House on the Beach

by Linda Barrett

  Interesting but still confusing. “All the time?” she asked, standing very still.

  “And I’m not used to being distracted like that. It’s not a way for a man to live!” He paced in front of her now. “You may not know this, Laura, but after Valerie died, I decided not to allow myself to become involved with a woman.”

  She hadn’t known, but now understood his mixed signals a little better.

  “But you,” he whispered, coming to a halt, “you’re different.” His hand quivered as he raised it to stroke her cheek. “You’re kind. Intelligent. Brave. Honest. And you’re always on my mind. Damn it!”

  Should she laugh or cry? She waited.

  “And the other night, when I kissed you…”

  She remembered all too well. “On the forehead,” she reminded him.

  He winced. “I wanted to do this.” He tilted her face toward him and captured her lips, covering her mouth with a hunger that belied any doubts.

  Instantly her arms locked around his neck, and she answered him with a hunger of her own. Like nothing she’d ever felt before. Like nothing she’d ever imagined. As though from a distance, she heard Matt whisper her name.

  “Yes, I’m here.” She returned his kisses until she had no oxygen left at all.

  And then suddenly, she could breathe again. Matt was staring straight ahead, over her shoulder, a look of horror on his face.

  “You won’t believe this,” he said.

  She felt herself being turned around by Matt’s strong hands. And through the rear windows of the diner, she saw five grown men on their feet looking back at her, arms raised in victory, cheering.

  Heat traveled from her toes to her forehead in three seconds. She felt the burn in her cheeks. “The price you pay for living in a small town.”

  “They’re going to call my dad in no time flat. Let’s give them a real story to tell.” He reached for her again.

  HE’D NEVER HAVE TO KNOW.

  In her kitchen, Laura slathered some cream cheese onto a bagel two hours after she and Matt left The Diner’s parking lot. Each had gone their own way, he to a job and she to the grocery store. She’d absolutely refused to return to the ROMEOs’ table after their group display and now she was starving.

  Surely they’d make love soon, and then he’d know.

  She’d see Matt later that evening—early if she wanted to attend Brian’s game at five o’clock and join the family for pizza afterward. Seemed pizza was a ritual for any evening game.

  A temporary love affair would work for her. Almost two months left on her lease.

  She had a lot of preparation to do for the audition in two weeks. The baseball game would take up too much of her time anyway.

  Temporary? Liar! Her feelings for Matt ran deep. Temporary would not be her choice. Although things might wind up that way…once Matt learned about her illness. Would he stick around?

  The bagel was gone. She hadn’t tasted a bit of it, which was a shame because she’d used regular cream cheese instead of light. Doc Rosen said a few more pounds, hadn’t he?

  So maybe Matt would be okay with a temporary love affair. Not likely. Not based on the way he’d devoured her earlier. His eyes had shone with more than heat. If it wasn’t love, it was close to it.

  Laura slumped in her chair, her lids closing. The two halves of her brain made her head ache with their silent duel of words and rationalizations. There was a chance, of course, that she was concerned about nothing. That Matt would simply take her situation in stride. He was a grown, mature man.

  And maybe cows really did jump over the moon.

  Shoot! There was only one thing to do now. She stood up, changed into running shoes and headed out the back door. She might hit her longest distance yet.

  MATT WAS BACK at Parker Plumbing and Hardware by noon, amazed at how quickly the morning had fled. Or maybe he’d daydreamed the time away as he unstuffed two kitchen sinks and consulted with a home owner about adding a bathroom to his house.

  Daydreaming. Very unlike him. Matt Parker was definitely not a dreamer, day or otherwise. Dreams had been knocked out of him years ago. But this morning, when he turned a wrench, he remembered Laura’s first day at Sea View House when she’d handed him one. The image of her beautiful face and her mass of curls floated in his head as he worked. So what else could he have been doing except daydreaming?

  He parked the van in the lot and spotted the SUV. Good. His dad and sons were already here. Although the family didn’t open the store with him in the early morning, they usually reconnected there at lunchtime. On his way to the shop, he’d picked up a gallon of fish chowder and a dozen sandwiches—food for everyone on his Saturday staff, including his family.

