Authors: Nikki Rittenberry
“Nope… this will be my first time. What about you? Have you been before?”
“Once—I traveled here two years ago for Labor Day Weekend with Tanner and we took the boat out. You’re going to love it.”
“So, how long have you been sitting here?” She asked.
“For a while…” Jacob watched her as her eyes scanned the horizon. She took a sip of coffee and licked her lips as she pulled the coffee mug away from her mouth. She was completely unaware of her subtle actions, but he certainly wasn’t. He’d give anything to trade places with her coffee mug. “So, I was thinking… we should just ride together to the cottage. It really doesn’t make any sense for us to drive separately.”
“Um, okay… I guess it does make more sense.” Cassie smiled and returned her attention to the mirror-like Kennebec River.
They sat in silence for the next ten
minutes, committing the pristine
landscape to memory. The calm aura was refreshing and he was fully aware that she was the only woman he’d ever met that could appreciate that moment without cluttering it with meaningless conversation.
After finishing their coffee and freshly baked croissants, they abandoned their table and sauntered to the gravel parking lot. Jacob opened the passenger door to his rented Jeep Wrangler and closed it once she was seated inside. He situated himself in the driver’s seat and turned over the ignition.
“You know, I have to admit I’m pretty nervous about this…”
“Nervous about what?” he asked curiously.
“You don’t exactly have the best track record with rental cars”, said Cassie. She giggled and looked up at him, expecting a witty remark in return. He kept his eyes focused on the road ahead.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about; I’m hauling precious cargo today…”
Cassie felt the corners of her mouth lift and quickly looked away. She watched the endless rows of trees race by as they traveled down the interstate.
She reveled in his comment—he always had a way with words. She felt a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach and patted it softly with her hand in response. Why did he have to be so damn charming, she asked herself? And why was she enjoying so?
They arrived in Bailey Island shortly before nine o’clock and parked his Jeep in the extensive, asphalt driveway that led to the cottage. Cassie grabbed her bag and the two crossed the street to the small marina in search of boat slip number seven. The grand, forty-three foot vessel with the words
First Love
elegantly painted in white on the stern came into view as soon as they reached the dock. The navy hull shifted slightly with the movement of the dark water below and when they finally reached the craft, Tanner emerged from the lower deck.
“Good morning!” Tanner shouted. He walked to the edge of the boat and offered his hand. “Here, let me help you climb aboard. Jacob, can you give her a little boost while I pull her up?”
Cassie reached for Tanner’s hand as Jacob approached her from behind.
Damn, she looked beautiful.
Her hair was swept back into a loose braid which fell down the middle of her back. Her olive, long sleeves were rolled, revealing her forearms and the bottom buttons were left intentionally undone, allowing her to tie it into a knot at her narrow waist. The petite, white shorts and flesh-colored wedge sandals elongated her seductively sculpted legs. Jacob placed his large hands on either side of her contoured waist and lifted her while Tanner helped her aboard. He exhaled forcefully as he watched her rise above him in an attempt to regain his composure. He hadn’t been that close to her since their kiss last fall and it felt so good. This was torture and he wondered how long he’d be able to fight back the raw urge to touch her again.
Once aboard, the hefty vessel departed the calm waters of the harbor and embarked on its destination. The mainsail caught the wind and propelled the craft parallel along the jagged coast. Jacob kept his distance for a while, allowing her to mingle with Emily and her sisters, while he received an impromptu sailing lesson from Tanner. It served as a much needed distraction from Cassie, although observing her had always been one of his favorite pastimes.
They’d been cruising for several hours when Cassie snuck away from the girls and took a seat on the upper deck toward the bow of the boat. She sat with her knees bent and her hands supporting her weight from behind. She closed her eyes as the cool wind collided against her body, feeling at peace for the first time since she’d
arrived
. Waves crashed against the bow, tipping it forward in a rhythmic motion that lulled her deeper into relaxation.
“You look like you’ve found the best seat in the house—mind if I join you?” Jacob asked.
“Not at all…” Cassie kept her gaze over the horizon. “I don’t think I’ve ever encountered scenery as beautiful as this.”
Jacob turned his gaze toward her. “Me either.”
Cassie smiled, realizing that he was referring to her. “You see that?” she pointed to a clearing above the rock-ribbed coast. “I want to live there. Can you imagine what it would be like to wake up every morning to this view?”
“Yeah, that would be nice”, he answered.
She sensed he was still referring to her and quickly continued, as not to dwell on it. “I can just see myself in a custom built home with a wall full of windows overlooking the Atlantic.” She nudged her shoulder against his. “Maybe I can convince a talented New York City architect to design it for me.”
Jacob smiled, nodding his head in agreement. “Yeah, I suppose—but you know Landon, he’d have to approve every last detail.”
