Parker watched as each of the others pulled off their dresses and dropped them to the deck. “Initiate?”
“It’s time for you to become a Seaside sister.” Jenna stripped off her bikini—right there on the dock! She yelled, “Chunky-dunking!” and leaped into the water, splashing them all.
Christmas barked, leaping around the dock as bikini tops flew in the air, bikini bottoms fell to the girls’ feet, and naked women dove into the water, one after the other.
“I’ve never skinny-dipped!” Parker knew her cheeks were bright red, but as the girls laughed and splashed, urging her on, her embarrassment slipped away with every cajoling plea.
“Take it off!” Jenna hollered.
“Come on! It’s totally fun!” Amy yelled.
“Don’t be a chicken!” Bella called out.
She looked at her new friends who had come over despite the fact that she’d sent Grayson away, somehow knowing what Parker didn’t, what she couldn’t, having never had sisters—they knew she needed them, regardless of how well she thought she was doing.
**
GRAYSON PULLED DOWN the driveway, waving to Sky and the girls as they passed on their way out. Christmas greeted him as he stepped from the truck.
“Hey, buddy. Where’s your mama?”
Christmas ran to the cottage, and Grayson let them both in. He found Parker sitting at the kitchen counter wrapped in a towel. Her hair was soaking wet, and her cell phone was pressed to her ear. The box Abe had given her sat open in front of her, and a handful of empty chocolate wrappers were piled on the counter to her left. He scanned the contents of the box—a red cloth partially covered the letters Parker had left for Abe, and a pink journal lay on its side. He was glad to see she’d opened the box, but he wished he hadn’t gone to work so he could have been with her when she did. He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
She turned a smile his way and held up a finger, mouthing, One sec. Don’t go away.
Like there was anywhere else he wanted to be? It had been hell staying away all day, but at least Sky had texted him when she arrived at the cottage to say Parker was there and the girls were with her.
“Okay, thank you,” Parker said into the phone. “I look forward to meeting you, too.” After she ended the call, she jumped to her feet and hugged Grayson. “I’m so glad you’re here. It’s been a crazy day.”
“Looks like it. So, you’re okay?”
She looked down at her towel and her smile widened. “The girls initiated me into their group, and I looked through the box, and now I have to go to New Jersey.”
“Whoa, towel girl. New Jersey?”
She pressed her hands to his chest. “Yes! I have so much to tell you.”
“I can’t wait to hear. I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried about you.”
“I know you were. Thank you for not coming back to rescue me. I love that you wanted to.”
“Not rescue you, baby. Be with you. Comfort you. And my sister has a big mouth.”
“I love her! I love all the girls, and, Grayson?” She grabbed his face, her eyes dancing with excitement. “I love you. So very much.”
“Now, that’s what I like to hear.” He pressed his lips to hers, and felt her melting against him, and just as quickly, she broke the connection.
“Stop kissing me for a second or I won’t be able to think.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Grayson,” she pleaded.
He put his hands behind his back. “Okay. Start at the beginning, but I’m not sure how long I can resist you.”
She went up on her tiptoes. “Me either.” She kissed him again. “Darn it. This always happens. Act unsexy or something!”
He laughed and tugged her against him. “This is as unsexy as it gets. Say your piece so I can take mine.”
“You’re so bad.” She bit her lip, and the darkening of her eyes told him she was thinking about how good it would feel to be close, just as he was.
“What was I saying?” she asked breathlessly.
“Something about an initiation that looks like it included nakedness and chocolate, you looked in the box, and you need to go to New Jersey.”
“Oh, right,” she said. “You make me forget everything.” She shook her head, completely unaware of the effect seeing her flustered over him had on every part of him. Finally she said, “Did you know the girls chunky-dunked?”
“Everyone knows they do, but usually only at night at their community pool.” His eyes narrowed. “Did you skinny-dip here?” Thank God they had no neighbors.
