by Kim Law
There was no doubt in her mind that Phillip knew what she and Mark had done. Well, the basics, anyway. Probably all of them had thought they’d had sex in the small room the “normal” way. Intercourse. Except they must have believed Mark was quiet in the act, since she’d been the only one making any noise.
But for the rest of the afternoon, she’d held her head high, pretending not to know what they were thinking about her. She and Mark had had a good time. Outrageously so. And she wasn’t going to apologize for it.
Nor was she going to apologize because she wanted to do it again.
Which had led to her no longer wanting to apologize for a slew of other things.
Not being any good at the job in Boston.
Not wanting the job in Boston.
Not wanting a career like her mother’s.
She absolutely was not going to apologize for that. She’d tried for years to please Cassie Winters, and that had gotten her nowhere. Now she would please herself.
And that thought had led her to evaluate her current job.
She was proud of the company she and Aunt Ginny had built. She couldn’t be more so. And she was equally proud of the bar, her employees, and the atmosphere at both Seaglass and Gin’s. She’d done all that. It had been her idea, her vision. She and Aunt Ginny worked well together.
But if she were being 100 percent truthful, the business didn’t make her happy. She enjoyed giving people the weddings they’d dreamed of, yes. But all the details involved — and then dealing with everyone. Not everyone was a happy person. And even those who were happy to be getting married — or to be a part of a wedding — were sometimes just miserable to be around.
She could do without the frustration.
Though she wasn’t sure she knew what would make her happy, either.
She loved working at the bar, loved volunteering at the senior center, and she even liked the nights she held babysitter detail for the company. So what did that make her? It felt like it made her a slacker.
But she would let no one call her that, so she wouldn’t do it to herself.
She just had to figure out what in the world she wanted — and then how to get it.
First, though, she would make sure Seaglass was stable, and then she just might talk to Kayla about taking on an even bigger role. Kayla did the majority of the work already. Why not promote her and hire her some additional help?
And then what? Andie could mix drinks and talk to customers all day?
She sighed. The possibilities had sounded better in her mind when she’d been floating in the middle of the ocean earlier today.
She and Ginny headed down the raised walkway to the beach. She was glad the night wasn’t too dark and they could see without need of the flashlight tucked in her pocket. Ginny linked an arm through hers, and Andie smiled over at her aunt.
“Your mother and I spent some time together today,” Aunt Ginny said. The news wasn’t surprising, since her mother was supposedly there on the island to spend time with both of them.
“And how did that go? Ready to run her back to Kentucky?” Andie quipped.
Ginny’s laughter surprised Andie. It was light and … happy.
Andie peered at her. She had gotten the feeling that whatever was between her mother and her aunt, it was not light and happy. But maybe she’d been completely off base, and there wasn’t a big, bad secret between them.
But then again, what was going on that her mother wouldn’t talk about?
“She wants to stick around here for a while,” Aunt Ginny continued, which Andie already knew. But Ginny’s next words surprised her. “I invited her to stay at the house.”
Andie gaped. “Where? The house is full.”
“She can stay in my room.”
Those words really did come as a shock. Ginny was a welcoming, open woman, but she also valued her privacy. This had been clear to Andie her whole life. “You’re sure you’re okay with that?” she asked. “You’re not used to sharing your space.”
“It’ll be fine. And when the house isn’t full, she can stay in another room.”
Except that the house was full most of the time. “As long as you don’t put her in with me,” Andie muttered.
Ginny patted Andie’s arm but didn’t reply.
“When?” Andie let a few seconds go by before asking the question.
“Tomorrow.”
Hmmm. So her mother would move in with them the next day. But since Andie wanted to work on a relationship with her anyway, that was a good thing, right?
One could always hope.
“Did she say much about the divorce?” Andie asked. Whether her mother liked John or not, after twenty years of marriage, it had to be rough to walk out on him.
“Not too much. She’s sad, but I think also looking ahead to what’s to come.”
Which made Andie wonder exactly what was to come. The idea that they could all overcome the past and be one big happy family didn’t seem possible, but that didn’t mean Andie didn’t wish it could happen. Cassie had said she missed Andie. And that she wanted to heal the wounds between herself and Aunt Ginny. So maybe she was willing to make a change.
Only time would tell.
Ginny and Andie walked to the end of the boardwalk, both stopping to remove their sandals, then continued arm in arm down the stairs and across the sand to the lapping water. Yet another way in which she was like Ginny. They both loved the ocean.
Her mother — as far as Andie knew — had no such affinity.
When they reached the water, they turned loose of each other and lifted the hems of their dresses so they wouldn’t get wet. Then they turned north and headed up the beach, splashing their feet through the edge of the water. It was a ritual they’d shared many times together.
“What happened with Rob today?” Ginny asked a few steps into the walk. “Did Mark talk to him?”
Meaning, did Seaglass have a wedding to finish? Surprisingly, yes.
“He did, but it didn’t go the way either of us expected,” Andie replied, still reeling from what she’d heard. “He apparently wants to change careers. That was what we overheard the other night. Phillip is planning to get Rob into the state’s attorney’s office.”
