“You think you’d love living here?” Linda frowned.
The sound of pounding feet drifted from the road, growing louder as the runner drew closer. Cass glanced around the corner of the house, a smile on her face. She had a pretty good idea who the runner was.
Owen spotted her and raised a hand in greeting, then diverted from the road onto the overgrown lawn.
“Hey, Cass.” He was dressed as he had been the last time she’d seen him running, though this time his shirt was still on.
“Hi, Owen.” She took several steps to meet him. Her mother followed her around the corner. “No diving today?”
“Jared’s not back yet. I don’t think he’ll make it back till Monday or Tuesday. He has plans for the weekend.” Owen noticed her mother standing at the corner of the half-demolished building. He smiled and waved.
Cass turned to see her mother staring. “Mom, this is Owen Parker. Owen, my mother, Linda Deiter.”
“I’d shake your hand, Mrs. Deiter, but I’m afraid I’m a little sweaty right now.” He seemed both apologetic and slightly embarrassed.
“It’s quite all right.” Linda nodded but didn’t join them.
“So no change in your plans for tonight?”
Cass shook her head. “I should show my parents around town and have dinner with them. They decided to stay through Sunday, so I should spend at least one of their two nights with them.”
“I got it. How ’bout I pick you up before the wedding instead of meeting you there? No reason for us both to drive. It should be a fun time. It certainly will be interesting.” Owen smiled wryly. “Our mom decided to come to the wedding after all.”
“How long’s it been since you’ve seen her?”
“Too long. I tried to get together with her on my way back here a few months ago, but she was busy. Anyway, what’s a Parker wedding without a little drama?” He glanced behind her and realized her mother was still standing there. “Speaking of moms, I think yours is waiting. I’ll see you tomorrow.” With a wave toward Linda, Owen turned and jogged off across the lawn.
Cass noticed he stopped to say something to Brian, but she turned her attention back to her mother.
“So I don’t want to take you inside because it’s dangerous, but I think you get the idea of what I want to do, right?” Cass stood with her hands on her hips.
“Who was that?”
“Owen Parker. I told you.”
“But who is he?” Linda seemed to be searching Cass’s face.
“He lives on the island. His great-grandmother is Ruby Carter.” Cass tried to think of something else to say other than He’s the guy who sets my pulse racing and who turns my knees to mush.
“What does he do?”
Cass thought it over and found herself opting for the most socially acceptable answer. “He’s a professional diver.”
“No, I mean what does he do to stay in shape like that?”
“Oh.” That had been the last thing Cass expected her mother to say. “Well, he runs a lot.”
“Whatever else could be said about this little island of yours, one can’t complain about the scenery.”
“Mother!”
Linda laughed. “Cassidy, you’re blushing. Now might be a good time to tell me what else I might want to know about Owen Parker.”
“He’s the brother of Alec’s bride.”
“The wedding that’s tomorrow? The one you’re going to?”
Cass nodded. “I’m going as Owen’s date.”
“I see. Now, tell me what you think you can do with all that glass that’s piled up over there.”
Cass walked around the entire property outlining the new house and elaborating on its design. They met up with Brian out front and agreed that the house, when completed, would be an interesting property.
“And right across from where the new dock’s going to be,” Brian pointed out.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Dad. Wait and see what your engineer has to say after she talks to the state.”
“I have a good feeling about this, Cassie. I think it’s going to be fine. Owen just told me about the natural depth in the bay there. He thinks we’ll be fine.”
“Tell me again why you didn’t want to build the dock over here in the first place,” Linda said as they walked to the car. “And how do you know Owen?”
“I thought the river was a more picturesque setting than the bay side,” Brian said somewhat sheepishly. “And I met Owen at the meeting we had some months ago in the general store when we got some of the islanders together. He’s Ruby Carter’s great-grandson.”
“So Cass said.”
Linda got in the car’s front passenger seat and Cass got in the back.
“Ruby and Owen were both very helpful to me when I was trying to buy up some of the unused properties. He and Alec tracked down some former residents so we could negotiate the sales through the Realtor.” Brian slid behind the wheel. “So where to now?”
“Just drive slowly around the island so Mom can see the point and we can point out the lots we bought.”
The drive took less than twenty minutes. As they approached the point, Cass noticed the tent for Lis and Alec’s wedding reception had already been erected, and folding chairs were stacked under the canopy.
“That’s where the wedding’s going to be tomorrow,” Cass pointed out to her mother.
“Under the tent?” Linda asked.
“The ceremony is going to be on the pier at sunset, and then the reception will be under the tent.”
“Isn’t it going to be dark?”
“They’re bringing in tons of lights to hang in the trees all along the point, and that’s all I know. Lucy Sinclair—her family owns the inn—is apparently a very well-known event planner. She’s doing the entire thing, and except for the fact that there will be lights, she’s kept pretty much everything else close to the vest. I’m really intrigued to see what she’s going to do. Some of her weddings here in St. Dennis have been written up in magazines, so I’m prepared to be impressed.” Cass glanced over her shoulder at the cottage that stood near the edge of the trees.
“So is that like a little community-center type thing there?” her mother asked, apparently having followed Cass’s gaze.
