The Plan

by Tawdra Kandle

  Lexie frowned, her eyes narrowing. “How did you know that?”

  I forced a laugh. “Oh, Lex, you know the Cove. Everyone knows everything about each other. Your father was whining about having to go when I saw him last weekend, here at the Tide, and I called him a baby. Men.” I rolled my eyes.

  To my relief, she relaxed. “He’s totally a baby about the dentist, you’re right. Mom always says I handle it better than Daddy does.”

  “I’m sure she’s right. Speaking of your mom, let’s call her now and tell her where you are, and then you can tell me what happened with Bryan.”

  Lexie made a face, wrinkling her forehead. “Do I have to call her? She’s going to freak out, and I don’t think I can handle her right now.” Tears pooled in those blue eyes, so like her father’s. I sighed.

  “Okay, Lex. Give me her number, and I’ll call.”

  She smiled and leaned across the table. “Thank you, Emmy! I love you.” She dug her phone from her back pocket and scrolled through until she found her mother’s contact info. I typed it into my phone and waited for Jolie to pick up.

  “Hello?” Her voice was cautious, curious, probably wondering who was calling her from an unfamiliar number.

  “Hi, Jolie? This is Emmy Carter, from Crystal Cove.”

  “Oh, of course.” Jolie’s voice still held traces of North Carolina. “What can I do for you, Emmy? Everything okay?” The caution had left, but the curiosity was still there.

  “Well, I just wanted to let you know I’ve got Lexie here with me. She’s fine, don’t worry, but I guess she’s had some—some upset, and she came down to the Cove to see Cooper, but she couldn’t find him so she came down here to the Tide. She’s sitting with me. I thought you’d want to know.”

  “Oh, my God. How did she get down there?” Jolie sounded equal parts pissed and upset. I didn’t exactly blame her.

  “She took a cab.”

  “A cab? All the way from Daytona to the Cove? And just how did little miss thing pay for this cab?”

  I was beginning to feel like calling Jolie had been a bad idea. “Uh, I don’t know. I didn’t ask her.” I held the phone away from my ear. “Lex, your mom wants to know how you paid for the cab.”

  She ducked her head. “I used her credit card that she gave me for emergencies.”

  My eyes went wide, but I put the phone back to my ear. “Jolie, she says—”

  “I heard what she said. Good God, that had to have been—I don’t even want to think how much it was.” She blew out a long breath. “I’m sorry to put you in the middle of this, Emmy. Will she talk to me?”

  Lexie shook her head violently. I gave her my stern mom face, but apparently it only worked on my own children, because she backed away from me.

  “Jolie, I’m sorry, but she’s pretty upset. I don’t know exactly why yet. We were going to address that after I called you.”

  Jolie sighed. There seemed to be a lot of that going around. “All right. Did you call Cooper?”

  “Uh, not yet. I’m not sure he’s back from the dentist.”

  If Jolie also thought it was odd that I’d know that kind of information about her ex-husband, she didn’t let on. “I’ll call him and let him know he needs to get his ass down there to get his daughter. She can stay all weekend with him, and maybe he can straighten her out.”

  If it was shallow and petty that my heart sank at that idea—Lexie staying with Cooper all weekend meant I wouldn’t get to see him—then I was shallow and petty.

  “Okay, well—just tell him she’s fine here until he can come over.”

  “I will. And thank you, Emmy, for thinking to call me. I appreciate it.” The click indicated that our call was over, and I raised one eyebrow as I set down my phone.

  “She’s really mad, isn’t she?” Lexie bit her lip.

  “I wouldn’t say she’s pleased.” I sat back in my chair and folded my arms over my chest. “Okay, Lex. Spill. What happened today?”

  She swallowed and fastened her eyes on the table, where her fingers traced a line in the grain. “My boyfriend Bryan—we’ve been going out three months. And he’s so cool. So cute. And everyone likes him, and I never thought he’d ask me out, because he doesn’t date younger girls, but he did, even though he’s a senior and I’m a sophomore.”

  “He sounds very nice.” No, actually, he didn’t, but I was going to reserve judgment until I had the full story.