Cassie’s smile faded and her body tensed. “Yeah, well… I’m not so sure about that”, she said softly.
He watched her demeanor change before his eyes and witnessed for the first
time the anguish she kept hidden so well.
He repositioned himself, resting his forearms on his bent knees and kept his focus forward. “Hey Cass… Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
Jacob hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Why didn’t Landon come with you?” Cassie sat in silence and he wondered if maybe he’d crossed the line. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want. You certainly don’t owe me any sort of explanation.”
“No… It’s okay.” Cassie tucked a
stray strand of hair behind her ear and
drew a deep breath. “It’s always a last minute business catastrophe. Although I’m not surprised, this isn’t the first time I’ve found myself in this predicament.”
“What do you mean? He’s good to you, right?”
“He’s a very generous man. He sends flowers often, we dine at extravagant restaurants, but—”
“But what?”
She paused for a moment and turned her gaze over the horizon ahead. “When Landon and I first met we were both preoccupied with our careers. He had established himself as a prominent force in the real estate world and I had just recently moved to Chicago. We dated casually for a while and I didn’t mind that we didn’t spend every free moment together; I had my own hurdles to overcome with the therapy clinic. Before we both knew it, we were celebrating one year together… time just seemed to ease by, I guess. Anyhow, after I left New York Last fall I realized that I was ready to move forward, you know? I was ready to consider a future with him.”
“It’s always been my dream to get married and be a mom… He’s forty-four, twice divorced with four kids—he wasn’t looking to marry again nor have more children. When I got back we had a long discussion and he assured me that he would keep an open mind and he convinced me that things would change. For a while—it did, but now we’re back to where we started. His number one priority is his business and it looks as though it will always be that way. The truth is, I’m not any closer to realizing my dream of becoming a wife and mother than I was two years ago on day one…”
A single tear cascaded down her cheek and Jacob wiped it away with his thumb. His touch jolted her from her trance and she turned to look at him. “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to ramble on like that.”
“Don’t be—you have absolutely
nothing to be sorry for”, he said.
“You must think I’m crazy.”
“I can think of a lot of adjectives to describe you…
Crazy
isn’t one of them.” He could see the raw agony behind her large, hazel eyes and he couldn’t help but feel partially responsible for it. He wondered silently about the difficult choice he’d made six years earlier; wondered what would have happened if he’d boarded that plane to New Orleans. “Come on.” Jacob offered his hand and assisted her to her feet. “Let’s not think about that right now. Would you like a glass of wine?”
“Yeah, that would be really great, actually.”
Jacob took her by the hand and assisted her to the stern of the boat where Emily and Tanner were waiting. He opened the bottle of wine and retrieved four plastic wine glasses from a straw bag and handed one to each of them.
“So, I was thinking about dinner tonight. How does seafood sound?” Tanner asked.
“It’s my favorite!” Cassie explained. “What did you have in mind?”
“Well, Emily and I were talking and we thought we’d come to you. There is a fantastic place in Bath, three blocks from your bed and breakfast. It’s right on the river—we’re talking the freshest seafood around and some of the best views imaginable. What do you say?”
“I’m sold!”
“Count me in, too”, Jacob replied.
“Okay then, it’s a date! We are going to have a
wicked-good
time!” Everyone shot Tanner a curious look—especially Emily.
“I’m sorry—did you say a
wicked-good time?
Well, it didn’t take long for your New England tongue to resurface!” exclaimed Emily.
Tanner wrapped his arms around her as he spoke. “Well, you certainly didn’t complain about my New England tongue last night, did you?”
“
Tanner!” Emily shouted, as she
playfully slapped him on the shoulder. Her porcelain skin turned a brilliant shade of red. Tanner laughed at her transformation—he loved to get a rise out of her.
* * *
The Atlantic was becoming more restless by the minute and Jacob took over the wheel with Tanner’s guidance. He turned the wheel as Tanner adjusted the sails. They used a method called tacking, which allowed them to maneuver the boat forward against the wind. They zigzagged
along the rocky coast, causing the boat to
lean dramatically to one side. Cassie
appeared frightened by it, but Tanner
assured her that they weren’t going to tip over.
The sea calmed as they approached the harbor and the massive vessel balanced into its proper upright position. They coasted into boat slip seven and Jacob leaped off of the edge, landing firmly on the dock. He tethered the sailboat, securing it while Tanner lowered a floating device between the hull and the dock to prevent damage to both incase of a collision. Cassie grabbed her bag and stood on the edge of the vessel. Jacob could see her hesitation; the upper deck towered roughly three and a half feet above the dock.
He reached his arms up. “Here, let me help you. Put your hands on my shoulders. I’ll grab your waist and lower you down.”