Summer by the Tides

by Denise Hunter

  “She went to the grocery.” Apparently Nora hadn’t yet solved the credit card situation, as she’d borrowed forty dollars from Maddy. Was something more going on with Nora’s finances? Part of her wanted to ask. Another part wanted to let it go.

  “I talked to Gram earlier when you were at the hardware store,” Maddy said.

  “How’s she doing?”

  “Having a fantastic time with her friends from the sound of it.”

  “That’s good. When’s she coming home?”

  “She’s very noncommittal, but I got the idea it would be at least another week or two.”

  “Did she press you about Nora and me?”

  Maddy slanted a look at Emma. “Of course. I told her the truce was holding up, but she’s not satisfied with that, as you well know.”

  “Well, I don’t know what to tell her. I guess this is as good as it’s ever going to get.”

  Maddy prayed she was wrong. “I updated her on our progress with the house. I think she’s going to put it on the market as soon as she gets back.”

  Emma sighed. “That’s kind of sad. There are so many memories here.”

  “Not all of them good, though,” Maddy reminded her.

  Her eyes drifted past the chair and toward the dunes where she’d spied Nora and Jonathan making out on the beach so many years ago. Maddy and Emma were currently sitting on the very deck where their family had splintered apart.

  “Believe me, I know,” Emma said.

  “But you’re right. Once upon a time we were happy here, and the three of us were close. I miss that, Emma.”

  “Were we close?” Emma asked. “Sometimes I think things weren’t as wonderful as we imagined. They certainly weren’t between Mama and Daddy. I mean, we knew they argued sometimes, but I didn’t think much of it. Maybe there was always stuff going on down deep, and that last summer just exposed it all.”

  The thought bothered Maddy, made her skin feel too tight. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, Nora for instance. You know she was always Daddy’s girl.”

  They rarely talked about their dad. There was still so much hurt there.

  “Gram favored her too,” Emma continued. “That became very obvious that last summer.”

  “She was the first grandchild—that’s not uncommon. But you were always Mama’s favorite.”

  Emma dipped her brush in the paint. “I don’t know about that.”

  “Oh, come on,” Maddy said, not unkindly. “You favor her the most. She always took your side and went easiest on you.”

  Emma seemed to consider that. “Maybe back then it was true. She was definitely there for me after Nora betrayed me. It seemed like she really understood what I was going through. Like she was on my side. That’s why it hurt so much when she went to Nora and Jonathan’s wedding. It felt like a stab in the back. Three stabs in the back—one from each of them.”

  “I know it was a terrible time, Emma. But Mama was in a difficult spot. She was going to hurt one of you no matter what she did.”

  Emma was silent for a long moment. “I guess every family has its complications.”

  “Do you hear from her much . . . Mama?” Maddy asked.

  “Every month or so, I guess.”

  Maddy huffed a laugh. “More often than I do.”

  “Yeah, but every time she reaches out she begs me to reconcile with Nora. I think that’s the main reason she calls. It feels like it’s all about Nora and what she needs. Well, what about what I need? What about Nora apologizing to me?”

  Nora had begged for Emma’s forgiveness back in the day. But after a while she’d grown weary of being rebuffed. Had put her back up and gotten riled up herself.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Emma said. “But should her apology really count when she went ahead and married my fiancé anyway? Actions speak louder than words, Maddy—and both of their actions said plenty.”

  Maddy was sorry she’d brought it up. They’d been over this ground so many times already.

  “How is everything between you and Ethan, if you don’t mind my asking? Have things gotten any better? I’ve been praying for you.”

  “Thanks.” Emma seemed as relieved as Maddy for the change of topic. “I actually think the distance has been good for us. I’m starting to realize I gave up on us too easily. Before he left he tried to tell me he was unhappy, and I didn’t want to hear it. Then he left, and I just— It hurt so much. It took me right back to Jonathan’s rejection, and I felt so unwanted, by my own husband. It reawakened all those feelings.”

