by CF Frizzell
Maggie shooed Ellis through her office into her bedroom and shut the door.
“To what do I owe the extreme pleasure of your visit? Here, of all places?”
Ellis took her hands and drew her in. “I traded a shift with someone who needed my Saturday off, and…I-I couldn’t get you off my mind. Beautiful day, beautiful woman.”
“I’m thrilled you’re here. I hope it wasn’t a tortuous decision.”
“Valium helped.”
“Right.”
“Really, I have done a lot of thinking. It’s been too long since I dealt with the past.” She set her forehead to Maggie’s. “You make so many things easier. Because of you, I now take more cold showers than ever. They keep me from overheating.”
“God, you’ve made my day.” Maggie slid her arms around Ellis’s neck and settled against her chest. “I needed this badly.” She brushed her lips across Ellis’s mouth and welcomed a slow, languorous kiss.
“Hard day for you?” Ellis nuzzled Maggie’s jaw.
“Mmm. Damn business numbers.”
Ellis drew back just enough to study her face. “Business is slow?”
Maggie almost sighed at the compassionate look. “Could be a lot better, but you don’t need to concern yourself with that. You’re here. I’m so glad you even wanted to step inside again. I’d hoped you would.”
“Coming up the front walk took a little courage, but I wanted to see you. Here. See you surrounded by pieces of my life and the magic you’ve performed on them. I hadn’t been through the front door one minute before I noticed how good I felt inside. No sadness or regret, no…shame. Just an affection, a pride I hadn’t expected.”
“God, I love hearing you say that. It makes me so happy.”
“You did it, Maggie, settling in here. You’re responsible, and it feels right. I’m grateful.”
Withholding her own intimate truths tightened Maggie’s throat. She couldn’t deny the pleasure of having Ellis in the house, in her arms. She could feel a rejuvenation in her that Maggie was proud to have invoked, but she couldn’t match Ellis’s signature honesty.
You think I’ve “settled in here,” Ellis? Yes, it feels right to me, too, more so every day, but…If I leave you with anything when this summer ends, I hope it’s the bright, positive outlook I see in you right now.
Ellis lifted Maggie’s chin. “Those business numbers have gotten to you, haven’t they?”
Retta barked at the door and Maggie stepped away to let her in. Damn, this is hard. And it’s starting to show. Retta hurried to Ellis and dropped a stuffed duck at her feet.
“Oh, she’s happy now.” Maggie pecked Ellis’s cheek. “Come on. There’s fresh lemonade in the fridge.”
Ellis gladly picked up the toy and followed, Retta, ever alert at her side.
To Ellis, Retta appeared more jovial than her owner today, and she thought it peculiar. Ellis always enjoyed observing Maggie in action, the lively, positive attitude and energy she put into doing the simplest things, but now, watching her take the pitcher from the fridge and fetch glasses from the cabinet, something seemed off. Maggie hadn’t responded to her query about the business. She’d avoided it, in fact.
Is Tuck’r in trouble? It’s impolite to ask.
Recalling Maggie’s words about first-year struggles, she wondered how challenging things had become, and if the rest of the season looked as dark. The foreboding pressure of defeat will eat you up. Maggie didn’t deserve to see all she’d invested go for naught. Neither did the house, and Ellis just couldn’t picture it shuttered again, hoping yet another owner with equal passion would miraculously appear. Too bad my credit history precedes me, even today. There’s no way I could help.
But Tug Whitley, of all people, sprang to mind, and through her irritation with him, she saw Maggie pouring vital funds into the harbor.
She accepted the lemonade with a distant smile. “Could we sit out back for a few? I know you’re probably busy, and I shouldn’t keep—”
“Not at all,” Maggie said. “I have to whip up some goodies later, but the afternoon looks quiet.” They sat beneath the patio umbrella and Retta stretched out in the shade. Maggie pressed a hand to Ellis’s on the table. “Stay for dinner. Let me wow you with steak.”
“You wow me, period,” Ellis said, impressed by Maggie’s noble attempt to lighten the mood.
