Spring’s Wake

by Aurora Rey

  “Part of me still can’t believe I’m saying so, but the girl’s got sticking power. And she’s not afraid of work,” Tisha said.

  Nora sniffed. “Did you hear that? You yourself just called her a girl.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  Nora made a sound that conveyed frustration. “Let’s just say that she’s all those things. All those things and more. What would she want with me? I’m locked into this place and almost old enough to be her mother.”

  “So you admit it. You do want her.”

  Will’s mouth hung open. Guilt over eavesdropping warred with her desperation to know Nora’s response. Added to that was her disbelief that Tisha was making a case on her behalf. Will leaned forward, craving and fearing what Nora might say.

  “Hey, Will.” Graham’s voice came from behind her.

  Will dropped the linens and spun around. “Hi, Graham.”

  Will turned back in the direction of the laundry room. Tisha emerged, briefly caught Will’s eye, then disappeared into the kitchen. Nora followed quickly behind. She did not make eye contact with Will, looking past her to Graham. “What a lovely surprise. What brings you by?”

  Will watched as Graham’s gaze moved back and forth between them. She definitely picked up on the weird energy. “Um, I just got out of work. I thought I’d check in and see if I could help with anything.” She glanced at the pile of sheets. “But it looks like you have everything under control.”

  Nora said, “Why don’t you stay for a drink? Happy hour will be starting soon.”

  “Only if I can help out.”

  Will watched as Nora shook her head. “Tisha informs me that’s under control as well. Will you stay anyway?”

  Graham grinned. “I suppose I could be talked into it. We should sit on the porch. It’s gorgeous out.”

  “That sounds like a great idea.” Will bent to retrieve the pile she’d dropped. “You two go sit and I’ll bring something out for you.”

  “Absolutely not.” Nora’s tone made Will flinch. “You two go sit. I’ll bring out a tray.”

  Graham rolled her eyes. “Jesus, you two. Let’s all go to the kitchen together, then we can all go sit on the porch.”

  Nora laughed, sending a wave of relief through Will. Nora looked at Graham and said, “When you sound like your mother, I know things are out of hand.”

  They filed into the kitchen. Tisha was there, acting as though she’d had no part in the previous conversation. “Everything is ready and I took the liberty of making extra since Graham is here.”

  “You didn’t have to do everything.” Nora’s tone was more conciliatory than accusing this time. “Thank you.”

  Tisha shrugged. “I’m outstanding in the kitchen. You just don’t let me do it very often.”

  “I…”

  Nora trailed off and Tisha broke into a boisterous laugh. “I’m just being mean to you now, woman. I’ll never say I’m glad you broke your arm, but I like things turned on their head. It’s good for you.”

  Will wondered if Tisha was including her in the category of things turned on their heads. In a million years, she wouldn’t have expected to find an ally, much less a champion, in Tisha. Perhaps she was right—there was something to be said for shaking up the status quo.

  Tisha hefted a tray of drinks and a plate full of canapés and the four of them filed back through the house and out the front door. Will took a spot on the swing with Graham while Nora and Tisha settled into the Adirondack chairs.

  “This is nice,” Nora said.

  Will chuckled to herself. She had the feeling it was a reluctant admission on Nora’s part. Still, she couldn’t imagine Nora making a similar statement just a week prior. As far as Will was concerned, they were making progress, and she wasn’t about to complain. “Agreed.”

  They sat like that for a while, quietly sipping cocktails and enjoying the afternoon sunshine and light breeze. It allowed Will to close her eyes for a moment and daydream. It was so easy to imagine a lifetime of afternoons just like this. She would need to keep working so that she contributed as much as possible, but she could also help out at the inn. And in the brief lull between the comings and goings and feeding of guests, they could sit together and just be. The calm certainty of it was something that had eluded Will much of her life. She might not have been able to put a finger on it until recently, but now she could think of nothing she wanted more.

  The sound of footsteps on the path pulled Will from her reverie. She didn’t recognize the couple, but they weren’t carrying bags, so they must be returning. Both Nora and Tisha got to their feet. “You look like you could use a cocktail,” Nora said.

  Both men laughed. One of them said, “I could always use a cocktail.”

  Nora turned to Graham and Will and pointed a finger at them. “Stay.”

  Will glanced at Graham, who rolled her eyes, but laughed. Will smiled. “No argument here. I think I’ve pressed my luck enough today.”

  Tisha and Nora went inside with the couple. When Will and Graham were alone on the porch, Graham turned to her. “So, any progress?”

  Will shrugged. “I think so? I seem to have won over Tisha. That’s got to count for something.”

  “It’s huge.” Graham shook her head. “I still wish you could just go back to how things were.”

  Will patted her thigh. “I don’t think that would have worked out anyway.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “I think we were playing at being in a relationship rather than actually being in one.” Even more, they’d been playing by Nora’s rules. Will sighed. “Does that make sense?”

  “Not really.”

  “We were kind of holed up here. We didn’t go out together. We were never a couple. I met a few of her friends, but they mostly just thought I was working here.”

  “Really?”

