by Jess Petosa
I help him pack up the backpack and we start back down the trail, hand in hand.
“Have you been on most of these trails?” I ask.
Will nods. “In high school my friends and I would come here every week during the summer, exploring the trails and sometimes going off the trail map. We used to camp not too far from here. There is a lake on the other side of the park that is really nice too. I’ll have to take you over there sometime soon. You can also rent bikes from a place inside the park. One trail is twenty-six miles and has a pretty crazy incline, but at least on the second half you can coast down.”
“Twenty-six miles,” I repeat. “I think I need to hit a few of the smaller trails first.”
“Deal,” he says, and then we fall back into a relaxed silence.
It scares me, talking about the future with Will. Each morning I go to sleep afraid that I’ll wake up with my full memory. I’m afraid that I’ll have to leave Hampton Harbor and everyone I love behind. It has been easier to just live in the moment with Will, to take it day by day. The fear that roots deep within me stretches out when he mentions the future; when we make plans more than a few days in advance.
I hope that we’ll have time to see the lake, and even explore more trails, but I’ve come to view hope as a dangerous thing.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Will drops me at home around two in the afternoon and I hurry to the shower. With Charles and Marie gone on their trip, I can accomplish things like this easier. If Marie had been here, she would have been fussing over my outfit and bugging me for details. In a small way, I do miss her. I talked to her on the phone last night, just after their plane touched down in Florida. She left me with a few pieces of advice.
Wear the black dress this time.
Smile and call his parents Mr. and Mrs. Davey.
Remember, no alcohol.
No boys in the house.
I laughed loudly at the last part once I had hung up the phone. Yes, I am definitely starting to feel like a sixteen-year-old girl with my first boyfriend.
The black dress we bought at the mall is a simple sheath dress. It has an older, more formal, silhouette to it, and I can see why Marie wants me to wear it. The dress is appropriate enough for a dinner party with Will's family, but casual enough for every day summer wear. For all I know, the women in his family will be wearing shorts, so I don’t want to overdress. I curl the ends of my hair with Marie's curling iron and pull the thick locks over my shoulder.
I'm just slipping on my black sandals when the doorbell rings. For the second time since we started dating, Will is picking me up by car. The first time was this morning for our hike. Normally I meet him in town after work, or he picks me up in his boat.
"How conventional," I tell him as I slip into his black SUV. "Picking me up in a car, and even walking up to the door like a gentleman."
Will reaches over and takes my hand, holding it right in my lap. He steals a glance at me. "Feels a little bit boring, now, doesn't it?"
I laugh. “I’m not so sure you know how to be boring.”
Will's parents live in a beachside home close to the marina. He lives in the guesthouse that sits on the property, in a modest apartment that he pays rent for. I haven’t been inside just yet, even though he’s invited me. I know being alone with him in his apartment will lead us deeper into our relationship, and I can’t decide if I am ready for that or not.
Will turns into a wide driveway and we pull in front of a large, white house. It’s three stories, with a variety of roof peaks and large windows. It’s beautiful, and I have to peel my eyes away just to climb out of the car. Will meets me at the front of his SUV and takes my hand. He is wearing nice jeans and a button up shirt, and his hair is combed nicely. We travel up a wide set of stairs to the front doors, which are on the second story, and we’re greeted by a stunning, older woman. She is wearing a yellow sundress with a flower of the same color clipped into her hair.
She grabs my shoulders and kisses both of my cheeks. "You must be Jane," she says. "I'm Anna, William's mother."
I step into the foyer and shake her hand all in the same motion. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Davey."
She waves a hand at me and scoffs. "Did Marie tell you to call me that? She knows how much that bothers me. Mrs. Davey is my mother-in-law. Please, call me Anna."
She ushers Will through the front door and I barely have time to take in the house as we are moved to the kitchen. The second floor is completely open, and the entire back wall is covered in windows. There is a stone fireplace to the right, with a large TV hung above the mantel. To the left is the kitchen, which takes up almost half of the floor. There is a breakfast nook off the back of the house, with a large bench seat table. Through an open doorway behind the kitchen, I catch a glimpse of a large dining room.
"William is here," Anna trills to a group of people sitting in the breakfast nook.
Will’s family.
I recognize Will's father, and James, and a younger boy with the same hair color as Anna's, but with Mr. Davey's features. Lincoln.
A pretty blonde approaches me and rather than shaking my hand, gives me a gentle hug. "I'm Jenna, James’ wife." She is also wearing a sundress, and my outfit anxiety slips right out the window and into the bay.
Jenna has a baby boy on her hips. He has a mop of curly blonde hair on his head, and he peers up at me with big blue eyes.
"This is James, the third, but we call him JJ. And this..." A little girl comes streaking through the kitchen. She is a blur of purple and pink as she stops in front of us, rainbow colored fairy wings hanging in a disorderly position on her back. She has the same blue eyes as JJ, but her hair is dark and straight. ".... this is Ella."
