by Barbara Lohr
Kate wished she had a short memory. High school came flooding back, but this wasn’t high school. The casual makeout sessions after a debate victory didn’t compare one bit to this afternoon.
She wanted Cole. Wanted him in the worst way.
Unleashed longings battered the common sense she’d pulled around her like a shield.
At the edge of the water, Kate squished her toes into the damp sand. She loved this time of day. Clouds streaked the night sky in elongated puffs of white, like pulled taffy against the rosy glow of the setting sun. Families had packed up and retreated to the cottages for dinner. The shoreline was packed solid and smooth underfoot. Although Kate wasn't a runner, she broke into a rough jog. Tiny stones along the shore bit into her feet, but she didn't edge away. No, she accepted the discomfort, wanting to forget the feel of Cole’s lips, the muscled arms and questioning depths of his eyes.
She ran until she had no breath. Gasping, she stopped and bent over, clutching the stitch in her side.
Maybe she was out of shape, physically and emotionally.
Cole Campbell? She needed all her defenses in place. Today, she’d let them down. Revealed more than she’d ever shared with anyone.
Vulnerability wasn’t her style.
She’d come home to help her mother and, if she were honest, to recover from the divorce. Gull Harbor was just what she needed. Cole Campbell? She didn’t want to need him.
Chapter 17
“Come on in, Kate.” Carolyn met Kate at the door of her cozy bungalow. The wooden porch squeaked under Kate’s sandals, and crickets sang in the hydrangea bushes below the open railing.
“Love your house, especially this porch,” she told Carolyn as they stood in the open doorway, summer soft in the air. “Takes so long for a clematis to get that big.” Supported on thick, knotty vines, deep purple blossoms arched over the porch. “What a great place to curl up with a book.”
“I often do.” Carolyn’s quiet smile lit up her blue eyes. “Thought we might sit out here but the mosquitoes can be vicious.”
Kate slapped at one buzzing in her hair.
“I’m going to spray in case we want to come out later.” Carolyn grabbed an aerosol can from a side table.
Kate scurried inside, where wicker chairs flanked a worn brown leather sofa and earth tone cushions were heaped on the floor. A round coffee table held a cheese tray and a plate of cookies.
“Oh, wow.” Kate sank onto the soft leather couch and looked around. From the brick fireplace to the braided rugs on the floor, the house felt homey. “Talk about comfortable.”
Carolyn made a face. “I’m probably only about three blocks from the wrecking ball.”
A chill skittered down Kate’s spine. Never going to happen to Breezy Point. Not if she could help it.
Phoebe and Chili arrived, bringing Mandy Klavis with them. A pretty blonde, Mandy had been in their class, but Kate hadn’t known her well. But she sure knew the Klavis family bakery, know for their onion rolls and raspberry kolaches.
“You’re the girl who dated that hot quarterback, right?” Kate asked.
A quick blush accented Mandy’s high cheekbones. “Yes.”
“Kevin Corbin? Could we give the guy a name?” Sarah chortled. “Mandy came back last summer, and she’s still dating Kevin. In fact, he does some work for Cole.”
Cole. Her face felt plunged into an oven. Grabbing a Dolly Madison bar from the plate, Kate took a hearty bite. Never one to resist chocolate chips and coconut, she’d diet tomorrow.
“And how is your flower store coming?” Sarah asked over a cup of hazelnut decaf.
Kate swallowed her mouthful and laughed. “More three eight-foot tables than a store.”
Chili shushed her, waving her mug of tea. “Kate’s doing great. Aren’t we loco busy?”
“Busier than I ever expected,” Kate admitted. “Had to close up shop early yesterday. Stock ran out again. I’m looking for another supplier for shrubbery.”
“You go, girl!” Phoebe pumped a fist.
Chili's dark eyes snapped. “The flowers catch people's attention, closer to the road.”
Kate wanted to hug her old friend. “What would I do without you and Ignacio?”
“And Cole.” Chili’s eyes sparked with mischief.
Opening her mouth to reply, Kate took another bite instead. Best to fill her mouth with chocolate than get into a tussle with Chili about Cole. Cleary Chili and Ignacio adored their contractor.
