“Is there someone I can call to come and sit with you for a bit?”
“Renee,” she murmured. “Next door.”
“Sure thing,” he said gently. Tyler started to walk toward Renee’s house before he suddenly stopped, turning around. “Sadie?”
“Yeah?”
He gave her a small smile. “Ethan wanted me to tell you that he loves you.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
When Renee’s cell service was restored later that evening, she was greeted with dozens of texts, missed calls, and voicemails, all of them from Tansy. She leaned over the kitchen counter reading and listening to each of them. The messages started off concerned and quickly turned hysterical.
WOW! A hurricane in the Cove?! Stay safe!
Mom, you guys OK? Reading the news coverage now… This is super scary!
Where are you? My calls go straight to voicemail.
I just tried calling and texting Aunt Bree. She’s not answering either. I am REALLY worried about you both! Please call me back!
Mom??? CALL ME!!!
And so on.
While Renee would never want to stress her daughter out, it was nice to know that she did care. She was still there.
Dan was outside gathering fallen tree limbs and other debris that had blown into Renee’s yard. She stood in front of the kitchen window while her kettle boiled, admiring his steady, careful movements. He’d gone home to change and was wearing an old pair of jeans and a fleece zip-up with a sturdy pair of work boots. He looked rugged and masculine, and Renee let out a small squeal when she remembered this gorgeous man was her boyfriend. She couldn’t wait to show him just how appreciative she was later that night.
The storm had brought in a cold front, and the air felt fresh and brisk. Renee started a fire in the living room, delighting in the sound of each crackle while Moe enjoyed slumbering beside the warmth. She lit a pomegranate-vanilla candle and changed into her softest cashmere sweater and most comfortable pair of jeans. Her cottage felt so warm and safe and full of happiness. She wanted to remember this moment forever.
With her tea mug in hand, she settled into a corner of the sofa and called Tansy.
“Mom?” Tansy answered after a single ring, the relief palpable in her voice. “Oh my God! Finally! I’ve been so worried about you. Are you okay? Is the house okay? What about Aunt Bree? Is her house okay? How is the Cove?”
Renee laughed out of sheer happiness.
“I’m okay,” she said. “So is Aunt Bree, our house, Aunt Bree’s house, and most of Cranberry Cove. Unfortunately, Castaway’s and Chickadee were completely destroyed. The roof came clean off.”
“Oh my God.”
“It’s pretty bad, but Bree is taking it okay.”
Tansy exhaled. “Oh, Mom. Holy shit, I was so freaked out.”
Renee nodded. “Me too.”
“Can we FaceTime?” Tansy asked. “Please? I just really need to see you right now.”
Who is this and what have you done with my moody, distracted daughter? Renee mused, as she smiled. “Of course we can, honey. I would love that.”
Ten seconds later, Renee was seeing her daughter for the first time since Christmas (excluding disturbing social media photos, of course). She was relieved to see Tansy looking like herself once again. She was wearing a USC hoodie and jeans, sitting cross-legged on her dorm room bed. Her hair was still wet from a shower, and since she wasn’t wearing any makeup, Renee could make out the freckles across her nose and cheekbones. She was especially pleased to see an open textbook behind Tansy as well as a stainless steel water bottle.
Much better than a blaring speaker system and a can of White Claw.
“It is so good to see you, sweetie,” she said. “You look great. What have you been up to this afternoon?”
“Studying for an American studies exam,” she said. “And then my roommate and I are going to go to a conservation speaker series tonight. The man speaking? He apparently used to work with Jane Goodall!”
“Yeah? Now that sounds pretty cool.”
Tansy paused before taking a deep breath. “Mom? I am so sorry. I really messed up this year.”
Renee pulled the chenille blanket up over her knees. “Go on,” she said, knowing she wasn’t going to let Tansy off easy on this one.
“I’m sorry for risking my scholarship,” she began. “I got to campus and messed up trying to figure everything out.”
Renee nodded. “Finding balance is always a challenge.”
