Harbor Falls

by Fiona Rivers

  “You’re more twisted and sicker than I thought. You don’t do that to someone you love!” she shouted. “Actually, I don’t think you even know what love is, Darren, and I don’t think you’re capable of truly loving anyone. Because if you were capable, you wouldn’t have done what you did. You sat there month after month and watched me suffer. Nobody who truly loves someone would do that!”

  “I screwed up in a big way and I’m apologizing. What more do you want from me?” he shouted back.

  “I want you to leave me alone! I will never in my lifetime go back to you. If anything good came out of all this, it’s the fact that I’m stronger than ever. So actually, Darren, I’m thanking you. Good luck, and if I were you, when you get back to New York, look up a good therapist and make an appointment. Maybe by the grace of God, you can turn yourself around and figure out how to be a decent human being.”

  Adalyn walked away, climbed in her jeep and drove away from the bed and breakfast. For the first time in a long time, her head was clear. When she arrived home, she stepped through the door, flipped the light switch and looked around at the beautiful home she’d made for herself with a smile on her face. It was late and she knew Luis would be worrying all night about her if he didn’t hear from her, so she pulled her phone from her purse and sent him a text message.

  “I just wanted to let you know I’m home, I’m fine, and I’ll fill you in tomorrow.”

  “Are you sure? I can come right over and stay with you tonight.”

  “Thank you, but I promise you I’m fine. We’ll chat tomorrow. Good night.”

  “Good night, darling. Sleep well.”

  She poured herself a glass of wine, started the firepit and sipped from her glass as she sat down and listened to the whispers of the ocean.

  26

  Before Adalyn headed to the art gallery, she stopped at Rooster’s and grabbed two coffees. There was one more stop she felt she needed to make before work.

  “Hey there.” She smiled as she walked up to the Betty Lou and saw Colin standing on the deck.

  “Good morning.” A bright smile crossed his face.

  “I brought you a coffee.” She handed him a cup.

  “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know, but I wanted to.”

  He held his hand out to her and helped her on the boat.

  “I wanted to thank you for last night. I talked with Darren and I finally got the closure I needed.”

  “That’s great, Addy. So I take it things went well?”

  “For me they did.” She smirked. “He said he missed me, and he wants me back. He even said he’d get the vasectomy reversed.”

  “Wow. Seriously?” Colin cocked his head. “That’s really messed up.”

  “Yeah, and I basically told him that. I said a lot of things I should have said back when I found out.”

  “As long as you got your closure, it doesn’t matter.”

  “Aren’t those the same clothes you were wearing last night?” she asked.

  “Uh, yeah. Actually, I just got in and I need to shower and change before I head into the bar.” He rubbed the back of his head.

  “Sure. I just wanted to thank you, that’s all.”

  “You’re welcome. That’s what friends are for.” His mouth formed a smile.

  “Anyway, I’ll let you go shower. Have a good day.”

  “You too, Addy. Thanks again for the coffee.”

  Adalyn gave him a small smile and a nod before stepping off his boat and heading to the gallery. He was out all night and didn’t offer an explanation to where he was. Not that he owed her an explanation, but something wasn’t sitting right with her and a feeling crept up inside she didn’t like.

  “Tell me again how you told him to go to therapy.” Luis grinned as he leaned over the counter.

  “I already told you twice.” Adalyn laughed.

  “I know, but I love it. I’m so proud of you, darling.”

  Adalyn stood and looked out the gallery window at Annie and Jerry who were standing on the sidewalk watching the men hang the sign to their shop. She smiled as Jerry pulled Annie closer to him and she laid her head on his shoulder. Jerry was incredibly supportive of his wife and they had the kind of love most people would envy.

  “They’re so cute together,” Luis spoke as he walked up and stood next to Adalyn.

  “Yeah. They are.” A light smile formed on Adalyn’s face. “I stopped by Colin’s boat this morning to thank him for last night and he was wearing the same clothes. He said he’d just gotten in from being out all night.”

  “Where was he?”

  “I didn’t ask him. It’s none of my business,” Adalyn said as she glanced at Luis.

  “You seem bothered by it, darling. I know when something’s bothering you.”

  A couple walked through the door and Luis walked over to help them, ending the conversation between him and Adalyn. She sighed and went up to her office to do some paperwork.

  “Adalyn, can you come down here, please?” Luis asked as he shouted up the staircase.

  Getting up from her desk, she walked down the stairs only to find Darren standing in front of the display of Walfrido paintings with his hands tucked into his pants pockets.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I wanted to see your art gallery before I leave and head back to New York,” he spoke as he turned around and faced her. “You’ve done an amazing job, Addy. This place looks great.”

  “Thank you, Darren.”

  “One of the biggest mistakes I made was not supporting you when you wanted to open one up in New York.”

  “To be honest, I’m happy you didn’t. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

  “Of course.” Darren stared into her eyes. “Goodbye, Adalyn.”

  “Goodbye, Darren. Have a safe trip back to New York.”

  “Thanks. It was good to see you again, Luis.”

  Luis gave him a slight nod as Darren walked out the door.