“You’re too charming for my own good. Stay, won’t you? I’ve got you here and don’t want you to go.” She grinned at her own statement and quickly looked down into her glass.
“I’d like that very much. Thank you.” I don’t want to go, either. We can do so much for each other.
She pulled her chair closer and leaned on her knees. Retta scrambled from beneath the table, eager to play, and Ellis scratched the top of her head. “Not right now, pretty girl.” Retta’s perked ears flattened. Maggie looked on fondly, maternally, as Retta lay back down.
“Maggie, look at me.” Ellis trailed a finger along the inside of her knee. “I know when something’s wrong, when trouble’s brewing. I’ve spent my life on the ocean, remember? And I’m used to the law of the sea, which is to offer help unconditionally. If you’re in need, I hope you’ll let me know.”
Maggie took Ellis’s hand and squeezed. “I don’t know how or why fate threw us together…You’re remarkable.” She pressed forward and kissed her. “Yes, you might say the sea’s a bit rough right now, but I refuse to burden you with business issues. I’m just embarrassed that my concern is showing, and I apologize for worrying you.” She squeezed again. “You’re so sweet to think of me.”
“Could I make a friendly suggestion?”
“Feel free any time.”
“Stay away from Tug Whitley.”
Maggie chortled. “Oh, trust me. Already done. I’m through with that pirate. I might have nipped a hand that fed me, so to speak, because I think the cruises were catching on, but he’s—”
“Yes, he is. Now…please listen. I’ve been thinking. What if we worked something out, you and I, the weekend cruises like you asked a while ago?” Maggie sat back as if shoved. “Not huge mobs of people, mind you, but…Would that help?”
Maggie shook her head. “The Rose is your little piece of paradise. You haven’t thought it through, Ellis. I know there’s a lot to it.” She combed her fingers through Ellis’s hair. “God, you’re so kindhearted. I had no right to ask, back then, and I’ve always felt bad about it.”
Ellis clasped Maggie’s hands on her knees. “Look what you’ve done for me, where I am.” She tipped her head toward the house. “I never thought I’d be here again, never thought I deserved to be. I’ve spent years feeling sorry for myself, getting by instead of climbing out of the damn hole I dug, and then you and Retta come along and shake me out of it. I know what the fight is like when a dream trembles: you do everything you possibly can. So please don’t feel bad about asking. I get it.”
Maggie’s eyes watered. “Are you for real, Ellis Chilton?”
“If you’re game, I’m willing to try the cruises. Just go easy on me.” She cupped Maggie’s cheek. “Let’s see how it goes for the rest of the season. How about until the end of September?” Maggie’s incredulous expression grew, eyebrows rising, furrows forming across her forehead, and Ellis loved surprising her. “Maybe it’ll work out and be worth promoting for next year, and maybe then I could recruit another boat to help during the week. On the other hand, if, by the end of September, I’ve become a raving lunatic and you, a bitchy boss, Tuck’r might need an entirely different scheme for next season.”
Maggie stood abruptly, the excited glow on her face making Ellis’s heart pound. Just like the wedding party cruise, Ellis thought, this was the right thing to do. We’ve got what it takes to make it work.
Maggie drew Ellis’s head down with both hands. “You really are precious to me, you know? Cruise or no cruise, just that you’d offer…You’re some kind of special, and I’m just crazy about you.”
Ellis lifted
Maggie off her feet as they kissed. She wanted the moment to last for hours. Yes, I’m crazy about you, too.
Chapter Twenty-two
As the Rose silently drifted into its slip, Ellis tossed the bow line to Hank and jumped onto the dock to secure the stern.
“Thanks for the assist,” she yelled, doubting he’d heard her.
“You get all your gear?”
“I did.” She nodded, sure this time that he hadn’t caught her words. Thankful the usual collection of boaters wasn’t around to listen in on such a quiet Sunday afternoon, Ellis resorted to the raised voice she usually called on with him. “Wasn’t happy with those old vests, so now I can keep them as spares. Oh, by the way, I picked you up a new extinguisher. Hang on a second.”
“You what?”