  “He’s been wanting to—to go all the way. Hook up. All our friends do, he says, and I just can’t because my mom is so strict. I’m not allowed to stay out late or spend the night at the beach or anything. So when I told him that Mom and Alton were going to Jacksonville tonight for this dinner, he said it was our chance. He was going to come over and we were going to do it.”

  I nodded, but my mind was reeling. Cooper’s going to kill this boy. He’s going to shoot him. Oh my God, what am I going to do?

  “But at the last minute, I chickened out. I told him I couldn’t do it, I wasn’t ready. I want to be ready, but I’m just not.”

  “That’s a very mature decision, Lexie.” I reached across the table and laid my hand over hers. “I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks.” Tears spilled out down her cheeks. “But Bryan said I’m acting like a baby. He said all his friends make fun of him for dating a sophomore, but he thought I was mature for my age, and now I’d proved him wrong and made him look like an idiot. He was so mad, Emmy. I was almost afraid of him.”

  My blood ran cold. Okay, forget about Cooper. I’m going to kill this kid.

  “And while he was yelling at me, he told me he’d been sleeping with Kaley. My best friend Kaley. We’ve been friends since kindergarten, and she’s been screwing him all along.” Lexie broke into sobs again, laying her head down on her folded arms.

  I stroked her hair, feeling helpless. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. Are you sure he’s not lying about Kaley, just to get you to . . . well, to get his way?”

  She shook her head. “I called Kaley and she admitted it. She said it didn’t mean anything, it was just hooking up, but it means something to me.”

  “Of course it does. Oh, Lex, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry you’ve had your heart broken by someone who never deserved to have it in the first place.”

  She lifted her tear-streaked face. “I hate love. I never want to fall in love again in my life. I suck at it. I’m such a loser.”

  “Baby girl, you’re not.” I scooted my chair around next to her so I could hold her. “Lexie, right now it feels like the world’s ending, and I understand that. Believe me, honey, I do. And you never want to feel this way again. It hurts so much, it would be easier to just protect your heart and never let it risk hurting.”

  She nodded, heaving sobs shaking her body.

  “I get it. I’ve been there. But you can’t feel that way. Because someday, someone’s going to come along who’s actually worthy of this beautiful heart of yours. And when he does, you’re going to realize that all the other morons who came before meant nothing to you. You’ll know what love really is. Love doesn’t intentionally hurt the other heart. Real love would do anything to make the other heart happy, to protect it. And that’s what you’re going to find someday.”

  Lex sniffled, pulling a napkin from the dispenser to wipe her nose. “When your husband left you, did it feel like this?”

  I hesitated. “It hurt, yeah. It was hard. But you know why? Because I’d wasted way too many years with someone who didn’t really love me. And I realized that I hadn’t loved him for a long time. We had a high school love, and sometimes those are real and true, like with Jude and Daniel. But lots of times they aren’t. By the time I realized that Eddy wasn’t my love, I already had kids, and I would do anything to protect my children, just like your mom and dad would for you.”

  Lexie breathed in deeply and let out a long breath. “Do you think you’ll ever find someone else to love? Like, a real love?”

  I thought of Cooper, holding my hand
as we drove along the beach drive, carrying me to his bed, helping me close the Tide every week. Listening to me talk about my plans and dreams, encouraging me. Making me feel beautiful every time he looked at me.

  “I think maybe I have.”

  “And does he love you, too?”

  That was a harder question. If I thought about it too long, I’d end up sobbing here right alongside Lexie. “I don’t know, honey. Sometimes love’s funny that way. We might find the one person our heart wants, but it turns out that person can’t love us, not the way we need him to. It doesn’t mean our love is any less real. Then we have to decide if our love is strong enough for both of us.”

  “Do you think yours is?”

  “I hope so. I hope—things work out. Because right now, I don’t think I can stop loving him, even if he tells me he can’t feel the same way.” I shook my head. “But we’re talking about you, not about me. This guy, Lex, he’s a jerk. He’s not worth one of your tears, and before long, you’re going to realize how much better you are than either Bryan or your friend Kaley. Trust me.”

