Love on the Sound

by Matthews, Jamie

  “Well, we’re not really…” Ben trailed off as Amy’s parents looked at him, expectant. “That is…welcome. Why don’t I help you with those bags?”

  Claire followed him and grabbed a few cloth grocery bags. “What was it like working with Clint Eastwood? I tell you, something about that man just really rings my bells. Of course, Brad Pitt’s not so shabby either.” She eyed him up and down, a gleam in her eye. “Neither are you.”

  “Claire, behave.” Caleb said it with a smile as they headed up the walk, laden with suitcases and bags.

  “I will not,” she informed him and dropped the bags on the ground when Amy came out, two boys clinging to each leg, the third holding her hand. Claire raced forward to wrap Amy in her arms, and Amy held on tight for a minute, then pulled back.

  “Beautiful as ever. Oh, mom, wait till I tell you about the morning I had.” She disengaged the boys from her legs, who laughed and ran back into On the Sound, shouting for their mom. Amy ran forward and jumped into her father’s arms, gave him a loud smack on the cheek. “Hiya, pops.”

  Caleb laid his cheek on hers. “How’s my best girl?”

  “You say that to all the girls,” she chided, and they grinned at each other. “Did you guys meet Ben?”

  “I haven’t met Ben,” said Tricia from behind her.

  “Where’d you come from?” Amy whirled around and wrapped her arms around her sister.

  “Bathroom. Long trip.”

  Amy pulled back, stared searchingly at her sister, then laid a hand over her stomach. “Oh, my God! Are you pregnant? Again?”

  “How the hell did you know that?”

  “You look green. And, your stomach feels like you swallowed a baseball.”

  “I know, isn’t it great?” Tricia sniffed, wiped away the tears. “Sorry, hormones.”

  “Four kids? You’re crazy.” But, Amy sniffed, then began crying too. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “I’m so happy, too!”

  “My girls,” Claire began the waterworks as well, wrapping both her daughters in her arms.

  “Oh, boy.” Caleb nudged Ben, who had watched the scene with a mix of amusement and envy for the tight-knit family connection they all shared. “They’ll be here for a while. Let’s go in.”

  Ben followed Caleb inside and was met with a wall of noise from the three boys running around like chickens with their heads cut off. The middle one skidded to a stop in front of Ben.

  “Hi, I’m James. Caleb has a loose tooth, and there’s blood,” he informed Ben.

  Confused, Ben looked at Caleb, who laughed even as he dropped his bags and made a beeline for the oldest boy, who stood, hand in his mouth as the youngest stared up at him.

  “Trish and Ethan named this one Caleb after me, poor guy.” He bent down, and the younger Caleb opened up wide. “Yep, that one’s ready to pop. Can you pull it out, or do you want me to?”

  With apparent gusto, the younger Caleb yanked. Ben winced and automatically grabbed the box of Kleenex. Young Caleb held up the tooth like a prize, while James laughed, and the toddler smiled slyly up at Ben. “Poop,” he said, his enunciation precise. “Butt.”

  Amy’s dad laughed. “That’s Gavin—and that’s what happens when you have two older brothers teaching you words.”

  Ben helped staunch the blood from the tooth and noticed Nell and Adrian had arrived at the same time. Nell chatted with Hannah, Deb and Bliss while Adrian just sat back and watched the scene, a smile on his face. Ethan and Paul came down the stairs just as Tom let out a whoop from the kitchen where he sat in front of the fridge, tools scattered around him.

  “Got it working!” Cheers erupted from the kitchen as Amy, Tricia and Claire came inside, and James ran up to his mom, loudly telling her about the tooth.

  Amy sidled up to Ben, who stood, holding the bloodstained tissues in his hand. “Welcome to the zoo,” she whispered, wrapping an arm around his waist and grinning up at him.

  He smiled down at her, pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

  ***

  As the sun sank into the horizon, Ben sat outside on the porch, nursing a beer. He’d slipped away to call Lucas and Steve to wish them a happy Thanksgiving—and, he had to admit, to grab a breath of cool, fresh air. Cool, fresh, quiet air. Inside, people milled about, talking, laughing, drinking. Including Amy and himself, he counted 26 adults and children.

