Noelle nudged Brandon. “I told you we were eating on the beach.”
Helen smiled at Hope. “Do you need my help with anything?”
Hope pulled her gaze away from Theo’s seemingly amused one. “I’m going to need some muscle to carry several boxes to the beach.” Christian, Brandon and Theo stepped forward.
Helen reached for Noelle’s hand. “We’ll just sit around and eat while the jocks work.” Her quip failed to elicit a smile from Noelle.
Theo took charge when he said, “Chris, unload the SUV and set up everything under the tent. Brandon, you and I will help Miss Hope.”
“You didn’t have to bring anything,” Hope said, staring at Theo.
He lifted a pair of broad shoulders under a white T-shirt. “Don’t look at me. It was Helen.” The older woman rolled her eyes at Theo before she walked into the house, Noelle and Brandon following her.
Theo took a step, bringing him inches from Hope. “Did you get my e-mail?”
Her gaze lingered on his smiling mouth. “No. When did you send it?”
“This morning.”
She blinked. “I didn’t check my e-mail this morning.”
“Bummer,” he said softly. Reaching up, he touched the damp hair grazing her shoulders. “I like your hair when you wear it down.” His gaze moved with agonizing slowness from her eyes, to her shoulders, and came to rest on her chest.
“Thank you.” The two words were a husky, breathless whisper.
“No, Hope. Thank you.”
Hope felt a tingling in the pit of her stomach. Theo disturbed and soothed her at the same time. His womanizing reputation kept her at a distance, while he radiated a sensual masculinity she found herself powerless to resist.
“Rebecca and her children will be joining us,” she said, deftly directing the topic away from herself.
Theo’s smile widened. “Good. The kids can hang out together.” His smile was still in place as he followed Hope into the house.
The five teenagers eyed one another as Rebecca made the introductions. Christian’s expression was impassive, as was Noelle’s. Brandon and Ashlee shared a smile, while Kyle appeared totally bored, even though he was being given the opportunity to interact with someone other than his sister.
Hope leaned closer to Theo as they stood at the grill, basting slabs of spareribs and chicken with a spicy barbecue sauce. “Teenagers,” she said under her breath.
He grunted under his breath. “They’re extraterrestrials.”
“They’re not quite that bad,” she countered, giving him a sidelong glance.
Lowering his head, he pressed his mouth to her ear. “Noelle got her period for the first time yesterday, and all she does is mope.”
“Has she complained of cramps?”
“Cramps and a headache.”
“Take these.” She handed him a pair of tongs. “I’ll fix her a tea that should help.”
Theo took the tongs, but not before he curved an arm around Hope’s shoulders and kissed her forehead. “Thank you.”
She smiled up at him. “You’re welcome.”
Four hours later, Noelle sat on the sand with her brothers, Ashlee and Kyle, singing the lyrics to the Bad Boys II soundtrack. The teenagers had paired off: Noelle with Kyle, and Ashlee with Brandon. As the eldest, Christian had become the unofficial chaperone for the group.
There had been more than enough food for everyone. Hope had prepared potato salad, barbecued and fried spareribs, barbecued chicken, crab cakes with a black bean sauce, crispy fried popcorn shrimp and catfish fritters, a large pot of turnip and mustard greens, sweet potato pie, and homemade ice cream. Helen’s contribution had been a carrot salad with golden raisins and a large bowl of watermelon balls. It had taken three and a half hours to sample every dish set out on the eight-foot-long picnic table. After eating, everyone had decided to wait before sampling dessert. All had pitched in to carry food inside where Hope, Rebecca and Helen had stored the leftovers in the refrigerator. Theo, Christian and Brandon had returned the grill, picnic table and benches to the shed behind the house.
“You cooked too much, Hope,” Helen complained as she eased down onto one of three quilts spread out on the sand under the tent.
“I agree,” Rebecca moaned, “but it’s not her fault that we ate too much.” Following Helen, she, too, stretched out on a quilt, leaving Hope and Theo to take the remaining one.