  Lexie nodded, though I wasn’t sure she was entirely convinced. The door from the deck banged closed, and Cooper came into the restaurant.

  He glanced at me, but I couldn’t read his expression. His eyes skittered over to Lexie and softened.

  “Oh, Daddy.” She burst into tears again and leaped into her father’s arms. I pushed my chair back to stand up.

  “Alexis, don’t you ever do anything like this again, do you hear me?” Cooper hugged her close and then held her at arm’s length to look into her face. “Do you know how dangerous that was? A cab all the way from Daytona? You call me, and I’ll come get you. I’ve told you that over and over.”

  “Let her tell you the story, Cooper. It’s a little more complicated.” I patted his shoulder as I passed them, and Cooper caught my hand before I could get away. He gazed at me, his eyes searching my face, but again I couldn’t tell exactly what he was feeling. He mouthed the words thank you before releasing my hand.

  Lexie had lifted her face from her father’s chest, and when I looked down at her, I realized she’d been watching me. Confusion clouded her eyes. Before she could ask any questions, I smiled and walked to the bar.

  “Why don’t you guys go sit on the deck to talk? I’ll bring you some sweet tea. Except for you, Cooper. You have clean teeth, so you get water.” I winked at Lexie.

  Cooper tucked his daughter beneath his arm and steered her toward the door. “Thanks, Em. I appreciate it.”

  Once they were out of sight, I leaned against the bar, suddenly exhausted. My heart hurt for Lexie, for her first betrayal and lost love. And it hurt for me, too. Because I was pretty sure Cooper was the love of my life, the one man I’d never get over. And I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to survive that kind of pain, if he decided he couldn’t risk loving me back.

  I laid my head down on the bar, wishing I could sob like Lexie had. But tears didn’t come, and I was left with a hollow ache of dread.

  It was late on Sunday night by the time I headed back to the Cove from Daytona. Lexie had stayed with me all weekend, and we’d had hours of discussion about boys, love and heartbreak. It was the first time that I felt totally inadequate as a father. Up until now, I had been able to protect Lexie from most of life’s hurts, at least the major ones. But now I could only listen and advise, knowing that I couldn’t change how that dickhead and her so-called best friend had broken her heart.

  I was proud of her, though and I told her that. She’d made the right decision, and even though Jolie was mad about the cab ride from Daytona—and I wasn’t too thrilled about it, either—Lexie had done the best she could under the circumstances. When I talked to Jolie privately on the phone, I told her I thought getting out of town might’ve been a better choice than any of us knew.

  “That jerkwad knew Lex was going to be home alone most of the evening. Who’s to say he wouldn’t have come over and attacked her while you were in Jacksonville?”

  “Oh, Cooper, now I think you’re making mad leaps to conclusions. I’ve met Bryan. He’s a little cocky, sure, but what high school senior boy isn’t? He seemed like a decent kid. I never would’ve let Lexie go out with him if I’d thought otherwise.”

  “Yeah, and we saw how well that worked out, didn’t we?” I muttered. I still hadn’t abandoned the plan to jump this kid in a dark alley and give him back a little of the hurt he’d inflicted on my little girl.

  “Thanks, Coop, for that vote of confidence. Like you would’ve been able to tell the difference, either. Teenage boys don’t come with their shortcomings stamped on their foreheads. If they did, most of them would go around with the words ‘idiot’ and ‘horndog’ on their faces.” Her voice softened. “Besides, you can’t protect her forever. She’s growing up, and she’s going to get hurt. She’s going to fall in love, and her heart’s going to get broken. Again. All we can do is to be there for her, to help her pick up the pieces.”

  “Hmmm.” I rubbed my forehead. “I don’t like it.”

  Jolie laughed. “You may not like it, buddy, but that doesn’t make it less true.” She paused, and I sensed I wasn’t going to like what came next, either. “Speaking of love and broken hearts, Cooper, what’s going on with you and Emmy Carter?”

