Staying Grounded (A Rocky Harbor Novel Book 1)

by Marianne Rice

  ***

  True to his word, her father had stayed in town for the entire week and showed no signs of leaving. Maggie rushed to her parents’ home every day after work, just in case, and relieved Benny and Edward of their duties. She spent a couple hours every evening with her mom. There wasn’t a lot of talking happening when Maggie made her mother go out for short walks along the beach or when they sat on the Adirondack chairs on the patio and stared out into the sunset.

  When she could, Maggie went to the physical therapy appointments with her parents, knowing that any day now she’d be the one responsible for caring for her mom. She worried every evening on her drive to her parents’ that she’d find her father had taken off again. But he hadn’t.

  In between worrying about her mother’s health, when Maggie was alone in bed, her mind drifted to Graham. Wondering where he was. Who he was with. Anytime a plane flew overhead, she’d step outside and look up into the blue sky, picturing him in his pilot’s uniform and captain’s hat, making the ladies swoon and bringing smiles to little children’s faces when showing off the cockpit.

  A large chunk of her heart took flight when he left. When she left him that morning and he didn’t chase after her. She didn’t know that she had a heart that big, a heart that could contain so much love. And ache.

  Apple. Tree. Damn her romantic Irish blood. Were the Irish even romantic? Heck if she knew. Temperamental, yes, yet her father remained the most calm in the family. Like Graham. The man who entered her life because he was accused of having anger management issues.

  Oh, the irony. The only one with anger issues was Maggie. She scooped up the groceries from her back seat and let herself into her parents’ home.

  “Where’s Benny?” Maggie asked as she set two bags of groceries on the counter.

  “I gave her some time off. She drove to Vermont to visit with her family.”

  “Seriously?” Maggie froze, a bunch of bananas in one hand, a can of soup in the other.

  “I’m capable of cooking for your mother and me.” Her father took the fruit from her hand and placed them in the bowl among the apples and peaches.

  “Yeah, but—”

  “You look exhausted, Maggie. And while we appreciate your time, you’re running yourself ragged. Why don’t you take some time off of work, and from here, and go on a vacation with your girlfriends. When was the last time you traveled anywhere? You used to love going on adventures.”

  Yeah, until you ditched us. “I don’t have time, Dad. Some of us hold regular jobs.”

  “Even people with regular jobs go on vacation.”

  Maggie couldn’t remember the last day she had off. What would she do if she wasn’t working? Maybe go somewhere with Mackenzie, if she hadn’t just dumped her life savings into Coast & Roast and could afford to jet off to parts unknown.

  “I can’t leave Mom alone.”

  Her father nodded and helped her unload the groceries. “I would never leave her completely alone, Maggie, although I do need to go back to Sydney to finish my shoot.”

  And here it goes again. “Have a nice trip.” Maggie yanked the refrigerator door open and tossed in the small cartons of yogurt. “Don’t let the door hit you on the ass—”

  “Maggie!” Her mother gasped from behind them.

  Maggie turned around and, ignoring her mother, her frail form ghostlike under her thin robe, glared at her father, the anger seeping out of her pores. “I’m going home to take care of Sweetie Pie. I’ll be back in the morning.” She avoided contact with her father as she went to her mother. “Call me if you need anything.”

  She held the tears at bay until she got in the car. Of course her father was leaving. He’d been in town ten days. A new record.

  Once home, she found comfort in her excited pup and poured herself a glass of wine to sip while she played in the grass with the only constant in her life.

  Maggie really needed a life. And some more girlfriends. Kenzie could make friends with a statue and had been trying for decades to get Maggie to loosen up. Maybe when Benny came back she’d take a Pilates class or go to one of those paint nights. Somewhere where she could meet women her age, not horny men with beautiful eyes who wanted no-strings sex.