“Amen to that,” added Theo. He glanced over at Noelle. She sang, eyes closed, her lithe body moving to a rocking tempo. He smiled at Hope. “It appears as if your magical brew worked.”
“It works for me. I’ll give you some to take home for her. Was she prepared for this?”
Theo nodded. “Her mother had prepared her. Noelle told Helen, who in turn told me. I have to admit that it freaked me out. She’s only thirteen—two years younger than Mary when she got pregnant with me.”
Hope placed her hand over Theo’s fisted one. “Don’t get crazy about it. In other words, don’t smother her the way my brothers did my sister and I. Having older brothers can be a good thing, but it can also be a curse.”
“They chased away all of your potential boyfriends?”
“Not me, but my sister’s. I didn’t date until college.”
“What did you do? Spend all of your time studying?”
“No.” She stared at the waves washing up on the sand. “Not too many guys wanted to be seen with a big girl. I’m really proud of today’s young women who have come to accept their curvaceous bodies. Not focusing on how they look helps them to like who they are.”
Theo turned on his side and stared at Hope. “Those guys were fools. I would’ve dated you.”
Hope affected a smile and shook her head. “No you wouldn’t have, Theo. I’m not your type. Every woman you’ve ever been photographed with could double as a high-fashion model.”
Frowning, his jaw hardened. “You don’t know me well enough to say what I’d like or not like.”
“You’re right,” she conceded. “In fact, I don’t know you at all.”
He smiled, and attractive lines fanned out around his eyes. “At last we can agree on something.” He glanced at his watch. “What I propose is starting today, June twenty-second, we get to know each other better.”
Hope shook her head. “It’s not going to work.”
“Because you say it won’t.”
The smoldering flame she saw in his dark eyes startled her. “You want us to sleep together?” Her query was a hushed whisper.
Theo leaned closer. “Only if you want.”
Hope felt as if her emotions were under direct attack. Could she sleep with the infamous Theodore Howell, then walk away from him at the end of the summer? Banish him from her mind as if he had been a stranger? The reckless part of her crooned yes, while the voice of reason shouted a resounding no.
“I did not come to McKinnon to sleep with a man.”
“Nor did I come here to sleep with a woman.”
She smiled. His getting to know her did not neccessarily translate into intimacy. That was something she could agree to. “Okay, Theo. We begin today.”
Theo held Hope’s hand. He hadn’t lied to her when he’d said he hadn’t come to McKinnon Island to sleep with a woman, but he also hadn’t been completely truthful about wanting to sleep with her. Erotic dreams disturbed his sleep. He fantasized about making love to her in ways that would bring them both pleasure and satisfaction. It was on these mornings that he awoke more tired than he had been before going to bed. It was on these mornings that he went swimming before he began his morning writing ritual. And it was on these mornings that he forced himself not to go to Hope’s house, ring the cowbell, and ask if he could come in.
Hope closed her eyes, enjoying the comforting protection of her hand in Theo’s. The gesture was tender and possessive. A peace she had never experienced swept over her. She felt good, and at that moment all was right in her world.
Helen and Rebecca had fallen aslee
p where they lay, while the younger Andersons and Owens interacted with each other as if they had known each other for years instead of hours. Rebecca’s son and daughter were tall and gangly with delicate features, dark eyes, and curly black hair. There was no doubt they looked like their father.
Christian left the group and came over to where Theo lay with Hope. “Theo, is it all right if we go into town for a little while?”
Theo glanced at the watch strapped to his wrist. It was after six. “Did you ask Miss Rebecca?”
“Yes, I did. She said it was okay.”
Theo gave him a narrowed stare. “Where are you going?”
“Not far.”
“How far is not far?”
“I want to show them the old Sullivan plantation and a few other spooky places.”
Theo wagged his forefinger. “Drive carefully, Chris. Stay in the vehicle. I don’t want you guys wandering around in the dark, or get bitten by something.” He slipped the small phone off his waistband and handed it to his brother. “Don’t conveniently turn it off, mister.”
