by Lisa Jackson
“I like you, Emily. I do. But I never felt exactly right about this relationship.”
“Didn’t stop you for a solid year, now did it?”
“You know I’ve tried to talk to you about this. And you’d get upset.” That was an understatement. The first time he had tried to break up with her, she had hinted at suicide. I’d die, Jacob. I’d just want to die. He knew she had a flair for the dramatic, but at the time he couldn’t handle the thought that she might do something to herself and it would be his fault. Besides, he wasn’t interested in anyone else in town, so why not try and make a go of it? But when he had heard Celia’s speech to Ben, echoing exactly how he felt, he knew he had to be just as brave.
Hell. He had known it the moment he’d first laid eyes on Celia again, right after she took off that ridiculously floppy hat. Bang. There she was. In the flesh. In front of him. The girl he’d always loved. The only girl he had ever thought about proposing to. He wasn’t going to go into all of that with Emily, and he’d be doing this regardless of whether Celia wanted to be with him. This time he was just going to have to take the punches, whatever they might be.
“I’m going to kill her,” Emily said.
Whoa. That wasn’t going to fly. “This isn’t because of her,” Jacob said. “You know it’s been coming.”
“Like hell. We would not be standing here having this conversation if she hadn’t swooped back into town. She’s a liar. And her father was a thief. Why have you always been so blond when it comes to her?”
Did she mean “blind”? Jacob could never tell with her. “I don’t think you want to start a conversation with me about lying right now,” Jacob said.
“What’s that supposed to mean? What did she tell you?” Emily’s voice started to shake. She was hiding something, all right.
“Why don’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what? I really have no clue.”
“There’s nothing you want to tell me about that morning on the beach?”
“What morning on the beach?”
“Emily. This isn’t cute. I know you know what I’m talking about.”
“What did she say?”
“You see? I’m not having a conversation with her right now. I’m having it with you. And I’m asking for a straight answer.”
“She wasn’t right for you, Jacob. I was doing you a favor.”
“She wasn’t at your house crying. She was waiting for me. On the beach.”
“Chris had me do it.”
“Why?”
“Because he went off to find her so he could pretend that he was the one who slept with her.”
“What? You’re kidding me, right? I didn’t even tell him I slept with her.”
“You didn’t have to tell him. He was so in love with Celia he followed you two wherever you went.”
“He did?”
“See? You don’t know what goes on under your own nose. No wonder you can’t see her for who she really is.”
“You’re the one who helped set up a girl who had never done anything to you.”
“She called my mother a liar.”
“First of all, you know that’s not true. Second of all, that was after all of this had occurred. This was before the ring ‘went missing. ’ The ring I was looking for so I could propose to her!”
“Which would have been the worst mistake of your life. And don’t think I didn’t pick up on your little air quotes. I hope you aren’t thinking of spilling the beans to your precious little seal.”
“Don’t call her that.”
“Seals bark and they stink.”
“Hate is not a good color on you.”
“You know what? I take it back. I think you should tell her the truth. All of it. You’ll see her true colors then.”
“You know what? I’m starting to see what the worst mistakes of my life were. And none of them have anything to do with her.” Jacob gave Emily a nod, and then headed back into the house without another word.
“This isn’t over!” Emily screamed from the porch. Jacob turned to find Celia in the living room, sitting on the floor.
“This isn’t over,” Celia said. “Those were Ben’s words exactly.”
“I’m really sorry. Did you hear the whole thing?”
“Oh no—I wasn’t eavesdropping. I just heard that last bit because—well, I think the whole neighborhood heard that last bit.”
“I think I need a walk.”
“Sure. I understand. I’ll leave you—”
“With you,” Jacob said, holding out his hand. “I want to take a walk with you.”
They strolled along the ocean’s edge. Celia slipped her hand into Jacob’s, and he took it without hesitation. He brought it up to his mouth and kissed the back of her hand, then squeezed it.
“Are we crazy?” Celia asked.
“If we are, I don’t want to be sane.”
