Summer’s Cove

by Aurora Rey

  Darcy rolled her eyes. “Be serious.”

  “I’m completely serious. But that shouldn’t be all we do. I’ll think of something. Do you trust me?”

  “Yep.”

  Something in Darcy’s tone seemed off, just like the face she’d made a moment before. Emerson brushed it off. “Shall I pick you up at your place? Around six?”

  “Sounds good.” Darcy finished putting her hair up and picked up her purse. “I’ll see you later.”

  Emerson walked to the door to kiss her good-bye. “Oh, hey. Can I go with you to pick Liam up?”

  “Nick is meeting me halfway. I only have to go over the bridge.”

  “I’d still like to go. If you want the company, I mean. If you’d rather have some alone time with Liam, I don’t want to be in the way.”

  “No, no, it’s not that at all.” Darcy shook her head. What was it? A dozen thoughts and feelings swirled around in her mind. She wanted Emerson with her, and she knew Liam would want to see her, too. She liked having someone in the car with her, but hated feeling dependent on Emerson to provide that company, that comfort. Add to the mix she had no idea where things with Emerson stood, or where they should stand. And while none stood out above the others, the culmination felt like a triggering of her fight or flight response. “Company would be nice.”

  “Excellent. Have a good day at work.”

  Darcy made her way down the stairs and onto Commercial Street. It wasn’t even nine, but cars and pedestrians jockeyed for position on the narrow thoroughfare, while trucks making deliveries slowed up everyone. Darcy smiled at the jumble. It was definitely the high season.

  At the café, she donned her apron and hat, put away her things. Alex was instructing an intern on the proper way to fill éclairs. Since her two interns wouldn’t be in for another half hour, she pulled out the day’s menu and started planning how she’d assign tasks. Zoe seemed to pick everything up after only one demo, so Darcy decided to put her on stove duty. Stephanie was diligent, but still a little skittish. She could prep vegetables and make the chicken and lobster salads. Darcy turned her attention to salad dressings, mixing up the usual suspects and a batch of her latest creation, a cilantro-lime vinaigrette for a southwest inspired salad.

  As her crew arrived, Darcy got them to work, overseeing the béchamel that would be the base of the macaroni and cheese and one of the soups. She offered Stephanie encouragement and made a slight adjustment to the way she held her knife. She was about to slide a tray of scones into the oven when the door swung open. Darcy looked up, expecting to see Alex. Instead, she found Lia standing just on the other side. “I’m not sure where Alex disappeared to.”

  Lia offered her a warm smile. “She’s out front. I was actually looking for you.”

  “Oh.” She dusted off her hands and gave Lia her full attention. “Hi.”

  “Hi.” Lia came the rest of the way into the kitchen. “Liam’s coming home tomorrow, right?”

  Darcy couldn’t repress a smile. “He is.”

  “I didn’t know if Emerson was going with you, but if not, I’m happy to go for the ride.”

  “That’s a sweet offer. Thanks. Emerson did offer to go. I already accepted or I’d totally say yes.”

  Lia waved her hands. “No, no. You should go with Emerson. I’m sure Liam will be way more excited to see her anyway.”

  Darcy put her hands on her hips. “Liam adores you.”

  “He does, but I don’t hold a candle to Emerson on that front.” Lia flashed a grin. “I don’t mind. Emerson is way cool.”

  Darcy rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

  Lia narrowed hers. “Is something wrong?”

  Darcy sighed. “No. I mean, yes, but no. Or I don’t know.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “I’m okay. Just in a mood, I think. Thanks for the offer.”

  “It’s a standing one. Anytime.”

  Darcy nodded.

  “I think you and Emerson are great together. Whatever I can do to help.”

  Lia left and Darcy got back to work. In truth, that was the problem. They were good together. Or, at least, good in the various ways they seemed to be together. Emerson was great with Liam. And, as a girlfriend, she was the best Darcy had in recent memory. More than recent memory, maybe ever.

