Vicki’s Gift

by Fischer, Kristin Noel

  “It looks incredible,” Vicki said, her elbow brushing mine.

  “I should’ve made a salad or a vegetable. I just didn’t think about it.”

  She waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about it. This is more than enough.”

  “Oh, wait a minute. I have sugar snap peas.” I opened the refrigerator and collected the bag of peas. Usually, I ate them directly from the bag, but trying to make things fancy, I dumped them into a bowl and set it on the table with the rest of our meager meal.

  “Ladies first,” I said, handing Vicki a plate.

  She served herself and I followed. As we sat across the table from each other, she looked at me and smiled. “Thank you for cooking. Everything looks perfect.”

  Perfect. This meal was far from perfect, but I wanted to make everything perfect for Vicki because she deserved it. Glancing at her, I almost said dig in. Then, I remembered prayers. At the Morgan house, they always prayed before eating.

  For Robbie, Abuela, and me, prayers were hit or miss. While we believed in God and considered ourselves Christians, we weren’t always consistent with praying. Before I could second-guess myself, I asked Vicki if we should say a blessing.

  She smiled. “Yes, that’d be great.” She closed her eyes and bowed her head.

  I did the same, thinking she would say the prayer. When she didn’t, I realized she was waiting for me.

  I’d never prayed aloud in my entire life. Not knowing what I was doing, I gave it my best shot.

  God, thank you for this food. And for everything else. And . . .

  My mind suddenly went blank. What else was I supposed to say? I suddenly remembered Marcus’s baby.

  Please heal baby Travis. Take his infection away and help Anna and Marcus not to be too worried. Amen.

  “Amen.” Vicki smiled at me.

  I silently breathed a sigh of relief. Okay. So far, so good.

  *

  After dinner, I took Vicki down to my beach. King led the way, following the trail through the grasslands. At one point, he startled a heron, which took off flying to get away.

  When we reached the water, we sat on the log beside the pile of stones I was collecting. “Robbie loves roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. I’m going to build a fire pit with these stones.”

  “He’ll love that. You could also offer some kind of fireside package to the people who come out here for paintball. It might be a nice add-on for a group of guys who spent the afternoon shooting each other.”

  I smiled at both her sarcasm and her creative marketing suggestion. “I feel like you’re mocking me, but it’s actually a good idea.”

  “You think so?”

  “Definitely.”

  She fell silent for a moment, then said, “Can I ask you a totally personal and inappropriate question?”

  “Yes, you may kiss me again.”

  She rolled her eyes and slapped my arm. “I’m serious.”

  “So am I.”

  She shook her head. “Seriously, Seth. I want to ask you something.”

  “Okay. Go ahead.”

  She hesitated. “You don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to. If it’s too personal.”

  “Now, I’m intrigued.”

  “Well, where did you get the money to start your business? Did you take a loan from the bank? I don’t mean to be nosy. Mrs. Delacroix said I’d have to take a loan for the bakery. I’m just nervous about borrowing so much money.”

  “I understand. For the record, I don’t mind the question. My parents had a little life insurance. Not a lot, but enough to get me started.”

  “That’s good.”

  I nodded, thinking I’d trade all the money in the world just to see my parents again. “I took out a life insurance policy on me. For Robbie. Just in case something happens to me. I don’t want him and Abuela to ever worry about money, you know?”

  “Oh, Seth.” She placed a hand on my arm. “I’m sorry you had to do that, but I understand. Robbie and your grandmother are lucky to have you.”

  “I’m lucky to have them.” My gaze dropped to her lips. “Now . . . can I ask you a question?”

  Trying to suppress a smile, she nodded. “Yes, you can kiss me again, but this should probably be the last time, don’t you think?”

  I didn’t think that at all, but I kissed her anyway. Afraid she might be serious about it being the last time, I held nothing back. Gathering her in my arms, I kissed her until we were both breathless. Then, I held her for as long and as tight as I could.

  *

  After the sun went down, I drove Vicki home. To my surprise, she fell asleep as soon as we reached the paved road. I kept my speed slow, not wanting to wake her or King, who was snoring softly, his head on Vicki’s leg.

  I also drove slowly because I wanted this moment to last. I knew we were in this weird holding pattern with Marcus and her parents gone. Things wouldn’t be the same when they came home, not that I didn’t want them to come home as soon as possible for baby Travis’s sake.

  Still, who knew what would happen the next time we saw each other again. This might really be the end of our time alone together.

  When I eventually turned into her driveway and drove through the gate, disappointment washed over me. Vicki opened her eyes, yawned, and looked around. “Oh, wow. We’re here already? I can’t believe I slept. I never sleep in the car. Whenever I’ve gone on a road trip with my family, everyone sleeps, but I never do.”

  I placed a hand on King’s back. “I hope it wasn’t my company that put you to sleep.”

  “Not at all. I enjoy your company.”

  “Yeah?”

  Nodding, she looked away. “Well, I better go.”

  I unbuckled my seatbelt. “I’ll walk you to the door and make sure you get in okay.”

  “No need.” She pushed open her door, eager to leave. As the dogs greeted her, King whined to get out, but I grabbed his collar and held him back.

