by Marie Force
“It’s not that I don’t have the drive. It’s more that my drive was forced to go in a different direction, and I’m too far along with the studio to abandon it now.”
“Believe it or not, I understand that. I’ll get with Jack, and we’ll figure out a plan. I’d like to recoup my investment, and I think we can make that happen with a smaller time commitment from you.”
“I really appreciate that.”
“When’s the wedding?” Buddy asked, surprising Evan with the personal question in the midst of business.
“January eighteenth in Turks and Caicos.”
“Congratulations. Married life is the best thing to ever happen to me. I hope it will be for you, too.”
“I have no doubt whatsoever that it will be.”
“We’ll be in touch. Don’t lose any more sleep, Evan. It’s business. It works itself out.”
If he hadn’t already respected Buddy Longstreet more than just about anyone in the music industry, he would now. “Thanks, Buddy.”
“Everything okay?” Big Mac asked when Evan had stashed the phone in his pocket.
“I think it’s going to be.”
“Excellent. Now have another doughnut.”
Evan laughed and snagged the doughnut while his dad was feeling generous. He felt like a hundred tons had been lifted off his chest with one phone call. It was going to be okay. He could survive six separate weeks away from Grace. Sure he could. If he kept telling himself that, maybe he’d actually believe it by the time he had to go.
***
At noon, Jenny left two of the college students in charge of the store and walked up the driveway to the Martinez house for the interview Alex had asked her to attend. All morning, Jenny had walked around in a stunned state of disbelief over the amazing events of the previous evening.
I love you. You’re mine. Mine, mine, mine.
She shivered, thinking about the way he’d looked at her, their intense lovemaking and sleeping in his arms after they finally wore each other out and went upstairs to bed.
Alex must’ve been watching for her, because he came out to the porch to meet her. He wore a black polo shirt with plaid shorts and looked serious and sexy and thrilled to see her.
I love you. You’re mine. Mine, mine, mine.
As she recalled his words from the night before, her heart gave a happy leap of joy at the sight of him, and she walked a little faster up the stairs and right into his outstretched arms.
“I just saw you a couple of hours ago.” His lips against her ear and his nearness sent a shiver down her spine, as did the memory of him pressing her against the wall of the shower earlier as he thrust into her. “And it seems like forever.”
She held on tight to him, amazed and overwhelmed by how strongly she felt in such a short amount of time. If she hadn’t experienced similarly powerful emotions once before, she never would’ve trusted them now. But like she’d told him the night before, she knew what this was, and she wasn’t about to deny it.
“I missed you, too.”
“Thanks for doing this.”
“No problem. How does she seem so far?”
“Pretty cool. She’s talking to Mom right now, and she seems to have the sort of patience required for the position.”
The door opened behind them, and a dark-haired boy shot past them, down the stairs toward the tire swing hanging from a large maple tree in the yard.
“That’d be Ethan, Hope’s son. He’s seven and apparently full of energy.”
“He’s cute.”
“I suppose he is if you can get past the incessant talking and endless questions. My mom took an instant shine to him. She said he reminded her of us when we were that age.”
“Awww, I bet you were so cute.”
Before he could respond to that, David and Daisy arrived. Alex had told her David would attend the interview while Daisy took Marion for a drive and out to lunch.
A short time later, they had sent Marion and Daisy off in David’s car. Paul suggested they sit outside on the porch since it was such a nice day. When they were all settled, Jenny took a closer look at Hope, who was probably in her late twenties. She had long brown hair with red highlights, a creamy white complexion and brown eyes. Alex had introduced her to Hope as his girlfriend, which had given Jenny another reason to glow from the inside. He was racking up the points.
Jenny decided that Ethan must take after his father, which led her to wonder if the father was in their lives.
“Hopefully, you got a good chance to evaluate our mom and to get a sense of what she needs,” Paul said.
Nodding, Hope said, “I’m terribly sorry she’s so afflicted at such a young age.”
“It’s very unfortunate indeed,” Paul said. “Our goal is to keep her at home for as long as we can, but that’s becoming increasingly more difficult with only the two of us and a litany of friends helping out when they can. We need more reliable help.”
“It’s amazing you’ve gotten this far on your own,” Hope said.
“I’ve been trying to tell them that,” David said, “but they don’t listen to me.”
David’s comment cut through any remaining tension, and they all relaxed into laughter.
“At this point,” Alex said, “we know you’re well qualified or you wouldn’t be here. I guess it’s only fair to ask what questions you have for us.”
“I do have one concern that’s keeping me from leaping at the opportunity, and that’s the idea of living on an island year-round. Not just for me, but for Ethan, too.”
“Would you mind if I took that one?” Jenny asked.
Alex and Paul gestured for her to go ahead.
“I worried about that when I came here, too. I took the lighthouse keeper’s job just over a year ago. Even though it looked like a fun adventure, I had the same fear of what it would truly be like to live here all the time.”
“And how has it been?”
“It’s been incredible. After a while, you forget you’re on an island.” Jenny glanced at Alex. “Because everything you need is right here.”
