Promise Cove

by Vickie McKeehan

  He’d liked to show her another kind of ride entirely. He was certain he could make it more exhilarating than the one on the bike. But as he unsnapped his own helmet, he couldn’t help but get a kick out of her excitement so much so, that he completely missed the fact that Tom and Ellen had witnessed her impromptu hug.

  That night, after dinner, the four of them were sitting in the living room relaxing with a glass of wine, talking about the grand opening when out of the blue Ellen pointed to the piano and suggested to Jordan, “Come on, play something for us.”

  After the last time, after seeing Jordan so upset and emotional just remembering her time spent here alone, Nick answered for her, “Jordan bought a new Teddy Thompson CD the other day, how about if we listen to that instead. She doesn’t fool me one bit; I think she’s a little in love with the guy’s voice.”

  Unbelievably touched, Jordan knew what he was doing. “You know Nick, I feel better about things tonight.” She got up and walked to him. Bending down, she gave him a light kiss on the mouth before moving over to the piano. “Tonight, I’m taking requests.”

  For the next two hours, Jordan played anything and everything from Elton John tunes to Tchaikovsky, keeping everyone in stitches as she periodically stopped long enough to tell silly jokes.

  “Why do potatoes make good detectives?” Jordan asked, before waiting a beat to deliver the punch line. “Because they keep their eyes peeled. Okay, old joke.” She looked over at Tom and noticed he was nodding off. “Uh-oh, looks like I’m losing twenty-five-percent of my audience.”

  Tom jumped awake, shaking off the dregs of sleep. “Sorry, but I’m about done in. It was all that furniture moving.”

  “You mean all that surfing,” Ellen corrected.

  “Look, when I start falling asleep sitting up it says I’ve had too much wine.” He stood up. “It’s been fun kids, but I’m off to bed.”

  Ellen stood up too, yawned and arched her back. “I’m anxious to try out our room and that bed. I’m packing it in, too.”

  “Party poopers,” Jordan said to their backs, as she started collecting their empty wine glasses to take to the kitchen. Nick picked up his empty beer bottle and followed her.

  “Don’t you owe me a surprise?” she asked casually as she loaded the dishwasher with their glasses.

  He grinned. “Thought you’d forgotten.”

  “A woman never forgets the promise of a surprise.”

  He walked toward the laundry room, pausing when he got near the upright freezer in the corner. From the side, he retrieved a large box from its hiding place. She stood mesmerized at the gesture as he dragged the thing over to where she stood near the doorway. It wasn’t wrapped. Recognizing the logo, her hand flew to her mouth. She stared in awe at the box containing the Mauviel copper cookware set she’d coveted for over two years. Any other woman might be let down at getting pans as a gift, but not Jordan. She dug into the box as if it were Christmas morning. “Oh, my God, how did you know?”

  He watched as genuine pleasure spread across her face. He laughed. “Are you kidding? You practically salivated on the page every time you got to that section of the catalogue. And if that wasn’t enough you have a sticky note as a bookmark with your wish list spelled out.”

  “But they’re so expensive, Nick. You shouldn’t have.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “I felt kinda funny buying a woman a bunch of sauce pans, but…”

  Reverently, she touched the copper through the plastic protective wrapping. “Oh, Nick. I love them. Mine are ancient, hand-me-downs from my mom’s catering business she used for almost twenty years. These are…perfect. Thank you. What’s the occasion?”

  He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Early grand opening present. You’re the best cook I know. You deserve the best.”

  She reached to take his hand, planted a kiss on the palm. “So do you. When will you ever see that, Nick?” She purposefully rested her other hand on the side of his face.

  He cleared his throat and started to pull back. She recognized the gesture. This time, however, she spoke before he did, “At some point, you have to give me a chance. Let go of whatever’s troubling you. Talk to me, Nick. Is it a woman? Were you so in love that she hurt you?”

  Slowly, he lifted her hand from his face and held it, kissing the palm as she had his. “If I could talk about it, you’d be the one I’d tell. You have to believe that, Jordan.”

