Beachfront Embrace

by Michele Gilcrest

  “Mae, can you honestly say you don’t like this boat? Look around. Did you take it all in? There are enough beds for the grandkids to take trips with us. We haven’t had them over to see us in a while… imagine the looks on their faces when they see their nana and poppa taking them on a sea adventure.”

  She swatted at him playfully.

  “I’m not falling for it, Middleton. You can use the grandkids all you want, but you still owe me an apology. My input when making decisions in our marriage matters, too, you know.”

  “You’re right. I could’ve gone about this a different way, but I promise, the final decision is all up to you. I’m prepared to go whichever way you want with this. I swear, darlin. Please don’t be upset with me. I was just trying to save us a buck or two, that’s all.”

  “I’d still appreciate being told what’s going on in real time, Jonathan. What was the final price tag on this boat, anyway?” she asked.

  “The bill of sale is right in that drawer over there. Take a look.”

  She reached over and pulled the drawer open. After combing through the details, she returned the piece of paper where it came from.

  “Well… what do you think? Give it to me honest. I can handle it.”

  “You’re one lucky man, Middleton… one lucky man.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I was about to ask you to turn this boat around and head back to the marina,” she said.

  “And now?”

  She looked around the boat one last time, admitting to herself that she could get used to it, although she might have picked something slightly different. Mae couldn’t deny the thrill she felt running through her veins at the thought of being owners and having the freedom to sail whenever they wanted.

  “We can keep it.”

  As Jonathan continued steering, he reached out with one arm, grabbing her by the waistline.

  “Thank you, my love. Thank you so much. I promise, you won’t regret it. We’re going to have the time of our lives on this boat. Starting with tonight… we can even map out our first real trip if you want to,” he said.

  “Slow down, tiger. We can talk it over. I swear the day I brought this idea up, I never realized what I was unleashing.”

  “Ha, well, you did it. I hope you don’t see it as a bad thing.”

  She wrapped her arms around him from behind, giving him a gentle squeeze.

  “No, it’s not a bad thing. It’s actually the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  Chapter 12

  On Sunday, Mackenzie brought her daughter Stephanie and a friend over to spend the afternoon roasting marshmallows and playing volleyball on the beach. It was a much-needed time for her and Clara to catch up and enjoy the last days of somewhat mild weather before the cold started settling in.

  The ladies played beach tunes on Clara’s outdoor speakers and caught up on their personal lives.

  “So… how did it go with you and Brody?” Clara asked.

  “We had a delightful time.”

  “That’s it? You had a delightful time, and then what? Are you going out with him again?”

  A devilish grin crossed Mack’s face.

  “We have another date planned for tomorrow evening. Nothing crazy. We’re just going to grab something from the coffee shop down the street so we can talk,” Mackenzie said, trying to sound nonchalant.

  “A second date… on a Monday evening… which is typically a work night for you. I don’t know, Mack. It sounds like you had more than just a delightful time. Tell me all the details. I need some excitement in my life.”

  “Let’s see. He packed a nice cooler for us and took me sailing. I guess you could say we had a late lunch… you know, not quite dinner but way past lunch,” Mack said, intentionally dragging out the fun part to tease Clara.

  “Right.”

  “We talked for a while, basically covering all the getting to know you topics. Honestly, I can’t believe that I’ve overlooked him all this time. You know how quiet he can be when he’s around everybody. I think the only time he comes out of his shell is when he’s talking to Mike.”

  “Mack. Will you get down to it already? Did you kiss?” she asked.

  “On the first date? Heavens no. I deserve more credit than that.”

  She rotated her marshmallow around and then backed away from the fire pit.

  “Why did we decide to roast marshmallows when it’s seventy-four degrees out here today?”

  “Mackenzie!” Clara yelled.

  “All right already… we talked for a while, then jumped overboard and went swimming in the Patuxent.”

  “Shut up. No way. How did you go from getting to know each other to skinny dipping in the Patuxent River?” Clara asked.

  “Will you get your mind out of the gutter?” Mackenzie looked around, checking to make sure Stephanie and her friend were still having a good time.

  “Nobody said anything about skinny dipping. Although I might keep that in mind for next time.” She chuckled.

  “Seriously, I don't know what happened. One minute we were sharing a few stories and the next thing I know, I was daring him to jump in the water. Shockingly, he took the bait. I didn't even know the guy had it in him.” She laughed.

  “Oh… my. Are we talking about the same guy? Brody would never do such a thing.”

  “You know how the saying goes, never say never. What was I to do? After he went in, I felt obligated to follow through on my end of the deal. After all, I made fun of him by making clucking sounds at him like he was a chicken.”

  Clara laughed hysterically.

  “That sounds like something you would do. So, did you really jump in with clothes on?” she asked.

  “Yep. Brody was smart enough to strip down to his boxer shorts. I, on the other hand, wanted to be more ladylike and wait a while before I removed articles of clothing in front of the man.”

  “Unbelievable. You know what, I shouldn't be surprised one bit. This has your name written all over it. We will forever know you as the life of the party, Mack. I’ve always loved that about your personality, and it sounds like he enjoys it, too.”

