The Sunset Cottages: A Willa Bay Novel

by Nicole Ellis

  The microwave beeped, jolting her out of her own head. “Dinner’s ready,” she announced.

  Antonio followed her into the kitchen and stood awkwardly next to the small table. “Do you need any help?”

  She shook her head. “Nope, it’s all ready.” She transferred the meat to a small platter and emptied the bag of green beans into a bowl, then brought both over to the table. “You can take whatever rice you want straight from the cooker.” She laughed. “We’re not fancy around here.”

  Antonio sniffed the air. “It smells great. I can’t wait to taste it.” They each put scoops of rice, slices of juicy pork, and tender green beans on their plates, and dug into their food with gusto.

  They chatted while they ate, but the conversation never went much further than surface-level. When Tia had finished eating, she couldn’t take it any longer. “Ant, why are you in Willa Bay?” She cocked her head to the side and tried to ignore the churning in her stomach as she waited for his response. “Are you here to help Mom and Dad force me to move back home?”

  He paused with his fork midway to his mouth. “No! Did you really think that?” Then, swallowing hard, he set the utensil and uneaten bite of pork back on his plate. “I, uh…” He inhaled so deeply that Tia started to panic.

  Cal had warned her that Antonio had a lot on his mind. Was he ill? She knew her brother was a successful mortgage broker in El Paso, so why would he leave a high-paying job for an extended stay in Willa Bay?

  After a pregnant pause, Antonio spoke up. “I don’t know how to ease into this, so I’m just going to say it. I’m an alcoholic.”

  Tia’s eyebrows shot up. This was not what she’d expected to hear from him. “But weren’t you drinking last night at Cassie’s wedding?” Over the few hours of the reception, she’d seen him consuming several glasses of clear liquid over ice, topped with lime wedges. He’d acted like he normally did, engaging with her friends as though he’d known them his entire life.

  He shook his head vigorously. “That was seltzer water. A little trick I’ve picked up to make social situations easier to navigate. I haven’t had a drink in almost three months.”

  “Wow.” She sat back in her chair, unsure of the appropriate response. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  He sighed. “The heavy drinking started in college and never really stopped. Well, at first it was only on weekends, but then it was a drink here or there on weeknights. When I missed an important business meeting after a night of binge drinking, I knew I needed to get help.”

  She nodded in understanding. Her brother’s story was similar to what Cal had relayed to her about his own problems with alcohol. “Do Mom and Dad know?”

  He shook his head. “No, not really. They know something is up because I moved away so suddenly, but that’s about it.” He uttered a harsh laugh. “Besides visiting you, I suspect they’re coming out here to check up on me. I’ve got to say, I’m not looking forward to it.”

  She was dreading seeing her parents and experiencing their displeasure with her, but she’d never in a million years have guessed her older brother had the same worries.

  “So why Willa Bay?” She studied his face. He could have moved anywhere in the country, but he’d chosen the same small town she’d called home for the last eleven months.

  He shrugged. “You seemed so happy here – so content with your new life. I thought maybe I could find the same thing for myself.”

  “Have you?” As far as she knew, Antonio hadn’t made any effort to make friends or find a job in Willa Bay. Then again, she’d been so busy avoiding him that she hadn’t exactly been his confidante.

  A small smile slipped over his lips and the tension in his jawline eased. “Somewhat. I’ve been going to the AA meetings at the Lutheran church and I’m starting to find my footing. I’ve met some really great people there, including Cal.” He locked eyes with her. “By the way, you’ve got a really great guy in Cal – don’t let him get away.”

  Her cheeks burned. She wasn’t used to getting advice on her love life from her older brother. “I’m glad you’ve gotten to know him,” she said softly.

  Cal really was a good guy. Now that Antonio had confided in her, she knew why Cal had been keeping his secret. It hadn’t been because he thought she couldn’t handle something – it had been because it literally hadn’t been his secret to tell. She respected him even more for that.

  “Anyway,” Antonio said. “I’ve put some feelers out for jobs in the mortgage industry. I plan to hit the pavement hard after the New Year.”

  “So you’re going to stay in Willa Bay?” She rose from her seat and cleared the food and dishes from the table.

  He nodded. “I am. I haven’t been here long, but the town has grown on me. And, if your friends are a good representation of people around here, I think I’m going to enjoy living here.”

  “While Mom and Dad are here for Christmas, do you think you’ll tell them why you moved?” she asked.

  He looked down at the empty table and brushed a crumb away. “I’m not ready to talk to them about it quite yet. I hope to do it soon, because I don’t like hiding things from them, but I need a little more time to get my life in order.”

  “I know the feeling.” She smiled conspiratorially at him as she set the plate of brownies on the table.

  He immediately grabbed one and bit into it, devouring it in three bites. “These are amazing. Did you make them?”

  She laughed at the rapturous expression on his face. “Nope. Cassie did.”

  “Your friend whose wedding I went to?” He reached for a second brownie.

  “Yup. She owns The Sea Star Bakery on Main Street.”

  “Oh man. How did I not know you were friends with someone who owns a bakery?” He’d inhaled the second brownie even faster than the first.