  “Somehow, I know that’s true. Just remember, when you’re ready. I’ll be right here.”

  He paused when he got to the back door. Just before turning the knob, he looked at her and said, “And just so you know, I’ve never been in love enough for anyone to hurt me.”

  Until now.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next morning, Jordan had tears in her eyes as she watched Tom’s truck head down the long drive as they headed back to San Francisco. She and Ellen waved to each other until the truck made the right turn at the road and disappeared out of sight. As Jordan slowly made her way up the steps, eyes full of tears; she bumped solidly into Nick’s chest as he stepped out on to the porch carrying his motorcycle helmet. A shaft of panic hit her, alarm lodged in her throat as she realized Nick too, was leaving.

  Nick saw the unease in her eyes and pulled up short. He took her by the shoulders. “I need to pick up the glass for the bathroom window before Ferguson’s closes.”

  Jordan’s face lit up. “You’re coming back.”

  “Of course, I’ll be back.” He shot her a grin. “In fact, why don’t I take the two prettiest girls in the county out to dinner when I come back? You can fix those Cornish game hens some other time. Tonight, let someone else cook for you.”

  “The Hilltop is open until eight.”

  “I had someplace else in mind, like Santa Cruz. We can be there in thirty minutes, have some dinner, walk the pier, show Hutton the boardwalk lit up at night.”

  Joy flashed across her face. “We’ll be ready when you get back.”

  As Nick flew along the Coast Highway on his bike his mind whirled in a hundred different directions. He didn’t really want to be going into town right now and certainly not making a trip back to Ferguson’s. What he really wanted was to get his hands on Jordan, feel her body draped around his, her legs wrapped around him.

  Deep in lusty thoughts he was almost to Pelican Pointe when a set of iron gates off to the left caught his eye. His heart dropped out of his chest. He hit the brakes, causing the bike to skid dangerously to a stop in the middle of the road. Jesus. God. Shaking, he shot a U, heading back the way he’d come. He pulled up in front of the gates that led to Eternal Gardens, obviously the town cemetery, knowing instinctively this is where Scott had been laid to rest. How had he missed this place in the time he had spent here? He’d traveled this road dozens of times. Why had he not thought to find Scott’s final resting place before now? Why hadn’t he asked Murphy where Scott was buried, the one man in town who knew his secret?

  Slowly he made his way past the gates and onto the grounds. He got off the bike and walked among the headstones. Eternal Gardens wasn’t that big. It took him just a few minutes to locate the right spot. When he spotted the marker, he dropped to his knees to read the headstone.

  David Scott Phillips

  Beloved Husband and Father

  Died In Service to His Country

  Nick opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t make the words come out. Tears filled his eyes. He reached out to touch the headstone and for the first time noticed the fresh flowers. Lilies. Crimson stargazers, Jordan had called them. It didn’t take much imagination to picture her in this spot, sitting with Hutton. How often did she come here? he wondered, as he sat down on the grass and rested his head against the cool marble.

  “It’s just my body and bones there, bro. My spirit’s right here, alive and kicking.”

  Nick’s head snapped up. He swore. “Jesus. Would you stop doing that?”

  “You shou
ld be used to me by now.”

  “Well, I’m not. So, cut it out.”

  “Okay. But one of these days you’re gonna wanna talk. Until then…”

  “Wait…”

  But it was too late Scott was gone. Nick sighed and laid his head back down on the cool marble.

  Back at The Cove, Jordan’s bedroom looked like a cyclone had hit it. Clothes were thrown over the bed, on the floor, and her closet looked just as bad. She’d gone through her entire wardrobe to try and find just the right thing to wear. She knew it was silly, but she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to look good tonight. After thirty minutes, she finally settled on a floral print sundress. She might have to squeeze to get into it but it’d be worth it. When Hutton crawled out from under a pile of clothes halfway between the bed and the closet, Jordan asked, “Which earrings should I wear, the pearl drops or the gold hoops?”