  He was darn lucky that his dad helped with the kids. Their living arrangement worked well for all of them. As he often told Sam, “The kids keep you young, Pop.” To which Sam always replied, “Then why is my hair grayer every day?” But he’d wink and grab whichever boy was closest and give him a hug. Yeah, the Parker men all stood strong together. But with that thought, Matt’s mind suddenly flashed to his younger brother, Jason, and he sighed. Almost all.

  Hands full, he pushed the door open with his shoulder. Business was brisk. Customers were standing in front of both registers, and his two part-time staff who were ringing up sales waved to him without speaking.

  “Hi, ladies.” He raised the lunch bag, and they nodded, eyes brightening. The “Golden” girls, as Blanche and Ethel Gold liked to call themselves, were easy to please. Fresh fish from the cold north Atlantic waters would make their day. In fact, they used to have their own fishing boat, often supplying catch to local restaurants until one day, a storm surprised them. They survived, but their boat didn’t. In deference to their husbands’ howls of anguish, they never replaced the boat.

  Interesting family—the sisters were married to two brothers so they still shared the same last name. Matt didn’t know if they needed the money they earned working for him, or if they just wanted to remain active. He never asked and never would. They were jewels and they’d have a job with him for as long as they wanted.

  Matt moved to the back of the store and into the break room, where Brian and Casey were watching television. Instant noise followed his appearance, and Matt wondered if his kids were excited to see him or if they were simply clamoring for lunch.

  He set the purchases on the table and took out bowls from the closet. This was one lounge that offered real kitchen conveniences—sink, microwave, refrigerator, coffeepot—as well as a couch, perfect for catnaps. Sam had used it more than once and Casey had slept on it many times in the past.

  “Practice starts at four, Dad. You won’t forget to pick me up at the house, will you?” asked Brian.

  “Four?” Matt looked into his son’s earnest face and hated to disappoint him. “I’m sorry. I can’t leave that early. But Grandpa can drive you.”

  Brian shook his head. “Nope. Grandpa and Aunt Ethel and Aunt Blanche are going to close up tonight,” he explained, using courtesy titles for the women who’d known him since he was born. “We figured it out already.”

  “You did?”

  “Yup. Grandpa asked them,” Brian explained. “Because tonight’s special.”

  “It is?”

  “Yeah, Dad. It’s baseball! At night…maybe lights…”

  “And y-y-you have t-t-to pick up Laura!” Casey grinned at him. “Grandpa said so.”

  “He did, did he?” Matt was beginning to see where the conversation was going.

  “Yeah. And Aunt Ethel and Aunt Blanche said so, too.” That was Brian, trying to add weight to the argument.

  Holy Toledo. “We’ll see.” Matt was deliberately noncommittal as he filled their soup bowls. “I’ll have to check it out. Meanwhile, eat up and don’t make a mess. They need me out front.”

  And he needed to speak to Sam.

  But his dad was with a customer, and a moment later so was Matt. Spring always brought out people with home-improve
ment projects on their mind. This was the season for the retail side of his business to make numbers. He carried a full line of tools and home supplies from lightbulbs to mailboxes to table saws.

  It took an hour to get private time with his dad. And not in the break room where the people in his life had ears as big as satellite dishes.

  Sam seemed as delighted with the privacy as Matt and started talking before Matt could say a word.

  “I got a phone call this morning,” began Sam, “from Bart Quinn. He called me from The Diner.” A grin slowly crossed Sam’s face. “Darn! Wish I’d been there.”

  Oh boy. Matt knew exactly what was coming next. And then was shocked to see the grin fade and a tear roll down his dad’s face.

  “What, Pop? What’s upsetting you?” Matt grabbed his father’s arms.

  But Sam just shook his head. “I’d almost given up hope. In four years, you’ve never brought a woman home. Valerie was a wonderful woman, but you can’t mourn forever. You’re still young. You’ve got a life ahead of you. And the boys… Well, a mom would be great for them.”

