“Really? That’s great news. Do you have anybody in mind?”
Will was suddenly very quiet. “No, not really. But I’m optimistic that there’s someone out there for me.”
Mia smiled. “I have no doubt that there is.”
“What about you? Is there anyone in your life yet?”
“Not really. Not yet. But I am starting to get out more, too. So, I think that’s a good thing.”
“Mia, do you want a s’more?” Becky was suddenly by her side, holding out a perfectly made, still warm s’more.
“Yes, I’d love one. Thanks so much, Becky.”
“I made this one for you.” She held it up proudly.
“You did a really great job on this. It’s perfect.” Mia picked it up gently, while Becky beamed and waited for Mia to take a bite. She bit into it and gave Becky the thumbs-up, and she ran back to where Sam and Sarah were toasting more marshmallows on the grill.
“That looks good. I think I need to go make one.” Will left and Mia turned her attention to Izzy, who was finally looking her way. Rick was talking with Tyler.
“Are you having fun? You looked deep in conversation with Will earlier. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“I am having fun. Will and I hadn’t really talked in a while. It was good to catch up. He seems like he’s over Caroline pretty quickly.”
“I think they were both over each other, but neither realized it until it was almost too late. He seems happier now than I’ve seen in a long time.”
“He does, doesn’t he?”
“Is everything okay with Rick? He seems like he’s in a good mood, but I wondered when he got here so late,” Mia asked softly.
“It’s all good. He had to work late, and he didn’t like seeing me sitting with Will. But I set him straight. We’re all friends here, and he has no reason to worry about me. He calmed down fast. I think he was really just tired. He didn’t expect the job they were on today to go so late. But it’s a Sunday, so it was double-time and he couldn’t pass that up.”
“Right, it would be hard to say no to that.”
“You looked cozy with Sam and his girls. Is anything developing there?” Izzy asked.
“I like Sam. We’ve become good friends. We have a lot in common, even beyond the bereavement group. We’re going to go to trivia a week from Monday.”
“Trivia. You and Mark used to love to do that.” She paused before asking, “Is it a date?”
“I’m honestly not sure what it is. I don’t think he’s sure, either. For now, it’s just a fun night out. I have plans with Ben tomorrow.”
That surprised Izzy. “You do? What are you doing?”
“You’ll love this. He invited me to race back to Hyannis on his friend’s sailboat.”
“You’re going on a Figawi boat? Wow. I’m impressed. That’s a huge step out of your comfort zone. Is there any romantic interest there?”
Mia smiled. “No. Not at all. Ben’s gorgeous and fun, but he’s strictly a friend and a neighbor. He’s just really fun to hang out with, and I think I need that right now.”
Izzy nodded. “I think you do, too. I’m really glad that you’re going out with both of them. Just out in general. I think it will be good for you.”
“I do, too.”
Chapter 18
Mia was ready when Ben knocked on her door at a quarter to nine the next morning. She’d gotten up early, went to breakfast at eight and had a nice chat with Lisa and Rhett. Then she took Penny for a walk on the beach, and showered and changed. She wasn’t sure what proper attire was for a sailboat race, so she dressed casually in jeans, a t-shirt with a light blue sweatshirt from Izzy’s store and her pink Sperry topsider boat shoes.
“You ready to go? This is going to be fun.” Ben was dressed similarly in jeans, a navy sweatshirt and an ACK baseball cap. ACK was the airport code for Nantucket and was commonly seen on hats, t-shirts and sweatshirts all over Nantucket.
Ben drove them into town and parked in his spot at the condos, and they walked over from there. Parking was at a premium in downtown Nantucket, so they were lucky to have their parking spots.
There was a huge crowd gathered along the pier to watch the boats take off. The boat they were sailing on was moored out in the harbor and they were going to hop on a water taxi to get out to it. Ben led the way to where they would wait in line for the next available ride. It was almost their turn when Mia heard a familiar young voice call her name. “Mia! Dad, that’s Mia!”
She turned and saw Becky and Sarah running toward her with Sam walking quickly behind them.
“Where are you going?” Becky asked.
“Are you going for a boat ride?” Sarah added.
Sam said nothing, but looked curious to hear Mia’s answer.
“I am. We’re taking a small boat to get to a bigger sailboat that belongs to my friend Ben’s friend.” She turned to Ben. “This is my friend Sam and his daughters, Sarah and Becky.”
“You’re going on one of these big boats?” Sam looked at Ben and then back at Mia.
“Which one are you going on?” Becky asked.
Mia realized that she had no idea. “I don’t really know. Which one are we going on?” she asked Ben.
“That red one, straight out, next to the smaller blue boat.”
Mia’s jaw dropped. She knew some of these boats were big, but the one they were going on was massive.
“Wow. How big is that boat?” Becky asked.
“That’s a fifty-footer,” Ben said as they were directed to move up and get onto the next boat.
“Say goodbye, girls. We can wave as they sail off.”
