by Jenny Hale
“I have family nearby, but I wish there were more kids around for my niece,” Faith said.
“I’ve always wanted lots of kids.” Jake said.
She knew exactly what he meant. Faith, too, had wanted a house full of children.
“I’d love to have children,” she said. “I think sometimes that it would be great to hear a tiny voice calling ‘Mommy.’ I’d be perfectly happy spending days at the local playground or painting at the kitchen table.”
“Does the thought ever scare you at all?” Jake asked.
“No.” She wanted to read bedtime stories, using silly voices for all the characters just to hear her child laugh. She wanted to be so tired she could hardly manage, knowing that it was all worth it because, when she opened the bedroom door, she could peek in through the faint beam of a nightlight, and see her darling child sprawled on the bed, asleep. “Not at all.”
“Me neither,” Jake said, his eyes gentle and sweet.
Chuck dumped the bones and scraps into the trash. “They suck all the sleep right out of ya. They make you so crazy you can’t get a thought to process. They worry you to death—even when they’re grown. But when you look back, there’s absolutely nothing better than raising a child.”
Faith and Jake both laughed. She was glad for a more upbeat conversation, although her thoughts still went back to that restaurant. Things were so much more relaxed, even in his giant kitchen. She couldn’t imagine, watching him now with his father, how laid-back they were, how easy the conversation was, that he could think something like the Tides was a good idea. She worried that perhaps he was only accommodating her with this casual dinner.
“So, how did you two meet?” Chuck asked.
“She’s staying at one of the cottages I’m building.”
“Jake’s been wonderful to my family. He’s spent a ton of time with us, and he’s been very gracious.”
“I like how close you guys all are. It’s like you have the perfect family.”
“Ha.” She shook her head. “No family is perfect.”
“People in a family treat each other differently than anyone else. I like seeing you all together. There’s a bond there that I really enjoy. You all seem to like each other so much.”
“And what are you trying to say, son?” Chuck laughed out loud, clearly just teasing. Jake pretended to ignore his question. There was an ease to how they interacted, and she knew what Jake had meant about how a family treats each other. “Jake and I don’t see eye to eye a lot of the time,” he explained. “We have a few fundamental differences about what we see for our futures.”
“Well, we have things to deal with too, like any other family—difficult things.” She thought about Casey, and she could feel her body tense in response.
“Like?” Jake asked, curiosity on his face.
“My sister, Casey, and I don’t always agree on things.” Her honesty just poured out without warning.
“That’s normal, though, isn’t it?”
“It is normal to disagree, but Casey has wedged us apart, and I honestly don’t think it can be repaired. Ignored, maybe. But not repaired.” She didn’t want to share her family drama with Jake’s father there, so she changed direction. “So, when you’re not reading books or sailing boats, or putting in the odd bookcase for Nan, what else do you like to do for fun, Jake?” she asked.
The corners of his mouth pulled up into a subtle, knowing smile, and he stepped away from her, moving back to the prepping area of the kitchen. He’d made little rounds of crabmeat and was now sautéing them in the pan. “I like to travel. I like talking to people. Like you,” he smiled.
Her pulse sped up, and she couldn’t imagine anything more enjoyable than being with Jake right then at that moment. “Where have you traveled?” she asked, wanting to know more about who he was. Did he like big cities, exotic beaches, famous landmarks? She thought back to her own past, and what she’d accomplished in adulthood. Why hadn’t she traveled more? She didn’t have any children or a family to help support—she should.
“All over.”
“Where’s your favorite place to go, Jake?” Chuck piped in, dropping the fish filets into a pan of hot oil after dusting them in a mound of cornmeal. They popped and sizzled, steam rising into the air. “Even I don’t know that. I’ve never asked.”
“Hmm.” Jake flipped the crab cakes over with a pair of tongs. “There are a million little things that I like about every place.”
She eyed him, pressing him for more.
He offered a crooked smile as he tipped the crab cakes up to check that they’d browned. “For example, there’s a little café in Boston where I was sitting near the window. It was the only table open, probably because the old wood window frame allowed a draft, and it was frigid outside. I took my coat off but left my scarf, and found it to be warm enough to manage. I was drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper when I looked up and saw snow falling—it was a big, fast snowstorm. People hurried across the street—one woman even held her briefcase over her head. I watched the streets turn from gray to white in a matter of minutes, and the flicker of the candle in the center of the table was such a complement to the cold outside—fire and ice.”
He was quiet as he cooked for a while. When the crab cakes were properly browned, he turned the heat off on the stove and got three plates from a cabinet overhead.
“Were you there by yourself?” she asked, genuinely curious about how secure he was with being alone. It was just a state of being for her—one she’d grown accustomed to.
“Yep.” When the flounder was finished and lightly fried, Chuck filled a plate and slid it over to her. It looked like something she’d have gotten at a restaurant—a regular restaurant. Then, he filled a glass with the white wine from the fridge and set it next to her.
“Wanna take it outside?” Chuck suggested.