  “Now that the snake is slithering his way out of town, everyone can relax,” Luis spoke.

  Adalyn smiled as she lightly patted his arm and went back up to her office.

  “How is Olivia doing?” Katherine asked Colin as he was busy restocking the bar.

  “She’s okay. The doctor put her on bed rest for a couple of days and told her to take it easy.”

  “I have to hand it to you, brother, you’re an amazing person taking her to the hospital. But honestly, she needs to find new friends.”

  “Adalyn stopped by the boat this morning and brought me a coffee.”

  “She did?” A smile crossed Katherine’s lips. “Why?”

  “To thank me for the pep talk last night. She said she finally got the closure she needed.”

  “That’s great. Now maybe she can move on.” Katherine gave him a wink.

  “She noticed I was wearing the same clothes as last night.”

  “Did you tell explain to her about what happened with Olivia?”

  “No. It really isn’t my place to discuss Olivia’s medical issues with anyone.”

  “I see.” Katherine took a rag and wiped down each table in the bar and grille before they opened for lunch. “So what did you tell her?”

  “I just said I was out all night and had just gotten in.”

  Katherine slightly shook her head as she thought how Adalyn was more than likely wondering why he was out all night. She knew if it was her, it would bother her in a big way. She also knew that Adalyn felt something for her brother, and she wanted nothing more than to see the two of them together. She liked Adalyn a lot and she didn’t want her brother ruining any chance he had with her.

  “I have an errand to run. I’ll be back in a while,” she said.

  “Sure. Okay. I’ll see you when you get back.” He smiled.

  She hopped in her car and drove over to the gallery. When the bell above the door rang as she stepped inside, Adalyn glanced her way with a
smile on her face.

  “Katherine, it’s good to see you.” She walked over to her and gave her a hug.

  “It’s good to see you too. I’m looking for a specific painting by Walfrido.”

  “Which one? All of our Walfrido paintings are displayed over here on the wall.”

  “This is it.” She smiled. “Entrance to Paradise.”

  “That’s a lovely painting. Is it for you or a client?”

  “For me.” She turned to her with a grin. “I’m not doing any freelance work at the moment. I’ll take it.”

  “Excellent. I will wrap it up for you. Do you want to take it now or do you want me to have it delivered?”

  “I can take it now.”

  Adalyn removed the painting from the wall and took it behind the counter to wrap it up.

  “Colin told me you stopped by the boat this morning,” Katherine spoke.

  “I did. I wanted to thank him for our talk last night.”

  “He had a rough night. After he saw you and came back to the bar, Olivia called him. Apparently, she started bleeding and got scared, so he took her to the Emergency Room. He was there practically all night.”

  “Oh no. Is she okay?” Adalyn asked with concern.

  “Yeah. The doctor put her on bedrest for a couple of days. She’ll be fine.”

  “That was really nice of him to do that for her,” Adalyn spoke as she wrapped up the painting.

  “Yeah. He’s a really great guy that way. He would help out his worst enemy if they asked.”

  Adalyn gave her a smile as she completed the transaction for the painting and had Luis take it to Katherine’s car.

  “Thank you for your purchase.” Adalyn grinned. “It was good to see you again.”

  “Listen, I’m having a little dinner party on Saturday night. Say you’ll come. It’s nothing big, just a few friends and of course Colin.”

  “I’d like that. Thank you.”

  “Great. I’ll text you the details,” Katherine spoke before walking out the door.

  After Luis loaded the painting in Katherine’s car, he walked back inside and over to where Adalyn stood.

  “Did I hear her say that Colin took Olivia to the Emergency Room last night?”

  “Yep. You sure did. Now I know where he was and who can fault him for being so kind like that.”

  “I can honestly say he is the perfect man with a heart of gold. Very rare to come by these days. Don’t you think?” Luis asked with knitted brows.

  Adalyn gave him the side eye and walked away. But she knew it was the truth. Colin Young was a perfect man with a heart of gold.

  27

  Not only was Saturday Katherine’s dinner party, it was also the grand opening of Annie’s shop. Adalyn closed down the gallery for an hour so she and Luis could join in all the festivities of the opening.

  “Congratulations, my friend.” Adalyn smiled as she gave Annie a hug.

  “Thank you, Addy. I’m so happy.” She beamed with excitement.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “The morning sickness is taking its toll, but luckily it only lasts about three hours. Other than that and being exhausted all the time, I’m great.”

  “It’s only for the first trimester. You’ll be over it soon enough.”

  Her shop was the cutest shop Adalyn had ever seen and really showed off Annie’s bubbly personality. It was brightly lit with white walls and teal colored trim throughout to match the teal colored doors that stood out on Harbor Street. Fine glass cases lined the space with delectable homemade desserts that ranged from different kinds of pies, cheesecakes, cookies, cupcakes, macarons and chocolates on one side. The other side contained homemade coffee cakes, croissants, loaves of different kinds of bread and fruit danishes.

  “Come on in the back and I’ll give you a tour of the kitchen.” Annie smiled. “This is where all the magic takes place.”