“No. It’s the future home of the bride and groom.” Cass explained the history of the cottage and Lis’s love for it. She added proudly, “I helped redesign the interior, added some space to the back of the house, and bumped out the bedrooms. It’s lovely inside, maybe one of the most charming places I’ve ever been in. Lis was right to want to save it.”
“You really have become immersed in this place, haven’t you?” Linda turned in her seat to face Cass.
“I have. I can’t help it. It’s the sort of place that draws you in. There’s something very special about Cannonball Island, Mom. Dad was a genius to see here what no one else had seen in a hundred years.”
The rearview mirror captured her father’s smile.
“Take a bow, Dad.”
“I’m driving. I’ll bow later.”
Cass pointed out the general store to her mother, and Brian slowed as they passed by. Cass noticed a light in one of the second-floor rooms, and the thought that it was most likely Owen in the shower after his run brought a quick flush to her cheeks. She could imagine soapy water covering that broad chest and beyond, could almost see him with his head back and his eyes closed as the water streamed down his face and the length of his body.
Would she be a fly on that wall? Oh, yeah.
“Now show us around St. Dennis, Cassie,” her father was saying. “Maybe a bit of that walking tour you went on . . .”
“Take the second right after the bridge,” she said after taking one last glance over her shoulder. “And then the first left.”
She struggled but finally managed to block out the vision, willing herself to stop speculating what she might see should she be able to see through the second-floor walls of the old store.
Chapter Eleven
Owen’s hands were sweating as he dressed for his sister’s wedding. There was almost an hour before the ceremony, but he was ready except for the navy blazer Lis had wanted all the guys in the wedding party to wear, including the groom. He’d pulled on the prescribed dark khakis and slid the belt through the loops. Buttoning the light pink shirt would be easier if his hands hadn’t been sweating. What was up with that?
His little sister was getting married, that’s what was up. And he, Owen, would be walking her down the makeshift aisle on the point, where so much of their family history was rooted, and symbolically turn her over to the man she loved.
It wasn’t that he had a problem with Lis marrying Alec. If ever two people were meant for each other, it was those two. It was just that she was his little sister. He’d felt protective of her from the time they were children, had walked her to the school bus and back home again every day until high school sports got in the way, but even then, everyone knew not to mess with Lisbeth Parker, because if you did, you’d have to deal with Owen on the flip side. And no one ever messed with Owen.
Thinking about their growing up together in the small house halfway between Ruby’s store and the river, Owen recalled reading to Lis at night when their mother worked and their father was too busy watching TV to tend to his daughter. Owen had made dinner on those nights because, to his father, cooking was women’s work, and he’d rather not eat at all than cook for his family. He’d teased Owen unmercifully about taking over so many of the household chores until Owen shot up in eighth grade and not only towered over his father, but outweighed him as well. Jack Parker had been a fool about many things, but he hadn’t been fool enough to take on the son who’d seemed to become a man overnight.
Owen had tried to shield his sister from their father’s hateful rhetoric when he’d been drinking. It bothered him that Lis would fall asleep with ugly words inside her head, so on those nights, he’d read light or funny books to her so she could fall asleep with a smile. And now tradition called on him to hand over her care—her heart, her well-being—to someone else, though in truth, Lis had taken pretty damned good care of herself since she left the island for college, and Alec was the man who’d always owned her heart.
Just another of life’s milestones, Owen thought as he put on the navy blazer, tied on the navy-and-pink-striped tie, and slipped his watch onto his wrist. While he found himself referring more and more to his phone for the time, he never felt dressed up unless he was wearing the watch his mother bought him one long-ago Christmas. He looked at himself in the mirror and decided he’d do. He pushed a few errant strands of dark hair back into place and left his room.
His plan was to pick up Cass at the inn and come back to the store for Ruby. He peeked into Ruby’s living quarters, but she was still getting dressed and he didn’t want to disturb her, so he left a note printed in two-inch-high letters on a big piece of paper—Went to pick up Cass. Be right back—and left it in the middle of the kitchen island where she couldn’t miss it.
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited for opposing traffic to cross the one-lane bridge. Normally on a Saturday night—on just about any night—there’d be no traffic at all. But the wedding was drawing people from all over the Eastern Shore and as far as New York, where Lis had lived for years and her paintings hung in famous galleries. Owen had to remind himself sometimes that his sister was a well-known and respected artist. She’d made her mark painting city-street scenes, but her reputation had grown since she returned home and began painting what she knew best—Cannonball Island and the natural beauty of the Chesapeake.
What did their mother think of that? Owen wondered. Kathleen had shown up in the middle of the night, her third husband on her arm. Their flight had been delayed, she’d told Owen when she arrived at the store. She’d meant to make reservations somewhere, but the decision to come East had been made at the last minute, and it seemed every room in St. Dennis had been booked. There’d been no choice but for Ruby to offer them one of the second-floor bedrooms. It had been years since Owen had shared a bathroom with anyone, and he enjoyed it even less now than he had when he was growing up.
