Chasing Tomorrow

by S. J. McCoy

  Ben smiled. He hoped they really did see it that way.

  He watched as they greeted his parents and then seemed to be telling Charlotte something that had her excited. He loved to see her like that. She was smiling and nodding eagerly. Then she looked around, scanning the crowd. She spotted him and got up. Whatever news her grandparents had just given her was apparently something she wanted to share with him. She was half running, half skipping as she made her way up to the patio where he was grilling.

  Michael punched his arm. “Looks like she’s got some good news for you. I’m going to beat feet. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Ben nodded, grateful that his friend knew when to make himself scarce.

  “Ben!” Charlotte called when she was still a good few yards away. She really was excited about something. “You’re not going to believe this.”

  “What?”

  “Grandma and Grandpa just told me that we’ve all been invited to a party. My cousin’s birthday. In Mexico!”

  Ben smiled. Even though he wasn’t as excited as she was. “That’s great. When?”

  “The seventh of August. Just before we leave for college.”

  Ben nodded.

  “Aren’t you excited? We’ll have a great time. And we were only talking about it a couple of weeks ago that we wanted to go down there.”

  He nodded again. He’d been talking about them maybe flying down for a weekend—but after they’d found a place to live and were all settled in. Once they knew how much cash they’d have to spare.

  She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t like the idea?”

  He smiled. “I like the idea, I’m just not sure if I can make it work. I’m going to have a lot to do at the resort before we go.”

  “You’re going to have to bow out of things when we leave. What difference does it make if it’s a bit earlier?”

  He shrugged.

  She came to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You just need some time to get used to the idea. It’s going to be great!”

  He smiled. They didn’t need to figure it out right now. “We’ll see.”

  She laughed. “Too right we will. You’ll see how much fun we have!”

  He closed his arms around her and pulled her against him. “And you’ll see how much fun we can have right here, right now.” He swept his arm out over the crowded lawn. “Let’s enjoy today, can we? Who knows how many times we’ll get the chance to do this again before we leave.”

  She reached up to kiss his lips. “You’re right. We should enjoy it. So, why don’t you get someone else to take care of those burgers and come and have some fun?”

  He put the burgers on a plate and took them to one of the big tables where Lizzie Morgan was overseeing the food.

  “Thanks, Ben,” she said. “I’ll send Doc to take over at the grill. You go and enjoy yourself.”

  Charlotte laughed and took his arm. “See? Come on.”

  They went to join Emma and Missy who were sitting on the grass down by the water. Emma’s eyes were troubled when she looked up.

  “What’s up, Mouse?” asked Ben.

  She smiled. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

  Missy laughed. “You never were any good at lying, Em.” She turned to Ben and Charlotte. “She’s feeling sorry for me, because Travis didn’t want to come. It seems he’s made himself a new friend.” She shrugged. “I was getting bored with him anyway.”

  Ben didn’t know what to say. He didn’t like Travis and would be happy if Missy wasn’t going to see him anymore. But he didn’t want her to be sad or upset about it.

  Charlotte sat down beside her. “It’s probably a good thing, Miss. He’s going to be leaving soon, and you’re going to be going away to college.”

  Missy nodded. “I know. It just stings a bit that he didn’t tell me about this other girl himself. He didn’t want to come here this afternoon, but he would have been quite happy for me to go over to his place tonight.” She shrugged. “I’m still good enough to sleep with.”

  Ben frowned. He didn’t like the idea of this guy sleeping around and Miss just being one of many.

  She laughed. “It’s okay, Uncle Ben. I’m fine. I’ve learned my lesson. I should consider it a lucky escape and move on.”

  She was always one to make the most of things. “Yeah. You’ll go off to school and find yourself someone who’s worth your time.”

  “That’s right. I can’t wait to get out of here now. No offense, but I don’t intend to work housekeeping for the rest of my life.”

  Ben laughed. “None taken. I wouldn’t want you to. You’re off to bigger and better things.”