"I'm three!" Ella exclaims, holding up three fingers before dashing into the living room.
Everyone in the room laughs, including me, and Will ushers me forward for more introductions. I've already met Mr. Davey and James, but I greet them as I pass by. Lincoln is standing behind them, watching me carefully.
"I'm Jane," I say, holding out my hand.
He gives it a weak shake and nods his head. "Linc."
"Our moody, too-cool-for-family, college aged brother." James grabs Lincoln into a headlock and tousles his hair. Lincoln pushes him away and avoids my gaze, the tips of his cheeks turning pink.
"Jim," Anna addresses Mr. Davey and I’m glad to learn that there is a way to differentiate him from his oldest son. "Can you go grab the pizzas?"
"I'll help him," Will volunteers.
The best pizza shop in town is right across from the marina, so I know that they are going to walk. I stare at Will with narrow eyes, trying to judge his reason for abandoning me so soon into the night. He disappears with out looking at me, a sure sign of guilt, and I turn back to Anna and Jenna nervously.
"It's tradition to abandon the date with the other women in the family," Anna says as she grabs my arm. She pulls me toward the back deck. "It's the main reason I call for pizza when one of my boys brings a girl home."
"Do you do this often?" I try to work my way around the question.
"She did for James." Jenna comes up beside me and gives me a look.
"And a few non serious girlfriends from high school for each of them," Anna adds.
Anna pushes open double French doors that lead out onto a wide, white wood deck. A large glass table sits in the middle, and flower boxes spill red geraniums out toward the ocean. I can see the tops of some of the boats from where I stand, and I see how Mr. Davey can keep a watch over the marina if he is standing on the balcony on the third floor.
We take a seat on some outdoor sofas. Anna sits with her legs crossed at the ankle, and Jenna balances JJ on her knee. Through the window I can see Lincoln flying Ella through the air, and I think I can hear her high-pitched giggles. James is pacing back and forth on the opposite side of the deck, his cell phone to his ear.
"William has kept you sort of secret until just recently," Anna says to me with a smile. �
�We didn’t even know he was dating anyone until a week ago?”
I should probably be offended that he has kept me a secret, but then again, how can I blame him? How do you explain a mentally wounded girlfriend to your parents?
I swallow at the lump in my throat and finger the hem of my dress. "Oh?"
I don't want to tell her that I am a mystery. Will didn't have to try very hard.
Jenna nods, and JJ bounces on her knee. "Will hasn't dated since college."
She pauses on the word since, drawing it out. I can't help but wonder if she was going to say something else.
"We knew that when he did date again, it would be someone special, so we've been quite curious," Anna adds.
"How did you and Will meet?" Jenna asks.
I figure that I can at least offer them the truth in that aspect, so I tell them about my fall on the docks and how Charles and Marie had Will carry me to their car. I recollect as if I remember the event, even though I only have other people's recollections to go by. I then recount how he came into the cafe, how we talked on the dock, and how he sat in my section for next several shifts.
"I guess things just spiraled from there," I say with a genuine smile.
"You know, I met James in a similar fashion," Jenna starts, and I’m thankful that the spotlight is off of me. "My parents dock a sail boat here and I was leaning over the dock, trying to untangle the anchor from a rogue fishing net. I lost my footing and went head first into the water. Thankfully the water was calm that day, but James happened to be working on a boat nearby and came running to my rescue. He dove right in and pushed me up onto the dock, as though I had actually been drowning."
We all share a laugh.
"We've been together even since," she finishes.
"Girls tend to fall for their rescuers," Anna adds, a wistful look in her eyes.
I nod my head in agreement. I've told Will twice now that girls like to be rescued.
"Did Mr. Davey, I mean Jim, rescue you?" I ask.
The wistful look stays, and Anna's smile strengthens. There is a little extra pink in her cheeks now, and she smothers a giggle. Marie acts a similar way when talking about Charles, and it’s interesting to see how love can still impact a couple, no matter how long they've been together.
"He didn't rescue me per se," Anna finally says. "I guess maybe he rescued me from my horrible ex-boyfriend. I was a sophomore in high school, and Jim was a junior. He swept me right off my feet. Poor Henry never stood a chance."
The door to the house opens and Will hurries out onto the deck, four pizza boxes balanced in his arms. He sets them on the table and comes to stand beside me, his hand finds my shoulder.
"You two aren't drilling her into the ground with your questions, are you?"
Jenna grins. "We wouldn't dare."
Anna stands. "I better go grab the paper plates and napkins."
James is off the phone and Jenna walks over to see him, handing JJ over when the little boy flails his arms out at his father. I stand and turn to Will, who is regarding me carefully.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave you here but they never would have let me hear the end of it. I came back as fast as I could. I practically ran out of the pizza place with the boxes and left my dad a good twenty yards behind the entire way to the house."
I laugh and place my hand on his forearm. "I'm fine. It wasn't hard to sidestep the questions about my past, at all. You were barely gone ten minutes."
