by Nina Bocci
“Fancy meeting you here, Dr. Max,” I said, sliding over on the porch swing to make room for him.
He sat and pushed us off so that the swing moved in the warm breeze. “I was stopping by to check on Suzanne, and, I admit, hoping to run into you.”
“Really, now. How convenient that I’m sitting out here,” I said, bumping his shoulder with mine.
“Convenient indeed. What brings you out here? Just enjoying the beautiful night?” he asked, waving to the setting sun lighting the sky in orange and purple.
“Yes, actually. I was antsy and couldn’t seem to shake off the day. This, well—this wasn’t something that I could do in New York. Just sit in the fresh air and be. It’s exhilarating.”
“There’s nothing like this place at sunset. If you’re ever back behind Gigi’s house at this time of night, trust me. Magic.”
“Maybe I’ll do that later,” I said, bumping his shoulder again.
“Maybe, you’ll have some company,” he said, bumping mine back.
Just then, Mrs. Mancini walked onto her porch and waved her arm over. “Yoo-hoo, Max!”
“I’m being summoned,” he said teasingly. “If I don’t bring her this, she’ll stomp over and take it.”
“What is it? Never mind. I’m not sure I want to know.”
“Contraband of the highest order. Diabetic shakes,” he said, showing me what was in the bag. “We order them for her at the office, since it’s cheaper for her. I deliver them, because, well, she gives me cookies.”
I laughed. “Her cookies are a thing of legend.”
“Maybe I’ll see you later, then?”
I smiled. “Maybe.”
Later was twenty minutes, and when I heard his steps crunching across the grass, I turned. “You’re right, this is magic.”
With the bright moon above us, we wandered around Gigi’s property, skating past the woods and not dipping inside because who knew what sort of beasts hid among the trees. By the time midnight rolled around, I was exhausted and a bit chilly and Max was extending an invite for another magical midnight stroll.
7
After a couple of days of much-needed rest and relaxation, I was up before the sun, which was typical of my old life and schedule. The commute to Manhattan was pretty easy, even if the hours were hellish.
“Gigi, I’m running into town, do you need anything?” I asked, sliding into the kitchen with socked feet.
“My goodness, what made you do that?” she asked, smiling at my feet.
I shrugged. “I don’t know, why?”
She laughed, pushing the motorized scooter’s joystick to make her roll slowly toward me. “Because you used to do that all the time as a little girl. Slide into the kitchen or dining room. Anywhere there was a hardwood floor.”
I thought about it for a moment, but nothing came to mind. I was finding that the more I wanted memories to reveal themselves to me, the less likely they would.
“I don’t remember that but as long as it makes you laugh, I’ll keep doing it,” I said, bending down to kiss the top of her head. “I’m not going to be long. I thought I’d grab some wine or dessert to have with dinner since Dad and Dr. Max are bringing dinner here.”
“Thank God,” she said, followed by a barking laugh. “I was worried that we would have to fend for ourselves and cook. Lovebug,” she added quickly. She reached into her pocket and then held her hand out to me. “Take this.” She deposited some cash into my palm. Before I could protest, she cut me off. “Grab wine and get a cake from the store. There isn’t an actual bakery anymore, but the grocery store ones aren’t awful.”
“A ringing endorsement!” I shouted, earning another laugh from Gigi. “Anything else you need from town?”
She shook her head, yawning as she did it. She couldn’t have been up for more than a couple of hours, but she was already eager for a nap. “Why don’t you lie down while I’m gone? That way you won’t get into any trouble with Mancini next door.”
“No, I’m fine. Henry is popping over to help me with something, so I have to stay awake.”
“Oh, Henry’s coming?” I asked, trying not to linger. I was curious about this guy whom I apparently had a whole childhood of memories with. I had already said I was leaving; how would it look if I happened to stay until he arrived?
“Yeah, soon, I think. He’s probably bringing lunch, if you want to hurry back.”
I shook my head. “No, I’ll let you spend time with your friends. I was just going to apologize again for—”
“Almost leaving him sterile?”
“Gigi!” I shouted, much like a mom would at her misbehaving child. “Between you and Dad and the medical terminology, it’s enough to make my hair curl.”
“Oh, hush. You go, and I’ll say you’re sorry. By the way, Suzanne will be over later. She fancies Dr. Max, too.”
“Wait, what do you mean by too?”
She gave me a pointed look, her gray eyes alight with mischief. “I saw your face when you were texting him. There were also a couple of nice-looking young people walking around the property in the moonlight. … He’s very attractive and single. You’re single and very attractive. It’s simple math.”
“Gigi, are you advocating a dalliance with Dr. Max?”
“I’m saying you’re only single and young once. And the field is green here in Hope Lake. Explore, my darling. But if you tell your father I said that I’ll hit you with a frying pan.”
I inched away. “I’ll be back. Love you.”
“Love you more. Oh, wait!” she called out just as she pushed the saloon door forward with the motorized scooter. “How are you getting into town? Sure, I can’t drive anymore, but I’m not keen on my car being impounded because you’re a criminal.”
“God almighty, I’ll never live this down. And wait, do you even have an impound here?”