  Hutton answered with a long string of babble. “You’re right the sundress looks better with the hoops. Hoops it is. Okay. Now we pick up this mess and get you fixed up. We want to look good tonight, baby girl.”

  Even before the SUV reached the highway to Santa Cruz, Jordan noticed how quiet Nick had been since he’d gotten back from town. Her imagination kicked into overdrive as she tried to figure out what had happened there to make him so sullen. Anything was possible. He’d left the house in a good mood and now it didn’t take a genius to figure out that the life in his eyes looked drained as if it had never existed. Determined to get to the root of the problem, Jordan asked jovially, “Did you enjoy surfing with Tom?”

  “Yeah. It was great. The area has a good breakpoint, not too much undertow. You should have come with us. You need to get out more, Jordan.”

  “I’m out now thanks to you. I got three more reservations this morning for June.”

  “That’s good. You could use a busy summer.”

  Softly she pointed out, “I noticed Nick you didn’t come back with the glass. Did something happen in town? Did someone say something to upset you?”

  Nick shook his head. He knew she was worried about his behavior since getting back from the cemetery, so he lied. “Got there too late. Ferguson’s was closed by the time I pulled in.” He turned his eyes from the road for a moment and asked, “When’s the last time you went anywhere, Jordan?”

  “Hutton and I spent Christmas in San Francisco with my parents.”

  “Christmas? That was months ago.” He looked back at her. “Did you take something for the depression?”

  She blew out a breath. “Doc Prescott came out once and gave me a prescription, but I never got it filled.” When he started to protest, she explained, “Hutton was three months old. I was breastfeeding. I didn’t want to take medication. I wasn’t sure if I started taking something I’d ever be able to stop.”

  He sucked in a breath. “Jordan, did you even see a professional, talk to a grief counselor?”

  She shook her head again. “I guess Hutton was my sounding board.”

  Nick reached for her hand, gave it a squeeze. “I’m sorry you’ve had it so rough.” He could kick himself now for his reluctance in making the trip, for taking so long to get here to help. But he couldn’t say that. How much longer could he keep his secret? He didn’t know the answer to that, but he knew it damned sure wasn’t going to be now and it wasn’t going to be tonight. No way was he going to ruin this evening out with Jordan. It might be the only one he ever got.

  Once they arrived in Santa Cruz, Nick found a parking place near the pier. Like most couples with a baby they had to unload the car, which meant the stroller came out of the back first, then they eased Hutton out of her car seat before grabbing the diaper bag. Even a novice like Nick knew there was a method to the unloading. He’d already discovered that you never went anywhere without the diaper bag, which weighed a ton because it held a lot more than diapers, like a supply of food, the necessary sippy cup, extra clothes, a clean dry washcloth just in case you needed to do an emergency clean up, and the essential baby wipes for cleaning up after a poop.

  After getting Hutton settled in the stroller, they headed toward an upscale restaurant out over the water. But as they got closer, Jordan realized where he was taking her. The same restaurant where two years earlier she and Scott had eaten their final meal together before he’d shipped out. She swallowed, hard. And stopped walking. Could she go back in there?

  When Nick realized Jordan was no longer walking beside him, he turned around and saw she’d stopped. Nick had no way of knowing the restaurant held such painful memories for her. Determined to give her a nice night out, he gave her his most charming smile. But before he could say anything she said, “We can’t, Nick, this place is way too expensive. What if we just grabbed a hotdog on the Boardwalk, maybe catch the sunset out over the pier?”

  He thought she was worried about the money so he draped an arm around one shoulder and prodded, “Jordan, I didn’t just spend forty minutes in traffic to eat at a hotdog stand. Besides, you look amazing tonight in that dress. We’re not wasting that on a hotdog stand and we can see the sunset from the restaurant.” When he realized she wasn’t moving, he got more serious. “Jordan, don’t argue with me about this. Tonight we’re going to eat in a nice restaurant. I want you to enjoy yourself.”

