Finding Love in Forgotten Cove (Island County Series Book 1) (9 page)

Our first field trip to the EMP was a huge success. The kids’ fascination with the exhibits filled my heart with joy and the teaching opportunities were endless. I had to admit the Nirvana exhibit made me feel like my parents must have felt after answering my nonstop Rolling Stones questions.

Old.

Several of the parents volunteered to help with the field trip, and every one had made it back safe and sound to the island. I was sitting at Gabby’s Goodies, eating a scone and waiting for Delilah’s mother, Marcy. She had asked if she could meet with me after she dropped her daughter off for tennis lessons, which happened to be on the same island as Gabby’s Goodies. It sounded like a perfect way to eat up time before Mason got to the house. Fireweed Island was only a fifteen minute ferry ride away from here so the timing should work out perfectly, and if not, he had a key to let himself in.

I took a sip of my mocha as Gabby slid into the chair across the table.

“I heard your new bathroom looks spectacular. Do you like it?” she asked.

I nodded and quickly swallowed so I could answer. “I love it. The accent tile is gorgeous. He was right about getting one of the smaller projects out of the way. I see a glimmer of hope.”

Gabby beamed and tapped the table. “What did I tell you? He’s a miracle worker.”

“Indeed he is. In fact, tonight we’re starting work on the family room. He’s saving the kitchen for last so that I can continue to cook him meals.”

Gabby laughed. “Sounds like the Rhodes brothers.”

The phone rang and Gabby bounded from the chair but not before hollering over her shoulder. “From what I heard, he hasn’t stopped talking about you to everyone he knows.”

The revelation made me almost giddy but for all the wrong reasons. Gabby answered the phone and proceeded to take an order for morning. She hung up the phone and pinned the order on the wall with all the others before coming back over to sit with me.

“He must not have much to talk about if he’s managing to fit me in.” I smirked, taking another sip of the mocha.

“In all seriousness, he’s actually quite a busy man with lots of hobbies so the fact that you’ve been mentioned so much has his brother completely amused and his mother hopeful,” she snickered.

I got a sudden urge to learn what his hobbies were.

“Hopeful for what?”

My mind flashed to the barbeque. It was going to be nothing more than two acquaintances turned friends attending a get together.

No. Big. Deal.

“I’m sure you can imagine the many things a mother would hope for her son.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “I’m sure he’s just talking about me because he loves the house so much and I own the house. He’s been spending hours with me every day working his fingers to the bone. I actually feel very sorry for the guy.”

“I happen to know he’s enjoying every second of it.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously and I got a little nervous.

I let out a sigh and saw Delilah’s mother pull into the lot. “Well, I hope I don’t dash his family’s hopes and dreams, but I’m not the right one. I’m not looking for anything serious and won’t be for—”

The bell on the door chimed as Delilah’s mother pushed open the door. She looked like an older version of her daughter with large blue eyes and short dark hair. But at the moment, she appeared harried and completely stressed since the last time I saw her—less than two hours ago.

“Maybe don’t do serious. Try fun,” Gabby whispered, before leaving the table.

I’d never really let my mind go to that possibility before. I wasn’t the “not serious” type. I only understood serious. There had to be an end goal in sight. I wasn’t sure how “not serious” would work. I doubted it was even possible. Thankfully Marcy interrupted my thoughts with the thud of her purse on the table and an exasperated sigh.

“Is there any way to fast-forward through this age and watch her walk down the aisle at graduation? She will graduate, right?” She sat down in the chair, her expression completely defeated.

I reached my hand across the table and squeezed hers. “Yes. She will make it through and so will you. What can I get you? My treat.”

“A jasmine tea sounds perfect.”

I walked over to the counter, and Gabby already had one brewing as she rang me up.

“Don’t forget what I said earlier. Maybe give it some thought while he’s at the house tonight. Life doesn’t always have to be so serious.” Her voice was almost a whisper.

“Very unfunny, my friend,” I gave her three dollars and spun on my heels with the warm drink in hand.

I took a seat back at the table and smiled. Marcy looked slightly better than when she’d walked through the door.

“Doing a little better?” I asked.

Marcy smiled and took a sip of tea. “Now I am. Sometimes I get so caught up in the drama of teenage life that I can hardly think straight. If I can remember I’m an adult that works better.”

“But that isn’t always as fun.” I let out a little chuckle. I could relate, but I enjoyed slipping into another generation’s way of existence. Or at least I had before everything with Tanner and my father.  I was hoping to get back to that state of mind before the end of summer.

“Well, I wish I could say it will get better, but you never know,” I joked.

“I appreciate the honesty.” Marcy’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “I don’t understand what got her into summer school.”

“Lots of students can find it hard to balance so many subjects and excel in all of them,” I offered.

Marcy shook her head. “It makes absolutely no sense though. Not this subject.”

“Pardon me?” I asked, not completely following.

“She loves history. She knows more facts than are in an encyclopedia. She wants to be a history professor for God’s sake. Now, if she was struggling in some other class maybe I wouldn’t be suspicious. It’s Delilah’s favorite subject she so happens to be failing and that is worrisome. I almost wonder if it’s a cry for attention.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, she has received perfect scores on all her tests and assignments.”

“Exactly.”

“I hate to press, but have there been any changes at home or anything that would disrupt her daily routine?”

Marcy shook her head. “Her father and I are painfully predictable.”

A thought—rather, a person—occurred to me.

“Do you know Brendan Fitzgerald?” I asked.

Marcy’s brows furrowed, and she scowled as she thought hard about the name, finally snapping her fingers together.

“Yes. He was a boy she went to junior high with. They ran in the same circle briefly, but I haven’t heard her mention him since she started high school.”