  The afternoon had passed in a blur. All three of Amy’s nephews alternated between vying for her attention, or Ben’s, much to his surprise. He figured he’d spent more time with kids in the past month than he had in all his previous 35 years. Caleb and James roped him into the classic board games—Life, Monopoly—which turned cutthroat when Paul and Nell joined in and tried to one-up each other. Paul and Nell planned to continue the battle after the kids went to bed, where it was tradition the adults would battle it out playing Cards Against Humanity.

  Little Gavin turned out to be tough as nails, and once Ben horsed around with him a little, he demanded to roughhouse—riding Ben like a horse, wanting to be chased, tickled, bounced up and down, you name it. Ben didn’t want to admit it, but he thanked the stars above when Tricia deemed it Gavin’s naptime—the little guy had exhausted him.

  He’d watched the obligatory football game with the guys, although Adrian had opted to stay in the kitchen with the women, and Nell had joined the guys. Amy’s dad remained watchful, but on finding out he was an architect, Ben had chatted with him about different places he visited and the buildings he’d seen, and the guy had warmed up quickly. As the afternoon wore on, more people showed up—Ryan and Zane, with their roly-poly 18-month-old girl, Mellie, who at first regarded Gavin with grave suspicion, but then ended up rolling around on the floor with him, giggling uncontrollably. Nell’s mom, Jan, and her partner Brooke, arrived with an impressive amount of vodka and cocktail fixings and promptly made themselves the unofficial bartenders for the evening. Shannon, the florist, brought centerpieces for the tables. Bliss’s parents and sister showed up with a vegetable casserole, all the vegetables harvested from their extensive gardens.

  Then, while the smells of turkey wafted through the inn, Hannah, Amy, Deb and Claire shooed everyone out so they could set up the tables for the meal. The entire group played touch football—although they had to pause for a solid 10 minutes when Gavin got ahold of the ball and clutched it to his belly with both hands, refusing to give it up and screaming “mine!”, his face red and furious, when anyone tried to take it from him. Adrian distracted him by swooping him up onto his shoulders and running up and down the length of the lawn, then had to do the same with Mellie.

  Now, Ben finished up his beer and headed back inside to the cheerful chaos. Amy and Hannah were trying unsuccessfully to cut through the chatter and laughter to get people to sit down. Ben crossed the room and laid a hand on Amy’s arm. “Allow me.”

  Ben let out a piercing whistle—a trick he’d learned working with the kids in the theater. The chatter died away.

  “Thank you,” Amy said, laughing. “All right, it’s time to eat! Kids, you’re at the table with the balloons in the front parlor. Adults, you’re at the dining room, and also in the front parlor.”

  As the parents started to lead their kids to the table, Bliss consulted with her parents and then slipped over with her sister.

  “Bliss and Skye, you can sit at the adults table,” Amy called.

  “Nah.” Bliss smiled, but Ben detected a hint of sadness. “Might be the last time I can get away with being a kid, right? Plus, we’ll help the little guys out.”

  “They’ve got this,” Hannah assured the parents. “Both of them are the Island’s go-to babysitters.”

  Ben helped Amy carry out the dishes, and then everyone dug in with gusto. Tom carved, while Ben went around the tables, refilling wine, water or sparkling apple cider. When he finally sat down to sample the turkey, he closed his eyes with appreciation. Moist and buttery, with a hint of the apple Amy had
stuffed in the middle, it was perfection. The mashed potatoes, while a bit lumpy, were loaded with butter and garlic, and Adrian’s stuffing had a hint of spice that went surprisingly well with the rest of the meal.

  As the meal went on, Ben chatted with everyone sitting around him, but also found himself just watching the scene unfolding, as strangers and friends alike bonded over gravy. Tricia and Ethan shared parenting tips with Zane and Ryan, while Shannon consulted with Jan, who owned the gardening center, about how they could better partner their businesses. Adrian talked about art with Jan’s partner Brooke, who, Ben gathered, was a painter. From where he was sitting at the end of the table near the parlor, Ben could see Claire, Caleb, Deb and Jack sitting at the table together, laughing. The air buzzed with warmth, candlelight, good food and camaraderie.