“And he’s a defense attorney now, right?”
“Exactly. A partner in a major firm. One he worked hard to get into. But apparently he was already intending to finagle his way into state’s attorney by using the Jordan name. Seems Phillip and Penelope will be doing him a favor.”
Which was sad, given that Andie had also overheard him declaring that he wasn’t marrying Penelope for love. What was wrong with the man? Penelope was a terrific woman. She certainly deserved better than Rob.
Andie glanced at her aunt, wondering if she should reveal that last tidbit. Would Aunt Ginny suggest she share her newfound knowledge with the bride-to-be?
If she did, the wedding might once again be on the chopping block.
But if she didn’t … was she taking an active role in sending Penelope into a life of loneliness and deceit?
Aunt Ginny finally spoke again. “People do unexpected things.” Her tone had drifted to a faraway place, so Andie gave herself permission not to bring up Rob’s lack of love to Ginny.
However, she would need to think about it more later. Possibly, Penelope wouldn’t care. Maybe she even knew. Not all marriages came together out of love. But Andie had watched Penelope over the past week, and that girl was thrilled to be marrying Rob. She had stars in her eyes, she was so head over heels for him.
Dammit, it wasn’t fair that she had this knowledge.
Especially when her business was riding on the outcome.
Andie pulled the small flashlight from her pocket as they rounded an area that was darker. She preferred not using it for fear or disturbing sea turtles, but the section of beach where they were walking was not a prime nesting spot.
When she flipped on the light, she saw ghost crabs scurrying away from them. Their litt
le white legs moved so fast, it looked like their bodies were perched on wheels.
Ginny continued to walk silently beside Andie, seemingly lost in thought, and Andie found herself reluctant to bring up whatever lay between the two sisters. Maybe they could just walk for a while longer first, enjoy the peace and the gentle sound of the waves. Relaxing in this fashion was one of Andie’s favorite ways to end the day.
“So you and Mark got busy, huh?”
Andie came to an abrupt halt, nearly tripping and falling face-first into the water. Clearly, she should not have felt bad about bringing up her aunt and mother’s issues if she and Aunt Ginny were now going to talk about this.
“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” Andie replied. Ignorance. Always a good strategy.
Ginny grabbed Andie’s hand, the one that held the flashlight, and turned it so the light shone directly on Andie’s face. She squinted into the glare.
“You think I don’t know what went on in your bedroom yesterday afternoon?” Ginny asked. “Neither of you is walking around as tight as a guitar string needing plucking today. I know exactly what took the pressure off, child. I’m just wondering if it was good.”
Unable to hide her reaction, Andie gave her aunt a horrified look. She jerked her hand free and turned off the flashlight, pitching them into instant darkness. “Why do you insist on talking about stuff like that?”
What was wrong with discussing the weather? Maybe gossiping about some of the locals. But not chatting up her sex life!
“It’s a natural part of life. Why wouldn’t we talk about it?”
“Because some things should be kept private.”
“Only, your room is right above mine. I hear things.”
Andie’s stomach rolled, and the sandwich she’d grabbed for dinner almost insisted on a reappearance. Visions of her and Mark slamming against the wall, a lamp crashing to the floor, heated Andie’s face. And who knew what kind of noises they’d made during their … escapade. It wasn’t as if keeping quiet was what they’d been thinking about.
Andie turned back the way they’d come, suddenly ready to return to the house.
She maintained the silence for only a moment before admitting to herself that she actually wanted to talk about Mark. Maybe Ginny would have some answers.
But she did not want to talk about what had happened in her bedroom.
Or on the boat.
Another flush spread over her face as she thought about what Ginny would say if she’d been on the fishing trip with them. Heck, she probably would have asked for a full account of the bathroom activities before they’d made it back to shore.
With her anger abating, Andie slowed her steps and reached out to take Ginny’s arm in hers, pulling her close. They both still had their skirts lifted above the splashing water, and Andie now rested her head against Ginny’s shoulder. Her aunt had helped her out with a lot over the years. No reason they couldn’t discuss the situation now.
“I’m scared, Aunt Ginny,” Andie admitted softly. “I worry I’m falling for him again.”
And she worried she would end up in the same place she had last time. Brokenhearted.
“That’s to be expected, child. He was your love.”
“Was.” She lifted her head and looked at Ginny. “Right? He was my love. So why do I have to let that play into it this time? I’m trying to just have a casual fling and move on. I’m settled. I’m happy.” Except she knew she wasn’t really. “I thought casual would be fun.”
Ginny patted her cheek. “I’m not sure you’re made of casual, sweetheart.”
Pain settled behind the wall of Andie’s chest, and she wanted to turn into her aunt’s arms and cry. She wasn’t sure about casual, either. But she also wasn’t sure Mark could do anything else — even if she wanted him to. What she’d heard on the boat had explained so much. He had hang-ups with commitment.
Not that she had any idea if she even wanted a commitment.