  “Oh, Emmie. I’m sorry.”

  “So I just closed down. I shut him out, refused to listen to what he was trying to tell me. I was afraid. But I’m starting to think his leaving was his way of trying to wake me up. Make me listen. Little did he know it would have the opposite effect.

  “Yesterday on the phone . . . he told me he still loves me. I really needed to hear that. He’s said it before, during our separation, but I wasn’t listening—again thinking that actions spoke louder than words. All I saw was that he’d left me, and it tore me up inside.”

  “It sounds as though being away has given you some perspective.”

  “It has. We’re talking more often, trying to work it out.” She opened her mouth as if she had more to say, but she closed it again.

  Maddy offered a smile. “That’s hopeful. I’m glad for you. I always thought you and Ethan were good together.”

  “I do love him. And I’ve missed him so much. But I’ve been too afraid to be vulnerable with him. I don’t know if we’ll be able to work things out, but I’m going to try. It’s worth the potential disappointment.”

  Maddy let the words sink in. They reflected her own situation with Connor, her own fears. Was it worth it? Emma seemed awfully sure, despite the pain she’d endured.

  “Speaking of romantic relationships,” Emma said after they’d painted in silence a few minutes. “Have you heard from our friendly neighborhood hottie since yesterday?”

  “Sure haven’t.”

  She was a little surprised Connor hadn’t called or texted. Their time on the beach had been foremost in her thoughts the past twenty-four hours. She couldn’t get the image of that crooked grin, those steady gray eyes, out of her mind.

  But maybe he’d only been caught up in the moment. Maybe he regretted pressing her about dating him. Maybe his own fears had kicked in. He had even more reason to be cautious than she did.

  “What are you going to tell him? Do you want to go out with him?”

  Maddy gave a rueful laugh. “Have you met him? Of course I want to go out with him.”

  “And yet I sense an unspoken but behind that last word.”

  Maddy used the tip of her brush to smooth out a drip of paint on the arm of the chair. Nick had tried to call again this morning. She’d recognized the number on the caller ID and hadn’t answered. He’d left a message asking her to return his call, but she deleted it. She used to love listening to him talk. He had a faint Boston accent and spoke with such passion. Now she only heard his arrogance.

  “If you’re not careful,” Emma said, “fear can rob you of the most wonderful gifts life has to offer. I’m not saying that’s Connor, necessarily. But it could be. You won’t know until you give it a chance.”

  Emma made a lot of sense. “I’m praying about that. But it’s easier said than done.”

  “Oh, believe me, sister. This I know.”

  “Got an extra paintbrush?” The baritone voice startled Maddy.

  Connor was rounding the deck, that infectious smile widening his lips.

  Maddy hoped he hadn’t heard their conversation. There was no indication from his expression that he had.

  “Know what?” Emma popped to her feet. “You can have mine. I just remembered a, um, creak in the stairs that needs immediate repair.”

  “You leave those creaks be.” Maddy impaled Emma with a look, but her sister was too busy handing her paintbrush to Connor to notice
.

  He wore a pair of khakis and a stained blue Sullivan’s Marina T-shirt that stretched taut over his broad shoulders and around his biceps.

  Once Emma disappeared inside, Connor took her place on the deck and gave her that roguish grin. “Well, that worked out rather nicely.”

  “What?” She quirked a brow. “Your devious plan to get me alone?”

  “Is it devious? Can’t a guy just want to flirt in private?”

  She slid him a look. “I thought you came to lend a hand.”

  “I’m an efficient guy. I can do both at once.”

  “I have no doubt.” She thought he could handle a good deal more than that with those soulful eyes and charming grin. Maybe he wasn’t the player she’d thought him to be, but he probably did have all the local women in a tizzy.

  He dipped his brush and went to work. “So how was your day, Maddy? Did you get a lot done around here? I noticed the flower beds. They look great.”

  “Changing the subject?”

  “Trying to, if you’d just let me.”

