by Sammie Grace
Don Murphy said, “Oh look. Here he comes.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. We all headed over to D Dock. Ian docked the Stalwart and Randy said, “You’re late. Did you have problems out there?”
Ian said, “Did you hear about the squall?”
We all said, “Yes.”
He said, “I saw it coming on the radar and avoided it. When I went back after it passed through, I came across a sailboat that was in trouble. Their mast snapped in the squall. I gave them a hand and a tow back to Bristol.” He said, “Meggie, I’m sorry I’m late. I’ve tried to call you at the cottage for the last hour, but I guess you were out here.”
Kenny said, “You got your girl here a little worried. I tried calling you on the radio, but you weren’t answering.”
Ian said, “I turned it off. Too many people rambling on it. I needed some peace and quiet. I’ve had a long day.”
The mosquitoes were out in full force tonight, and I waved one off my arm.
Ian said, “Meggie, you’d better go up to the cottage and wait for me before the mosquitoes make a meal out of you. I called Jake and told him we weren’t going to make dinner. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
I said, “Okay. Thanks, guys.”
I got almost to the end of the dock when I heard Ian call my name and say something. I didn’t quite hear him, so I turned around and yelled, “What?”
All the guys yelled back, “He said you look really pretty.”
I smiled, blushed, and hurried back to the cottage. I can’t believe he said that in front of the guys.
Since our dinner plans were canceled, I decided to make us something at Ian’s. I didn’t have a lot in the fridge, but I did have the clams Mac gave me this morning. Suddenly I realized I was starving and quickly hunted through the cupboard. In the vegetable bin I found garlic, fresh parsley, and some beautiful plum tomatoes that Don and Geri from She’s the Boss gave me from their garden. I also found a bottle of clam juice in the cupboard and a box of linguine. I knew Ian had plenty of white wine at his house. Linguine with fresh clam sauce sounded pretty good to me. I was loading up a bag with the ingredients when Ian walked in.
He came over to me and put his arms around me and gave me a big hug.
I said, “I was worried about you.”
He said, “I’m sorry. I’m not used to someone worrying about me. I think I kind of like it. You know, Meggie, the sea and weather can be unpredictable, but I take every precaution to keep myself safe out there.”
“I know. That was nice of you to help those people. You’re a hero.”
He said, “Not really. I just gave them a tow. It was a couple and their eight-year-old daughter.”
I said, “Well, I bet they were glad you came along.”
“They were. They kept thanking me. I’m sorry about dinner.”
“No problem. I’m going to make you a quick dinner at your house. How does linguine with clam sauce sound?”
He gave me a grateful look. “Like heaven. I’m tired, hungry, and I need a hot shower.”
I said, “Let’s go.”
He said, “Do you mind driving yourself? I can sleep in tomorrow a little bit. I’ve got repairs to do on the Miss Kay in the morning. John’s going to take the Stalwart out.
I said, “No problem.”
I prepared dinner while Ian took a shower. The pasta turned out great. Ian finished first and put down his fork. He sighed and said, “That was delicious. You’re an angel.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You said you’re going to have dinner with your grandmother tomorrow night, right?”
“Yes.”
“I think I might take a ride up to Boston and have dinner with my cousin Christine. I’ll call her in the morning.”
“You’re pretty close, aren’t you?”
He said, “Yeah. She’s my only cousin. We’re a small family. Her father is my mom’s brother. Chris is an only child, too. Her parents live in Florida near mine. Chris and I try to get together at least once a month.”
“That’s nice.”
“You must be excited about seeing your grandmother and meeting her boyfriend.”
I had told Ian about Cal.
“I am.”
“Do you think she’ll come back to work soon?”
“Gram said she wanted me to keep running the marina until it was time for me to go back.”
“When do you have to be back?”
Finally! I thought he’d never ask.
I told him, “In two weeks.”
“Wow. The summer has sure flown by.”
I gave him a smile and said, “I’ve had a great time.”
He smiled back and said, “Me, too. What do you say we clean up and go to bed? I’m exhausted.”
I couldn’t believe that’s all he had to say about me going back. I was so disappointed, but I tried my best not to show it. We did the dishes and went upstairs. In the short time it took me to wash my face and brush my teeth, Ian had fallen asleep. I set the alarm for 4:00 for myself and climbed into bed. I looked over at him and watched him sleeping peacefully. If I slept at all tonight, I would be surprised. There was too much on my mind. I fell asleep for a little while, woke up at 2:00, and couldn’t go back to sleep. I decided to do what I usually do under these circumstances and started saying Hail Mary’s. When I next looked up at the clock, it was 3:45. I quietly got out of bed and turned the alarm off so it wouldn’t wake Ian. I got dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen. I left him a note and told him to have a good time with Christine.
I opened up the store and my day began. I kept busy all morning, which was good as it took my mind off Ian. Gram called around 11:00 and said they would pick me up at 6:00 for dinner. At 2:00, Ian came into the store.
