To Fall in Love Again

by David Burnett

  They strolled down the street and up the steps to the Battery. Originally the site of an artillery battery designed to protect the city from any enemy ship that might slip past Fort Sumter and into the harbor, it now served only as a seawall, protecting the old city from rising water that accompanied both storms from the sea, and storms up river. The top of the Battery was a walkway and, during the day, it was thronged with people, both tourists and locals. A park, White Point Gardens, was located at the point, and it stretched for two blocks along the Battery on the western side of town

  An evening breeze drifted in from the ocean, and Amy breathed deeply, smiling at the scent of the salt air. The tide was in and waves splashed against the wall a few feet below the walkway. Noisy seagulls congregated at the foot of an elderly woman, squawking and gobbling pieces of bread she tossed in their direction. Then, as if on signal, the birds mounted into the sky with one loud whoosh, circled for a moment, and then returned to their dinner.

  Drew and Amy were in no hurry, stopping to watch fishermen dropping lines over the rail, inspecting the sweetgrass baskets spread out on a blanket for sale, admiring a baby asleep in its carriage. They paused as they reached the point. Amy glanced back. The sun was beginning to set, turning the western sky and the river bright shades of red and orange, almost as if they were on fire.

  “Oh look.” Amy pointed at the river. “It’s the color of the rose bush beside your porch.”

  Drew turned and looked. “Beautiful.”

  Some children were playing kickball in the park and it spurred a memory. “We used to bring the children out here when they were little,” Amy said. “They had such a good time running and jumping and shouting. I miss that.”

  “We used to play here too,” Drew added. “Jennifer and Matthew thought of it almost like their own backyard.”

  They heard a scream from the group of children, and both looked up as a ball flew across the street, heading for the water. It was flying high, and Drew jumped as he reached out for it, snagging the ball just before it cleared the rail. He tossed it back to the smiling children.

  “Thank you, mister.”

  Drew waved.

  “That was really nice,” Amy told him. “Good job.”

  They turned back toward the harbor as Amy heard someone shout her name. The voice came from a sailboat skimming across the water just off-shore.

  “Who could that be?” Amy shielded her eyes and studied the person standing by the mast. It was a woman, and she was waving, swinging her entire arm to attract attention.

  She called again, “Amy. Amy Barrett.”

  “It’s Barb.” Amy sighed and turned back, giving a big wave. “Hi, Barb. What are you doing out there?”

  “Sightseeing. And I must say, I like the sights I see.”

  Drew put his arm around Amy, and she laughed at the expression on Barb’s face. She waved again as the sail caught the wind and sped away, watching as the boat made a sharp turn and headed up river.

  “She seems to pop up every time we’re together. She must be stalking me.” Amy smiled as she looked up at Drew. “I told you what happened last Monday, didn’t I?”

  He nodded.

  “Encore performance, I guess.” She laughed and hugged him.

  As they turned to start back to the house, a Corgi dashed up the steps. Barking loudly, it ran up to Drew, stood on its hind legs, and barked again.

  “Hello, Rhett.” Drew bent down and rubbed the dog’s head. Then he stood and looked around as a woman came running along the Battery, leash in hand.

  “He slipped out of his collar,” she called.

  Drew picked the dog up, scratched behind his ears, and held him until the woman caught up.

  “He saw you, Drew, and started tugging on the leash until he slipped out.” She bent over and fastened the collar around Rhett’s neck. “Bad dog. You know better than that.”

  She took the dog from Drew and placed him on the ground. “Thanks. I’ve never known him to do that before.” Then she looked from Amy to Drew, her eyes full of curiosity.

  Drew gestured to the woman. “Amy, this is Anna Thomas. She and her husband live next door.” He turned to the woman. “Anna, this is Amy Barrett.

  “Yes, actually, I think I know you,” Amy said. “You’re Edward Thomas’s wife, right? I met you at an office party a couple of months ago.” She turned to Drew. “Mr. Thomas is a vice-president at Jamison Corporation.”

  Anna smiled. “You must work for Jamison, too. What a coincidence.”