  “It’s a small town. Everyone knows everyone. Most of the time, that’s a good thing.” She bit into her own brownie, letting the rich chunks of chocolate embedded in it melt over her tongue. “You can have another if you’d like. I have plenty.”

  He looked longingly at the plate. “I’d better not.”

  “How about I send a couple of them home with you to eat later?” she asked.

  “I’d like that.” He took a long sip from his glass of water, then looked at his watch. “I’d better head out though. I was hoping to make it to an eight o’clock meeting at the church tonight.”

  She jumped up from the table. “Oh, sure. I’ll get the brownies wrapped up for you.”

  He walked into the living room and put his jacket and gloves back on. She handed him the plate with the brownies. “Thanks.” He reached out with his free arm and pulled her close. His voice cracked a little as he said, “Thank you for the wonderful dinner and for listening to me.”

  She nodded. “I’m glad we finally had a chance to talk.” She peered at him. “I’m always here for you if you need me, okay?”

  He smiled back at her. “I know.” He held the brownies up in the air. “Thanks again for these, and I’ll see you on Friday for Christmas dinner with Mom and Dad.” He opened the door and stepped outside.

  “Ant?” she said before he closed the door.

  He turned back to face her. “Yeah?”

  “I love you.” She blinked a few times to keep her emotions in check. It had been so long since she’d allowed any of her family members to get close, and it felt better than she could have imagined to let down her guard.

  He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. “I love you too, little sis.”

  She closed the door to keep out the cold and watched from the window as he got into his car and drove away. Her perfect brother wasn’t so perfect after all, but that was fine with her. She didn’t take any joy in his struggles, but his willingness to share them with her made her feel closer to him than she had in a long time.

  From the kitchen, her cell phone rang, jarring her out of her thoughts about Antonio. “Hello?” she said breathlessly, after a dash
through the house to get to the phone before the caller could hang up.

  “Hey, it’s Cal.” He hesitated, then added, “Cal Perkins.”

  She laughed. “I know who you are.” She walked back into the living room and plunked herself down on the sofa with her head on a throw pillow, snuggling her sock-clad feet into the gap between the cushions to keep them warm. After a long day at work and the ups and downs of her dinner with Antonio, it felt good to relax.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d want to talk to me. Things didn’t go so well the last time we were together.” His voice was hesitant and it sounded like he was pacing the floor. Was he nervous about calling her?

  “I know.” She sighed. She’d almost hoped he’d forgotten how badly she’d reacted when he refused to tell her what was going on with her brother. “I’m sorry about that. I had a long chat with Antonio tonight, and now I know you were only protecting his privacy.”

  “Oh.” His tone brightened considerably. “I’m glad the two of you had a chance to talk about things.”

  “Me too.” She watched the strands of brilliantly colored lights over the windows dance in the draft from the ceiling heater vent.

  “Um, the reason I called is that I was hoping you might be interested in taking a drive with me tomorrow.”

  She pushed herself upright and rested against the arm of the sofa. “A drive?” She had the next day off, and it would be nice to get out of town for a few hours. “Where would we go?”

  “It’s a surprise,” he teased.

  She made a face, even though she knew he couldn’t see it. “A surprise?”

  “Yup. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning at nine o’clock and we can grab some breakfast on the way. How does that sound?”

  For all the time she’d lived in Washington, she hadn’t often ventured out of the general vicinity of Willa Bay. “That sounds great. I’ll see you at nine.”

  “See you then.” He hung up, and she set her phone on an end table.

  She didn’t much like surprises, but she felt herself growing excited about the prospect of an unknown destination. Was he taking her to the mountains? Or to the coast? Either would be welcome, as she’d been told they were must-sees for anyone visiting or living in the state.

  Remembering her brother’s praise for him, she grinned. It didn’t really matter where they were going, she would be happy to spend a whole day with Cal.

  19

  Cal

  Cal knocked on Tia’s door at nine o’clock the next morning, his hands sweating despite the cold. She opened it quickly, as though she’d been watching for him.

  “Hey.” He stuck his hands in his coat pockets and tried to sound nonchalant, but he was certain she could hear his heart pounding. She’d been working so hard lately with all of the holiday parties that he really wanted today to be special for her.

  “Hi.” Tia smiled at him. She was already wearing her heavy winter jacket and had tied a bright purple scarf around her neck. As they walked down the front walkway to his car, she slid a matching knit hat over her head. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

  He gave her an impish grin. “Nope. Not yet.”

  “Did I mention I don’t like surprises?” She narrowed her eyes at him, but a glimmer of a smile remained on her lips.

  “You may have mentioned it once or twice.” When they reached the car, which he’d left running to stay warm, he opened the passenger side door for her.

  She sighed dramatically before getting in, which made him chuckle as he rounded the back of the vehicle to climb into the driver’s seat.

  “You’re really not going to tell me?” She’d removed her jacket and was rubbing her hands together in front of the heater vent, which blasted hot air into the small space.

  Cal put the car in reverse and executed a three-point turn on the narrow lane. “And spoil the surprise?” He had a feeling that most things in Tia’s current life were carefully planned, and, for now, he was enjoying keeping her in suspense. “Maybe in a little bit.”

