What Happens in Summer

by Caridad Piñeiro

  “I don’t know what hit me,” she said.

  Her friend, Anna, examined her features. “It’s a little rough today, but maybe you should go to the doctor. You were looking a little green yesterday too.”

  She had been feeling punk over the last few days, and it was only getting worse, not better. “There’s a stomach flu going around the office. Maybe I just caught the bug.”

  “Maybe,” Anna said, but Connie heard the doubt in her friend’s voice.

  “I’ll run to the doc-in-a-box at lunch. It’s right near the office,” she said and sipped the water again, feeling restored by the breeze and the cool water.

  Anna nodded but was stopped from saying anything else as one of the crew members announced that they’d be arriving at their stop in a few minutes. Arm in arm, they strolled to seats, then waited for the bump that warned them that they had docked. After the announcement confirming it, they disembarked onto the deck and walked to the buses to Midtown.

  “I think I’ll take a cab today,” Connie said, worried that the bus ride might make her sick again. She hugged Anna and waited until her friend had gotten on a bus. With a wave goodbye, she opted to walk to her office building. It might take a good twenty minutes or more, but she needed the time to think.

  Maggie and Owen seemed to be patching things up after their argument two weeks earlier. Jonathan was home. He’d texted her early to say Good morning and ask if she was free for the weekend. Her response had been an immediate Yes. If Goodwyn intended to stick her with another garbage project this weekend, she’d have two words for him, and they wouldn’t be happy birthday. Especially since the headhunter to whom she’d spoken weeks earlier had a number of positions that might be good for her. She just had to pull the trigger and tell him she was interested.

  But am I? she wondered as she walked uptown toward Forty-Second Street. Despite everything that was going on with Goodwyn, she hadn’t quite given up on staying with the firm. Maybe she was as Jonathan had said, headstrong and determined, but she didn’t want to be driven out by a shit like Goodwyn. And then there was what was happening with Jonathan. With his supposedly settling down in Sea Kiss of all places. She loved Sea Kiss, loved spending time there, but living there full time? She was a city girl. Union City. Jersey City. New York City. City girl in a quaint Jersey Shore town? Maybe. A totally unexpected maybe, it occurred to her. It seemed like her life was filled with a lot of maybes lately.

  By the time she reached Bryant Park, the turmoil in her stomach had settled down and she was actually hungry. She stopped at a local deli for tea and a toasted bagel with cream cheese, because the thought of coffee or eggs had her stomach twisting again. Weird, since they were two of her favorite foods.

  She sipped the tea as she walked, and by the time she reached the Chrysler Building, she was feeling fine. The bagel went down and stayed down, and that made her reconsider going to the doc-in-a-box for lunch. The files on her desk flew off as the morning passed and she finished the work on each of them.

  Since she was feeling better, she took time for a quick lunch with Maggie, who seemed to have made amends with Owen. Her friend was optimistic they could put things to rights in their marriage. But that led to talk of Jonathan.

  “What’s going on with you two?” Maggie asked as she ate the sandwich they’d picked up at a local deli and brought back to Maggie’s office. They were seated at the small couch at the far side of the room, their lunches spread on the antique table in front of them.

  “I’m not really sure.” Connie shrugged and nibbled her sandwich thoughtfully, hesitant to say, because the idea that it was becoming more with Jonathan was still so uncertain.

  “You care for him,” Maggie said, and it wasn’t a question.

  Since she couldn’t deny it, Connie said, “I care for him. I never stopped caring for him, but so what? He says he wants to settle down, only I’m not really sure he’s serious.”

  With a nod, Maggie said, “He’s always been a wanderer, but I sense that he’s ready for a change.”

  She had sensed it too, but was it long term? It was a question she’d asked herself time and time again, especially since he hadn’t been able to make up his mind about any of the fabulous houses they’d seen during their house hunting. And then there was the guitar company building and his flippant comment about turning it into condos if the zoning decision didn’t go his way.