  I was struck speechless for a minute. I even strongly considered hanging up and claiming the call had been dropped. Finally I answered her.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t bullshit me, Cooper Davis. I’ve known you too long. I heard something in her voice when she called about Lexie. That was awfully sweet of her, by the way, to take care of Lex the way she did. I really appreciate it. I was so mad on Friday I’m not sure I told Emmy that. Pass it on for me, will you?”

  “Sure, if I see her.” I kept my tone careless.

  “Whatever. Just try not to screw it up, okay? She seems like a really decent person. She’d be good for you.”

  “I’m not looking for someone to be good for me, Jolie. That ship sailed a long time ago.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, by the way, while I have you on here, I wanted to tell you that Alton and I are getting married.”

  I nearly dropped the phone again. “What? Why? I thought you said you never wanted to be married again.”

  “I did say that, and I meant it at the time. And now I’ve changed my mind. Alton’s wanted to be married for a long time, you know, and he said to me a few weeks ago that I should know by now he’s not going anywhere, married or not, and so why shouldn’t we make it official? I couldn’t think of any reason to say no.”

  “Huh. Well, congratulations, I guess.”

  “Try to quell your excitement, Coop. You’re going to make me cry.” Jolie hesitated. “It took me a long time to get over what happened between you and me, you know. Which is silly, because it wasn’t anything either of us did wrong. We just weren’t cut out to be together. But I hope you don’t have some crazy idea that you were to blame for everything.”

  “I’m not made for marriage, Jolie. I screw it up.”

  “Oh, for God’s sake, Cooper. Stop being ridiculous. You were married to me when we were both children, basically, and then you were married to the nutcase. Neither of those are a compelling case for or against your ability to handle marriage. Now our wedding is going to be in September, at St. Luke’s up here. I want you to be there. It’s going to be very elegant and grown up. And bring Emmy.”

  I growled something about her biting me and hung up to the sound of her laughter.

  It was too late to see Emmy by the time I got back to the Cove. I knew Sunday nights were busy for her, getting the kids ready for the next week of school and settling them back at home after their weekend at the grandparents’ house. I considered texting her, just to let her know I was home and thinking of her, but I didn’t actually do it. I hadn’t seen her all weekend, not since Lexie and I had left the Tide on Friday afternoon. She knew I’d be occupie
d with my daughter, and she’d understand why I didn’t show up Saturday night at the Tide. At least, I hoped she did.

  But more than that was weighing heavy on me as I tromped from the Jeep to my workshop. On Friday, I’d just been getting back to the house from the damn dentist when my cell phone started buzzing. As soon as I’d gotten the basic story of Lexie’s adventures from Jolie, I jumped back into the Jeep and headed for the Tide. Once I was parked, I went up through the deck, as I usually did. I opened the screen door that led into the bar, but before it slammed shut behind me, I heard Lexie’s voice. And Emmy’s. I froze, not wanting them to know I was there.

  “Do you think you’ll ever find someone else to love? Like, a real love?” Lexie was speaking, and I frowned, wondering who she was questioning.

  There was a long silence, and then I recognized Emmy’s voice. She sounded . . . sad.

  “I think maybe I have.”

  “And does he love you, too?”

  I strained my ears to hear how Emmy would answer this. Did she know how I felt? Did I want her to know it, or would it be easier if she just assumed I didn’t care the same way she did?

  “I don’t know, honey. Sometimes love’s funny that way. We might find the one person our heart wants, but it turns that person can’t love us, not the way we need him to. It doesn’t mean our love is any less real. Then we have to decide if our love is strong enough for both of us.”

  I closed my eyes. God, she shattered me. Emmy, with all her crazy strength, with everything she’d gotten through—what kind of asshole was I, making her think I couldn’t love her?

  “Do you think yours is?” My daughter wanted to believe. I could hear it in her tone.

  “I hope so. I hope—things work out. Because right now, I don’t think I can stop loving him, even if he tells me he can’t feel the same way.”

  I had to hold myself back from rushing into the restaurant, taking Emmy into my arms and kissing her until she knew that I’d lied to her. The idea that I didn’t—or couldn’t—love her was a huge lie, because it was obvious that I did. The only thing that stopped me from falling at her feet and telling her the truth was my daughter sitting there.