  But that was the problem—it all felt disjointed. It might seem that Darcy’s girlfriend plus Liam’s best bud should add up to family, but it didn’t. Darcy didn’t work that way. Even if, right before she fell asleep and her guard was down, she could imagine what being a family would look like. That was fantasy and she lived her life squarely in reality.

  The last two weeks didn’t help. Spending so much time with Emerson had brought her dangerously close to the edge of falling in love. It wouldn’t take much for Liam to get there, if he wasn’t already. Liam coming home could make the situation even more complicated if she let it. Darcy sighed. She’d just have to figure out a way to uncomplicate things, for Liam’s sake. And hers.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  By the time they got on the road, Darcy was happy to have Emerson’s company. She decided it was a nice way to close out the two weeks they’d spent together. A denouement of sorts, a way to ease down from the climax. She glanced over at Emerson, quietly relaxed behind the wheel, and wondered if she felt the same.

  Darcy found herself wondering how Emerson felt about a lot of things. But as much as she considered herself a direct person—unafraid of difficult or awkward conversations—she couldn’t bring herself to broach the subject with Emerson. She didn’t want to waste this last bit of time they had hashing out feelings about what it all meant for their relationship moving forward. Or whether it meant anything at all.

  She took Emerson’s silence to be an unspoken agreement. That should have made her feel better, but instead it sat heavy in her chest. She tried to shake off the feeling. Moping was not her style.

  Although they’d timed the pickup for late afternoon to miss the worst of the traffic fighting its way onto the Cape, the line of cars heading in the opposite direction looked daunting. She was about to say as much when her phone pinged. The text from Nick indicated they were stuck in traffic. Darcy pulled up the maps app on her phone and scowled.

  “What is it?” Emerson asked.

  “They’re not going to make it to the spot we picked in time.”

  Emerson didn’t balk. “What if we meet them a little farther north?”

  “But then we’ll have to fight our way back through that.” Darcy gestured at the vehicles opposite them, slowly inching along.

  “We can have a leisurely dinner and hope that most of this clears out by the time we’re done.”

  “You don’t mind?”

  “Of course not. We’ll need to get dinner at some point anyway, and I’m not in a rush to get home for anything.”

  “I’ll find a place and text Nick.”

  “Excellent. I’ll wait for your directions.”

  That was a relief. Still, Darcy wondered if Emerson’s easygoing answer had to do with wanting to spend more time with her or with having virtually no schedule. Not that it mattered. She did a couple of searches, settled on a place, and texted Nick. “Okay, there’s a diner in Plymouth.”

  “Sounds good. Just give me directions.”

  By the time they arrived, Nick, Julien, and Liam were already there. They exchanged greetings and hugs and Darcy tried to ignore the fact that Liam seemed as excited to see Emerson as he was to see her. They moved Liam’s things to Darcy’s car. Nick and Julien declined joining them for dinner. Darcy laughed to herself. They’d never say so, but even with as much as they loved Liam, she imagined two weeks pushed their limit on the kid front. They did another round of hugs good-bye before heading into the diner.

  The food was surprisingly good and Liam talked nonstop, quiet only when his mouth was full and Darcy reminded him to chew. He told them all about the newest additions to the aquarium, including a giant oc
topus, as well as going out on the feeding platform to get up close and personal with some barracudas. After that, he launched into his newfound passion for baseball, complete with a demo of the finger positions for different pitches.

  Darcy soaked it in. She couldn’t speak for Emerson, but the intensity didn’t bother her. It was like recharging after being without him for so long. She called a timeout long enough to check the traffic and pay the check and then they were off. In the car, Liam’s chatter resumed. There was a new family in Nick’s neighborhood and they had a little girl Liam’s age, Margie. She had aspirations of being an actress which meant that, in addition to wanting to be a scientist, astronaut, and knight, Liam now wanted to be an actor.

  Traffic remained heavy, but at least they were moving. Darcy stole glances at Emerson, who appeared to be enjoying Liam’s stream of consciousness conversation. She asked questions and responded often enough that Darcy knew she wasn’t zoning out. By the time they hit Orleans, Liam had talked himself out and fallen asleep. Traffic thinned and Emerson took one of her hands from the steering wheel and placed it on Darcy’s leg.

