by Susan Wiggs
“Think about it, Nikki,” he said cheerfully. “My mom and your dad.”
For someone who’d inherited her father’s genius, she’d been exceptionally slow to see the obvious benefits of such a union. She turned and stared at Paul. “Do you really think they might get together?”
“With a little help, like I already said,” Paul answered. “They’re adults, which means they’re obtuse, plus they’re both gun-shy.”
“We’ve got three weeks to make it happen,” she said.
Still grinning, Paul stuck out his palm and she slapped it with hers. All of a sudden this vacation held lots of promise.
The small fire on the beach crackled and snapped. Beth sat in the sand between Paul and Nikki. John sat on his daughter’s other side and they sang boisterous camp songs. It amazed her how many she knew and how easily she recalled the words once they got started.
Beth liked the sound of John’s voice, which was surprisingly deep. She found it almost impossible not to turn in his direction and stare at him. Something had happened between them earlier, but she was hard-pressed to say exactly what. She thought he’d been about to kiss her. He hadn’t, but she wondered how she would have reacted if he had.
It’d been so long since any man had looked at her like this. She wasn’t sure she could trust herself to judge his intent. She recalled how quiet he’d grown and how their eyes had met. Her heart had started beating hard and seemed to want to pulse its way out of her chest. It was either anticipation of the kiss or she was suffering a terrible case of indigestion.
Beth laughed out loud at that thought right in the middle of the song.
Paul cast her a curious look and she placed her arm around him and squeezed his shoulder. She felt almost giddy with happiness.
“Anything wrong?” he asked in low tones as John and Nikki continued singing.
“I’m just happy, that’s all.”
Happy. Beth could barely remember the last time she’d allowed herself to experience joy. It was almost as though she’d felt it was wrong to let happiness back into her life. Her husband, the man she’d sworn to love, was dead. Her once-secure world had been turned upside down, and for two years it was all she could do to hold on.
When the song ended, they sat silently around the fire. Beth drew her knees up under her chin and gazed at the stars that sparkled and winked at her conspiratorially, as if to say they liked the new Beth, the one who smiled and laughed and sang silly songs.
“I invited Nikki and her dad to visit the rain forest with us tomorrow,” Paul informed her. “’Cause it’s Saturday.”
“Good idea,” she said, not giving his suggestion a second thought until she saw Nikki and Paul exchange a knowing look. Those two were up to something. She just wasn’t sure what…and she didn’t like the suspicions that quickly presented themselves.
“I’m tired,” Nikki announced, and made a show of stretching her arms high above her head and yawning loudly.
“Me, too.” Paul mimicked her actions, releasing an exaggerated yawn, then leaping to his feet. “We have a big day tomorrow,” he said, covering his mouth as he yawned a second time. “Come on, Nikki, I think we should make an early night of it.”
“I don’t think I can hold my head up much longer,” Nikki added, as though stumbling the great distance to the house was beyond her limited endurance.
Before Beth could so much as wish them good-night, the kids had disappeared. She couldn’t help reacting a little cynically, because for the past week both Paul and Nikki had been up half the night playing Nintendo. After they left, she glanced at her watch and discovered it was just past ten.
“They couldn’t have been any more obvious, could they?” John asked, a smile in his voice. “I think they have plans for us.”
“I think so,” she whispered, embarrassed that Paul would agree to this blatant form of matchmaking. “I apologize, John. I…I don’t know what got into my son. He knows better.”
“Your son and my daughter have got to be the world’s worst matchmakers,” he said. He moved to lean back against a log the size of a telephone pole that had washed onto the beach. “Although I have to admit I’m kind of touched they’d come up with such an idea.”
He was right. So far, Beth had assumed Nikki tolerated her more than actually liked her. “It is sweet, but…” She faltered, wishing he’d fill in the blanks.
“But?” he pressed.
“Well, it’s rather embarrassing. I have no intention of becoming involved in another relationship and I don’t appreciate having two children attempt to manipulate my life. I’m sure you feel the same way.”
“Well…it is rather funny.”
“You mean us?” she asked, then answered her own question. “It’s hilarious.” She gave a short laugh for effect. Unfortunately it sounded more like nerves than amusement. Paul had never done anything like this before, and she wasn’t about to let his scheme continue. Come morning, she planned on having a heart-to-heart with her son. She’d set the record straight and make sure he understood how embarrassing this was for her. And John.
“What about you?” she asked when she could stand the silence no longer. “Are you…have you considered remarrying?”
“Hardly.”
“Me, neither.” Her voice grew strong with the strength of her conviction. Anyway, what else could she say? Certainly not that she found him attractive, especially when he’d just made sure she understood he wasn’t interested in a relationship. Any more than she was. She’d repeatedly said this to Mary Jane and she meant it. She liked John—there was a great deal to like—but he wasn’t interested and neither was she. No, there was really nothing else to say.
The silence stretched between them. Finally John said, “You must have loved him very much.”
“I…did love my husband,” she whispered. Then, rather than endure any more of this uncomfortable conversation, she hurriedly stood and brushed the sand from her backside. “Shall we put out the fire?”