  “You’re in a cheeky mood.”

  “I’m in a good mood.” He gave her a sideways look. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you all day.”

  Her heart squeezed tight. Okay, maybe that made up for the fact that he hadn’t reached out to her.

  “You got nothing?” he asked, boldly searching her face.

  Her face warmed under his perusal. She didn’t know what to say. Truth was, she had missed him today. She didn’t know how that was even possible.

  “You know you missed me,” he teased.

  “Someone needs to get his ego in check.”

  He chuckled. “All right. I’ll let you off the hook this time. I’ve got a story to tell you anyway.” He proceeded to tell her about a young man who’d approached him a couple months ago, asking to use the marina to propose to his girlfriend.

  “It’s going down Thursday,” he said. “The anniversary of their first date, which happened to be a boat ride from the marina. He doesn’t own the boat anymore, but that’s where he wants to do the deed.

  “He’s going to set up lanterns and stuff. His family’s going to light them and scatter rose petals down the pier, then disappear before they arrive.”

  The story warmed her heart. “That’s very romantic. It’s good of you to participate.”

  “You kidding me? You should see this guy—he’s head over heels. If she says no it’s going to break my heart.”

  His brows drew together, a focused look on his face. But she didn’t think it was the painting he was caught up in as much as his own thoughts.

  “You’re actually nervous for him,” Maddy said.

  He gave a mock scowl. “It’s not easy for a guy to lay it all on the line like that. I know it’s the modern age and all, but you women have it so much easier.”

  “Oh-ho.” Maddy laughed. “Is that a fact?”

  “Well . . .” He had the grace to look chagrined. “Minus the whole pushing-a-live-human-from-your-body thing. It’s hard for a guy to put himself out there. No one likes rejection.”

  “Yes, but, traditionally speaking at least, men get to make the decisions. When to ask her out. When to kiss her. When to propose. Unless the woman wants to take the lead, she’s stuck waiting, and that’s no fun either, mister.”

  “Oh yeah?” He gave her a searching look, his sparkling eyes and slanted lips putting her on notice. “Let’s recall our conversation from yesterday and talk about who’s waiting for whom, hmm?”

  Heat flooded Maddy’s face, and she dipped her brush in the paint to avoid his eyes. “Touché, Mr. Sullivan.”

  “I wasn’t trying to score a point, only provide a nice little segue. So . . . have you given any thought to our conversation?”

  She shook her head. “You’re a tricky, tricky man.”

  “I prefer to think of it as crafty.”

  “You’re awfully good with words for a man who works with boats, I’ll say that.”

  “If I were that good we’d be on our first date right now instead of slapping paint on a couple of chairs.”

  Her lips twitched. Truth be told, she’d thought of little else since yesterday. She knew what she was going to say—it was all over but the words. If she hadn’t known it before, she knew it now, sitting side by side, having fun even while doing a mundane chore. Connor intrigued her too much to say no. She had to know where this could go even if she also feared finding out. Worry fluttered in her belly, a thousand butterflies stirring to life.

  “I don’t like that little dash between your eyebrows,” he said, his tone light. “Something tells me it precedes a negative response, so maybe I should just cut my losses and change the subject.”

  They’d been teasing and playing, but she didn’t want to play games. Not about this.

  She turned toward him, catching his profile. “You’re not going to get a no, Connor.”

  He did a double take that ended in a long, searching look. His brows disappeared beneath the long bangs sweeping across his forehead.

  “Is that a yes then?”

  Maddy looked at him a long moment, her pulse fluttering at the sweet hope on his face. She gave a nod. “That’s a yes.”

  Chapter 24

  Connor felt ridiculously nervous as he raised his hand to knock on Maddy’s door. His muscles were twitchy, and his mouth was dry. He felt like a seventeen-year-old boy asking a girl to prom.

  But Maddy already meant a lot to him. She drew him. She intrigued him. She was all kinds of special. Chances with women like her didn’t come around often.

