3
Tia’s fear of an air disaster turned out to be completely unfounded. In fact, she actually sort of enjoyed the uneventful flight. Well, up until that brief frightening moment when she honestly thought the plane was going straight down into the gleaming blue San Francisco Bay. Thankfully, they landed perfectly on the strip. The flight attendant explained that the airport was almost surrounded by water and added, “It often catches first-time flyers by surprise.”
By the time Tia was strolling toward baggage claim, she was feeling rather happy and festive. She’d made it here! No problem. She turned on her phone as she waited at the carousel. Not surprisingly, she had a text from her aunt, sent while she’d been in flight. But as soon as she started to read it, she knew something was wrong. Very wrong.
Headed to hospital. Roland. Very bad. Pray. Call me.
Tia said a silent prayer for her uncle as she hit the speed dial for Julie’s phone. Please, let him be okay—please, don’t let him die. She knew that her desperate prayer was partly selfish. If Roland had died from a heart attack, she knew that Julie would be shattered. Her boat restaurant venture would come to a screeching halt. And who could blame her?
“Tia,” Julie said eagerly. “You’re here!”
“How’s Roland? What happened?”
“He’s okay. Well, okay is an overstatement. Poor guy! He’d been feeling a little off all day. But we were out at the marina and neither of us paid much attention to his symptoms. A couple hours ago, he started having severe chest pains and we knew it was serious. Fortunately, the paramedics got there fast.”
“So he’s okay?”
“Well, aside from needing a quadruple bypass.”
“Oh, wow.” Julie watched baggage sliding onto the carousel. “I guess he’s lucky to be alive.”
“That’s for sure. His surgery isn’t scheduled until Monday, but the doctor wants to keep him here over the weekend. Just to be safe.”
“Yes, that sounds wise.” Tia went to snatch her bag from the carousel. “You must be relieved. I mean, that he’s in good hands now. Not that he had a heart attack.”
“Well, we knew there was a problem. He was scheduled to see the cardiologist next week.” She let out a loud sigh. “But you’re right, I am relieved. And feeling pretty thankful too. I don’t know what I’d have done if he’d died. It was really touch-and-go there for a while. But enough about that. Where are you? Did your ride find you yet?”
“My ride?”
“Yes. When I realized I couldn’t make it to the airport, I asked an employee to pick you up. He’s my boat captain. Leonard. You should see him holding up a sign with your name on it somewhere.”
“Oh . . .” Tia glanced around the crowded baggage claim area, imagining a rough-looking, gray-haired fellow in a captain’s hat.
“I better go,” Julie said quickly. “Roland needs me.”
“Okay.”
“Just look for the sign, Tia. You’ll be in good hands.”
“Tell Roland I’m praying for him.” As she slipped her phone into her bag, she noticed a white placard with her name printed clearly across the front. But it was the tall, sandy-haired man holding the card that got her attention as she waved at him.
“Tia D’Amico?” he asked politely as he joined her. “Julie Sheffield sent me to pick you up.” He paused to study her more closely, a look of realization washing over his face. “Are you the same Tia, the one from sailing camp—about ten years ago?”
She felt speechless as she nodded silently.
“The girl who liked to cook.” His ocean blue eyes grew wide with wonder. “Seriously?”
She smiled. “Yeah. And you’re Leo.”
“Wow.” He reached over to pick up her big bag. “This is amazing. You’re Julie’s niece? The cook for her big restaurant project?”
“And you’re the captain?” Tia felt like she was walking on air as they made their way toward the doors.
“I am for this summer. I told her I’d see how it went. And after hearing about Roland, I’m already having my doubts.” They paused outside, waiting for a break in the traffic before crossing the street.
“It’s a pretty big venture to take on,” she said, trying to sound calmer than she felt about being there with him. It was all so amazing—like a wonderful dream. “My uncle—he runs a restaurant too—he has some serious doubts. But I’m ready to give it my best shot. I just feel badly for Roland.”
“Yeah.” He linked his arm in hers, ushering her across the busy street with him. “They were lucky to get to the hospital when they did.” To her disappointment, he released her arm on the other side of the street. Pointing to his left, he explained that his car was over there.
“I’m still sort of shocked to meet up with you again,” she said nervously. “I mean, it’s kind of crazy, don’t you think?”
Leo nodded. “Threw me for a loop. But now that I think about it, I’m putting the puzzle pieces together.”
“How so?” she asked.
“Well, Julie and Roland go to the same church as my parents. My mom told Julie how I’d been working as a ferry boat captain, but my boat got retired. That’s when Julie called me. What I didn’t know was that the new cook—Julie and Roland’s niece—was that girl from sailing camp.” He laughed. “Small world, huh?”
“I’ll say.”
He stopped by a Jeep Wrangler with the top down. “I hope your bag will fit in my trunk.” He reached to open the small space, then managed to cram her suitcase into it. “Your carry-on too?” He held out his hand.
“Why don’t we just throw it in the back?” she suggested.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you. Julie insisted I keep her reservation at Le Bernard tonight. And we don’t want to leave anything valuable in an open vehicle.”