“It seems a shame to let it go to waste, don’t you think? Stay awhile. Enjoy the night with me.”
Beth couldn’t believe the way her heart reacted to his request. “The fire has been fun,” she said when she found her voice. Slowly she sank back onto the sand. She wasn’t sure which of them moved closer, but before she knew how it had happened, they were sitting side by side.
“You don’t need to include Nikki and me in your trip to the rain forest if you don’t want,” John told her.
“Oh, please, do come. It’s going to be great. Paul picked out a hiking path that’s about five miles long. He said it’s ranked easy enough even for me.”
“You’re sure you don’t mind if we intrude?”
“Positive.” Including him and Nikki in her outings was a small thing after everything he’d done for her.
They listened to the sound of the waves gently stroking the beach for a few moments before John spoke again. “You don’t really think they’ve gone upstairs to bed, do you?”
“I…couldn’t say.”
“My guess is they’ve got a pair of binoculars and they’re watching us from the porch.”
“They wouldn’t dare…would they?” Although she asked the question, she knew there was every likelihood he was right. “What should we do about this?” she asked. Like John said, this matchmaking nonsense was flattering and rather sweet, but unchecked, it could become downright troublesome.
“Do?” he echoed. “I think we should give them something worth seeing.”
And with that, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and bent his head toward hers. There was ample time to resist, but for the life of her, Beth couldn’t deny herself his kiss.
Seven
Mary Jane: How’d the five-mile hike go?
Beth: Fine…
Mary Jane: You’re not telling me something. Come on, Beth, give. I’m living this holiday vicariously.
Beth: It’s sort of like the time I decided to take up cross-country skii
ng. I thought I was in better shape and…well, I should’ve picked a smaller country.
Mary Jane: Five miles was that far?
Beth: Farther than you’ll ever know.
“Come on, Mom,” Paul called, hopping like a jackrabbit from one spot on the hiking trail to another. Nikki bounded behind him, matching him step for step, and John followed his daughter. Only Beth lagged behind.
“Is there any reason to rush?” she shouted ahead to them, sinking to her knees to study a patch of columbines. A hike through the rain forest was a feast for the senses. Moss draped from trees that formed a canopy overhead, and parts of the trail meandered through meadows filled with wildflowers. The snowcapped Olympic Mountains stood guard to the west, the Cascade Mountains to the east. There were glaciers, lakes, rivers and waterfalls, all within a few miles, waiting to be explored. Beth had never seen anything like it, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurry the experience.
They’d spent the morning at Sol Duk Hot Springs, soaking in the warm water and then swimming in the huge concrete pool. The pool water had seemed impossibly cold after a dip in the hot springs and both Nikki and Paul had complained about the sulfur smell. After a quick lunch they’d ventured out on their five-mile hike.
She hated to admit it, but Beth wasn’t as physically fit as John and the two kids. Stopping to admire the wildflowers had been a convenient excuse to catch her breath. She was perfectly content to ramble at her own pace, taking in the ferns and flowers beside the path, gazing up at the trees, trying to identify birds. This time alone had another advantage. It gave her the opportunity to consider what had happened on the beach between her and John.
The kiss had been for show, she was sure of it. John hadn’t meant anything by it and yet…and yet it had been wonderful. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. She couldn’t resist the hope that it’d had the same effect on him; somehow she doubted it.
On the other hand, John didn’t seem the type to treat relationships casually. Beth wished now that she’d paid closer attention to the information Mary Jane had taken such pains to unearth. Instead, she’d blotted out her friend’s words and refused to listen to any suggestion that there might be a romance developing between her and John. Of course, she could ask Mary Jane to repeat what she’d found out. God knew she had plenty of opportunity. During her first week on Spruce Island, they’d had almost daily telephone conversations, and there was every indication that would continue. Beth told Mary Jane about their latest adventures and reassured her everything was going just fine. She did her best to sidestep any questions about her involvement with John. Not that there’d been much to say—until recently.
Other women, women with more experience and more confidence, might have been able to deal gracefully with the embarrassing questions Mary Jane persisted in asking. Beth had married young, too young it seemed now. Even before her marriage, she’d dated only a handful of boys. Jim had been her only lover.
The mere thought of romance terrified her. Although John hadn’t said or done anything—outside their solitary kiss—that led her to believe he was interested. In fact, he’d categorically denied any romantic intentions, toward her or any other woman. And yet, without the least bit of hesitation or reserve, he’d kissed her.
It wasn’t like any kiss she’d ever experienced, either. She’d felt it all the way to the tips of her toes. But then, it’d been a long time…and maybe that was why she’d reacted the way she had. Certainly leaping up from the sand and running to the house must have left him with serious doubts about her mental condition. This morning, neither of them had mentioned the kiss, which was just as well.
The three hiking ahead of her had disappeared from sight. Reluctantly Beth decided she’d better catch up. She followed the twisting trail and discovered Nikki sitting on a rock, waiting for her.
“I was afraid you’d get lost,” the girl said, jumping down from her perch with an agility Beth envied.
