“I had to follow your dad’s rules. My mom insisted on it.”
“Was I worth the wait?”
“Is that a trick question?”
“No.”
“You were well worth it, both times.”
“Both times… so hmm, I guess we had both of our first kisses in the same spot.”
“I guess we did.” Ben got out first, waiting with a towel in his hands as I followed.
“It’s going to be so weird when Mom finally sells this place.”
“I know. So many memories.” He wrapped me in a towel, starting to dry me before stopping suddenly. “We should probably wash off the salt water.” He bent down to pick up our clothes.
The glint in his eyes gave him away. “I’m guessing you are hinting at the outside shower?”
“Uh huh.” He took my hand, leading me back to the side of the house. He stopped in front of the covered shower, reaching in to turn on the water. “Looks like it still works.”
He stepped into the shower, bringing me with him, positioning us under the warm spray. I pulled back from him for a moment, enjoying the way the water felt on my body, but he quickly reclaimed my attention as his lips first attacked my neck and then moved down.
I moaned as he discarded my bra. His lips continued their journey. He finally returned to my lips, and my arms went around his neck, pulling him to me. As the water flowed over us, I knew this was the start of something new. Neither of us were holding back, and we weren’t kids anymore. We were ready for something real.
The water turned cold before Ben turned it off. He wrapped me back up in the towel, taking another one for himself. I watched him dry off before picking up our discarded clothing.
“I know your bed is tiny, but I think we should stay here tonight.”
“Well if you insist on cuddling like you did earlier, it won’t be a problem.”
He smiled. “Hey, I like having you close.”
“I like being close.”
Chapter Eighteen
The sound of the front door opening woke me up around ten the next morning. Ben had left at six to get ready to take out a fishing boat, but he’d insisted I stay in bed and catch up on sleep. I was so comfortable that I didn’t need much persuasion.
“Molly? You up there?”
I sat up in bed, surprised to hear my sister’s voice. “Shayna?” I rubbed my eyes, trying to finish waking up.
Shayna stood in the doorway with a huge grin. “Surprise!” She sat down next to me on the bed, swooping me into a hug.
“Hey… you didn’t tell me you were coming.” I was suddenly very glad Ben had left early. I couldn’t imagine what Shayna would have thought if she walked into my room and found us together. I was also relieved I’d thrown on some pajamas when he left, avoiding another potentially awkward moment.
She pulled her blond hair back into a ponytail. We were definitely those sisters who looked alike. If I ever wanted a preview of how I’d look in five years, I’d only have to watch her. She looked great, so it was a good thing. “If I’d told you I was coming, you would have tried to convince me not to.”
“That’s probably true. Where are Terry and the kids?”
“Back in Seattle with Mom. I thought we could use some sisterly bonding time.”
“Sisterly bonding time?” I arched an eyebrow.
“Uh huh, we haven’t had any in a while. I figured we were due for it.”
I smiled. “All right, sounds good.”
“So, you want to do a late breakfast down at Surf Song? I’m starving.”
“Sure, did you just fly in?” I was still trying to process her presence in my room. I hadn’t seen Shayna since Adam’s funeral. She’d left her two young children with her husband and traveled to Boston with my mom. I appreciated the effort, but I hadn’t been able to accept the help they wanted to offer. I’d spent the holidays with Becca and her mom, waiting until the last minute to tell my family I wasn’t coming, so it would be too late for them to come to me. I did everything I could to distance myself. It wasn’t much of a stretch. I’d been limiting our contact since I left for college.
“Yeah, I took the red-eye last night.”
“You didn’t have to come, Shay. I’m sure it was hard to leave the kids and get time off.”
“I’m just in town for the weekend, and I needed to come. We’ve been so worried about you. You can’t call Mom to tell her you dropped out of school and not expect us to be concerned.”
“Well, it’s good to see you. Just let me get dressed.”
“Why don’t you put on a swimsuit and meet me downstairs when you’re ready? We can head down to the beach after breakfast. I haven’t been in ages.”
I threw on a pink bikini and a cover up, brushed my teeth, and quickly brushed out my hair. I didn’t want to make Shayna wait for me to shower. She was someone you didn’t want to mess with when she was hungry.
We decided to walk down to Surf Song, the best restaurant in town if you wanted a view along with your food. Shayna ordered blueberry pancakes, and I got strawberry French toast. The restaurant was fairly empty, not surprising for a Friday morning. It was more of a dinner or weekend brunch place.
“I still haven’t found better blueberry pancakes than these,” Shayna said between mouthfuls.
“I don’t know how you can pass up the French toast. You’re the one with the big sweet tooth, and you can’t get sweeter.”
Talking about food was easier than discussing what Shayna had really come to talk about. If she made the effort to come, she had something more than a quick visit up her sleeve.
She waited until our plates were cleared, and we were sipping coffee to start her offensive. “I got you a ticket to come back with me.”
I choked on a sip of coffee. “You did what?”
