Blanca watched Cara’s antics with a raised eyebrow from her side of the room. An invisible line still ran down the middle of their room like when they were in high school. Even though they were too mature to take the border seriously, the line had become embedded in their collective subconscious. It took effort to step over it. “Someone special you’re hoping to impress tonight?”
“No.”
Blanca moseyed over to her dresser. “Do you want to borrow my new sweater?”
Cara closed the button on her jeans and hoped air would return to her lungs at some point. “You have a new sweater?”
Blanca took out a royal blue V-neck sweater.
“Are you sure?” Cara crossed the imaginary line.
“Yes. Just don’t sweat it out or anything, and hand wash it after, okay? Luke hasn’t seen it yet.”
“That is so generous,” Cara lifted the soft sweater. She pulled it on and checked her reflection in the mirror. The color was dramatic against her complexion and set off her dark hair. She picked up her brush from her dresser and stroked her hair into a high shine. Then she applied red lipstick and checked her eye makeup. From her jewelry box she lifted out a silver necklace, fastening it onto her neck.
Fingering the locket, she admired it in the mirror. Jason would like this. The piece of jewelry would give him a green light because he’d given it to her when they were fourteen. He had found a picture of her dad, scanned and scaled the image, then printed and pressed the little portrait of Papá into the small oval. That was when she had fallen in love with him.
****
Jason waited nervously at Murphy’s Bar for Cara to arrive, all the while trying to look like he wasn’t waiting nervously for Cara to arrive.
Murphy’s Bar had lobster decor including nets and stuffed lobsters hanging on the walls. Old round wooden tables filled the dining room. The back room was set up with great dive-bar games.
He and Michael had arrived early and were shooting pool. As other locals trickled in, the noise level rose. Murphy’s was the kind of place locals and fishermen came because they felt comfortable and tourists enjoyed because of the authentic atmosphere. Jason liked the beer in addition to the casual environment. Beer was one of the only things he drank because it didn’t tempt him to overdo. He was always on guard against falling into the traps of his father. The fiasco with Garrett served as a fresh reminder.
“I have a question for you,” Jason said to Michael, who was rubbing chalk on his pool cue. Michael Ellis had gone to school with all of them and worked at McClintock and McClintock Lobster Company.
“What’s up?” Michael bent over the pool table, lined up his stick, and shot. The cue ball clattered into the seven, which rolled into the side pocket.
Jason held his pool stick in one hand. He wasn’t focused on the game though. “If you were going to ask somebody out, and you had known her for a long time, would you start with Mariner’s Fish Fry or the Cliffside?”
“Are you talking about Cara?” Michael rubbed more chalk on his cue as he ambled over to line himself up for the next shot, a split of the five and four balls into the side pockets.
Jason shifted his stick to the other hand. “Maybe.”
Michael straightened, one blond eyebrow cocked as he regarded Jason with serious blue eyes. “Dude, I would go for the Cliffside.”
They didn’t have time to debate the issue because a noisy group of locals started playing darts near them, but Jason was pretty much settled on Mariner’s despite Michael’s recommendation. Best to ease into things, not be too obvious.
Paul, Sin, and Sheila showed up. Where the heck was Cara?
The group came over and sat on stools while the friends finished their game, with Michael winning two out of three. The place was booming by the time Cara and Blanca arrived. When the twins walked through the door, Jason’s heart lurched in his chest. Cara was stunning. Of course the pair of them always stopped crowds. Two tall athletic women with long dark shiny hair and great racks. Long legs… He was an idiot to have wasted so much time. He couldn’t believe Cara was still not attached.
Jason resisted the urge to rush over and greet them, pretending this was just another casual gathering of the old gang. But his gaze went directly to Cara. The silver locket he’d given her dangled in the V of her sweater. His heart jumped.
Wearing a smile of greeting, Cara sashayed over to talk to Sheila Kidman while Blanca headed to the bar where Sin was ordering a drink. The two friends at the bar, one with red hair, the other with black hair, were drawing attention from the other males.