  Only in saying it out loud did Will realize how much what she and Nora had wasn’t a relationship. “Emerson and Darcy knew what was happening because I told them, but Nora never went with me to their house or anything.”

  The one night that stood out as different was the engagement party. Will finally felt like they were a real couple. Then Graham had surprised them. Will didn’t have the heart to say that part.

  “Wow.”

  That was it. That was the hurdle they needed to cross. Or finish crossing. Or maybe re-cross. And as much as Will wanted to play it cool and bide her time, Nora needed to understand that’s what she wanted—needed—if they had any hope of being together. “Yeah.”

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  “I need to convince Nora to take a chance on me.”

  “I know she talks a good talk, but I see the way she looks at you. The fact that you’ve stuck around—”

  Will finished the sentence. “Drives her absolutely nuts?”

  “Yes, but only because needing help of any kind drives her nuts. Honestly, I think it’s been good for her. And you’ve made it clear you won’t be easily deterred.”

  “Even when she tries to shoo me away with a broom.”

  Graham snickered. “I never said she’d make it easy.”

  “But anything worth having rarely is.”

  “Well said, my friend. Well said.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Will let herself in through the kitchen door and found Nora bent over the oven, a tray of scones in her good hand. Although her first reaction was to worry about Nora overdoing it, the sight of it made her smile. “Those smell delicious.”

  Nora smiled. She’d stopped giving Will a hard time every time she showed up, so that was something. “I made a double batch. You’re welcome to one.”

  “Since I’m not a paying guest, I’ll do my best to wait until after breakfast has been served.”

  “Nonsense. You show up every day and work for hours. You don’t let me pay you. The least I can give you is a scone.”

  Will shrugged. “If you insist.”

  “I
do.” Nora placed a scone on a saucer, added a large dollop of clotted cream, and handed it to her. “Coffee is ready, too.”

  This wasn’t the playful banter she missed, but it was better than silence. Or the stilted conversations they’d had in the first couple of days after Graham’s graduation. Not that she believed in signs, but she’d been looking for a reason to talk with Nora about their future. Or, maybe more accurately, a moment. “Thank you. What can I do to help?”

  Nora slid the remaining scones into a large, shallow basket. “Those quiches are ready to go out.”

  Will spent the next few minutes helping Nora set up the buffet. Then, while Nora chatted up her guests over breakfast, Will cleaned up the kitchen. She’d just about finished when Tisha came in the back door. “You beat me again.”

  Will knew the statement was a compliment. “I’m off today, so I thought I’d come early and make myself useful.”

  Tisha nodded her approval. “Where’s Nora?”

  Will gestured toward the dining room. “Hostessing.”

  Tisha went over to the reservation book on the desk. “Two checkouts today, with new people due this afternoon.”

  “I can help you flip rooms as soon as they’re empty.”

  Tisha waved a hand. “I don’t need help. Can you keep Nora occupied while I work? Woman is dead set on doing everything.”

  Will smiled. “I think I can manage that.”

  Nora breezed back into the room and eyed them both with suspicion. “What are you two plotting now?”

  “This one has gone and cleaned the whole kitchen already. I’m trying to convince her to go sit out in the garden, enjoy the sunshine a bit.”

  Nora nodded. “I think that’s a lovely idea.”

  Will caught Tisha’s meaningful stare. She looked at Nora innocently. “Only if you join me. I was hoping to talk with you, anyway.”

  Nora looked around the kitchen. “Well, I guess there’s nothing to do in here.”

  Will opened the back door, swept her arm, and bowed. “After you.”

  Nora went ahead of her and Will stole a final glance at Tisha, who winked at her. Will swallowed the nervous laughter that rose in her throat. She wondered if Tisha had any inkling she was about to profess her undying love.

  Nora led the way to her favorite spot in the garden. As much as she resented not having her full strength and stamina, she had to admit this slower pace had a certain charm. Of course, the slower pace was only possible because Will had spent the last few weeks pulling the weight of a full third staff member. Not to mention the extra help Graham had been offering, too.

  Nora sat and studied Will, who looked nervous all of a sudden. Will joined her on the bench and she couldn’t help but think they were about to have a serious talk. Maybe Will was finally tired of hanging around. Really, she’d persevered longer than Nora thought she would. She told herself it would be a relief to no longer go through the motions of protesting how much Will doted on her. But telling herself that didn’t stop a knot from settling in her stomach.

  “Thank you for agreeing to talk with me.”

  Nora folded her hands in her lap. “I talk with you every day.”

  Will offered a small smile that Nora couldn’t decipher. “You know what I mean.”

  “We don’t have to do this, you know. You’ve gone above and beyond anything I could have asked for or expected. You don’t need my permission—or blessing, or whatever—to get on with your life.”

  Will’s head jerked around and she locked eyes with Nora. “Is that what you think I’m doing? Walking away?”

  “I just figured—”

  “Is that what you want?”

  Nora tried to get a handle on the direction of their conversation. “We’re not here to talk about what I want.”

  Will shook her head. “Oh, but we are.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I want to talk about what you want and what I want.” Will sighed. “And whether there’s any hope of those two things being in alignment.”