“Interesting. Well, it might be nothing, but I have noticed she puts herself directly in his line of vision whenever she can. He’s in my class and actually needs to be there.”

Marcy folded her hands on the table and her lip turned up slightly. “I never saw that one coming and I really should have.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time a student failed a class just so they could spend more time with a crush.”

Usually the crush runs both ways, however.

“Wait until her father hears about this.” Marcy gestured toward the ceiling. “On second thought, it’s probably better if he is blissfully ignorant on this one.”

I didn’t have the heart to say anything about Brendan’s lack of interest in her direction, but it worried me since Delilah had already gone to such great lengths to spend more time with him, no matter how one-sided.

“Would you like me to talk to her about things?” I asked, not wanting to overstep my bounds.

“That would be a godsend.”

“It’s what I’m here for,” I assured her. “Sometimes hearing things from someone other than a parent can help.”

“A truer statement could not have been said. I always heard raising a teenage daughter could be a challenge, and to think, I have another one to hit this age in about a year…” Her eyes glazed over and I had to laugh.

“Every child and experience is different. I promise.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” she joked.

“Hold me to what? I didn’t say a word.”

Marcy’s expression had completely softened and it looked as if a huge weight had been lifted.

“I’ll let you know how the chat goes. When would be best to call you tomorrow to discuss?”

“Delilah takes her flute lesson from four to five.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll give you a call, and we’ll take it one step at a time. If she loves history as much as it sounds like, this should be a small bump in the road.”

“Thank you, Victoria” She examined her phone. “I better go retrieve her from tennis.”

“Yes, you better go get her or you’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Amen to that.” Marcy stood up and thanked me once more before leaving the bakery.

“How are you going to handle that tomorrow?” Gabby asked, as she tidied up the newspapers by the door.

“I’m really not sure yet.”

“Well, I’m certain you’ll find the perfect words.”

I laughed. “Such misguided faith you have in me.”

“The thought of Jason’s niece, Katie, failing a class for a boy gives me the shivers, and we should have more than ten years before boys come in the picture. Well, that’s probably just wishful thinking.” Gabby adjusted a wooden anchor that hung on the wall and turned around. “I heard through the grapevine that you’ll be coming to the annual Rhodes barbeque.”

“That vine is really short,” I teased. “But yeah. I’m looking forward to the whole thing, and I’m interested in seeing two Masons’ side by side.”

Gabby’s mouth curved into a huge grin. “And why would that be?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Haven’t met many identical twins.”

“Well, it can be like you’re seeing double, but they couldn’t be more different.”

“How so?” I asked.

“I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. They’re both amazing guys—like truly amazing. But let’s see… for starters, Ayden owns an energy drink business and he’s a tad more refined. He got used to having to sell-sell-sell and kind of looks like he stepped out of Esquire and I’d say Mason is more the—”

“Rugged and charming brother?”

Gabby cracked up and leaned against the wall. “Believe it or not, they’re both pretty damn charming, but yeah… I could see that for a comparison.”

“You know, it’s kind of fun to have the “eye candy but no touch” policy.”

Gabby shook her head. “No it’s not. That’ll get old real quick. A few more projects around the house and—”

I threw my napkin at her and it did a pitiful job of floating to the ground.

“While I appreciate your advice, I know it would be a very bad idea to even entertain that notion. I’m just too tired.”

“You’re not too tired,” Gabby replied. “You’re scared of letting your guard down. I can see it plastered all over you. You’d rather be alone than chance getting hurt again.”

“I don’t think it’s quite that extreme.”

“Of course you don’t. Your type never does.”

I didn’t know whether to be offended or baffled so I was both. “And how do you know so much about this?” My brow quirked, waiting for an explanation.

“Because I was that type. I was one of you until Jason showed me the price of keeping my guard up. The thicker the walls around my heart, the more the world around me slipped away. It took the right kind of love to make me see the possibilities. Someday, I’ll fill you in on how we came to be, but that would take far more time than you have. There were a few more bumps in the road than I would have initially thought, but it made us a stronger couple for it.”

The phone rang and Gabby picked it up on the second ring. It was Jason. I could tell immediately by how her voice changed.

I stood up and gave her a quick wave. “Hope to hear your love story someday, but don’t expect it to be an incentive plan,” I hollered behind me as I left the bakery.

My steps quickened at the thought of getting to see Mason tonight, and I couldn’t wait to see if “not serious” could be in my plan.

“So how was your field trip? Any of those suckers get loose in downtown Seattle?”

“How in the world did you get so much done already?” I asked, taking a step into the family room. I was in shock. The place looked nothing like I’d left it this morning, and that was a good thing.

Mason had completely sanded and prepped the wood floors for refinishing, and the stone veneer for the fireplace was sitting in the kitchen, waiting to be installed.

“I thought it would be a nice surprise for you. I didn’t have anything on my schedule today so I came over early to bust it out.” He stood up from the floor and stretched toward the ceiling. I was almost certain he was taunting me to look, which I did. His hair, jeans, and shirt were covered in a thick layer of sawdust and he had black pads strapped to each knee. I saw the treasure trail lead into his jeans and I had to resist staring. “But you didn’t answer my question. How was today?”

I knew Mason had something to gain from all this hard work—a house, but when I looked into his eyes, I felt like there was something more driving him to be here.

“Sorry! This surprise kind of took my breath away. I’m actually hopeful about getting rid of this place quickly before I head back home.” I smiled. “But yeah. Today was really special. The kids loved the museum, and our tour guide was in his first year of college so they completely related. I met with one of my student’s parents after and—” I stopped. Why in the world did I think he cared enough to listen to me drone on about my day?