  “That I am.” She looked around. “Have you guys seen Michael?”

  “I was talking to him earlier,” said Ben.

  Emma pointed to where Michael was chatting with Gramps.

  “Thanks,” said Missy. “I want to go grab him. This whole thing with Travis has made me realize how much time I’ve wasted. I should have been hanging out with my real friends more while I can.” She looked around at them all. “Do you realize he’s going to be on the other side of the world in a few weeks? God knows when we’ll see him again.” She got to her feet. “I’m going to miss him. But don’t any of you dare tell him I said that!”

  Ben laughed. Missy and Michael had been best friends since kindergarten. It made him happy and sad at the same time that Missy was remembering that, and doing something about it before it was too late.

  They watched her walk over to join him. She said something to Gramps and the three of them laughed. Then Gramps walked away and Missy took Michael’s arm and led him up to the house.

  Ben sighed. “We’re going to miss this, aren’t we?”

  Emma’s eyes were big and sad as she nodded. “We are. I hope we’ll always be friends, but I don’t think it will be the same after this summer.”

  Charlotte pecked his lips. “Come on, you two. Yes, it’s the end of an era, but it’s also the beginning of a new one. We’re all off on new adventures.”

  Ben smiled. She was right of course, but it seemed easier for her. She was ready for the new chapter while he was still enjoying the page they were on right now.

  Chapter Ten

  Charlotte was glad to get home after her shift at the restaurant. It was a hot day and the visitors seemed to be particularly annoying when it was hot. Or maybe it was just that she had less patience? She poured herself a big glass of lemonade and went out through the French doors onto the patio. Her grandma looked up with a smile.

  “How was your day?”

  Charlotte nodded. “Long and hard.”

  “Never mind. Just a couple more weeks and you’ll be off. You’ll be trading waiting tables for taking classes.”

  Charlotte grinned. “Yes, but not until after Mexico!”

  “Oh, that reminds me. I want to get the tickets booked. Is Ben coming? We don’t mind paying for his ticket.”

  “Thanks, Gran. That’s kind of you. He hasn’t said yes, but I can’t believe he won’t. You know what he’s like, though. He’ll want to pay for his own ticket.”

  “I know, but we’d help if he’d let us.”

  “That’s who he is.”

  “And it’s a wonderful quality. It’s one of the many reasons we love him so much. He’s responsible.”

  Charlotte sighed. “It’s one of the things I love about him, too. I just wish he’d forget his responsibilities sometimes.”

  “Don’t be too hard on him, Charlie.”

  “Oh, I’m not. I don’t mean that in a bad way, I just wish he’d allow himself to have some fun.” She smiled. “I suppose I’m being selfish really. I wish we could have more fun, but that’s hard when he always feels he has to work. Mexico will do him good.”

  “And if he doesn’t want to go, that’ll be fine too. It’ll do you good.”

  Charlotte cocked her head to one side. “You think he might not come?”

  Her grandma smiled. “I don’t think you should fo
rce him to if he doesn’t feel he can.”

  She mulled that over. Grandma was right she supposed. He did have a lot to do. Even though she thought none of it should be his responsibility yet. He was eighteen years old, but he acted, and was treated, as though he was so much older. She sighed. “Thanks, Gran. You’re right as always. If he says he doesn’t want to go, I shall accept it gracefully.”

  “Clever girl. You need to support him in being who he is.”

  “I know, and I want to. I really do.”

  “Is he coming over this evening?”

  “No. Surprise, surprise, he’s got work to do. Missy’s coming though. I said we could swim, if that’s okay with you?”

  “Of course it is. It’ll be lovely to see her. You girls can hang out here and I’ll make you dinner.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I know I don’t have to, but I want to. It’s hard for me as well, you know. You and Missy have hung out here by the pool every summer since you were tiny little things. This might be the last time.”

  Charlotte had to swallow the lump in her throat. “Oh, it won’t, Gran. We’re going to college, not leaving forever. Next summer will be the same as this one and the one after it.”

