“Don’t break your news to Donna while she’s standing near any of these cliffs.”
“Good advice.” He chuckled, then turned serious. “You think she might push me over?”
“I just don’t think she’s entirely predictable.”
“Tell me about it.”
She patted him on the shoulder. “Good luck, Victor. I will be saying a prayer for you.” She headed back down the path, got into her car, and—sorry that she’d miss the Christmas lights but not sorry to miss the fireworks—she drove away. As she saw the lighthouse in her rearview mirror, she told herself she’d have to come back up here again soon—hopefully with Victor.
Chapter 27
CAROLINE
After their beach walk Caroline and Mitch drove to the small municipal airport, where Mitch showed her his small plane. “This is so cute,” she said. “I wish I could go up in it with you sometime.”
“No time like the present,” he said.
“Seriously?”
“Absolutely.”
She looked over to where her SUV was parked. “What about Chuck?”
Mitch frowned. “Do you think he likes to fly?”
She laughed. “No, I mean do you think it’s okay to leave him in the car there? I’ve left the windows open, and I know he’s tired from the beach.”
“I don’t see why it wouldn’t be okay.”
“Really?” Caroline looked at the small plane again. “We can just do this? Get into your plane and take off? Just like that?”
He smiled. “Well, I’ll do my regular flight check and clear my takeoff. All the normal stuff. But yeah, pretty much just like that.”
While he did his “normal stuff,” she checked on Chuck. He did seem perfectly fine. Just in case, she filled his travel water bowl and tossed him a Milk-Bone. “We’ll be back in a while,” she promised. Then she hurried back to the plane. Mitch was checking something on the outside.
“Everything okay?” she asked as she watched him.
“A-okay.” He grinned at her. “Ready to go?”
“You’re sure we can just do this?”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Yes, Caroline. Trust me, I do this all the time.” He walked her around to the passenger side, opened the small door, and helped her in. Then he showed her how the seat belts worked and finally he leaned over and kissed her. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
She laughed at herself as he walked around to his side. She didn’t know why she was being so silly about this. Of course, it wasn’t every day she climbed into a small plane and went for a ride. She watched as he flipped some switches, turned on the engine, and, while talking onto the radio, taxied over to the small tarmac runway.
For some reason she was thinking about how it was to ride with her dad when his car wasn’t running right. In a grumpy voice he’d tell her to shut up so he could hear the engine and figure out the problem. If she made any noise, he’d get mad and even blame his mechanical troubles on her, as if a seven-year-old girl could be responsible for a car that wouldn’t run properly. She knew her father’s behavior was twisted, but still, the memory was real. As a result she sat very quietly as Mitch got the plane in position to take off.
As he revved the engine and the plane began to propel down the runway, she was holding her breath and silently counting as if she thought these were the last seconds of her life. Then, just like that, they were in the air, and the small plane was shooting over the tops of coastal pines, climbing into the sky until everything below her became small and toylike.
“You can breathe now,” he told her.
She let out her breath and laughed. “How did you know I was holding my breath?”
“It was pretty obvious.” He grinned. “But surely this isn’t the first time you’ve flown.”
“It’s my first time in a small plane. To be honest, I haven’t flown all that many times in big planes. It always makes me a little nervous.”
He patted her knee. “How are you now?”
She smiled and leaned back. “I’m okay.” She watched as he circled around town, flying over the river and the docks and then looping around to fly over the ocean, dipping down so low that she thought she might be able to spot a large fish. “Wow!” she exclaimed happily. “This is so amazing!”
He nodded eagerly. “It is, isn’t it?”
“I feel totally free.” She looked down at the ocean again, trying to absorb everything in sight—the crab boats, the Coast Guard boat just going out, pelicans flying in formation, surfers, a couple of surf-sails, people and dogs on the beach. She wanted to take it all in. “It’s incredible.”
He flew up the shoreline and clear to the lighthouse before he made a wide, lazy circle over the ocean and turned back. “I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it!”