“Uh-huh. It was so much fun. I’d never done it before, but…I love them so much, Grayson. It’s like having the sisters I always dreamed of. I wasn’t going to do it, but they were having so much fun, and they could probably convince me to do anything.”
“That sounds like trouble,” he teased. “Tell me the rest, baby. The box? New Jersey?”
She grabbed the box and told him about what she’d found, what she’d read, and how she felt compelled to return the diary to Abe’s ex-wife.
“I called Helga. She did some poking around, and she found his ex-wife, Sarah. I asked Helga why she didn’t just return the diary to her directly. She said she’d never go against Abe’s wishes, but that she’d hoped I’d come to this conclusion on my own. Can you imagine? That’s loyalty.”
“She loved him, baby,” he explained. “She told me she’d been his nurse for the past seven years, and for several years before that she was his personal assistant. Unrequited love is a powerful thing.”
“Oh no. Poor Helga. She must be so sad.”
“She has family to help her through. They live in Hyannis, and she’s returning there after she ties up things here.”
“Good. I’m glad she has family.” She pressed her hands to his chest again. “I’m so glad I have you, Grayson. Will you come with me to see Sarah? I was going to mail the diary to her, but when I called and told her I had it, she broke down and could barely get a word out. I really want to be the one to hand it to her. Mail is so impersonal.”
Marveling at her generous and caring spirit, he couldn’t imagine ever loving her more than he did right then. “Of course you should be the one to give it to her.”
“She’s in Rocky Hill, New Jersey. I’m not sure where that is, but it can’t be that far from here.”
“That’s not far from where Matt lives. When do you want to go?”
“As soon as we can. Will you come with me? Please?”
The hope in her big blue eyes made his insides go soft. “What do you think?”
“With that bear of a client breathing down your back, I wasn’t sure if you could get away,” she teased.
Sliding his hands beneath her hair, he kissed the corners of her mouth. “Maybe I can convince her to give me a little time off.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“I DON’T KNOW why I’m so nervous,” Parker admitted as Grayson parked in front of Sarah Stein’s house Friday afternoon. She hadn’t been nervous on the drive over, but now that they’d arrived, her stomach twisted and turned. They were staying with Matt tonight, and they’d left Christmas with Hunter and Jana. Jana had fallen in love with him at first sight, so Parker knew her boy would be well cared for.
“It’s because you care,” Grayson said with the soothing confidence that always put her at ease. “You know this is going to be hard for her, and maybe hard for you, too. You were up until almost two in the morning rereading the diary.”
She’d held the diary in her lap during the entire drive, and now she pressed it to her chest. “I had to read it again. There are so many conflicting emotions in here. I longed for parents my whole life, and I dreamed about how wonderful it would be to do the silliest things with them. Have breakfast, go shopping, tell them about my friends at school.”
His eyes warmed as he took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “I’m sorry you didn’t have those things. But one day you’ll be able to do all those things
with your own child.”
Her throat thickened. They hadn’t talked about children since they had breakfast at Seaside, but she knew in her heart Grayson wanted a family as much as she did.
“I hope so. But Miriam had parents who had the means to give her everything, and all she wanted was to be noticed and loved and for them to support her passion for music. I know everything in this diary is from a teenage perspective, which can be skewed and self-centered, but still. These were her feelings, regardless of how anyone else perceived the things she wrote about. In her head, her father was loyal only to himself, her mother was loving but overly loyal to Abe—so who was loyal to Miriam?”
“Maybe Sarah can shed some light on that for you.”
As he came around the car and offered her a hand, she was reminded of their first trip to see Abe, when Grayson had climbed into the car without giving her a choice—and he’d stuck by her side ever since.
On the front porch, he hesitated before knocking. “Ready?”
She nodded and tried to slip into her actress armor, rolling her shoulders back and lifting her chin, but not for the first time since she’d come to Wellfleet, it made her feel like she was wearing someone else’s skin. This wasn’t the time to pretend. She shook off the ill-fitting costume. This was Sarah Stein’s real life, and Parker hoped that when she handed Sarah her daughter’s diary, it would make her life better and not worse.