Hope tipped her head to look at Ethan, who was entertaining himself on the swing. “How about socially? Are there a lot of people here in the winter?”
“About seven hundred live here year-round, a lot of them our age with young families,” Paul said.
“I’ve found an amazing circle of friends,” Jenny said. “I’d be happy to introduce you to my group if you decide to come.”
“That’s very kind of you. Thank you so much.”
“We don’t want to twist your arm,” Alex said. “We know it’s a huge decision, and there’s a lot to consider.”
“Actually,” Hope said, taking a long gaze around the yard and the greenhouses, “it’s not that big of a decision. Ethan and I are in bad need of a change of pace, and I think this’ll work out great for us. It’s such a beautiful place, and the guesthouse is ideal for what we need. If the offer is still good, I’d be honored to help with your mother.”
Jenny experienced a sudden rush of relief at knowing Alex and Paul would be getting some qualified help—soon. She glanced at Alex and smiled as he blew out a deep breath and seemed to visibly sag with relief.
“The offer is definitely still good,” Paul said. “How soon could you get here?”
“The first week in August?”
That was in a few short weeks.
“That’d be great,” Paul said.
“That’ll give Ethan some time to acclimate before school starts.”
“If you want to come inside,” Paul said, “we can go over all the details, and you can review the medical information with David.”
“Don’t go too far, Ethan,” Hope said to her son, who waved from his perch on the swing. She went inside with David and Paul, leaving Jenny and Alex alone on the porch.
He bent at the waist, propping his head on his hands.
Jenny put her hand on his back, wanting to offer comfort. “I’m so happy it wor
ked out for you guys. For what it’s worth, I think she’s terrific.”
“It’s worth a lot. Thank you.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, sorry. It’s just knowing that help is on the way…”
“I know.” Jenny gave him a gentle tug, urging him to lean on her, which he did. She put both arms around him and slid her lips over the silk of his hair.
His arm encircled her waist. “Let’s go surfing.”
“What? Where did that come from?”
He sat up to kiss her. “It came from me wanting to spend the afternoon with my hands all over you.”
“I have to work, and so do you.”
“We’re taking the afternoon off. I’m the boss. I can make up the rules as I go along.”
“Um, Paul is my boss, so…”
“If he messes with me, I’ll pound on him.”
“If you do that, Hope will see that you’re nothing more than a caveman, and she’ll quit her new job before she starts.”
“You do make a good point. Perhaps I won’t pound on him. I’ll just kidnap you and let him wonder what became of you.”
“That’s not happening either.”
“The surfing? That’s happening, so go square it with the boss man before I forget I have to be on my best behavior today.”
“Only because an afternoon with your hands all over me doesn’t sound awful, I’ll do what I’m told. But don’t get used to my obedience.”
Alex smiled and raised an eyebrow.
Jenny got up and went inside to talk to Paul before Alex could say something outrageous.
David and Hope were going over Marion’s medical records, so Jenny signaled to Paul. “Your brother has a big idea about playing hooky this afternoon. Any objections?”
“Not at all. Hope is here for the day, and she’s going to spend some time here with Mom this afternoon when she gets back with Daisy, so we’re covered.”
“What about the store?”
“They can handle things for a couple of hours. We need you for the big-picture management stuff.”
“I’ve got you covered there.”
“Go have some fun. You both deserve it.”
“So do you, Paul. There’s a party at the lighthouse later with the McCarthys and other friends. We’d love to have you join us, if you can get away.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Great.”
Paul glanced at the window to the porch where Alex was waiting for her. “You’re really good for him.”
“We’re good for each other.”
“I’m happy for you guys,” Paul said, his expression wistful. “Maybe I’ll see you later.”
“I hope so.” If only she had a single friend to fix up with Paul. He was a great guy—smart, funny, almost as handsome as his brother and genuinely devoted to his family. But all her friends were happily settled now.
“I’ve got the afternoon off,” Jenny said to Alex when she returned to the porch, “but I have to be back at the lighthouse by four to help set up for the party late this afternoon.”
“I need to talk to Paul and spend a few more minutes with Hope. I’ll be over shortly with my board.” He hooked an arm around her waist and kissed her. “Wear that pink bikini.”
“Yes, sir. Anything else?”
His eyes did that dark-chocolate thing that happened when he was aroused. “That’ll do for now, but I reserve the right to add to the list later.”
“So noted. See you soon.”
“I won’t be long. No more than an hour.”
Over her shoulder, she said, “Thanks for the warning.”
Jenny drove home to the lighthouse, thinking of him and how dramatically he’d changed her life since the day he and his lawn mower showed up and blasted her out of bed. Their connection had been instantaneous and intense. Her feelings for him seemed to grow exponentially with every passing day.
Jenny couldn’t wait to go public with him in front of her friends later and to introduce him to her parents next week. It was moving so quickly, but after years of marching in place, she was ready to move forward, especially if moving forward meant a future full of days like this one.