“Okay.” She eagerly handed him her bag. “See if it fits.”
“There.” He gave it a firm shove, then slammed the trunk closed. “Hopefully you don’t have anything fragile in there.”
She smiled. “No worries.”
He paused to carefully look at her. “You look really nice, Tia. I hope you don’t mind riding in the Jeep.”
She laughed. “Not at all!”
“I know some girls don’t like getting all windblown. I probably should’ve put the top on, but it was so nice today.”
“Really,” she assured him. “I like it.”
“Cool.” He grinned as they got in and he started the engine. “I still can’t believe it. You and me meeting up again after all these years.”
“I know.” She shook her head. “Crazy.”
As he navigated his way out of the parking lot, she called her dad, telling him she had arrived safely and also about Roland and his scheduled surgery. “Julie is still with him in the hospital.”
“So what are you doing? Getting a taxi to Julie’s place?”
“Julie sent her boat captain to pick me up,” she explained. “And ironically, he was someone I already knew.” She glanced over at Leo, feeling a thrill rush through her as she watched his sandy hair blowing in the breeze. “A guy I met at sailing camp. You know, that summer I spent at Julie’s. Anyway, his parents are friends of Roland and Julie. Funny, huh?”
They talked a bit longer, then Tia wrapped up their conversation, probably faster than she normally would. She was anxious to learn more about Leo. She turned to study him more carefully as she put her phone away. “You haven’t changed much,” she told him. “I mean, you look a little older. But I would’ve recognized you anywhere.”
He grinned. “You sound like my mom. It’s what she calls my boyish good looks.” Stopping for a red light, he turned to look at her. “You’ve changed some. Not in a bad way. But you’ve definitely grown up.”
She suppressed the urge to laugh. Good thing he hadn’t seen her yesterday—dressed in her shabby chef’s outfit and before Deanna’s makeover. “So you were a captain on a ferry boat? That sounds interesting.”
“It was more in
teresting at first. I have to admit it got a little boring doing the same route day after day. When the ferry got retired, I started to wonder if I should head back to school and finish my law degree.”
“Is that what you want to do?”
“Not exactly.” He frowned. “I quit college short of my master’s. My folks weren’t too pleased, but pursuing a degree I didn’t plan to use felt wrong to me. I love being on the water—it’s where I feel most alive. During high school and my four years of college, I spent every summer working on boats. Got my captain’s license when I was twenty-one. Went to work on the ferry right after I graduated.”
“That’s impressive that you got your captain’s license. When Julie told me I was being picked up by her yacht captain, I imagined this old dude with a skipper’s hat, a grisly beard, and a corncob pipe.” She laughed.
“My little sister actually got me a corncob pipe for Christmas one year.” He laughed too. “Haven’t tried it out, though.”
“I think it’s great you’re pursuing your dreams,” she said. “I get that. I only did two years of college. My dad wanted me to be a CPA, just like him. All because I won a mental math contest in fifth grade.” She laughed. “Can you imagine?”
“Actually, I can. My dad’s an attorney. He assumed I would follow in his footsteps.”
“What’s up with that? Parents thinking they should direct our futures? What happens if we end up in careers we hate?”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll admit I wanted to please my dad. But after a couple years, I realized it was a total waste of time and money. I’d rather cook beans than count them.”
He chuckled. “And I’d rather eat beans—well, as long as I could be outside on the water—than be stuck in a law firm.”
She laughed. “The upside for me was that taking those accounting classes convinced me that I really wanted to be a chef. My dad was concerned at first, but he grew up in the family restaurant. So he sort of got it. He knew I loved to cook.”
“A family restaurant? That sounds interesting.”
She told him about D’Amico’s and a bit of its history. “As a little girl, all I wanted was to grow up to work there. Everyone thought it was just a phase. But I think it was in my genes.”
He chuckled. “Maybe that’s my trouble too. My grandfather captained a cutter in the Navy—during Korea. Must’ve got his DNA, but it skipped a generation because my dad doesn’t even like boats.”
“Same thing with my dad. He has absolutely no interest in the restaurant—well, aside from balancing the books. And it’s probably good he doesn’t want to be in the kitchen. A family restaurant can only support so many people.”
Leo got quiet, but she was so nervous and happy that she just kept on chattering. “It was actually harder to leave the restaurant than I expected it would be. I mean, I really thought I was over our little town and ready for a change. But when it came right down to it, I was sad to go. But at the same time I wanted something new.” She glanced at Leo, still absorbing the fact that this was the boy who kissed her in the bowsprit. Did he even remember that day? “Now that I’m here, I don’t regret it a bit.”
“Even if it all falls apart?” He exited the freeway, heading into the city.
“Falls apart?”
“You know . . . with Roland and everything.”
“Oh, yeah.” The seriousness of her uncle’s health situation came crashing down on her. “I guess that would change things.”
“I was talking to my mom before I left to pick you up. She has serious doubts that Julie will continue with the boat project if Roland’s not well . . . or if by some chance he doesn’t make it.”
“Yeah, I had the same thought. Quadruple bypass surgery sounds very serious.”
