Dune Drive

by Mariah Stewart

  “Just that she’s glad I came back, that Ruby needed me. Which is debatable, but okay. Ruby claims she doesn’t need anyone.” No need to repeat the part about being aware, since she hadn’t understood it herself. Be aware of what? Of whom? Of Jared? Of moving too quickly?

  “I’m glad you came back, too, and I’m glad I was here when you did. Imagine if the dive had been shut down completely and I’d left before you got here. Or if you’d never stopped at the inn that day you brought Ruby over to have lunch with Grace.” Jared draped an arm over Chrissie’s shoulder, and when the taillights from the car disappeared around the bend in the road, they walked toward the house. “If you didn’t know them, you might think they’re an odd pair, Ruby and Grace. But there’s a strange vibe that comes from both. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s there.”

  Chrissie nodded. “It’s there, and it’s the same vibe. I’m starting to believe there’s something in the water in St. Dennis that gives people some sort of sight.”

  “Oh, now who’s taking a step into the unexplainable?” he teased.

  “Ah, we’re back to that again.” Chrissie turned in the doorway.

  “There you two are.” Gordon opened the door. “The band is packing up and Delia and I were just about to give a final toast to our families before calling it a night. Come on out to the patio.”

  Gordon put a friendly hand on Chrissie’s arm and escorted her through the house, Jared following. When they reached the double doors and stepped outside, Gordon replaced his hand with that of his son’s, and a look passed between them. Chrissie felt that he’d somehow silently assured Jared of his approval.

  Once again, champagne was passed around, and when everyone had a glass, Delia and Gordon moved to the center of the group.

  “I can’t imagine taking this step without each one of you here with us,” Delia began. “You are my lifeblood, my children, my grandchildren.” She smiled at Rachel and Jared before adding, “My new children and new grandchildren, and not a ‘step’ in the group.” She turned to Gordon. “You have enriched my life beyond words. I never thought I’d find someone I’d want to spend my days—and yes, my nights—”

  “Mom!” Zoey called out, and everyone, including Delia, laughed.

  “Yes, my nights. And don’t think they don’t matter at any age, young lady.” Another round of laughter, then light applause.

  Delia turned to her new husband. “Gordon Chandler, you are a remarkable man. You’ve shown me a wonderful world I’d never known existed.” To her children, she said, “And before Zoey can attempt to silence me again, let me say I’m talking about scuba diving. And before any of you say a word, I love it. I’ve loved every minute I’ve spent with you since the day we met, Gordon, on land and at sea.”

  “As have I, sweetheart. But while we’re on the subject, now’s a good time for me to give you my wedding gift.” Gordon ducked into the house and returned a moment later carrying a large box wrapped in white paper and sporting an enormous bow. “Happy wedding, darling.”

  “What on earth . . . ?” Delia was obviously surprised, but pleased, so she set the box on a nearby table and began to open it. When she lifted the lid, she started to laugh with apparent delight. “Oh, how perfect.”

  From the box she lifted something that to Chrissie looked like a black leather suit.

  “Mom, is that a wet suit?” Georgia asked.

  “I do believe it is.” Her smile bright with surprise and pleasure, Delia turned to Gordon and kissed him. “My own wet suit. I can’t wait to put it on.”

  “Hopefully not tonight,” Zoey muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

  “Oh, you.” Still laughing, Delia tossed the bow at Zoey, who caught it with a grin.

  “Mom, this is such a shock. I can hardly imagine you on a boat, but diving . . .” Nick shook his head. “I couldn’t even get you into a kayak in six feet of water.”

  “This is totally different, love. This is exciting, an adventure we can share.” She gazed at Gordon with love in her eyes.

  “So many adventures to share, Delia.” Gordon cleared his throat and returned his attention to their family. “A toast to each of you. We love you,” Gordon said, his eyes glistening. “Our lives would not be complete without you. All of you.”

  His gaze met Chrissie’s, and again she felt as if he’d blessed her with his approval.

