Summer by the Lake

by Kay Gordon

  “Spill. How was your date last night?”

  I let out a long sigh and dropped my backpack and purse onto our small kitchen table. “We need to call Hannah so I don’t have to divulge details twice.”

  “Already on it.” She turned her phone so I could see the screen and Hannah’s smiling face stared back at me.

  “I’m with Bri. Spill.”

  “Fine,” I replied with a chuckle as I headed to the couch, Briana following close behind. She sat on the couch next to me and leaned in so we were both in view of Hannah. “It was horrible.”

  The girls had been bugging me to date for months and I finally conceded after being asked out three separate times by the same guy. His niece went to the school I worked at and he had been by to pick her up several times. He was cute, he was charming, but he was also a pig.

  “We need details, Shaylee,” Hannah demanded. “We need to know if it was horrible because he wasn’t a certain someone or if was legitimately horrible.”

  “Well, it started out okay. Clark picked me up and took me to Outback for dinner.” I took the phone from Briana and she dropped her head to my shoulder. “We ordered and talked a bit while we waited for our food. When I say we talked, I mean he told about his stats from when he played football in college. I pretended to be interested but he didn’t stop talking until our food came.”

  “Maybe he was nervous,” Bri offered but I shook my head.

  “There’s more. He ordered the ribs and ate them obnoxiously while watching the football game on TV above my head. He said sixteen words to me between when our food was dropped off and when the check came that he subtly pushed my way.”

  Hannah’s eyes went wide. “No!”

  “I mean, I’m a feminist. I don’t believe a guy should have to pay for dates but he literally pushed it my way without saying anything. Not an offer to pay half, not asking if I minded getting it. Nothing.”

  “Shit,” Briana muttered, sitting up. “Okay. That sucks.”

  I held up my finger. “That’s not it.” Both girls stared at me expectantly and I continued. “Since it was a weeknight, we were only doing dinner anyway so he drove me back here. The second his car was in park, he leaned over and attached his lips to mine. Lips that had crusty barbeque sauce in the corners.” I shuddered at the thought.

  “Oh, gross.” Hannah wrinkled her nose. “Was he at least a good kisser?”

  I shook my head. “Nope. He basically found my gag reflex with his tongue while his hands planted themselves on my freakin’ boobs like suction cups. Twenty. Seconds. Into. Kissing. And to make it even better, whatever he was trying to do hurt like a bitch.” I shook my head. “He only took his tongue out of my mouth long enough to ask if I was ready to fuck, using exactly those words.”

  My friend’s faces were almost comical. Briana was the one who spoke first. “I hope you smacked him.”

  “I grabbed his wrist and bent it back until he was whimpering. Then I told him there would be absolutely no fucking and that he shouldn’t ever call me again.”

  The three of us laughed for a minute, me the hardest while I imagined Clark’s face when I grabbed his wrist. When he had begun to annoy me at the restaurant, I wondered if I was just being too picky or stubborn. Those thoughts had flown out the window the longer I spent with him, though. He really did just suck.

  “At least you’re back on the horse,” Briana said with a sigh. “We’ll find you someone else.”

  I rolled my eyes but didn’t respond to that. We chatted with Hannah for a little bit longer but it was late on the east coast and she hung up when she began yawning, saying she needed enough to steam to have phone sex with Jordan.

  Briana’s crudeness was starting to rub off onto Hannah.

  “My mom wants to know if your family will come over on Thursday,” Briana said about an hour later while we made dinner in the kitchen.

  I looked up at my best friend and shook my head. Thanksgivings had been pretty strained with my family since Kira had died. After my parents had split, I’d usually gone to the Gibson household for dinner after spending a tense day bouncing between Mom and Dad. This year was different, though. I’d get to have both of them with me.

  “Howard and May are supposed to be coming for dinner. Mom’s making a huge deal out of it since it’s our first one as a family in ages.”

  Bri nodded and pulled a beer from the fridge. “Regardless, you’ll make an appearance, right? The more of us there to mock Eldon, the better.”

  “Oh, I’d never miss a chance to see your douchebag brother-in-law in action.” I grinned and headed to the couch with my own beer and sandwich.

  Briana’s family was awesome. They all stepped in and surrounded my family with support and love when we lost Kira. Her oldest sister, Stephanie, was responsible yet cool at the same time. She reminded me a lot of Kira. The middle sister, Kate, was a total sweetheart. She married young and had two amazing little kids. It was too bad that her husband, Eldon, was a total dick.

  The youngest of the Gibson children was their brother, Austin. I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I’d crushed on him at one point. He was a year younger than Bri and I were but was a really great guy. He and I had almost lost our virginity together when I was sixteen but had been interrupted by Stephanie when she’d come over for lunch. It had been super awkward and none of us had spoken about it again. Briana still had no idea and I had no desire for her to ever find out.

  “Grey’s Anatomy or Scandal?” I picked up the remote and turned on our TV as she settled next to me.

  “Neither. Let’s re-watch The White Princess. We haven’t seen it in a few months.”

  “Man, we are such party animals.” I grinned and took long drink of my beer. A lot of college students were out partying since it was a Friday night. Neither of us felt like going out, though. Between the upcoming holiday and finals, the work was piling onto us at an alarming rate.