“You wanted to have some time alone. Fine. You’ve been back here for a few weeks, but it’s time to come home with us.”
“I am home.”
“Home is where your family is. No one’s here anymore. Why would you want to spend your time in this place?”
“I have my reasons.” I suppressed a smile, thinking about the reason that had slipped out of my bed a few hours before.
“You can stay with us for a while, but we’ll have you set up in your own place right away. I’m really excited to introduce you to someone I know from the hospital. You’re going to love him.”
“Are you crazy?”
“No. And I’m telling you Steve is perfect for you. He’s very outdoorsy, makes a great living as a surgeon, and is really looking to meet someone.”
“How do those things make him perfect for me?”
“You like the outdoors, you’re broke, and you really need to meet someone.” She smiled.
“What if I’ve already met someone?”
“You’ve met someone here?”
This time I didn’t hide my smile when I thought of Ben.
“Oh no. Please don’t tell me your back with him.”
“With who?” I feigned innocence.
“Ben. You’re seeing him again, aren’t you?” She pursed her lips.
“Maybe I am.”
“Not seriously though, right?”
“Serious enough that he left a few hours before you arrived.”
She slammed her coffee cup down into the saucer, spilling some over the side. “You spent the night with him?”
“Why do you sound so surprised? You know very well I’m not the wait until marriage type.”
“Still, you’ve only been back a few weeks. That’s moving fast by anyone’s standards. Are you sure you know what you’re getting yourself into?”
“It’s not like I just met him. He’s not a stranger.”
“Mom’s not going to like this.” Her shoulders tensed. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to come up with a way to get me to change my mind.
“Mom’s the one who pushed Dad to let me date him.”
�
�In high school, not now. She doesn’t want you getting sucked back into this town.” Shayna hated Clayton Falls. She’d left after high school and never looked back. I did the same thing, but I was running from memories of Dad more than anything else. I’d never really understand what Shayna’s issue was. “There is so much more out there. You lived in Boston for five years. This place can’t satisfy you anymore.”
“I like that it’s not Boston. It’s what I need right now.”
“And what do you plan to do here? What kind of job are you going to get?” She picked up her coffee again, taking a few sips.
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Then how are you going to support yourself? What happens when Mom sells the house? Oh, that’s right, you’re with Ben. You’re going to move in with him, huh?” She set down her coffee cup with exaggerated care. She was getting ready to let me have it.
“Don’t be a bitch, Shayna.”
“I’m trying to help you. I never understood why you wanted to be an attorney anyway. I think a better match might be pharmacy school. You were always good at science. I have an in at the school at U Dub. You may still be able to swing it for the fall.”
“In what parallel universe would my dropping out of law school mean I wanted to be a pharmacist?” The stretch in logic was pushing it, even for Shayna.
“I think it would be a great fit for you. It’s a career with lots of potential, and you can get a job with flexible hours for when you have kids.”
“For when I have kids? Because that’s going to happen anytime soon?”
“Steve’s really good with kids. Mine love him. By the way, they’d love to see their aunt once in a while.”
“That’s good for Steve, and I’ll try to get out there soon, but as you’ve already pointed out, I’m broke.”
“And I already told you I have your ticket.”
Shayna could be bullheaded when she wanted to be. She always had the world figured out and could fix anything. I wasn’t in the mood to fight. “Let’s get out of here and go to the beach.”
Shayna paid our bill and we walked down to the beach. After laying out our towels, I stripped down to my bikini, ready to enjoy the sun. Shayna had on a more conservative tankini.
“I envy you for looking so good in that.” Shayna flopped down next to me.
“You could pull it off.”
“Even if I could, it wouldn’t hold up well with the kids.”
“Probably true.”
She pulled sunglasses from her bag, propping herself onto her elbows. “Tell me more about what’s going on with you and Ben.”
“So now you want to know about it?” I asked skeptically, wondering where she was going with the question.
“I never said I didn’t. I was just surprised you’d go down that road again.”
“He makes me happy, I feel like myself with him, and the sex is great. What else is there to know?”
“Molly!” Shayna’s mouth fell open.
“What? We already established I was sleeping with him.”
“That doesn’t mean I need to hear any more about it.”
“Okay, I’ll keep that part to myself.” I loved pushing my sister. I had no idea how a doctor could be such a prude. Everything had to be so proper with her. I guess Dad rubbed off on her more. She was always the goody-two-shoes while I rebelled almost every chance I got.
“Now, that’s the Mathews I’d pick if I was a cougar.”
“What?” I followed her gaze and saw Jake coming out of the water with his board.
“Cougar? You’re twenty-seven!”
“A married twenty-seven year old with kids. He’s a baby.”
“He’s the same age as me.”
“Exactly. A baby.”
Jake waved, likely noticing us staring at him.
“If you think Jake looks good, wait until you see Ben. He’s grown up a lot too.”
“More than that?” I figured she was referring to Jake’s washboard abs and muscular arms.
“Yeah, more than that.”
