“Just the basics,” I said firmly, “nothing frivolous. Then I think we should save the rest. Then if someone ever comes looking for it, I swear we are paying them back every cent.”
“Of course we would pay them back, but that’s never going to happen,” he said reassuringly. “So in the meantime, I want you to use the money for this.” He walked over to an end table in the living room area, grabbing a small stack of papers. He set them down in my lap. They were enrollment documents for Grand Harbor Community College.
“They offer in-state tuition rates for summer classes,” he explained, pointing to one of the pages in the stack. “If you get these turned in by next Thursday, you can make the cut-off for the last summer session. Then with a few classes this fall and next spring, you could have your associates with the credits you already have. Then you’ll qualify after that for in-state tuition at any of the bigger universities out this way for your teaching degree.”
“Wow,” I said, trying to process everything he was saying. I couldn’t believe he’d already spent time looking into all of this for me. “You really have all of this figured out, don’t you.” I smiled at him, though I still felt uneasy about all of it. It just seemed too good to be true.
“Why do you look worried?” he asked sincerely, studying my face.
“No, this is all wonderful, thank you,” I replied genuinely. “I just still need to figure it all out. I need a job that will work around my class schedule, a place to stay that I can afford…”
“What’s wrong with the pool house?” he interrupted, narrowing his eyes at me curiously. “You hate white? We can paint it.” He flashed me a boyish grin.
“This isn’t my house,” I said with a nervous laugh. “I could never afford rent in a place like this.” I also knew I would never feel comfortable living somewhere for free. That didn’t happen in my world.
“You can stay here, with me,” he said sweetly. I hated that he was still shirtless in a towel. It distracted me from all rational thinking.
“This is your family’s house,” I explained, trying to get him to see it from my point of view. “Not only that, but you’re earning your keep. You said you’re doing a bunch of work around the house to help out your grandfather, right?”
“You can help me,” he said with a shrug, as if the solution was that simple.
“I can’t fix anything. Look, I broke you,” I replied honestly, pointing to the bruises and scrapes on his sides. “I appreciate the offer, I really do. But I don’t want to be a charity case. I want to earn what I have.”
“I have a few things in mind,” he replied with a devilish grin.
“Stop it, you know that’s not what I mean,” I said playfully.
“Look, I understand what you’re saying. But you don’t have to have it all figured out right away,” he said considerately. “We’ll work it all out.”
He kissed me and I believed his every word.
I finally separated our bodies, reminding him we had his family cook-out in less than an hour. I took a long, glorious shower. It took me awhile to wash my hair because a lot of movements still hurt my ribs, but I did feel so much better than I had just a day before. The long night of sleep in such a comfortable bed seemed to make a big difference. It was the first time I felt really rested over the past couple of days. Even my wrist was showing signs of improvement, even though I still had to do everything with one hand.
When I got out of the shower, I noticed a folded pile of clothes sitting on the edge of the bed with a note. There were five summer dresses, all in different colors and styles.
Just a little something to help you get by until we can go shopping. ~ Darla P.S. - I’m so glad you came back to us.
I smiled at her use of the word ‘us,’ as if they were all a package deal. I loved that she was one of the more welcoming people I’d ever met. She had accepted me instantly, simply because her son cared about me, despite not knowing much about me. That kind of acceptance floored me, and I was motivated more than ever to become someone worthy of that.
I slipped on one of the light blue A-line dresses. It fit perfectly and looked nice against my light blonde hair and blue eyes. Darla certainly had good taste - better than I did.
Once I was finally ready, I made my way outside of the pool house. Reid was waiting for me and led me over to the patio set on the opposite side of the pool where some of his family members were gathered.
First I met his Aunt Cecelia and his Uncle Mark. They had two young adorable children grabbing beach toys out of a nearby storage bin. Their excitable laughs with each new pool toy they found delighted me and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched their joyful faces.
Reid then introduced me to his grandfather. “Grandpa James, this is Cassidy,” Reid said kindly, introducing us. His grandfather gently kissed the back of my hand. I couldn’t help but smirk as I noticed his very large, very expensive looking watch as he held my hand. Maria would’ve had a field day with that.
“So nice to meet you,” he said endearingly. He looked to be in his early eighties with thick grey hair and really tan skin. “I’ve heard a lot about you. Reid, she’s not nearly as hideous as you described,” Grandpa James said teasingly.
I shot Reid a playfully stern expression, as if I actually believed he would say such a thing about me. Darla came out of the main house carrying two drink pitchers that appeared to be margaritas or daiquiris of sorts. She set them down on a nearby table and hugged me.
“That dress looks amazing on you,” she gushed, releasing me from her embrace to take a look at me. “Everything’s closed today for the holiday, but I thought maybe we could head into town tomorrow to get you a few more things?”
“That would be wonderful,” I agreed. “Thank you so much for picking these out. I’ll pay you back for them.”
“Nonsense,” she responded quickly, “they were a welcome gift.”
“Well thank you. And thanks for letting me stay here for a few days Mr. Carson,” I said towards Reid’s grandfather. “I’m hoping to find an apartment next week, so I hope it’s not too much trouble for me to stay here until then.”