“You seemed a bit unsure at first. I was a little worried.”
“You know what I think was happening?” she said as realization hit her. “It’s like I’ve been in a cage these past few months, stuck in the house most of the time, caring for my mom. Even when I got out, it was just for short bursts of time. Suddenly I’m like a bird that’s been let out, and I don’t know what to do, how to feel. It’s like I’m not used to having this freedom. Then you give me all this!” She waved her arms. “It’s just so exhilarating!”
He laughed. “Okay, so you do like it!”
Even though she liked it, she was relieved to be safely on the ground again. In a way the flight reminded her of ice cream. It was wonderful once in a while, but she didn’t think she could handle a steady diet of it.
“You seem quiet,” he said as they drove back through town.
“I think I might be tired,” she admitted. “It’s been a long couple of weeks.”
“I know. You had the funeral, and that business with your brother was stressful.”
“Yeah. Hopefully life will settle down some.”
“I was going to invite you to dinner, but maybe we should do that tomorrow instead.”
“I’m still stuffed from eating turkey,” she confessed.
“And I’m feeling jet-lagged.”
They agreed to call it an early night. She dropped him at his hotel and drove back to Abby’s inn. She was actually relieved that Mitch wasn’t staying there. A little space and a little quiet was most welcome.
To her relief the B and B was quiet now. Remnants of their Thanksgiving feast were still here and there, but the only beings in the house seemed to be her and Chuck. She let Chuck out into the backyard, fixed herself a cup of tea, and settled down in one of the easy chairs Abby had recently placed in the parlor. Letting out a contented sigh, she kicked off her shoes, put her feet on the ottoman, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. Ahh … peace. Lovely.
Caroline woke up to the sound of a loud door slamming. She jumped and looked around the dim parlor to see who was in the house. Suddenly she thought of Michael—they had dropped him off at the airport this morning, but there was no telling if he’d actually boarded the plane. He’d seemed so sane and sober, but what if?
With a pounding heart she tiptoed around a corner, trying to see who was stomping up the stairs. She tripped over one of her own shoes, letting out a yelp as her knee smacked onto the hardwood floor. Outside Chuck was barking wildly, and Caroline was trying to remember where she’d left her purse and her phone.
“Who’s that?” yelled a female voice.
“Donna?” Caroline called weakly as she stood back up. Though not exactly thrilled by this, she was so relieved it wasn’t Michael that she actually smiled when Donna clicked on the overhead light.
“What are you doing in the dark?” Donna snapped at her from the stairs. “Hiding from someone like a common criminal?”
“No.” Caroline rubbed
her sore knee. “I was simply having a nice little nap until someone slammed the front door and scared me half to death.” She walked through the kitchen to the back door and let Chuck back into the house. Caroline didn’t know what was eating that woman, but she didn’t particularly care either.
Seeing that there was still some cleanup left to do, Caroline decided to unload the dishwasher and finish things up. She’d removed only a couple of plates before Donna stomped into the kitchen and slammed her purse down onto the counter in what seemed an obvious cry for attention.
Well, Donna was in a foul mood, but Caroline didn’t have to be sucked into it. She said nothing and, for Abby’s sake, continued working, hoping Donna would take the hint and leave.
“Well, aren’t you Miss Helpful?”
Caroline blinked. “Pardon me?”
Donna frowned like she was thinking hard. “Let me see, which Linda are you anyway?”
Caroline set the plate on the counter and peered at this strange woman. “Excuse me? Have you forgotten my name? I’m Caroline.”
Donna narrowed her eyes. “Yes, Caroline, I know your name. I was thinking more about your identity. Who are you?”
Caroline just shook her head as she bent to retrieve another plate. Donna was seriously losing it.
“I’ve been watching all you Lindas, the way you run your exclusive little club.”
Caroline blinked. “What are you saying?”
“You push everyone else out.”