  “Here’s to you, new dad,” Nick proposed. “Welcome to the family.”

  Everyone drained their glasses, and in the moments that followed, they all said their good nights, and couple by couple, left for their rooms on the expansive second floor. Finally, only Chrissie and Jared were left on the patio.

  “Turn off the lights before you come in, will you, son?” Gordon paused on his way out to kiss his son, then kissed Chrissie’s cheek as well.

  “Well, then. Alone at last,” Jared quipped. He sat on the wall, holding her hand.

  The caterer’s crew arrived with apologetic smiles but determined to finish their tasks.

  “Well, not quite,” she said.

  “Probably just as well.” Jared stood, still holding her hand. “It’s late, and it’s been a long day, and we still have tomorrow. Come on, Chris. I’ll walk you to your room.”

  Hand in hand, they walked up the stairs. At the door to her room, Chrissie turned to him, and before she could speak, he kissed her, taking his time, his lips incredibly soft, the kiss slow. It felt endless, and Chrissie felt herself drifting into a place of warmth and pleasure. When his lips moved to her forehead, she closed her eyes and savored the sensation, the sweep of emotion that washed through her.

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” he promised.

  Chrissie nodded.

  “I’ll have your coffee ready.” He backed away down the hall toward his own room.

  She nodded again.

  He walked all the way down the hall backward, his eyes on her. When he reached his room, he blew her a kiss, and she laughed softly before going into her room and closing the door behind her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Chrissie was still awake when the earliest of the birds began to warble outside her window on Sunday morning. She’d lain awake all night, reliving every moment of the evening and everything Jared had said. She knew she was on the brink of falling for him and wanted to make sure she’d land in a safe place. She loved that he’d kissed her but hadn’t pushed for more, as if instinctively understanding that she needed to sort things out for herself. For the most part, that was pretty much what she’d been doing all night. Sorting out her feelings, trying to separate reality from wishful thinking.

  The acceptance and warmth extended to her by both the Chandlers and the Enrights had made her relax the first night she was there, and by the last night, she’d almost felt like one of them. The wedding had been emotional and loving, and she’d felt that by witnessing an exchange of such heartfelt vows, she’d been offered a glimpse into who these people were, and she longed to be one of them. Rachel had been especially welcoming, sharing little bits of her family life with Chrissie, like the fact that Sam, her husband, was an internationally respected marine archaeologist who’d discovered and carefully unearthed the treasures of an Egyptian trade ship the year before. The paper he’d written regarding the find had been published, won awards, and earned him the offer of a professorship at a university in Maryland renowned for its archaeology department. If he accepted, Rachel would likely be “grounded” for a while, unable to take any salvage jobs for her father because she and Sam had made a pact that if possible, at least one of them would always be with the children. Now might be the time to have that third child, Rachel had confided. What did Chrissie think?

  Rachel had been a lot more open about her personal life than she herself would have been with someone she’d just met a few days ago, but she obviously thought Chrissie’s relationship with Jared had gone further and to a different level than it had. Trying not to sound judgmental, Chrissie’d said honestly t
hat she didn’t know Rachel well enough and didn’t know their circumstances enough to give her an intelligent answer, a response Rachel had seemed to respect.

  They were interesting families, both so different from each other and from her own. While Jared’s mother and Delia’s husband weren’t so very different from her own father when it came to family loyalty—or the lack of it—the thing Chrissie found most fascinating was that rather than turn to other people to help put them back on their feet, as her mother had done with several husbands, Delia and Gordon had worked hard to succeed on their own. Delia had become one of the most popular and best-selling authors on the planet, a position Chrissie knew must have taken a lot of late nights and determination on Delia’s part as she raised three children on her own. Gordon had built his salvage company into one of the most highly regarded and often requested salvagers in the business through hard work and long hours away from home, yet still he’d remained close to his children, had overseen their upbringing and education, and gave them the tools to join him in the family business if they chose to do so. It was a tribute to him that both Jared and Rachel had wanted to follow in his footsteps.