She’d forgotten how it felt to be newly in love. She’d forgotten the giddiness, the excitement, the endless possibilities, the constant hum of arousal and the need to make plans that included him. Jenny hadn’t made a lot of plans since she lost Toby. Rather, she’d coasted from one day to the next, focused on getting through and getting by.
She wasn’t yet to the point where she was practicing writing Jenny Martinez on her notebook covers or anything like that, but she was beginning to picture a future that included him, his brother and their mother in her life to stay.
Back at the lighthouse, she went upstairs to change into the requested bikini. After slathering on sunscreen, she found a beach cover-up and slid her feet into flip-flops. She was brushing her teeth when her cell phone rang, so she took the call without checking the caller ID.
“Hey, it’s Erin. Are you busy?”
Erin was Toby’s twin sister, and they’d kept in close touch in the years since their devastating loss. “Never too busy for you. How are you?”
“I’m okay. You?”
“I’m doing great, actually.”
“That’s really nice to hear. You sound happy.”
“I am.” Jenny hadn’t given the first thought to how she might break the news to Toby’s family that she was in love again. She sat on her bed when her legs began to tremble under her.
“Any particular reason?”
Jenny fixed her gaze on the picture of the fiancé she’d lost. Then she closed her eyes against the sharp bite of pain. “I’ve met someone.”
“Well, you have to tell me more than that!”
In for a penny, in for a pound, Jenny thought, remembering the grandmother who’d loved that saying. “His name is Alex Martinez. He and his brother own a landscaping company here on the island. He came to cut the grass at the lighthouse at five o’clock in the morning. I threw tomatoes at him, and that was the start of a lovely friendship that has become more. Much more. And now I feel sick because I have to tell you this, and… And, well… It’s hard.”
“Don’t feel sick, Jenny. Who knows better than I do what you’ve been through? I’d never begrudge you the happiness you so deserve.”
“Thank you for that. It means a lot. You have no idea how much.”
“So you really threw tomatoes at him?”
“I really did,” Jenny said with a laugh. “He woke me up!” She didn’t mention that he’d woken her out of a dream about Toby.
“Then I suppose he deserved it.”
“I hit him smack in the middle of his back.”
Erin’s laughter was a welcome sound. “I love it.”
“Luckily, he decided to forgive me. We’re having fun together.”
“It’s great to hear you sounding so happy.”
“How about you? Any new prospects?”
“No one worth throwing tomatoes at.”
“Are you trying, Er? Do you get out?”
“Sometimes. Other times, it’s just too much trouble.”
“I know that feeling,” Jenny said. She knew it all too well. “But you can’t jumpstart your life if you spend most of it hiding out.”
“You’re right. I know you’re right. It’s just knowing and doing can be two different things.”
“You should come out here for a visit. Alex has a very handsome and very single brother you might like to meet.”
“Subtle, Jenny,” Erin said with a laugh. “Very subtle.”
“Will you think about coming to visit? It’s been too long since we’ve seen each other.”
“I’ll try. I’d love to see your island and your lighthouse.”
They chatted for another few minutes about the news in Toby’s family before Erin said she had to run to a birthday party for her best friend’s son.
“Thanks for cal
ling,” Jenny said. “It’s always so great to hear from you.”
“I’m so glad to hear about your Alex. I hope he makes you very happy for a very long time.”
“Thank you,” Jenny said softly. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Following the conversation with Erin, Jenny was filled with restless energy and decided to go outside to check on her garden while she waited for Alex. It had been great to hear from Erin, as always. The two of them had been close friends since the day Toby first introduced them, and had supported each other through the darkness after they lost him.
While she treasured her friendship with Erin and her close relationship with Toby’s entire family, hearing from Erin was always a reminder of what had been lost. It took her back to that awful day and the frantic calls from his family in Pennsylvania. Having to tell them he’d called, that he was in the building, that he was above where the plane had hit… She’d never forget their anguish or how it had added to hers.
Jenny hated to admit that she’d put a tiny bit of distance between herself and her old friend since she moved to Gansett. In bad need of a fresh start, she’d tried to put the past where it belonged, but doing that meant seeing less of the people she loved.
It was probably time to bridge that gap, and she hoped Erin would take her up on the invitation to come visit.
In the mudroom, she grabbed a metal bucket and headed out to harvest her tomatoes and the bumper crop of cucumbers. As usual on bright summer weekend days, the lighthouse grounds were crawling with tourists checking out the cliffs and the beach down below.
Sometimes she interacted with the visitors, other times she kept to herself. Today, she wasn’t in the mood to answer a million questions about the lighthouse and what it was like to live there, so she went about her work in the garden until someone called out her name.
She turned to find Jared James approaching her. Behind him, she noticed a black Porsche parked in the lot. He wore dark sunglasses along with shorts and a T-shirt. Other than the car, nothing about his appearance indicated his extreme wealth.
“Hi, Jared. Nice to see you.”
“You, too. Great place you’ve got here.”
His teasing grin made her smile. “It’s the best view in the world.” With her bucket full to overflowing with tomatoes and cucumbers, she gestured to the door to the mudroom. “Want a tour?”