He said, “I got in touch with Christine this morning. I’m going to go home and shower and then head up to Boston. I just wanted to tell you to have fun with your Gram and tell her I said hello.”
“I will.”
“I’ll call you when I get back.”
“Okay.”
Since no one was in the store, he kissed me goodbye and left.
I closed up early and went home to shower and change. I’d just finished getting ready when I heard Gram’s voice calling me. I walked out into the living room, and there she was, looking better than ever. Standing beside her was a distinguished-looking gentleman. He was about five-eleven, slender, with a full head of white hair and warm brown eyes.
I ran to Gram and gave her a hug.
I said, “It’s so good to see you. You look beautiful.”
She said, “So do you. Rhode Island always agreed with you. Meggie, I want you to meet Cal.”
I went over to Cal, who had a big smile on his face. He took my hand and said, “Meggie, I’ve heard all about you and you’re even more beautiful than your Gram said.”
I blushed and said, “Would you like to have a glass of wine before we go to dinner?”
Gram clapped her hands and said, “That would be great. We have a lot to tell you.”
I went quickly into the kitchen, opened a bottle of wine, and brought them each a glass. I went back to get one for myself and took a chair. They were sitting on the couch together holding hands. This was so weird for me. A good kind of weird. Gram looked so unbelievably happy.
Gram cleared her throat and said, “Meggie, we have some big news to tell you.”
I asked hesitantly, “What?”
Gram said, “Cal and I got married two weeks ago in San Diego.”
I was stunned. “Wow! Congratulations!” I stood up and went over to them and hugged them both. I asked, “Does Mom know?”
She said, “No. You’re the only one who knows besides my friend
Dossie. At our age, we didn’t want to make a fuss with a wedding, and we didn’t want to wait. When you get to be our age, long engagements aren’t a good idea. I don’t even buy green bananas at this point in my life.”
I said, “You said you were old friends. When did you first meet?”
Cal said, “We met the summer your grandmother got out of high school. I was home from college and met her when I went into the restaurant she was working in for the summer. We dated that whole summer, and then I went back to college in California. I went to Stanford. We wrote letters to each other that following fall, but we were young and decided the distance was too great and we should see other people. I still had two years of school left. Back then, it wasn’t like it is now with people jumping on planes right and left.”
Gram said, “Last winter, Dossie and I went over to Newport for lunch, and Cal was there having lunch with some old friends. He recognized me after all these years and came over to our table. We had a grand reunion, and then he asked me out to dinner. He still has a home in Newport and one in San Diego. He goes back and forth. When he was in town, we would go out, and rekindled our romance after all these years.”
Cal said, “My wife died about ten years ago. I have a son, Michael, and a daughter, Marissa. They both live in San Diego with their families.”
I shook my head and said, “I’m floored. I’m so happy for you both. Where will you live?”
Gram said, “We talked a lot about that and decided to live the winters in San Diego and the summers in Newport.”
“Are you going to sell the marina?”
She said, “That’s up to you and your brothers. You see, I always intended to leave it to the three of you. I told your mother this years ago. I would hate to sell it because it’s been in the family for so long. Cal and I have an appointment in two weeks with a lawyer, and I’m going to leave it in a trust for you and your brothers to inherit it when I die. If I gave it to you now, it would cost a fortune in taxes. Since your brothers are both traveling the world with their careers, I was hoping you would stay and run the marina. I’ve gotten the impression that you enjoy doing it.”
“I’ve had the best summer, and I do love running the marina.”
Gram said, “Why don’t you think about it? You can give me an answer when we get back from Philly.”
I said, “Okay, I’ll think about it. I have a question for you, though.”
“Shoot.”
“Has Ian ever offered to buy the marina from you? I overheard some guy in the store ask him if he was still trying to buy it from you.”
She said, “Yes. He has made me offers, but I told him I wasn’t interested. Why do you ask?”
“Well, I was just wondering if he was trying to get on your good side by dating me.”
Gram looked surprised. She said, “I doubt that. Ian isn’t that kind of guy, Meggie. You’re a beautiful girl; that’s why he’s dating you.”
“Gram, are you sure? You’ve known him a lot longer then I have. I want to trust him, but I’m afraid I’m setting myself up for a broken heart.”
“I’m sure, honey. He’s a good guy. You can trust him.” She looked at Cal with love in her eyes and said, “If you don’t take a chance, you could miss out on something wonderful.”
I smiled at them and said, “Mom’s going to be blown away by your big announcement.”
Cal reassured me. “Meggie, I’ll take good care of your Gram. Don’t you worry.”
I said, “I’m glad she has someone like you to take care of her. She deserves the best.”
Gram said, “Well, I don’t know about you two, but I’m starved. Let’s go get some dinner.”
I went and grabbed a sweater. It was a little chilly tonight. We had a nice meal, and I got to know Cal a little bit. He was a really warm person with a quick wit and keen intelligence. I could see why my Gram fell for him again. They were so cute together, and she was beaming with happiness. I told them about Lolly and the pole dancing class and filled them in on some of the other funny things that have happened at the marina over the summer. They told me about all their travels and what a good time they had. They planned to go to Philly on Tuesday and return the following Sunday. Gram said she would call me when she got back and we’d talk again.