  “Why, thank you. Now, enough about me. What’s up with you and Agnes? I notice you didn’t invite her to come outside with us,” Mackenzie said.

  “We’re taking it one day at a time, which is all I’m capable of at the moment. It’s a little awkward trying to pretend like everything is normal between us.”

  “Girl, sometimes we have to fake it till we make it. You might want to reconsider leaving her behind all the time. You can’t keep her in hiding forever, Clara. The woman has to get out and live.”

  “I know. I’m trying to help her sift through the wanted ads so she can line up a few interviews. The sooner she’s on somebody’s payroll, the sooner she can start looking for an apartment,” Clara said.

  “Clara Covington. With all the square footage you have on this property, are you really…”

  “Yes, I am. A few degrees of separation never hurts.”

  Mack surrendered, wondering if Clara just needed more time.

  “How do you feel about her staying here on Solomons Island?”

  Clara let out a deep breath.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Who would’ve ever thought after all these years…” Mackenzie grunted.

  “I know, isn't it crazy? Look, I don't want to sound like a mean person who doesn't care. I never stopped loving my sister… and I would like to see her get her life in order. If staying here on Solomons Island is what it will take, then so be it. I'll help in whatever way I can.”

  “That's my girl. It may be difficult now, but you’ll feel better about it in the end.” Mackenzie reassured her.

  Clara perked up.

  “I had a chance to talk to Mike.”

  “That's wonderful. Did you show up at his door wearing something to make the man stutter? I heard it’s a sure-fire way to reconcile your differences.”

  Clara nud
ged her best friend in the arm, wishing she’d save her untamed hormones for her next date with Brody.

  “You are terrible. I hate to disappoint, but I was wearing regular clothing, and I’m glad because his cousin Diane was there with her husband Bruce. Can you imagine how embarrassing that would’ve been?” She smiled.

  “Extremely embarrassing, but I'm glad you met his family. As long as Mike has been living in Solomons Island, I don't think I ever recall him bringing family around.”

  “That's because he hasn't. I think he's been going through major guilt over it. He says his time spent in the military caused him to get used to being on his own, but he really wants to connect with his folks and I commend him for it,” Clara replied.

  “That’s good. I’ll bet they were real nice.”

  “So nice… and so welcoming. His cousin Diane arranged it so we could talk to his parents virtually. Mack, it was the sweetest thing. He looks so much like his dad, and after talking to his mother, I can now see where he gets his tender heart from.” She continued.

  “All I can say is I better have a front-row seat at your wedding. No if, ands, or buts about it.”

  “Get out of here. You play too much.”

  “Clara, you know it’s only a matter of time. When you’ve met the right one, you know it. There’s no point in belaboring over it.”

  “Well, it doesn't matter how long it takes, I promise to give you more than a front-row seat. Now let's go over there and teach these girls how to play a proper game of volleyball. If either of them plan to make the team this winter, we have work to do.”

  Along the way, Clara stopped Mackenzie.

  “Mack, before you leave, would you like to come inside and maybe say hello to Agnes?”

  “Absolutely,” she said, patting Clara on the back.

  By the end of the day, the girls were worn out, and Mackenzie talked with Agnes and welcomed her to the island.

  “Agnes, it was so nice to meet you. You’re going to love it here. The people are friendly and it’s such a small beach town. No one is really a stranger. Well… except for Brody, the hunk I went on a date with recently, but he’s not really a stranger. He’s just very shy, so I guess that doesn’t count. By the way… did I mention he’s already spoken for?”

  “Mack!” Clara scolded.

  “Sorry. Just kidding around. Well, not really,” she whispered, as if Agnes couldn’t hear.

  “It’s okay. I’m not dating for at least a year. Plus, I’ll be so busy job hunting I’ll barely have time, anyway,” Agnes responded.

  “Oh, dear. I wish you good luck on that one.”

  “Do you think it will be tough finding employment around here?” she asked.

  “No, not at all. I’m sure there’s something for you to do. It’s the idea of taking a year off from dating. Get ready for taking a bunch of cold showers… been there, done that. No, thank you!”

  “Mom, why did you have to take cold showers?” Stephanie asked innocently.

  “And that’s my cue, ladies. Stephanie, we’ll talk about it later, baby. Grab your things, girls, and say thank you to Clara.” Mackenzie was halfway to the front door, waving goodbye to her bestie, while trying to consider ways to get around the topic on the car ride home.

  Clara locked the door, laughing over Mackenzie’s sense of humor.

  “She seems nice,” Agnes said.

  “She is. Mack’s been like a sister-” She paused, not thinking first before she spoke.

  “It’s okay. I think it’s great that you’ve established a network of people that you can rely on out here.”

  Clara began clearing the kitchen counter.

  “Yeah, except they’re more than just a network,” she said, holding quotation marks in the air.

  “Mack welcomed me into her café, made a place for me every week, and in time became a true best friend. For the longest, the only person I trusted was my boss, Joan… the woman who left me this place… and Mackenzie. That’s it. They were the first two people to genuinely take me in and care about me after I moved here from New York. It was a welcomed change after feeling so abandoned by my husband and…” She stopped herself, not wanting to dig in too deep.