She held up a finger for him to wait as she went back aboard and returned with a shiny fire extinguisher. “Here,” she said, holding it out. “Now get rid of your clunker in the galley.”
“For me? I got one.”
“It barely passes inspection, and I don’t trust it. This one’s easier to handle.”
He hefted the steel cylinder and set it at his feet. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks. I owe you.”
“No, you don’t. How long have we been looking out for each other?”
“Since you was a little thing. Your pop would be proud of you, y’know, looking after this old-timer. And now you’re looking after the house, too.”
Ellis shrugged. “Indirectly. I think things are working out.”
“How many cruises have you done now, five?”
She held up four fingers. “They’re joyrides, Hank. Just taking folks for little joyrides. Just friendly favors.”
Hank scratched at his wooly face. “Right. Keeps things unofficial.”
“You got it.” She ripped cellophane off new life vests and stowed them away.
“She’s a very nice young lady, Ellis. I’d be inclined to help, too.”
She made a face at him. “Oh, like you support another B&B on Nantucket.”
“Well, she’s awful pretty. She comes by in her shorts and sandals, those long legs, that silky hair breezin’ all over the place. Lord, like some girl off a magazine cover.”
“Stop already. I’m trying to concentrate.”
He snorted. “You think all this you’re doin’ will make a difference, keep her place running? What if she can’t swing it and bails out like so many do? You considered that?”
Ellis stood up and squinted at him in the late afternoon sun. “I’ve had a great day. Knock it off.” She went back to work.
“Well, have you thought about it? You’re busting your ass, working every day and then here, too, making sure everything’s perfect. She’s special, isn’t she?”
“She is. We’ve grown kind of close.”
“What? Have you fallen for her?”
“I said we’re close.” Jesus, Hank. The whole waterfront can probably hear us.
“Bah.” He spit over the edge of the dock. “Close, my ass. I’ve seen you two all lovey-dovey on the bow in the moonlight, seen you walking the dog in the middle of the night.”
“Okay, so your eyesight hasn’t failed you yet.”
“Just make sure yours don’t. Is she part of some big conglomeration, testin’ our waters? This her first B&B? Where’s she from, anyway? You know all this about her? Or are you two just sowin’ your oats?”
She slammed her hands onto her hips and scowled. “Anybody but you, I’d tell to mind his own damn business. For your information, she incorporated like any smart businesswoman or man should. And she’s from Albany, originally, and used to be in finance in Philadelphia. Anything else you need to know, Dad?”
“Fine.”
“And another thing. She’s put her heart and soul into that house, real sweat and every last cent. It’s beautiful.”
“It’s not your house anymore.”
“I know that!” She paced to the stern rail and back. “It matters to me that she succeeds. I want…I want her to be happy there.”
The words echoed in her head as Hank stared at her. Finally, he readjusted his cap and hitched up his pants, clues he was about to heave his worn, wiry frame into motion.
“Well,” he stated, too loudly for the sentiment, “glad we settled that. Just lookin’ out for you, girl.” He waved good-bye with a raised palm and ambled off toward his slip, extinguisher under his arm.
“See ya, Hank!” He probably hadn’t heard her, but it didn’t matter. Their salutations were understood. “Gotta love him,” she muttered and gulped down half a bottle of water. “I should be as feisty at his age.” Hank’s cantankerous spirit served him well, wasn’t about to quit any time soon, and she treasured his well-intentioned, albeit loud harping.
He certainly means well, she thought as she prepped for an evening at Maggie’s. I do want her to be happy there. He got me to admit it—out loud, even. And that I’m in deep…with Maggie and Tuck’r. And I like it. You’re a clever old salt, Hank Tennon.
She pulled on her black jeans and chose a mint green oxford from the closet, hoping to prove she owned more than uniforms, tees, and shorts, and, yes, hoping Maggie liked what she saw. Over the past few weeks, these occasional pizza-and-movie evenings on the couch had become something special. No longer a stranger at Tuck’r, Ellis visited regularly on weekends and had come knocking several times after work.