“You mean everyone who’s name isn’t Linda?”
“All four of you are a bunch of small-town snobs.”
Caroline didn’t know what to say. It seemed obvious that Donna was out of sorts and possibly jealous of the friendship the Four Lindas shared. Caroline was tempted to tell Donna to go back to her own friends, but she controlled herself.
Donna made a catty smile. “Yes, I’ve been studying the Four Lindas since I got here. I think I know what makes you tick.”
Caroline couldn’t help but roll her eyes. This woman was wacko!
“Yes. And I’ll start with you, Caroline. You are the ne’er-do-well Linda, the wannabe actress who flunked out of Hollywood. Very pathetic.”
“What?” Caroline stared at Donna.
“Oh, I figured all of you out pretty much right from the start.”
Caroline leaned back against the counter, folding her arms across her front. “What exactly did you figure out?”
“Just that you’re a sorry bunch of old women trying to act like you’re not. And you, Caroline, are the neediest of the bunch. You flit from man to man. You use your beauty as a trap, but age is catching up with you and your looks are fading fast. Your old age clock is ticking away like a time bomb, and you are desperate to catch a man before it’s too late.”
There was a time when a statement like that would’ve elicited one of two responses from Caroline: (1) She would get really, really angry and lash right back, or (2) she would retreat and cry in her pillow. Today she would do neither. Instead she looked evenly at Donna. “I guess that just shows you don’t really know me at all.”
Donna laughed, but there was such wickedness in the sound. “Oh, I know you. I know all you Lindas, and I know the way you operate.”
Caroline shook her head. “I seriously doubt that.”
“I suppose I should leave Abby out of it. She’s the strong one.”
This almost made Caroline laugh. Abby was the strong one? Since when? Caroline stopped herself from saying as much. After all, Caroline loved Abby dearly, and besides, Abby did have some strengths.
“Abby is a businesswoman. She owns this inn,” Donna continued with confidence. “She’s in charge of her life, she’s well known in this town, established. She’s the anchor of your messed-up little group of losers.”
Caroline shrugged as she reached for another plate. Really, this woman didn’t even deserve a response.
“Then there’s Marley,” Donna droned on. “Like you she’s on a man hunt. She pretends to be an artist, but that’s clearly a ploy to attract Jack. Even though he’s a lot older, Marley is willing to settle for him if she can. Because, well, she has no choice. Her looks are so far gone that she has to take what she can get.”
Caroline slid a stack of plates into the cabinet. Listening to Donna was a bit like witnessing a train wreck. It was disturbing, but she couldn’t turn away.
“And Janie—well, she’s the sorriest one of the bunch. A real pathetic little weakling. Oh, sure, she tries to hide her insecurities beneath her lawyer persona, but we all know she doesn’t have a real practice, and I doubt she ever did. I’m sure that after her husband died, she knew she couldn’t make it without someone to replace him. Obviously she has set her sights on my Victor.”
“Your Victor?” Caroline couldn’t control herself now. “Do you honestly think Victor belongs to you?”
“He married me. He fathered my sons. He promised to be my lawfully wedded husband until death parted us.”
Caroline waved her hand to stop her. “Hey, wait a minute. You didn’t honor that vow, Donna. You broke the contract with Victor when you slept with your boss, and you totally cancelled it when you married your boss. It was over.” Caroline softened a bit. “In fact I’m wondering why you’re not still with your second husband, Donna. What about the vow you made to him? Aren’t you supposed to honor that?”
“He cheated on me,” she snapped.
“Okay.” Caroline nodded. “He cheated on you, just like you cheated on Victor. If you made the same vows with him, why aren’t you forcing him to take you back? Or would that get tricky? You’d have two husbands.”
Donna looked slightly stumped.
