Ezra maneuvered into the driveway behind Rebecca’s Mercedes and shifted into park, but he did not shut off the engine. Turning toward her, he stared at her profile. It had been a long time since he’d enjoyed a woman’s company. Usually they bored him—to tears. But Rebecca was different.
Ezra rested his arm over the back of her seat. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“I don’t think so. I plan to sleep in this weekend.”
He nodded. “If that’s the case, then I’ll use the time to input my notes into my computer. Call me when you’re ready for another field trip.”
Leaning over, she brushed a light kiss on his cheek. “I will. Thanks for everything. Good night, Ezra.”
He inclined his head, smiling. “Good night, Rebecca.”
She hesitated, waiting for him to come around and open her door, but when he didn’t, she got out of his truck unassisted. Spending more than twelve hours with Ezra Smith had changed both of them. In the past they had only discussed his research, but today that had changed. As they’d strolled a historic section of Hilton Head, he’d talked about growing up within sight of the Mississippi River, his mother, father, and his brother, Thomas, who was born the day after he’d celebrated his eighth birthday. He’d also talked about the young woman who had captured his heart in the first grade and their elopement.
Pushing open the door, Rebecca got out of his vehicle and made her way up the porch to her summerhouse. She had come to discover what she wanted and what she should do with her life.
It took less than half an hour for her to brush her teeth, wash her face, and take a bath. Not bothering to dry off, she lay facedown on the bed. A hint of a cooling ocean breeze filtering through the screens swept over her nude body. Like the simplicity of the little beachfront house, the intense heat no longer bothered her.
The cell phone on the bedside table rang. She rolled over and reached for it. Her home number showed in the display. “Hello.”
“Hi.”
“Hello, Lee.”
“How are you, Rebecca?”
After their last telephone conversation, she had promised herself she would be civil to him. “I’m doing well.”
“I’m glad to hear that. What have you been doing?”
She told him about picking sweetgrass and palmetto leaves, then visiting the slave burial ground, unaware of the rising excitement in her voice.
Lee chuckled softly. “It sounds as if you’re enjoying yourself.”
“I am. I never realized how rich our heritage is. You must come down and see for yourself.” There was silence. “Lee?”
“I’m here, Becky.”
“Did you hear what I said?”
There was another moment of silence before he said, “Yes, I did. Do you really want me to visit?”
“Of course I do.”
“I’ll let you know,” he said slowly, as if monitoring each word.
“When?”
“I’ll call you.”
She did not know why, but she felt so alone. She’d invited her husband to join her on her magical island and his reply was, “I’ll let you know.”
Her jaw hardened. “Call me before you come, so I can pick you up at the ferry.” Pressing the End button, she terminated the call.
“You spiteful bastard!” she screamed. His decision not to commit to coming to McKinnon was his way of paying her back. She had extended the olive branch, and he had rejected her peace offering. It would serve him right if she had an affair. How would he feel if she slept with another man? She scrolled down the cell phone’s directory and pushed the Talk button.
“Ezra?”
“Yes.”
“Rebecca.”
“What’s the matter?”
She closed her eyes. “Nothing. It’s just that I don’t want to be alone right now.”
“Did you have a fight with your husband?”
“Not really.”
“Yes or no, Rebecca?”
Why, she thought, did he draw her name out into three distinct syllables? “No.”
“I’ll be over.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “Thank you.”
She ended the call and scrambled off the bed to find something to wear. By the time she heard the sound of the engine to Ezra’s truck, she had carried two kitchen chairs out to the porch and set on a table, a bottle of chilled white wine and a plate of tiny Parmesan and black olive shortbreads with parsley pesto and goat cheese.
She stood motionless, watching him mount the steps leading to the porch. The lingering rays of a setting sun turned him into a statue of molten gold. A trembling smile flitted over her lips when he extended his arms. She moved into his strong and protective embrace.
Ezra closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of her hair and body. Everything that was Rebecca seeped into him, leaving her indelible imprint on his heart—forever. He did not know what had precipitated Rebecca’s telephone call, but that no longer mattered. He buried his face in her flower-scented, curly hair. “I’m here.”
Rebecca raised her chin, smiling up at him. “Thank you for being here.” She threaded her fingers through his. “Please sit down.”
Waiting until she was seated, Ezra took the remaining chair, barely glancing at the small table set with a bottle of wine, glasses and a platter of hors d’oeuvres. “What are we celebrating?”
“Friendship.”
Crossing one knee over the other, Ezra stared out at the beach. Rebecca did not want to be alone, and he wanted more from her than friendship.
“Do you think we can be friends, Rebecca?” Turning his head, he saw her wide-eyed expression. “Your reason for calling me, inviting me here was not because you need a friend. I’m certain you have enough of those back home.”
“Oh, but I don’t,” she said quickly.
He lifted a dark eyebrow. “Whether you do or don’t is irrelevant, because of our situation.”
“What situation?”
“You’re a married woman.” What he did not say was a wealthy married woman.
“What does my being married have anything to do with us? With our being friends?”
