by CF Frizzell
She counted on having a few minutes alone with Maggie and didn’t want to rely on phone messages. They needed to talk about what had shown up online. Rationality had taken hours to arrive last night, and despite tossing and turning, she’d managed to stop jumping to conclusions and subdue a lot of that unbridled emotion. Unanswered questions would make her lose her mind, and that didn’t need to happen. Not when a normal conversation could resolve things so easily between two people who cared so much for one another.
She refused to think she’d overextended herself with this relationship. They’d been connecting and giving, sharing in the most profound ways for almost two months, and showed no signs of slowing down. Life wouldn’t be the same now without you in it. And she wondered if she’d been smart to fall this quickly. Maggie. I know you feel it, too. So give us a moment today and help settle this mess in my head.
The Tuck’r front yard was still, serene, as she stepped up to the screen door, and the common room’s golden lamplight beckoned through the gloomy pall of fog outside. She slid off her dripping windbreaker and shook it, jammed the stuffed frog into her pants pocket, and took a refreshing breath of rose-tinted air. She picked a blossom from the vine that covered the nearest post and went inside.
A guest sat reading on the couch, undisturbed by Ellis’s arrival or the sixties tune that played faintly from the portable radio in the corner. But the cozy room filled her with as much trepidation as nostalgic affection now, and she ground her teeth, wanting to feel only sheltered and surrounded by an atmosphere she loved. Above the fireplace, Maggie had hung a large framed print of the Tom Nevers farm scene, surreal and ageless with its old machinery in the fog. That moment in the truck returned vividly, and Ellis felt her heart wobble. To her right, a majestic print of Sankaty Light with its red waistband now hung between the windows. “On top of the world,” you said.
“Hi,” the woman on the couch offered. “Turned into a miserable day, hasn’t it?”
Ellis thought she’d probably recognize Jill McGee anywhere now, that Internet photo burned into her memory. She was just as striking in person, even in an expensive purple running suit.
“Ah, warm, but yeah. Sure has.” She hung her jacket by the door and crossed the room and peeked into Maggie’s empty office. A shallow but wide print of the beach off New South Road, complete with distant surfer in the breaking waves, hung above the desk, and a gift-wrapped package of the same dimensions sat nearby. I want more of these memories with you, Maggie.
She left the rose on the keyboard and listened to the silence from the kitchen. Retta and / or Laura were bound to turn up any second.
“If you’re looking for Maggie, she went to do errands. She had a list as long as her arm.”
“Maggie’s nonstop.” So what’s your interest in her? Did you have a good time last night—with my lady? The significance of that thought weighed her down into a chair. She set the toy frog on her leg and ran a palm across her face, wiping away the remnants of fog. Feels like fog, all right.
“You’re a dog lover, I see.”
Ellis nodded at the frog. “Retta’s irresistible.”
“Quite energetic. I think she’s upstairs with Laura.” She set her Kindle aside and made no attempt to soften her inquisitive gaze. Ellis didn’t appreciate being evaluated or whatever this woman was doing, and was tempted to call her on it. “I’m Jill,” she declared suddenly, “far from home in Baltimore.” Legs tucked beneath her, she extended her hand.
“Ellis.” They shook hands, and the expensive manicure didn’t escape Ellis’s notice. “Good day for a good book.”
“So true. I’m passing time, though. I’ve been forced to wait out the fog, and this is torture, because I hate leaving Tuck’r.”
“You’ve been grounded?”
“Socked in, was how the airport put it.”
Ellis nodded, knowing the conditions so well that the very notion of flying had never entered her mind. “This will lift by suppertime.”
Jill’s smile flashed over the coffee table between them. “‘Suppertime.’ I love the feel of old Yankee words.” Ellis was tempted to offer her “old Yankee” opinion of swanky shyster lawyers, but she let Jill speak. It seemed as if she enjoyed hearing herself, anyway. “The airport likewise assured me the fog would be gone in a few hours, but you say it with such conviction. You’re a local?”
“Lifer.”
“Ahh. Fascinating. Never a desire to live elsewhere?”
“No.”