“Me neither.”
Jacob stopped, turned her around. “Tell me what Chris did.”
“Emily must have told you. I wanted to do it myself.”
“Chris should have told me.”
“I can’t believe how much your brother has changed.”
“You saw him?”
“We had a drink on the boardwalk. I was sorry to hear you’re not speaking.”
“He’s going to wish we weren’t speaking when I see him again. What exactly did he do?”
“Jacob. I don’t want to cause any more trouble between the two of you. Besides, I like the new Chris.”
“He needs to lose weight. I hate to see him like that.”
“He has to do it for himself. But otherwise he seems very happy. Except of course when it came to you. I think this cold war is killing him.”
“Partly my fault. He tried to tell me what Emily was like. I didn’t want to hear it. Not that it excuses any of his behavior.”
“It was a long time ago.”
“I don’t want any secrets between us. They’ve done enough damage, don’t you think?”
“Yes. I do.”
“I want to know everything. And there are a few things I need to tell you. But I just don’t want to do it today. I’ve waited twenty years to see you again, and there’s somewhere very special I want to take you. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“But I promise. We’ll talk about everything. Everything.”
“Talking can wait, Jacob. I agree. Let’s just be today.” Celia started to walk. Jacob twirled her around, like a dancer being turned. Her chest came into his, and before she could even anticipate it, Jacob kissed her. That’s when Celia learned that no matter how much time passes, some things never change. His kiss was just as electric and magical as she’d always remembered it. She should know. They stayed in one spot, kissing, for a very long time.
They headed down the boardwalk. Still hand in hand, neither of them able to wipe the smiles off their faces. “Where are we going?” Celia asked.
“Do you remember what happens this time of year?” Jacob said.
“The fair!” Celia said. Once a year, a street fair came to town. They set up tents and rides, including a Ferris wheel right on the ocean. It was on that Ferris wheel, when they were stuck at the top, that Jacob had told her he loved her for the very first time. And there, swaying above the ocean, Celia Jensen had said it back for the very first time.
The fair was in full swing. Cotton candy, and rides, and carnival games, including a dunk tank, and of course, the Ferris wheel. Celia felt a bit of her youth recaptured as she stood in line holding hands with Jacob. He wanted to know about her life, her work, her dad. She was honest about everything without sounding like a complete downer.
Jacob filled her in on a few highlights of his life. After Celia and her father had left, it had been quite a while before Jacob or Chris spoke with Emily or her mother again. There had been no more thefts, and soon everyone had simmered down. Emily had gone away to college, and Mrs. Tanner had met an older gentleman and stopped hitting on a
ll the young boys in town. Chris had met a girl, fallen in love, and finally after many years of trying they had three kids. Jacob confirmed the wife was a good cook. When Emily had come back from college, she had morphed into a new woman. She was very attractive, but didn’t behave like her mother. At least not at first. As Celia listened to the story of Emily’s transformation, then the slow descent into the shrill replica of her mother she was now, Celia figured it had all been orchestrated to get Jacob.
“I think I was a replacement for Chris. Once he got married, she set her sights on me.” The arcade was a good investment, and they also had money in a few of the souvenir shops on the boardwalk. Jacob still did odd jobs around town, but only because he liked to, not because he had to. He was in the market to buy a place, but he had known he wasn’t going to buy one with Emily.
“I’m surprised you didn’t want Ocean House,” Celia said.
“I didn’t want any place where you hadn’t been welcomed,” Jacob said. It was their turn to board the ride. Jacob opened the door for her, and then slid in after her. Excitement grew in her as the car swayed, and soon they were moving, rising to the top. Everything looked so small from up here. The boardwalk, the beach, even the ocean. They were on top of the world. Jacob looked at her.
“I’m sweating as much now as I was then,” Jacob said.
Celia laughed. “I couldn’t tell then, and I can’t now.”
“I never thought I’d get the words out of my mouth.”
“It was the most romantic moment of my life,” Celia said.
“Me too.”
“What should we do after this?”