Ezra closed his eyes for several seconds, sighing. “I like you, Rebecca. And—”
“And I like you, too,” she said, interrupting him.
He shook his head, unable to believe her naïveté. “You’ve misinterpreted my liking.” The soft sound of the water washing up on the beach and the incessant chirping of crickets filled the silence between them. He continued, “I’ve seen a lot and known a lot of women in my sixty-two years. I’ve had students come on to me, women who were young enough to be my daughter, but I never entertained them because my reputation and position with the university were more important than a quick lay. And that was what they would’ve become—a quick lay.
“I view you as one of my students, Rebecca—but with a difference. You’re not enrolled in any of my classes, and we’re not at the university. You, I would sleep with.” He ignored her soft inhalation. “You called me not because you needed someone to talk to but because you want someone to sleep with. That cannot happen. Not when you’re still wearing your rings and not when you haven’t legally left your husband.” He uncrossed his legs. “I know nothing about your private life, and I don’t want to know. But if you want a friend, then that’s what I’ll be, and not a participant in what young folks refer to as a late-night booty call.”
Rebecca was glad the semidarkness hid the flush in her cheeks. Only pride kept her from jumping up and going into the house. He knew. How did he know?
“You’re right.” Her voice was so soft that he had to lean closer to hear what she was saying. “I called you because I was angry with my husband. He had an affair with a woman two years ago, and I don’t think I’ve ever really forgiven him. I wanted Lee to come and spend a few days with me, but he wouldn’t give me an answer. That’s when I called you.”
Shifting his chair and reaching out, Ezra captured her fingers, holding them in
a firm grip. “You don’t need to complicate your marriage any further by engaging in an extramarital affair. If we did sleep together, it would be with disastrous results.”
Her gaze searched his face. “Why would you say that?”
His expression was a mask of stone. “Think of what you would lose.”
“What?”
“Do you have children?”
She nodded. “Yes. I have a son and daughter.”
“How old are they?”
“Twelve and fourteen.”
“Sleeping with me would put you at risk for losing your children.” A momentary look of discomfort crossed her face at the possibility. “I’m too old to engage in a summer fling, Rebecca. If we’re going to share our bodies, then it must be for keeps. I refuse to give you my heart and then permit you to walk away from me without fighting for you. I’m saying all of this to make you aware of your reputation and what you stand to lose with a messy divorce and custody battle.”
“Who said anything about divorce?”
He leaned closer. “Oh, but there would be a divorce, because I would not let you go back to doing whatever it was you did before you came to McKinnon Island. Let’s settle it right here, right now. Are we going to be friends or lovers?”
Rebecca felt as if her composure was under attack. His question had set off all types of alarm bells. She liked Ezra and loved Lee. Despite his infidelity, there had never been a time when she’d stopped loving him. Her face clouded with uneasiness. As much as she complained about her boring, sterile existence, it was all she’d known for the past sixteen years. There was no way she would ever leave her children.
A new sense of strength came to her, and she smiled. “Friends, Ezra.” Much to her surprise, he smiled.
“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.” Rising slightly, he kissed her cheek. “Would you mind if I poured the wine?”
“Not at all.”
Relaxing against the chair’s slatted back, Rebecca closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the powerful relief filling her.
“Madam.”
She opened her eyes and took the glass of wine from Ezra. They touched glasses, smiling at each other over the rims.
They finished off the bottle of wine and all of the hors d’oeuvres. The dark sky was littered with millions of stars and a quarter moon when they finally went into the house and lay across the double bed together, holding hands.
It was just before dawn when Ezra gathered Rebecca to his chest. She stirred, whispering her husband’s name, but did not wake up. He lay in the small, hot room, asking himself why he was there, why he was in bed with a woman who had captured his heart with a single glance. The questions kept coming, and still he had no answers.
Nineteen
I lie here thinking of you.
—William Carlos Williams
Theo lay facedown on a blanket, savoring the heat of the sun on his bare back. He had spent the past half hour swimming with Christian, Brandon and Noelle. All had learned to swim, but of the three Noelle had been the first.
Christian put Brandon in a headlock before he released him and swam back to the beach. His chest rose and fell heavily as he sat down next to Theo. “Are you going back in?”
Theo shook his head, his gaze narrowing behind the lenses of his sunglasses. “Not today.” He was exhausted after spending the night tossing restlessly, his mind filled with images of Hope.
Moving closer, Christian peered at him. “Are you all right, Big Brother?”
“Sure.”
“You said that a little too quickly.”
Theo smiled. “Why would you say that?”
“You haven’t been yourself all week.”
“Explain yourself, Little Brother.”
Stretching out his legs, Christian leaned back on his elbows. “Brandon, Noelle and I have been talking.”
Theo gave Christian a quick glance. “What about?”
“You.”
“What about me?”
“Well…” His words trailed off.
Rolling over, Theo sat up. “Come on, Chris, spit it out.”
“Well,” he repeated, “we were talking about you and Miss Hope.”