A knock came at the door. Kate was relieved when the attention shifted to Diana, swirling into the room in a long blue gypsy skirt. The scent of patchouli settled over the room.
“Sorry I’m late. Chicago customer on a buying spree. I wasn’t about to tell her I was closing.” Diana sat down in the rocker.
“Everyone have a great Memorial Day?” Sarah asked.
“Good crowd at the nursing home,” Kate quipped. “Family picnic.”
Sarah's eyes softened. “When will your mom be coming home?”
“Soon as she can get around better. We’re making some changes, er, in the house…” Kate stuttered to a halt. Damn. Anxiety riddled her just thinking about that pantry. Those crazy kisses had unleashed a yearning that kept her awake at night. She’d been hanging around the care center in the late afternoon to avoid running into Cole at Breezy Point. Her mom even complained about her extended visits.
“Don’t you have things to do at home, Kate?” her mother had asked in a querulous tone. “I don’t want to find things in a shambles.”
She had a point, but four o’clock was still too early for Kate to go home. Instead she drove up to St. Joe, a town a little farther north on the lake. Relaxing with a chai latte on a bench overlooking the harbor, she soaked in the sun and the broad expanse of Lake Michigan. But the soft breeze on her skin only reminded her of Cole’s touch, the warmth in his eyes when she’d told him about hiding in that pantry while her parents’ marriage fell apart.
“So your mom’s coming home soon? Are you putting in ramps? That kind of thing?” Phoebe’s questions brought Kate back to her book group.
“She’s using a walker now, but we’re converting an old pantry into a bathroom. That’s critical.” Her matter-of-fact tone didn’t soothe the annoying ripples in her tummy that threatened to slide lower.
“Who’s doing the work?” Sarah asked, oh, so casually.
Kate gave her friend the fish eye, not that it made a difference.
“Cole.” The name unexpectedly softened on Kate’s tongue. Expressions shifted in the group. “Well, Cole and Josh, his carpenter.” Josh seemed to disappear mysteriously whenever Kate entered the house.
“Ah, huh.” Sarah exchanged a look with Chili.
Had the two been talking? Probably. That was the thing about small towns. People talked. Kate grabbed another Dolly Madison bar. With her mouth full, she wouldn’t be able to stick another foot in it.
“That first floor bathroom will be a big help,” Mandy said. “My own mom fell from the roof and broke a leg. The first few days home, she slept on the sofa bed.”
“That will probably be the case at our house too, at least for a while.” Kate also hoped Mercedes would come to her senses about selling Breezy Point. Just one more battle she didn’t feel like fighting.
And then there was Cole. She wished he’d stay away.
But that hope tasted like tin on her tongue.
“Everything will work out.” Sarah picked up her copy of “Water for Elephants.” Time to get down to discussion.
“How is Jamie?” Carolyn asked Sarah quietly.
Sarah's grip tightened on the book. She did such a good job of hiding her emotions. “We try to Skype on Sundays. Depends on his schedule.” Sounded like they were talking about a man who worked at Target, not Afghanistan. Sarah wouldn’t want anyone to worry.
“That man, he will be home before you know it.” Chili reached over and squeezed Sarah’s knee.
Sarah wrapped her fingers around Chil
i’s hand and hung on.
“Why don't we get into the story?” Carolyn opened her book, and Kate smiled to see the multi-colored post-it notes. Yep, Carolyn was a teacher all right.
The discussion was lively that night. Kate felt relieved to dip back into the problems of that earlier era. For a while, they talked about the circus world depicted in the novel. Of course, there was a love story between Jacob, the man who might have been a veterinarian if his parents hadn't died, and Marlena, who was married to the wrong man.
“There's a lot of that going around,” Kate mumbled. The words were out, and she could have kicked herself.
“You never mention your ex-husband.” Sarah’s eyes turned thoughtful. “Brian, right?”
“Might be a reason for that.”
“If you don't want to talk about it…” Chili threw an admonishing glance in Sarah's direction.