  Hannah tapped on her wineglass, while others at the table joined in until the group was relatively quiet. “Keep eating, everyone, but let’s take a moment and share what we’re all thankful for.”

  The kids were both funny and sweet—thankful for the upcoming dessert but also listing their parents and each other, which brought tears to Tricia’s eyes.

  “I’m thankful to Amy, and to all of you, for bringing On the Sound back to life. For reminding us that with family there is joy even amongst sorrow. And, for the time we have together now.” Jack gripped Deb’s hand, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. “For none of us know how long we have in this world. Seize the joy and hold onto it.”

  Ben saw Amy dabbing away tears, and predictably by now, Tricia as well. And, surprisingly, Bliss, who was nodding her head in agreement, even as she wiped her eyes.

  “Well, I’m thankful for Kleenex, because how I’ll ever get through the next seven months without it, I don’t know,” said Tricia, and the group laughed, the mood lightening.

  When it got to Amy, she stood, raised her glass. “I’m thankful for each and every one of you. To my family—my parents, my sister and brother-in-law, darling nephews, niece or nephew-to-be—” she patted Tricia’s stomach. “And, to Jack and Deb. You stood by me in some tough times. To all of you here on Lopez…I came here, lost, alone and drowning in grief. You all, in different ways, threw me a lifeline and helped pull me to shore. I’m forever grateful for the way you welcomed me into your lives. And, finally, to Amelia. Thank you for leaving a legacy we all treasure.”

  “To Amelia!” the room echoed.

  As the group continued to give thanks, one by one, some of them funny, sweet or touching, Ben found himself listening with only half an ear and watching the way the candlelight flickered on Amy’s face at the opposite end of the long table. Her face lit up with laughter when the jokes were made, her eyes misted when the speaker got choked up. He never tired of watching her face. She glanced Ben’s way, and their eyes met and held in the dim light and when she smiled, Ben felt something in his heart break open and lift free.

  “Earth to Ben,” Nell nudged him, and he realized it was his turn. But, he was having a hard time looking away from Amy.

  Finally, he looked around at the rest of the table, momentarily at a loss for words.

  “Last Thanksgiving, I ate lukewarm Chinese takeout while I watched dailies for a truly terrible film I was working on. I was alone, because there was no one near that I cared enough to invite over. It was just another day. And today…” He looked around at the sea of faces, some sympathetic, some curious. “I was invited to join a family, because that’s what I see here. I echo what Amy said. I came here to Lopez, lost. Utterly and totally lost. Today, I feel found. I’m grateful to all of you.” He met Amy’s eyes, raised his glass to her. “I’m thankful for Amy, the strongest, sweetest, funniest, smartest and bravest woman I’ve ever met. She threw me a lifeline. She saved me. To you, Amy.”

  The group called out, “To Amy!”

  Amy got up, came down to the end of the table, cupped his face in her hands and kissed him long and deep. Ben pulled her onto his lap and held her as the conversation resumed. He laid his cheek against her head, closed his eyes for a brief moment.

  He hadn’t been entirely honest. He feared that his heart was forever lost and might never be found again—to this place. And, to this woman.

  Chapter 23

  “Happy birthday!” Hannah and Nell burst in through the kitchen door, both sporting gift bags dripping with ribbon.

  Amy turned from scrubbing the sink and smiled at her friends.

  “You guys. I’d say you shouldn’t have…” She dried her hands and then held them out. “But, gimme.”

  “I can’t stay long,” said Nell. “I’ve got a flight to Seattle in less than an hour, so open them now.”

  Amy sat at the banquette and pondered the bags, both the same size. “Which one first?”

  “Mine,” said Nell, shoving it into her hands.

  Amy narrowed her eyes. “You’re very excited. Is this some sort of gag gift? Am I going to find a fart cushion in here? Or a dildo?”

  Hannah pealed with laughter. “Or both.”

  “That does sound like something I’d do,” Nell admitted. “But, not this time.”

  “Hmm.” Still eying Nell warily, Amy began taking out the tissue paper. Her eyes widened when she pulled out the sheer top in a deep blue, edged with silver lace, with silver lace shoulder straps, and a matching blue thong.