“The boy told me of your plans,” Grandpa James said sincerely, gesturing towards Reid. “As long as you’re enrolled in school, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you’d like, free of charge.”
“That’s very generous of you,” I said sincerely. “But really, I’d never be comfortable staying in such a beautiful place without paying rent or earning my keep somehow,” I insisted. My mom always seemed to live off of other people and I hated that. I always longed to be more independent.
“You’re not staying in the big one,” Grandpa James replied with a laugh, pointing over to the pool house. “You’re in the shack. That’s a rent free zone.”
I appreciated his humor about the situation, but it still didn’t sit right with me.
“She’s one hell of a gardener,” Uncle Buck chimed in, making his way out of the house with a tray full of glasses. “Maybe she can do something about those chipmunks eating all of your rose bushes out front.” Uncle Buck recounted the story to everyone about how Darla and I fixed up the front entrance of his ranch.
“I’ve never actually done much gardening before,” I confessed. “I wouldn’t say that’s one of my gifts.”
“Reid said you’re studying teaching, is that right?” his Grandpa asked. Darla passed out red frozen drinks to everyone and I sat down next to Reid on one of the patio gliders.
“Yes, elementary education,” I stated, thanking Darla for the glass. “I want to be a grade school teacher.” I could see Aunt Cecelia’s face light up as soon as I said it.
“Cecelia here runs a tutoring program through the local school district,” Grandpa James chimed in. “She’s always looking for volunteers.”
“That would be amazing. If you’re interested of course,” she reaffirmed.
“I’ll tell you what,” Grandpa James began, as if he just came up with a marvelous
idea. “If you insist on working for your rent, how about you volunteer for the program? The slots are two hours a day, is that right CeCe?” he asked, looking over to her for confirmation. She nodded her head, smiling. “So let’s say you commit to tutoring three days a week. That will help her out immensely, and that will help me out because I’m the primary benefactor for the program. Then we’ll call it even on the room and board.” He shot me an animated shrug, as if I was going to try and negotiate the deal.
“I would love to volunteer,” I said honestly, happy for the opportunity. “But really, this isn’t my place,” I gestured towards the pool house. “So maybe I can still work part time around the volunteer schedule? Then an apartment wouldn’t be totally unobtainable.”
“She’s as stubborn as Preston,” Grandpa James replied with a smirk.
“That’s why I like this girl,” Uncle Buck chimed in.
“Enough with the business talk, it’s time for a cookout,” Darla interjected, encouraging people to move from the pool patio area down to the beach.
There were about twenty wooden steps that led down to a beautiful tree-lined white sandy beach. The houses were spaced apart just enough that although other families were still out enjoying the holiday, it still seemed somewhat private. Reid’s dad Kent was commanding a large charcoal grill set on a good sized deck area with plenty of seating.
A few other family members Reid introduced me to came down to join us, carrying plates of food and desserts for lunch. The younger kids threw a ball to each other in the sand, and a few more adults arrived with more food.
The entire scene looked like a picture. Kids with joyful faces covered in sand - middle-aged women in swim cover-ups with sun hats on - men serving up meat from the grill, talking about old water skiing injuries.
“Is it like this every year?” I asked Reid as we took a quick stroll down by the water’s edge. It was the only other body of water I’d seen that resembled the beauty of Lake Tahoe. It was so crystal clear you could see individual sand particles moving around in the soft waves. Instead of feeling homesick, it was comforting.
“Yeah, we do this every year,” he said nostalgically. I could tell it meant a lot to him, and I could tell that Preston’s absence this year weighed on him. “When Preston and I were kids, this was one of our favorite holidays. Probably because school was out for summer and we were so excited to be at our grandma and grandpa’s place. And then as we got older, it became our favorite holiday for other reasons. It felt important for us to be here with Grandpa James after my grandma passed away. She loved this holiday too, so we knew it meant a lot for us to still get together on this day every year, even though she usually did all of the work for it.”
“It seems perfectly orchestrated,” I said endearingly.
“That’s my family for you. When things go bad, it just brings us closer together,” he said empathetically. “When Preston joined the service, I knew that would change our time together. We were practically inseparable beforehand, and then months went by where we didn’t get to see each other. But somehow every single year it still worked out that he was on leave at this time. We’d come out here and it was like we were kids all over again. I think this whole crazy idea - the road trip - I think it was just his way of reminding me that I could still be like that, even with him gone.”
I grabbed his hand while we walked and gently squeezed it. There were so many things I loved about Reid Carson, but the way he talked about his family - that pulled me in every time.
“I know all of this has been a whirlwind,” he continued, “and it didn’t all work out like it was supposed to. But at the same time, meeting you was so much better than whatever I expected. I know this probably isn’t going to come out right, but I guess I’m just trying to say that you make his absence so much easier to cope with. Not because you’re replacing him on this adventure,” he said shaking his head, trying to get his words right, “but I don’t know. I guess the idea that I get you in my life to do crazy, sometimes possibly stupid stuff with, that makes this life worth it.”