Will slides his hand into mine and pulls me over to the railing. We both lean on it with our forearms, and my hair flutters along my back with the slight breeze. Below us, a wooden pier leads right onto the sandy shore.
"It's beautiful here," I say.
Will nods beside me. "I love this house, this beach and this town. I'm not sure I could ever leave."
"Me either," I say so lightly I doubt Will hears it. The breeze carries my words away, and I pray that they could be true.
Anna returns with the plates and we sit at the large table on the deck. The conversation is light as we eat, and thankfully no one pries into my past. I retell the story about meeting Will, since not everyone heard it, and that starts the others in on other stories from their past. Will and his brothers piggy back off of each other, bantering back and forth with an ease that can only be gained through close relationships. Anna brings out a large ice cream cake and we sing Happy Birthday to Will. He winks at me before he blows out his candles and I secretly wonder what he wished for.
Once we are done, Ella sits in Will's lap and asks him to tell her one of his stories. I listen as he tells her a wild tale of pirates at sea, and mermaids on the rocks. It is a short story, but by the end Ella's eyes are large and glistening, and her smile is infectious. I look around the table and see the shared glances of love and adoration, and realize that this is a family I want to be a part of. This is the type of family I hope that I am a part of.
James and Jenna leave to take Ella and JJ home to bed, and Linc leaves to meet his friends for the firework show. Will and his dad are talking business, and I find myself helping Anna in the kitchen, putting away left over pizza and bagging up the trash.
"Thank you for having me for dinner tonight, Mrs... Anna," I say, trying to remember my manners.
"It was our pleasure," Anna says. "It's nice to see Will so happy, and with someone we can all enjoy. I know I'm speaking boldly, but tonight's dinner felt as though everything was in place. Like you were supposed to be here all along."
I finish putting the wrapped up pizza in the fridge and turn to face her, ignoring the knot my stomach is trying to tie.
"I felt that way too," I tell her.
I can tell she wants to ask me more questions, but Will sweeps into the room and steals my attention. His dad follows behind him, a tight-lipped smile on his face.
"Mr. Young just called. Apparently he isn't happy with the way his boat was serviced this afternoon. I'm going to head down to the dock and see if his complaints have any claim."
Will's mom rolls her eyes. "Another day, another complaint from Mr. Young."
Jim gives her a kiss on the head and leaves. Anna goes right back to scrubbing her already immaculate kitchen. Will takes my hand and pulls me from the room wordlessly. I follow him down a set of stairs and we step into a rec room. There is a kitchenette and bar in one corner, and a pool table and ping-pong table take up the middle of the room. The fireplace from above extends down here, and there is a TV hung above this one as well. We move across the room and through the double doors to the back deck, stepping back into the warm, night air.
"Alone at last," Will says as he raises an eyebrow.
The line is meant to be comical, and I laugh. The sun has started to dip on the western horizon, and the sky is already starting to turn a shade of red mixed with purple. Soon the fireworks will start and the sky will light up with a multitude of colors. We walk down the wooded dock, and leave our shoes at the top of the steps. The breeze is stronger when we set our feet on the sand, and I struggle to keep my hair under control.
"So, what do you think?" Will asks me, and I know that he is asking about his family.
"I think they're great, and I can see why you turned out so perfect."
One corner of Will's mouth pulls up in a grin. "You think I'm perfect?"
"Don't let it go to your head. A big ego knocks you down a few points," I say.
"I'm glad you came, Jane," he turns me to face him and our eyes meet. In the light his eyes appear almost gray, and they are looking at me with an emotion I'm not sure I understand. "It felt right, having you with my family."
"I agree," I respond. "I only wish..."
He brings a hand up to my chin and puts a finger over my mouth. "Don't," he says. "Don't ruin it."
I wish I could ignore our reality the way he is right now. He runs his thumb over my bottom lip and his touch reverberates down to my bones. I never take my eyes off his, expecting the moment to feel awkward but all it does is raise my desire.
He brings his mouth down to meet mine, and my lips part. I taste the sea breeze on his mouth, and a tinge of peppermint on his tongue. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer. His hands travel to my waist, grazing the cotton fabric. I suddenly wish I had worn a skirt and a nice shirt, so that I could feel his warm hands across my stomach. He brings one hand up my back and runs the other up my arm. I shiver under his touch.
He pulls back and looks up toward his parents’ house, which is a lit up brightly. I can see his mother wiping the table on the deck, and I realize that she most likely saw our embrace.
Will leans toward me, his lips brushing my ear. "Come with me."
He uses his head to nod toward an outcropping of rocks on the beach. It separates the house from the marina, and juts out at odd angles. Some of the formations are tall and I can see small sand paths leading in and out of them, creating perfect hiding places for young kids. Or adults looking for privacy. I smile and nod, pushing him forward a little so that I can jump onto his back. He falters for a moment, not expecting my sudden weight.