by Andrea Hurst
Lily wiped the sides of her lips, hoping to remove any of the melted chocolate in a dignified way. “I’m finding my way around, doing some baking for the Island Café.”
“Starting a little business, it sounds like,” Ian said.
“I’m considering calling it Grandma Maggie’s Baking Company. And if I ever find my grandmother’s famous brownie recipe, I can go mail order as well.”
“Ambitious. Let me know if I can help you with designing a label or something.” Ian leaned over the basket and lifted up the last cookie. “Who wants it?” he said, looking right at Jason. He dropped it in his son’s outstretched hand. “See how much I love you?”
It was obvious to Lily just how much love there was; the way any kid would want to be loved…or any adult, for that matter.
Lily picked up the basket. “Pretty fast work, boys. Next time I’ll bring more.”
John stood to walk her to the door. “Happy to have you over any time. Where you off to?”
“I think I’ll take a little walk along the water before the sun is gone. See you all later.”
Ian followed her outside. “Mind if I join you?”
She didn’t want to lead him on. After all, she wasn’t even divorced yet. But his look was so sincere, and some company would be nice. “Sure, I’ll go drop off the basket and meet you down by the beach in a few.”
✦✦✦✦
She walked into her bedroom and threw on a warmer turtleneck. At the hall closet, she added a scarf, gloves, and her down coat, then threw open the front door and headed briskly toward the beach. The air was crisp, and it froze the end of her nose. She tucked her hands into her jacket pockets and moved carefully over the large pieces of driftwood.
She found Ian waiting for her at the water’s edge, staring out over the vast Sound. He waved for her to join him.
She hurried her step to reach him. This company would be very nice.
“Tide’s out,” he said, “plenty of room to explore.”
They walked together, bracing against the wind. Although rocky in places, it was worth the effort to negotiate the jumble of stones to view this incredible scenery. Crescent Bay’s popular sandy area was just around the bend, where the bluffs reached the sand.
“Tide pools,” Ian said stepping up on some low exposed rocks.
Lily slipped off her gloves and put them in her pocket before picking up a smooth orange rock. She ran her finger back and forth over its surface.
“Looks like agate,” Ian said. “You can tell from the soapy feel.
He ran his finger over the rock and sliding it against the soft inner side of her hand. “See how it’s semi-transparent. It’s probably an Agate.”
Lily placed the stone in her jacket pocket and kept her hand there as she headed down the beach. Hidden in the minute puddles were some tiny shells still completely intact brought in on the ebbing tide.
Ian had a camera around his neck and he commented on the gentle winter light and the colors it evoked.
They continued down the beach, lost in the song of gulls, Lily gathering little treasures, Ian stopping occasionally to get a shot of a bird in flight, or an angle of light reflecting off the trees. Even without conversing, she felt comfortable walking with him, content to let this beautiful day wash over them. When they rounded the next bend, the beach area narrowed as cascading cliffs came right down to the sand, infringing on the walking space. Patches of various grasses grew along the steep bank, and an occasional Madrona tree clung to the flimsy earth at cockeyed angles. Lily remembered her grandmother showing her the smooth, red bark of the Madronas. How their branches grew out like arms and legs in the middle of a dance, always seeking the sun.
She watched Ian taking pictures of the marvelous trees. His body moved with grace as he positioned himself to get just the right shot. “You know,” he said, “the Madrona tree is a Native American sacred tree. Some even call it the tree of knowledge.”
“It is a special tree, for sure. No wonder this island was named after it.”
As far as she could see, they were alone on the beach. There were hiking trails leading up the bluffs, but no one was in sight. A few clouds had blown in, bringing with them a light drizzle. Silver white sunrays burst through the clouds, pooling light on the ocean’s surface. A full rainbow perched across the sky, sparkling with color. Lily reached skyward and then twirled in the sand, relishing her freedom as the wind danced in her hair.