“He’s got a bunch of folks praying for him.” Leo turned down Market Street. “Including me.”
“Me too,” she declared.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get you down.” He stopped for a traffic light and turned to look at her. “I’m sure he’s going to be fine. Julie said that he was out of pain now. And she insisted we shouldn’t worry about him tonight. She made me promise to be sure you have a good time. So let’s just send our prayers and good thoughts to Roland, then concentrate on making your first night in San Francisco as welcoming as possible.”
“Sounds good to me.” She took a deep breath, admiring the architecture of the tall old buildings illuminated by the golden light in the western sky. “San Francisco is such a beautiful city. For some reason it makes me feel right at home.”
“Maybe because for a big city, it’s not really that big.”
“Oh, it’s big to me,” she admitted. “My hometown is tiny. Population less than fifteen thousand.”
“Wow, that is small. Where is it?”
“Norton, Washington,” she told him. “You probably never heard of it. About three hours northeast of Seattle.”
He drove a couple of blocks before entering what looked like a private parking garage for some kind of law firm, slipping a card into the machine and waiting for the gate to open. “My dad’s an attorney here. He lets me use his spare ID card when I come down here during off hours. Easier than trying to find a closer place on a Friday night. And you can never fully trust valet parking.”
“Is the restaurant nearby?” she asked as they got out.
“Not exactly.” He reached into the backseat to pull out a tan sport coat, hooking it over his arm. “Ready?”
“I am.”
He looked down at her delicate-looking shoes. “Mind walking a few blocks?”
“Not at all,” she assured him.
“I think San Francisco is putting on her best face for you tonight,” he said as they emerged from the garage. “Pretty balmy for us.”
Tia took in a deep breath as they walked down the street, looking all around and trying to soak in all the elements of the cityscape. The sun was low in the sky and the clouds on the horizon seemed to be promising a pretty sunset. Perfect . . . everything was just perfect. Like a fairy tale.
“Mind riding the cable car?” he asked as they reached Powell Street.
“Really?” she said with as much excitement as she’d felt ten years ago.
“It’ll be quicker.”
“And more fun,” she added as they went over to wait by the turnaround. About a dozen other people were already gathered there. Most looked like tourists. Even though Tia knew she was a tourist of sorts, it was fun to pretend she was a resident like Leo, out on the town. Really, wasn’t she?
Before long the clang-clang-clang of the bell announced that the cable car was coming and suddenly people were pouring out of it. With Leo’s help, Tia climbed on board. “Want an outside seat?” he asked.
“You bet,” she said.
He paid their fares, then joined her on the old wooden bench that faced out from the car. “I like the wind in my face,” he said as he sat next to her.
“This is just perfect.”
“There’s Union Square.” He pointed to the park as they passed by.
“As I recall, there’s some good shopping around here,” she said as they clattered along.
“Yeah. Your aunt’s probably the expert in that department.” He pointed again. “See the Transamerica Pyramid?”
“Oh, yeah.” She nodded eagerly.
“And if you look really quick down California Street, you might catch a glimpse of Chinatown Gate.” He put his face close to hers, pointing down the intersection. She nodded, although she couldn’t really see it. But she enjoyed feeling his face so close to hers. Everything about this evening felt magical and amazing, like she was starring in some fabulously romantic movie that she hoped would never end.
“We get off at the next stop,” he announced as the car slowed down. It had barely stopped when he leaped off, reaching out to help her down. But as her feet hit the pavement, her heel caught on something and she felt herself tumbling—straight into his arms.
“Wow,
” he said as he helped her to stand. “That was close.”
“Thanks.” She put her hand on his chest, getting her bearings. “I’m glad I didn’t do a face-plant on my first night in San Francisco. Very unbecoming.”
“Not to mention painful.” He reached for her arm, hooking his into it as he guided her across the street and down about a block, finally stopping in front of what resembled a lovely Parisian café, complete with black-and-white striped awnings and lots of curly black ironwork. “Well, here we are. Le Bernard.”
To her disappointment, he unhooked his arm when they came to the door. Standing next to the outside dining area, she checked out the small round marble-topped tables lined up alongside the restaurant. There was only room for six tables, and all of them were filled, mostly with couples, sipping wine and enjoying the sunset-painted sky. She realized Leo had released her arm in order to tuck in his pale blue oxford shirt and pull on the tan sport coat he’d been carrying. He grinned as he retrieved a navy striped tie from the pocket. “It’s required here.” Struggling to get it under his collar, he grimaced as he fumbled with the twisted tie. “Stupid things. I avoid them as much as possible.”
“Can I help?” she offered.
“Seriously?” His eyes lit up. “You know how to tie a tie?”
“Yep. Been doing it for my dad since I was a kid.”
He held his hands to his sides and leaned forward. “Go for it.”
She took her time straightening the tie inside his collar. She enjoyed feeling this closeness with him, relishing every step of the process until she got the knot just perfect. “There,” she proclaimed, stepping back to admire her work. “Stunning.” And she wasn’t exaggerating. Leo could make the cover of GQ.
“Thank you.” He smiled at her. “So are you.”
All Summer Long Page 3