“We’ll wave, too,” Mia said as she followed Ben. They climbed onto the small boat that was shuttling people back and forth. A few more climbed in, the boat took off and a few minutes later pulled up beside the big red boat. Ben climbed off first, and then took Mia’s hand and helped her onto the sailboat. His friend Nate and the rest of the sailing crew were already there. Ben introduced Mia, and showed her around the boat and where she should sit when they got underway.
Ben chatted with the others while Mia looked around and took it all in. The harbor was full of boats, all getting ready to go. At a few minutes before nine thirty, Ben told her to take her seat and tossed her a life jacket to put on. She zipped it up and settled into her seat, feeling a sense of excitement. A moment later, the whistle blew, and the race was on.
Mia saw the girls waving furiously and she stood and waved back as they began to move.
The boat glided out of the harbor and quickly picked up speed as the crew members expertly raised the spinnaker, turned the boat into the wind and the boat surged forward, cutting through the waves and sending a spray of water flying through the air, splashing across Mia’s face. She laughed as it caught Ben, too.
“This is something else, huh?” he asked.
“It’s amazing.”
“Sit tight. I’m going to see if I can help.”
Ben went to help the others as they steered the boat, tacking back and forth into the wind, to keep their speed up.
At a certain point, Ben came back to let her know that the race part was over and now they were just continuing on to Hyannis, where Nate kept his boat at the Hyannis Marina.
“When we sail, it’s not in a straight line,” Ben explained. There’s a lot of back and forth to catch the wind. So it takes longer.”
Mia didn’t care how long it took. She was happy, feeling the sun on her face and the wind in her hair and the occasional misting or heavy spray of water as they cut across the waves. It was loud on the water, with the wind whistling so she wasn’t able to talk much to Ben, and he was busy helping the others as much as they’d let him. By the time they entered Hyannis harbor the wind had died down, and they pulled the spinnaker in and slowed way down. Mia always loved the view as she entered Hyannis harbor on the ferry, with all the gorgeous waterfront homes and the other boats coming and going. Even though it was the same view, it wa
s even more exciting somehow from the sailboat.
Nate had a slip at the Hyannis marina and they smoothly glided in to his spot. Several of the crew members hopped out once they reached the dock and helped pull the boat into position and tie it up securely. Mia unzipped her jacket and handed it to Nate. “Did you have fun?” he asked.
“Yes. Thank you for letting me tag along. This was really amazing.”
He grinned. “I never get sick of it.”
Nate and one of the other guys both had cars at the marina. Ben and Mia rode with Nate and they all headed to Baxter’s Boat House, a restaurant and bar that was just a short drive away and right on the harbor. It was busy there, but they were able to get two tables side by side that were right at the dock’s edge. Mia had been to Baxter’s once before and was happy to be there again. They were close to the water and some people even came by boat, pulling up and docking right in front of where they were sitting.
A waitress came to the table and everyone ordered Bloody Mary’s, which Ben said was a Figawi weekend Monday tradition. Mia sipped her drink and watched the boats go by. There was a steady stream of them, all shapes and sizes, coming and going in both directions. It was a beautiful, sunny day, perfect for boating.
“Did you ever think about getting a boat?” Mia asked as another gorgeous boat cruised by.
“See that one?” Ben pointed to the boat she’d just been admiring. “That’s a Sea Ray. I was here one day with Nate, years ago. We’d had a few drinks, and I saw one of those pass by and decided that I wanted one. Nate took me to the marina. They have a show room there and I came this close to buying one.”
“What stopped you?”
“Nate did, actually. He knew it was just an impulse. He said the only people that should buy boats are people that are crazy about them, and that will take the time to learn how to fix them if something goes wrong. And he said things always go wrong when you least expect it.”
Nate leaned over and added, “I told him that he’d be smarter to just find a friend with a boat and then he wouldn’t have to worry about any of that.”
Ben winked. “So that’s why we’re still friends. I just got my boat fix for a while.”
They ordered a bunch of food when the waitress returned. Baxter’s mostly served seafood, and they were known for their fried clams.
“Any interest in sharing a fisherman’s platter with me?” Ben asked.
“Sure.” Mia didn’t eat a lot of fried food, but at least once or twice every summer she indulged and a fisherman’s platter had a bit of everything—fried scallops, shrimp, fish and clams, plus fries and onion rings. Their food came out quickly, and it was a fun time, eating outside, watching the boats go by and feeling the warm sun on her face. Mia had a second Bloody Mary and by the time they all finished eating, she was full and a little sleepy.
Nate dropped them off at the Hyannis airport, and they didn’t have to wait long for their Cape Air flight back to Nantucket. Mia had mixed feelings about these small planes. They only held nine people, including the pilot. She was just glad that it was a short flight.
She gripped the arm of her seat as they taxied down the runway.
“Nervous flier?”
“I am. I flew in one of these small planes once when it was raining. Izzy and I both watched as the pilot pulled out a laminated list of instructions and we both panicked, thinking he didn’t know what to do next and it was some kind of cheat sheet. We learned later that it was just a routine checklist.”
“I love to fly. My college roommate had his pilot’s license, and we went up a bunch of times. He was a little crazy. We’d get up there and would be gliding around nice and smooth, and then he’d put it into a dive and start doing tricks, loops and rolls.”