She loaded two bottles of Maggie’s favorite merlot into her backpack and checked to see she was on schedule to pick up the pizza. Even picking up a damn pizza has me buzzed. Yes, Hank, she’s pretty special.
She ran her schedule through her mind as she strolled up Main Street, pizza in hand. Next Sunday, the Rose would host three elderly couples for a two-hour jaunt around the island. She grinned, remembering Maggie’s delight at the little “landing” attached to the step box. It served more than Retta now, and guests certainly appreciated it.
Granted, the weather had cooperated to date, but the cruises had gone remarkably well, and Ellis actually discovered herself looking forward to them. They’d been relatively stress-free, easygoing sails, especially enjoyable with Maggie aboard, supplying refreshments. Ellis accepted little more in payment than what covered her expenses, but Maggie had insisted they revisit the issue if the package deals increased in popularity. That was the point, after all, and Ellis truly hoped the promotion would push Tuck’r into the black and keep it there.
“The alternative’s not great,” she muttered, turning the corner at Davis Street.
We’ve never talked about the “what if,” Maggie. Would you throw in the towel like Hank said? After all this? I bet you’d stay, find work on the island. Hell, you’d be in demand as an interior decorator, that’s for sure.
She studied the house as she walked around to the back steps, and a guest she met on yesterday’s cruise waved from a front window. She waved back, taken by the smile on the woman’s face. You’ve brought “home” back to the place, Maggie. As it should be. You wouldn’t leave, would you?
*****
The following week, Maggie sat on the back steps in the dappled mid-August sun and watched Retta retrieve the ball. Rachel’s well-meaning interrogation continued in her ear.
“Rachel. I’m not detailing my sex life to you, so stop hinting.” She threw the ball again, and Retta darted away.
“Well, I can tell you’re happy.”
“We’re seeing a lot of each other these days, and my numbers are climbing.”
“Number of orgasms?”
“Reservations, you twit. The seventh cruise is already booked, so I’m breathing a lot easier. I’m so proud of Tuck’r. Guests rave about it. I signed my third referral yesterday—for September. And this morning, I even booked a repeat from June. That one’s for the Christmas Stroll. Can you picture that? Main Street, the shops, the sidewalks all decorated? Maybe even a touch of snow? How perfect does that sound?”
“Listen to you, rattling on. I’m happy for you, M
ags. I guess Cavanaugh will be impressed.”
“I-I think so. The package deal has made the difference. Ellis may have caught us in the nick of time. She handles the Rose as easily as a car, like it’s second nature, never a flinch. And my guests just love her. She’s a natural with them, so generous and helpful. She really is amazing.”
“Uh-huh. You haven’t told her, have you?”
Maggie’s heart skipped. “We’re taking things one day at a time.”
“Margaret Jordan, my dear older, wiser, blind sister.”
“Don’t. I know.” She took a ragged breath. Retta sat and leaned against her side. “It’s hard to think about, let alone find the right moment, the right mood. Every time it comes to mind, I choke. I don’t know which of us would be more unhappy.”
“So what does that tell you? Your one-day-at-a-time thing isn’t fooling anyone, you know. Ellis is doing this because she really cares—”
“She cares about seeing Tuck’r succeed. She wants to see the house—”
“Jesus Christ. Stop. You’re being selectively stupid. The house is all you. She cares about you, and you better open your eyes—and your mouth—soon. Hell, I saw the sparks between you weeks ago at Dell’s. Now, hearing about all this ‘progress’ you’re making together, how happy you sound…You’re nuts about each other.”
Maggie put an arm around Retta’s shoulders and hugged her closer.
“Mags, I know you. Ellis just might be a keeper and you know it and you’re nervous. Running off to some new project isn’t the way to handle this. You don’t have to flip Tuck’r so fast. You don’t have to flip it period, if you don’t want to.”
“I love Tuck’r,” she whispered. She lowered her cheek to Retta’s head, and Retta caught her chin with a quick lick. “We love it here, don’t we, Retta?”
“I know you do. I’d give you a hug right now if I could.”
“I’ve tried to imagine living here as the permanent innkeeper, but it’s mind-boggling.”