  They soon cruised down the Interstate, heading south toward Seattle. When he took the turnoff to the Earhart ferry terminal, Tia looked over at him sharply. “I’m guessing we’re not going to Seattle or the mountains, so where are we going?”

  He grinned. She was getting antsy, so he decided to clue her in to a small piece of the puzzle. “Okay, okay. I’ll give you this much. We’re taking the ferry over to the Kitsap Peninsula.”

  He maneuvered the car off the highway and into the ferry lanes, then up to the ticket window, where he paid their fare. The ferry worker advised them that they’d be on the next boat, which was scheduled to leave in thirty-five minutes.

  Cal stopped behind the car in front of him in the ferry holding lanes and shut off the engine. “I was thinking we could grab donuts while we’re waiting and then eat them on the ferry with some coffee. Does that work for you?”

  Tia nodded, her eyes darting across the multiple lanes of parked cars. “Is it okay to get out?”

  Cal scanned the cars too. While most of the drivers had stayed in their vehicles, some of them had exited to walk their dogs along a strip of green grass provided for that purpose. Others made a beeline for the espresso stand across the street. The donut shop was conveniently located next to the ferry lanes and didn’t look too busy at the moment. “I think we’ll be fine. We just have to be back in about fifteen or twenty minutes.”

  They hurried over to the donut shop and quickly made their selections. Tia chose a raspberry buttermilk donut and Cal got the same, plus an old-fashioned. While they were waiting to pay, Tia glanced anxiously at the cars outside.

  “Don’t worry. We have plenty of time.” He pointed at the approaching ferry through the shop’s side window. “It has to unload before we can get on anyway.” He accepted the bag of donuts from the cashier. When they were back on the street, he regarded Tia. “Is this your first time on a ferry?”

  She nodded and craned her neck to look up Main Street, which ran straight down the hill toward the ferry dock and the town’s two public beaches. “I’ve never been to Earhart either.”

  Cal made a split-second judgment. The ferry was just pulling into the dock so they had a few minutes before they had to be back in the car. “Let’s take a quick walk.” He grabbed her hand and moved rapidly down the sidewalk to the corner, where they managed to catch the crosswalk light.

  Tia’s face lit up as she took in the sights of downtown Earhart. “It’s beautiful.”

  He had to agree. Main Street had been decorated much like Willa Bay, with red ribbons tied around the ornate metal lightposts. Even during daylight, strands of bright white and multicolored lights framed festive displays inside the store windows. Shoppers went in and out of the confectionary, the bookstore, and the many gift shops as they hunted for the perfect Christmas presents.

  Cal turned to look back down the hill, where the first car was rolling off the ferry. “Time to head back.”

  They returned to the car and he set the donuts on the back seat. A few minutes later, a ferry employee in a bright yellow vest, standing at the front of their lane, gave the signal for the cars to start their engines. Tia’s eyes grew wide as they followed the minivan in front of them onto the ferry. They were directed up to the second level on the port side of the boat and came to a stop next to the open windows.

  With the car’s engine off, the air inside the car quickly cooled, replaced by the not-unpleasant aroma of seaweed and creosote from the dock’s pillars. When all of the spaces near them had been filled, Cal grabbed the donuts and they exited the car to head up to the third level of the ferry.

  “This is huge!” Tia exclaimed when the heavy door opened onto the broad expanse of the passenger cabin.

  Cal grinned. He’d known she’d never been to their destination, but he hadn’t expected for the journey there to be just as exciting for her. He gestured to the rows of booths along the bank of windows on each side of the boat. “Choose where you want
to sit.”

  During morning and evening rush hours, every available seat would be occupied by commuters. However, during the middle of the day, the passenger area was only half-full and they were able to get their own private table next to a window.

  “I’ll grab us some coffee.” He set the donuts on the table in front of Tia. “You want cream and sugar, right?”

  She nodded almost imperceptibly, unable to tear her gaze away from the view of Puget Sound. He returned five minutes later with two cups of freshly brewed coffee from the onboard cafeteria. They polished off their donuts as the ferry chugged across the water on the way to the Kitsap Peninsula.

  When they’d finished, he took her upstairs to see the open top deck. As she stood near the railing, he held his phone up and snapped a photo of her gazing out to sea, her long dark hair streaming behind her in the wind. Although the weather forecasters had promised it wouldn’t rain, he was still pleasantly surprised to see that they’d been correct. He and Tia had been gifted a beautiful, clear blue sky for the day’s adventure.

  At the end of the twenty-five minute crossing, an announcement came over the loudspeaker, instructing drivers to return to their vehicles. Tia’s hands clutched the railing in front of her, so fixated on the process of the ferry coming into dock that he had to repeat the warning for them to head back downstairs.

  She looked at him blankly, then flushed. “Sorry, it’s just so cool. We don’t have anything like this in Texas.”

  He laughed. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.” He looped his fingers through hers and squeezed. “Now, we’d better get downstairs ASAP or there will be a bunch of angry drivers who can’t get around our car to get off the ferry.”

  They made it with minutes to spare and were soon driving past the holding area on the other side and up the hill to the main highway.