Something to Treasure

by Virginia McCullough

  She sipped her way through a couple of cups of coffee and was about to fix herself breakfast when her phone buzzed. A text. Could be from Gordon, so she didn’t hesitate to have a look. But no, it wasn’t. It was from Jerrod. Will u meet me at the 1 picnic table by the point...

  Should she meet him? Probably not. Would she meet him? She set her jaw and stood a little taller. Hadn’t she already decided how she was going to spend the day? And why had he chosen the picnic table at the point? She didn’t have the best memories of the last time she was there. With him. Had he forgotten that? But maybe the crew was already in the office and Melody was at the Bean Grinder with Carrie.

  Oh, what harm could it do? She could go downtown after she met him.

  She texted back, what time.

  A minute later, his reply: 30 min.

  She looked at her nightgown, ran her hand through her messy hair. No, too soon. She typed in her reply: 45 min.

  She stared at the screen until okay popped up.

  Curious now, she put on jeans and sneakers and a sleeveless tank top suitable for the hot day and her own later trip to the bookstore. Something she wanted to do. No work involved, or Jerrod, either.

  About the time she slathered herself with sunscreen, doubts set in. What did he want that couldn’t wait? There was a time—weeks ago—she’d have speculated that he was finally going to open up about his feelings for her. The elephant in the room that pushed her to put her heart on the line.

  Even the possibility made her jittery as she drove to the yacht club parking lot. Hers was the only car. Jerrod’s van wasn’t there. Odd that he’d be late, since he called this early morning meeting.

  Dawn took off down the path, picking up speed with each step. She crossed the footbridge and there he sat. He was on the bench with his back to the table and his legs stretched out in front of him. No one else was around. “Hey.”

  He stood and walked toward her. “I’m so glad you agreed to come.”

  “I was heading downtown later, anyway. I’m taking the whole day off, after our meeting, that is.”

  “No business meeting, Dawn. Not today.” He touched her cheek, running his finger down to her jaw. “I have so much to say. I only hope I’m not too late.”

  Too late? Was it possible he brought her here because...? No speculating. It got her into trouble before.

  She caught his hand and squeezed it. “Explain, Jerrod, please.”

  Holding her hand, he led her to the picnic table where they sat side by side facing the lake. Only the sound of a distant car on the road and a barking dog broke through the peaceful silence that morning.

  He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “I’m just going to say it, Dawn. I’m in love with you.”

  She raised her gaze, met his eyes. And waited.

  “I’ve known it for a long time, and ever since we were here the first time, I acted against what I knew to be true. It gave me a mental swift kick and I’ve questioned everything about my life. Certainly all my assumptions about what I do or don’t deserve in my life.”

  “What do you mean? Spell it out.”

  “None of this is going to matter if I’m too late.”

  “Too late for what? You’re not thinking of changing your plans?”

  “No, I’m here to stay.” He looked down at their laced fingers. “When we were here before, you opened up to me, told me what was in your heart. And I’ve already told you I wasn’t honest with you then.”

  She nodded, her whole body tingling now.

  “But I suspect you knew that. You saw right through me. The truth is, you are the one person who could heal my heart. And you did.”

  She covered her mouth with the fingertips of her free hand, unable to speak, but eager to hear more. And more.

  He kissed her hand again. “My heart was so closed off that I couldn’t admit to myself that I began falling hard for you way back in the hotel lobby in Chicago.”

  Her chest filled with the kind of joy she hadn’t known for a very long time. “Way back then, huh?”

  Laughing, he said, “The thing is, I’ve watched you be you. That’s all it took. You didn’t do or say anything to make me fall in love with you. The more time I was around you, the more irresistible you became. I finally realized I could love again because I already am loving again.”

  Jerrod let go of her hand and wrapped both arms around her. She rested her head against his chest, feeling the warmth of his arms around her. When they broke the embrace, he kissed her once, then again, and one more time. Quick, teasing kisses perfect for that moment when she was dizzy with the newness of him.