Jason sauntered over to the pair. A guy he didn’t recognize beat him to the women. Terry something.
Sheila turned to Cara. “How is Francie doing?”
Cara reached for Jason’s hand, pulling him into the conversation. “She’s doing really well.”
Sheila smiled up at him. “I’m happy to hear it.” She turned to Terry. “Francie is Jason’s mom.” She left it at that, no details, no mention of the fact she was a paramedic.
“It was only, thankfully, knock on wood,” Cara let go of Jason’s hand to rap the leg of her barstool, “a panic attack. Nothing to do with the MS.”
Sheila nodded. “I’m really glad to hear that.” Glancing up at Jason, she said, “How are you holding up, Jason?”
“Good. You did a great job, Sheila. Thanks. Nothing has changed with Mom’s condition. She needs to put on weight, I think.”
Cara slid off her stool and stood beside him. Jason dropped an arm around her shoulder. The Terry dude noted this and stayed next to Sheila.
Cara eased into Jason’s embrace, looking up at him with a smile. His chest expanded like it did when the crowd applauded a great play.
“I noticed Marianne seems to be cooking very good-smelling things,” she said. “But you already provided great meals for your mom. I don’t know why she doesn’t put on weight.”
“Weight gain can be an uphill battle, sometimes,” Sheila said.
Jason decided to steer the conversation away from his mother’s health. They were here to have fun tonight. “Did you have a busy week?” he said to Sheila.
“Unfortunately, yes, I did. There was a kayaking accident out on the water.”
Terry cleared his throat. “I saw that. I was out on the water. Now I recognize you.” Terry looked suitably impressed by Sheila.
Sheila and Terry started talking. Now would be a good time to make his move. Shifting her away from Sheila and Terry, Jason said to Cara, “I was wondering if you’d like to go out to dinner tomorrow night at Mariner’s Fish Fry.”
Cara rewarded him with a big smile. “That sounds great.”
The plan was solid. He just needed not to blow it.
The rest of the evening was fun. Having the Cruz twins home cheered everyone. Of course, Jason was in seventh heaven with Cara there, wearing the locket he’d given her, and having a date scheduled. That Terry dude seemed to be winning over Sheila.
At the end of the evening, Jason offered to drive Cara home.
“Sure. I’ll let Blanca know.”
He led the way to the truck. Cara’s soft floral perfume teased his senses. Take it slow, he told himself.
“You’re too far away,” he said as the lights of Lobster Cove disappeared behind them and the truck’s headlights cut a path through the darkness of their country road.
“You want me to slide over next to you?” Cara’s flirtatious tone had Jason thinking about their date in a whole new light. Would he be able to keep his hands off those breasts that seemed to have done nothing but ripen since the last time he’d been lucky enough to touch her?
“Keep your seatbelt on,” he managed.
Was Cara’s release of breath a laugh? Or was she feeling the charge between them? “This is nice, Jase.” The headlights of a passing car lit her face. She was looking at him.
He slowed for the last corner. “What’s that?”
“Dating.”
His hands tight
ened on the steering wheel. He stole a quick glance at her figure in the seat beside him. She was looking ahead, the light tones of her profile and neck glowing slightly in the starlight coming through the trees. They were just driving home, no big deal, except this was far from an everyday event. If he could make this an everyday event, if having Cara in the truck beside him could be a usual thing, Jason would be the happiest man alive. For as long as he lived, he promised himself those small ordinary things would be special. He’d never take Cara Cruz for granted again, if he could just make a go of it this time.
Chapter Seven
The one downside to Mariner’s Fish Fry was its location next to the Sea Crest Inn. Jason hadn’t considered that fact. Did he really want to take Cara on a date near the scene of his second strike—Maya’s wedding? Was there any hope the venue wouldn’t make her think of that awful day when he’d hurt her yet again?
Mariner’s Fish Fry wasn’t fancy but had fantastic seafood and a great setting. The decor was sort of the inside-out version of Murphy’s bar. Mariner’s Fish Fry chose to adorn the outside roof, rather than the inside ceilings, with buoys, fishing nets, and lobster paraphernalia. Jason had only been here a few times over the years, once when the high-school baseball coach took the team out to celebrate winning the playoffs. They’d eaten outside at the picnic tables, a real treat. Tonight should be a bit more romantic though, so he’d reserved one of the booths inside.