  “You can say it.”

  “It won’t solve anything. All it will do is cause more strife. I made a promise I’d try to avoid that at all costs,” Clara responded.

  Agnes sighed.

  “What good will it do to keep a wall up? Look, I want to help keep the peace around here. I really do. But, don’t you think it would be healthy if we at least tried to talk about it?”

  “Fine. But, maybe we should create a few rules of engagement. For example, no daggers allowed. Meaning, we can agree to disagree, but no one is allowed to aim below the belt.”

  “That’s fair.” Agnes agreed.

  “And… if one of us needs a time out from the conversation-”

  “Then we have to respect their wishes, and maybe return to the conversation once both parties are ready?” she said.

  “I can agree to that. So, who’s going to start first?”

  “I will. Based on your comment, you clearly think I abandoned you somehow. Yet, I’m the younger sister, and you’re the one who left New York, so I don’t really see how that could be possible,” Agnes said.

  Clara gripped her temples and began counting backward to herself. It was a technique she picked up years before she left Keith to help her deal with stress management.

  “I’m trying to think of a way to say this without being too harsh. The last thing I recall, the night of mom and dad’s funeral, was you getting into an argument with me over their life insurance policy. When the argument was over, you stormed off, never to reach out to me again. I don’t recall receiving a hug… and I certainly don’t recall you saying it’s okay, sis, we still have each other. You just argued with me over money and left. Between that and being in a marriage with the most verbally and mentally controlling man I’ve ever met, I had enough. So, I left. You had my phone number if you really wanted to call, but you didn’t, Agnes. From my perspective, you couldn’t have your way, so you walked out on what mattered most. Family.”

  Agnes began sobbing deeply. “That’s not what happened. At least not from my perspective. You were always the chosen one, and it was clear that mom and dad felt that way, too. They put you down as the sole beneficiary on everything.”

  “Yes, entrusting me to take care of the both of us with whatever they had left. Which was very little. You know I would’ve done right by you, Agnes. I always looked out for you, but there was barely enough to cover their funeral expenses. Mom and dad were not rich, Ag. You would’ve known all this if you had stuck around.”

  Agnes sobbed with her face buried in her hands before pulling herself together.

  “The night I was asking you for money… it was because I was afraid and thought the only way out of my situation was to end the pregnancy.”

  “What? Why didn’t you say something to me?”

  “I was ashamed. It was my skeleton… a secret I preferred keeping to myself. At first, I figured having some financial support would help and that would be the end. But the idea of going through with it tortured me so much until I changed my mind. I was determined to raise my child even though I barely had a plan for taking care of myself-”

  “Agnes, you know I would’ve been there for you. No matter what our differences were… we’re sisters,” Clara said.

  “I know that now.” She paused before continuing on.

  “Back then, I ended up having a miscarriage. The doctor said it was likely stress induced by everything going on. Losing mom and dad was horrible. Between that and me scrambling day and night, trying to figure out what to do, I guess my body couldn’t take it,” she said, patting her eyes dry.

  Clara held her hand against her chest. “I had no idea, and I certainly don’t understand how you made it through all that on your own.”

  “Yeah… and, to think we spent all these year
s avoiding each other based on a misunderstanding. Neither one of us was at fault back then. You were doing your best to try to look out for me, and I didn’t understand the depth of what was really going on.”

  Clara leaned on the kitchen counter and exhaled, feeling the weight of her sister’s confession. Whenever she heard about stories like this, she always wondered how families could allow conflict to divide them. Now it was easy to see firsthand.

  “Aggy,” she said, a name of endearment she hadn’t used in decades.

  “Yes.”

  “From my core, I’m sorry for everything you ever went through, and I’m sorry that I didn’t make you feel loved. I was supposed to be your safety net when mom and dad passed. I feel like I let you down,” she said.

  “You don’t owe me an apology, Clara. I was hard-headed, way too needy, and only considered myself. I’d like to think that’s who I used to be, but clearly some of those traits remain if I could entertain the likes of somebody like Keith.”

  They remained silent for a moment. Clara considered the question that had been brewing in her spirit for a while now.

  “You never found Keith to be a little… controlling?” she asked.

  “He tried to be way more than a little controlling. I’m not one to get physical, but I’m quick with the tongue. I told him I would not stick around and tolerate his nonsense. No way, I’m not the one.” Agnes hoped Clara wouldn’t take it the wrong way. But all Clara could seem to do was blurt out in laughter.

  “Good. It sounds like he finally met his match,” she said.

  “You’re darn right. It’s probably the reason he felt the need to go out there and find another woman. It’s okay, his day will come. And, to think all this time, he’d been in touch with you, and I didn’t even know it. What a dog.”

  “We should trade stories over a bottle of bubbly. Maybe even find something to eat. Are you hungry?” Clara asked.

  “A little.”

  “Good. I’ll grab a few things out of the fridge, you can grab the glasses.” She smiled.

  “Clara.”

  “Yes.”

  Agnes stretched her arms open wide, inviting her to a warm hug. Neither one of them could promise they wouldn’t have future awkward moments or reach their breaking points. But they were sisters, who still loved each other and were willing to figure it out.