  Breathing hard, he pulled away, searching her face and kissing her again. He drew her head against his shoulder. “I’m glad I know your son. He’s such a great kid.”

  “And I’m pleased that Gordon knows you. And I think Carrie’s so special,” she said, lifting her head. “But we can’t confuse them.”

  “Being in love isn’t only about us,” he said. “I understand that. We’ll take it a step at a time, get them used to the idea we’re going to be a family.”

  “We have time...lots of time,” she whispered.

  “You and all that’s ahead for us, for me, is so much more than I thought I would have again.”

  “Me, too,” Dawn said, shaking her head, the air still buzzing around her.

  “The thing is, if we’re going to have a family of our own, we can’t wait too long. We need to get these kids used to the idea and—”

  “Wait a minute,” she interrupted. “Slow down. Do you really want to have a child? Our baby?” She stepped back to look into his eyes.

  He took her hands in his. “That’s what I said. It’s what I want. But only with you.”

  She didn’t trust herself to drop every barrier, believe in the whole fairy tale. When he opened his arms, though, she leaned into them and lifted her face for more soft kisses. His arms tightened around her and for a few minutes, she relaxed. “What do you want to do now?”

  “Right now?” he asked, puzzled.

  “Today.” She purposely put on a challenging tone.

  “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it.” He peered into her face. “Was there something you wanted to do?”

  She nodded. “As a matter of fact, there is. Let’s go. I’ll tell you about it on the way.” She held out her hand and he took it. “You’re really going to like this.”

  It was like a switch had gone on in her brain, Dawn thought.

  On the way back to her car, she explained their first step was picking up Carrie. Then, only a few hours later, the three of them walked out of the Book Shelf with a full bag, including Dawn’s beach read and two books of fairy tales for Carrie.

  “I planned to stop for ice cream, too,” she told Jerrod as she winked at Carrie. The three of them got on the trolley and headed down Bay Street. Soon they sat on a bench outside with cones.

  “Next stop, shoes,” Jerrod said.

  Dawn was happy to help Jerrod buy new shoes for Carrie. That meant another trolley ride to the indoor mall on the main corner. This was like having her cake and eating it, too, Dawn thought. Because the man she’d wanted for months now wanted to be with her.

  “Come on, Carrie,” Jerrod said when they went inside the children’s shoe store in the mall, “let’s go find those ballet flats you’ve been talking about for school.”

  A little girl...school shoes. She could hardly believe it. She’d been tingling and buzzing for hours and hours now. “I might look for some new shoes, too,” Dawn said.

  “Can we ride the trolley again?” Carrie asked.

  “I’m sure we can,” Jerrod said. “We’ll make the loop and have it drop us off at the park.”

  “Okay.” Carrie skipped ahead and stopped to wait for them to catch up.

  “So this was
the plan for yourself today, huh?”

  She lifted her shopping bag from the Book Shelf as proof. “Everything except the trolley. I knew Carrie would get a kick out of it. It was my no work, all play day.”

  Jerrod laughed. “This is how it’s going to be, huh? A summer Sunday in Two Moon Bay.”

  “It’s one of our choices, if you don’t have divers scheduled or a tour.” Dawn was feeling kind of smug about going to pick up Carrie and making their private special day into something ordinary in the most wonderful way.

  “Just checking. Wanted to see what I was signing up for.”

  Dawn squeezed his hand and grinned. “This, and so much more.”

  Jerrod laughed again. “I like the sound of that.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  DAWN AND LARK stopped at a vendor and bought papers cups of lemon gelato to eat while they wandered down the center of the street on a hot, hazy afternoon. It was the second day of Stroll & Shop.

  “I could almost do a tap dance right here on the street, or maybe hum a little happy tune.”

  “Is that because of the weather, or the crowd?” Lark asked, her tone teasing and light.

  “Mostly it’s the size of the crowd,” Dawn said, pretending they actually were talking about the sale. “It always lifts my spirits when the shop owners consider the sidewalk sale a great success. But maybe I’ll shout for joy over the weather, too.”