“Of course! If you get into trouble, Birdy keeps your car in his driveway. No one dares steal it from there.”
“Well, thankfully I won’t be having anything impounded. As far as my ride, Emma texted this morning to let me know that she was sending someone to pick me up, since, you know, I’m not a legal driver.”
She yawned again, but this time, it was fake. “Good luck with that. Let’s hope she doesn’t send her father! I love Enrico, but that man can talk paint off a wall. He’s one of those Ubie drivers now that he’s retired.”
“It’s Uber, and no, I don’t think it’s her dad.”
I kissed the top of her head again just as a horn beeped outside. “My mystery date is here. I’ll see you later!”
“Have fun!” she shouted, as the front door closed.
I half expected her to follow me out to see who it was. Sure enough, she wheeled herself to the side windows and peered outside. She gave me a thumbs-up as soon as she saw the car.
In the driveway was a sleek, navy-blue BMW sedan. The driver slid out, and I recognized him immediately—it was hard not to, living in this town. “Mr. Mayor,” I said, walking toward him with an extended hand.
He shook it, but kept it held tight. “It’s good to see you again, Charlotte. Long time.”
Cooper was dressed casually for an on-duty mayor on a Wednesday afternoon. He had on a light green polo shirt and khaki pants.
He smiled, releasing the full-blown Cooper charm, and I saw exactly why Emma had fallen hard for him.
“How did I win getting chauffeured by the mayor? Or did Emma bribe you to come way out here for me?”
Cooper’s eyes twinkled. “I’ll have you know, I offered to pick you up, and I had to nearly fight our previous mayor for the honor of taking you into town.”
“Oh, really? Why is that?”
“I’m here to welcome our newest resident. Welcome back to Hope Lake.” He held out his hand and unleashed another grin.
“Visitor,” I corrected him before the pleasantries went any further. “I’m not sure that I’m staying.”
He mocked surprise by placing his hand on
his chest. “Oh, really? Emma didn’t mention that.”
“Uh-huh, I’m sure. In all seriousness, though, thanks. It’s rough not having easy access to cheap public transportation.”
Cooper laughed. “This isn’t public, but it is cheap.”
“I think we have very different definitions of cheap, Mr. Mayor. Nice ride. This new gig must pay you well.” I was teasing, and we both knew it. Cooper was old money.
“What’s the plan, Mr. Mayor?”
“You realize you can just call me Cooper, right?”
“This is more fun.”
Cooper sighed. “I’ve got strict orders to deliver you to Emma.”
“Deliver? What am I, a sofa?”
Cooper barked a laugh as he opened the passenger door for me. “Can I give you a warning?”
I rolled my eyes before sinking into the plush leather interior. “Something tells me that you’re going to give it whether I agree or not,” I mumbled once he shut the door.
Cooper walked quickly around the front of the car. He glanced up at Mancini’s house and waved knowingly. The curtains quickly shut.
Once we were inside the car, Cooper drove down the empty street, beeping quickly to a Jeep that had its turn signal on.
“Slow down a second. Is that Henry?” I asked, turning to see the Jeep pulling into Gigi’s driveway. She was back on the porch, waving to the large man lumbering up the steps. He bent down, kneeling on one knee and taking her hands in his. My heart skipped a beat at the tenderness, and I wished that Cooper would have just stopped so I could watch what happened next.
“Yep. Whenever Gigi has a book question, Henry is her number one guy,” he explained, tapping a rhythm out on the steering wheel. “Come to think of it, he’s her number-one guy for everything. Maybe except gardening. That’s when she calls Nick.”
“Jealous?” I teased, smiling when Cooper nodded.
“Everyone in town vies for Gigi’s love and affection.”
That didn’t surprise me one single bit.
“Can you swing back around? I wanted to tell him something.”
“Do you mean apologize?”
“I swear, news in this place spreads like a flash fire.”
He laughed. “That’s an accurate assessment. I’ll give you five minutes. I’m not going to be on the receiving end of angry Emma.”
“Deal,” I promised.
Making a quick U-turn, he pulled back into Gigi’s drive. I took the steps two at a time and slid to a stop at the front door.
I walked in, trying to be quiet so I didn’t interrupt Henry and Gigi’s conversation.
Just as I reached the pocket doors, they began to emerge, and panic struck. Why, I will never know. Maybe it was the shocking blue of his eyes or the genuine beaming smile that he gave me.
Whatever it was, I spun too quickly without saying anything and ran into the standing coatrack. Which then fell into Henry.
“Oh my God, I am incapable of normal function!” I howled, but it was covered by Gigi’s cackling in between asking poor Henry if he was all right.
“Just go, girl, before you kill the man!” Gigi shouted, continuing to laugh.
Henry looked fine, red-faced, but fine.
I descended the porch stairs as fast as my legs could carry me.
Back in the passenger seat, Cooper was laughing.
“How did you know?”
He shook his head. “I saw the whole thing through the window.”
“I am hopeless,” I insisted, my head falling into my hands.
Cooper remained silent while he pulled back out of the drive and zipped down the road. “You’re not hopeless. I do think you’re overwhelmed, though. This place is a lot to take in. Especially for someone like you.”