  “Yes,” Amy said. “There seems to be a lot of that going around.” She smiled at Drew then turned back to Anna. “I’m in the programming division.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, again, Amy. I was surprised to see Drew out walking. He does that so infrequently these days. But I understand now.” Rhett barked again as a jogger passed. “Hush, Rhett.” She looked back to Amy. “Are you an old friend of Drew’s?”

  “No, we met a few months ago.”

  Drew squeezed Amy’s shoulder. “We sat next to each other on an airplane. She wanted to talk, but I ignored her, so she dumped a cup of coffee in my lap.”

  “That is not what happened,” Amy exclaimed. “It was an accident.”

  “The unconscious, you know,” Drew said as they all laughed.

  Amy popped his arm. “Is that the story you told Jody Watson?”

  He smiled. “That was Jody’s explanation.”

  Amy rolled her eyes.

  “Drew can be difficult at times,” Anna said. “A couple of years ago, I was sitting with him and Di on their porch—Di and I had been talking for an hour—and when I stood to leave, Drew looked up and said hello. It was the first time he noticed me.”

  Anna’s husband walked up. “Hello, Drew.”

  Drew nodded. “Edward.”

  The two men shook hands and then Edward placed his arm around Anna’s shoulder. She gestured to Amy. “Edward, this is Amy Barrett. She’s a friend of Drew’s. She works at Jamison.”

  He smiled. “Of course. I recognize you, Amy. We pass each other in the hall quite frequently. You’re in IT, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, Mr. Thomas, I’m a programmer.”

  “It’s nice to formally meet you, Amy. Call me Edward.”

  Drew pointed to a large ship that was entering the harbor, and then he and Edward stepped to the rail to watch as it made its way through the narrow opening to begin the trip up river to the dock.

  Anna lowered her voice. “You didn’t know Di, Drew’s wife, did you?”

  Amy shook her head.

  “She was a wonderful person. We were very close. Lived next door to each other for over twenty years.” She glanced at Drew. “He’s been so lonely. It’s good to see him with you.” She squeezed Amy’s arm.

  “They love the ships.” Anna bobbed her head toward the two men. “The tall ships—you know, the replicas of the eighteenth-century navy vessels—called at Charleston a couple of years back. Edward and Drew were first in line to board. They spent hours inspecting the entire fleet.”

  “Does Edward own a boat?”

  “Just a fishing boat. One like Drew’s. Edward actually uses it for fishing, though. Drew uses his as a photography perch. Has he taken you out in it?”

  “Not yet.”

  “He will. He thinks it’s one of the coolest toys he’s ever had, I think. The two of them have talked about buying something larger, with berths for sleeping, a galley and all. Sea worthy, too.” Anna shuddered. “It’s a nice dream. Let’s hope it remains a dream.”

  “It sounds like fun to me.”

  “Then you have a different relationship to sea sickness than I do.” Anna laughed.

  Drew and Edward returned and the two couples said their good-byes, going off in opposite directions. With twilight upon them, Amy and Drew walked back to his house, holding hands.

  They stopped beside Amy’s car. “I had a wonderful time,” she said. “Dinner was delicious. The company was good, too.”

/>   “Yes, it was a wonderful evening.” Drew kissed her. “By the way, what were you and Anna whispering about?”

  Amy cocked her head to one side. “You, of course.”

  ***

  Barb leaned against the door to Amy’s office. “I’m glad it was you who I saw on Saturday night. I thought it was you, and I waved and called, but you didn’t so much as raise your head to look. I made my boyfriend bring the boat in close, so I could shout again. I surely would have felt stupid if it hadn’t been you.”

  Amy looked up from her monitor and smiled. “What can I say? The sun was in my eyes and I could barely see you, even after I heard you call. Have a good time?”

  “Oh yes. Bill—he’s my boyfriend—Billy loves his sailboat. We take it out frequently. What about you? You and Dr. Nelson take an after-dinner walk to see how the rich and famous live in Charleston? I literally drool when I walk past those houses. Where did he take you to dinner?”

  “Oh, Drew cooked for me.”

