“Of course. I came when it first opened.”
“Um, this is my friend Julie. And Julie, this is Drew Spencer.”
“Aha, the lighthouse guy.” She gave Drew an appreciative once-over. “I’m meeting someone for a drink,” she said, turning back to Grace. “Would you two care to join us?”
Someone else besides Henry knows about Grace’s project was Drew’s first thought and his second was that from Grace’s sheepish face, she’d made the same connection. So why the big fuss about telling her parents?
“Uh...”
“I think I’ve had my share of drink tonight,” Drew swiftly put in. He didn’t know what Grace was about to say, but he did know he wanted to spend the rest of this special night alone with her. Not in some bar.
From the smile Grace directed at him, he’d made the right decision.
Julie shrugged. “Okay, well, if you change your mind, come to The Lobster Claw. Oh, and don’t forget the fireworks down at the harbor, just after nine.” She gave a quick wave and disappeared into the groups of people milling around the tables.
“The Lobster Claw?” Drew smirked.
“It’s a pub. I told you this town could almost qualify as a theme park. But thanks for the rescue. I think the fireworks will be a lot more enjoyable than a noisy pub on July Fourth.”
“I’m with you. Shall we?” He gathered up the empty plates onto a tray and stood. By the time he deposited it on a nearby holding station, Grace was waiting at the entrance. The light bouncing off her eyes from the Christmas decorations was no match for her smile.
“Shall we stake out a spot for the fireworks?” he asked as he draped an arm across her shoulders and led her away from the bustle of the square into the dark streets beyond. When they reached the harbor, Grace tucked herself into his side as people also walking to where the fireworks would be viewed pressed against them. Drew’s arm tightened around her and he was beginning to think the pub might have been less crowded.
“I know where we can watch them without anyone around,” Grace shouted over the clamor of voices around them. “Keep walking till we get to the beach road and I’ll tell you where to go from there.”
Most of the crowd lingered around the harbor area while some continued on to the beach. Despite a bit of jostling, Drew managed to keep Grace under his arm all the way to where the boardwalk and paved road merged into the sandy beach road.
She stopped suddenly, pointing to her left. “See that clump of trees? There’s a set of stairs in the middle of it.”
He looked beyond the cottages and houses leading upward from the road until he spotted a light way above, shining like a tower’s beacon. “Your parents’ house?”
“You’ve seen it before?”
“Henry pointed it out to me when we went to the lighthouse.”
A sudden explosion caused them to swing around. Tentacles of red, white and blue streaked down from the dark night sky.
“They’ve started! Come on.” Grace pulled Drew by the hand and they ran to the bottom of the staircase.
The fireworks were in full force by the time they’d climbed midway up the stairs to a landing with a long wooden bench. “My dad built this when we were young, so we could have a resting place on our way up from the beach,” Grace said as they sat on the bench overlooking the beach and beyond it, the bay.
Drew pulled her against him as the sky filled with color. When she glanced up at him, her eyes sparkling in the afterglow of fireworks, he felt a burst of emotion that he couldn’t quite identify. Something more than pleasure or satisfaction. Was it as big as joy? Or did it even matter whether he could name it or not? He only knew that he wanted to kiss this woman leaning into him.
He ran his finger along the curve of her cheek down to her mouth, along her lips that were already parted and lowered his mouth to hers. What began as a friendly kiss became something more as he pulled her close enough to feel her trembling against him. Her arms reached up around his back and Drew had a fleeting sense of the fireworks exploding above and Grace’s lips on his until he lost himself in a long, breathless moment.
CHAPTER TEN
“NO NO NO! This is not a good idea, Gracie. Think about it.”
Grace watched Ben pacing back and forth in her living room. “I have, Ben. All night long. That’s why I asked you to come over this morning so I could explain everything before dinner tonight. In case...well, in case the subject comes up.”
He stopped to stare at her. “Why would it come up unless you raised it yourself?”
