No Ordinary Summer

by Linda Barrett

  Daniel followed Bart’s gaze to a poster where an adorable caricature of Dee, with mermaid fins, was sitting pertly at the edge of a dock. Above the water in front of her, was a large fish arching in the air, a police cap on its head. The caption read After Her Five Year Perch, He Wanted To Snapper Up.

  Chuckling, Dan turned to the proud father. “I guess that says it all.”

  “It does indeed. Years of friendship, five years of courtship and then in five minutes, a wedding! People waste time too often, they do, they do. It’s a shame.”

  Was there something personal in his message? Daniel focused on Bart for a moment. His relationship with the older man had grown to be a comfortable, trusting one, with perhaps an overtone of family to it, as between an uncle and nephew.

  “Are you trying to tell me something, Mr. Not-So-Subtle Quinn?”

  “Who? Me?” Quinn’s expression was priceless—the picture of innocence. Which meant guilty in Daniel’s mind. But before he could reply, Bart was walking and talking again. Daniel followed in his wake, stopping only a moment later.

  “And look who else is eating dinner at the Lobster Pot tonight! The rest of Sea View House. How are you, Shelley? Emily? And I can’t forget Joshua? I hear you’ve both signed up for baseball.”

  The children nodded, wide-eyed. Daniel imagined that was the common reaction to Bart Quinn from the youngest set. But he was curious about Emily. “You, too, Emily?” he asked gently.

  Emily nodded quickly. Her eyes shone. “T-ball,” she whispered. “That’s what kids my age play.”

  “Well, how about that? Good for you.”

  Daniel turned his attention to Shelley, watching her introduce her parents to Bart.

  “Three weeks, eh?” said the Realtor. “Then come to breakfast at the Diner on the Dunes with me on Monday. You’ll meet so many good people, you’ll want to settle in every summer. Maybe retire here, too, when the time’s right.”

  Her parents’ response to Quinn was very different from the response they’d given Dan. Smiles, handshakes, warmth all around. Dan glanced at Shelley and gave her a big smile himself.

  “We’ve just ordered our meal,” said Shelley. “Would you like to join us, Daniel?”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  THE LAUGHTER around the dinner table ceased, and the silence reverberated in Daniel’s ears. The frozen expressions on the faces of Shelley’s parents before they gathered their manners again told its own story. All eyes were on Daniel.

  He didn’t know the reason behind the Duffys’ behavior, and he wouldn’t join them for dinner, but now it was time to have a little fun. He rocked back on his heels and focused only on Shelley. “Thank you, darlin’.” His voice was tender and warm, but loud enough for the others to hear. “I appreciate the invitation. You’re a sweetheart to include me.”

  Her parents’ eyes widened in identical expressions, while Shelley’s blush started at her collarbone, traveled up her slender neck to her cheeks and finally to the roots of her shiny hair. Beautiful. He found himself staring at his lovely neighbor, and felt his own pulse take flight. Everyone else in the vicinity faded away for a moment…or an hour. He didn’t know how much time elapsed until his peripheral vision picked up the confusion on their faces.

  “Unfortunately, I’ll have to take a rain check tonight,” said Daniel as he refocused. “But I’ll check in with you tomorrow. We still have a lot to discuss.” He glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Duffy, and decided to cause another small ripple. “Has Shelley mentioned that we’ll be working closely together all summer coaching Josh’s team?”

  He let the words sink in, watched their consternation grow. “Seems that accommodating all the children who want to play ball is a serious goal around here,” he continued, “and some very persuasive people asked me to be Shelley’s assistant.” The Duffys didn’t have to know that the persuaders were eight years old.

  “Yeah,” piped up Josh. “We wouldn’t of had a team without the professor. Mom can’t do it herself. Even though she’s read about ten books so far.”

  “Thanks for the support, Josh.” Shelley’s voice was dry as ash when she looked at her son.

  Dan choked back his laughter and turned to face Shelley again. “Ten books, huh? Very impressive.”

  Her eyes glowed with humor. “I’m no stranger to research, either, Professor!”