“Hmm. I’m a city girl, born and bred. My condo is fifteen stories up, just blocks from the ocean, and with a wall of glass, thankfully. In the spring, the sunrise angles right into my living room.”
Ellis sympathized—a bit. You could have sunrise anywhere at any time of year, if you really wanted.
“Nantucket must be quite an adjustment for you.”
“I’m in property acquisitions, so I’m used to changing locales. It keeps me well rounded, shall we say.”
“Property acquisitions. Any properties here on your radar?”
She sent Ellis an incredulous smile. “Seriously? I’d snatch up a dozen, at least, if I could. I’m so taken by the meticulous care, the idyllic settings, the quaint charm.”
“Like Tuck’r.”
“Definitely Tuck’r. Maggie struck gold, landing this place. It has such hardy bones, such character, not to mention the history. What a bonus. History has incredible appeal, a great selling point. She’s captured the essence of the era, preserved it to share, and I believe the potential here is limitless.”
No doubt you know potential, but do you really know anything about bones and character, let alone that era? Please, God, tell me they didn’t strike a deal.
“It’s a beautiful place,” Ellis said. “These Nantucket roots are as deep as they get.”
“Oh, when Maggie told me about Captain Pratt, I couldn’t wait to get here. I’m immeasurably grateful we connected. And I’m confident Maggie feels the same.” She leaned forward and whispered confidentially. “I’m crossing my fingers for the opportunity to work with her in the future.”
“Is that right?”
“I’ll be back in due time,” she said. “By then, Maggie might be ready to review our Galveston property.”
“Texas?”
“Lovely property, but with Maggie’s touch? She has such a creative eye. She could do wonders turning it around.”
A cell phone sounded upstairs and Laura’s voice carried down, but only half of Ellis’s brain registered the conversation. The other half struggled to cope with Jill’s.
Was I stupid or blind, believing Tuck’r means as much to you, Maggie, as it does to me? Future work with her? And Texas? Tuck’r wasn’t your first flip, I know that now, and it’s pretty clear it won’t be your last. But, Jesus, you never said you’d be moving on. Quite the opposite. Does that make me a flip project, too?
She ran a hand back through her hair and pinched her eyes. They burned from lack of sleep and, now, from searching for warning signs she’d missed. Enough already. Find your feet.
“We’re all set,” Laura was saying. “Yes, they told her probably around five o’clock, so no hurry. No, Rachel said she’d catch the eight o’clock boat so you two could go out for dinner first. Okay, see you then.”
Retta preceded Laura down the stairs, and they spotted Ellis simultaneously. Racing to where she sat, Retta dodged an easy chair, an ottoman, and a side table to wiggle against Ellis’s knees. Ellis quickly hid the frog at her back, and her heart twisted a bit at Retta’s blatant affection.
“Ellis, hi.” Laura stopped at the kitchen door, bucket of cleaning supplies in hand, and flashed a nervous glance at Jill. “So…you’re here.”
“I was hoping to catch Maggie for a while this afternoon. There are some things I wanted to talk about.” Retta stomped from one foot to the other, impatient for attention. Ellis hugged her and found it hard to let go. “Hey, my pretty girl. Would you like a surprise?” Ears perk
ed, Retta backed up into the coffee table. Oblivious, she bounced on her front paws and barked, and Ellis whipped out the toy. “Froggie for you.” Retta snatched it out of her hand and dashed off.
“I just had Maggie on the phone,” Laura said and sagged onto one leg dejectedly. “I didn’t know you were down here. She won’t be back for a few hours now, till around five, when Ms. McGee’s flight leaves.”
“Well, she’s busy. I understand.” Ellis headed for the door, sensing Ms. McGee watched with great interest. Got to get out.
“I could call her back,” Laura said. “You could—”
She stopped when Ellis shook her head.
“Don’t bother her.” She knows where to find me. She zipped her windbreaker and watched Retta trot by with the frog. “If you would, just tell her I stopped in?”
Rachel came through from the kitchen and knocked Laura sideways with the door.