“You guys are in better shape than I am,” Beth confessed.
“You’re doing all right.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Apparently she was in even worse shape than she’d thought, because Nikki placed her arm around her waist as though to guide her the rest of the way. If she hadn’t been so surprised by the friendly gesture, she might have commented. Overnight, it seemed, the kid’s attitude had done a decided about-face.
“I saw my dad kissing you.”
The words shocked Beth so much that her steps faltered and she nearly stumbled. “You did?”
“Paul and I were watching.”
So John had been right—and their kiss had all been for show.
“How was it?” Nikki asked, studying her.
“How was what?” she asked, although she understood the question.
“Dad’s kiss. I probably shouldn’t ask, but he hasn’t had a lot of practice lately and…you know, if it wasn’t as good as it should’ve been, I hope you’ll give him another chance.”
“I don’t think this is something you and I should be discussing.” Beth said in as quelling a voice as she could muster. She could feel the embarrassment flooding her cheeks.
“That’s what Dad said when I asked him,” Nikki said, sounding discouraged. “Are adults always like this?”
“Yes,” Beth returned, leaving no room for doubt. “Always.”
Nikki’s sigh was expressive. “That’s what I thought.”
“Are you ready?” John asked Paul, who sat in the driver’s seat of the Ford Explorer. He was fairly sure the car-rental people wouldn’t approve of him giving driving lessons to a nervous fifteen-year-old boy in their vehicle. Not that John planned to tell them.
“Ready,” Paul muttered, sounding anything but. He white-knuckled the steering wheel.
“Relax.”
“I…I don’t think I can.”
“You’re going to be a wonderful driver,” John said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. Actually the role of instructor was new to him, but he figured he’d better get some practice in. Before he knew it, Nikki would be ready to drive. The thought wasn’t a comforting one.
“You don’t know what kind of driver I’m gonna be,” Paul challenged.
“Ah, but I do,” John said. “Because I was just as nervous as you when I was fifteen, and I’m an excellent driver.”
“Driving school starts in September,” he said, and John realized the boy was casting about for conversation to delay backing out of the garage.
Time to get down to business. “Put your foot on the brake and slowly put the gear into reverse,” he said. “No need to have your foot on the accelerator just yet.” He was extra-patient because he knew any signs of anxiety or brusqueness would intimidate the boy.
When they’d returned from the hike, Beth and Nikki had gone upstairs to shower. John had unloaded the Explorer only to discover Paul sitting in the driver’s seat, pretending to drive and looking pleased with himself. The kid had been embarrassed and started stuttering excuses in an effort to explain. That was when John had impulsively offered to give him a lesson. Although John was well into his thirties, he understood the boy’s eagerness. He could still remember the burning anticipation he’d felt after receiving his own learner’s permit.
“Okay,” Paul said, his hand on the gearshift. Once the vehicle had been put into reverse, he glanced at John for instructions. “Do you want me to back it out of the garage?”
“That sounds like a plan.” John hid a grin.
Slowly, so slowly it was almost impossible to detect that the car was moving, Paul eased the Explorer out of the carriage house. Once he’d cleared the sides of the building, he stepped on the gas and roared backward. Almost immediately he hit the brakes, sending both of them flying forward. The seat belts locked, halting their progress, then dashed them back against the seat.
Paul forcefully expelled his breath and said, “I told you I wasn’t any good at this.”
“Hey, you’re doing fine. Don’t be
so hard on yourself.”
“What if I wreck the car?”
“You aren’t going to have an accident in the driveway.”
It took three trips around the circular driveway for the boy to loosen up. By the time Beth appeared on the back porch, Paul had relaxed enough to roll down the window and shout, “Hey, Mom! Watch me!”
Even from a distance John recognized the look of sheer horror that came over her when she saw her son actually driving. She continued to stand there for the longest time, one arm wrapped around her middle. She held her free hand to her face as if to shield her eyes.
It was all John could do not to stare back at her. Her hair was wet and curly from the shower, and she’d put on a pair of shorts and a sleeveless yellow top. He wasn’t the kind of man who paid a lot of attention to clothes, but he’d noticed just about everything Beth wore. She had beauty and grace and somehow managed to make even the most mundane outfit look elegant.
Her clothes weren’t the only thing John noticed about Beth. She’d been on his mind day and night almost from the moment they’d decided to share the house. He found himself observing little things, like the way she sliced tomatoes or set fresh-cut flowers on the table. Everything she did, everywhere she went, she added small touches of charm.
“Hey, Nikki, look!” Paul yelled out the driver’s window. “I’m driving.”
Nikki stood next to Beth and waved excitedly.
Paul eased the car into the garage with a little more finesse than he’d used to back it out. He turned off the ignition and handed the car keys to John with a triumphant smile. “Thanks,” he said.
“Anytime.”
As they headed for the house, Nikki came down the back steps onto the lawn and, in an awkward duck-like walk, hurried toward them. She appeared to be trying to keep her weight on her heels.
“Beth and I painted our toenails,” she announced. A smile radiated from her, unlike anything John had seen in months. Years. Since the divorce.