House on the Beach

by Linda Barrett

  “It’s part of your new beginning.” He reached for her again and led her to the floor just as the Chief and Dee approached them.

  “Congratulate me, Matthew!” Rick said, urging the foursome to the side of the room. “Dee’s finally allowing me to make an honest woman of her.”

  The jocular words couldn’t hide the shine in Rick’s eyes when he looked at his new fiancé. “And it only took five years!” he added, turning to Laura. “Five years of going back and forth when all we ever wanted was a home. A real home together.”

  “My best wishes,” said Laura. “This is so exciting.” She kissed Rick on the cheek and hugged Dee, before reaching for Matt. “And we’re the first to know.”

  “By tomorrow morning, all of Pilgrim Cove will know,” said Matt. “But since it’s Sunday, the news will take an hour longer to spread through The Diner.” He looked at Dee. “And what about The Diner?”

  The petite woman placed her hands on her hips and raised her chin. “I’m getting married, Matthew, not hiding away. I’m sixty years young and Rick says I’ve got the stamina of ten cops. I may not own it, but I run that place and will go on running it.”

  The Chief leaned in, put his finger over her lips and said, “She’ll do what makes her happy.”

  Now Dee’s eyes were wet and shiny. She cocked her head toward Rick but looked at Matt. “He finally got it.”

  “Ha!” said Rick. “It took her five years to understand that I’m nothing like her first husband.”

  Matt remembered Frank Barnes and not too favorably. Because of all his get-rich-quick schemes, he’d left Dee with debt and creditors knocking on her door. After he died, Dee had paid off each note. She deserved every bit of happiness she’d receive in this new marriage.

  “So, when’s the wedding?” asked Laura. “Another five years?”

  “More like five minutes!” replied the Chief before waving goodbye and leaving the restaurant with Dee at his side.

  Matt took Laura in his arms. “Five whole years! That’s a long time to waste.”

  “Guess they didn’t communicate too well in the past.”

  “Sometimes,” said Matt, nuzzling her neck, “communication doesn’t require words.” He heard Laura laugh softly and then thought about nothing at all. Just enjoyed holding her.

  “AND NOW THE EVENING’S OVER.” Laura looked at Matt as they stood on the front porch of Sea View House. “Where did it go?” Her voice sounded wistful, and he had to laugh at her.

  “Are you mourning the absence of a dance floor or the end of my scintillating company?” he teased.

  She peeped at him from under her lashes. “Ah…you and the floor made a terrific combination.”

  “I’ll go you one better,” he replied. “I think you and I make a terrific combination.”

  In the dim lamplight, he saw her eyes shine, felt her lean toward him. He didn’t wait. He wrapped his arms around her and covered her mouth with his own.

  Instant sizzle.

  Her need matched his. Her desire matched his. His blood sang, then roared. He inhaled the blend of her light perfume and her unique scent, and almost lost control. He pulled away. Stepped back. And just breathed.

  Her breathing also matched his. Fast and uneven. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she seemed to have regained a sense of calm.

  “I want to invite you in,” she whispered. “But I’m not ready for that.”

  He’d known it somehow. “And I’m not going to rush you.” He stood quietly, absorbing the picture she made in the dim light. Her curls—tamed somehow at the start of the evening—had returned to their unruly self with the help of a few fast rock numbers. The big blue eyes, irises so large now they looked black. And her tempting mouth, slightly puffy from his kisses.

  “Go inside, Laura.” He heard the huskiness in his voice.

  “Yes, yes, I’m going.” She sounded a bit confused, and he felt better. He wasn’t the only one off-kilter.

  “Thank you, Matt. For everything. I had a fabulous evening.”

  “Good. More to come next Saturday. Now get inside,” he repeated almost in desperation.

  Finally she did.

  He walked slowly to the car, needing the time to relax again. To calm down. No matter his disappointment, he’d done the right thing. No woman wanted to feel rushed into making love.

  As far as Matt was concerned, Laura could take as much time as she needed. She was worth the wait.

  LAURA COULDN’T SLEEP after Matt left, so she paced. For hours.