  But even if she gave him the benefit of the doubt about both those things and acknowledged that he had changed, their journeys were still on divergent paths.

  “He wants to live in Sea Kiss. My life is here.”

  “Only you’re not happy here, are you?” her friend said, ever astute.

  She couldn’t deny it, so she shrugged and said, “I’m not going to let one man stand in the way of what I want.” She instantly added, “Whether it’s Jon or Goodwyn.”

  That seemed to surprise Maggie, who peered at her intently. “They’re not even in the same league, and you know it. You’re just scared of what Jon is making you feel and think. Don’t let that fear keep you from the best thing in your life.”

  Another thing she couldn’t deny. She was afraid of her feelings for him. That he was making her think about taking a different route in her life. Something she didn’t know if she was prepared to do right now.

  “You’re not wrong, Mags. But I really need to think about what I want and what’s happening with Jon.”

  “Will you see him now that he’s back?” Maggie asked.

  She nodded. “We’re going down to Sea Kiss this weekend.”

  Maggie reached over and laid her hand over Connie’s, squeezed reassuringly. “Enjoy the time together, Connie. Don’t overthink it. Don’t logic yourself out of something that could be wonderful if you let it.”

  “I’ll try, Mags,” she said, only it was truly a case of it being easier said than done.

  * * *

  As Connie opened the window of the Jeep just a crack, Jonathan risked a glance at her from the corner of his eye. A greenish tinge colored her skin, and her body was rigid with tension.

  “You okay? Do you want me to pull over?” he asked and started looking around for where they could stop on the parkway. They were nearly at Sea Kiss, but he didn’t think that she could make it that far.

  “I’ll be okay. The fresh air is helping,” she said and inhaled deeply.

  He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. Her skin was chilly, but he couldn’t tell if it was from the air streaming in through the slight opening in the window or her sickness. He pressed on, finished the last leg on the parkway, and exited for the final few miles to the inn where he’d rented the entire top floor so he would have a place to stay while he finalized his plans for their new building and maybe found a home for himself and Dudley. For Connie too, he thought as he glanced at her again.

  Her color seemed restored, and she met his gaze, smiled brightly. “I’m okay. It’s just a touch of a stomach bug or something.”

  With a nod, he turned his attention to finishing the journey to the inn. As he got closer to the ocean, Dudley, who had been napping peacefully in the backseat, hopped up between them and yipped excitedly. Jonathan rubbed his puppy’s head and said, “Yeah, boy. We’re almost home.”

  “It is home for you, isn’t it?” Connie asked, but there was something in her tone that made him worry. It didn’t keep him from being honest.

  “I feel attached to this place. I don’t know why, but I do.”

  “Your family has roots here,” she said.

  Nearly two centuries of roots reaching deep into the heart of Sea Kiss. Memories of spending summers here with his brother and mother. His mother, who for some reason had been on his mind a lot lately. Maybe because he was thinking about settling down with Connie. It made him wonder how any woman could just walk away from their family and never look back. How Co
nnie’s father could have done the same thing, and how both those desertions had affected them.

  “It does, but it’s not just the place that makes it home,” he said and glanced in her direction, wanting her to understand that she might be a part of the reason why he felt this way. She’d been an important part of those summer memories.

  “It’s not just the place,” she said, but she seemed uneasy in her agreement and fell silent.

  He didn’t press, and it wasn’t more than five minutes later that they pulled up to the Lighthouse Inn, so named because it sat directly opposite the inlet and the lighthouse that warned sailors about the nearby jetties. He grabbed his duffel and her small rolling suitcase. She took Dudley’s leash, not that it seemed necessary, since he obediently walked at her side and then sat to wait patiently while the innkeeper handed Jonathan the large brass key for the suite.

  Three flights later, they were in the large penthouse suite at the front of the building, but there was only one bedroom, unlike the last suite he’d rented.

  “Do you mind?” he asked, worried that she might object. Stupid, considering the ring he’d purchased earlier that day and had tucked into his duffel to await just the right time to pop the question.