But it did explain why it had seemed he’d been pushing her away in the past as much as she was now certain she herself had been pushing. Maybe he wanted marriage and a family, but she wasn’t convinced he was ever going to take them on.
She just wished she understood why. What had happened to him?
“I accused Mark yesterday of wanting to leave me to go back to Boston rather than risk getting involved with me again,” she admitted in the darkness. They were well away from the houses and cabins, so the only light was from the moon and what reflected off the water. “I hadn’t even realized I’d had that thought, yet there it was, just blurted out like that.”
“And what was his answer?”
The simple question had Andie turning loose of her aunt to stare at her face-to-face. His answer had shocked her as much as her making the statement had. “He asked if I wanted more.”
Aunt Ginny’s slim eyebrows lifted. “Do you?”
Andie paused, thinking about the question. Then she slowly shook her head. She did not want to be hurt again. Not that way. She’d rather give up wishing for more and live the life her aunt had instead of allowing herself to be vulnerable to Mark again. Or any man.
“I don’t think I do,” Andie finally answered. “It hurts too much when it falls apart.”
Ginny’s face wrinkled as if she were in pain, and she slowly nodded. She glanced away from Andie’s gaze to stare off into the dark waters. Lines etched her mouth as it pulled down in a frown, and she suddenly appeared to have aged, just as Andie’s mother had the night before.
“It does hurt when it falls apart,” Ginny whispered, almost as if to no one. “Even when it’s family instead of a man.”
Andie held her breath. Aunt Ginny had to be talking about her and Cassie.
A beat later Ginny grabbed Andie’s arm, and they once again headed slowly back toward the house.
“Your mother and I were once the best of friends, Andie.” Ginny squeezed her arm. “The best.”
It was hard to imagine the two totally different sisters being in the same room together, much less being best friends. “I find that a bit hard to believe.”
Ginny laughed, but the sound was small. “I can understand that, child. Your mother is a different person than she was fifty years ago.”
“How?”
“Well …” Ginny thought about the question for a minute and then grinned wide. “She and I once went skinny-dipping, right here on Turtle Island.”
Andie turned loose of both her aunt and the skirt of her dress. It dipped into the water. “No you did not.” She shook her head. “No way. My mother is all about being serious. She’s worked sixty hours a week my whole life. No way did she take off her clothes and jump in the water with you.”
Andie wasn’t even sure that was something she would do.
Ginny merely nodded, her natural smile coming back. “We did. When she was nineteen. And yes, your mother has always been serious in the way of wanting to make something of herself, but she used to be a whole lot more like me than you realize.”
They were walking again, Andie’s wet skirt plastered to her legs, and she couldn’t help but think of her and Mark in the water the night he’d arrived. She could see herself skinny-dipping with him. But her mother and her aunt?
It was too much.
They could now make out lights in the distance, and the two women slowed even more — an unspoken agreement between them not to get back too soon. They still had things to discuss.
“What happened, Aunt Ginny?” Andie asked. “What turned my mother into the woman she is today?”
“It was my fault,” Ginny admitted, and the sadness in her voice broke Andie’s heart.
She wanted to demand answers, ask how that could possibly be, but she sensed that Ginny needed to tell the story in her own time. So Andie remained silent, squeezing her aunt’s arm lightly for encouragement.
Once again she thought of Mark. He was good at giving her the same kind of gentle encouragement.
“The first time w
e came to the island, your mother was about to branch out on her own. She’d just graduated from high school and was looking forward to college. Athena was older and had a boyfriend she didn’t want to leave, but we talked her into coming with us. That’s the only way our parents would let us all come down here together. And we had the best time. We all agreed to come back the next summer, only when it rolled around, Athena didn’t show up. It was just me and your mother.”
Aunt Ginny paused before continuing. “And James. We met James here that second summer.”
“Your husband,” Andie stated.
“Yes. But I was only seventeen then, and he was more interested in your mother than me. He was several years older than me, so I was simply the little sister of Cassiopeia.” She smiled. “He loved our names. Always called both of us by our full names.”
So she’d been right, Andie thought. There had been something between her mother and James. “She told me last night that she’d met him before you two got married, but she didn’t say it had been anything more.”
Ginny nodded. “It was. She fell in love with him that summer.”
A wave slammed into Andie’s legs, and she looked down. They’d drifted farther into the water, and Aunt Ginny’s skirt was getting wet, too. Andie angled them back toward dry sand but squeezed her eyes shut at Ginny’s next words.
“Of course, I fell in love with him that summer, too.”
“Oh, Aunt Ginny,” Andie whispered. She wrapped one arm around her aunt. “I’m sorry. That couldn’t have been easy.”
Ginny shook her head. “No, it wasn’t. Nor was the next summer when we came back and once again met up with him. He spent all his time with us. With your mother. It hurt me to watch them together, yet that’s what I did all summer long. And then she went back to college, and I moved here and got a job. I’d just graduated high school. Pop had passed during that year, and Mama had to focus on taking care of her mother. So I packed my bags and headed here for a job.” She paused again, then admitted, “And for James.”