She managed a nervous smile. “I’m ready.”
Every rap of his knuckles on the door echoed inside her like a countdown. She held her breath as the door opened and Sarah Stein came into view. Her hair was a stunning mix of white-blond and silver, cut just above her shoulders, with natural curl and heavy bangs that gave her a surprisingly youthful appearance. Sarah pressed her hand to her chest and her mouth opened, but no words came.
“Sarah? I’m Parker, and this is my boyfriend, Grayson. It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”
Sarah nodded, then shook her head, looking slightly confused. Parker wondered if she had forgotten they were coming, or perhaps Sarah recognized her as an actress.
“Parker,” Sarah said with a warm smile and less confusion in her eyes. “Forgive me. Yes, it is a pleasure. Please, come in.”
“Thank you.” Parker stepped inside. The scent of cinnamon and freshly baked bread hung in the air. “Mm. It smells like a bakery.”
A nervous smile lifted Sarah’s lips. “I bake when I’m nervous.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Sarah,” Grayson said.
“You as well. Thank you for coming all this way. Grayson, why, that’s a nice, strong name.” She led them through the foyer to a spacious living room and motioned toward an olive-green sofa beneath the windows on the far wall. Paintings of trees hung on butter-yellow walls above another couch on the adjacent wall. A vase of fresh flowers sat atop a glass table beside an upholstered wing chair. Parker glanced at Sarah, with her peach top and black slacks, and thought the simple but elegant room suited her perfectly.
“Please,” Sarah said, “make yourself comfortable.”
“Thank you,” Grayson said.
Sarah nervously smoothed her black slacks. “Can I get you something to drink? Tea? Coffee? Water? Or something to eat? I have an abundance of cinnamon rolls and tarts at the moment.”
“No, thank you.” Parker was too nervous to eat.
“Sure. I’d love anything you baked, thank you.” Grayson rose from the couch. “Would you like help?”
“Oh no,” she said. “I’ll be just a moment.” She disappeared through the dining room.
Grayson whispered, “I thought she needed a reason to move. She’s as nervous as you are.” He put his arm around Parker. “You okay?”
“Yes. Or I will be. She looked at me funny when she first saw me, and I worried she didn’t remember our phone conversation.”
“I’m sure it’s a lot for her to take.”
Sarah returned from the kitchen carrying a tray with plates, several cinnamon buns that smelled like heaven, and three glasses of water. Grayson was quick to take it from her and set it on the table.
“Thank you, Grayson,” Sarah said as she sat on the sofa. “Such a gentleman.”
There was a brief moment of uncomfortable silence. Sarah folded her hands in her lap. Her lips twitched nervously, tugging at Parker’s heart. She wanted to soothe Sarah’s nerves, and while she hoped the diary might someday do that, she knew today was probably not the day. Today was probably going to bring a torrent of emotions, just as their phone call had.
“Sarah, as I mentioned on the phone, Abe left me Miriam’s diary.” She got up and handed the diary to Sarah.
Sarah placed her hand on Parker’s, nodding toward the seat beside her. “Join me? Please?”
Parker sat beside her.
Sarah’s gaze was trained on the diary. “The police found this under Miriam’s mattress when we reported her missing. They went through all of her belongings, looking for clues, something to tell them if she was indeed a runaway, or if something awful had happened to her.” She sighed and shook her head. “I knew she’d left of her own volition, even before the police found her diary. She was only sixteen, but so wise for her age. Stubborn and confident, like her father. Nothing could have held her back, and if she didn’t want to be found, I knew she’d find a way to stay hidden. When the police returned the diary to us, Abe whisked it away. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see it again.” She looked at Parker. “Did you read it?”
Despite her embarrassment for peering into Sarah’s family’s privacy, she told the truth. “I did. I’m sorry. When I first saw it—”
Sarah patted Parker’s hand. “It’s okay, dear. I would have done the same.”