“I won’t.” Christian raced back to the beach. Seconds later, all of the teenagers scrambled off the sand and raced to the Lexus. The four adults on the beach watched the sport-utility vehicle as it headed toward town.
“You’re doing quite well in the daddy role,” Hope said softly to Theo.
He lifted his eyebrows. “What would you give me on the daddy scale of one to ten?”
“At least a high seven or low eight.”
“That high?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Are you interviewing for the position?” he asked, remembering her telling him she could alleviate her medical condition if she had a child.
Her jaw dropped slightly before she recovered enough to ask, “Why? Are you applying for the position?”
A silence swelled between them, like a thick fog hugging the shoreline. Theo had changed since coming to McKinnon Island. In Los Angeles he had always been on guard, measuring every word lest he be misquoted. But now he had figuratively put his foot in his mouth.
“Maybe yes, maybe no,” he crooned.
A flash of humor crossed Hope’s face, and she pushed to her feet. “I’m going for a walk.”
Theo waited several seconds, stood up, and then joined her. He reached for her hand as they walked slowly, leaving impressions of their bare feet on the wet sand before the incoming tide washed them away. A rising wind had swept away the clouds, leaving the sky a deep indigo blue with a strangely colored orange-red sun.
“This place is like a Garden of Eden.” There was no mistaking the awe in Theo’s voice. “Clean air, unpolluted water, and no traffic jams.”
Hope glanced at his distinctive profile. A hint of a beard shadowed his jaw. “Travel brochures say it’s remote, primitive, and unspoiled. That translates into a virtual paradise.”
“Brandon and Noelle have been hounding me to buy a place here.”
“They like it that much?”
“Yes. The day we came I was prepared for constant bitching and moaning, but they surprised me. I think they like not having a curfew. They stay up as late as they want, sleep as late as they want, and spend most of their time hanging out on the beach.”
What, she thought, was it about McKinnon Island that made newcomers consider settling here? “Are you thinking of building a house?”
He shook his head. “No. I’d rather buy an old place and fix it up. I prefer living in a house with a porch or veranda. There’s something to be said for sitting on a porch at the end of the day, watching the sun set.”
“That’s what the old folk here do.”
“I suppose the Gullah in me surfaces every now and then.”
Theo spied something on the sand ahead of them. He stopped, bent over, and nudged a small sea turtle. It moved, wobbly, before it swam with the outgoing tide.
They walked along the beach to the property line where Theo and his family were spending the summer, then turned and retraced their steps. The sun had dipped lower in the sky, leaving feathery streaks of fiery red across a deep blue canvas.
Without warning, Theo stopped and cradled Hope’s face between his palms. His warm, moist breath swept over her mouth before he covered her mouth with his. She pressed closer, inhaling his clean scent mingling with cologne.
The feel of Theo’s firm mouth pressed to hers, the solid crush of his chest against her breasts melted her resistance and tore down the shield she had erected with Kendall’s duplicity. She returned his kiss, parting her lips to his probing tongue. She had asked him what he wanted, and he’d said anything and everything she was willing to give him. The instant their tongues met and dueled, she was willing to lie with Theo and offer him the passion roaring through her like a twister touching down and sweeping up everything in its path. She would give him her passion, but not her heart.
Pushing against his shoulder, she ended the kiss. She was breathing as if she had run a long, grueling race. “Why did you do that?”
He stared at her under lowered lids. “If you’d read your e-mail, then you’d know why.”
“I’ll be certain to read it once I get back to the house.”
“Good.”
Hand in hand they continued their walk as if the kiss had not happened. They returned to the house to find that Rebecca and Helen had dismantled the tent, folded the blankets and retreated to the porch.
Helen sat in the rocking chair and rocked in a slow, measured motion. “How was your walk?” A knowing smile curved her mouth when she saw Theo cradling Hope’s hand.
“Good,” Hope and Theo chorused.
Theo saw the Lexus parked behind Hope’s car. “Where are the kids?”