  “Like a damn cat on a hot tin roof,” she mumbled at Midnight, who watched from the middle of Laura’s bed. No question of who was starting to rule the house.

  She looked at her watch. Six o’clock. Four hours since Matt had said goodnight. What to do? What to do? Her brain hurt from thinking. Her heart hurt from feeling. She plopped into her rocking chair, closed her eyes and managed to doze for an hour. But by seven, she needed to get outside. She had changed into sweats when Matt had dropped her off, and now all she had to do was lace up her running shoes and make her way to the shoreline.

  The rising sun glistened off the water, the air smelled of salt and seaweed. Laura paused to stare at the calm Atlantic. She took a series of deep, measured breaths. Slowly, slowly, the ocean’s white noise began to replace the tumult inside her until she’d found her equilibrium once more. Reassured, she began jogging up the beach.

  She maintained a steady pace for an hour before reentering Sea View House. Then she picked up the phone and called her sister.

  “So, are you ready to move down here and be close to us?” asked Alison after her initial greeting. “I’ve got a half-dozen condos lined up for you to see.”

  Laura laughed. “You’re a stubborn woman, Alison, and I love you for it, but the answer’s still no. In fact…” She paused, suddenly tongue-tied.

  “What?” prompted Alison

  “I…uh…I’ve met someone.”

  Silence. Then, “What? You have? That’s fantastic. In Pilgrim Cove? Who? Tell me.”

  Alison’s enthusiasm was just what she needed. “Do you remember a guy—or rather, a boy—named Matthew Parker? He’d have been two years younger than you. His dad ran the plumbing and hardware store?”

  “Yes,” Alison replied slowly. “I remember him. Tall, skinny, dark and good-looking. Did he turn out as well as I’m now imagining him?”

  “Definitely,” replied Laura. “He’s still tall, dark and handsome. Certainly not skinny. Built the way you’d want a man to be built.” Laura closed her eyes. “Broad, strong. I feel so good when I’m with him. Safe. Happy.” Now that she’d started, Laura couldn’t seem to stop talking. “And he’s got the two sweetest little sons. His wife died four years ago. That’s almost all I know about her. The kids are delicious. And…I really think they like me a lot.”

  “Oh, sweetie!” said Alison. “And does he feel the same way about you? Should I be hearing wedding bells soon or what?”

  “I think he does feel the same way, but…” Without warning, tears spouted and ran down Laura’s face. Tears from nowhere. She sobbed. “I don’t know. Because he doesn’t know…you know what. And I don’t know what to do.”

  No one else could have understood what she was blabbering about, but Alison did. In a heartbeat, she responded.

  “If he loves you, the breast cancer won’t matter. Especially with your prognosis. And if he walks away, then you’re better off without him.”

  Sometimes her sister showed a surprising ability to get at the basic facts.

  “But you’ve got to tell him,” she continued. “At some point, you’ve got to tell him, especially with kids involved. You’ll know when the time is right.”

  “I will?”

  “Yes. Because when you love somebody, secrets don’t work.”

  “I know,” whispered Laura. “I’ll tell him. When the time is right.”

  THE CLOCK SAID NOON. Matt stood next to the kitchen counter, watching coffee drip
into the glass pot. The house was quiet. A little too quiet, but he wouldn’t complain. Not until after he downed his first cup of caffeine and regained full consciousness.

  Without warning, however, he was suddenly surrounded by noise. The excited voices of his dad and kids preceded their arrival in the kitchen. When they spotted him, a cacophony of sound and words ensued.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Sam.

  “Dad, we had the best breakfast, and Ms. Dee was sitting at the table this time.”

  Matt grinned at his dad. “They didn’t waste any time announcing it, did they?”

  “Son of a gun, we just had a party! And the Chief said you and Laura were there last night.”

  “He did? After we promised never to tell anyone!”

  “Well, now he knows you can keep your mouth shut. But you should have seen them, Matt. Like a couple of kids. They’ve set a wedding date already.”

  At the word “wedding,” Matt stood straighter. “No kidding? When?”