“I went out too much and at first it was fun, but then it felt like it was just easier than facing my fears head-on.”
“What are you afraid of, sweet pea?”
Tansy’s eyes turned glassy. “Letting you down? Turning out to be a fraud?” She laughed ruefully before rubbing her eyes. “Too bad I ended up doing both.”
“You aren’t a fraud, Tans.”
“Coming here and being surrounded by so many insanely talented people, it was wicked intimidating.”
Renee looked directly into the camera as she spoke. “I get it but I know you. You’ll find your way. And all those big fish better watch out. I know you’ve got more talent in your little fin than they do total. Got it?”
“Got it,” she said, smiling. Tansy looked down at her comforter before raising her eyes back toward the screen. “Mom? Most of all, I’m sorry for what an awful daughter I’ve been. You’ve always given me the world, and you’re my absolute best friend. I’m sorry I’ve been an asshole.”
Renee felt the tears well up in her eyes, and she swallowed hard. “Don’t swear, honey.”
“You can send me some soap to wash out my mouth.”
“Oh, Hon. I’ve missed you, too,” she said. “But I’m so proud of you. I really am. You’ve worked so hard to get where you’re at. I just need to know you’re making smart decisions. And even though I don’t want you spending your entire summer with your new boyfriend, I certainly want to meet him. Maybe you can spend a week in Colorado, and then he can come visit the Cove.”
Tansy covered her face with her hands. “Ugh, Mom, don’t worry about any of that. I broke up with Beckett.”
“What happened?” Weirdly, Renee thought of Tansy’s nerdy-but-lovable high school boyfriend and how she’d broken up with him. “You didn’t use the mouth-breather excuse again, did you?” Poor Alfie Davidson. He was exactly the sort of boy you hoped your daughter dated—sweet, smart, and slightly timid—but Tansy hadn’t kept him around for long, telling Renee she couldn’t stand another minute being around his mouth-breathing.
“No, no,” Tansy said. “We just had different priorities. Besides, he’s dropping out. Can’t hack it. School interferes too much with his social life. He actually said that.”
“Yowza.”
“Plus, why would I want to date a guy who doesn’t even know who Nora Ephron is? I don’t care if he has a six-pack, I have to have standards, right?”
Renee laughed. “That’s my girl.”
They chatted a while longer. Tansy talked about her end-of-the-term assignments, including a handful of extra-credit essays she’d taken on to make up for her previous poor performance. She’d taken up a shift at the college radio station and was looking forward to being home this summer. “You’d better have my favorite strawberry pie waiting!” Tansy teased.
“Funny you should mention that…”
Renee filled Tansy in on Hester’s, telling her how it had all started with Essie Park telling her about the Old Red Mill and how pleasantly surprised she’d been when Sadie Landry hopped on board. Her daughter was speechless.
“Wait, so you and Sadie are going to run a business together?” she repeated. Sadie had been Tansy’s most adored babysitter and she still idolized her. “Is she going to design it? God, I am just obsessed with her style. I love following her on Instagram. You guys are going to be superstars.”
“Well, we’ll see about that.” Renee was a firm believer in cautious optimism. “But I’m really excited. It’
s fun to wake up each day not quite sure what’s going to happen next.”
“I’m loving this new free-spirit side. Any other major news you’re holding out on?”
Almost on cue, Dan walked in the front door, kicking his boots off and hanging his jacket on a hook.
“Um, Mom. Who is that?” Tansy whispered. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
Renee widened her eyes mischievously toward the screen. “Dan? I want you to come over here and finally meet Tansy.”
He grinned, sitting beside her and waving at the camera. “It’s nice to meet you, Tansy! I’ve been hearing about you since my very first day at the practice. How’s the weather out there?”
“Um, sunny,” she said, more than a little confused. While Tansy had heard plenty about Dan, she’d never actually met him before. And she certainly didn’t know about her mom’s gigantic crush on him. “Are you two—”
“Dating? Yep.” Renee squeezed his hand. “Tansy, you remember hearing about my soon-to-be-former boss, Dr. Hanlon. Well, he’s been promoted to boyfriend.”