But Kate had to get comfortable with this divorce. “No, that's okay. I signed the papers. Made it official.” Outside, night had fallen and they sat in semi-darkness. This circle of new and old friends felt safe.
“It gets easier,” Phoebe piped up.
“Does it?” Kate sure hoped so.
With the hitch of her head, Phoebe added, “A little. With time.”
Kate wanted details, wanted assurance. She sure wasn’t going to get that from her sister or mother. Her mother never talked about her divorce, as if her husband were still asleep in the room upstairs. “How long have you been divorced, Phoebe?”
“Two years. Past year was easier than the first. Only sometimes, sure, I wish I had someone to be there when I get home. The salon helps.”
Kate didn’t know Phoebe at all, but tonight, Phoebe didn’t look quite as self-reliant as she had come across earlier.
“Don’t we have to be our own resource sometimes?” Diana sounded like she was still figuring this out.
Kate knew little about Diana, only that she’d arrived and opened Hippy Chick in Gull Harbor six years ago. Apparently, the shop made it through the punishing winters and that was saying something.
And Diana dated Cole. That was a story Kate wanted to hear more about.
“How about some wine? Let’s turn the lights on. We’re all sitting here in the dark.” Carolyn leapt up.
Sarah snapped on two brass floor lamps, and Chili leaned over to the pottery table lamp. The bright light dispelled the uneasy mood that had crept into the room.
They trouped into Carolyn’s kitchen where their hostess grabbed a box of wine from her refrigerator. A wine connoisseur, Brian would have turned up his nose at boxed wine, but Brian wasn't with her, not anymore. Tonight, that freedom felt wonderful.
“Can I help with glasses?” Kate asked Carolyn.
“To the left of the stove.”
As Carolyn poured, Kate glanced at the quotes posted around the room.
“How cute is this?” Diana plucked a heart magnet from the refrigerator. “‘Set true love free.’”
Carolyn blushed. “Should we go back into the living room and relax or sit out on the porch?”
“Porch!” the group said with one voice.
Wine glasses in hand, they trooped outside, taking seats on the wicker swing or metal lawn chairs. Carolyn passed out pillows from the living room. The night air remained pleasantly warm. Summer heat had blazed through the cool spring. No sweaters needed, not anymore.
“Here's to summer!” Sarah raised her wine glass.
“Here's to Ignacio's Produce!” Chili's voice rang out strong.
“Here's to Kate's Blooms!” Carolyn nodded in Kate’s direction.
“You saw my sign?” Kate felt flattered.
Carolyn merely smiled. “I'll be stopping by. That's a promise.”
“Here's to being single,” Phoebe said, like she was reminding herself.
“Single!” Phoebe, Carolyn, and Kate roared. Laughing and giggling, they felt like a group of trusted friends and it was summer.
Diana swirled the wine in her glass and lifted it. “Here’s to our other businesses!”
“How could we forget, Diana?” Sarah always had a quick save. “Here’s to Hippy Chick and The Full Cup.”
The recession still lingered. Although there were talks of the housing market picking up, business wasn’t booming. On weekends, vacationers crowded the narrow sidewalks of Gull Harbor. Still, For Sale signs were planted in front of homes on the sandy roads that led to the lake.
“A toast for the Chicago people. May they continue to come in droves and may they all need a good hair stylist!” Phoebe said with a raucous laugh.
“To customers who linger,” Diana added.
Kate looked down at her worn jeans and pink hoodie with the faded Saugatuck scrawled on it. She could use some new clothes and might just stop at the shop. She’d like to get to know Diana better.
Sarah looked around the group. “What should we read for next time?”
“How about one of the older books?” Carolyn offered. “Like maybe something by Hemingway or Fitzgerald?”
“You just want to get a jump on your lesson plans for next year,” Phoebe teased with a wave of her wine glass.
Carolyn laughed along with them.
“Sometimes old favorites are the best.” Kate thought back to how pleased Natalie had been to discover “Misty.”
“What about a compromise?” Carolyn suggested. “‘The Paris Wife’ is about Hemingway's first wife, Hadley Richardson. Paris in the 20s. What could be more fun?”