Katelyn Sullivan, the daughter of the owners and tonight’s hostess, apologized for not being able to honor Jason’s reservation because some of the tourists from the cruise ship were lingering, but he didn’t mind. He had Cara to himself at the small bar. He didn’t need much else.
He nodded at Xavier, the bartender. Then he turned to Cara. “What would you like to drink?”
“Beer.”
A woman after his own heart. “What do you have on tap tonight, Xavier?” Jason said.
Xavier listed what they had, and they ordered.
“You like oysters, Cara?” He’d never had a chance to find out.
She nodded. “If they’re very fresh.”
“That’s no problem here,” Xavier said.
“I know,” Cara said.
Jason ordered some and glanced at the booths. They were still full, and he was hungry. He offered the bowl of bar snacks to Cara, but she declined. They chatted and enjoyed their beers. Cara started looking tipsy, probably from drinking on an empty stomach. If he knew her, she hadn’t eaten since lunch and that was probably some stupid salad. He was about to demand their table when Claude, the chef, delivered a beautiful platter of Maine oysters on the half shell. Cara doctored one with horseradish and lemon then lifted the shell to her lips. The oyster slid into her mouth, and Jason was no longer at all interested in dinner.
Xavier approached and said their table was almost ready. “Can I have fresh beers delivered to your table?”
“No thanks. Looks like we’re set.” To Cara, Jason said, “Ready?”
Cara wore a funny expression. Was something wrong with the oysters? He glanced down and was shocked. A perfect sphere of white sat in the center of the gray oyster. A pearl!
“Whoa. Look at that.” He lunged for the pearl, but even as his fingers closed around the course edges of the shell, he caught the grin on Cara’s face and a snort of laughter. By the time he looked up, her hand was clamped over her mouth and nose. The dam broke on her laughter. A few other patrons glanced their way.
Amused—delighted even—Jason said, “You didn’t.”
With watering eyes, Cara nodded. She pushed the hair back behind her ears, revealing she was wearing one pearl earring.
Jason cracked up. They were still laughing when Katelyn, obviously relieved by their laughter, led them to the table.
Cara removed the earring from the oyster and dropped it in her purse. Katelyn didn’t seem to notice and carried the remaining oysters without comment.
The sun had set behind Cadillac Mountain. Lobster Cove fell into shadow like the lights were switched off with that sudden way the mountain swallowed daylight. The cruise ship floated on dark calm water, its lights glowing in the deepening twilight.
Cara set her menu aside. “I’m impressed you hired more help for your mom.”
“I thought if someone was around, Mom could be more spontaneous. Like how she wanted to take a shower the other day and could because you happened to be there? Thanks, by the way.” He waited for that to sink in. When Cara nodded, he cut her off before she could say it was nothing. “Also maybe Mom would have less reason to panic. Although her panic attack happened at night, and I’m still the only one there at night.”
Cara reached for his hand, which was still holding his menu. Her touch made him tighten. He set down his menu, but she withdrew her hand before he could grab hold.
She tipped her head, her dark hair sliding over her shoulder. “You were enough. You are enough.”
If only he was enough for Cara. “I don’t know, but I felt it was important that you could go back to being Francie’s friend instead of her caretaker.”
The smooth skin above Cara’s nose creased as her pretty eyebrows drew together. “I slipped too easily into the role of caretaker. And you’re right. She needs me more as a friend. A caretaker can be hired. A friend cannot.”
He nodded, a bit surprised by her agreement. “The thing is just to keep her safe as I can.”
Her glossy lips pursed. “That’s not the only thing.”
He set down his menu and studied Cara, who was nibbling that plump lower lip, the way she did when she was lost in thought. “What do you mean?”