  Chrissie had no one’s footsteps in which to follow, and the contrast was depressing. She didn’t know what her father did for a living, but she was pretty sure he probably wasn’t a cook. And Luke? She didn’t even know who or where he was. At times like this, she longed for the roots she hadn’t had, especially since she’d been surrounded by people who knew what it really meant to be a family.

  But she did have Ruby, and she was Chrissie’s anchor.

  This weekend Chrissie’s emotions had swung from one extreme to the other. On the one hand, she was somewhat content to be part of a wonderful family, even if only someone else’s and only for a few days. On the other hand, she felt sad because it had made her realize how much she had missed growing up. When she finally fell into a brief sleep at first light, she was stuck halfway between the two.

  The knocking on her bedroom door brought her around, and she sat up as if drugged.

  “Chris? You awake?” Jared called through the closed door.

  “Barely. What time is it?” she mumbled.

  “What? I can’t hear you.”

  “Never mind. I’ll be down in a few.” She rubbed her eyes, yawned, then made herself get out of the bed.

  She looked out the window on a day that was overcast. Clouds had moved in overnight, and it looked as if it would rain at any minute. She stumbled into the bathroom, her lack of sleep making her feel sluggish.

  A quick shower helped, and after she dried her hair in record time she put on a little makeup—a day face, Cass had called the light application when she’d been tutoring her—and hoped the concealer did its job and covered up the dark circles under her eyes. She got dressed in white pants and a fitted shirt of palest blue linen. She rolled up the long sleeves and slipped into the pair of old ballet flats she’d brought with her, then tied her still-damp hair into a ponytail with a paisley scarf.

  Breakfast was just about over when she followed the chatter to the dining room

  “I’m so sorry.” She offered a general apology to everyone at the table. “I overslept.”

  “You must have needed the sleep, dear.” Delia passed her a plate of toast. “It was quite a night.”

  “I had trouble getting to sleep.” Zoey offered Chrissie a bowl of scrambled eggs. “Too much excitement these past few days, I guess. I just couldn’t shut off my brain.”

  “It has been a busy week,” India agreed. “Our kids are wiped out.”

  “Ours, too,” Rachel said. “I think we might leave this morning instead of later today. I can’t think of anything worse than being cooped up inside with a bunch of littles on a rainy day.”

  “Well, there’s the playroom,” Delia said. “And the barn. There are any number of things they could do.”

  “Mom, don’t you and Gordon want a little privacy?” Zoey put down the mug of coffee she’d been drinking.

  “Well . . .” Delia shrugged. “I certainly don’t think a few more hours with the grandkiddies would be a hardship.”

  “It would,” Zoey announced. “We’ll be leaving early, too.”

  Chrissie could feel Jared watching her while the conversation swirled around her. She nibbled cold toast, ate cold eggs and bacon, and drank lukewarm orange juice. Fortunately, the coffee had cooled to just the right temperature.

  “What do you think?” Jared asked.

  “About what?” She finished the juice and the last bite of bacon.

  “Staying through the day as we’d planned or leave early because of the weather.”

  “I think everyone else is leaving, so I think we probably should, too,” she replied.

  “I agree.” He got a fresh cup of coffee, but it was clear to Chrissie he was marking time, waiting for her.

  When she finished, she folded her arms in front of her on the table and watched his face. She liked that in addition to his being so handsome, there was character there, and humor. He was the whole package, as far as she was concerned, and she had to keep pinching herself as a reminder that he seemed to be as into her as she was into him.

  “Can I get you something else?” he asked from across the table. “More coffee? There were some killer Danish if Rachel didn’t eat them all.”

  “I heard that,” Rachel said from the opposite end of the table.

  “No, thanks. I’m good,” Chrissie said.

  “I think we’ll get going.” Jared stood. “We were going to go canoeing on the Brandywine after breakfast, but that’s out of the question with all the rain. I think we’ll just head back so Chrissie can rest up for work tomorrow.”