“Paris, huh?” Diana looked as if she wanted to leave tomorrow. “Sounds good to me.”
“Want to meet at my house?” Kate was horrified to hear herself offering. Breezy Point was sadly in need of attention, but at least the bathroom would be finished. No need to trek to the second floor and the dated wallpaper.
“Your place is right on the beach.” Sarah jumped in before Kate had time to reconsider. “Should we bring our bathing suits? The lake should be warm by July, right?”
“Absolutely. We could even discuss on the beach.” Kate warmed to the idea. That way, if her mother still couldn’t climb to the second floor, they wouldn’t be bothering her.
The girls were all for it. Everyone drifted out to their cars, their good-byes lingering on the night air.
As she drove to Breezy Point, Kate felt content. At first she'd felt like a visitor in Gull Harbor. Not anymore. When she reached home, she didn’t go straight inside. The sleepy summer waves lapping at the shoreline below called to her. Instead of going down to the beach, she sat on the top stairs leading to the beach, knees pulled up to her chin.
The summer moon cut a path across the water.
The moments with Cole in the pantry rewound in her mind, like a movie on an eternal loop. Would she do anything different?
Well, maybe a thing or two.
The very thought made her restless.
And where did they go from here? In the heat of the moment, had she kissed the boy she used to know or the man Cole was now?
The man who could change Gull Harbor forever.
Chapter 18
The night before her mother came home, Kate dusted and vacuumed like crazy. Her mom had always been a neat freak. Growing up, Kate and Mercedes were assigned Saturday chores until they took summer jobs in town. Their house always smelled of vinegar, which their mom used to clean everything, from the windows to the floors. “Keep your house just like you keep your mind. Orderly and neat. Everything has its place,” their mom told them.
Well, the old mom used to say that. Now her colorful new clothes were jammed into drawers or hung lopsided on hangers. Would any of that change when she returned home?
Grabbing the scatter rugs, Kate gave them a good shake outside. The night air felt crisp and cool. Overhead, a million stars pierced the dark sky. Deep in the woods, an owl hooted in round, lonely notes. Down below, the lake sounded restless, waves slapping the shore with a syncopated rhythm.
Or maybe Kate was the one who felt riled up. Dr.
Kumar at the care center had warned that her mother would be different now. No surprise. That much was already clear. “The stroke might change your mother’s behavior.”
Her mom had been so reliable in her routines and habits. Still, the bright clothing and jewelry gave Kate a kick. Alice Kennedy was enjoying herself and high time. Along with her new clothes, her personality had changed. Now the two of them fell easily into casual conversations. They talked about the news—who was divorcing whom in Hollywood or what star had a new baby. Her mother talked about the president, although Kate was never sure which president was under discussion. Details sometimes blurred in her mother’s conversations. Still, those talks together felt precious.
Before, Mercedes had been her mother’s confidante. Since the falling out over the house, their relationship now was strained. Time would heal that. Meanwhile, Kate enjoyed a piece of her mother she’d never had before.
Folding the rugs over one arm, Kate went back inside, the screen door whapping shut behind her. While she positioned the rugs on the floor, she realized she only wanted parts of the old mom back. Some of the changes? She welcomed them.
Glancing around, Kate felt Breezy Point was as ready as it could be. The new downstairs bathroom sat pristine and perfect, the smell of fresh paint lingering. Cole thought it could use another coat. Thinking about him in this bathroom brought a rush of heat. Her lips plumped, and her body sprang to life. She stumbled from the room, sucking in the smell of that morning’s bacon lingering in the air, just as rich and dangerous as Cole’s kisses.
From now on, she’d take the stairs to the upstairs bathroom. Good for her thighs, or so she’d read.
Mercedes called three times that night, her sister's way of making up for not being there. “How are things with you?” Kate asked at the end of the last call.
Silence filled Kate’s mind with questions. “Mercedes? Are you still there?”
“Yes, I’m here. Not any better, Kate, to tell the truth.”
What comfort could she offer her older sister, who always had her life under control? “Things will get better. They always do for you.”
“Really? Guess there’s a first time for everything.”