“Just for the record, Donna, you don’t really know me or my friends. I think all you’ve done is superimposed your own neediness onto us, turned us into caricatures to feel better about yourself.” Caroline shook her finger at her. “First of all, I’ve had plenty of men who wanted to marry me. I could’ve settled for any of them, but I don’t want to settle. And even though I think I love Mitch, I’m not even sure I’m ready to marry him anytime soon. I happen to like my independence. And while Abby might’ve been flattered by your take on her, you were wrong about that, too. Abby’s trying to get strong, and she’s working to get her business going. Janie owns half of it, by the way. If Abby were here, I’m sure she’d admit she’s spent a lot of years being overshadowed by Paul, and she hasn’t felt very strong or secure. At least she’s standing up for herself now, and she’s working on her marriage, too. You were wrong about Marley as well. She is a very good artist, and she is not trying to trap Jack into marriage.”
Caroline didn’t know why she was going to this much trouble to straighten this stupid woman out. Was it even possible? In a way it felt good to set her straight. She took a step closer to Donna. It seemed the woman’s jaw had dropped ever so slightly, probably because she thought Caroline was too dumb and sweet to stand up for herself or her friends.
“And now for Janie,” Caroline said a bit loudly. “When she moved here, she was still grieving her husband, and she was most certainly not looking for another husband. Victor pursued her. As for strength, Janie has been my rock during everything I’ve been through with my mom and brother. I don’t know what I would’ve done without her.” Caroline pursed her lips and shook her head. “I feel sorry for you, Donna. Not only are you clueless about people, you probably don’t have any real friends like these Lindas. I suspect that the reason you’re in such a bad mood is because Victor has finally set you straight about your relationship with him. Right?”
Donna picked up her purse and scowled, but she didn’t answer that last question. Instead she turned away and loudly clomped up the stairs. Caroline felt a bit guilty as she returned to her kitchen chores. She probably could’ve handled that more gently, but Donna seemed to be o
ne of those bullheaded people who needed to have the truth beaten into them with a sledgehammer. Anyway, Caroline could apologize to her later. That is, if Donna ever spoke to her again. The truth was, Caroline didn’t really care.
Chapter 28
MARLEY
It was amazing how well Jack and Ashton hit it off on Thanksgiving, both at the inn and later at Jack’s house. When Marley dropped Ashton in town the following morning while she ran errands, she wasn’t surprised to discover he’d spent the whole time at the One-Legged Seagull.
“I don’t know what I’d have done without him,” Jack told Marley. “We were busier than ever with Black Friday Christmas shoppers, and Jasmine had to run Hunter to a soccer game. I had my hands full, and then Ashton just stepped in like he worked here.”
Ashton grinned. “Well, in some ways selling art’s not that much different from selling drums.”
“He won’t even let me give him a commission.” Jack shook his head.
“Hey, it was fun. It makes me want to get back home and take care of my own business.” Ashton looked at Marley. “Are we ready to head out now?”
“Ready when you are.”
“I was trying to talk Ashton into relocating his drum business here,” Jack said lightly. “There’s a building a couple blocks from here that’ll be available in January. I’ve been wanting more space, but it’s a little too big for me.”
“I’m seriously considering it,” Ashton admitted, “but I need to sort things out with Leo first.” He frowned at his watch. “I told Leo I’d be back this afternoon.”
“So we better get going.” Marley dug her keys out of her old Kenya Creations handbag.
“Drive safe,” Jack said, but as she was going out the door, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “If you’re not busy tonight, Marley, I was … uh, I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me? I thought I’d cook us up some halibut.”
“Sounds delicious,” she told him.
His face lit up. “Great. Around seven then?”
“Perfect.” As Marley exited the gallery, she experienced an unexpected rush of happy apprehension. Several weeks ago, and for no particular reason, she’d begun to assume that her relationship with Jack was never going to evolve into anything more than friendship. She’d thought otherwise during the summer, but then things had slowed down, life had gotten in the way, and she’d reached that place where she’d been okay with simply having Jack for a friend. No doubt about it, he made a very good friend.
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