  “End of next month. Memorial Day weekend.” Sam shook his head. “All this time lollygagging, and now everything’s a rush.”

  “He’s probably afraid she’ll change her mind!”

  Sam laughed and nodded in agreement.

  “But she was sitting on his lap and everything,” said Brian. “And he kissed her. In front of everybody. Yuck! So she can’t change her mind now.”

  “Right,” chimed in Casey. “She-e can’t.” Casey pulled at Matt’s arm. “Did you k-kiss Lau-ra in f-f-front of e-everybody, too?”

  Brian stepped closer to him, right next to Casey. “Or just in front of us when we were at Sea View House?” he added.

  “Ho, ho, ho,” chuckled Sam, sounding like Santa Claus. “And don’t glare at me, son. Just answer the boys’ questions.”

  “Coffee first,” said Matt, playing for time. “And that’s not negotiable.” He reached for a mug and poured. A splash of milk to cool it enough for immediate consumption. One swallow. His world came into better focus. Two swallows. His brain started revving up like a car’s engine on a cold winter’s morning. Needed a little more time than usual.

  After the third gulp, he put his arm around each son. “Here’s the deal, boys. Right now, Laura and I are simply friends. If, and I say if, our relationship changes to something more, you’ll be the first to know. But that’s not happening now, so don’t think about it too much.”

  Casey looked disappointed, Brian thoughtful.

  “But I like Laura,” said Casey.

  “And she likes you,” Matt said. He turned to Brian. “And you, too. She’s a friend and she likes you both very much.” Then he grinned. “But I don’t know why! You guys are so noisy.”

  The boys pounced on him, pummeling him, and he grabbed one in each arm and swung them around until they squealed and clung. He slowed down, kissed them and put them back on their feet. “Grab your gloves and we’ll toss a ball around outside.”

  Sweet silence in a nanosecond. “Amazing,” Matt said, smiling at his own dad.

  “They’re crazy about baseball, and they’re crazy about their father,” Sam said in a matter-of-fact tone. “And I know you were playing down your feelings for Laura in front of the boys to protect them. But there’s more to your relationship than you’ve let on. So, the question is, will they be crazy about having a live-in mother? A twenty-four-hour-a-day mother?”

  Good question. He hadn’t thought through all the details yet. “Like I told the boys, Laura and I aren’t that far along.”

  Sam put his hands in his pockets and stared out the window. “You’re a grown man, Matthew. And I haven’t been such a good parent. God knows, if I had been more aware of what Jason was going through after the accident, maybe he would be here today. Instead, he’s wandering the country, maybe the globe—only God knows where.”

  Sam paused, sighed, then turned and stared directly at Matt. “I failed him and I failed Jared, too. May my boy rest in peace.” He blinked rapidly. “So I’m not in a position to give advice.”

  Matt put his arm around his dad and squeezed. “You were and are a terrific father and a wonderful grandfather. You were distracted back then. Mom was…was…beside herself because of Jared. Not in her right mind. I don’t want to hear any more talk like that.”

  But Sam shrugged him off and grabbed Matt by the upper arms. “Listen to me now. It’s important. For you and for the boys.”

  Matt kept quiet. His dad’s outburst was unusual.

  “I should have been stronger.” Sam’s voice was softer now. “I should have seen what was happening. And the fact is, we can’t take back time! I can’t go back and redo any of it.” His voice cracked.

  Matt couldn’t remember the last time his dad had talked about the past. Sure, he spoke of Matt’s mom and the apple pies she used to make every fall. But he didn’t speak often about the twins. And not about blame. There had been more than enough to go around. But today, the pain etched on Sam’s face—and in his voice—seemed as raw as it had been eight years ago.

  “Are you saying that I should never get involved with a woman because of the chance it won’t work out?” Matt asked. The irony was that before Laura arrived, he would have agreed. His grand scheme was to wait until the kids graduated from high school before even thinking about another marriage.