Ian moved around her, snapping pictures as she moved. Lowering the camera, he joined her dance.
Laughing, she finally collapsed on to the sand. Ian dropped beside her.
“Look,” he said, pointing out to sea.
A small brown head was bobbing up and down, seeming to look right at her. “It’s a seal,” she said, standing and brushing the sand off her pant legs before running down to the water to get a better look. The seal continued to dive and resurface, always coming back up and looking back at her on the shore. “Well, hello, my new friend,” she said.
Ian snapped shots as the seal played hide and seek in the water.
“This is such a magical place,” Lily said.
Ian took her hand. “That it is.”
His hand felt warm and steady and she did not want to let go.
Lily glanced back over her footprints. The house looked a long way away, and the tide seemed to be creeping up quite a lot closer now. “We’d better head back. The tide’s coming in, and I sure don’t want to have to hike out of here over those cliffs.”
“You’re right. I don’t even have my cell with me to call for our rescue.”
Hand in hand, they sprinted down the beach, trying to beat the incoming tide. When they reached Ian’s property, they clamored over the driftwood wall and back up on dry land until they reached his deck.
“I’m drenched,” Lily said. “But it was worth it.”
Ian wiped the raindrops off her forehead. “Do you want to come in and warm up?”
The thought of warming up by a fire with him at her side was alluring and unsettling at the same time. “Thanks,” she said, “but I think I better get home and get changed into something dry.”
“Are you still interested in going out to the local farms?” Ian asked.
Lily thought about delicious fresh produce, eggs, and cheeses, but remembered her dwindling funds. “I’ll let you know.”
Ian shrugged. “Okay.”
Lily turned to go before the chilling night penetrated her damp clothes any more.
“Thanks for the walk,” Ian yelled after her.
“Any time,” she called back.
Chapter Fourteen
The unpaved road threw up a muddy film that clung like glue to the ruby red paint of Brad’s Porsche. “So much for having the car detailed,” Brad muttered. “This damn dirt road sure isn’t doing it any good.” He down shifted into second gear as he rounded the last sharp curve and followed the wooden sign that read “Inn.” As if some invisible person hovered above the car, he yelled to the sky, “She would have to decide to come to the end of the world.”
From the vantage point atop the bluff, he could see the country inn. His face registered loathing. “Looks just a little too much like home. Leave it to Lily to find some place to dredge up my fondest memories.” His laugh had a sardonic ring. “I spend every waking moment trying to escape my past and she moves into the perfect replica.”
He parked the car and moved slowly up the wooden steps of the veranda. He could almost see his father rocking ever so slowly in the corner and smell his stinking, alcohol breath. His body jerked involuntarily at the memory. He surveyed the house and property with the keen eye of a businessman. Looks pretty run down. I don’t know if the house is worth much, but the property surely must be. I’ll check with a realtor in town before I leave, he thought.
Brad held the two dozen long-stemmed roses behind his back and knocked on the screen door, waited a second, then impatiently rang the bell. He hated to admit that he missed her
, and he sure as hell didn’t want to deal with splitting community property in a divorce proceeding. For a moment, the prospect of failure curdled in his gut.
“Just a minute, I’ll be right there,” Lily called out. Anxiety moved like a current through his body. His shiny, black shoe rapped on the porch. What was taking so long? He slowed his breath, and a well-polished smile slid into place.
✦✦✦✦
She was under no pressure to do anything today, and it felt surprisingly good. No long lists of errands, no clients to charm and entertain, no gardeners or housekeepers to supervise, just baking in her new kitchen. Lily felt her shoulders relax.
She switched off the blender and listened. Was that the doorbell? Sure enough, there it is, she thought as she quickly rinsed the oil off her hands. She disliked being interrupted in the middle of creating a new culinary masterpiece. With the back of her hand, she brushed a wisp of stray hair from her face and hurried for the door. The image behind the screen door caused her to gasp. “Brad, what are you doing here?”