“I just want your support.”
“I don’t get why you want to do this after all these years.”
“Please, sit down so we can talk.” Grace could see he was still processing what she’d told him. She hadn’t seen him this upset since that night seventeen years ago when the police came to their door to say that Brandon was missing. The details of that night were etched in her memory. One in particular that had always puzzled her had been the moment Ben had handed over to the police the note she and Cassie had sent to Brandon. She’d been stunned, wondering how he’d gotten hold of it until he’d said he’d met Brandon near the lighthouse after deciding to go to the bonfire after all. That had shaken Grace. What if he’d turned up just as Ella was meeting Brandon? Yet if he had, the whole tragedy might never have happened. Grace sighed. It was too late now for thoughts like these.
He was still shaking his head in disbelief when he sat down on her sofa.
“When I came back home five months ago, I realized that as much as I’d tried over the years to deal with what happened that summer—to make it all simply a bad thing that happened in our family—I couldn’t. Every time I go to the beach or walk along the harbor or go anywhere down near the water, I see that lighthouse. It’s a constant reminder.”
“Then why not go along with the proposal this Drew guy gave about tearing it down? Get the blasted thing out of all our lives.”
“Cut it out, Ben. He’s not ‘this Drew guy’! You met him. You had lunch with him. Don’t do that.” She saw a flicker of surprise in his face. Her big brother wasn’t used to heated words from her. “Brandon shouldn’t be forgotten. He was fourteen years old. He deserves to be remembered.”
“He hasn’t been forgotten, Gracie, and he never will be, certainly not by his mother and sister. Do they know anything about this scheme of yours?”
“No, but—”
“The least you can do is pass it by them first. See if they’re willing to support it. If not, then you should scrap the whole idea.”
“I need to know if you’re on my side.” She watched him lower his forehead onto his palms, his fingers rubbing the top of his head. He always did that as a kid. Taking a break from an argument—usually one with their father—to think and compose himself.
Grace had to smile. He was a whole lot more like Charles than he’d ever want to admit. Each of them had their mother’s naturally curly black hair but while Grace also inherited Evelyn’s sculpted nose and cheeks, Ben had received their father’s stern brow and his need to run the show.
“I’m always on your side. You should know that by now.”
She saw the slightly injured look in his eyes. He’d always been on her side in the past, but he might not be again—if he knew everything about that night.
“And what’s going on with you and Drew?”
He’d changed tactics—another typical Ben move. “I don’t have a clue what you mean.”
“Don’t be so obtuse, Grace. First Mom and Dad and I encounter you two on the waterfront yesterday and—”
“We met to discuss his recommendation.”
He waved a dismissive hand. “Then I hear you had dinner with him at the rib-fest—”
“What! How—”
“I bumped into Julie Parker at The Lobster Claw.”
This was precisel
y why she’d avoided the Cove all these years. “First of all, where I go and what I do is none of your business. And second, you yourself told me coming back here would be a lot nicer if I reconnected with friends and assimilated into the community. Right?”
“Grace.”
She knew that tone. Another gene from their father.
“Don’t digress,” he said quietly. “Julie knows, too, doesn’t she? Because she realized I didn’t know what she was talking about when she mentioned ‘the guy here about the lighthouse’ and she clammed right up. Why is our family the last to know your plans?”
Her teenage self might have started crying at this point, but that girl was long gone. “Drew has become a friend. I like him and I hope I continue to see him when all this business is wrapped up. As to our family? We’re not very good communicators. You know that. No one talks about Brandon, no one conjures up any old stories about him. No one tries to keep him in alive in our minds. It’s time we gave him that respect.”
“And Aunt Jane? Suzanna? What about their feelings?”
“You’re right. The people closest to Brandon should be consulted and they will be when I know it’s definitely going to happen.”
“So that brings us back to my original question. What if they don’t want it?”
