Surprisingly, knowing that John had attached himself to the couch next door freed Ben up to sleep well that night. He woke up early again the next morning and headed into town for coffee. As he approached the coffee shop, the screen door swung open and Darcy walked out and nearly into him.
“Oh,” She exclaimed, startled.
“Are you okay? I’m so sorry,” She rushed to add. Then, maybe upon realizing her audience, she stopped.
“No harm, no foul,” Ben told her, smiling.
Darcy looked down at her feet.
“Are we strangers now?” he teased, finding it hard to resist.
Darcy looked up at him, and her eyes held so much confusion and frustration and hurt, he nearly fell backward off the porch.
“Excuse me,” he added quickly, pushing past her to go inside and order his two coffees.
When he walked out, to his surprise Darcy was sitting on one of the rocking chairs on the porch.
“Can I join you?” he asked.
Darcy shrugged noncommittally.
“It’s good to see you,” he began.
“Okay.”
Ben gave her one of his heartbreaking smiles. “You’re not going to return the favor?”
She had no response.
“Look, Darcy, we need to talk,” he began again and smoothed a hand through his hair.
“Why?”
“Because I . . . Look I don’t hate you.”
“Wow, what a statement. Thanks Ben. I don’t hate you too.”
“That’s not what I meant to say. It’s coming out . . . I have a hard time figuring out what to say around you.”
“Why?” she asked simply again, having no desire to help him with the conversation.
“I don’t know.”
“Well, thanks for another great time,” Darcy told him sarcastically.
She stood and moved past him on the porch to get out to the street. Ben stopped her, putting a hand out to touch her wrist lightly. He didn’t grab her forcefully, but he saw the shiver ripple through her body all the same. He affected her too.
“I’m sorry for doing what I did. This is a tough time for me.”
Ben got up from his seat and stood within an inch of her. He leaned into her, finding any other distance between them to be absolutely too far.
“Ben, I understand, I do,” she whispered.
“I know you do,” he agreed wholeheartedly.
She looked up and looked deeply into his eyes. “I never would hunt someone down to sell their memories.”
“I know. I overreacted.”
Darcy almost swayed into him. But she caught herself and stepped back, putting space between them. He dropped her wrist, reluctant to lose the contact but wanting to respect her.
“I’m sorry,” he said more forcefully.
“I appreciate that. And I’m sorry about your mother.”
Ben nodded and Darcy retreated back down the road. He watched her go, not in any rush to see her again before he left. Ben drank his entire coffee, went back inside to purchase a doughnut, and turned back to home.
“You ready?” he asked John as he walked in the door.
“I guess so,” John reluctantly agreed.
“Let’s go,” Ben told his brother before he could find a reason to stay.
- # -
Darcy had never thought about working for herself until she’d said the words aloud to Eric the night before. She sat at the kitchen table with the remains of her morning coffee, her laptop, and a notebook, trying to devise a feasible plan. Of course, another encounter with Ben threatened her sanity. Now he was sorry and he seemed genuine. Darcy didn’t know what to make of it.
Char walked in as Darcy’s distracted mind turned the first page of the notebook into swirly scribbles.
“What’s that about?” she asked, grabbing a piece of fruit before planting herself opposite Darcy.
“Nothing you’ll like.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s me trying to figure out if I can work for myself.”
“Working for yourself? Doing what?”
“Mostly appraisals I think. But I’ve always wanted to have my own shop too. Maybe I could become a dealer too and have an online gallery.”
Char looked thoughtful and nodded.
“Is it a bad idea?”
“No, no. I think it’s a good one. But working for yourself? Are you ready for that?”
“I don’t know. I’ve contacted some of my old friends from school to see if anyone has any leads. I haven’t heard anything yet, but if I do, it’s not likely to be in Chicago.”
“Or here,” Char added.
“Yeah, definitely not here.”
“Would you stay here if you could?”
“I don’t know,” Darcy answered truthfully.
“I guess I’d better leave you to your deliberations, but don’t take all day. The guys are gone today and tonight.”
“What does that mean?” Darcy asked warily.
“It means without John around you need to entertain me.”
“I’m giving up alcohol, I mean it.”
“Fine, fine. Just a night in.”
- # -
Standing on the front porch of their childhood home, Ben took in a deep breath. After his first visit, he’d relaxed. He’d grown accustomed to the changes, the bedroom on the main floor, the nurse’s presence, and their mom’s diminished figure. But Ben could feel John’s anxiety without turning to look. His older brother cleared his throat and shuffled his feet.
“You ready?” Ben asked.
“No,” John answered honestly.
Ben nodded and rang the doorbell. It didn’t matter if he was ready or not, they were already there. Within a few minutes, their mom had opened the door.
“John,” she said with some surprise.
“Hi Mom,” he replied looking down at his feet sheepishly.
She stood in place, frozen with shock. John, unsure how to approach her, worried she’d break, didn’t move either. Ben rolled his eyes and pushed his brother forward, nearly forcing them to embrace.