  Canoeing on the Brandywine? Chrissie didn’t recall having made those plans, and tomorrow was Monday. She didn’t work on Monday, but he could have forgotten that. Or Jared was merely trying to make a graceful exit.

  By the time she’d packed her belongings and met Jared downstairs, others had gathered in the grand foyer to say good-bye. There were hugs and exchanges of phone numbers and email addresses, promises to visit St. Dennis and promises extracted from Chrissie to visit Georgia and Matt at their farm, Pumpkin Hill, in the Maryland countryside and India and Nick at their home in Devlin’s Light. Delia and Gordon insisted Jared bring Chrissie back for another weekend, and Zoey reminded Jared that she and Ben didn’t live that far from Delia, so they should plan on dinner one night. Rachel promised to call Chrissie later in the week. All in all, it had taken almost a half hour to leave. Jared had driven the car around and stopped near the walk so Chrissie wouldn’t have to walk in the rain, which had begun in earnest while they were having breakfast.

  “Overwhelmed much?” Jared asked as he sounded two quick beeps on the Jag’s horn as they passed the house where his father and sister stood under the protection of the porch roof to wave good-bye.

  “Slightly overwhelmed, yeah.” Chrissie rested against the headrest.

  “Everyone liked you. My dad liked you a lot and my sister thought you were the only intelligent girl I ever dated. She wants to be your friend.”

  “I liked everyone, too, but I doubt you only dated dummies.” Chrissie stifled a yawn. “And I’d love to get to know Rachel better.”

  “She has very high standards and she’s very astute. I couldn’t argue with her.” The car was chilly from the rain and dampness, so he turned the heater on low.

  “Thanks for that.” She was having trouble keeping her eyes open. “Were we really going to go canoeing today?”

  “We were. There are several canoes in the barn, and Sam and I thought we’d take you and Rachel out on the beautiful Brandywine River. Of course, we’d have had to take one of their boys, since they couldn’t take them both, but that could have been fun. I don’t get enough time to spend with my nephews.”

  “Rachel said Sam was offered a teaching position at a school in Maryland. If he takes it, you could see them more often.”

  “Th
at would be cool. I’d like that.” They came to a traffic light, and Jared stopped behind a pickup truck that looked more at home in the rural terrain than the Jaguar. “What’d you think of my dad’s gift to Delia?”

  “Truthfully, I thought it was a little odd.” She opened her eyes and glanced across the console at him.

  “What was odd about it?”

  “It just doesn’t seem like a gift a man would give his wife on their wedding night. A wet suit isn’t very romantic.”

  “What could be more romantic than giving her something she could use to enjoy doing something with him? What should he have given her? According to Rachel, she has more jewelry than any woman could ever wear. She doesn’t need a car or obviously a house. She buys herself whatever she wants when she wants it. I think he bought it for her because it was the one thing she didn’t have that she wanted. And before you ask, yes, he’s taken her diving and she loved it.”

  “Maybe she was just saying that she loved it to make him happy.” That’s what Chrissie would have done, once upon a time. Would she still? She hoped not.

  “You’ll eat those words when you get to know her better. She doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to do and she’s always blunt about what she’s thinking. And once you get past your first dive, you’ll totally get it. I’m thinking we’ll start with some warm, peaceful tropical—”

  “Don’t hold your breath.” Chrissie closed her eyes again, ignoring his last comment and wondering if in fact she’d get to know Delia better. She hoped she might.

  “Tired?” he asked, and she nodded.

  “I didn’t sleep well last night,” she admitted.

  “Why not?”

  “I couldn’t stop thinking about—” She really didn’t want to tell him she’d mostly been thinking about him.

  “Thinking about what?”

  “Just . . . sensory overload, I guess. There’d been so much going on for the past few days, I think it all caught up with me. I’m used to a quiet life, you know. Life on the island is nothing like life with Delia.”