid thing you did while we get you unpacked.” Sweeping the baby off the counter, she tucked her daughter’s head against her neck. “You’re in the room upstairs, and not to worry, you have your own bathroom. I’ll help you carry the suitcases when I come back.”
The mom disappeared again, and Roxie looked around for a set of stairs, finding them on the far side of the living room. Loading the smaller bags on her shoulders, she rolled the larger of the two suitcases across the room and dragged it up the stairs, going one step at a time.
At the top, she entered a spacious room with an A-line ceiling and large windows on two walls that let in an amazing amount of natural light. Rolling the suitcase to the bed, her breath caught at the view out the back. Dropping the bags on the ruffled quilt, Roxie moved closer to get a better look. The sizable backyard was fenced, and beyond the back gate was a sandy area that stretched to the water’s edge. In the distance was nothing but water as far as the eye could see.
“Your own private beach,” Roxie mumbled. “Not bad, cuz.”
She turned back to the bed and noticed the view out the side window offered a clear shot to the doctor’s place. Shaking her head, she took in the big yellow house with its white picket fence and perfectly manicured flower beds along the wide front porch. What she hadn’t been able to see before was the expansive second-story deck that ran along the back of the house.
The doc had the same view as Beth, and that deck would be the perfect spot to enjoy it.
A suitcase clunked up the steps, and Roxie hurried to help.
“Seriously,” Beth said. “What do you have in here?”
“I wasn’t sure how long I’d be here, so I packed nearly everything I own.”
Beth looked up with wide eyes. “Is it that bad?”
“Yeah. It’s that bad.” Reluctant to talk about the incident as her mother called it, Roxie gestured toward the side window. “Since when are doctors’ offices in big yellow houses?”
She glanced in her neighbor’s direction. “That’s Alex Fielding. He’s Lucas’ cousin on Patty’s side, and he’s been the island doctor for…” Eyes up, she tapped her chin. “I guess about three years now? He sees patients downstairs and lives upstairs.”
“Lucas, as in that guy you were engaged to who is now your brother-in-law?”
Her cousin nodded. “That’s right. I used to hate explaining how I met Joe, but I think my husband is finally rubbing off on me because I don’t get as embarrassed about it as I used to.” She shrugged. “If I hadn’t been engaged to Lucas, I wouldn’t have come to Anchor Island, and I never would have met Joe. It was all meant to be, and everyone is happy. That’s what matters.”
“Then Lucas is happy, too?”
“Oh, heavens, yes. He and Sid are disgustingly in love, and their daughter is the most beautiful little girl you’ve ever seen.” Beth motioned for Roxie to help her lift the suitcase onto the bed. “You’ll see for yourself when