“Mom, do you have any food?” Ben asked flippantly, moving farther into the house past them. He wanted to show John that acting normal was perfectly acceptable.
“Ben, for goodness sake, don’t you ever feed yourself?” she gently scolded him as she quickly moved down the hall to the kitchen ahead of them.
She pulled out chocolate croissants and her French press for a fresh batch of coffee.
“John, do you want anything?”
“This is fine, Mom, thanks.”
She smiled and gathering everything, led the way into the dining room.
“So, how’s the summer going?” she asked them both.
“Great,” Ben said between mouthfuls. “It’s been a lot of fun, actually, spending the summer with this guy. Well, at least, when I get to see him.”
John hit him.
“Hey,” Ben yelped playfully.
Her eyes grew wide with interest.
“You’re seeing someone too?” she asked.
“Yes, I guess I am,” John told her slowly.
“Is it serious?” she continued. Ben stopped eating, eager to hear the answer.
“I think so.”
“That’s wonderful. Tell me about her.”
“She’s in law school. She has one year left to go. I don’t know. What do you want to know?”
“Boys,” she sighed and rolled her eyes. “It’s always been like pulling teeth with you and your brothers to get information about anything. Even in preschool, none of you would talk. Tell me everything. How did you meet? Where is she going to school?”
“She’s actually my next-door neighbor this summer. She goes to school in Chicago, and I met her when she moved in. She’s sweet and fun and funny. We just have a lot of fun together. No matter what we’re doing, it’s great.”
“But she’s not the next-door neighbor, is she?” she asked, looking at Ben.
“No, Mom,” Ben answered swiftly, trying to stop the conversation from shifting to include him.
“Hey, wait a minute. Back up. What did you mean when you said ‘too?’ Who else is dating?” John asked, confused.
“Ben can’t stop talking about a girl from the island. I guess she’s your neighbor. She’s lovely. I actually had her over to the house.”
“He can’t stop talking about her, hmm?” John said turning to assess his brother.
“That’s not true.”
“I think it is,” she spoke up. “Apparently she’s seeing someone now.”
John’s eyes grew wide.
“She is?” he asked in shock.
“Have you met her before?” she asked.
“I have. She’s Charlotte’s best friend. They are renting the house next door together,” John replied.
“What do you think of her?” she asked.
“She’s nice, very friendly. I like her.”
“But do you like her for Ben?” she pushed.
“I don’t think we need to talk about this,” Ben roared.
“I do like her for Ben,” John answered. “But I think he’s missed his chance.”
She shook her head dismissively. “I don’t think so. I can’t imagine what this other boy would have over your brother.”
John shrugged. “I’ve met him. He likes her. A lot.”
She frowned.
“Can we please stop discussing me?” Ben bellowed.
“Now hold on, dear,” she continued. “I think maybe listening to your brother’s perspective on this might be helpful.”
John looked triumphant, and Ben glared at him in response. He felt his nostrils flare as John’s smile grew. The more Ben gave into John’s teasing, the more John teased. It had been like that since childhood, and yet he couldn’t seem to stop his response.
“John, you think he’s missed his chance. Why?”
“Because, as far as I can tell, he’s never actually tried to even take her on a date. Charlotte and I had tried unsuccessfully to set them up almost two months ago.”
“Unsuccessfully?”
“Yep, he brought a girl on the date. But Darcy handled it quite well, I think.”
“Ben, dear, honestly.”
Ben rolled his eyes.
“And now this other guy, Eric, is interested in her, and it seems like he’s pulling out all the stops.”
“What do you mean?” Ben asked, curious in spite of himself.
John shrugged casually. “Apparently he took her dancing after their dinner date the other night.”
“Oh dancing,” she sighed.
“Mom, he doesn’t mean like what you’re thinking,” Ben rushed to add.
“No, actually I do. They waltzed under the stars, according to Charlotte.”
“Hmm,” she considered. “It does sound like you have an uphill battle here honey,” she agreed.
“Mom, how did you think to contact her to come to the house anyway?” John asked.
Ben’s ears burned, and he raised his head to glare at his brother. But John avoided his gaze. It was the one question he’d never thought to ask, but he found himself clenching the armrest waiting for her response.
“Ben mentioned her, and I thought I’d call her. She had won your brother’s endorsement so why not? I needed some advice about the house.”
John nodded, but Ben frowned. He’d done it? If it was possible, he felt even worse about the entire scenario. The morning had proved far more enlightening than he could have imagined. Mom began to cough and within seconds her face had turned purple and she hunched over in her chair. Ben jumped out of his chair to rub her back and help hold her.
“John, go get the nurse,” Ben called to his brother as John sat immobilized.
Before John could move, the nurse came rushing in. Between the two of them, they managed to walk her back to her bed with John following mute behind them. The nurse hooked up her nebulizer, and Ben sat on the bed next to her, rubbing her back in the lazy circles she’d traced on him as a child. After fifteen minutes, the attack subsided, and she managed to open her eyes again.
“Okay now, Mom?” Ben asked.