  Nora had been expecting something else entirely, so she didn’t know what to say. “How about you start?”

  Will nodded, her expression grave. “I don’t want things to be like they are now.”

  “I know you’ve been working essentially two jobs. I hope you know I never wanted to impose on you like that and I never wanted you to feel obligated to step in.”

  “It’s not about the work. I don’t mind that.” Will turned on the bench so that she was facing Nora. “I don’t want to go back to how things were before Graham walked in on us, either.”

  So she was done. Although it didn’t surprise her, Nora didn’t expect hearing it to hurt so badly. “I don’t want to hold you here, hold you back.”

  “I want a real relationship. A partnership.”

  Realizing how much she’d held Will back sent a stab of pain right to her heart. “And what we had, all the time you’re spending here, is getting in the way of that.”

  “No.” Will seemed to search her face, but Nora couldn’t figure out what she was searching for. After what felt like an eternity, she continued. “Nora, I want those things with you.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying I was drawn to you from the moment we met. And what we had this winter was wonderful, magical even. But it wasn’t real.”

  It was possible that her brain had stopped functioning, but it felt like Will was contradicting herself. Before Nora could stop herself, she said, “It felt real to me.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say it wasn’t real. I meant to say it wasn’t a real relationship. It was only part. Just like what we have now is only part. A different part. I want it all.”

  The words made sense, but the meaning stubbornly refused to come together in Nora’s mind. It seemed, almost, like Will was saying she wanted to get married. But she hadn’t used that word. And none of that fit into the narrative she’d constructed. “I don’t mean to be dense, but you’re going to have to explain.”

  Will took a deep breath. “I love you.”

  Nora blinked. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She’d not bargained for falling in love with Will, or having those feelings returned. Even now, the idea of it terrified her. Could she give her heart again? Did she have room in hers for another person? Whether she wanted it or not, this was what she had. She could deny it, refuse it, but doing so wouldn’t change the reality of it.

  Will continued, “I’m in love with you. Maybe I should have led with that. I’ve been head over heels for you from almost the moment we first met. And when we started sleeping together, I thought it was enough. Or, maybe, I thought the rest would come naturally. But obviously things didn’t work out like that.”

  “I—”

  Will lifted a hand. “Now that I’m going, please let me finish.”

  Nora nodded.

  “After what happened with Graham, I convinced myself that you were done with me. It wasn’t hard because I didn’t think I brought much to the table to begin with.”

  “You have to know that’s not true.”

  “I didn’t. I was feeling plenty sorry for myself when Graham knocked some sense into me. I didn’t allow myself to feel hopeful, but then you got hurt. I couldn’t stay away. I thought maybe if I showed you I was worth having around, I might convince you to give me another chance. But I realized that wasn’t enough. I want more than being useful, more than being someone you don’t mind having around.”

  “You deserve more than that.”

  Will nodded. “I do. But you do, too. You’re beautiful, successful. You deserve someone who is your equal in every way, who not only appreciates you, but complements you. Someone who can give you everything you deserve.”

  Nora shook her head. She’d spent plenty of time thinking about what it meant to be equal with someone. Only, in her book, it was someone who respected her, someone who would feel content with the life she’d worked so hard t
o build. Someone who wanted to continue to build it with her.

  As if reading her thoughts, Will said, “And more than that, you deserve a woman who is brave enough to shout her love from the rooftops, a woman who will delight in being your partner, but who will also sweep you off your feet and worship you for the amazing creature you are.”

  “I’m so much older than you.”

  “I thought we’d established I find you gorgeous, exquisite.”

  The fear, the nagging voices, refused to release their grip. “It’s more than that. I’m set in my ways. I’m past the age of having children. I’m—”

  “Perfect. For me, at least, you are absolutely perfect.”

  For the first time, hope and something that felt an awful lot like joy, bubbled up. They expanded, taking up the space where the doubts had lived. “I think you can do better than me.”

  Will smiled. “And I think you could do far better than me. Does that make us even?”

  Did it? Could it really be as simple as that? “That’s one way of looking at it.”

  Will took both her hands. “Look, life doesn’t come with guarantees. I think we’ve both learned that lesson the hard way. But I can guarantee that I’m all in. I want this more than I’ve wanted anything and I’m willing to work for it, as long and as hard as it takes.”

  “I…” Nora trailed off. What could she possibly say in response to that? After everything she’d done to push her away, Will was offering her the world.

  “You don’t have to give me an answer right now. Clearly, I’ve been mulling this over for a while. I want you to take your time and, whatever you decide, I want it to be what’s truly in your heart.”

  “I don’t need time.”

  “No?”

  The look in Will’s eyes—equal parts hope and fear—melted Nora’s heart even further. If this gorgeous, big-hearted woman could bare her soul, then by God, she could, too. “I was drawn to you the moment we met, too.”

  “You were?”

  “Most definitely. It felt absurd, though, so I shoved it aside. And then I was convinced you were after Graham.”

  Will shook her head and sighed. “I’m still trying to figure out what I did to give everyone that impression.”