Before Cara could answer, the waitress arrived. Cara picked up her menu and asked for a lobster roll. He ordered their equally famous lobster dinner. Ordering here was easy, at least, if you could survive the pearls lurking in the oysters! The memory brought a chuckle out of him.
Cara tipped her head. “What’s so funny?”
“That pearl.” He laughed.
Cara joined him. They earned the attention of other diners yet again, and Katelyn raised a blonde eyebrow from her position at the podium.
They enjoyed dinner and wine. Cara, it seemed, wanted a regular date too. A very good thing.
He stabbed some lobster meat with his fork, dipped it in the drawn butter, and offered it to Cara. The food slipped between her lips. Her moan of pleasure made him stiffen. Damn. He needed to eat lobster with her more often. She offered a bit of her lobster roll, but he shook his head. He’d have a hard enough time getting the rest of his own meal—and everything else—down.
She brought up baseball. He steered the conversation away though. His former career might remind her of his excessive dating—when he was fooling himself that he could replace Cara. He asked her about school and California instead. How Rick and Maya were settling in at their new home in Berkeley.
Then Cara steered the conversation back to his mother. “What I meant before, when we were talking about your mom I mean…about keeping her safe and everything… Well, here’s the thing. Your mom, in addition to feeling and actually being safe, needs fun.”
An image of Mom being carried out on a stretcher and placed in the back of an ambulance popped into Jason’s mind. “I’m not sure how important that is at this point.” He took a gulp from his glass.
“It’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about.”
He set down his pint and gave Cara his full attention. “How so?”
Cara nibbled her lower lip, studying her empty plate. Her brown expressive eyes lifted. They looked thoughtful, eager…maybe a little uncertain. “Well, you know how I take your mom to Bar Harbor to visit Sherry?” She pronounced it Bah Hahbah, like all the locals did. She so belonged here.
Where was Cara going with this? She looked so earnest, which was sweet. “Yes, I know. Thank you. I know Mom appreciates you taking her down there.”
She nodded and leaned forward. “I like it. I like to help. Sherry is important to your
mother, and I know your mother is important to her, even though it doesn’t seem like she remembers visits. There’s an emotional reaction that never leaves us, thank God, we know who we love. We can remember love—maybe feel—is a better word—no matter what happens to our brains.”
He nodded, touched by her words, but wondering how they related to his mother.
Cara’s eyes turned sad. “I wish I could do more for my Aunt Terra.”
Huh? “I thought you volunteered at the home where she’s living in Berkeley.”
“I just wish she were closer, where Mom could see her. And I wish your mom could see Sherry easily. It’s more important than ever to be near friends…I think, when you’re disabled…you know?” Cara pulled the corner of her lower lip between her teeth then released it. “Of course, also family.”
Jason puzzled over Cara’s speech, trying to make sense of it all. “Sherry doesn’t have much family. It would be nice if she lived closer, since Mom isn’t mobile and can’t visit often.”
She nodded. “Yes. Anyway, I have a crazy idea.”
“Oh?” This wouldn’t be the first time. Jason smiled to himself, remembering some of the pranks Cara played in their childhood.
“I see your smile.” Cara gave a smile of her own. “But listen to this.”
“I’m all ears.”
“I’m thinking of taking Sherry and the gang at Harbor Manor to a venue in Bar Harbor. Would you like to come?”
What a cool idea. Cara was good at this. “That sounds great.”
Cara folded her arms and sat up straight with a triumphant expression. “It might be chaos. That’s why I need your help.”
Her words didn’t exactly reassure him. In fact he wondered what he’d just gotten himself into. “When are you planning to do this?”
“I was thinking of next Saturday.”
“Don’t you need permission or something?”
Cara waggled her head and picked up her cloth napkin, which she then proceeded to fold, set down, and smooth. “Yes. I worked it out. Harbor Manor will send some caregivers. This week, they’ll have a sign-up for the residents. Anybody at the place can come. The outing can’t be exclusive. Well, it could be a private thing, but anyway, we’re making it official. So I don’t know how many people are coming, but Harbor Manor will provide transportation. I’m excited about it. I’d love if you came with me.”
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