“I’m really sorry, for everything.”
Sarah nodded. “Me too. I failed my own daughter, and not a day goes by that I don’t wish I could go back and relive those years. Do things right this time.”
“I can only imagine how hard that must be,” Parker said.
“It was hard to see clearly back then. Despite what you’ve read in Miriam’s diary, Abe was a good man with good intentions. He poured himself into his family’s business in order to save it.”
“Yes, that’s what he told us.” Parker didn’t want to talk about Abe too much, given their unfriendly divorce, but she wanted to validate Sarah’s thoughts.
“He was so business savvy.” Sarah stared down at the diary as she spoke. “He was incredibly smart, determined. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as well equipped when it came to people. He handled things poorly, pushing everyone who loved him out of his life. The guilt of it ate at him, but he was a prideful man. So prideful he lost himself somewhere along the way.” She met Parker’s gaze. “You were a friend of Bert’s?”
“Yes. We were very close,” Parker said.
“He was a wonderful man. I’m sorry he’s gone,” Sarah said in a thoughtful tone. “I would have liked to remain close to Bert, but I would never have gone against my husband’s wishes. I loved that man too much.” She looked at Grayson. “I didn’t know a person could love too much, but I did. I lost Miriam because of that love. I thought she was going through a phase, wanting to join a band and angry all the time. She never stuck with anything. When she wanted to dance, we got her lessons. The next month it was horses, and a few months later singing. Wasn’t that what teenagers did? Talked about becoming the next this or that but never followed through? When we first read her diary, I thought, ‘If only we’d bought the guitar…’ But she didn’t leave because of the guitar.” She lowered her gaze to the diary again and pulled a wad of tissues from the box beside her, wiping tears as they slipped down her cheeks. “We gave every ounce of ourselves to searching for our daughter, until there was nothing left—no more leads to follow and no more us to hold on to.”
“It must have been very painful,” Parker said.
“It was. It is. You mentioned on the phone that you were surprised I’d kept my name. Abe must have told you that I le
ft him for another man.”
“Yes. He did.” She hated admitting she’d been privy to that part of their history as well.
“There was never another man. I loved Abe even after he became so hateful no one else could stand to be around him. I was only twenty-five when we met. He was eleven years older, and I thought he walked on water. He had big dreams, and I knew he’d accomplish every one of them.”
“He was a very confident man.” Confidence. Control.
“Yes. And he became mean as a snake. We were both so broken, so depleted of anything good. If I’d stayed, I would have turned into the wretched person he’d become, and I still had hope that Miriam would one day come back. That’s what carried me out the door. I’d failed her once. She thought I was weak for staying with a man who didn’t know how to show his affection to anyone but me, and only in private. I tried to teach him, to tell him his daughter needed him, but that just brought arguments about how there wasn’t enough time in the day. God knows what type of hold he had on my heart—truth be known, he still does.”
Sarah laughed under her breath. “Even from beyond the grave he still has a hold over me. When I finally got the courage to leave him, I knew he’d come for me if I didn’t do something so evil he would no longer be able to stand the sight of me.”
“So you made it up?” Parker asked, exchanging a look of disbelief with Grayson.
“I had to. For Miriam. I knew she’d never come near Abe again. On her eighteenth birthday I moved out in the meanest, ugliest way I could. And then I prayed, day and night, that Miriam would come back.” Sarah sat back, and a genuine smile climbed all the way to her eyes. “And then, five years after Miriam left, on October 15, 1989, I received a phone call from her. My heart nearly stopped. I thought it was a prank, because we’d had our fair share of those over the years. But it was my Miriam. There were lots of apologies on both sides and tears, which made it hard to talk, but she was alive and well and happy. She sounded truly happy.” She wiped her steadily flowing tears.
Seaside Lovers: Grayson Lacroux (Love in Bloom: Seaside Summers) Page 19