Kathleen’s husband was a nice enough guy, and she seemed happy, so Owen had nothing to complain about. He was pleased for Lis’s sake that their mother had decided to come to the wedding, even if it had been at the last minute. He’d been glad to see her, and he thought maybe she’d been happy to put her arms around him as well.
Owen turned into the drive for the inn and again had to wait as a steady stream of cars exited onto Charles Street, most of them heading toward the island. He hadn’t realized Lis and Alec had so many friends and had invited them all to the wedding. He parked outside the back door of the inn and hurried inside and up the stairs to Cass’s room. He knocked twice on the door and waited. When the door opened a moment later, he blinked in surprise.
“Well, don’t you clean up nicely.” Cass’s mother held open the door for him. “Cassie, your friend is here.”
She turned back to Owen. “Cass tells me you’re giving the bride away.”
“I am, yes.”
“It must be a very informal wedding, judging from your attire. Or are you changing before the wedding?”
“Nope, this is it, Mrs. Deiter. Lis’s choice from the tie to the socks.” He held up one foot and pulled up his pant leg slightly.
“Oh.” Cass’s mother leaned closer. “Are those . . . ?”
“Yes, ma’am. Flying pigs. Pink on navy to match my sister’s color scheme.” He could hardly keep a straight face.
“I’m assuming there’s some significance to the pigs?”
“So am I, but my sister hasn’t chosen to enlighten us. She just said, ‘It’s my wedding, wear what I tell you to wear.’ And so I am.”
“I think they’re adorable.” Cass came out of the bedroom putting in an earring and holding a clutch bag under one arm, and Owen’s heart threatened to stop on the spot. She wore a dress of softest blue silk that skimmed her body, and high heels with lots of straps that looked like a garden party on her feet. The dress was sufficiently low in the front to show enough of her assets without being inappropriate. He felt his throat go dry.
“And I think you’re a good sport, Owen,” Cass was saying. “Don’t you agree, Mom?”
Linda Deiter nodded slowly. “I do. And I admit I think the pigs are quite cute, if somewhat unusual for a wedding. In my day, you know, nothing would do but formal wear. A tux was the thing.”
“It’s a new day, Mom, though a lot of grooms do choose to wear a tux. But just about anything goes now. Including pigs that fly. I think navy blazers and dark khaki pants are perfect for a bayside wedding at this time of the year.” Cass turned to Owen and smiled. “You wear it well. I’ll just be one more minute.”
Cass disappeared into her room. When she returned, she carried a cream-colored wrap over her arm. “In case it gets cool later.” She picked up her room key from the desk on her way past and tucked it into her bag. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mom. You and Dad have a great night.”
“I’ll stop by for you in the morning,” Linda said. “We can have breakfast together before your dad and I leave.”
“It might be a late night, Mom. I may not want to get up early. How about I call you when I wake up?”
Cass kissed her mother on the cheek as she strolled by, then waited at the door for Linda to leave. Cass locked the door behind them and took Owen’s arm as they walked to the stairwell.
“You do wear it well. Flying pigs notwithstanding.”
“And you look amazing. Beautiful.” Owen looked down into Cass’s eyes and almost felt starstruck. She was gorgeous. She was hot. And she was with him. He could have pinched himself. Was this really his life? In the past, plenty of beautiful women had loved to spend time with him, but none of them affected him the way Cass did. He needed to think about that one of these days, but it wouldn’t be today.
“Do you
like the dress?” Without waiting for a reply, she said, “This is what I picked up at Bling the other day. And this necklace.” She turned her head to show it off. “And these fabulous shoes.” They reached the bottom of the steps and she held out one foot. “Aren’t they the best?”
“Um, well, yeah. They’re pretty.” He wasn’t sure what his response was supposed to be. He didn’t think like a woman, so he said the first thing that came into his mind. “Um, well . . . yeah. They’re . . . nice.”
Cass laughed and took his hand. “Nice will do, thank you.”
All the way back to the island, Cass chatted about the day she’d spent with her parents, the things she’d showed them, the places she’d taken them. “I’m still learning a lot about the area, so it was fun to discover things I’d missed. Did you know there’s a historic house in St. Dennis with a sign out front that identifies it as Cassidy House?”
He tried to think of a response that didn’t reflect his loathing of the place.
“Get it? Cassidy? As in my name?”
“I got it.”
He drove over the bridge and, once again, went the wrong way to avoid driving all the way around the island to reach the general store. He parked in front of the store and reached for the door handle.
“I’ll be right back. Just picking up Ruby.”
He went through the store into the back room and called her, but there was no response. In the kitchen he found the note he’d left for her, and the reply she’d written.
Went with Kathleen and Dave.
Owen locked the door behind him, turned the sign to the CLOSED side, and went back to the car. “I guess Ruby was tired of waiting for me. She went with my mom.” He’d left the engine running, so he put the car in reverse and turned back onto the road.
“Owen, are you annoyed with me?”
“No. Why would I be annoyed with you?”
“You shouldn’t, but you’re acting a little strange. Since I mentioned taking my parents on a tour of St. Dennis.”
He drove in silence past the bridge, past the old chapels, until they reached the point. So many cars were already parked along the roadside, he pulled into the driveway at the old Mullan place.
The Chesapeake Bride Page 21