“Well. We could get a bite to eat. Some lobster.”
“I love lobster.”
“Liar. You just love the butter.”
“That’s partially true.”
“And maybe a drink.”
“Twist my arm.”
“A little more of this.” Jacob leaned over and kissed her.
“A lot more of that,” Celia said.
Jacob smiled. He traced her upper lip with his index finger. “And then,” he said in a voice that was almost a growl.
“Then?” Celia said. Say it. Say it. I want you too. I want you right here, right now.
“And then, from the looks of your place, we should buy furniture.”
They dined oceanside on lobster and crab. Jacob ordered a bottle of champagne. After it was poured, they held their glasses aloft.
“To second chances,” Jacob said. Celia’s mouth dropped open. She hadn’t mentioned anything to Jacob about all of her ruminations on “second chances.” They were just in tune, like they always had been. Celia couldn’t have asked for a more perfect afternoon. She wished she could put the day on ice, thaw it out, and relive it whenever she wanted.
“Did you buy Ocean House just so you could walk in with sandy feet?” Jacob asked. The glint in his eye gave away that he was teasing.
“Partly. But this area is home. It’s where I wanted to be. I knew no matter what shape it was in, I could make the house work. But it’s also because I’ve always had this idea, and once I get the place up and running, I want to try it out.”
“What idea?”
“Do you know there are city kids who have never even seen the ocean?”
“I couldn’t imagine.”
“Me neither. But it’s not hard to imagine all the families who can’t afford to take a vacation.”
“True.”
“Well, I want to open up Ocean House as a free place for families in need to stay. Anywhere from a long weekend to a week. I want to reach out to the right community groups in big cities, and offer up two rooms each summer for families to come spend a few days to a week at a time at no charge. I’m also going to see if I can figure out how to raise funds for their transportation.”
“That’s amazing. Are you sure you’d want strangers in your home?”
“Lots of them. And they can go barefoot. But seriously, I don’t mind. If I partner with a nonprofit agency, they can vet the family first so that I’m not leaving myself too vulnerable, but I’m not going to let fear of a few bad apples stop me from helping a lot of good kids see the ocean and get away from it all, even if it’s just for a few days.”
“You were a remarkable girl, and you’ve grown into a remarkable woman. I think it’s a fabulous idea.”
“You do?”
“Of course. It makes me love you—” He stopped short as he heard what he was saying. Celia wanted to make him feel less embarrassed, but she couldn’t stop smiling. Jacob shook his head and smiled too, as a bit of that shy boy came creeping back into his face. “Anyway,” he said. “I’ll help you however I can.”
“I’m just glad you didn’t tell me I was crazy. Ben would have hated the idea.”
“No offense, but Ben is a . . .” Jacob let the sentence trail.
Twat, Celia heard her father say in her head.
“What do you say to ice cream?” Jacob said, dropping the subject of Ben.
“Yes,” Celia said. “As long as I don’t have to cry.”
After their late lunch, Jacob once again started heading in a certain direction. “Where now?” Celia asked. She loved the adventure, but her curiosity got the better of her.
“You’ll see,” Jacob said. “If you’re willing to climb into my truck, I know a guy.”
Ten miles down the road was a warehouse filled with used, but beautiful, furniture. Celia loved the pieces, but it was still out of her budget. She was forced to admit this to Jacob. The owner, a large man wearing suspenders with Bermuda shorts, ambled over. “Pick out whatever you like, darling. I owe this man and his family going back twenty years now.”
“We used to do deliveries and such when he first started,” Jacob said.
“Once the women in town learned the strapping twins were my delivery boys, sales skyrocketed.” The man laughed. “I told them if they ever wanted anything, it was on me. And now that Jacob has told me what you plan on doing with Ocean House—well, it’s tax deductible too.”
Celia felt a swell of joy and love rise within her. People really were good. They just needed the opportunity to prove it.
“Where do we start?” Celia said.