  “No, I’m just asking you to think about your kids. Think hard. If you’re not serious about Laura, if she’s just a fling to you, then don’t let her get too involved with the boys. Their love for her is growing. Especially Casey’s. We don’t need any more upheavals in his life. In Brian’s, either.” Sam paused again, but he still wasn’t finished. “Laura’s a nice girl. A good girl. She’s worth more than a fling. So, if you’re not serious, then you’re not being fair to her, either.”

  His dad looked so sad, Matt wanted to cry. “Son, I guess what I’m saying is—be careful.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ON MONDAY MORNING, Laura checked her calendar, which now always rested in full view on the kitchen table. When she’d first arrived at Sea View House, the calendar had few notations. Now it displayed not only routine appointments but also business meetings, auditions and recording schedules as she rebuilt her career. A glow of achievement filled her when she studied all the entries. This calendar was starting to look very similar to the ones she’d kept before her mother’s illness and her own. She was back in business!

  She hadn’t seen Matt since their date Saturday night, but he’d called yesterday and regaled her third-hand about Dee and the Chief’s engagement announcement at The Diner. In the afternoon, he’d been committed to two ball games with his children and hadn’t suggested she join them. For an instant, she’d almost suggested it herself, but then realized she needed the time for her own work. Both the audition for Sunrise Books and the taping for Filene’s spots were set for later in the week. Show time had almost arrived.

  Laura reached for her Snow White script and began to work, first focusing on the different voices she’d developed for the dwarfs and for Snow White, and then slipping into her own narrator’s voice. At noon, she felt ready to start from the top. She wanted to time her reading to get the feel of her natural speed. If she got the job, she’d adjust to what was needed. She picked up the script and began.

  “Once upon a time, long, long ago, there lived a young girl by the name of Snow White,” she said, and soon got caught up in her delivery of the familiar tale.

  “…and they lived happily ever after.” She took a cleansing breath.

  “Bravo, bravo,” came the familiar voice of Matthew Parker, who strode into the kitchen clapping his hands. “I couldn’t stop listening. Had to find out how the story ended!”

  Laura spun around and almost landed on his rock-solid chest. Regaining her balance, she tilted her head back to see him better.

  He lowered his head and kissed her.

  So easy for her to respond. So hard to stop. “Mmm.”

  His lips brushed against hers as
he spoke. “You were great with the reading. Every dwarf was different. Individuals. You’re going to get this gig.”

  She shivered, not knowing if it was from his kisses or his praise. “Thanks. I hope so. It could lead to a lot of work for me.”

  “And lots of time in Boston,” said Matt with a sigh.

  “But the ferry runs every day,” she replied, patting his shoulder. “And I have a house in the city, too. All the bases are covered for now.” That seemed true enough. If only her personal life would fall into place as smoothly as her professional life seemed to be doing.

  “Do you have time for lunch?” she asked.

  But he was already shaking his head. “Sorry. I’ve got to get back to the store. I’ll call you tonight.”

  “Sure.” She yawned and stretched her arms over-head…and noticed him watching her every move, noticed his eyes heat up, noticed how he rubbed the back of his hand against his mouth. He didn’t move for another moment. Then, “we’ll talk tonight,” he mumbled as he exited the back door.

  But he didn’t call. He showed up. Late. He clasped her hand and they walked for miles along the beach; they talked for miles, too—of childhood summers, of their families, of Boston, of Pilgrim Cove, of their educations, of careers—the quiet whoosh of the ocean accompanying their conversation.

  “A cup of tea?” she asked when they were back on the porch.

  He shook his head. “No, thank you,” he said, moving toward her. “This is my dessert.”

  His kiss was slow and intoxicating. His mouth pressed against hers, his lips lingering and persuasive. She closed her eyes and opened to him, feeling drugged by his touch but wanting more.

  “Laura, Laura.”

  She heard him whisper her name between kisses, and her name sounded like music when he spoke it. She embraced him, tight and close, and almost whimpered. Her hands crept up his chest and locked around his neck.

  She felt his arms around her, crushing her to him. Felt herself being rocked in those arms. And kissed again and again. She couldn’t think. Could only feel. And she felt wonderful.