“I don’t know, Ben. I really don’t. But I need to try to make this happen.”
He got up. “Look, I have to go. I’ll be at dinner tonight but all I can promise is that I won’t say anything against the idea.” On his way to the door, he turned to add, “I’m sure Dad will have enough to say about it anyway.”
“We were all affected by what happened to Brandon, including you, Ben. Think how different our lives might have been if that night hadn’t happened. You left and never came back until Dad’s surgery. You married Jen when you might have—”
“No, Grace, don’t go there.”
She saw the hurt in his pale face. “I’ll see you tonight,” he muttered as he closed the door behind him.
She plopped onto the sofa, exhausted by their talk. Ben had changed so much from the teasing, often indulgent, older brother she’d adored. Now he always seemed so constrained. She knew in her heart that he’d be a completely different person if the dreams and hopes of that summer had come true. He’d never spoken Ella Jacobs’s name aloud since she and her family left the Cove at the end of the Labor Day weekend. And it was all Grace’s fault.
Grace might have sat there the rest of the morning, ruminating over the past but the chime from her cell phone got her off the sofa. It was a text from Drew. Felix has escaped again. I’ll text when I’ve found him so maybe meet at the marina a bit later?
Just as well, Grace thought, as she quickly replied ok. She’d have time to pick up snacks for their boat cruise and get in line for tickets. When Drew had walked her to her door last night, there’d been one of those awkward moments. His kiss had taken her by surprise but at the same time, it hadn’t been completely unexpected. She couldn’t pinpoint when the shift from business to friendliness had occurred but suspected their light banter over dessert at The Daily Catch had been the beginning. Last night he’d placed his hand on her back to guide her through the crowd and casually draped his arm across her shoulders as if it belonged there. The sensations running through her then had little to do with friendliness.
She hadn’t been truthful when she’d told Ben she and Drew were just friends. The kiss hadn’t been a kiss between friends. That realization struck home sometime in the middle of the night. She was broaching the danger zone—that transition from friendship to relationship—and knew it was time to step back. As much as she’d enjoyed his kiss and snuggling in his arms, there was no possible future for them. Drew deserved someone untainted by the past. And she needed to focus on her goal—buying the lighthouse and establishing Brandon’s memorial. If losing a chance with Drew Spencer was the price she had to pay, so be it.
Getting the family on board without admitting her part in that awful night would require a balancing act. In spite of Ben’s doubts, Grace believed she could do it.
* * *
DREW SWORE. He’d stepped outside to snap a photo because the early morning light over the water was breathtaking. The fire-red of daybreak had morphed into rose-colored streaks against a cobalt sky and there, at the end of its rocky promontory, was the lighthouse, spotlighted by the rising sun. If he hadn’t been gawking at the spectacle, Drew might have noticed Felix casually stroll between his legs onto the porch. Before he could shout more than a “hey,” the cat was gone.
But he didn’t run after it because he’d already figured out that Felix was a cat who knew what was best for him. He’d accepted Drew’s presence unequivocally, wrapping around his calves just long enough for Drew to get the message and refill the stainless-steel dish on the floor next to the fridge.
He shot a few more photos and was about to set his camera down when the sudden appearance of a distant figure near the lighthouse prompted him to zoom in. He couldn’t be certain, even with the telephoto, who the person was but the skirt flaring up in the offshore breeze suggested a female. Drew rotated the lens, trying to get a clearer image. There was no one else around and the lighthouse wasn’t exactly on the tourist trail. He snapped off pictures until the woman disappeared behind the dunes. Perhaps Grace would recognize her. Unless it was Grace?
No, Drew thought, but decided to text her about Felix right then and suggest meeting a bit later. Last night Grace had suggested a boat cruise around the outer bay for today and either pack a lunch or eat out afterward. He’d have agreed to anything that involved spending more time with her, even though his stomach lurched at the idea of the cruise. He hadn’t been on a boat of any type since that day a year ago and he had no idea how he’d handle himself. Yet for some reason he didn’t feel ready to talk about it with Grace. He hoped he would be able to someday, but for now, he didn’t want anything to tarnish the image of the confident Coast Guard officer he’d worked so hard at presenting.