  His spirits lifted. She had a way of keeping him off balance. He never knew what to expect each time they met, and he found himself liking the unknown.

  “The season’s on top of us, Coach,” he continued. “Meetings and practices this week and next. I got the schedules while you were in Boston, but now that you’re back, you’re in charge.”

  He thought he saw her gulp, but she nodded briskly. He could easily picture her as one of the cheering moms in the bleachers, but coach? No matter, he’d pick up the slack. She’d volunteered for her son’s sake, and Dan figured she’d read a hundred books before she’d let Josh down. She had grit.

  Glancing around the table, he also figured she’d need a lot of it this summer. “Enjoy your dinner, folks. I’m sure I’ll see all of you tomorrow,” he said, nodding at Mr. and Mrs. Duffy before walking with Bart to the table at the back wall.

  “What in tarnation was that all about?” asked Quinn.

  “I was hoping you’d know. They disliked me on sight.”

  Bart’s brow creased and he shook his head. “I’ve got no clue.”

  Now Daniel allowed himself to laugh out loud. “Well, Bartholomew Quinn, that’s got to be a first for you!”

  SHELLEY HUMMED with contentment as she gave her homemade potato salad a final mix before covering the bowl and placing it in the fridge alongside her coleslaw the following afternoon. Daniel had accepted her invitation for a barbecue supper later that day and she was glad. After her parents’ less-than-cordial greetings, she hadn’t been sure he would. Maybe he’d only accepted because Shelley and he really did need to discuss their coaching responsibilities.

  She sighed with frustration thinking about her parents’ attitude. Ordinarily, they were very gracious people, and if the situation with Carl hadn’t existed, they would have been as friendly as could be toward Daniel.

  To her great relief, when she’d addressed the issue with them that morning, they’d surprised her with smiles and assurances of cooperation. She’d shrugged her shoulders at their unexpected capitulation, simply relieved to have eliminated the problem, and begun rounding up the kids for a morning swim.

  Not that they really swam. Emily tiptoed toward the water, wet her feet and ran away from the waves; Shelley dunked and ran after Emily. Josh, however, tried to keep afloat with a few strokes before jumping the waves. But they’d all had fun. Fun. Her original purpose in coming to Pilgrim Cove. She needed to remember that goal despite the pulls and demands of other people.

  And now she needed to baste the steaks with the teriyaki marinade she’d concocted for the first family barbecue of the season.

  At four o’clock that afternoon, the back porch seemed filled with people, just the way a Sunday dinner should be. Shelley piled plates and utensils in the middle of the table, family-style. Daniel and her folks were deep in conversation, and Shelley’s humming evolved into quiet singing. She enjoyed hearing Dan’s deep, well-modulated voice in the background. Jessie was there, too, lying beneath the table in the shade.

  Shelley stood next to the grill, about to transfer the steaks to the flames, when from the corner of her eye she saw someone approach. She raised her head, stunned to see her ex-husband striding toward her from the driveway. He held his head high, wore a smile on his face and confidence in every step. His aviator sunglasses and designer polo added to the image.

  “How’s my family?” he called.

  Screams of “Daddy, Daddy” filled the air as Josh and Emily ran to their father. Carl reached for them and carried one in each arm back to the porch.

  Shelley glanced at her parents, who looked elated at Carl’s arrival, and sudden
ly realized why they’d had an attitude adjustment since the prior evening. Ellen and Phil had known Carl would show up today. In fact, they’d probably made a phone call to suggest it.

  She didn’t know what to expect next, and when she turned toward Daniel, a frisson of anxiety passed through her. She breathed easier when she saw his smile. And when he winked at her, she relaxed and felt herself grin. Coward! Why had she been concerned? Carl had no hold over Daniel, and Daniel had no vested interest in the goings-on of the Anderson family. She also knew, however, that nothing would escape her neighbor’s acute powers of observation. He’d probably be able to write a book by the time this day was over.

  Carl’s voice grabbed her attention again as he approached the Duffys, who sat at the table. “And how are my favorite in-laws?” He leaned over to kiss Ellen and lowered the kids to the ground in order to shake Phil’s hand. “It’s been too long,” he continued, “but it doesn’t have to be.”