  I’d just started the first episode when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and smiled when I saw my mom’s name. After pausing our show, I swiped the screen and brought the phone to my ear.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Hey, baby.” Her voice sounded tentative and I was instantly on guard.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She cleared her throat and I steeled myself for whatever she was going to say. “Howard had a heart attack last night.”

  Everything around me froze. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t speak. All I could do was repeat her words over and over in my head.

  Howard. Heart attack. Howard. Heart attack. Howard…

  It wasn’t until she said my name for the second or third time that I shook myself out of my fog. When I spoke, it was a jagged whisper because I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.

  “Is he alive?”

  “From what I understand, he is but his condition is critical.” Mom sighed heavily. “May said she’d keep us updated on his condition. She wanted to call you but she’s… she’s pretty broken up, Lee.”

  I stood from the couch, almost causing Bri to spill her soda. “I’ve got to get out to Maine.”

  “I’m going to fly out Sunday,” Mom said, her own voice sounding so small. “Do you want to wait and go with me?”

  “I need to be there sooner.” Briana’s arm came around my waist, offering me silent support. “I need to leave tomorrow.”

  I could picture my mother nodding when she answered. “Okay, baby. Dad and I will buy your ticket right now and get you out first thing in the morning, okay?”

  When we disconnected our call, I told Briana what was going on and she offered to drive me to the airport in the morning. She also followed me back into the bedroom to help me pack my stuff.

  “Are you going to call May?”

  I shook my head and ripped a few things out of the closet. “I’m just going to text her. I don’t think I can talk to her without breaking down and I need to be strong for h
er.”

  My mom called back less than thirty minutes later to tell me she’d purchased my flight and emailed over my itinerary. Briana didn’t even blink when I told her that I needed to be to the airport by five the next morning. She just hugged me tight and told me she’d see me in the morning.

  I laid in bed for more than an hour, turning the keychain Drew had given me over in my hand. Since he’d placed it in my palm three months before, I’d carried it with me constantly. It was funny, really. That tiny piece of metal was able to make me feel close to both Kira and Drew, and I craved that feeling.

  Placing it on the nightstand next to me, right near where Drew’s Dodgers cap still sat, I stared at them both for a minute. I’d tucked away the picture shortly after coming back from California, not able to stand seeing the image of us anymore.

  Like I did most nights, I wondered what Drew was doing right that minute and whether or not he ever thought about me. I still missed him so much.

  Turning over so I was facing away from the objects, I forced my mind off so I could get some sleep.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  My flight the next morning went through Denver and I was able to pay a small fee to keep myself out of the middle thankfully. Even though I was loaded up with books on my Kindle to read, I couldn’t concentrate.

  May had text me back sometime in the middle of the night, telling me that Howard was still in surgery and that she loved me. I wasn’t sure if Mom had told her I was coming or not but I didn’t reply to her text just in case she had been sleeping.

  When I finally made it to Portland, Maine, it was already later in the afternoon thanks to a long delay in Denver. I hadn’t checked a bag so I was able to go right to the curb to find a vacant cab. Howard had been transported from Holcomb Lake to Maine Medical Center, only about fifteen minutes from the airport, and the drive was quick.

  The hallways of the hospital were white and the sterile smell made my nose twitch. I hated that smell. It didn’t matter how much time passed, every time antiseptic infiltrated my nose, I thought of Kira. There was a time when I spent every free moment I had in the hospital with her, keeping her company and trying to stay positive. Then they’d let her go home but it wasn’t a happy event. She’d come home with hospice nurses and the antiseptic smell followed her.

  It reminded me of death.

  When I’d requested Howard’s room number at the information desk, the lady had asked if I was family. There had been no hesitation when I told her that he was my uncle and I had visually dared her to argue with me. No one was keeping me from my family, blood relation or not.

  The Cardiac floor was tense. The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit was even worse. The somber expressions on everyone’s faces matched how I felt inside. I avoided hospitals if I could but I’d do anything for Howard.

  When I found the room number I’d been given downstairs, I mentally steeled myself. The door was partially open and I could hear voices inside but I had no idea what to expect. Mom said she’d call if May had any more updates and I hadn’t heard from her. I was hoping that no news was good news.

  I held my hand up and knocked softly on the wood. May’s voice called for me to come in so I pushed it open slowly. The image in front of me made my breath catch in my throat.

  May was sitting at the foot of a hospital bed. She looked more frazzled than I’d ever seen her before but she was smiling. Inclined slightly on the bed was Howard. He was pale, had a lot of wires hooked up to him, and looked fragile, but he grinned when he saw me.

  “Ah, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” He opened his arms and I walked to him, engulfing him in a gentle hug. He wasn’t having it, though, and he squeezed me to him. When we pulled apart, he regarding me with his warm gaze. “What are you doing here?”

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “If you think I’m letting you use a hospital stay as an excuse to get weak, you’re delusional.”

  He chuckled but didn’t reply as May pulled me into an embrace. She held onto me for at least two minutes, sniffling slightly before finally releasing me.