I turned. “What does that mean?”
At the stop sign, he put up his hands in defense. “Not in a bad way. Just in a you were already here way, and people have all these expectations that you have to live up to. Or deal with. To complete strangers, this place is a lot. To someone like you, with a history, it’s got to be even more confusing.”
“Well, you’re not wrong there. It’s definitely an adjustment. One that I didn’t quite anticipate. This whole place feels like it should come with a warning. Speaking of, what’s your warning, Mr. Mayor?”
Cooper looked around as if Emma were listening and going to surprise him. His expression turned from playful to concerned.
“Emma has plans. Somehow … ,” he started, blowing out a deep exhale. “Somehow she’s convinced you fit into those plans.”
“What are these plans?” I asked, wondering what exactly I was walking into.
“Oh, no. I’m not going there. That’s your conversation to have. Just do us both a favor.”
“What?”
He turned the car in to a small parking lot behind an old stone building. Workers milled around outside, some taking a smoke break, others chatting over a copy of what looked like building plans.
“If there is no hope for you to stay here, don’t encourage her. It’ll only make things harder when you leave.” He slipped out the door and came around the front of the car, shaking hands with a couple of the workers before stepping over and opening my door. “I understand that you don’t remember your childhood here, but Emma does, and when you left the first time, it really hurt her. All of us, really, but mostly her and Henry.”
“About that—” I began, but he was already continuing.
“I’m glad you’re here, Charlotte, but I have to look out for Emma first. I really don’t want to see her hurt because she thinks you’re here to stay.”
I opened and closed my mouth a few times before simply nodding. I knew what he meant, even if it did paint me in a less-than-flattering light. That was a hard pill to swallow, and I didn’t want to admit it, but it hurt knowing that she was hoping I was going to stay but preparing herself if I decided to go.
* * *
BEFORE COOPER LEFT, he blew a kiss to Emma, who was looking out at us from a window that overlooked an alley. She knocked on the window and waved excitedly for me to join her at the front of the building. At least, I think that’s what she was motioning with her hands. It was either that, or she was doing some sort of aerobics.
I walked through the alley where a building opened out onto Main Street. Cooper had driven in from behind the building, and I hadn’t realized we were in the center of the town square.
“The town looks great, doesn’t it?” Emma asked, standing beside me. We stayed there for a moment, side by side, staring at the hustle and bustle of the town. “It’s not even busy yet. Give it a month. This place will be packed.”
“Wow. I can’t imagine it. I look forward to seeing that.”
She nodded and rubbed her hands together. “Oh yeah, the B and B’s are already booked through mid-September, that’s a few hundred people right there. We have some local families using Airbnb and VRBO to rent out their places for a couple of weeks at a time while they’re traveling. The Jackson family, which operates the JOE facility here, are even talking about venturing into the boutique hotel market and are taking over an old textile plant near the lake opposite the brewery.”
“I’m just … ,” I started, unable to find the words. “Impressed.”
“Why, thank you,” Emma said, the happy and excited expression evident on her face.
“It’s something to be proud of. It’s a destination, Em,” I said honestly.
There were customers milling about in front of the antiques store that had wares out on the sidewalk. Across the pedestrian walkway there was a bookstore with signs in the window that I couldn’t read from this distance. Nice to see the independent stores were alive and well.
After a while of talking about the town, Emma turned around to face the building we were standing in front of. The building, whatever it had been or was becoming, had a killer storefront location. Its four large, rectangular front windows looked out over the busy section of Hope Lake.
“How did he get here so fast?” I asked, pointing toward the man.
Emma looked over quickly, then whipped back around smiling. “Where was he, and why are you paying attention to his schedule?”
Henry had changed the white shirt he had on when I saw him at Gigi’s to a navy-blue T-shirt that was pulled tight over his back. Does this guy have any shirts that fit him? I watched him carry a round, wrought iron table with ease. He placed it down, then marched back inside to carry out two chairs without missing a beat. He made it look like he was carrying pillows.
The more I stared, the more I could see Emma out of the corner of my eye watching me, watching him. “Interesting,” she said, and her hands twisted together in what I was realizing was her way of keeping her excitement in check.
“I wasn’t sure you’d recognize him,” she said with a laugh. “Wait, let me yell to him to lie on the ground and whimper.” She laughed even after I slapped her arm.
“It was an accident, Jesus!”
Upright, and not cringing in pain, he was more attractive than I’d realized—even at this distance. I couldn’t see his face when he was on the porch, or when I knocked the coatrack into him, and certainly not when he was bowled over in pain.
“I still can’t believe you don’t remember him from way back,” Emma said, scrunching her face in confusion. “I mean, you guys—”
“I know, I know. Inseparable.”
She nodded. “You’re a baffling mystery, Charlotte. Before you get distracted by the muscles, I’ve got something to show you.”
“Emma, listen—” I began, but she cut me off.
“I’m sure Cooper talked to you. I know he means well and is just trying to protect me, but I’m a big girl. I’m not hanging the moon and the stars on thinking that you’re going to stay. This idea that I’m about to share with you is just something for you to do while you’re here. Honestly, it would be helping me out just until you leave.”