He stood on the porch holding a huge bouquet of blood-red roses, sporting a wide grin. Time stopped. Her hand went abruptly to her stomach.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in, sweetheart?” His words were candy-coated, and all she could think of were M&M’s. Slick and shiny on the outside, but dark on the inside. “After all, I came all this way to see your new place.” Warning bells went off in her head. Her lawyer had told her to have no communication with him, but Brad didn’t like to hear no, and she was alone in the house. She could handle this.
“We can talk on the porch,” she said never taking her eyes off him.
His face dropped. “Lily, I came all the way out here. If you will take a few minutes to listen to what I have to say, I’ll leave quietly after that.”
She showed him into the parlor but did not offer him a seat. She reluctantly accepted the bouquet and placed them on the table for now. “What brings you here to Madrona?”
“I just followed my heart and this is where it led me.” He stood there, a pleading look on his face.
Lily remained standing and stared at the ridiculous imitation of a benevolent smile smeared across his face. He reached out and took her hand. There was an awkward silence as she released his hand and retreated backward.
His eyes registered pain, and for a moment and she felt pity. It yanked at her heart, beckoning her to console him, but she would not go there.
“Don’t you have anything to say to me, Lily?”
Moments of silence passed and when she did not answer, a red flush of anger washed across his face and then disappeared. She could guess the reason; it probably wasn’t going as he’d planned, and as she knew, he always had a plan.
“If you have nothing else to say, I have to get back to my baking.”
She watched him regain his composure and survey the room. “You’ve made this place real cozy now, Lily, just right for a summer house.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Thanks, Brad, is that why you’re here? To scout the property?”
With a deep breath, she pushed back her shoulders and stood to her full height of 5’7”. Brad smiled indulgently, as he would to a child.
A hot flash of discomfort crept up her neck and face. To hide her dismay, she grabbed the flowers off the table. “I think I’ll put these in some water. I’ll just go get a vase.”
Brad sprang to the kitchen doorway and placed his body in front of her, pulling her into an awkward embrace. She smelled his expensive aftershave, the one he had started wearing just before she found the text messages. The smell nauseated her. He’d never worn the fragrance she’d given him. She squirmed out of his arms and set the flowers in the sink.
He moved closer. “You’re looking good, Lily, real good.” He tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. “I’ve really missed you. I realize now what a mistake I made letting you leave. Can you ever forgive me?”
Lily glared at him. She couldn’t believe her ears. Brad apologizing? This was a first. The other woman must have left. Or else his divorce attorney told him he would have to share half of everything with her.
“Have you nothing to say, Lily? I’m asking you to come back with me.”
He looked so sincere. She scanned the kitchen, a room that had become such a comfort to her. She inched backwards, moving toward the door. Brad’s eyes never left her.
“There is no sense both of us wasting money on lawyers. We can keep this place. It can be our vacation house. Or we can sell it and buy ourselves a real dream house at the ocean like you always wanted.”
All Lily heard was “we” and “ours.” This place was hers, and she realized in that instant that she had no intention of leaving it. She looked at the man she had been married to and all she felt was disgust. It must have shown in her eyes, because Brad’s face contorted and he lunged toward her.
“Don’t come any closer, Brad,” she cried, moving around him, out of the kitchen and into the front hall.
“Ah, come on now, Lily,” he said cajolingly. But the grimace on his face conveyed his patience was at an end.
“I mean it, Brad, just stay back.” Lily inched toward the front door. Goosebumps crept up her skin, her heart pounded in her ears.
Brad sprang forward and grabbed her arm.
“You inherited this godforsaken place while we were still married. And in case you have forgotten, the divorce is not final. Legally, whether you like it or not, darling, you’re still my wife and this house is still half mine.”
To Lily’s utter humiliation and horror, she began to cry.