  Her grandma’s eyes were sad. “I hope you’re right, Charlie. I really do. But everyone thinks going off to college won’t change things. And it usually does.”

  Charlotte stared back at her. She had a feeling she was right, even if she didn’t understand how, or why.

  “Anyway. Here’s, Missy.”

  Charlotte turned to see her friend waving at them from around the side of the house.

  “Come on through, Miss,” called Grandma. “I’ll go and get you some lemonade.”

  It felt so good to swim and to relax on the loungers by the pool. Missy smiled over at her and raised her glass of lemonade. “Do you realize how lucky you are to live in this house?”

  Charlotte nodded vigorously. “Oh, believe me, I do.”

  “Good. You should never take it for granted. This house is my favorite house in the whole wide world. I wish I lived here.”

  Charlotte laughed. “But you’re going to go off to Sacramento and then you’ll go and do your thing somewhere. I bet you meet someone and end up never coming back.”

  Missy shook her head. “No. I’m coming back here. This place is home. I’m going to be a guidance counselor, but I’m going to work right here at Summer Lake High.”

  “You are?”

  “I am.” Missy giggled. “And if I meet someone, he’ll just have to come and live here with me.”

  Charlotte laughed. “So it’s okay for you to make your man go wherever you want to be?”

  “Of course it is.” Missy’s smile faded. “Are you talking about you and Ben?”

  “I am. He knows he wants to be here and so it’s just accepted that we’re going to live here.”

  Missy looked serious. “Yeah, I guess it is. But that’s who Ben is. You’ve always known that. You know that if you want him, you have to want to be here.”

  “And I do. I want to be wherever he is. It’s fine. It’s just when I try to figure out what I’m going to do, it feels a bit restricted because it has to be something I can do right here.”

  “You’ll come up with something.”

  “I know. But I’m going to need him to compromise a bit, too. To travel with me when I need to.”

  “And he’s fine with that, isn’t he?”

  “He’s always said he is, but it’s about to be put to the test.”

  “Oh, how?”

  “My cousin’s birthday party, in Playa del Carmen.”

  “Oh, yeah, when is that?”

  “It’s on the seventh. It’s coming up fast now, and Ben still hasn’t agreed that he’s going to come.”

  Missy nodded. “It won’t be a big deal if he doesn’t though, will it?”

  Charlotte considered it. It wasn’t really a big deal, no. But it felt like one to her. She smiled. “I suppose I just want the chance to walk on the beaches with him in the moonlight. You know, do all the romantic stuff.”

  Missy laughed. “You just want to bonk his brains out under the tropical sun,”

  Charlotte had to laugh with her. “I always want to bonk his brains out wherever we are, so that’s nothing new!” She stopped laughing. “What about you? Are you still bonking that Travis guy?”

  Missy shook her head. “No. He’d be happy to, but I don’t like sharing. And from what I hear he’s hopping from one bed to the next. It was fun while it lasted.” She gave Charlotte a raunchy grin. “I learned a lot! But now it’s over. Like you said. Time for me to go off to Sacramento and get on with my life.”

  “And find someone new to bonk!” said Charlotte with a laugh.

  “No.” Missy shook her head. “Don’t tell Em, but I’m coming to see things her way. I’ll wait until I meet someone special before I go down that road again. And anyway I’ve stopped taking my pill. It really didn’t agree with me.” She wrinkled her nose. “I consider myself to have had a lucky escape. I hated taking it, and sometimes I even forgot!”

  “I hope you were using condoms, too?”

  Missy shook her head. He didn’t like them.

  “Miss!”

  She shrugged. “I bet you and Ben don’t.”

  “No, but that’s different. Neither of us have ever slept with anyone else, so there’s no chance we could give each other some horrible disease. It sounds like this Travis sleeps around. You should get yourself checked out.”

  Missy laughed. “What, go and ask Doc? I don’t think so!”