He took his camera inside and set out on foot to look for Felix. Although the cat would eventually come back, Drew was reluctant to go on the cruise without at least trying to find him. If he couldn’t, he’d leave water outside and there was shade from the porch overhang. He headed down the street toward the beach road and the dunes, thinking if he didn’t see Felix on the way, he might encounter the mystery woman from the lighthouse. The air was cooler when he reached the beach and as he walked, Drew glanced left and right for the cat. When his phone chimed, he saw Grace’s reply—ok. So likely not Grace, he thought. But then who?
By the time he reached the deserted cottage where he’d climbed with Henry a few days ago, Drew decided to continue on to the lighthouse. There was no sign of the woman—or the cat—on the way. She must have taken the route on the other side of the dunes. Drew stood for a few minutes, his back to the sun, scanning the expanse leading away from the lighthouse path. The dunes ended at a handful of cottages on the outer edge of the residential area where Henry lived. From there, the town connected to a paved road leading up to the highway and the new housing development. Whoever the woman was, she’d vanished.
Drew decided to go on to the lighthouse before returning to Henry’s. It wasn’t long before he guessed why the woman had been there. A fresh bouquet of flowers rested atop the rotting pile he’d noticed days ago. He drew closer and spotted something new. A small flag, the kind children wave at parades, lay beside the flowers and next to it, a package of mini firecrackers. Someone had already established a memorial for Brandon Winters.
He wondered if Grace knew about this makeshift remembrance. Grace. He dug out his phone and texted her that he was on his way. If Felix had returned, all the better. As he turned onto Henry’s street, he spotted the cat waiting patiently at the front door and breathed a sigh of relief. The cruise was going to be stressful enough without worrying about Felix. When Grace had sugg
ested it, his immediate impulse was to flatly say no way. Then she’d told him some story about always wanting to do it when she was a kid but the opportunity never arose. He hadn’t paid too much attention because his mind was far away, out on a stormy sea, and the first queasy rumbles had begun in his stomach.
By the time Drew was waving to Grace, standing in line at the marina, all thoughts of the lighthouse, the mystery woman and his stomach had gone. He felt like a schoolboy with his first crush—breathless and giddy at the same time—unsure for a second where to place his hands in greeting when he came up beside her. Shoulders, for a quick hug? Waist, for a more intimate one? She solved the problem by placing a hand on his forearm and beaming up at him.
“I was getting worried. Trust you found Felix?”
He took her hand, intertwining their fingers. “Safe indoors, with plenty of food and water.”
The line moved forward as a crew member checked tickets. Drew looked anxiously at the boat as they walked up a metal gangway. It appeared sound enough but still his heart rate picked up. The boat was a typical tourist version of a fishing trawler: open-sided with a canvas canopy and two sections of benches for passengers with life jackets stowed beneath. The boat’s pilot stood at the wheel inside a small cabin, watching his passengers take their seats. He was well past middle age and Drew wondered if he was a local man, familiar with the waters of Casco Bay. He had no choice but to rely on faith and that thought took him to the men in the sinking boat off Bar Harbor. Nausea roiled in his gut and a cold sweat broke out all over.
Grace rushed ahead to get an outside place on a bench midway down the length of the boat and when Drew finally joined her, she placed a hand on his arm. “Is everything okay?”
The boat’s engine revved and Drew’s attention shifted to the crew untying the lines and pulling up the gangway. He craned round as the boat reversed, moving away from the dock. As it chugged out of the harbor, he was relieved to see the waters of the open bay were relatively calm with no visible whitecaps. He realized Grace was looking at him, waiting for an answer.
His Saving Grace Page 11