  God, please don’t let me blow this.

  It was his last thought before the door swung open, revealing a beautiful Maddy. She wore a halter-style black dress that made the most of her subtle curves. Her shiny hair cascaded in waves over her bare shoulders. Her skin glowed in the evening sunlight, and her brown eyes were as inviting as melted chocolate. But it was her lips, painted red and perfectly lush, that stole the show.

  “Wow,” he said. But what he thought was, You are so out of your league, Sullivan.

  Her lips curved. “Wow, yourself.”

  He didn’t hold a candle to her in his black pants and button-down shirt.

  Her sisters had made themselves scarce, and Maddy already had her purse, so he escorted her to his car and opened the passenger door. He watched her long, lithe legs disappear into his Infiniti and swallowed hard.

  They’d decided on supper at a restaurant in Wilmington. The thirty-minute drive and leisurely meal would give them plenty of time to talk. Not that they hadn’t done some of that as they’d worked on the house this week. But for the most part he’d been perched on a ladder, painting the exterior.

  “So give me the full scoop on the proposal,” Maddy said once he’d backed from the drive and they were on their way. “‘She said yes’ isn’t going to cut it, in case you were wondering.”

  “The kid stopped by the marina today, over the moon. Apparently the night started a little rough—trouble getting her there on account of some reservations she’d made. They nearly got into an argument over it on the way to the marina. But then she saw the setup, realized what was about to happen, and all was forgiven.”

  Maddy laughed, the sound filling his car like a rich melody. “Did she cry?”

  “That’s not a question a man thinks to ask. But he did send me a few pictures.” He handed her his phone and directed her to the texts.

  “Aw, it’s beautiful. Who knew a marina could look so romantic.”

  “Hey,” he said teasingly.

  “There are so many lanterns and twinkle lights. He obviously put a lot of thought into it. What a blessed girl.” When she finished thumbing through, she set his phone down.

  “I think they’ll be very happy together,” Connor said.

  “It was nice of you to help make their moment special.”

  “It was fun. I offered to get it on video for them, but he wanted it to be private. I don’t
blame him. I don’t care for those public proposals either.”

  “How did you ask your late wife to marry you?” she asked, then quickly added, “Sorry. You might not want to talk about that.”

  “I don’t mind. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” He thought back to that day. It seemed so long ago. “There was this park we went to a lot. I asked her there. I probably didn’t do it up as much as I should’ve, but she really wasn’t the grand-gesture type.”

  “I’m sure she loved it. She said yes, after all.” Maddy gave him a warm smile.

  “That she did.” He didn’t want to go on about Annie. He was no dating expert, but that definitely seemed like a first date no-no.

  “Tell me about Nick. What first attracted you to him?” Then he winced because he’d just brought up her ex.

  “His ’67 Mustang?” she joked, then made a face. “No, honestly, looking back, I really have to wonder.”

  “You don’t have to talk about it. That’s probably not first-date material either, is it? I’m a little out of practice.”

  She shrugged. “It’s our date. We can make it whatever we want. Nick was nice looking, so that didn’t hurt. I think I was flattered by his persistence. He was very charming, and I admired his confidence—although I have to say I see it as arrogance now. Hindsight.”

  “It can be very illuminating.”

  “Can’t it?”

  “He never got around to explaining himself or trying to apologize?”

  “Nope, although—full disclosure—he’s tried to call twice this week.” Her gaze drifted out the passenger window. “I don’t want to talk to him. I’m sure he and Evangeline are working together quite happily now. He got exactly what he wanted.”

  “He’ll get his due. You don’t treat people like that and not get what you have coming eventually.”

  “I’m trying not to wish him harm. I know I need to let it go.”

  “Sorry. I guess I should be advising you to forgive and forget. But I’d kind of like to string the guy up myself; I can only imagine how you must feel.”

  “Actually, I’m doing all right. I no longer wish I’d smacked him upside the head when I saw him with Evangeline.”