  “Between the tap dancing, humming and shouting, you’ll be making a fair amount of noise.” Lark cast a knowing glance at Dawn. “You don’t have to be so cool and calm.”

  “Who, me?” Dawn joked.

  “I’m thrilled for you. It’s good to see you so exuberant.”

  “I’m almost afraid to believe it myself.”

  What had happened at “picnic table point,” as she and Jerrod decided to dub it, had changed everything for them personally. But Dawn still found it difficult to explain how it felt that he’d been accepted, even warmly welcomed into planning the vision of the future for Two Moon Bay. “You know how it is around here. People who moved to town thirty years ago are considered ‘from away.’” She scoffed. “Okay, not everybody is like that, but some people still are.”

  Dawn stopped to browse a table of brightly colored cloth handbags, some quilted and a few with foot-long fringe hanging from the bottom. Not that she needed a new purse.

  “Those handbags aren’t nearly big enough,” Lark pointed out.

  Dawn bent to the side. “Jerrod says I list to port with my usual bag on my shoulder.”

  “That’s pretty funny.” Lark laughed. “For such a serious guy, he has a good sense of humor, doesn’t he?”

  “Oh, he can be funny, all right.” She glanced at Lark. “When I first met him, he rarely smiled. He’s more at ease now and enjoys bantering with Nelson and Zeke. And you know he likes Miles a lot. He’s different. Happier. And it’s because he’s found his new home.”

  “Namely you,” Lark said. “You’re his new home.”

  Dawn stopped walking and took in a deep breath. “And he’s my home. Just think, I’d longed to fall in love again. When I first started dating after my divorce, I even thought it would be so easy to find someone wonderful.”

  “Have you spread the news?” Lark asked. “I mean beyond Miles and me. What does Gordon think? I bet he’s happy. And I think we can all guess how overjoyed Carrie is going to be.”

  “No, no, we haven’t talked to the kids yet,” Dawn said as she started strolling toward the jazz band at the end of the street. “There’s plenty of time for that. And it will be an adjustment for Gordon, too. We want to let Carrie get used to the idea of me. It’s all well and good when it’s a little girl thinking about a new mommy, but the reality could be different.” She grinned at Lark. “See? It’s like we’re still trying on our relationship. Like adults. So far, it fits.”

  They walked on, and just ahead of them, two hanging racks were filled with what Dawn estimated to be at least two hundred scarves in silk and cotton in colors and patterns of every description. They billowed in the breeze that was picking up now. After a day of unmoving air hovering over the town, a break in the heat would be welcome.

  The gelato gone, Dawn and Lark tossed their cups and spoons in the recycling bins. Looking at the crush of people on the street, she could claim with confidence that her publicity efforts had worked. The merchants’ group had drawn people to Two Moon Bay from all over the area.

  “There’s something about Stroll & Shop that signals the end of summer,” Lark said wistfully. “Doesn’t it feel like another season is winding down, even though it’s still August?”

  “And hot and sticky,” Dawn said. “It’s a good day to be out on a boat. Gordon is getting all the diving in he can before school starts. It’s hard to believe he’s old enough to ride his bike to the marina to help Jerrod clean up the boats and post his blogs.”

  “Miles is out with Jerrod today, too. It’s his second trip,” Lark said. “On his first dive, he saw the schooner that’s close to the shore, but this time he’s going out to the bigger wreck in deeper water. I can’t remember its name.”

  “Franklin Stone.” Dawn playfully elbowed Lark. “Who would have imagined that the two of them would end up diving together? Who knows? Maybe Jerrod will offer Miles a job, too.” She moved her arms back and forth as if swiping an imaginary mop. “Can’t you see the two of them swabbing the decks?”

  “It’s good he has a backup in case his public speaking career doesn’t pan out?” Lark deadpanned. But she quickly admitted she worried about Miles diving. “Odd, but I feel a little better knowing Gordon is with him. It sounds ridiculous, but I can’t help but think of Miles as safer with Gordon along.”