  Social media had never piqued her interest before and she wouldn’t start now. Maggie avoided the news and when on the Internet forced herself not to google Graham’s name. She was sure he’d been cleared to fly; the case against him absolutely ridiculous. Would he visit her the next time he came to town? His brother was getting married in the fall. Maybe he’d stop by and say hello. By then she’d be over him. Completely, thoroughly, totally over him and his dark hair and lazy grin.

  When Sweetie Pie got tired, she curled in Maggie’s lap and fell instantly asleep. Maggie stroked her head and looked up into the sky as a plane flew overhead. How freeing to be able to take off on a whim and enjoy the beauty of the world.

  No wonder Graham loved flying so much. He probably never felt boxed in or bored. Different people, different cities, different schedules. She could see how that way of life could be so appealing to people like her father and Graham. And they seemed so happy, so content with their lives, while those stuck in 9-5 jobs and two weeks of vacation a year lacked the spark they had.

  No, she loved her job and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. She met new people all the time. Granted, they weren’t people she could go have a cup of coffee with, but still. She wasn’t in a dead-end job. That wasn’t the problem. It was her life outside the job.

  She’d turn over a new leaf and start concentrating on herself. As soon as her mother got better. And Benny came back.

  ***

  For the past five nights, since her father left…again, Maggie had slept in the guest bedroom at her mom’s house and Sweetie Pie had taken residence in the master bedroom. Joan insisted she could take care of herself during the day, but Maggie called in between her appointments to make sure her mother hadn’t fallen, and remembered to take her medication, and had eaten something.

  “Maggie, I’m fine,” her mother slurred. Joan’s speech wasn’t fully back yet. She still didn’t have full use of her left hand, and her legs were slow to move, yet Joan actually didn’t argue with Maggie’s mothering and followed her orders fairly well.

  The days after Edward’s departure weren’t as sad as those in the past. Joan hadn’t retreated to her room and ignored Maggie. Instead, she seemed happier, healthier despite her stroke.

  “Benny will be back this weekend.”

  “I’m not a chil…d,” she said, struggling with the d.

  “You’ve been telling me that, Mom. You need to remember you experienced a stroke and it’s very likely you could experience another. You have to let me know if you feel any—”

  “I will.”

  Maggie doubted her mother would ever admit weakness, but she was happy with Joan’s progress, as were the doctors. “I’ll see you around four.”

  The rest of the day dragged, with her Anger Management class getting a little out of control. Once she was able to regroup everyone, they left sedate and ready to tackle their next set of goals.

  Richie Higgins and his wife Christina glowed. They’d been arguing nearly every day during their three-year marriage about trivial matters: the proper way to fold laundry, how to organize the kitchen cabinets, how driving over 55 miles per hour used up more gas.

  “We’ve been taking walks every night after dinner before cleaning up,” Richie said. One of their daily fights was how to properly wash dishes. “And we use the I statements so much it’s become a joke, which makes us laugh and kinda forget why we were mad at the other person.” Richie reached for his wife’s hand and she leaned into him. Oh, to be young and in love. Maggie was proud of the young couple for taking the initiative by signing up for a class together.

  Maggie had given them a few simple strategies to use and as long as they stuck with them, she felt confident their marriage could last. They’d married young fresh out o
f high school, and were still learning about themselves.

  Overall, her group had made wonderful strides. Carl Townsend had celebrated twelve months at a worksite. The longest he’d ever gone. After thirty years of random jobs, he’d been proud to have a one year anniversary. His personal relationships still didn’t last that long, but holding a job was more important anyway.

  Relationships weren’t necessary to have a successful life. Maggie was proof of that.

  Sort of. If only her mother and father had attended counseling during Liam’s diagnosis and later, his death, maybe they could have had a successful, happy marriage.

  She pulled into her parents’ driveway and was greeted by the smell of the barbecue. Maggie walked around the house to the backyard and stopped in her tracks. Her father stood flipping a steak on the grill while her mother, dressed in nice slacks and a blouse, sat under the patio umbrella. Laughing.

  “Mom? Dad?”

  “Hey, pumpkin. I tried to hold off until you got home, but your mom was starving, so we’re eating an early bird’s dinner tonight. Care to join us?”