  Adalyn took note of the high-end stoves, double ovens, large stainless-steel sinks, abundant counter space, two large stainless-steel refrigerators and three large commercial stand mixers. Not only was Annie doing the baking, she also hired a few bakers to assist and a couple of young girls who would work the front end and help the customers.

  “This is great, Annie. I’m so proud of you.” Adalyn smiled as she hooked her arm around her.

  “I couldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for you.”

  They walked back out to the front of the shop and the place was packed with people buying baked goods. Adalyn said goodbye to Annie and walked over to where Jerry stood talking to Luis.

  “You may have to quit your job and help her run this place,” Adalyn said.

  “I already thought of that.” He smiled. “Especially with the baby on the way.”

  “Come on, Luis, let’s get back to the gallery.”

  “You go ahead. I’ll be there in a few. I need to buy some goodies for home. Everything looks so scrumptious!”

  Adalyn pulled up to Scott and Katherine’s house. It was a beautiful white sided Victorian style home situated on a lake. It was the first time she’d been to their home and she couldn’t wait to see the inside. Walking up the four steps that led to the large porch, the door opened, and Colin stood there with a smile on his face.

  “Hey, Adalyn.”

  “Hi, Colin.”

  “I was just running out to my truck to grab something. Come on in. Katherine is in the kitchen.”

  “Thanks.”

  She stepped inside the grand home and was greeted with a beautiful custom winding staircase off to the side. Making her way to the kitchen, she took note of the sage colored walls and white crown molding throughout. Katherine’s home was stunning and meticulously decorated.

  “Adalyn, welcome.” Katherine smiled as she gave her a hug.

  “Adalyn, it’s good to see you again,” Scott spoke.”

  “These are for you.” Adalyn handed Katherine a bouquet of sunflowers.

  “I love these. Thank you.” She handed the flowers to Scott and told him to put them in a vase while she took Adalyn on a tour of the house. “I can’t wait to show you how amazing the painting I bought from your gallery looks.”

  She led her into the den which consisted of a large wood desk, custom built wooden bookcases, a love seat on one wall and a beautiful bay window on the other.

  “What do you think?” Katherine pointed to the painting.

  “It looks beautiful there and matches this room so perfectly.”

  “There you are.” Colin grinned as he stepped inside. “Giving Adalyn a tour?”

  “I am. But, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check on the bruschetta.”

  Colin led Adalyn outside in the back and introduced her to a few of their friends.

  “Can I make you a drink?” he asked.

  “What are you making?” Adalyn smiled.

  “Actually, I’m going to make you something and I want your honest opinion about it. I’ll be right back.”

  While Adalyn waited for Colin to make her drink, she looked around and took in the beauty of the outside space which consisted of a large patio made up of pavers, a retainer wall on all four sides and six wide paver steps that led down to the lake where a boat was docked.

  “Here you go,” Colin spoke as he handed her a drink. “Honest opinion.”

  “What is this?”

  “I shall not reveal any information until you try it.” A smirk crossed his face.

  She brought the cup up to her lips and sipped the unknown drink.

  “Wow. Wow.” She smiled. “This is so good. What is it?”

  “A specialty drink I created myself. I call it the ‘Seaside Runner’ and I have it as a featured drink at the bar and grille. So far everyone seems to enjoy it.”

  “I can see why. It’s amazing. What’s in it?”

  “Sorry, pretty lady, but I cannot divulge that information. It’s a secret recipe,” he whispered in her ear.

  “Okay. Here’s to tasty secret recipes.”
She grinned as she held up her cup to him and he tapped his beer bottle against it.

  “So, how are you doing?” Colin asked.

  “I’m doing really good. How are you?”

  “I’m doing really good too. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the other morning when you stopped by the boat.”

  “What about it?”

  “I took Olivia to the Emergency Room. She was having some issues and didn’t know who else to call.”

  “Katherine told me that day she purchased the painting. How is Olivia feeling?”

  “Better.”

  “Good. That was really nice of you to take her.”

  “She needed help and she didn’t have anyone else to call. I would have felt bad if something would have happened.”

  “I know.” The corners of Adalyn’s mouth curved upward.

  “How about your ex? Did he leave town or is he still hanging around trying to get you to go back with him?”

  “He’s gone.” Adalyn let out a light laugh. “He knows there is no chance I would ever get back with him. I told him to go get some therapy and maybe he would learn how to be a decent man.”

  “Oh boy.” Colin chuckled. “Good for you. You seem happier, Addy. You really do.”

  She looked down at her drink as she could feel the heat rise in her cheeks.

  “I am. I truly am.” She smiled.

  The night was filled with wonderful conversations and food. Katherine really knew how to throw a casual dinner party. Everyone was relaxed and enjoying themselves. It was completely different from the dinner parties Adalyn used to throw and attend for business associates at Darren’s firm. Everyone was all about who made the most money, closed the most deals and the boring bureaucratic talk was enough to make anyone cringe. This place was home to her. More of a home than New York ever was. But she needed to be careful not to let that slip out in front of her sister or her mother.

  Adalyn was down at the dock staring at the peacefulness of the water. Night had fallen and the stars were shining brightly above. A light wind swept across her face just as Colin walked up and stood next to her.