Celia picked out mostly sturdy, oak furniture. It would complement the floors and the rustic look of the beach house. The sofa was the one exception; she chose a soft fabric in a beautiful sea-green color. She placed a vase of gorgeous sea glass next to it, added a couple of oversized throw pillows and a black-and-white photo of a beach above the sofa, and suddenly the living room looked as if it had come straight out of a designer magazine. Celia couldn’t believe all this furniture had been donated. She was going to make sure and promote the store when she set about drumming up publicity for the project.
When everything was in place, Celia stood back and took it all in. What a difference furniture made! There were now several rocking chairs and little tables on the front porch. The living room had a sofa and a coffee table, two end tables, and two oversized chairs near the fireplace. A sturdy, long dining table took up the dining room. A few candles and a vase of flowers would really set it off, along with a large mirror in an old-fashioned gold frame above the fireplace. Each bedroom had a bed and an end table. Finally, a smaller, stone table and a butcher-block island completed the kitchen. Celia would have jars with wildflowers about the place as much as she could. A tall bookshelf greeted visitors in the foyer. Her guests could start a paperback exchange. Nothing went with a beach getaway like a good book.
They announced the neighborhood open house in the local newspaper, along with an article about her plans for Ocean House’s future, and in it they asked everyone to bring donations such as lamps, towels, bedding, kitchen appliances—everything the house would need. A local catering company agreed to host the open house at a discount. Celia couldn’t believe how smoothly it was all coming together. She was so motivated and excited about her plans that she’d even stopped fantasizing about co
nfronting Elizabeth. In fact, Celia was going to bury the hatchet. After all, if Elizabeth hadn’t treated her so horribly, barred her from the house, she might not have ever come up with this idea. In a strange way, every single step was meant to be. If she and Jacob had stayed together, she might have been too wrapped up in their lives to follow through with the dream, and together it was unlikely they would have bought Ocean House. People spent too much time regretting their choices. Celia realized she could just as easily spend that energy seeing how life sometimes turned out better than you could ever imagine if you just let go and stopped trying to control every little thing. She could feel her bitterness leaving her day by day. She and Jacob were getting so close, although they had yet to make love. Instead they were building back up to it, kissing and petting like teenagers, drawing out the delicious anticipation. In the midst of their renewed puppy-love, she and Jacob never did pick back up on their serious conversation. She had already said her part. Whatever he wanted to tell her could wait until he was good and ready.
Ben was still refusing to sell their condo in Boston, and she was going to have to get a lawyer. Just because she was more relaxed than ever didn’t mean she was going to ignore what was only right and fair. And she and Jacob were so over the moon about rekindling their relationship, Celia barely noticed that Emily had been leaving them alone. It’s too good to be true, Celia thought, momentarily returning to her habit of worrying. What if it’s all too good to be true?
CHAPTER 9
The morning of the open house, Celia rose early, left a slumbering Jacob in bed, and walked along the beach. She’d forgotten the miracle of seeing the sun rise over the ocean. How crazy was it to forget something like that? What she hadn’t forgotten was what it felt like to make love with Jacob. Last night they had been unable to hold back any longer, and had ripped the clothes off of each other like they’d been stranded on separate beaches for decades. It had been like the first time all over again, except they weren’t getting sand in places that sand shouldn’t go, and Jacob didn’t run off afterward, never to return again. But their bodies had melded into each other with the same passion as that first night on the beach, maybe even more, if that was possible. They’d made love five times last night. Every time they tried to stop and get some sleep, one or the other would end up trailing a hand along his or her bare skin, and the passion would ignite again. Every touch, every kiss, every probe sent Celia into space. It was amazing how sex could feel with the right person. Comfortable, yet incredibly sexy and primal. Moaning one minute and laughing the next. Soft kisses and hard thrusts, and—let’s face it—orgasms that didn’t have to be faked. Celia couldn’t believe it. She was so lucky to experience this again, to be able to express decades of pent-up longing. Just thinking about it made her want to run back to the bed and have her way with him. She couldn’t stop smiling. She took a deep breath and glanced at the sunrise again.