  She walked up to him and brushed a kiss across his cheek. “Not at all.”

  She looked tired, and her color was still off with a hint of pallor beneath her normally creamy, olive-colored skin. He caressed her face, brushing his thumb across the high ridge of her cheekbone. “How about you get comfortable and I get us some takeout? We can stay in, watch some movies.”

  She smiled and said, “I like that idea. Thanks.”

  With a nod and a quick kiss, he left and took Dudley with him for the short walk to Main Street. With her stomach acting as funky as it was, he wanted to get something neutral to help settle it and knew just the place. The corner luncheonette had originally been a pharmacy with a counter area for sodas, ice cream, and light meals. The pharmacy was long gone, but the restaurant had expanded to feed the overflow from the counter service. During the summer months, they had a small al fresco area that handled the spillover of tourists clamoring for a good home-cooked meal.

  Remembering what her favorite had been when they used to sneak away together for late-night summer meals, he ordered her a meatloaf platter and got himself a burger and fries. He also ordered a plain hamburger patty to add to Dudley’s dry food and went back outside to where Dudley waited patiently for him, his leash tied around a street sign pole. As he walked over, Dudley hopped up and down happily, welcoming his arrival.

  He bent and rubbed the dog’s ears, earning a doggie kiss and what he was sure was a smile. Untying the leash, he walked over to another shop to peer into the window at the Victoriana merchandise there and then strolled back to the restaurant. A very small crowd of determined tourists bucking an early fall chill was in line by an outside window to order ice cream while others mingled in front, biding their time until a table became free. It wasn’t long until one of the servers from inside popped out with a bag with his order.

  “Saw you waiting, so I thought I’d bring it out for you,” the teen said as he passed it to him.

  “Thanks, Rick. I appreciate it,” he said and slipped the young man a nice tip.

  Bag in hand, he hurried back to the room. Connie had changed into a T-shirt and sweats and was lying on the couch. She’d cleared off the coffee table, and the television was already on.

  “There’s an Adam Sandler marathon. Waterboy just started,” she said with a playful grin, and he noticed that healthy color had returned to her cheeks. Her eyes were bright despite the slight shadows of fatigue beneath.

  “Good food, funny movies, and a beautiful woman. A perfect night,” he said as he spread the food out on the table, then walked to the minibar he’d stocked last weekend with beer and soda.

  “You remembered my favorite. Now I don’t have to open a can of whoop ass on you,” she teased as she took the lid off the platter he’d placed in front of her.

  “Gnarly! An awesome woman who can quote lines from my favorite movies.”

  “And my fave,” she reminded him.

  He broke up the burger patty to feed it to Dudley, who hurried across the room to happily eat. Jonathan sat next to Connie, who had curled up on the couch with her plate in her lap and was devouring her meatloaf and mashed potatoes. As she did an appreciative murmur, he took a big bite of his burger and echoed her pleasure. “Epic.”

  “For sure,” she said.

  Hunger made quick and silent work of the meal. He collected the takeout dishes and threw them out, then they snuggled together on the couch to watch the movie. Dudley returned to his spot in Connie’s lap, where she stroked his head lazily, and the puppy mewled in pleasure before quieting. She rested against Jonathan’s chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, content to savor the peacefulness of the simple moment.

  It wasn’t long before her smooth, regular breaths and the relaxation of her muscles told him she had fallen asleep. She probably needed the rest to recover from whatever bug she was fighting.

  Carefully easing her to the couch, he dragged a blanket over her as Dudley hopped down to the floor. He was going to move her to the bed when a little whine from Dudley warned that Jonathan had to take care of him first. He snapped the leash on the little terrier, slipped on a lightweight jacket, and they rushed out for a quick walk.