“All right, maybe I can see why you’re having fun with him.” She laughed.
It was fun to talk boys with Shayna. Being five years apart, it wasn’t something we did much.
Jake came over. “Hey there. Is the whole Sander clan back for a visit?”
“No, I’m just here to bring my sister home.”
“You’re leaving?” Jake grimaced, likely worrying about Ben.
“I’m not going anywhere.” I smiled, wondering if he’d run into Ben yet.
“Good. I wanted to make sure you hadn’t forgotten about our conversation already.”
“Definitely not.”
Shayna looked back and forth between us. “What am I missing here?”
“Nothing. Molly and I had a chance to catch up last night, that’s all.”
“Okay…” she trailed off.
“Well, I’m going to go. If I don’t see you again before you leave, it was nice seeing you, Shayna.”
“Yeah, nice seeing you.”
Shayna lay back down. “I’ve missed the beach so much.”
“Remind me again why you think I should move to Seattle? I’ve missed the heat so much the last few years. I never want to leave.”
“All right, I’ll admit the weather isn’t the best, but I still think you’d like it.”
“Maybe, but I’m not coming.”
“Let’s just talk about it again tomorrow, okay?” She knew when to call a momentary truce.
“Okay.”
We both flipped over onto our stomachs, soaking up the sun and carefully avoiding any thorny conversation topics.
Chapter Nineteen
I was lucky Shayna made me put on sunscreen. Even lathered with 45, I still managed to get two spots of sunburn from a few hours of lying out. We headed home in good moods. It’s hard to have any other mood after spending time in the sun. I know some people hate it when it’s hot, but it must be in my blood to love scorching temperatures. Mom always said it was the southern girl in me that makes me live for it so much. I couldn’t believe Shayna had willingly moved to such a rainy, overcast city.
I missed a call from Ben while I showered, so I called him back while I waited for Shayna to take her turn.
“Hey, babe.”
“Hey. Sorry, I just saw I missed your call.”
“I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner tonight. I thought maybe I could cook for you.”
“You cook?” I asked, unsuccessful at keeping the surprise out of my voice.
He laughed. “Yeah, I cook.”
“Well as tempting as that sounds, I may have to pass. Shayna dropped in for a visit.”
“What? When did she get here?”
“Around ten. Be glad you were long gone.”
“Yeah, that was probably for the best. But, why don’t you both come over for dinner?”
I thought about it for a minute and decided it would be good for Shayna to see Ben and me together. “Yeah? I think we can do that.”
“Cool. How about you come by around seven?”
“All right, we’ll see you then.”
“I can’t wait.” I could almost hear him smiling through the phone.
“Me either, bye.”
“Bye, Mol.”
I decided to throw in a load of laundry while I waited for Shayna. I never remembered to do basic things like that anymore. Shayna showed up just as I crashed on the couch.
“So, we have dinner plans.”
“We do?” Shayna sat down across from me on the loveseat.
“Yeah, Ben’s cooking for us.”
“Ben can cook?”
“I asked him the same thing, and he assured me he’s capable.”
She straightened a throw blanket I had left lying around. “I guess it was sweet of him to invite us, and if you insist on dating him again, I might as well see him. Now I’m curious to see if you’re right about him growing up.”
“You don�
�t trust me?”
“When it comes to Ben, no. You were always so blind with him. He could do no wrong in your eyes.”
“That’s not true.” I sat up, ready for a fight.
“Yes, it is.”
I knew what she was talking about. When she was home on break from college one year, she ran into an incredibly high Ben, and she assured me it wasn’t from weed. She confronted me about it, and I refused to believe her. Of course, I found out from a friend that it was true. I didn’t talk to him for a week after that, but he promised to stop, so I eventually forgave him. Ben said I was hypocritical because I drank, but I never bought that line.
“He’s not the same boy anymore.”
“I hope you’re right.”
I immediately went on the defensive. “I am. It’s not like I was an angel back then either.”
“It’s not like you’re an angel now.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I snapped, worried about where this conversation was going.
“I found the empty bottles while you showered. I knew you drank, but it seems excessive.” Only Shayna would have found the evidence that quickly. In another life, she could have been a detective.
“I know. I’m going to cut down. It’s just sometimes the only way I can escape the pain. I haven’t needed it as much lately.”
“Because of Ben?”
“Yeah.”
“All right, I’ll try to give him a fresh slate then.” That was a lot coming from Shayna.
***
Jake answered the door in an apron.
Shayna busted out laughing. “Did Ben conscript you to help?”
“He promised me free food.”
“Are you really that easy to ply?” I asked.
“Don’t start.”
“Who me?” I feigned innocence.
“If you guys are done fighting, you can come in here,” Ben called from the kitchen.
Ben wasn’t wearing an apron. He looked adorable in a navy Lacoste shirt and khaki shorts. He took a few pans from the oven. He washed and dried his hands before pulling me into a hug and a chaste kiss. He turned his attention to my sister.
“Hi, Shayna, thanks for coming.”
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