by Ellen Joy
As she climbed on board, she held her face low. She walked down the aisle and took a seat in the back, then scanned the view out the nearest window.
Outside, the clouds swept across the sky as the wind picked up, stirring the sediments along the ground up into the air. A flag whipped its rope against a metal pole in a fitful, dinging rhythm. Rachael’s heart pounded as though it was trying to break out of her chest.
“Start the bus,” she whispered under her breath. Weren’t they supposed to be leaving by now? An elderly woman boarded, stepping down the aisle and taking a seat three rows in front of her. A few more passengers climbed aboard.
From the corner of her eye, she saw a uniformed police officer walk down the bus terminal. She tilted her head down, pretending to look at her phone, but kept her good eye on him. He walked along the row of buses, hands resting on his belt. Her phone trembled in her hands as her throat dried up. Her head throbbed with her racing heartbeat.
“Let’s go.” The words growled out of her. A heavyset man in the bus company’s uniform climbed the steps and sunk into the driver’s seat as he closed the door. Was that police officer looking at her?
Once they hit the highway, the skies opened up and rain pounded down. Signs blurred by her for the first hour or so. It continued all the way through New Hampshire and obscured a glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean. A dense fog covered most of the water in a veil of gray.
The bus practically emptied out after stopping in Portland, and after a few more towns along the way, only Rachael remained. This far north, Rachael’s TracFone couldn’t pick up a decent signal. Her plans may have hit a speed bump, but Rachael would make do. She’d have to.
The pounding rain lulled her to sleep, but once her eyes slipped closed, Nick’s face flashed in her head, startling her awake. With her jacket sleeve, she wiped the fog off the window. A “Welcome to Camden Cove” sign passed by as the bus pulled into a small station. Even in the rain, the seaside town looked the way she remembered. Quaint shingled buildings lined the street, with touristy shops only found next to the ocean. On a clear day, the view would be magnificent. But she hadn’t really come to this tiny seaside town in the middle of nowhere for its views.
She gathered her things as the engine hissed to a stop, popping out of her seat.
“Visiting?” The driver stood at the driver’s seat, waiting for her as she walked down the aisle.
She nodded, throwing her backpack over her shoulders.
“Hope you booked a place to stay for the night. Most places up here close during the off season.”
“Thanks for the tip.” She kept her eyes on the ground as she passed by him, descending the stairs. “Where could I grab a bite to eat?”
“There’s few places down Harbor Lane. You’ll want to take a right when you go out of the station, then swing a left on Main Street.” He followed her out. “Tell them Phil sent you.”
“Will do.” She made sure to only show her good side.
Walking out of the bus station, she stopped at the corner of the street. Her empty stomach rumbled from the mention of food. When was the last time she had eaten? A place to sit down and figure things out sounded perfect right then. She protectively rubbed the wallet she had tied around her waist underneath her shirt. Her whole life savings, dangerously open to the world.
The streets were practically empty as she ran through the puddles trying to find anything that looked open. Did Phil tell her left, or right? Where were all the restaurants and hotels the website promised?
She wished she remembered where the tavern was located. Finn’s Tavern would be open, but she wasn’t ready to go there. Not yet.
Soon, she came across a parking lot with cars parked in front of a restaurant that had lights on — The Fish Market. But even from the outside, she knew the brown-shingled building wasn’t a place she could afford on her very limited budget. There had to be a better option. Anything. But the rain made visibility poor, and from where she stood, nothing else seemed open. The whole town appeared deserted.
They had to have at least a soup she could afford. She hesitated, but for only a second. It was warmer and drier in there than out here in the icy autumn rain that fell in sheets, soaking her to the bone.
As soon as she stepped inside, the warm air wrapped around her like a plush blanket. She pulled off her hood and noticed a puddle forming on the floor underneath her. Scanning the room, the whole restaurant faced a man standing on top of a bench, giving a toast.
Oh, God. Was it a wedding?
Strands of wet hair clung to her face. She wiped it away from her eyes and saw the whole place hanging on the man’s words. They all laughed at the same moment, and the woman next to him dabbed a tissue at her eyes. A beautiful bride embraced a happy groom.
It was a wedding.
Just as she felt her fingers again, she noticed a very attractive man staring at her. His eyes held a warmth that broke her chill.
From behind, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around to see a boy in his teens. He pointed to a closed sign she had just caught sight of. “Excuse me, ma’am, but we’re closed.”
“Oh, the wedding,” she moaned, and looked out the window to the dark, wet, night. “Is there any other place close by?”
She doubted it.
Oh, god, the man with the eyes moved his way toward her. Why did he look angry?
JACK WILLIAMS STOOD at the back of the dining room and just watched the crowd. He had everything under control. The whole event had gone off without a hitch. His sister and new brother-in-law had been completely happy with the impromptu location at his restaurant. The tropical storm brought heavy rains which ruined their plans for an outdoor wedding, but he had impressed the crowd, nonetheless.
His sister, Elizabeth, glowed as she walked around the room, greeting guests. She’d wave, then squeal and hug each person as her new husband, Adam, followed behind. Adam’s daughter, Lucy, ran around the room and told stories of the animals on the farm where they all lived happily together.