  The night outside was gorgeous even with the slight chill of the mid-October day. Tourists and residents alike lingered on the street, but not as many as in the height of the summer. He liked the seasonal changes in the activity in town and on the beach, especially the peacefulness of deep winter. Not to mention the bigger waves during the winter months. He was looking forward to a day out in the water followed by warming up in front of a roaring fire with Connie cuddled next to him.

  Connie, he thought with a heavy sigh. Connie, Connie, Connie.

  Complicated, complicated, complicated, he thought as he waited for Dudley to relieve himself.

  But as complicated as it could be, he had no doubt that he wanted to be with her. That he wanted to build a life with her. He expected that she’d have lots of reasons for why that didn’t make sense, but he intended to convince her otherwise.

  Dudley barked, almost in command, and Jonathan glanced down to find his pup patiently waiting by the curb, since he’d finished faster than usual. With a grimace, he cleaned up after the terrier and deposited it in a nearby trash can. Dudley took off impatiently, yanking on his leash, something he rarely did.

  “Easy, boy. She’s not going anywhere,” he said, but he picked up his pace, as eager to get back to Connie as his dog seemingly was.

  She was still asleep on the couch, and a soft snore escaped her, dragging a smile to his face. He inched his arms beneath her and gently lifted. She cuddled against his chest with a murmur of approval, brightening his grin. In the bedroom, he laid her down on the bed and managed to get her under the covers without her waking.

  He stripped and got in bed. As he slipped beneath the covers, Connie sighed and moved toward him. She nestled against his side and released another pleased sound. Wrapping an arm around her, he drew her close and kissed her temple. Whispered, “I love you, Reyes.”

  Mostly asleep, she replied with a sigh. “Love you.”

  As Dudley hopped up onto the bed, grinned, and turned around a few times before settling into a spot at their feet, peace and contentment filled Jonathan. He couldn’t remember if he’d ever felt like this, but he was going to make sure it wouldn’t be the last time he did.

  * * *

  Connie had tried to be patient. She really had. So had Mary, the real estate agent, after showing Jonathan yet another perfect home barely a few doors down from the Pierce and Sinclair beach houses. Jonathan hadn’t had any particular excuse for why he wasn’t interested in the house. It just
hadn’t felt like home.

  With no other houses on the list, the real estate agent had forced a smile to her face and promised to find him other possibilities for the following weekend. Connie suspected that no matter how many homes the woman found, none would be good enough for Jonathan.

  She didn’t know why that caused a little pit of worry in her stomach. One that grew as Mary raised the issue of the old guitar company and the rezoning.

  “I’ve set up a meeting with some of the councilmen,” Connie said.

  Jonathan joined in with, “Don’t worry about it, Mary. We’ll get it worked out.”

  Mary rolled her eyes but said nothing else. Closing the portfolio that held her copies of the listings for the homes they’d viewed, she said, “I’ll keep on looking and give you a call once I have anything else.”

  “Thank you,” he said and turned to Connie. “You look a little beat. Would you like to head back to the inn?”

  She was beat. Luckily, she hadn’t felt any nausea while they’d driven around to the various homes, but that didn’t mean she was feeling fine.

  “A nap sounds like heaven right now,” she said and twined her fingers with his.

  With a lopsided grin, he nodded and tugged her in the direction of the inn. They walked in silence, strolling slowly, peacefully, in the bright sun of the fall day. In no time, they returned to their room at the inn, where Dudley was waiting for them. As soon as they walked in, he dashed to Connie, who kneeled and rubbed the little terrier’s head until he rolled over for his belly rub.

  “You silly goose,” she said but playfully complied, chuckling at the dog’s antics.

  When she rose, smiling, happiness filling her soul, Jonathan cradled her cheek and whispered, “I love you, Connie.”

  There was something in his gaze, in the tone of his voice, that sent a skitter of worry through her. That feeling was justified as Jonathan suddenly dropped to one knee, reached into his pocket, and took out a small velvet box. Grinning, his blue eyes glittering with happiness, he held it up to her and said, “I’m not normally one to do things the traditional way, but—”