Brad’s grip loosened, and mistaking her tears for victory, he pulled her in for a hug. “It will be okay, Lily. Come home, let me take care of you.”
Brad withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. She snatched it and wiped her eyes then willed herself to remember the hundred plus text messages she’d seen on Brad’s phone. She steadied her nerves, and her resolve returned.
“My lawyer says this place is not community property.”
He reached out his hand to her. “Why don’t you just come home, let things go back to normal? We can put this all away and forget about it.”
“It may be hard for you to believe, Brad, but I really don’t care about that house. You can have it and everything you picked out in it.” She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. “Now, I want you out of this house.”
“You know, if you don’t cooperate, I can make things very difficult for you.” He touched her cheek. “I’d rather not, Lily. We did have our good times.”
She looked him square in the eyes. “Brad, that threat works both ways.”
A quick look of surprise crossed his face. Then his eyes narrowed and he laughed.
Lily’s gaze darted to the window, where she could see Gretel, John’s large black dog, trotting up the porch for a visit. She almost laughed out loud and faked a cough to cover it. The one thing Brad was afraid of was dogs, and the hundred-pound Gretel would terrify him. With a quick turn, she pushed open the screen door and dropped down on one knee. “Why, hello, girl, come here and give me a kiss.” Gretel leaped inside and licked Lily’s face. Her arms went around the dog’s neck.
Brad backed up toward the door. “Very cute, Lily. Now get that dog out of here.”
“I think not, Brad. She’s welcome here and you’re not. In fact, all I have to do is let her know that and she’ll be all over you.” Lily had no idea if this was true, but she liked how it sounded. As if to affirm the truth of it, Gretel looked over at Brad, bared her rather large canines, and made a low, menacing growl.
“You’ve made your point, Lily, but so have I. If you aren’t packed up and home within one week, I will see you in court. The law is on my side, so you better kiss this place goodbye.” Brad yanked his car keys out of his pocket. “Hold on to that stupid dog so I can get back to civilization.”
Lily kept her hand firmly on the dog’s collar. The front door slammed as Brad stormed
out. She watched him pound down the path to his car. The engine gunned and the Porsche sped out of the driveway, spewing a cloud of dirt behind it. Lily dropped to both knees and hugged Gretel fiercely. Finally free to let the tears come, they spilled down her face. The dog nuzzled in close and moaned softly. Lily wept into the soft black fur while Gretel stood firm for both of them.
“Quite a chorus going on in here. Hope I’m not intruding,” Ian said, sticking his head in the screen door.
Lily couldn’t help but laugh at the picture she and Gretel must make. She wiped her eyes, and taking the hand Ian offered her, she rose from her knees. His hand felt so warm and steadying, she almost wished he wouldn’t let go.
“I heard some race car driver tearing up the dirt out there. Are you ok?”
The gentleness of his voice, and the pure sense of relief, brought fresh tears to Lily’s eyes.
“Hey now,” he said squeezing her hand. “I didn’t mean to make you cry again.”
It was all just too much. Lily gave in, buried her head in Ian’s shoulder and sobbed. “It’s ok, it’s all ok,” he whispered. And for just a moment, everything was.
“You must think all I do is cry,” she sniveled. “I do think after today I will be all cried out.”
“Listen, I know all about tears. You feel free to let them out anytime.”
He knew how to make her smile. Acutely aware of his tender arms around her, she pulled back a little and tried to regain her composure. “Well, the least I can do to thank you for your kindness is to invite you to dinner. I was working on some new recipes before my soon-to-be-ex-husband arrived.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to intrude if you’re having company.”
“Believe me, that was not company. And he is not coming back.”
“I have an idea. Do you like Northern Italian food?” he asked. “My treat.”
“How could I resist such an offer? Are you cooking?”
Ian laughed. “You better hope not. The Deano’s Bistro in Forest Glen has some pretty tasty food. How about I pick you up at seven o’clock, get you out and away from your troubles for a while?”