Adrift

by Robin Wainwright

Maybe you’ll even let me buy you a drink.” Heather could only nod her head wearily.

  She could hear Daniel going back down the stairs into the cottage. A little while later he came back up and began moving around the widow’s walk in the same careful way he had moved through the rest of the cottage. Heather rested her head on her knees and looked out over the ocean. The ship was gone, but the fog was closer to the shore. She closed her eyes to wait for Daniel to complete his inspection and thought a drink was a very good idea.

  Daniel and Heather walked back into town in thoughtful silence. As they stopped in front of Java Junction Daniel looked at his cell phone.

  “Wow, it’s already 5:00. I’m sorry I had you out there for so long. Why don’t I throw in a little food to go with that drink I offered you?” Heather began to shake her head but Daniel stopped her. “Please don’t make me eat alone.” Heather looked at Daniel and saw a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

  “That’s not really fair.”

  “What’s not fair? Buying a beautiful woman a nice dinner?”

  Heather blushed, “Beautiful?” Laughing Heather gestured to her dirty clothes and knotted hair.

  “I know beauty when I see it, and a little dust can never hide real beauty.”

  “Sounds like you think I’m one of your lighthouses.”

  “Never. Please have dinner with me.”

  “Okay, okay. Man you’re tenacious.”

  “That I am. See you here at about 6:30? That will give us both time to clean up.”

  “Actually I’ll meet you at the Foghorn Tavern at 6:30. Okay?”

  “See ya then!” Daniel gave her a huge smile and trotted off toward the center of town.

  Looking in the front door Heather saw Jennifer’s grinning face. Yep, Heather thought, my name will definitely be a part of the local Scuttlebutt tomorrow.

  Heather wanted to avoid an interrogation by Jennifer, so she headed straight up to her apartment. Looking into her bathroom mirror she was mortified by how dirty she was, and she saw her skin had begun to redden again.

  “Come on!” Heather cried, “I wasn’t even out in the sun that long!” Heather rubbed in the last of Mrs. Abers’ sunburn cream and made a note to ask for more. Obviously, the sun was much stronger here than she was used to.

  Next, she pulled off her dirty shirt and was startled to see bruises developing on her upper arm, right where she had felt Daniel grab her. Only it hadn’t been Daniel had it? Earlier, on the widow’s walk, she told herself that she must have imagined being pulled back from the edge, but now a shiver ran up her spine as she looked at the bruises developing on her arm.

  11

  Heather arrived at the Foghorn clean and dressed in an actual dress. She was so used to shorts and tee shirts that it felt odd to be all dressed up, and she found herself pulling at her hem repeatedly.

  As she walked into the tavern, a loud wolf whistle made her jump. Surely Daniel wouldn’t be so crass! Heather thought as she looked around for the guilty party. She saw Maggie was standing at the hostess desk in the waiting area grinning from ear to ear.

  “Looking good Heather, I didn’t know you could look like a girl.”

  “Ha, ha, very funny Maggie! I’m here for a business dinner with Mr. Bradford.”

  “A business dinner?” rumbled a deep voice. Looking past Maggie’s shoulder, Heather was mortified to see Daniel standing in the door to the dining area watching her closely.

  Maggie caught Heather’s eye and mouthed, “Business?”

  Maggie redeemed herself, somewhat, by grabbing two menus and saying, “Right this way,” before Heather had to respond.

  Daniel gestured for Heather to go first and he brought up the rear.

  Maggie led them to a dark booth toward the back of the restaurant. Of course, this meant that everyone who was in the tavern saw that Heather was having dinner with a handsome stranger, probably the one they had heard about earlier. Lovely, Heather thought.

  Maggie took their drink order, and still grinning, headed off to the bar. Heather was uncertain what to say. Should she apologize for saying this was a business dinner? She knew it was more of a ‘sorry you almost fell off the roof’ pity dinner, but still this was awkward.

  Daniel smiled at her and said, “Your friend is right, you do look good enough to wolf whistle at.” Heather blushed and glanced away. “And if I gave you the impression that this was a business dinner, I apologize because it’s not.”

  “I know it’s a pity dinner.”

  Daniel looked surprised, “A what?”

  “A ‘you almost fell off the roof’ pity dinner.”