Theo went completely still. Was he that obvious? Had everyone noticed how he hadn’t been able to take his gaze off her after they’d sat down to eat dessert late Sunday afternoon?
“What about me and Miss Hope?”
Christian flashed a wide grin. “You two look good together. Noelle told us that you had your arm around her when we came back from the movies. She also said you were going to ask her to be your sweetheart.”
“Noelle talks too much.”
“Did you ask her?” Christian asked after a moment of silence.
“Ask her what?”
“If she wanted to be with you.”
“Is that the same as asking someone to be your girlfriend?”
Christian bobbed his head. “Yeah!”
“No.” Theo’s expression was deadpan.
“Why not, Theo?”
“Because it’s not like that. I invited her to dinner and she came. And, that’s it.”
“If I was older I’d ask her out.”
“Are you saying I should ask her out?”
“Hell, yeah!”
“What is it you like about her?”
Christian lifted his shoulders. “Everything. She’s pretty and she can cook. That strawberry shortcake she made was mad good.”
“You’re right about the cake. It was working.”
“Are you going to ask her out?”
Theo stared at Christian. In just two weeks the sun had darkened his skin several shades even though he had put on sunblock. “Why the sudden interest with me and Hope getting together?”
“You could use a little fun. All you do is write.”
“I enjoy writing.”
“There’s got to be more than just you writing.”
“Where are you going with this, Chris?”
“We talked—”
“We?” Theo cut him off.
“Brandon, Noelle and me. We think it’s pretty cool that you brought us here. Well… we think it’s pretty cool that you took us in after Momma and Dad died. You didn’t have to do it.”
“I promised your mother I would.”
“You didn’t have to keep the promise. We wouldn’t be the first kids to go into foster homes.”
“That would’ve never happened.”
“I’m not saying it couldn’t happen. You gave up a lot for us. I’ve realized that since coming to McKinnon.”
“What else have you learned, wise little grasshopper?”
“Be serious, Theo.”
He sobered. “Okay, Chris.”
“You’re a good brother, and you deserve to have a woman and some kids.”
“I’m not looking for a wife and kids.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want a wife and I don’t need kids.”
“What’s going to happen when you’re mad old?”
“I can’t think about that until I’m ‘mad’ old.”
“Come on, Theo.”
Theo’s expression changed as he stared at his brother. “I am serious.”
Christian returned the glare, then pushed to his feet, mumbling under his breath. He walked several feet, stopped, but did not turn around. “You’re just like Momma.”
Theo turned his attention back to the two in the water, Christian’s words echoing in his head. There was no mistaking his frustration.
Pushing to his feet, Theo walked down to the water and dove under an incoming wave. He swam until he tired. By the time he returned to the beach, Noelle and Brandon had disappeared. It was when he stood under the spray of the shower that he decided to take Christian’s advice. He would ask Hope to go out with him.
“Did you talk to him?”
Christian saw the expectant look on Noelle’s face. She’d convinced him to talk to Theo even though he hadn’t wanted to do i
t. “Yes.”
“What did he say?” Brandon asked. He took off his glasses and wiped the lenses on the hem of his T-shirt.
“He said he was going to call her.”
Noelle frowned at Christian. “I don’t believe him.”
Brandon put his glasses back on. “Why are you guys so revved up on hooking Theo up with Miss Hope? If he wanted to go out with her, he would’ve done it already.”
“Wrong,” Christian spat. “I’m with Noelle. I don’t think he’s going to do anything.”
Noelle leaned closer to her brothers. “Which means we’re going to have to do something.” Christian nodded, while Brandon shook his head. “We can get Miss Helen to help us.”
“How?” the two boys said in unison.
Pulling back her narrow shoulders, she pursed her lips. “Let me handle this.”
“He’s going to have a cow if he finds out that we’re plotting behind his back,” Brandon warned.
“If he goes ballistic, then I’ll say it was all my idea,” Noelle said. “Wait here, and I’ll be back.”
Christian and Brandon stared at each other as their sister walked out of the family room, hoping their plan to hook their brother up with Hope Sutton would not backfire.
Noelle found Helen in the kitchen slicing cucumbers. “Miss Helen, do you mind if we have company for dinner tomorrow?”
Helen’s bright blue eyes crinkled in a smile. “Of course not. Who did you want to invite?”
“Miss Hope.”
Her smile vanished quickly. “Did you ask Theo?”
Noelle chewed on her lower lip. “I didn’t think we had to ask him. Because didn’t you say if she comes again she won’t be a guest?”
“Yes, I did.” Helen’s expression brightened. “Invite her. If Theo says anything, then I’ll tell him I wanted her to come.”
Noelle hugged Helen, then kissed her cheek. “Thanks.”
She raced out of the kitchen and returned to the family room. “It’s on!” Her eyes glittered like polished onyx. “Chris, I need you to drive me over to Miss Hope’s house.”
Brandon crossed his arms over his chest. “If this mission blows up, then I’m going to disavow any knowledge.”
Christian pushed to his feet. “Punk!”
Lessons of a Lowcountry Summer Page 15