They dropped me off at the cottage around 9:00 and I checked my messages. Ian hadn’t called. Since I had a lot to think about, I decided I wanted to be by myself tonight. I left him a message on his machine that I got home early, I was going to bed, and would see him tomorrow.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I spent another restless night thinking about Ian and Gram and trying to figure out what I should do about the marina. By noon, I was starving and since Journey was off today, I put a sign on the door that I’d be back at 1:00 and went over to the Shack for lunch. Mo was there by herself, chopping up some veggies, when I walked in.
She took one look at me and said, “Honey, you look tired.”
“I’m exhausted, Mo. I’ve barely slept the past two nights.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“Well, Ian finally asked me when I had to go back and I told him in two weeks. All he had to say was that the summer is flying by.”
She leaned on the counter and said, “I’m might have to smack that boy upside his head.”
I said, “He’s got me so confused. I get mixed messages from him. On the one hand, he is so sweet to me and says really nice things, but he never talks about the future. I also heard that he has offered to buy the marina from Gram. Since I heard that little bit of news, I’ve been worried. What if he’s just dating me to get on Gram’s good side so she’d sell him the marina?”
“Well, I’ve heard he’s made offers to her, but a lot of other people have, too. Big H told me he talked to her once about it, but she said she isn’t interested in sellin’. Push those doubts about Ian out of your head.”
“I’m trying to, Mo, but it’s so hard. If I lived here, it would be different; we would have more time to date. I’m only here for the summer, which puts a different spin on the situation. I don’t need more time to figure out if he’s the one; I know it. I guess he needs more time, or maybe he looks at our relationship as just a summer fling.”
Mo said, “Well, don’t push him. All a guy needs is a girl to corner him, and he’ll be runnin’ down the road like the devil himself is chasin’ him.”
“Believe me, I haven’t said a word, and I’m not going to. I wouldn’t want a guy who didn’t want me.”
“He might surprise you, Meggie. Guys are funny. They avoid commitment for years, and one day it’s like they wake up in the mornin’, they shit, shower, and shave and decide it’s time to get married, and that’s it. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. That boy’s in love.”
“There is something else on my mind, but you have to promise to keep this way under the counter. It’s big news.”
“Mum’s the word. What’s up?”
“I had dinner with Gram and Cal last night. You should see her, Mo. She looks radiant. I’ve never seen her happier. They got married two weeks ago in San Diego.”
“NO WAY!”
“I said, “Yep.”
“Oh boy. What’s he like?”
“He’s a very distinguished, handsome, older gentleman. I liked him. He was warm and funny, and it’s obvious he adores her.”
“Well, holy cow. I’m so happy for her.”
“She doesn’t want anyone to know until she gets back from Philly and tells my mom. I can’t wait to talk to my mom. She’s going to be shocked, but I think she’ll be over the moon that Gram has a great guy in her life after all these years alone.”
Mo smiled and said, “Hey, maybe there’s hope for me. Where will they live?”
“They said they would spend the winters in
San Diego and the summers at Cal’s house in Newport.”
Mo got a worried look on her face and tentatively asked, “What about the marina?”
“Well, that’s the other thing that’s been keeping me up at night. She said she was leaving it to me and my brothers and asked me if I wanted to stay and run it.”
Mo smiled and said, “That’s great. You’re gonna do it, aren’t you? You love it, and you’re good at it. It would give you and Ian more time to figure things out.”
“Yes, it would. Running the marina part is easy. I do love it. The problem lies with Ian. I just don’t know what to do.”
Mo shook her head and said, “You need to tell him your Gram asked you to stay, then see what he has to say about it.”
“I know. I’m going to tell him tonight. Gram said to think about it this week while they’re in Philly and give her my decision when she gets back. If I’m going to stay, I also have to let the school know next week that I’m not coming back. I feel kind of bad about that, too. I’ll be leaving them in a pinch, but I’m sure they can get substitutes until they find someone permanently.”
Mo said, “Well, I can see why you haven’t been sleeping, honey. You need a good lunch. What are you in the mood for today?”
“I would love a chicken salad sandwich with roasted red peppers on wheat bread, some chips, and a coke. You make the best chicken salad I’ve ever had.”
Mo winked and said, “I put a little lemon juice in it. It gives it a little zing.”
She turned around to make my sandwich. The door opened and in swaggered Tony, with a big smile on his face.
I said, “Look who’s here. Mo. It’s Mr. Happy.”
Tony wiggled his eyebrows and said, “I’m Mr. Very Happy.”
I asked him, “How was your weekend?”
He took a seat next to me and said, “Great. Helen and I went down the shore on Saturday and spent the night. She took me to some of your favorite hot spots. We ran into some friends of yours, Frannie and Sue. I got to hang out with three beautiful women all evening. Oh, Sue told me to tell you that she has a new boyfriend. He’s an assistant coach for the Flyers.”