We stopped walking for a moment and soft waves gently crashed around our ankles as our bare feet sank in the wet sand. He softly touched my face, leaning in to kiss me. I knew in that moment, with absolutely certainty, that I felt the same way. It was as if I just discovered the answer to everyone’s most important question. I no longer wondered what the purpose of my life was - he seemingly answered that: it was to find another person to do crazy, possibly stupid, stuff with.
Anything more complex than that didn’t seem to matter.
CHAPTER 26
We spent the afternoon relaxing in the warm, summer sun. The rhythmic crashing waves along the shoreline were hypnotic. His family was so much fun to be around, and they were all as warm and inviting as his parents and Uncle Buck.
We played some card games on the picnic tables set up near the water. We also watched an intense game of beach volleyball. I could tell Reid wished he was playing, but he seemed to still be in too much pain to participate. I hoped he would get the chance to do so before summer was over.
As the evening rolled around, Reid and I disappeared from the group to take a stroll into the quaint downtown area of Grand Harbor. Because of the holiday, most of the shops were closed. That didn’t take away from their appeal though. There were large glass windows everywhere filled with antiques, beach attire, scuba gear and pet boutique items. The ice cream parlors and coffee shops looked full of character and originality. There were also a couple small restaurants with outdoor seating I hoped we could come back to eventually.
Yes. Eventually. As in ‘clearly I’m not going anywhere’ eventually. It felt nice.
We made the short walk back to his family’s cottage. As dusk set in, all of his family members who lived in the area said their goodbyes to head out to the town’s local fireworks show across from their beach inlet. There were food vendors and festivities over that way and all of the younger children giggled with excitement at the prospect of staying out late for a fireworks show.
Darla, Kent, Uncle Buck, and Grandpa James all opted for more of a quiet night with some cocktails around the pool. Reid and I headed into the pool house to change our clothes.
As we opened the front door to the pool house and made our way to the bedroom, I could tell something looked different. There were brighter, more feminine pillows resting on the couch. Vases of fresh flowers rested on both the living room coffee table and on the kitchen counter. As we walked into the bedroom, I noticed a beautiful burlap lamp sitting next to the bedside table, along with a luxurious, soft grey throw blanket and a thick white robe. There was even a stationary set and a small Kate Spade journal on the nightstand. Better than that, the small wooden picture frame Reid gave me for my birthday – it was sitting out on the nightstand with the picture of Christy Brinkley still in it. The edges of the frame were scuffed up from the accident, but I was in awe that out of all the items returned to us, that was one of them. I picked up a small tented note card sitting on top of the journal.
We just wanted to make it feel a little more like ‘your space.’ It was Reid’s idea, but I picked out the goods. I know it may not feel like ‘home’ to you, but I do hope you know how welcome you are here. ~ Darla
“Really?” I said towards Reid with heavy emotion in my voice. I took a few steps towards him until our bodies were touching and I wrapped my arms gently around his waist. “You are truly amazing.”
“You make me that way,” he replied sweetly, leaning down and kissing my forehead. “I’d hate to break up this moment where you think I’m some Greek God of a man,” he said with a smirk, “but I have just one last thing on this list.” He held Preston’s letter out towards me. He was right - there was just one thing left on his road trip journey to complete.
Swim out to the dock - howl at the moon.
“We’ve gotta get moving before the fireworks start,” he said politely. He kissed me one more time and then I released him. He
grabbed a pair of shorts out of the bedroom dresser.
“Are you really going to be able to swim out to the dock?” I asked, pointing to the deep wounds on his sides as he took off his shirt.
“I know, I thought about that today,” he replied hesitantly. “We may have to improvise a little bit.”
“Not to mention I don’t have a swimsuit,” I continued.
“What’s wrong with just swimming in your underwear?” he asked honestly.
“Reid Carson, this is your family’s house,” I replied, playfully swatting his arm. “I could never do that.”
“Why not? It’s dark outside. No one can see anything,” he answered, not joining me in my paranoia.
“I’ll wear this,” I said as I pulled a navy cami tank out of my bag. I had been using it to sleep in until I was able to get more clothes, but it would have to do. My options were pretty limited. I threw it on and pulled on the only pair of shorts I had with me as well.
Once we were ready to go, we headed out to the pool house. Uncle Buck and Darla were sitting around the patio area next to the pool while Grandpa James and Kent were inside fixing some more cocktails.
“Hey Uncle Buck, can you help me with something real quick?” Reid called out, motioning to the side of the house. “I have an idea,” he said towards me. Together he and Uncle Buck unhooked a large orange paddleboard from a shed area near the house. “We’re going to carry this down to the beach,” he said excitedly. They began carrying it down the wooden steps towards the sand, and I was happy to have a quick minute alone with Darla.
“The pool house is beautiful,” I gushed, wanting to express my appreciation for all she’d done for me. “Thank you. For everything.”
“You are so welcome dear,” she replied warmly. “I just don’t want you to think I’m meddling too much.”
“Of course not,” I answered honestly, “I would never think that. You’ve been amazing. I can’t even begin to tell you what it means to me.”
Ten Seconds of Crazy Page 21