“Whoa! Sorry, Laura. Hi there, Ellis. I just get here and you’re leaving? Like last night in reverse.” Her mischievous look reminded Ellis too much of Maggie. Shove off, damn it. “Come on,” Rachel said, holding the door open. “Join me. I was just going to raid Maggie’s brownie stash, and we have to plan my tour of the Rose. Next time I come over, for sure.” She narrowed her eyes. “You don’t have to go, do you?”
“Sorry, yeah. I’ve got stuff to do, too. Work tomorrow. Early call, you know?” Rachel frowned and Ellis knew she hadn’t been convincing, but there were only so many words she could muster at the moment. “Thanks, though.”
Retta ran up to her and Ellis kissed the top of her head, then tossed the frog past Rachel into the kitchen.
“Maggie’s really going to be upset that she missed you,” Rachel said, her look now serious.
“Please…just…We’ll catch up with each other eventually.” She turned to Jill as she swung open the screen door and was surprised when Jill hurried to her feet.
“Ellis, you said? So I gather you’re Maggie’s…Well, her…”
Ellis took a breath and rejected the snide response that came to mind. “Good luck with everything.”
*****
Rachel had relinquished the backseat to Retta and moved to the front by the time Maggie returned from seeing Jill off at the airport gate, and Maggie was glad to have her closer. Back behind the wheel, she closed her eyes briefly before starting the car.
“Do you believe her? All that time she had no idea who she was talking to?” She opened her eyes to see Rachel respond.
“I think I do. I saw the shock through all that makeup when it dawned on her. And I don’t know how long they talked, but Laura was upstairs for almost an hour, so there’s that.”
“An hour. God. I told Jill at dinner last night that I hadn’t explained it all to Ellis yet. How dare she blurt out stuff to someone she doesn’t even know?”
“Did you ever tell Jill her name?”
“I don’t remember. I thought I did.”
Rachel shook her head. “Couldn’t have. She’s sharp enough to remember a name like Ellis, and like I said, she looked pretty blown away when she realized that woman was your girlfriend.”
“Who knows what Jill said about me, or her and me, or flipping Tuck’r.”
“You don’t really know anything either one of them said, and it’s hard to judge the things Jill did admit to telling her. I mean, she said she praised Tuck’r and your work, and…and that she hoped you’d work together some time.”
“And how does that sound?’ Maggie asked. “Like I’ll be leaving for another project? Shit.”
Rachel blew out a hard breath. “Yeah, well, she said she did mention Galveston, and that’s not good.”
“So not good.” Maggie bit her lower lip as she shook her head. “I bet she didn’t tell Ellis that I turned down that offer. Twice!” She pounded the wheel. “God damn it. I need to talk to Ellis.” Maggie stared through the faint mist on the windshield. “My calls go straight to voice mail now. I have to get to the Rose.”
“Well, I’m not leaving tonight. No way. Not with this nightmare going on. So I’ll be around when you need me.”
“Don’t you have to get back to prepare that presentation?”
“I can do that in my sleep. I’ve done it hungover, so…You’re more important and this is a fucking mess. So I’m staying. Let me drive.”
“I’m fine.”
“Then let’s go. I need food, and if this is going to be an all-nighter, which is what it’s feeling like, we have to pick up more alcohol.”
Maggie started back to town, the earlier fog now just an aggravating mist, and she was thankful. Things already were hard enough to see. “You can take the car once we get to the wharf.”
“We’re making sure her truck is there before you run off into the friggin’ ocean.”
“She’ll be there.”
“And if not?”
“Where else would she be? She has to work in the morning.”
“I sure as hell don’t know. She’s your girlfriend. Does she hit any bar in particular?”
“No. Well, maybe Dell’s. She’s not much of—”
“Uh-uh. Thanks to you, lover girl, that ‘not much of a people person’ thing doesn’t apply anymore. I have news for you, big sister. Based on all you’ve told me, you’ve restored one hell of a woman. Captain Ellis Chilton is warm and friendly, incredibly charming, and charismatic as hell. And her touch of shyness is just delicious. If she turns all that loose on the single women on this rock of yours, you’ll lose her.”