She looked at him, the nebulizer still covering half her face, and nodded.
“Don’t try to talk okay? You need some rest.”
She nodded and as her treatment finished, Ben got off the bed and tucked her in.
“I love you, Mom. I’ll be back soon. Maybe with this guy again.”
She smiled and nodded.
Ben hugged her, careful not to squeeze her frail body, and kissed her forehead. It never got easier to see her in bed like an invalid or to witness an attack. He knew it was the way life was supposed to go, parents left before children. But he could barely stand to watch it happen. Ben loved her so fiercely. Could he ever love anyone else like that again? John came to her bedside next, kissed her, and followed his brother out the door.
They got back in the car and had driven to Superior before either spoke.
“How bad is it, Ben?”
Ben furrowed his brow and looked out at the horizon. Keeping his eyes on the sky helped him focus and not let his emotions overwhelm him.
“Please,” John pleaded.
Ben sighed.
“The doctor gives her six months. She seems so healthy and normal most of the time that it’s easy to pretend this isn’t happening. But then, well . . . you saw what happened. When she’s bad, it’s rough, and it seems to be getting progressively worse. She’s having more bad spells.”
“This is the worst.”
“Yeah, it is,” Ben agreed.
“Did I miss my chance with Darcy?” he asked after a moment.
“I’m not sure, but I’m telling you this guy is into her,” John replied.
“Okay, I guess I’d better figure out what I want then.”
Chapter Fourteen
Darcy sat at the kitchen counter, staring into her cold mug of coffee. She should probably throw it out and get herself a fresh cup. She should probably get her laptop out and start looking for a job. She should probably stop thinking about Ben and how good it felt when he pulled her into his arms and kissed every thought out of her brain.
Darcy sighed. She should probably do a lot of things.
“He hasn’t called,” Darcy announced the minute she heard footsteps descending the staircase.
Char joined her at the counter. “He hasn’t?”
Darcy shook her head and hunched her shoulders.
“Come on. Let’s go for a walk. Sitting here and stewing about it for another day is not doing you any good,” Char said, elbowing her in the ribs.
“I’m not stewing,” Darcy told her petulantly, but jumped off the bar stool and followed her friend out the door all the same.
“So what was with all those longing glances toward the phone last night during the movie?”
Darcy blushed but didn’t say another word.
“Let’s explore a bit, okay?” Char asked.
Darcy nodded and followed along, content to let someone else be in charge. The pair walked toward Mondamin Trail, but instead of their usual turn to the main road and town, they continued on farther into the forest. They stuck to the roads and followed one that led past tennis courts and dead-ended at a section of private beach bordered to the north and south by vacation homes. Darcy raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
“Are you sure we should be here?” she whispered.
“Take only memories. Leave only footprints,” Char replied. “I’m sure it’s fine.”
Char took off her shoes and walked to the water’s edge. Darcy followed. The view from this part of the island overlooked another island. From that perspective, Darcy could almost imagine she’d discovered a private island all to herself. They had walked the length of the beach when Char’s phone rang.
“It’s John,” she told Darcy before setting off for a bit of privacy farther up the beach.
Darcy sank into the s
and, cross-legged, content to close her eyes and enjoy the feel of the cool breeze on her face and the smell of freshwater she could not seem to escape. She felt a vibration and, startled, pulled out her phone. She’d gotten an e-mail from a former colleague at the auction house who had left the year before.
Darcy—I have the perfect job for you. It’s at a small gallery in London. Interested? I’ll send you the details if you are.
Darcy’s heart thundered in her ears. What an opportunity. She couldn’t pass it up and yet, even as she typed yes and sent on her cover letter and resume, she could feel a bit of dread. Charlotte returned and Darcy plastered a smile on her face.
“John is back and wanted to take us out to the lighthouse on Raspberry Island. You want to go?”
She caught Darcy’s eye and winced, misinterpreting what she saw.
“It’ll be good for you, get you away from your phone.”
“Sure, sounds great,” she replied.
Charlotte helped Darcy to her feet.
“Hey, he’ll call. Maybe he just realized that he had been calling you every day, and he’s trying to build up a little anticipation.”
“It’s working,” Darcy replied.
“Good, I like him,” Char told her as they slipped back into their shoes and began to walk home.
“You like everyone Char,” Darcy rolled her eyes.
“Not necessarily. I’m polite and nice to everyone, but I don’t like everyone.”
“Okay, sorry. But you did like Ben too.”
“And I still do. I had thought that—but it’s okay. I’m woman enough to admit I was wrong.”
They walked on in silence for a few minutes before Char added, “But make sure you like him too Darcy. I think he’s interested and you seem…”
“What?”
“Distracted.”
“I do?”
Char nodded.
They made their way back to the town homes to see John standing in front of their door. He waved to them as they walked closer, and Charlotte set off at a near run from thirty yards away. John caught her as she practically launched herself into his arms.
“Okay, okay, guys, please. I don’t need to see this,” Darcy teased as she opened her front door.
Tiny Island Summer Page 14