  “But we’re all right, Pop.”

  Sam nodded. “We survive. Parents and children together. But there’s more out there for you. And you’ve got to reach for it.”

  Now his dad grabbed Matt’s arms. “Listen to me, son. I know you’re afraid, but if Laura’s the right one, take the chance!” Sam’s grip remained strong. “Because if she is the right one, you’ll have a second chance for a wonderful life. And this time, hopefully, a long one together. Filled with passion and trust. Like your mom and I had. The kind Bart Quinn had with his Rosemary. The kind Lou Goodman still has with Pearl. Grab the chance, Matthew. This is what I’ve been praying for.”

  Matt froze, stunned at Sam’s fervor. Seemed his quiet dad could hide his feelings very well. Until his son was affected. Until he thought his child needed him. Would Matt feel any less emotion about the welfare of his own sons? He pictured Brian in his mind’s eye. He pictured Casey. And his heart swelled with love and pride and wonder. He’d protect them with his life.

  “I hear you, Pop,” he whispered, and felt Sam’s hold relax. Then he added, “I can’t get her out of my mind.”

  “That’s the way it starts,” said Sam, a faraway look in his eyes.

  “She’s…she’s…wonderful! And this morning at The Diner…”

  “I heard it was the parking lot, to be exact,” Sam interrupted with a twinkle.

  “The ROMEOs and their cell phones,” groaned Matt. “Did they call the whole town?”

  “Now, now,” Sam soothed as though comforting a child. “They’ve got your best interests at heart.”

  Matt’s imagination soared. The image of his dad’s cohorts at The Diner that morning cheering in the window…the mental picture of Bart Quinn’s big fingers trying to punch numbers on a cell phone “no bigger than a leprechaun’s toe”…the tactile memory of holding Laura in his arms…her shock and blush when she saw the “boys”…

  He started to chuckle. The movie reel running in his mind played over and over. His chuckles grew into waves of laughter emanating from deep inside his belly.

  “I’m sure you’re right, Dad,” he finally replied when he could speak again. “My best interests. Just make sure they’ve got Laura’s best interests at heart, too.”

  BY THE END of the first inning, Laura was enjoying herself immensely. A perfect evening for baseball. The setting sun was a bright orange ball in the darkening sky, and an evening breeze carried the fragrance of new grass, the promise of spring. At the end of March, it also held a chill. She was glad she’d worn a jacket.

  She could have been sitting in the bleachers of Anytown, U.S.A., for a typical family night of Little League baseball. Loads of parents, friends, and little brothers and sisters roamed the sidelines or sat and watched. Some adults had brought their own, more comfortable, lawn chairs. Laura shifted on the hard bench. Next time, so would she. Next time…

  Of course, sitting beside Matt and watching Brian catch a fly ball made the experience more special. She cheered with the rest of the team’s supporters whenever any of the kids did something right. And her heart tugged whenever a child dropped the ball. The poor kids’ faces were masks of disappointment for every error they made. They took it so seriously that Laura started to call, “Next time, honey. Next time, sweetheart.”

  Matt turned to her, brows raised. “Honey? Sweetheart?”

  She jabbed him. “Well, they’re so young. And they’re trying so hard.”

  He hugged her in return and started naming the players. She’d never remember them all tonight, but maybe in time…

  She surveyed the area for Casey and Katie, and spotted them behind the dugout, noses pressed against the fence. “Seems your niece is as excited about the game as your sons are.”

  “She’d never allow herself to be left out,” Matt said. “She’s a great kid, too.”

  “Spoken like an unbiased uncle,” she teased.

  Matt’s arm came around her, and he hauled her against him. “You questioning my objectivity?”

  She nodded against his chest. “You bet.”

  “Well, you should!” He leaned down, his lips meeting hers in a quick kiss, causing her heart to ricochet.

  She loved feeling his arm around her as though they belonged together, and she was going to enjoy it. She wasn’t going to worry anymore. No promises had been made, no vows given. Just as she had acquired her own history, Matt also came with a series of relationships and events from which sprang a myriad of attitudes. If she focused only on the baggage they both had, she’d drive herself crazy and miss the good times.