She left her tea and took her plate and glass of wine with her to the back door toward where Jake had nodded as he picked up his own plate. The door was mostly glass, with panes in it, and if one weren’t looking closely, it would’ve looked like more windows. The sun cast an orange and pink glow in the sky as its light pushed away from the sea. Jake followed with his dinner, cradling his wine between his arm and body as he opened the door and allowed her to go first. She walked out into the heat, and treaded carefully along the amazingly landscaped cobbles of his patio. In perfectly edged beds were billowing grasses and flowering bushes. His patio stretched the length of the swimming pool and beyond until it gave way to grass that was so perfectly trimmed that it looked like carpet. At the edge of the property, she could see the dunes of sand and the wire and slatted wood fencing used to keep erosion at bay.
She set her plate down on one of the tables, and Jake and his dad followed suit. As she looked around, she still couldn’t believe this was all Jake’s. How surreal to be having dinner with this man in his mansion of a home at the beach. She would have never imagined Nan’s birthday vacation would have taken such a turn. Her nerves over the Tides Wine Bar had settled a little, although she still had lingering questions. A man who could live out here in this gorgeous, remote location and build a house that reflects that, a man with such respect for his dad—that man couldn’t be the corporate bully that she feared. She was enjoying herself again, trying not to think about the fact that the lifestyle she’d seen there could very well be another side of him that he wasn’t sharing. She’d clearly demonstrated that she wasn’t comfortable with that side of things. And now, things were good. If someone had told her she’d be here before she’d left for vacation, she’d probably have laughed out loud in disbelief, but Jake was so warm and inviting that he made having dinner at his home with his dad seem normal.
As she sat in the warm evening air, she thought again about Jake’s story. North Carolina had very warm summers, but it also had very cold winters. What must this big cottage be like when the sand was covered with snow and all the tourists were gone? It must be cold. “Do y
ou stay here in the winters, or do you go somewhere else?”
He took a sip of his wine and looked out at the ocean. “I stay sometimes. I get a lot of work done in the winter months. It gives me more time to do things like this in the summer.” He raised his eyebrows at her with a grin.
She took a bite of her crab cake and was surprised at how delicious it was. She swallowed. “You’re a really good cook,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“He gets it from me,” Chuck teased.
She laughed. “Do you get a chance to cook a lot?”
What if he brought women back to his cottage all the time? What if this situation she found herself in right now wasn’t unusual for him? Perhaps he wasn’t as lonely as she thought? A little stab of jealousy hit her in the stomach.
“I cook sometimes because I enjoy it, but most of the time, I go out so I can meet people and be around others.”
“It must be lonely in this big house,” she said, hoping her comment hadn’t offended him. What if he wanted to be alone?
“Yes,” he answered quietly, nodding. “When I bought this house, I hadn’t planned on living here alone. I’ve gotten pretty good at being by myself, though. And Dad comes to visit.”
“We’ve both gotten good at living alone,” Chuck said, a loaded grin on his face as he looked at his son. Faith wished she could interpret what it meant.
“Me too,” she smiled.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Chuck said. “It’s nice to share this big table with another person.”
Faith wondered how this night would go. She hadn’t imagined she’d end up at Jake’s home. What would he expect of her tonight after his father left? And what did she plan to allow? She didn’t really know the answer to that. All she knew was that right now, she didn’t want to be anywhere else than right there, under the warm evening sun with Jake.
“I’m surprised Jake didn’t take you out for dinner,” Chuck said. “I’ve never seen him cook for anyone but me before.”
Faith could feel the heat in her face, and she caught herself as she quickly looked down at her plate. Worrying that Chuck had noticed her discomfort, she looked back up at him to try and play it off, but he’d already caught on, his eyes darting between the two of them.
“I took her to the Tides,” Jake confessed.
Chuck sat silently. He was waiting, it seemed, for further explanation. Why would they be eating now if they’d gone to the Tides, he was probably thinking. When neither of them spoke, he turned to Faith. “And what did you think of the Tides?”
It was a direct question, and there was no way around an unpleasant answer. “It was very different than any other place around…” she said, trying with all her might not to show her apprehension.
“Ha!” Chuck tipped his head back, laughter swelling within him, making his shoulders bounce. Then, still smiling uncontrollably, he said another “Ha,” but this one wasn’t a laugh; it was directed at Jake. “She didn’t like it, did she?”
When Jake didn’t say anything, Chuck turned back to Faith. “Nobody likes it, don’t worry.”
“That’s absolutely not true,” Jake said.
“Yes, I’m sorry. Not nobody. Jake likes it. Everyone else hates it.” He laughed again. “I can’t make him see. It’s a waste of land. Nobody wants it here. He thinks that if he builds all these fancy things, the area will boom as a result. But he’s wrong.”
“It’s worked in other cities, Dad. How else do you think I’ve made so much money? I know what I’m doing. People are already coming here from as far as New York. They didn’t used to but now they are. They want more development. They will flock to this area if it’s developed correctly. And I plan to do that for them.”
“You should see all the ridiculousness he has planned for this area. It’s awful. He’s going to ruin it.”