  “And then you drove over to the Battery for a romantic stroll. Way to go, girl.”

  “Well, we walked over. Drew lives a couple of blocks away.”

  Barb’s mouth dropped open. “He lives below Broad? In one of those old houses?”

  Amy nodded. “I think he said that the house was built about seventeen forty. It’s been in his family ever since.”

  “I’ll bet he’s as rich as Croesus.”

  “Rich? I don’t know.” Amy glanced back at her monitor. “We’ve never talked about money, but—”

  “You know he is.” Barb’s eyes grew large.

  “What?” Amy laughed at the expression on Barb’s face. “What is it?”

  “St. Cecelia.”

  “Who?” Amy laughed again.

  “St. Cecelia. He’s a member of the St. Cecelia Society.”

  “I really don’t know, Barb. Why?”

  “You know he is.”

  Barb strode all the way into the office and sat across the desk from Amy. “You know what that is, don’t you? The St. Cecelia Society? The St. Cecelia Ball? You have to have ancestors who lived in Charleston in…in…I don’t know how early, since creation itself, I think. Oh my.” She leaned across Amy’s desk. “Amy, do you know any of those people?”

  “Those people?” Amy frowned.

  “Those old families.”

  “I know Drew.”

  “Amy, they’re different.” Barb rapped her fist on the desk.

  “Different? How?”

  “They live together below Broad. They go to church together. They play together. They marry among themselves.”

  “You’re being silly, Barb.”

  “No. I had a really good friend who was dating a guy who lived right on the Battery. You could see the harbor from his front steps. They dated for four years, the entire time they were in college, but he broke up with her after graduation. She wasn’t suitable, or something.” Barb shook her head slowly. “You might be Dr. Nelson’s girlfriend, but you’ll never be his wife.”

  “His wife? I’ve dated him twice. No one is talking about marriage. You’re crazy, Barb.”

  “No, I’m not. You may not be talking marriage, but I’m telling you that you never will. They only marry among themselves.”

  “Drew’s first wife was from Greece for goodness sake.”

  “The key words there are first wife. They are not married now.”

  “She passed away, Barb.”

  “But her father had money. Trust me. Amy, you’ve heard the line rich girls don’t marry poor boys? I’m telling you, rich boys don’t marry poor girls, either. Those people are different from us. Really.” She stood and walked to the door. “You be careful, Amy.”

  Amy turned back to her monitor, but she was not able to concentrate. Yes, she had been impressed by Drew’s house and, given where he lived, she had known that he must be wealthy. She’d supposed that his family might be old Charleston. But she had not really thought about what that meant, until now. She’d simply enjoyed being with him, and she had certainly not been concerned with fitting in. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. What she’d told Barb was true—they’d had two dates—her concerns were pointless.

  Amy stood and paced around her office. Restless, she went for a second cup of coffee.

  Of course she had thought about marriage. Who wouldn’t have? Drew was nice, fun to be with, good looking, but he was not like Barb said he was. Di had not been from an old, wealthy family—well, not an old Charleston family. Amy placed her coffee on the desk and sat down at her computer again. This was silly. She banished Barb’s warning from her mind and went back to her program.

  Jennifer

  “Why are you awake so early?” Cathy stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. “What was that racket? What time is it?”

  “I’m sorry.” Amy was placing a cookie sheet into the drawer under the oven. “I dropped the cookie sheet—hit it with my elbow and knocked it on the floor. I was making toast.”

  “Why don’t you use the toaster?” Cathy looked at the slices of buttered bread beginning to turn brown under the broiler.

  “It tastes better the way I make it.” Amy placed her coffee cup on the counter and slid the pan out of the oven. “Drew and I are driving to Columbia. He wants to take photographs in the swamp.”

  Cathy looked at the clock on the stove. “At six in the morning?”

  Amy sighed. “We’re not leaving until seven thirty. I was nervous. I couldn’t sleep.”

  “Imagine. Nervous at the thought of wading through a swamp. Say good morning to the alligators.”

  “We’re not wading through the swamp. It’s a national park. There’s a boardwalk.”