“Inside eating dessert,” Rebecca said from her reclining position on the chaise. “All I can say is that they must have bottomless pits masquerading as stomachs. Did you see how much they ate?” Helen and Theo exchanged knowing looks. They were quite familiar with feeding three ravenous adolescents.
The sound of an engine caught Rebecca’s attention. She sat up. Lee was back. Waving her hand, she caught his attention. “Lee, over here.”
Lee Owens walked over to the neighboring house ablaze with bright lights. He had driven from Charleston to Savannah in record time and picked up the ferryboat minutes before it was scheduled to leave the landing.
Hope stared at the man walking up the porch steps. There was no doubt he was Rebecca’s counterpart. Although simply dressed, the cut of his clothes was exquisite. A pair of double-pleated tobacco-brown linen gabardine slacks fell at the proper break above a pair of imported leather slip-ons. The left cuff of his long-sleeved shirt claimed an embroidered initial monogram. Although he hadn’t worn a jacket or tie, he still appeared what he was—a wealthy man.
Rebecca moved off the chaise and stood next to her husband. The top of her head reached his shoulder. She slipped her hand in his. “Lee, I’d like to introduce you to my friends. Theodore Howell, Helen Bryant, and Hope Sutton. Theo’s brothers and sister are in the house with Ashlee and Kyle. Theo, Helen, Hope, this is Lee Owens, my husband.”
Everyone took turns shaking hands. Waiting until introductions were concluded, Hope smiled at Lee. “May I offer you something to eat or drink?”
His expression was solemn. “No, thank you. Perhaps the next time I come. I hadn’t planned on staying.”
Rebecca successfully concealed her disappointment behind a forced smile. “I’ll get the kids.”
There was an uncomfortable silence after Rebecca went inside to inform her children that their father was waiting for them. Several minutes later the screen door opened, and Ashlee, Kyle, Brandon, Noelle, Christian, and Rebecca crowded out onto the porch.
Ashlee kissed her father’s cheek as he curved an arm around her waist. “Daddy, can we please, please, please come back after we finish with camp?”
Lee stared at his daughter’s hopeful look. “I’ll let you know after your mother and I talk.”
> “What’s there to talk about, Daddy?”
“Ashlee.” Rebecca’s voice, though soft, was firm.
Pushing out her lower lip, Ashlee stomped off the porch, walking quickly toward her father’s SUV. Seconds later, Kyle stomped after her.
Rebecca forced a smile she did not feel. “Thank you, Hope, for everything.” She hugged her. She waved to the others. “Good night.” A chorus of good nights followed her.
A war of emotions raged within her. She had never known Lee to be so rude. Waiting until she was out of earshot of the people on Hope’s porch, she turned and faced her husband.
“Don’t you ever do that again!”
“Do what?”
“Be rude to my friends.”
He stared down his nose at her. “Friends, Rebecca?”
“Yes, friends.”
“You haven’t been here a month, and already you’re calling them friends.”
Rebecca’s hands curled into tight fists, and she put them behind her back to keep from slapping him. “Take my children home. Then I want you to bring them back Friday. I’ll call my mother and have her pack enough clothes to last them until I bring them back before school starts.” Turning her back on Lee, she walked over to the SUV and hugged and kissed Ashlee. “I’ll see you Friday, baby.” She repeated the motion with Kyle. “Stay well until I see you again.”
Kyle tightened his grip on his mother’s waist and glared at his father over her head. “See you soon, Mom.”
Lee cursed to himself. He had made the second most grievous mistake of his life since marrying Rebecca. The first one had been to cheat on her, and the second one was to insult her in front of their children. There was no mistaking the hostility in his son’s eyes. Lee feared he was losing his wife. Rebecca’s divorcing him was not an option. That was something he refused to entertain.
He moved closer to Rebecca as Kyle and Ashlee got into the truck, slamming the doors harder than necessary. “I’ll call you.” She nodded. “I’ll bring them back Friday.” Rebecca nodded again. Then she turned on her heel, walked to the porch, opened the front door and closed it softly behind her.
Lessons of a Lowcountry Summer Page 19