Dan rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.
If Tansy’s mouth opened any wider she’d be able to swallow a volleyball. “I can’t keep up with you these days, Mom! A new business, a new boyfriend. Look at you living your best life.”
Renee blew the camera a kiss. “Looks like life can be exciting in Cranberry Cove after all.”
“Mom, it was amazing. I am amazing. I mean you are. I mean, I’ll let you all go. But I’ll talk to you very, very soon, okay?”
They both disconnected with smiles.
Renee curled up against Dan’s chest, rubbing his shoulder, his arm. “Thanks for cleaning up outside. Are you sore?”
“Ah, just a little bit.”
“Let’s go run you a hot bath then.” Kissing his cheek, Renee stood, heading for the stairs. “I’ve got the most amazing salts that will help, too.”
But Dan pulled her right back down on top of him. “You know what would help more than bath salts?”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You joining me.”
“It’ll be a tight fit, but I think we can squeeze.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
They were supposed to be here ten minutes ago.
Sadie stood by the door anxiously tapping her foot and checking her watch.
Tyler had volunteered to pick Ethan up from the hospital today in one of the police department’s SUVs. Not only was the vehicle better suited for the unpredictable route, it also boasted a comfortable amount of space for his broken foot.
Plus no sticky spots on the door handles or Cheerios buried in the seat cushions.
An upgrade all around, really.
Renee and Dan were babysitting Lincoln for the evening, which would give Sadie time to get Ethan situated. Plus, she wasn’t sure how severe his injuries looked, and she thought it was smarter to figure that out first before Lincoln saw him.
Annette was flying in tomorrow to help with things around the house. Tickets were purchased before Sadie could even ask. Even though the woman could overstep off a cliff, Sadie had to admit it was pretty cool that Annette was always willing to drop everything and come.
Finally, a pair of headlights swung down Seashell Lane.
If the last forty-eight hours had taught Sadie anything, it was what mattered the most: Ethan, Lincoln, the new baby.
As for Ethan’s frequent trips to Boston, the early mornings and late nights shut away in the home office, their arguments, his lukewarm response to the pie shop idea. Hell, even the fact that Ethan had hidden the fact that he’d been laid off.
All of those things could be figured out, worked through.
Her husband had driven directly into the eye of a category one hurricane in an attempt to reach her and Lincoln in time, and the thought left her a little breathless.
She opened the door and ran down the sidewalk. A warm June wind blew and the sun was just beginning to set in the sky.
Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Sadie was at the passenger-side door. “Ethan!” she breathed. There he was.
She embraced him as gingerly as possible when all she wanted to do was crush him with love. “You’re here. You’re here!” she sighed with her head buried in his chest.
There were stitches across his forehead, and he had a bad scrape on his left cheek. He was wearing a button-up shirt and slacks, probably an outfit he’d packed for work, so Sadie couldn’t be sure how his arms looked. His foot was in a cast though, and Tyler was pulling a pair of crutches from the trunk.
“You look great,” she told him.
“You don’t mean that.” He squeezed her hands. She squeezed back, acutely aware of all the cuts and bruising.
“I do.” Sadie nestled her nose in his tousled hair, relieved the scent of her husband was still so present despite the clinical hospital smells. “I thought you were going to look a whole lot scarier.”
Ethan kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her mouth. “I love you so much. It is so damn good to see your pretty face.”
“I love you, too,” she murmured into his ear.
Sadie helped Ethan get out of the car and Tyler handed him his crutches. And with Sadie standing beside Ethan and Tyler behind him, they got him up the stairs and into the master bedroom.
“I think I can take it from here,” Sadie said, thinking how awkward this all suddenly was. She was grateful for Tyler’s help, of course, but it was also pretty darn weird to have the town cop help get your husband situated in your master bedroom. “Thanks for everything, Tyler. We really appreciate it.”
Ethan held out his hand. “Thanks, man. We’d love to have you over for dinner soon.”