  “That’s pretty funny considering neither one of them is very experienced—and Gordon is thirteen,” Dawn said. “But to be fair, Gordon dives about twice a week. This first summer, the diving excursions have been slow. The day tours have kept them afloat...pardon the pun.”

  “You’re forgiven,” Lark joked as they walked past bins filled with running shoes on sale and approached a display of handmade toys from an upscale kids store.

  Dawn was about to steer them to the jewelry shop, but a strong gust of wind sent the scarves at the boutique flapping. Loose note cards blew off a table and skittered across the pavement. Taylor, the owner of the card shop, hurried out to gather them with help from her teenage daughter. Dawn knew Taylor from the sidewalk sale committee and was about to run over to help, but the cards were soon safely gathered and anchored down.

  Lark pointed to the west, where clouds had suddenly gathered—and were rapidly darkening. “I don’t remember hearing thunderstorms predicted for this afternoon.”

  “Only that standard line they always repeat when it’s hot and humid.” The temperature had dropped fast. Dawn wished she could exchange her tank top for long sleeves.

  Looking at the scene around her, Dawn saw the crowd of shoppers slowing down, some watching the sky, many checking their phones, as Lark was doing.

  When Lark looked up from the screen, she pointed to the sky. “Those clouds aren’t so distant anymore, are they? Now there’s a storm warning for the area.”

  As if by instinct, Dawn turned in the direction of the lake, where the sky was clear. “I guess the excursion out to the Franklin Stone will be cut short. Or maybe they’re already back.”

  “I’m sure Jerrod and the others keep a close eye on the weather,” Lark said.

  As Lark spoke reassuring words, the wind increased and the sky darkened. Lightning broke through the cloud cover in the distance.

  “We have to assume everyone is okay out there. You’re right. And Jerrod and his crew have been doing this for years.” Dawn looked up and down the street, where the stores owners were busy pulling bins to protected spaces under awnings, if they had them. Not that many stores d
id. Most were exposed to the wind whipping down the street, and nothing was going to protect the merchandise from the coming downpour.

  “I’ll help Taylor drag those tables inside,” Dawn said. “Then let’s see who else might need help.” She took off across the street and grabbed a corner of a wooden bin that Taylor was struggling to pull through the door. Between the two of them they were able to angle it to get it back inside—fast. Taylor’s daughter followed with her arms loaded with boxes of cards. Dawn went out to scoop up more off the folding table.

  Glancing across the emptying street, Dawn spotted Lark closing and stacking shoe boxes. The fudge shop had acted fast and already had cleared its outdoor display baskets and closed the front door. The owner was helping the jeweler next door clear his display.

  For the next few minutes, Dawn went from store to store moving merchandise or bringing folding chairs inside and helping employees break down displays. Lark was doing the same on the other side of the street.

  The sound of rolling thunder preceded another sharp rise in the wind whooshing down the street, sending signs swinging and even the streetlights swaying. A maintenance crew took down sawhorse barriers and chased the orange cones that had been used to create the no-drive zone downtown. Many had blown over and were rolling down the street. Along with dozens of other people, Dawn and Lark ducked into the indoor mall.

  “I just sent Miles a text, but he didn’t respond,” Lark said, her voice higher pitched than usual.

  Dawn put her hand on Lark’s arm. “That could be for all kinds of reasons. Cell service isn’t that reliable on the water. Jerrod has said that many times.”

  “Maybe so,” Lark said, “but they shouldn’t be on the water.”

  No argument there, Dawn thought. “I’ll text Gordon and see what happens.” She pulled her phone out of her bag and sent a quick text: are you okay? She left it at that. Despite her resolve not to worry, she and Lark stared at the screen waiting for a reply. Looking out the window, a streak of lightning lit up the nearly black sky, followed by a piercing crack of thunder that sent a shudder through the building.