It was enough to make someone believe in true love.
A half laugh escaped him as he glanced at his brother Matt sitting with his wife, Justine. He still needed to get used to the fact that those two were married. He looked away as soon as Justine snuck a glance toward him, walking away before any contact was made. He decided on a new location to observe the festivities away from his sister-in-law.
White linen covered all the tables, with bouquets of sunflowers, brown-eyed Susans and chrysanthemums. Decorative gourds scattered the tables around framed photographs of the couple. His sister Lauren and mom had spent hours decorating the place, going through old family photo albums of Elizabeth and the family, and asking Adam’s family to do the same. Jack had thought they’d overdone it with all the time and effort they had put in, but he now admitted that people enjoyed seeing the images. Of course, they messed with Elizabeth and had secretly moved all the awkward teenage pictures of her in braces to the wedding party’s table. His little sister didn’t seem to enjoy it as much as they did.
“Seriously, you guys?” she rolled her eyes as Adam told her how beautiful she looked.
They were that annoying couple.
“Is the dessert ready to go?” His mother, Sarah, snuck up beside him. She couldn’t control herself, he thought, reminding himself of how helpful she could be, even with all her overbearing tendencies. His parents had retired, and left the family restaurant to him, but they never quite took the plunge. He loved them. He really did. But he had moved back to Camden Cove to run the restaurant, not to have his mom looking over his shoulder while he made dinners.
“Everything’s all set.” He guided his mother back toward the dining room. “Go back and enjoy your daughter’s wedding.”
“Do you have the gluten-free cupcakes for your cousin Joey’s son?”
“Yes, of course.”
She rattled off another few questions as he steered her through the tables. Busboys cleaned up the fi
nished plates of cake, and the servers refilled drinks. She knew the dinner had been a success. She just couldn’t control herself.
Jack had outdone himself by creating an updated version of a traditional New England dinner. Instead of bland haddock, he had lobster served with a creamy lemon-herb butter sauce over fresh pasta. Filet mignon from local beef replaced the usual slab of prime rib. Jack spiced up the sedate flavors common in New England food with just the right twist, creating meals rivaling any featured in big-city restaurants.
Jack’s natural talent in the kitchen was the reason why the restaurant had become a landmark in the small seaside harbor town. Not that his parents hadn’t done well with the family business, but they certainly didn’t bring it to the level he had. He was the reason people drove up from the city to dine in the restaurant everyone was talking about. He enjoyed the success, but he knew better than anyone how finicky the restaurant business could be.
He had grown up in this business, watching his parents run the restaurant. They worked their butts off to keep it a success, year after year, but they weren’t willing to take risks. He was. He didn’t have four children. In fact, he didn’t have time to even imagine a family.
After dessert was served and the drinks refilled, John Williams, patriarch of the family, stood on a bench along the windows, delighting the crowd. The guests immediately took their silverware and clinked their glasses. His sister kissed Adam.
His father held up his drink toward Adam and Elizabeth, who beamed below him. His sister had never looked so happy. She looked stunning as a bride. And Adam wasn’t such a bad guy. When he had heard about the newcomer he had been apprehensive, but he turned out to be a great fit for the family.
From beside him, Matt handed Jack a frosted glass of pale ale. “Another one bites the dust.”
“Tell me about it.” Jack shook his head at the thought of his baby sister Lauren getting married someday. “The lobsters were great.”
His brother, the fisherman, along with his cousins, had supplied all the lobster for the night.
“Any time, brother.” Matt slapped him on the back and toasted Jack’s glass. He took a sip of his beer and leaned against the bar. “So, we’re drinking to...?”
“Love, or maybe sacrifice?”
“Our Elizabeth,” Matt whispered, as John started his speech.
“Do you want to get drunk?” Jack shook his head.
“Thirty-five years ago, when I first met Sarah, little did I know how much my life was about to change.” John captured the audience.
“Family,” Lauren said. The youngest Williams wedged her way through the crowd to the bar with her siblings. The traditional drinking game had started long before both girls were of legal age, one Christmas Eve when their dad gave a particularly long speech. Now whenever John got up to talk, which happened at most family events, they would choose a word.
“That’s a good one,” Matt said.
“Matt!” Justine hissed from their table. “Are you coming back?”
Jack swore Justine could freeze someone with just one look.
Matt faced Jack and rolled his eyes, but grabbed his drink to go. “Family, right?”
“Family,” Jack repeated. He was annoyed with Justine, but she was Matt’s problem now, not his.
“I never thought about the future until that moment, and even then, I hardly thought about having a family.” John rambled on as the three Williams siblings took a drink. “But the night we had our first child, Jack, I realized I had better start. And so we did all the right things. We started saving for college and bought a house. We took out life insurance. Soon, there was Matt, and more planning. But it wasn’t until Elizabeth was born that something about that future frightened me more than anything else in my life. And no matter how much planning I did, I would never be prepared for it. The day I would have to walk her down the aisle and give her away.” He paused, choking up. The crowd made an, “ahh” which John countered with, “I’m not crying.” The crowd laughed, and he returned to his story. “How could I ever give her to another? Who would ever love her more than Sarah and I? Would they cherish the simple things in life together? Or complicate things, like it’s so easy to do? Would they understand the importance of family?”