  “Well, see you later, Seth.” She hesitated as if she was going to launch into another speech about how we were too different. How I was too young for her and we shouldn’t see each other again.

  Instead, she lifted a hand to wave good-bye. “Thanks for dinner. See you later.”

  With that, she closed the truck door and ran up the porch steps before disappearing inside the house with the dogs. I put my truck in reverse and tried to figure out my next move.

  Chapter 7

  Vicki

  The dogs and I entered the house to the sound of the phone ringing. Hoping it was my parents with news of baby Travis, I sprinted into the kitchen and picked up the landline, but I was too late. Immediately, I dialed Bianca’s apartment.

  To my relief, my brother answered on the first ring. “Hey, Marcus. Did you just call?”

  “Mom did. She wanted to tell you about the baby.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  “Better. So much better.” There was a smile in Marcus’s voice. “I just came to the apartment to take a shower and grab something to eat, then I’m going back for the night.”

  “There’s a place for you to sleep at the hospital?”

  “There’s a pull-out chair in his room. It’s not very comfortable. With Anna here tonight, it’s going to be crowded, but at least the three of us can be together.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Yeah.”

  Marcus and I talked a few more minutes, or rather, I asked questions and he answered. My brother wasn’t the most talkative on the phone.

  “I gotta go, Vicki. Okay? I need to get back to my family.”

  A piece of my heart chipped off at the phrase “my family.” Marcus had a family of his own now. It was a strange concept and something I wasn’t used to yet. It made me miss my sisters, who both lived off the island. The last time we’d all been together had been at Marcus and Anna’s wedding several months ago.

  After saying good-bye to Marcus and hanging up, I stood in the kitchen, thinking about everything. Life was
moving fast. Overnight, my little brother had become a committed husband and father. I was on the verge of making a business decision that could affect the rest of my life. And Seth . . . well, somehow, my brother’s best friend had become more than a friend to me.

  My heart softened at the image of Seth working in his little kitchen tonight. I thought about the sweet way he prayed for Marcus, Anna, and the baby. When he kissed me in the barn and down by the water . . . well, that had been pretty incredible too.

  I pushed out a deep breath, completely lost and confused over my feelings for Seth. What did it all mean, and what was I supposed to do about it?

  It wasn’t like we could date, get married, and have—

  I stopped myself from finishing that thought. Having a baby with Seth or anyone else for that matter wasn’t something I could ever do. I had to be careful and protect myself from being so vulnerable again. I had to be like Mrs. Delacroix and make a conscious decision not to have kids no matter what.

  *

  As I drove to work the next morning, rain pounded so loudly against the roof of my car I couldn’t hear the radio. Despite my windshield wipers working overtime, the road in front of me was a complete blur.

  In the parking lot behind the bakery, the sight of Seth’s truck surprised me. What was he doing here?

  When I parked beside him, he jumped out of his truck and trudged through the rain toward me. Just as a bolt of lightning lit the sky, he slipped safely into my passenger seat.

  “Seth.” My heart thudded.

  Pushing back the hood of his rain jacket, he offered a casual grin. “Hey, Vicki.”

  Thunder rumbled above. “What are you doing here?”

  “I had to see you. I’m sorry to just show up, but . . .”

  A thrill skittered through me. “You had to see me?”

  He nodded and rubbed the stubble on his jaw. “I haven’t slept all night. I’ve just . . . I’ve just been thinking about you. About us. About how we need time to figure this out.”

  I started to ask what he meant, but I stopped myself, not wanting to belittle whatever this was between us. And there was definitely something between us—an intense chemistry, connection, wild attraction, or something I’d never before experienced. Although I had boyfriends in high school and college, this thing with Seth felt different.

  Seth shifted in the seat. “What you said after I kissed you in the parking lot . . . about why we shouldn’t be together . . . All that is true. I am your brother’s best friend. I am five years younger than you. You’ve always seen me as this little kid, so I get it.”

  He glanced down at his hands, then returned his gaze to mine. “But there’s obviously something between us. You feel it too, right?”

  I nodded, unable to deny it.

  His dimples deepened as he smiled, and in that smile, I saw the possibility of a future with Seth. I saw the possibility that maybe we were meant to be together. Maybe we could make things work between us.

  “So, I was thinking.” He brushed back a lock of hair that’d fallen on his forehead. “I was thinking that maybe we could come up with a workaround.”

  “A workaround?”

  “Yeah. A workaround to the fact that Marcus, Anna, your parents, and everyone else on the island will have an opinion about us. So, my workaround is for us to date in secret. To keep things private while we figure everything out.”

  I stared at him. “You want to keep things private? Are you embarrassed to date me?”

  His eyes nearly popped out of his head. “No, not at all. I was just—”

  I laughed.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Your face. Your expression.” I pressed my lips together and smiled. “Sorry. I just . . . well, I wasn’t expecting to find you here this morning. I definitely wasn’t expecting you to come up with this workaround.”

  As a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, Seth took my hand. “I wasn’t expecting any of this.”