  Carl was preaching to the choir, putting on an unnecessary performance, and Shelley tried to brace herself for whatever came. She didn’t have to wait long. Carl turned from her parents, whipped off his shades and walked toward her with hungry eyes. No warning could have prepared her, however, for the full frontal kiss he planted on her mouth.

  “Hmm. Tastes good,” he said with a grin afterward.

  “Back off,” Shelley replied, reclaiming her space by stepping away from him. “If you want to win points, I suggest you pay attention to the children.”

  “I definitely intend to, after I introduce myself to your new neighbor.”

  “I’ll introduce you,” said Shelley quickly, recognizing the aggressive tone in Carl’s voice. Once more, her stomach tensed.

  She looked to where Daniel had been sitting at the table, and saw that he was now standing, casually leaning against the porch rail, one hand at his side, the other holding a beer. He looked as cool and relaxed as ever. His eyes twinkled when he met her gaze, and he surreptitiously nodded at Carl. He was sending her a message. Hot damn! He was laughing to himself. He had watched Carl’s entire performance and was laughing!

  She felt an unexpected giggle start to emerge and pressed her lips together, then immediately felt guilty about wanting to laugh, too. She was in no position to poke fun at her children’s father. In fact, she was partly responsible for the pressure he was feeling right now, because of her indecision. But at least she didn’t have to be concerned about Daniel.

  DANIEL WISHED he could reach over to smooth the worry line from Shelley’s brow. She took responsibility for the whole world on her shoulders. Hopefully, she’d soon realize that he could take care of himself. He had to admit, however, that she was a sweetheart for caring.

  Dan remained leaning nonchalantly against the railing until Shelley and her ex-husband approached, side by side. Then he straightened to his full six feet, meeting the fair-haired man eye-to-eye.

  “So, you’re Shelley’s upstairs neighbor,” said the newcomer, putting his arm around Shelley as he spoke. “Carl Anderson,” he said with a nod.

  “Daniel Stone.” Dan extended his hand, forcing the other man to relinquish his hold on Shelley to clasp it, or look diminished. Shelley stepped to the side, her expression inscrutable, which made Dan blink and examine her again. He’d never seen Shelley other than animated and easy to read.

  The blond man’s handshake was firm to a fault, his glance assessing. Daniel maintained his gaze. “That’s right. I rent Sea View House, too. I’ll be here all summer.”

  “You must have a great job.” The words were not complimentary, and a tiny sneer marred Anderson’s handsome face.

  Daniel leaned back against the railing again and allowed a lazy grin to emerge. “Oh, I make out all right. And from what I’ve recently read, you have plans for this summer, too.” He injected a note of admiration in his voice. “In fact, I guess you have plans for the entire year.” Nothing like flattery to change the direction of a conversation.

  Carl’s eyes widened a fraction. “You follow politics?”

  “I read the papers,” replied Daniel. “The Boston papers. Your litigation’s been good on environmental issues. If the voters care about that, you’ll stand a decent chance. At least a fair chance. The incumbent passed away, so it’s an open seat, isn’t it?”

  And that’s all it took to neutralize Carl Anderson for the moment. The politician picked up the conversation and ran with it. Daniel glanced at Shelley’s relieved face and wanted to cheer.

  But an hour later, Daniel had to admit that when Carl was with his children, no one could fault the attention he gave them. Neither Emily nor Josh spared even a brief glance for Dan, which was understandable. But when they ignored Jessie, too, Dan realized how much the kids had been starving for their dad’s company. And that was too bad. He’d assumed that after two years of living apart, Shelley’s divorce was definitely an event of the past, and the fallout had been contained.

  Two years. He was a jerk! Why should Shelley’s life have rebounded any more smoothly than his after two years? His eyes followed her as she went about the business of hostessing, and then he took a turn at the grill so she was free for other duties while the kids were with their dad. When Josh called her to join their game on the sand, Dan waved her on. “Everything’s under control here. Go to your son.”

  “Thanks,” she replied, heartfelt sincerity reverberating in the one little word.