“You’ve planned to build more?” she said, unable to eat another bite.
“He wants to build high-rise hotels in Corolla,” Chuck said.
Corolla? That was one of the most gorgeous parts of the Outer Banks. She’d just read an article about the wild Mustang ponies that had been there for over five hundred years, brought over by the Spanish when they’d come to the New World. She’d seen them while sitting on the beach. They ran through the surf, galloping wild and free down the shore. The article had condemned the growth in the Outer Banks and how it was squeezing the land down to nothing, leaving the horses in danger. They didn’t have anywhere to raise their young; tourists were mistreating them and their habitat. She remembered reading the article several times because it had made her so sad that she couldn’t finish it. How could Jake add to that chaos? What was he thinking? She looked up, surfacing from her worries to find Jake watching her, as if he were searching for her reaction.
“That’s a terrible idea,” she said before she could stop herself. Putting up one ridiculous restaurant was one thing, but destroying a habitat and beautiful coastline was another.
“I have a line of investors that think otherwise.” As he said the words, it was as if he was a totally different person, and she could see the powerful businessman emerge. His warmth was gone in that moment, the affection she’d seen in his eyes now absent. He was talking business. If he’d been a cartoon, she’d have seen little dollar signs in his eyes, she was sure of it.
“You can’t ruin Corolla.”
“I don’t think I’m ruining anything. I’m simply changing it. I’m a developer. That’s how I make my money. If I don’t develop, I don’t eat. Simple as that. And I know what I’m doing.”
“I’m not debating whether you know your job. But what I am telling you is that you’ve chosen the wrong place.”
“Faith, I’ve had this conversation hundreds of times regarding hundreds of locations. There’s always someone who doesn’t like it. But that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t happen. I’ve been very successful with this in the past. I know it will be good.”
“I will never believe that it’s good. I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t mean to put a damper on our supper by bringin’ all this up,” Chuck said. “Faith, you won’t change his mind. Believe me, I’ve tried. He’s about as bullheaded as anyone I’ve ever met. Now tell me, how long are you and your family staying? You here for the summer?”
Just like she had with Casey, she’d eventually allowed the anger to slide away as the night went on. It was the only way she knew how to let go and enjoy herself. It was still there, though. She’d just pushed it down where she couldn’t feel it at that moment. They ate and talked until the sun was low on the horizon, and she was enjoying herself again. Chuck had thanked her for a lovely evening, and he’d graciously left them alone, claiming he had to get a good night’s rest before a big fishing trip tomorrow.
“More wine?” Jake asked, pouring it anyway. They’d nearly finished the bottle, and it was a big bottle. She grinned, her eyes heavy with all the conversation of the night and the alcohol. She could feel the sting of warmth under her skin, and she wondered if it was the sun or the wine. Jake had set up a continuous stream of beach music to play on the speakers outside after they’d had dinner, and a reggae song was playing quietly in the background. She looked at him as the exterior landscape lighting came on magically. Its low light danced in his eyes. She noticed the ease in which his smile emerged when he looked at her, the way his shoulders had relaxed. Their disagreement was behind her for now, and she wanted to pretend it wasn’t there at all.
“How am I supposed to get home?” she asked, taking another sip of her wine. “We’ve both had too much to drink.” She wasn’t asking to stay. She’d never want to put him in that kind of position. And, given what had transpired since they’d been at Bodie Island, she wasn’t quite sure where they stood. The restaurant and Jake’s plans for development had changed things for her and maybe for him too. Although it changed how she saw him, she couldn’t deny the attraction and the affection that was still there.
“We could
try and walk,” he said with a grin just before tipping the glass up to his lips. His eyes stayed on her as he took a drink.
“It’s miles to my cottage!” she laughed.
“I’d be okay with that.”
“Be serious.”
“I am!”
Faith knew the wine had helped along this playful side of both of them. She worried that things may be different in the morning. They’d both let their guards down. She had a glimpse of what it was like to really know this side of him. And she loved it. Jake was funny. He’d told her stories that had made her laugh until she had tears in her eyes. But he could also be serious and sweet. At times, his expressions seemed almost romantic—he looked at her a little longer than he should, and he smiled as if words were right on his lips. It was a very different side than what she’d seen when they’d mentioned his Corolla plans. As they sat in silence, he was looking at her that way right now. He stood up, and she followed his lead.
As they made their way around the table, they stopped side by side. Faith turned to face him. “Thank you for having me,” she said, and a current zinged around in her chest. She smiled. She couldn’t help it.
“You’re welcome.”
He was looking down at her. She was so close she could smell his cologne. Coupled with the wine and the sound of the ocean, it made her woozy. There was a slight nervousness to his breathing, a tiny twitch at his lips. He took in another breath. Was he going to kiss her? The wind blew her hair in her face and he started to reach up to move it for her, but it was as if he thought better about it, and quickly dropped his hand. She tucked her hair behind her ear and tried to suppress the overwhelming disappointment she felt. Maybe he’d decided that the differences between them were too significant.
“I’ll call a car,” he said, breaking eye contact first.