  “Uh, I’m not really hungry.” She looked from her smiling mother to her dashing father. “What are you doing here?”

  “I took care of what I needed to do in Sydney. I don’t have another job lined up until October, so it looks like you’ll have to get used to me being around. If that’s okay?” He winked and closed the lid to the grill.

  “Uh, yeah. That’s great.”

  Edward snorted. “You don’t sound too happy about it.”

  Maggie turned her back so her mother couldn’t hear her or see her facial expressions. “Are you really going to stay, Dad? Because I don’t think Mom can take it if you make empty promises.”

  “Pumpkin.” Her father cupped her shoulders in his hands. “I’ve never, ever made empty promises to you or your mother.”

  “You never stay—”

  “Did I ever tell you I would?”

  Maggie shook her head. He never committed to anything either. At fifty-two Carl managed to keep a job for twelve months. Could her father, at sixty, make a two-month commitment to her family? He was right, though. He’d never lied to her about staying. Instead he avoided answering direct questions.

  “So you’re going to stay here, in Rocky Harbor, with Mom until your job in the fall?” She needed to hear him say it.

  Her father pulled her tight into a hug and kissed the top of her head, making her feel like she was eight again. Happy and close to her idol. “I promise not to leave your mother until then. However, I do have to go to Argentina in October.”

  Pulling back, she looked into the green eyes that mirrored hers. “And you’ll be with Mom, take care of her until then?” Over the past few weeks they’d formed a new…bond. Nothing mind shattering or close to what a mother-daughter relationship should be like, but it was more than she’d had with her mom in the past twenty years. They didn’t talk about their feelings, or hopes or dreams in life. Joan didn’t ask about Maggie’s work or personal life and Maggie didn’t talk about her dad. They kept their conversations centered around physical therapy, diet, recipes, and possible simple outings her mother thought she’d be up to, which didn’t extend to anything more than walking the beach. Still, it was progress.

  Edward nodded and kissed her cheek. “Go take care of yourself. No offense, but I think your mother wants her handsome husband to herself,” he said loudly

  Joan laughed. “Your father is right. Take a vacation.”

  Maggie looked from her mother’s shiny, happy face—something Maggie hadn’t seen in years—to her father’s mischievous smile. Theirs was a relationship she thought she’d never understand, yet sadly, she could finally comprehend the power one individual could hold over another.

  “Don’t let her down.” She kissed her father’s cheek then gave her mother a light hug. “Call me if you need anything. Anything.”

  She packed her bag, scooped up Sweetie, and headed back to her house in total bewilderment. Could her father, after twenty years of neglect, all of a sudden change his ways? And if he could, did that mean there was hope for Graham?

  No. The therapist inside her knew she shouldn’t transfer her feelings from one man in her life to the other. They were individuals and needed to make their own paths.

  Her father was back in her life, if only temporarily, and Graham was gone. Forever.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Graham

  Rubbing his sweaty palms down the side of his jeans, Graham took a deep breath and knocked on Maggie’s door. He hoped the element of surprise was in his favor. It worked on his family. He never just stopped in for a quick weekend visit. Since his airline didn’t fly into Portland, he used that as an excuse to avoid the drop-ins over the past few years.

  Now that Boston was on his new flight pattern and less than two hours away, he hopped on the train and had a nearly direct route to Rocky Harbor. Luke picked him up at the station a few hours ago and brought him home to pick up his Jeep.

  Like at his return home a few months ago, Doreen flew into his arms, her watery eyes not going unnoticed. “I wasn’t expecting you until the wedding.”

  “Told ya I’d be back.”

  “Whatever the reason, I’m thrilled. And I can’t wait to meet her.”

  Graham was thankful his eyes were hidden behind his aviator shades or his mother would be able to read just how anxious he was to see her again as well. “Are Rachael and Lucy around? I thought I’d show them the town. From a bird’s eye view.”

  “Oh, they’d love that. Come inside.”