  Darcy looked up and they briefly made eye contact. There was humor in Emerson’s eyes but also something else. Darcy couldn’t put her finger on it and it irritated her. When they pulled into the parking lot, Liam didn’t stir. “Shall I carry him up?” Emerson asked.

  Unlike the day of his birthday, when he’d just started to doze, Darcy knew he was down for the count. “Can you? Do you mind?”

  Emerson unbuckled Liam’s seat belt and hefted him into her arms. Darcy tried not to notice the way he instinctively wrapped his arms around her neck. Darcy grabbed his bags and they made their way upstairs. Once Liam was settled in his bed, Darcy pulled off his shoes and covered him with a light blanket. “My guess is he won’t stir for at least ten hours.”

  Emerson laughed. “You’re probably right.”

  They left his room and Emerson stole one last look at him, surprised by just how much she’d missed him being around. Not that she had any complaints about the last two weeks. No, she wouldn’t trade that for anything. Still, it was nice to have him home.

  Emerson and Darcy stood in the kitchen for a moment. For some reason, Emerson felt awkward, unsure of what to do with herself. Not because Liam was home, but because in his absence, the tenor of her relationship with Darcy had changed. Now that he was back, Emerson didn’t know whether the rules had changed or if she was supposed to go back to how things were before.

  “I’m sure you’re beat,” she said eventually. “Why don’t I head home so you can get some rest?”

  Darcy looked relieved. “That’s probably a good idea. Thanks again for going with me, and for driving.”

  “It was my pleasure. I love spending any kind of time with you. I wasn’t about to miss the last little bit of our time alone together.”

  Darcy nodded, but her expression turned into something Emerson couldn’t decipher. “Yeah.”

  “And I missed Liam, too. I’m glad I got most of the stories, so now you don’t have to hear them all twice.”

  That earned her a weak chuckle. “I’m sure there are plenty more.”

  “No doubt.” Feeling like the conversation was getting worse instead of better, Emerson decided to make her exit. “So, I’ll see you later this week? You’ll text me?”

  “Sure.”

  Emerson knew enough about women to know monosyllabic replies were a bad omen. But for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what she could have done to piss Darcy off. Maybe she was tired. “Okay. Take it easy, then.”

  With Liam sound asleep in his room, Emerson figured it would be safe to give Darcy a kiss good-bye. Darcy didn’t rebuff her, but she didn’t encourage her, either. Emerson collected her keys and left.

  Darcy remained where she stood for a long while. Emerson’s words echoed in her mind. Wasn’t about to miss…time alone together. She’d had no illusions that the last two weeks were a bit of a fantasy. A vacation from responsibilities and real life. But while she cherished it, Darcy never for a moment wanted it in place of her life. Even if she thought Emerson didn’t feel the same, having her say it out loud was jarring.

  Now that Liam was home, she’d need to refocus. That meant spending her free time with him, but it also meant scaling things back with Emerson. She could handle that, keep herself from getting too attached. And hopefully prevent Liam from getting any more attached than he already was.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Emerson frowned. It was the second time in as many days Darcy had blown her off. She considered pressing it, asking if Darcy was mad or if Emerson had done something wrong. She shook her head. Darcy was direct. Emerson couldn’t imagine her sitting on anything that truly bothered her. She was probably being overly sensitive. The intensity of the last two weeks had brought a lot of emotions to the surface. Emerson wasn’t ashamed of them, but she didn’t need to fling them at Darcy’s feet, either. They were just recalibrating. The dust would settle and they’d be able to pick up where they’d left off before Liam went away.

  And it wasn’t like Emerson didn’t have plenty to do. Her show was less than two weeks away and she needed at least one, if not two, new paintings to include. Although her time with Darcy yielded plenty of inspiration, she’d done virtually no work. Since she had no desire to get a side job, or become a starving artist, she ought to get cracking.