  She and Matt were still at the beginning stages of their relationship. The exploration stage. They could break apart over something totally unrelated to her past illness. From now on, she wasn’t going to worry.

  She tilted her head back. “Want to kiss me again?”

  He obliged immediately, and kept his arm around her, as well. Laura couldn’t think of a better way to enjoy the game.

  By the end of the evening, her brain was full of names and images of everyone she’d met during the game and afterward at Three P’s Pizza.

  All the three P’s stood for, Matt had explained, was Polini’s Pizza Parlor, but Benny Polini thought the name was a good conversation piece for his restaurant. Got people talking. Privately, Laura thought the place should have just been called “Benny’s,” because every kid and parent who patronized it after the game said, “Hi, Benny,” as soon as they walked in.

  “So, who gets to carry the pitchers of free drinks tonight?” Benny asked.

  And Laura learned that the teams were provided with unlimited soft drinks while their coaches paid for the pizza.

  “Great rewards for coaching,” she joked to Matt at their table. “They give their time and their money!”

  “And you’re donating your time to the library,” Matt reminded her.

  She nodded. “Yesterday was great. I think I got more out of it than the children did.”

  Matt smiled. “That’s the best kind of volunteering. We all do a little. Dad and I donate repair services or materials to low-income folks who are trying to get by. The ROMEOs somehow find out about families slipping through the cracks of government services.”

  “So Pilgrim Cove has its social problems, too,” said Laura. “I was beginning to wonder.”

  “You haven’t been here long enough to know. But trust me, there aren’t any money trees growing in our backyards.”

  An hour later, Matt walked her to the front door of Sea View House while his older son remained in the van. Sam had taken Casey with him to drop Katie off at her house.

  “Did we wear you out?” Matt asked as she turned the key in the lock.

  Laura laughed. “I had a great time.”

  “Not a very glamorous date, though. Not by Boston standards.”

  She couldn’t miss the question in his voice and tilted her head to see him better unde
r the porch light. “Pilgrim Cove is growing on me.” A quiet statement.

  His eyes warmed. “Good,” he whispered. “Want to join us for dinner tomorrow night? Probably a barbecue at the house.”

  She hesitated.

  “Or have you had enough of us?” he added. “I understand. It’s okay.”

  Squeezing his hand, she shook her head. “I can handle you. But, Matt, have you considered that maybe your family needs time? Not only time to get used to me being around, but also your undivided time and attention. The kids are used to having you to themselves. Especially on a Sunday.”

  She could see him processing her words before he replied. “They’re also used to me going out on emergency calls sometimes, but I see your point.” He sighed. “I just don’t want to imagine complications where there aren’t any.”

  “Believe me, Matt, I’m the last person on earth who wants complications. But we’re not sixteen and seventeen anymore. And life is more complex. We both know that.” She reached up to stroke his cheek. “Let’s take it one day at a time,” she whispered. “I’ve found that it works for me.”

  He grasped her hand and kissed her palm, then leaned down and kissed her on the mouth with a passion that rocked her senses. She lifted to her toes, pressing for more.

  “One day at a time, huh?” Matt finally rasped when he raised his head an inch. “Then we’re starting on Day Ten.” He kissed her short and hard once more and loped back to the van.

  She watched him go, then caught a glimpse of Brian pulling back from the side window, a very curious expression on his face.

  CHAPTER NINE

  CASEY PARKER’S STOMACH HURT. He hated three o’clock every school day, but Fridays were the worst. And today was going to be especially bad. Two of his regular buddies were absent. They were both throwing up from a virus, which sounded pretty good to Casey. It was better than throwing up because they were scared—like he was.

  He really liked Ms. Mosely, but she said goodbye at the classroom door and then the fifth-grade monitors walked the class to the bus. He wished Brian was one of the monitors. He could always count on his brother to help him out on the hundred-mile walk. That’s what he called it in his mind. The hundred-mile walk.