“Were you terrified?” Mia would have been.
“I probably should have been. But, no. It was exhilarating.”
Mia looked outside as the plane picked up speed and then, like a bird, lifted up and they were on their way. She relaxed a little once they reached their cruising altitude.
“Thanks for inviting me along today.” She knew she’d always remember the day. It was an experience she might never repeat.
“I’m glad you came. I like spending time with you, Mia. And I’m looking forward to being neighbors at the condos soon, too.”
“When are you moving in?”
“Will said Friday should work for me. You’re Thursday, right? Once we’re settled, we’ll have to celebrate. Maybe have a joint open house and invite all of our friends over.”
“That might be fun!” Mia liked the idea. She and Ben chatted easily for the rest of the short flight. She glanced out the window and was surprised to already see Nantucket coming up below. A few minutes later, they made a smooth landing. Ben called an Uber, and it wasn’t long before they were back at the inn and climbing the stairs to their rooms. Mia thanked him again when they reached their floor.
“It was nothing. I’m glad you were able to come. Sleep well, Mia.”
Chapter 19
The rest of the week was a busy one as Mia prepared to move back into her condo. The good news from Will was that he was able to salvage most of the furniture and paintings that he’d put in storage to work on. And she had the new painting from Kristen that she had in her room at the inn, all wrapped and waiting to be unpacked and hung once she moved back in. She was ready. She and Penny had enjoyed their weeks at the inn, but now that the move-in day was set for Thursday, she was eager to get home and sleep in her own bed.
When she arrived at the yoga studio for the weekly meeting, Ken was setting out his latest creation, lemon cake this time with lemon frosting. Mia brought a contribution this time, too. She’d stopped at the Italian bakery and picked up fifteen mini-cannoli. There was no sign of Sam by the time Janie called for everyone to take their seats. But at the last minute, he came rushing through the door, apologizing, and took a seat next to Mia.
They started the meeting, as usual, with everyone sharing how their week had gone. It was a long holiday weekend and for most of the group, that meant fun times with friends and family. For Candy, it was still a bit of a struggle.
“I did have fun this weekend, too, for the most part. I saw some friends I hadn’t seen in a long time, and there were parties to go to every night. I kept busy, because I knew if I stayed in, that I’d just be sad. Last year, we had so much fun together, and it just isn’t the same without him. And I felt a little guilty for not being sad enough, and for having fun. That probably sounds crazy.”
The others assured her that it did not.
Then it was Mia’s turn to share. “I had a good week. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t have any sad days, even though it was a holiday weekend. I saw friends and family, and I stepped way out of my comfort zone and went with a new friend on a very big sailboat.”
“That’s a big step. Embracing new experiences and spending time with new people. Good for you, Mia,” Janie said.
“I have some news to report.” It was Ken’s turn next. “I decided I was tired of eating alone and I invited one of the ladies that has been bringing me food to go out to dinner with me this weekend. I told her what was what, not to get any ideas, that I’m not looking to get married again, probably ever. And she still said yes. So, I’m taking her to the restaurant at the airport Saturday night. She likes to go there, too, and we can watch all those fancy planes take off.” Many of the rich summer residents flew private jets and there was always steady traffic, especially on the weekends.
“That sounds like a good time, Ken. Sam, your turn.”
“It was a mostly good week for me, too. The girls and I went to a cookout and had fun watching all the big boats down at the harbor. My mother offered to watch the girls pretty much whenever I want, so I’m going to take her up on that and try to get out more.”
“I think that sounds like a good plan, Sam.”
Later, when the usual group was at the Rose and Crown nibbling on the appetiz
ers they’d ordered, Sam asked how her sailing day had gone.
“It was a great day. An incredible experience. Did the girls have fun watching all the boats leave?”
Sam smiled, but Mia had noticed he was a bit quieter than usual. “They did, and they were suitably impressed that they knew someone on one of the biggest boats there.” He paused and then asked, “Who is that guy to you? The one that brought you on the boat? Are you dating?”
“Ben? No, we’re not dating. He’s my neighbor. And I’m planning his sister’s wedding.”
Sam relaxed a little. “Ah. Your neighbor at the inn?”
“Yes, and soon at the condos. He recently bought the unit next to mine. The only two that were damaged in the fire.”
“Oh. Are we still on for next Monday night? For trivia?”
“Absolutely. I’m looking forward to it.”
* * *
Mia’s final breakfast Thursday morning was bittersweet. She was excited to move back into her condo, but was going to miss chatting with Lisa and Rhett over her morning coffee.
“Once I’m settled, Ben and I talked about having an open house the same day and having all of our friends and families come by. I’d love to have you over.”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea, and I’d love to see your condo. It’s such a beautiful spot.”
“And I can’t wait to hang the new painting I bought at Kristen’s art show. I think it’s going to look great in my living room with the white sofa and new hardwood floors.”
“It sounds lovely. And you and Ben doing it together. That’s very…neighborly of you. Are you sure there’s nothing to explore there? He seems like a catch for the right girl.”
Mia smiled. Lisa couldn’t help trying to play matchmaker.
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