  As usual, Rachael hovered over the counter in the kitchen, her arm working a wooden spoon around a big bowl.

  “Graham?” She dropped the spoon and held the bowl to her chest. “This is a welcome surprise.”

  He moved slowly toward her, taking the bowl from her firm grip and setting it on the counter before giving her a hug. He waited until she hugged him back, her head resting on his shoulder. Moved by her first show of affection since her return home, he lightened the moment by swinging her around and placing a loud kiss on her cheek before setting her down.

  “You ladies know how to boost a guy’s ego. Whatchya cooking?”

  “Some samples for Sage. She doesn’t want a fancy wedding cake, says they’re overpriced clumps of flour and sugar—”

  “And you’re still talking to her?”

  Rachael swiped her hair out of her eyes, revealing the beautiful blue eyes and long lashes Graham’s friends had fawned over when they were teens. “Wedding cakes aren’t my specialty. Her brother-in-law owns a bakery in Portland and is making a cake for her anyway. From what Luke says, the cake is more for Sage’s sisters, Rayne and Thyme. They insisted. Sage is boycotting them at the moment and asked if I could come up with a few desserts.”

  “Rachael offered to do all the food for the wedding but Sage said she wanted her there as a guest, not an employee,” Doreen added, patting Rachael on the back with pride before going to the sink to wash the pile of dirty dishes.

  “I did talk her into letting me make desserts, though.”

  Graham was thrilled at his sister’s progress. “So what’s on tap?”

  “She loved my éclairs.”

  “Who wouldn’t?” Graham distracted Rachael with a kiss to the nose while he scooped his finger through the batter.

  “Hey. I saw that.”

  He licked his finger and grinned. “Pumpkin something. Nutmeg, cinnamon. What else?”

  “Allspice and cloves.”

  “Tastes like fall.”

  “It’s supposed to. Mini bourbon pumpkin cheesecakes.”

  “I’ll pay you if you let me be your official sampler.”

  “You can pay me with your honest feedback. Now keep your fingers out of my batter.”

  Happy to see some spice back in his sister, he hoped she’d take him up on his next idea. “As soon as these bad boys come out of the oven, I’d like to bring you for a flight around t
own. Take in Maine from the bird’s eye view.”

  Rachael’s face fell flat and she turned her back on him. She filled a tray with the batter before sliding them into the oven. Giving her time to think about his offer, he stood quietly. Doreen continued washing the dishes in silence.

  Finally, she faced him, a forced smile on her lips. “That’s sweet of you, Graham, but I’m really busy around here.”

  “No you’re not.”

  “I have more recipes to practice.”

  “We’ll be up in the air. Just you and me. No crowds, no people, no talking if you want, although I know how your mouth likes to jabber, filling up dead air with ramblings of cocoa powder and flour and lemon.”

  “Cocoa powder and lemon? What kind of recipe is that?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t really pay attention to what you put in your food. All I care about is what it tastes like. And everything you make is perfect. Sage will love it all. Come up with me. Please.”

  This wasn’t part of his original plan for the weekend. He’d spend a few hours with his mom and sisters and then the rest of the weekend in bed with Maggie. But he couldn’t abandon his sister now. From what Luke had told him, she’d yet to return to her chipper self and if Graham could help put a smile on her face, he’d sacrifice a few hours with Maggie for his family. Hell, she probably didn’t want to see him anyway.

  “That’s a wonderful offer, Graham, just not today.”

  Not wanting to push her too hard, he conceded. “Let’s make a deal. The next time I’m in town you agree to come up with me. Just a quick flight. You’d be doing me a favor. You know how much I love flying those Cessnas and I really don’t want to go alone.” If Rachel really didn’t want to go, he could take Maggie up again; she loved flying over the coast.

  Rachael toyed with the wooden spoon and bit her lip while nodding. “Okay. Next time.”

  “Really?” Graham hugged her tight, his heart warm knowing he’d made a breakthrough with his sister. Doreen looked over her shoulder at them and sniffed.