  Feeling a new sense of resolve, she put on a pot of coffee instead of wandering down to the café. After some back and forth, she decided to start with an image of Liam and Darcy on the whale watch boat. With both of their faces turned away, Emerson could keep the piece generic. When she finished that, she’d allow herself to start a portrait of Darcy. She had a feeling once she started, it would consume her. Better to have that leading up to her deadline.

  She stopped late afternoon for a break. After making a sandwich, she picked up her phone. Nothing from Darcy, but she did have a text from Will. Since they hadn’t seen much of each other since Will moved out, Emerson readily accepted her invite to grab a beer. Will confirmed the time and Emerson set the alarm on her phone. Ever since the incident with Liam’s show, she didn’t take chances. With plans set and her mind just distracted enough from thoughts of Darcy, she got back to work.

  When she left to meet Will, Commercial Street was hopping. Couples and families and gaggles of gay men walked and laughed and talked and greeted one another like long-lost friends. The Squealing Pig was bumping, too. The bar was packed and several groups stood outside waiting for tables. She spotted Will walking toward her and offered a wave. “Shall we try somewhere else?”

  “What about that new brewery, beer garden place?”

  Emerson thought for a moment. “Down by the firehouse?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Sounds good to me.” They meandered down the street. Emerson soaked in the sights and sounds, thinking she might try her hand at a street scene. She took out her phone and took a few photos.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Capturing inspiration.”

  Will shook her head. “Of course you are.”

  The bar was busy, but not nearly as packed, so they got a couple of pints and sat at the narrow bar outside facing the street. “How’s life?” Emerson asked.

  Will nodded slowly. “You know, it’s pretty good. My roommates are cool. And we all work different hours, so I have the place to myself more than I expected.”

  “Nice. And work?”

  Will smiled. “Work is great. It sounds dumb, but I really love being on the boat.”

  “What’s dumb about that?”

  “Nothing, really. It’s just that I’m not doing anything important, you know? I’ve been hanging out with this grad student who’s doing a field experience. A marine biologist. She’s doing research and educating people.”

  Emerson studied her sister. “Is that what you want to do?”

  Will laughed. “Not even a little. I’m thrilled
to be a friendly face who keeps things running smoothly.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “I know. I guess I’m just having a moment of guilt for not being more ambitious.”

  This wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation. When they were younger, Emerson used to try to nudge Will to find her passion. A lot had changed since then. “Ambition is overrated.”

  “I’ll drink to that.” They clinked glasses together. “What about you? Are you and Darcy living together yet?”

  Emerson rolled her eyes. “Hardly. I haven’t seen her in almost a week.”

  “Did something happen between you two?”

  Emerson frowned. “Like a fight?”

  “Yeah. Or something like that.”

  “Liam was with his dad, but now he’s home.”

  “I know that, but it seems weird that you’d go from twenty-four seven to virtually nothing.”

  “Darcy seems a little distracted maybe, but we didn’t have a fight. I figured she needs to settle back in with Liam and stuff, so I’m giving her some space. It’s no big deal.”

  Will did not look convinced. “Does she know that’s what you’re doing?”

  Emerson considered. “We didn’t discuss it, if that’s what you mean. Dragging her into a whole conversation about the fact that I’m giving her space kind of defeats the purpose.”

  Will shrugged. “I guess.”

  “Besides, I have plenty of work to do. I got practically nothing done in the last two weeks and I have a show at the end of the month.”

  “I hear you. I’m just saying, don’t drop off the planet, okay?”

  “Okay.” Emerson didn’t like where this conversation was going. Since when did she take relationship advice from Will? Since their beers were empty, she tipped her head toward the street. “Shall we?”

  “Sure. I’m going to grab a slice of pizza for dinner. Want to join me?”

  “I’ll never say no to pizza.” They walked back the way they’d come toward Spiritus. Emerson made the conscious decision to turn the conversation back to Will. “Can I say how much I love that whale watching has become your thing?”