  Daniel let out a booming laugh. “Is that a thing? If so, I’ve never heard of it before. No Heather, I didn’t ask you to dinner out of pity. I asked you to dinner because I wanted to spend more time with you.”

  “Oh.” Heather said surprised.

  “Oh,” Daniel replied as he smiled into her eyes and then glanced down at the menu. “Now what do you recommend for dinner?”

  Over dinner Heather discovered that Daniel had taken over the family business and that he now traveled all over the country overseeing the renovation of historic buildings. She could tell that he loved what he did for a living, because his face lit up when he described his various projects.

  Daniel discovered that Heather had recently lost her father and that she had no immediate plans. To Daniel it seemed that she had been set adrift in a river and that she was allowing the current to take her wherever it wanted.

  Daniel couldn’t understand why she was so relaxed about her life’s lack of direction. He had had always known what he was doing, where he was going and what steps he had to take to get there. When he told Heather his thoughts, she denied that she was relaxed.

  “It’s not like that at all; I’m not relaxed, I’m dazed. You didn’t get to meet Stream Roller Abers. It was my last day in town, I went in for a cup of coffee and next thing I knew I was managing the cafe!”

  “Well, I’ll have to send Steam Roller Abers a dozen red roses.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because if she didn’t steam roll over you, we would have never met.”

  Heather blushed and laughed. “You are a silver tongued devil aren’t you?”

  “Darlin’ you have no idea.” Daniel said with a wicked gleam in his eye. Heather’s breath caught and she glanced away nervously. How the hell should she respond to that? she wondered.

  “I love that you blush so easily.”

  “It’s not a blush, I got burned again today.”

  “I beg to differ. I know that you got a little sun today, but you are practically lighting up this booth with that blush of yours.”

  “You sir, are a flirt.”

  “It’s true, but I also love to see your smile.”

  Heather gazed into Daniel’s eyes shaking her head. “I’m not sure what you have in mind, but I’m not looking for a relationship. I’m only here until October and then…well actually, I’m not sure what will happen in October. But that’s all the more reason for me not to start anything serious.”

  “Heather, if I win this contract I’ll only be here for a short time as well. If I don’t get this contract, I’ll be here for an even shorter time. Either way I would enjoy spending time with you.”

  “Daniel my life is in flux. I just lost my dad…” and to Heather’s horror her eyes began to well up with tears. Not now! she thought, horrified. Most of the time she was fine, but her grief had a way of sneaking up on her at the oddest times.

  The other day she had turned on her TV and a bad karate movie was on. She had thought, I need to let Dad know. Her father had always loved karate flicks, good or bad, but then she remembered that he was gone, and she cried for over 30 minutes.

  Daniel stood up and moved over to her side of the booth and gathered her into his arms. “It’s okay Heather, just relax and let it out.” She melted into Daniel letting his strong arms give her comfort. Finally, she sniffled and reached for a
napkin to blot her eyes and nose.

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  “No, please don’t apologize. I know how it feels; I lost my granddad two years ago. I can tell you that it does get easier, but that the void in your life never goes away.” Heather gave him a shaky smile.

  “Thanks. I’m sorry I cried all over your nice shirt.”

  “No need to apologize, I’m wash and wear.” Daniel leaned forward, gave her a quick gentle kiss on the lips and then stood up to move back to his side of the booth.

  Heather felt her heart melt. All she wanted to do was curl up with this big handsome man and let him hold her.

  Maggie bustled back into the room with an extra-large portion of Mario’s Molten Mountain and two forks. Maggie’s smile died when she saw Heather’s blotchy face. She turned to glare at Daniel, but before she could say anything that she might regret, Heather stopped her.

  “I’m okay Maggie; we were just talking about my dad. Daniel was comforting me.”

  “Ah honey I’m sorry,” Maggie said as she leaned over to give Heather a small hug. “Then I’m glad Daniel was here to take care of you. I hope this helps as well, Mario’s Molten Mountain cake – on the house. Enjoy.” Then she quickly slipped from the room.

  “Wow!” Daniel said looking at the cake.

  “Yep, this village is full of surprises.” Heather agreed as she lifted her fork to attack the cake.

  “It sure is.” Daniel’s voice sounded odd and Heather looked up to see him looking at her with a sweet smile on his face. “It sure is,” Daniel repeated, and then he dove into the cake.

  After dinner Daniel walked her