  “It’s good to see you, baby girl. You didn’t have to come all the way out here, though.”

  “Yeah, I did.” I let her usher me into a chair that was next to the bed. “What has the doctor said?”

  They told me that Howard had been immediately taken to surgery when they’d arrived the night before and a stent was placed in his artery to help his blood flow. The surgery had gone well and he’d been moved from critical to stable. They were looking at being in the hospital for a few days and then he was supposed to change his lifestyle. That was the part that Howard pouted about the most.

  “What am I going to eat? The doctor keeps mentioning leafy greens and we all know that’s not enough to survive.”

  May chuckled and reached out to squeeze his ankle. “I’ll make them the most flavorful leafy greens you’ve ever had, honey.” She turned her eyes on me and pursed her lips. “Shaylee, I need to warn you.”

  Before she could issue her warning, someone rapped on the door twice and we all turned to look at the newcomer.

  “I tried my hardest to find coffee flavored water, but you’ll have to just take tea instead, Howard. I know you’ll...”

  Whatever he was going to say tapered off and my breathing hitched as I took in the man in front of me. He looked amazing, maybe even better than he had three months before. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a teal long-sleeved shirt that made his turquoise eyes stand out. The hair on top of his head was longer than it had been and I could tell he hadn’t bothered brushing it that morning. The hair on his chin was longer and I could tell he hadn’t trimmed it in a week or so.

  The part of my heart that had gone dormant after leaving him suddenly kicked into overdrive.

  “Drew.”

  He swallowed, causing his throat to bob, and tipped his head towards me. “Shaylee.”

  I wanted to throw myself into his arms. To kiss him until neither of us could breathe. To shake him until he understood just how much I loved him. Hell, I just wanted to smile at him.

  I didn’t do any of that, though. I just stared.

  “Okay, Mr. Holcomb. It’s time for your next injectable dye test.” A nurse stepped in with a friendly smile on her face and she paused when she saw how many people were in the room. “Looks like you have a full house right now. This will take a couple of hours so maybe everyone should go grab dinner?”

  May stood and nodded her head. “Drew. Can you take Shaylee to the house so she can unpack and relax? It’s been a long day of traveling and you’ll both need dinner and showers, I’m sure.”

  “Yeah, of course. What do you need, though?”

  She waved him off and moved so she could wrap him in a hug. “I’m just glad you two are here. Once he’s done with his test, we’ll probably just get some sleep. You two come back after breakfast tomorrow, okay?”

  Drew nodded and hugged her back as I moved to Howard. His long, strong arms came around me and I buried my face into his neck. Underneath the smell of antiseptic, he still smelled like pine needles and lake air.

  “Talk to him,” he whispered into my ear. “You love each other. Work it out.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” I replied, kissing him on his cheek. When I pulled away, I was immediately embraced by May who whispered something similar into my ear before ushering us out of the room. Before I could grab the small suitcase I’d brought, Drew had his hands around the handle and was walking away with it. A smart ass comment sat on the tip of my tongue about stealing luggage but I kept it to myself.

  We walked next to each other through the hallways of the hospital, close enough that I could feel the heat coming from his body but not quite touching. Neither of us spoke. Not when we left the CICU, not when we got into the elevator, and not as we headed down the hallway of the base level. It wasn’t until we stepped outside that Drew said something.

  “I’m using Ma
y’s car while I’m here. It’s parked in the garage.”

  Yeah, it wasn’t exactly a sonnet.

  I just nodded and let him lead us across the dark space. When we walked up to a black SUV, Drew immediately went to the passenger door and pulled it open. He waited until I was inside and then shut it so he could come around to the driver’s side, pausing to put my bag in the backseat first.

  We were a few miles from the hospital when I worked up enough bravery to speak.

  “When did you get in?”

  Drew glanced over at me before refocusing on the road. “I took a redeye into New York last night and caught a flight here early this morning. I’ve already been out to the lake to drop off my bag and get some stuff for Howard and May.”

  “Ah.” It was a winner of a response but I didn’t know what else to say. Everything between us was incredibly awkward and I hated it.

  “Are you hungry? I was going to run through a drive-thru and get some hamburgers or something.”

  I focused on the passing city out my window so I wouldn’t have to look at him. “Sure.”

  We drove for about thirty minutes before Drew stopped at a drive-thru in Harrelsburg. Very minimal words were exchanged so he knew what to order for me and minutes later we were on our way towards camp.

  It was strange how different Maine was in the summer versus the fall. The greenery I was used to seeing had transformed into beautiful fall colors. Some trees were completely bare and everything just looked… sleepy. That same adjective could be applied to the camp. When we passed under the gate, I had to bite in the gasp.

  I’d never been to Maine in the off-season. May and Howard had always flown to us or our families had met somewhere else. The sight before me was mind-blowing.

  Even when we’d arrived before everyone else all those months before, the camp had still looked alive. At the moment, it looked like it was in hibernation.

  The campus was completely dark with the exception of a few security lights. The lake was empty, devoid of jet skis, buoys, inflatables, and everything else that had been there. The only part of the entire camp that showed life was the giant house opposite of the camp. Even then, it was only a couple of lights.