  “Well, at least go see your new doctor when you get settled in at college.”

  Missy nodded. “I should.”

  “So, do it!”

  “Okay!” Missy held up a hand. “Okay, I will. Now can we change the subject? Like, what are you two planning to do for Christmas? Are you coming back here?”

  Charlotte smiled. “Yes, we are. I’m really looking forward to it. My parents have said they’re going to come over, and Ben’s parents said they’ll be here too. He doesn’t seem convinced they’ll make it.”

  “You can’t blame him. They’ve let him down enough times. He usually spends Christmas with Joe. Just the two of them. They keep the lodge open and have dinner with whatever guests are there.”

  “Well, not anymore,” said Charlotte. She was looking forward to giving him a family Christmas. And she had no intention of having her Christmas dinner in the restaurant!

  Missy laughed. “You two are going to be great together.”

  “What do you mean going to be? We already are!”

  “That’s true. Have you decided when you’re going to get married yet?”

  “No, not yet. There’s no rush.”

  “I know, but don’t forget I need to be there whenever and wherever you do.”

  “I’m not going to forget that, am I? And you’d better not forget me either.”

  “Never! No matter what it takes. I’ll have you at my wedding. If I ever have one.”

  “Course you will.”

  “We’ll see. But for now, what do you say we swim again? I’m getting too hot.”

  ~ ~ ~

  “Come in,” called Ben at the sound of a knock on the office door. He was working on the staff rosters for the next week. He grinned when Pete stuck his head around the door.

  “Is this a bad time?”

  “No. I’m just getting rosters worked out.”

  Pete nodded. “What’s going to happen around here when you leave?”

  Ben sighed. “Joe’s going to come back full time. My parents say they’re going to be around more, but they’re next to useless even when they are here.”

  Pete sat down in the chair across the desk. “Do you really think you’re going to learn anything at college that you don’t already know about running the place?”

  Ben laughed. “I sure as hell hope so.” His smile faded as he met Pete’s gaze.
“I have thought about not going. I probably could do more in the next four years by staying here.” He shook his head. “But Joe won’t hear of it. He’s determined that I need to go off and get my degree. And I’m hoping I will learn a lot that I don’t already know. I mean everything I know, I’ve learned from Joe and he never went to college. Plus the industry is changing all the time. I’m hoping I’ll be able to use what I learn and take this place to the next level.”

  Pete nodded. “I believe you will. I’m glad you’re going away. I’m with Joe. This will probably be the one time you go out in the world and do something else.”

  Ben laughed. “Not if Charlie gets her way. If it’s down to her, we’ll be traveling as much as we’re here.”

  Pete frowned. “You don’t think she’ll settle down to it once you come back?”

  “Yeah, I think she will, but she wants to see the world too, and I want to make that happen for her.”

  Pete didn’t say anything for a long moment.

  “What?” asked Ben.

  “Nothing. I was just thinking that she’s like your folks, so it’s kind of surprising in a way.”

  “What, surprising that we’re together?”

  “Not that you’re together, but that you work so well together. You’re so well suited despite being so different.”

  “Opposites attract and all that.”

  Pete nodded. “I guess so. Anyway. I came to see if you’re going to be around the weekend before we all leave? My parents want to throw a dinner for us.”

  Ben sighed. “The weekend of the seventh, right?”

  Pete nodded.

  “Hmm. I don’t know yet.”

  “Why what’s going on?”

  “Charlotte’s cousin is in Playa del Carmen and they’re having a big birthday party for her.”

  “Ah. And you don’t want to go?”

  Ben shook his head. “I don’t. I’ve got too much to take care of here. And now. With your mom and dad wanting us all to come over.” He sighed. “That’s something I don’t want to miss.”

  “So she goes and you don’t. No biggie, right?”

  Ben rubbed his hands over his face. “I hope not. I’ve told her I’ll have to see if I can go. But I think she’s expecting me to.”