  “Me neither.” I laced my fingers through his. Seth’s hands were strong from working outside. I liked the way they felt in mine.

  “So, what do you think about my idea?”

  “I think this island is so small it would only be a matter of time before someone discovered us, but—”

  “You’re willing to give it a go?”

  I nodded. “Yes. I’m willing to give it a go if you are.”

  Seth grinned. Before I could say anything else, he leaned across the seat and kissed me. I pulled him close and kissed him back, savoring it all—the sound of the rain beating on the roof, the possibility of a new relationship, and the intoxicating way Seth’s mouth felt on mine.

  *

  In the bakery that morning, I couldn’t focus. Mrs. Delacroix seemed to be having focusing issues of her own. Between the two of us, we made one mistake after another—burning the pies, neglecting to turn on the coffeepot, and knocking over the big bowl of blueberry filling.

  As we placed orange rolls and molasses cookies in the display cabinet, I forced my attention away from my own thoughts and asked Mrs. Delacroix if she was okay.

  My question caused tears to spring to her eyes.

  “What is it?” I asked. “Did something happen with your sister?”

  She shook her head. “My sister is fine. It’s Lorenzo.”

  “Lorenzo?”

  “Yes. I never should’ve looked him up on the internet again, but I did. I searched his name last night and—”

  She seemed so upset, I worried that he’d died or had been seriously injured. Holding my breath, I waited for her to continue. Instead, she focused on rearranging the sweets as though determined not to talk about it.

  “Mrs. Delacroix, what did you find out about Lorenzo?”

  She closed the cabinet and straightened. “It’s his wife. She passed away a few years ago. I found all these pictures of the two of them together, and it just broke my heart to think of him living without her. They were so happy, and now she’s gone.”

  “I’m so sorry.” I placed a hand on the older woman’s arm.

  She patted my hand. “I never knew his wife, but they seemed so happy together. He obviously loved her very much. It just made me incredibly sad to see their love story come to an end.”

  “That’s very generous of you to say, given the fact that you loved him first.”

  She shrugged. “I lost Lorenzo for my own reasons. I could’ve asked him to wait for me or come to America, but I didn’t. I’m happy he had a good marriage. I’m just sad he lost it.”

  I’d always known that Mrs. Delacroix didn’t have a selfish bone in her body. Until that moment, however, I hadn’t realized she was a saint.

  We returned to the kitchen for the cakes. The bakery specialized in custom-made cakes, but we also sold cakes from several consignment bakers. Today we had two strawberry cakes made by a local farmer, who’d grown the strawberries herself. As we carried the cakes to the front of the bakery, Mrs. Delacroix said, “I was thinking about sending Lorenzo a little note of condolence. Do you think that would be okay?”

  “I think that would be a great idea.”

  “I don’t want him thinking that I’m writing because I’m trying to make a move or anything. I truly am sorry for his loss.”

  “I know. And I’m sure he’ll know that too.”

  She set her cake in the display cabinet, and I placed mine beside hers. “I really think you should write to him.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes, definitely.”

  *

  For the next month, Seth and I incorporated his workaround by dating in secret. We talked on the phone constantly, and several days a week, I drove out to his place after work and stayed until late in the evening. Although the road was rough, it wasn’t too bad if I drove slowly and avoided the potholes.

  Together, we’d eat dinner, go for walks, and watch the sunset from the fire pit on his beach. Sometimes I’d help him paint sets for one of the paintball courses or he’d help m
e work through a problem I was having at the bakery.

  One rainy evening, we curled up on the couch together and read. Seth had introduced me to The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. I was on book three, and he was reading book six.

  Thunder rumbled through the Airstream, but I felt safe and cozy with my back pressed against Seth’s chest. King lay at my feet, gently snoring.

  Suddenly, Seth sucked in a sharp breath and slammed the book shut. “You’re not going to believe what just happened.”

  “What?”

  His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Do you really want to know?”

  “No, don’t tell me. I don’t want you to ruin it for me.”

  He laughed. “Is there any way you could read a little faster? I want you to catch up to me so we can talk about what’s happening.”

  I closed my book and set it on my lap. “I would love to spend more time reading so I could catch up with you, but I actually need to leave. I promised my parents I’d be home early tonight. They’re flying to El Paso tomorrow to see Keith and Jillian.”

  “You said he’s deploying next week, right?”

  “That’s right. My parents are going to watch the kids so Keith and Jillian can get away for a few nights before he leaves.”

  Seth wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck. “Does that mean I’ll have you all to myself for the next few days?”

  Laughing, I wiggled away from him and slipped on my shoes. “Unfortunately, no. Bianca is driving down from Houston to stay with me. She thought it’d be fun to have a girls’ time. Plus, she’s thinking about moving back to the island.”

  “Really? What would she do here?”

  “Maybe open a hair salon. The space next door to the bakery is available. She’s going to talk to the current owners.”

  “Wow. If you buy the bakery and she buys the space next door, it will be a whole Morgan empire on Main Street.”

  I laughed. “Hardly.”

  A flash of lightning lit the trailer, followed by the sound of thunder. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay a little longer? At least until the storm passes?”