Maggie stopped the car on the side of the road. She didn’t need to listen to Rachel yell from three feet away what she’d been telling herself for the past two hours.
“Are you fucking done?”
“No. You’re not going to lose her because you’re going to find her and tell her everything—including that you’re in love with her—and then you’re going to have makeup sex and be late for making me French toast in the morning.”
“French toast? Really.”
“Did I tell you I’m hungry?”
“I am in love with her, Rachel.”
“Hell, I know that. Glad you do. And she’s in love with you. And now she’s out there, zombified because of whatever it was Ms. Big Tits said and what she thinks you didn’t say. It was pretty goddamn evident when she left Tuck’r. You know, as handsome as Ellis is, when she’s blue, it’s written all over that perfect body. And this afternoon, there was a lot to read.”
Maggie lowered her forehead onto the steering wheel, and tears started.
“If I’d only been up front with her. God, she must be crushed.” She sniffed. “None of this would have happened if I hadn’t been so afraid of what she’d think, afraid of another rejection like that devastation back in Tahoe. I’m such an ass.” She sniffed again and turned to Rachel. “Who knows what she’s thinking now?”
“No time for crying.” Rachel handed her tissues from the console. “Drive to the waterfront and find her truck so I can go get food. I’m starving.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
“I’m getting a dog.”
The statement came out of the blue, broke the silence in the galley like a balloon pop. Hank snorted as he refilled their shot glasses, and Ellis nodded, mesmerized by his precision. Not a drop spilled, he set the bottle down with a thud.
“Just shut up and drink.” He inhaled the alcohol fumes off the liquid’s surface.
“I’m going to do it. A medium-sized one—but a good swimmer. Maybe next weekend.” She raised her glass to him and they downed the whiskey in unison.
“Sure you are. What’re you going to do with two dogs? That Lab already runs the Rose. Hell, she patrols the finger piers like a harbormaster, for God’s sake. She knows her way around pretty good. You don’t need another dog.”
“I will. She won’t be around much longer.”
He grumbled as he leaned back. “Jesus Christ. Quit your bellyachin’. You ain’t even talked to the girl about this situation, and look at
cha. You’re sulkin’ down here with an ol’ man, getting sloshed and feelin’ sorry for yourself.”
“You were right, you know. I should’ve been smarter, asked more questions.” She pushed her glass toward him for a refill. “Another newcomer out to make a buck.”
“Hey, we all get our heads turned now ’n then. Human nature. At least she dragged you back into civilization after too many years by yourself. Do you remember the last time you and I did this?”
“Yeah. I do. Don’t go there, Hank.”
“We tied on a good one for your old man that night. You know what he’d do if he was here right now? He’d kick your sorry ass.”
“Couldn’t blame him, could I?”
Hank slapped the table and she jumped. “Fuck it all, Ellis! Smarten up!” He poured another round, shaking his head. “He’d kick some sense into you—and not ’cause you fell for her. She’s got the looks and the smarts and she’s sweet as can be. Shit, even I like her.” He slid the glass back to her. “No, he’d boot your butt ’cause you’re slumped on that bench, whinin’.”
Ellis straightened. She didn’t want to think about her father’s opinion, what his reaction would be to this mess. Another failure on her part. She drank the shot and coughed at the burn.
“Well, I could’ve been smarter. I know that much.” She slid the glass back to him.
“Eh. You’re done.” Hank pushed the glass aside. “There’s no controlling love, kid. Happens to everyone and usually more than once. Can make you plenty stupid, too. And right now you’re stupid and pretty much drunk.” He stood and put the bottle back in its upper cabinet. “Go sleep it off and face tomorrow with a clearer head and your chin up.”
More unsteady on her feet than she liked, Ellis guided herself up the narrow stairs with a palm on each facing wall. She sensed Hank behind her and briefly worried about toppling back down onto him. Finally out on the deck, she stopped at the rail and took time to breathe.
She welcomed the stillness of the Tenn-acious on the harbor’s calm water, and that the withdrawal of the fog brought back the stars. Having lost its earlier humidity, the salty air whispered against her skin, and she filled her lungs again.