  “I know.” Cathy chuckled. “Why are you nervous? The swamp isn’t scary. Of course, you might get off the boardwalk and then…”

  She took a mug from the cabinet and placed it under the Keurig. “Is that cinnamon toast?” She sniffed. “I’d like some too—now that I’m up.”

  “I’m not concerned about the swamp.” Amy sipped her coffee. “We’re meeting Drew’s daughter and her family for lunch.”

  “So you’re worried about being preyed upon, just not by alligators. Expecting the third degree? You’ve been dating for a month now.” Cathy smiled as her mother rolled her eyes. “He’s met your family, even Rich and Heather.”

  “I know, but I feel like he’s taking me to Columbia on approval. She crossed her arms. “My mother used to go shopping and bring clothes home on approval. It meant that she could return them if Daddy didn’t like them.”

  Cathy laughed. “So if Drew’s daughter doesn’t like you, he can return you?”

  Amy chuckled too. “That’s how I feel.”

  Cathy added milk to her coffee and took a sip. “Mmmm. Just right.”

  “It’s not Drew’s fault,” Amy continued. “I mean, we’re going to Columbia and he told Jennifer—that’s his daughter—that we’d be in town, and she suggested lunch.” Amy took a bite of toast, sliding a piece over to Cathy. “It just seems so formal. Drew had already met you. Elaine walked in on us during our first date, as you call it. He ran into Rich and Heather on Meeting Street. I told you about that, didn’t I?”

  “Just that the three of you saw him that day.”

  “It was Saturday morning, and Rich, Heather, the baby, and I were passing that little pastry shop on King Street. It was about ten in the morning, and—you know that I simply cannot resist their chocolate croissants—well, we went in and, as we sat down, I saw Drew sitting in the back, having breakfast. When I introduced him, Heather asked him to join us. Drew protested, but she insisted. While we were talking, Eliza woke up and she was hungry. Drew had finished eating, so he offered to give her the bottle. We had a nice visit.”

  “It is different. I would have wanted to meet Dr. Nelson if I had not already.” Cathy nodded. “So I don’t blame his daughter.” A smile spread across her face. “After all, you may be a crazed serial killer, or an old-
fashioned gold-digger, or maybe—”

  “All right, Elaine.” Amy placed a hand on her hip, pretending to be angry. Then she laughed. “I’d be curious too, but I still feel as if I’m going for inspection.”

  ***

  They arrived at the park at nine thirty. It was mid-October and the leaves on the trees in Columbia were already tinged with color. It had rained the night before and the wind had pulled some from the trees, leaving them scattered about, a blend of green, red, and gold glistening in the morning sun.

  Drew had told Amy that it would be warm later, but that she might need a coat over top of her sweater at first. She was glad she had taken his suggestion as she zipped it up to ward off the morning chill.

  “We’ll start out on the boardwalk.” Drew held a map of the park that showed the various trails. “We haven’t had much rain, so you’ll be above the water.”

  “Do alligators ever climb onto the boardwalk?”

  “All of the time.”

  Drew chuckled at the expression on Amy’s face. “I’m kidding of course. I’ve been here many times and I’ve never even seen an alligator. I suppose there are some, but it has already turned cold. We won’t see any today.”

  They ambled along the boardwalk. The park was unusually quiet for a Saturday morning, the only sounds, other than their feet slapping on the wooden walkway, came from the birds calling to each other. Two hawks soared above them, a hundred feet, or more, in the air. Cypress knees poked through the tannic-brown water, and a small lizard skittered away as they approached.

  After about a mile, they left the boardwalk. Drew showed Amy the colored stripes painted on the trees, marking the trail. They followed the path as it meandered through the foliage and crossed a creek. As they stood on the bridge, a cool breeze swept through the trees, causing ripples on the dark green water.

  Finally, after walking for thirty minutes, and stopping several times for Drew to take photographs, they arrived at Wise Lake.

  He removed his backpack and set up his tripod as Amy looked out over the lake. “The leaves have already turned here in this part of the park. I’ve never seen such deep yellows before.” She glanced down. “Why is the water blue?”