  “That also seems like something you’d do,” commented Hannah.

  “Guaranteed to make Ben’s eyes pop right out of his head,” said Nell, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

  “I’ve never been given lingerie by a girlfriend for my birthday,” Amy said, fingering the silky material. “It’s kind of weird.” She paused, imagining Ben’s reaction. Her lips curved. “It’s absolutely gorgeous. I will not think of you when I’m wearing it.”

  Nell shrugged. “Whatever floats your boat, baby.”

  Amy laughed and reached for Hannah’s gift. She sifted through tissue paper, but didn’t find anything. Puzzled, she went through all the tissue again and found a small card.

  “Go outside,” it read in Hannah’s girly script.

  “Wow, is it going to be a new car with a big red bow on top, like those commercials?” Amy followed Hannah out to the front porch and stopped short at the sight of the small suitcase by the door.

  “Why is my suitcase outside?”

  “I packed for you.” Hannah smiled. “I got you an outfit for dinner tonight.”

  “I’m totally confused,” Amy said.

  Nell grinned. “I know, isn’t it great? Come on, we’re going to be late.”

  Hannah giggled. “This is so fun!”

  “Are we having a girl’s weekend?” Amy perked up. “I don’t have any guests this weekend. Oh, my gosh. Are we the ones you’re flying to Seattle? I’m getting seriously excited. I can’t remember the last time I took a weekend off.”

  “Damn. We’re going to have to tell her.”

  Nell shrugged. “Let’s do it in the car, or we’re going to be late.”

  “Tell me what?” Amy asked as Nell picked up her suitcase, and Hannah dragged her to Nell’s waiting car.

  “It’s not a girl’s weekend, but you are going to Seattle.” Hannah shoved her inside the car. “That’s all I’m going to say. Except, have a fantastic time. I’ll lock up and check in on the inn until Monday.” She leaned down and kissed Amy’s cheek. “Happy birthday.”

  Nell revved the engine, and they took off, Amy frantically fastening her seat belt. She tried to get Nell to answer, but Nell just cranked up the radio and grinned at her.

  Instead of the airport, Nell took them to the marina. There at the dock, by Nell’s little seaplane that she used for Seattle trips, stood Ben, a bouquet of mixed roses in his hand and a suitcase at his feet.

  “I wouldn’t get you sexy underwear for a girl’s weekend, for God’s sake,” Nell said. “This was all his idea, by the way. Well, Hannah may have butted in and spilled the beans that it was your birthday, but he took it from there.”

>   Amy sat in disbelief for a second. She purposely hadn’t mentioned her birthday to Ben—it made everything too complicated. Too…relationship-y. What would he get her? What would she expect? Definitely not a weekend in Seattle.

  Nell nudged her. “Earth to Amy. I can hear the wheels turning in that fevered brain of yours. What does this mean?” She rolled her eyes. “Girl, it’s a weekend away with your sexy man toy.”

  Amy laughed. “He’s not a toy.”

  “Then you’re not doing it right. His talents are wasted on you.”

  “Shut up.” But, Amy laughed and followed Nell’s advice. She got out of the car and wheeled her suitcase to where Ben waited.

  “Happy birthday.” He handed her the flowers. “Did you think you could hide that from me? Hannah told all, and even told me you’re a wise old 33 now.”

  Amy threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “This is incredibly thoughtful.” She whispered in his ear. “Are you going to make me come 33 times?”

  She felt him grow hard immediately and laughed.

  “What the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl gets.” He grinned down at her.

  Nell loaded their gear into the seaplane. Before long, Amy had settled into the window seat next to Ben, and Nell puttered the plane out of the marina and into open water. Amy glanced over at Ben as the plane gathered speed and lifted up and away from the water. She knew he’d traveled to Australia, France, South America and Russia for his films, so she expected he’d find the 45 minute flight to Seattle pretty ordinary. But instead, he craned his neck to peer around her and out the window, delight lighting up his blue eyes.

  “This is so cool. I’ve never been in a seaplane.” He all but bounced in his seat, and she got a glimpse of the little boy he’d once been.

  She smiled. “Maybe we should trade seats.”