  He watched her join Carl and the children in their impromptu soccer game, glad that the kids would have good memories of the day.

  “They are a lovely family, aren’t they?” Ellen Duffy’s voice broke into his thoughts. “In fact, they’re a lovely couple. Don’t you think so?”

  Dan startled. “Pardon me?” he said, turning around to face Shelley’s mother. “I was under the impression Shelley and Carl were divorced.”

  The woman looked away. “Well, yes. Yes, they are. But—” she faced him again “—we’re all hoping their unfortunate split was a mistake that will soon be in the past.”

  A shock wave of disappointment rolled through him, followed by a familiar echo of loss. He caught his breath as he felt a newly opened window closed again, and then lost his breath completely when he realized how affected he was by Ellen Duffy’s revelation.

  Despite the dimensions of his love for Nikki, he was still a warm-blooded, warm-hearted human male in the land of the living. And Ellen Duffy would never know what a favor she’d done for him.

  HE NEEDED HER. Even though they lived in progressive times, the public preferred a candidate of Carl’s age to be a stable family man before they sent him to Washington. Carl knew he brought other, equally important, qualities to the table—a substantive platform, high energy, creativity and an ability to build a coalition—not to mention the personal attributes his campaign manager considered strong assets such as good looks and a fit body. Voters noticed everything, and if a handsome face brought in votes, he’d keep on smiling.

  But he needed Shelley for insurance. The divorce hadn’t been his idea! He’d been content with their lives. But Shelley—so damn naive about real life and real marriages—still believed the fairy tales about total fidelity. His own parents, who were devoted to each other, had an understanding between them, and Carl didn’t see anything wrong with that. Evidently his former in-laws didn’t see too much wrong with it, either. In fact, they seemed ready to hold Shelley responsible for Carl’s forays. He mentally shrugged. If guilt worked, he was all for it.

  “Hey, Shelley. Let’s take a time out. We need to talk.”

  He didn’t like the cautious look she gave him, but she nodded and told the kids to wash up for supper.

  “You’re staying, Dad, right?” asked Josh, running toward him and wrapping his arms around Carl’s waist.

  Carl ruffled his son’s hair. “You bet,” he replied, conscience tugging at the tone of desperation in Josh’s voice. “We’ll be right there.”

  Josh and Emily ran off, and he turned toward Shell
ey. “Have you thought about our last conversation?”

  “Of course I have,” she replied, leading him toward the shore, farther from the house. “But I have no answer for you yet.”

  “You see how much our reunion would benefit the kids,” he began.

  “That’s never been the question.” Her eyes flashed. Her auburn hair crackled with a matching fire. Oh, yeah…she was a striking woman, and would look very good standing next to him again.

  “It’s been barely a week since we spoke,” she continued. “Don’t push.”

  He wasn’t an idiot, and he backed off. Her message was loud and clear. But, man, she still didn’t understand. An office romance was nothing. The real point was that he’d had no intention of leaving her for someone else.

  “Shel, we could have a life you’ve only dreamed about.”

  Now sorrow filled her eyes, and she shook her head. “I’ve already had my dream. It just didn’t last. This political career is your dream. If I go along for the ride, it’ll be because of every other factor involved, not my ambitions. Hell,” she murmured, “I’d be giving up on ever reclaiming my own dreams.”

  He understood what she meant. “I promise, Shel, you’ll never have anything to worry about again.”

  She glanced at him assessingly. “I would hope not.” Her voice trailed off, and he knew she had doubts.

  “Then you are seriously considering my proposal?”

  She winced. This time he couldn’t blame her. Bad choice of words. But she met his gaze and nodded.

  Relief filled him. He took her hand, kissed her palm and quickly led her back to the house. “How about dinner next Saturday night?”

  “All right,” she said slowly.

  He faced the group on the porch. “Ellen, Phil. Would you like to join Shelley and me in Boston next week? Dinner at my place. For old times’ sake and maybe new times’, too.”

  He turned to Shelley. “Get a baby-sitter, or on second thought—” he looked at Daniel “—since you’re such a good neighbor, how about volunteering?”