They drank again.
“And would this man take care of Sarah and I in our old age?” He winked at Adam, making the crowd laugh again. “For thirty years, I have been praying this day would never have to come.” Their father took a dramatic pause. “But in the end, I didn’t have to worry about a thing. Sarah and I may have given our daughter away today, but we gained a son and granddaughter in return.”
John took a breath as the crowd watched the happy couple, and lifted his drink to the crowd. “To family!”
“To family!” the crowd echoed, as the three Williams siblings all tapped their glasses together and took another drink.
Jack finished the rest of his beer. As his father continued on, the bell on the restaurant’s front door jingled. Had he forgotten to put up the closed sign?
Over in the lobby, a woman stood dripping from head to toe onto his newly refurbished wood floor. At first, he was amused by the dripping-wet woman, as if she had stepped out of a comedy sketch. Then completely annoyed that she continued to stand there, dripping water all over the floors, until she looked up, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.
One of the busboys gestured toward the closed sign, but the woman looked exhausted, and cold, and her hood did little to keep the wetness out. Her clothes were soaked through. He couldn’t make out what she was saying, but the kid shook his head, gesturing to the dining room, following Jack’s orders to keep out the public. But he hadn’t meant to push a poor woman back onto the street in a storm. He left the reception as his dad continued talking about the early years at the restaurant, and walked over.
“Hold up, Cody,” Jack said as he came up behind the waiter. “Excuse me, is there something I can help you with tonight?”
The woman looked up at him. Her face caught the light, and that’s when he saw her eye. He almost reached out when he noticed the bruise ran down side of her face. “Are you okay?”
Her face fell and his heart with it. “I was just looking for a place to eat. I didn’t mean to interrupt the wedding. I should leave.” She turned around abruptly, but her feet slipped out from under her on the wet floor, and she fell backward.
Jack rushed in, grabbing her just in time before she hit the floor, holding her in his arms. She trembled, but before he could help her up, she pulled herself out of his grasp and stepped away from him.
“Thanks,” she said, her voice barely audible.
Jack stepped closer to her. He hadn’t seen a welt like that since senior year on Brain Devine when he got kicked in the face by his family’s donkey.
Thunder rumbled outside. “Do you need help? Did you get in an accident?”
“I’m fine.” She lifted her hand, covering her eye, using her coat sleeve as a shield. “I’ll be out of your way.”
An urge washed over him to wrap his arms around her to stop her shivering. But her eyes had a storm brewing, bigger than the one outside.
She reached for the door handle and Jack sputtered out, “You can grab something to eat here, if you’d like?” She stopped, but kept her hand on the door handle. “I’ve got plenty of extra plates, unless you don’t like lobster.”
She didn’t look at him as she spoke. “I’m afraid I can’t afford a place like this.”
“It’s no problem. Come in and at least dry off before going back out there,” he offered, hoping she’d stay. “There’s a place where my staff takes their breaks, where you can eat alone. The food’s just going to go to waste, anyways.”
“I’m not broke. I just wasn’t planning on having a lobster course.” She kept her gaze low.
“Seriously, come in. Don’t go back out there.”
She hesitated, but stepped further inside. He put his hand on the back of her w
et coat, and he felt her twitch as she moved forward, out of his reach.
He led her up the stairs to the loft area, where private dinners were held. Romantic dates, business ventures, and proposals all happened right there, overlooking the water. He grabbed a set of linens and silverware for the table, setting it as she sat.
“Seriously, you don’t have to do this. I can just go to another place.” She looked around. “It looks like you’re sort of busy.”
He smiled at her. “It’s not a problem.”
She looked over the railing of the balcony. “That’s a big wedding.”
“It’s my sister’s wedding.”
“Oh, wow.” She stretched her neck to see further.
“Would you believe it was originally a four-hundred-person guest list? My little sister was in charge of the invitations, and didn’t want to exclude anybody.”
He wasn’t sure, but he thought he had seen a slight smile.
He set down a knife and fork and held out his hand. “I’m Jack.”
She didn’t extend hers at first, but eventually pulled it out from underneath the bag that sat on her lap. Her hand felt like ice, and although it still trembled, her grip was firm. When she let go, she stuffed it under the bag again. He waited for her to offer her name, but when she didn’t, he didn’t push it.
“Right, well, I’ll be back with something from the kitchen.”
“Thanks. Really.” Her eyes flickered with sincerity and a bit of sadness, before she looked out over the railing again.
He raced to the kitchen to throw another plate together, suddenly wanting to know her name more than anything else in the world.
RACHAEL FELT HIM CHECKING her bruise, but not in a curious way like the guy at the bus station, but more in a concerned way, like a doctor examining a patient. But concerned or not, she didn’t want him to scrutinize her face. The smart thing to do would be to leave, but she was so cold, and he was so kind. Something about him made her want to stay.