“But only if we’re getting takeout. I don’t know if one of my home cooked meals is considered a gift,” Sadie said with a smirk, making them all laugh.
“Happy to help,” said Tyler, “and it also happens to be my job.”
Sadie walked him downstairs.
“We owe you,” she said. “Seriously.”
“It was a wicked accident.” His lowered his voice. “It’s nothing short of a miracle Ethan is alive. He was about twenty miles south of the Cove when it happened, right off 295. Another motorist lost control of her car after her windshield was struck with debris. She crossed over the double yellow and hit Ethan head-on.”
“Oh my God.” The image was a sickening one. Sadie leaned against the doorframe for support. She swallowed. “Is the other…other motorist okay?”
He nodded, and Sadie felt overwhelming relieved for this stranger and her own family members and friends. “She was taken to the hospital in serious condition but is expected to make a full recovery.”
After a final tearful thank-you, they said their goodbyes.
“Let me know if there’s anything else I can do!” Tyler called. “Take care.”
Sadie stood in the front yard for a few minutes after Tyler had driven away, trying to catch her breath and wrap her mind around everything that had happened these past few days. Ethan was home safely. Their cottage had been spared.
How much good luck could one person be blessed with?
She looked over at Renee’s house. The front curtains were open, and Sadie could see Renee, Dan, and Lincoln doing some sort of goofy dance in the living room. She bet it was one of the Wiggles routines from Tansy’s childhood. Retro! But Lincoln was giggling and boogying away like it was 2010. To add to her blessings, she had a neighbor, a friend, like Renee.
She walked back inside and returned upstairs, where Ethan was sitting on the edge of the bed. “Would you like a sponge bath?” she asked him. “After Lincoln was born, I couldn’t wait to rinse all of those weird hospital smells off me.”
He was holding out his hands, staring at the abrasions as if they weren’t real. “I wish I could go for a hot nurse fantasy right now, but I think you’ll need to settle for an exhausted invalid.”
“My pleasure.” And she meant every word.
&nb
sp; She carefully stripped him out of his clothes, tossing them into the hamper, and with slow, steady movements, got him into the tub. With his cast safely propped on the ledge, she wet a loofah and gently massaged it against his skin. His arms looked worse than his face—he had at least five sets of stitches between the two of them and a good amount of bruising—and the sight made her stomach turn. A wicked accident, she thought, Tyler’s words forever scarred her mind the way these wounds would eternally scar Ethan’s skin. Nothing short of a miracle.
She ran her fingers through his hair, dampening the curls, and the intense feelings of love, relief, and gratefulness filled her heart.
After toweling him off, Sadie found Ethan’s favorite pair of sweatpants and a “Maine Is for Lobsters” T-shirt for him to change into. Both smelled of fabric softener and home. She helped him into their king-sized bed, and pulled the comforter up over his lap.
“Thank you,” he said with such sincerity, such tenderness, Sadie almost cried. “The moment of the car crash, all I could think about was you, Lincoln, and the baby. And how our final memories wouldn’t be that great. The pie shop argument, and all…” He trailed off.
“I was so worried about you,” she stated, sitting on the bed beside him. “If you were dead, I’d have crossed over and killed you.”
“You’re such a force of nature.” He gave her a wry smile. “I was grabbing a late lunch at the diner when the breaking news bulletin came on the TVs. I threw down whatever cash I had in my wallet, and I got on the road as fast as I could. I was so worried about you guys, Sade. I’ve never been so afraid in my entire life. I just kept thinking how I should be in the Cove already and what a shitty husband and father I must be for not being there to protect you guys.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “Does that hurt?”
“No, feels good.”
She nodded, trying to gather her thoughts and words.
No more secrets. Not anymore.
“I actually tried calling your work—you know, after I hadn’t heard from you for an entire day—and Patty told me you were let go weeks ago,” she said. “Ethan, what’s been going on? Why wouldn’t you tell me that?”
Forever Friends Page 24