  She gave in because it felt ridiculous not to. It was just a restaurant after all. She was able to take that first step by telling herself that Hutton had never been there. It was a new experience for her daughter. Well, not really, the last time Jordan had been here, Hutton had been about the size of a pinto bean.

  Fortunately, the place wasn’t crowded. They were seated almost immediately and the hostess provided a high chair for Hutton. But one look at the menu told Jordan the prices hadn’t changed. They were still outrageous. So she did what she’d done with Scott almost two years earlier, and ordered the clam chowder, adding, “I’m not really that hungry.”

  But Nick would have none of that. He gave her an annoyed look and told the waiter, “We’ll take a bottle of your best cabernet and two steaks cooked medium.”

  When the waiter left, she leaned across the table. “How do you know how I like my steak?”

  He lied. He couldn’t very well mention that her late husband had told him a good many things, little tidbits of things he hadn’t wanted to know then but now circled in his head, like how she liked her steak. “Lucky guess. It’s a known fact the majority of people like their steaks cooked medium. I just went with the percentages.”

  Jordan looked skeptical, but began to relax. It was hard not to. He was trying so hard to see to it she had a good time out. By the time the wine arrived she was determined to enjoy it. “This is a big step up from the Hilltop.”

  “I should hope so. But I do kind of miss those god-awful, pink waitress uniforms Margie makes everyone wear.”

  Jordan laughed and began to unwind.

  Over dinner, she watched in astonishment as Nick fed Hutton some of his baked potato. When he saw the look on her face, he laughed. “Hey, I’ve watched you enough times, I know the drill. I’m a quick study. I think I must be doing this right, she’s chowing this stuff down...”

  “Like she’s never had a baked potato.” She was, too. Her face was covered with food. When Nick took the initiative and ordered chocolate cake for dessert—a piece for each of them Jordan marveled at the cost, “Nick, that’s twelve dollars just for dessert!”

  “Would you stop worrying about how much everything costs.”

  When the waiter dropped off the dessert, Hutton was no dummy. Spying the chocolate, she clapped her hands together and squealed, “cake.”

  Nick spooned up a bite and stuck it in her mouth. He looked over smugly at her little chocolate mouth and crowed, “Cake. That’s the magic word. Hutton’s getting into the spirit of the evening. Although, it isn’t as good as your mother’s, but then she didn’t have to slave over a hot stove.”

  “You make it sound like I’m chained to the kitchen. Because mom was a ca
terer I grew up cooking and baking. I enjoy it.”

  “I know you do. You even make your own blackberry jam. I never knew a woman who didn’t ignore the kitchen entirely, let alone actually enjoyed creating something from scratch. You make it look so easy, like it comes natural to you.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t say that. But I love making up new dishes. There’s a joy in that.”

  “It shows in every dish.”

  Once they left the restaurant, Nick took over pushing the stroller and they headed down the pier to the Boardwalk. They rode the carousel with Hutton six times. They showed Hutton all the lights along the pier. They walked through the arcade where Nick won a huge bear shooting skeet. By the time the fireworks over the water ended, Hutton was out like a light.

  On the drive back to Pelican Pointe, Nick glanced in the rear view mirror at the sleeping baby. “We wore her out. Maybe we shouldn’t have stayed for the fireworks.”

  “But the fireworks were the best part. And the carousel. Did you see the look on her face when we sat her up on the horse for the first time? Shoot. I should have remembered to bring the camera.”

  “I should have used my iPhone. I wasn’t thinking. She was a little scared on the carousel at first. That look on her face was priceless.”

  “It was. That’s why I should have had the camera, so I could capture that moment. The look on her little face said it all. What if you only get that look once, Nick? We missed it.”

  “Nah. We’ll bring her back.”

  We will? She wondered if he meant it, but refused to dwell on that tonight. “That bear you won is bigger than she is.” Jordan laughed and realized she’d just spent hours with Nick and hadn’t thought of Scott once after leaving the restaurant. She sighed. “It was a wonderful evening, Nick. I haven’t had such fun in—gosh, so long I don’t remember. Thank you.”