Another Yesterday

by Angela Christina Archer

  Six o’clock.

  “I should already be there so I can help with breakfast.”

  “What is five more minutes?” he asked.

  Before I could answer him, he shifted his weight. I bit my lip, wantin’ him to keep going and never stop.

  “I really should . . .”

  “No, you shouldn’t.” He kissed my neck, movin’ with me. Our bodies like one instead of two, and by the time we finished, we both panted for breath.

  “If ya plan on makin’ me late all the time . . .” I playfully slapped his chest, scootin’ out from underneath him.

  “It’s not like you would have a bad reason.” He rolled over and flopped his back onto the mattress as his head hit his pillow.

  “Oh, I know, but I still can’t be late.” I sat up, bendin’ over to fetch my clothes from the floor. Rising to my feet, I shoved my arms in my sleeves and flipped the buttons through the holes.

  “If anyone would understand it would be Helen . . . and Nancy.”

  “Yeah, they are gonna be thrilled, aren’t they?”

  He sat up, lettin’ the sheet fall off his chest.

  “Aren’t you?”

  I stepped into my panties then my pants and yanked them one by one up over my hips, buttonin’ the jeans before I leaned back over the bed, kneelin’ on my hands and knees. My face was inches from his.

  “More than I thought I would ever be again.”

  We kissed and his hand fumbled with my shirt.

  I smacked it away.

  “No more.”

  “That’s cruel.”

  “I meant no more right now.” I stood back up, pointin’ at him. “Tonight is a whole other story.”

  He opened his mouth then shut it. His eyes grew big. “I should come with you so I can get Rachel. I’ll take her down to the beach for a bit then bring her back to the house.”

  “Well, then, Mr. Grey, ya have about two minutes to get dressed.”

  “Oh, I do?”

  “Yep, otherwise I’m leaving ya here.”

  “There you are,” Nancy said as I entered in the kitchen. She cracked the egg in her hand, droppin’ it in the bowl then grabbed the whisk, blendin’ it along with twelve other yokes into a frothy mixture.

  “I know, I know. I’m so sorry I’m late.” I tossed my purse on the counter and grabbed the apron, tyin’ the strings behind my back as I made my way over to Rachel who was happily munchin’ on tiny pieces of cut up banana. “Hey, little one. Did ya have a good night?”

  “She had a great night. She played. She laughed. She crawled all over the front room then she crashed in the middle of the floor while Evan and I were making dinner. Poor thing. If I’d known she was tired, I would have put her in her crib. But I did after I found her drooling on the carpet.”

  “Sounds like her mother.” James let the kitchen door shut behind him as he walked in.

  “Oh, you just hush.” I waved my hand at him and he ducked as though I’d thrown somethin’.

  “Ha. Ha. Very funny, James.” Nancy rolled her eyes.

  “I thought it was.” He skipped over to Rachel and she squealed as though excited to see him. “Hello, darling. Do you want to go for a walk on the beach?” She smiled, and he unbuckled her from the highchair, pullin’ her out of the seat. She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, kickin’ her feet.

  She really had grown fond of him, too.

  “Let’s go find your hat,” he said to her.

  “It’s in the office,” Nancy told him.

  He bounced out of the kitchen, pausin’ as he passed me. We both looked at each other, and while I didn’t know if he was thinkin’ about the same thing—I fought the urge to kiss him.

  “Have a great day,” he whispered.

  “You too.”

  “So is James going to watch her today?” Nancy asked, pourin’ a bit of milk in the bowl with the eggs.

  “Yeah, and tonight too.”

  “I’ll let Evan know we have a free night then. Although, I think he has to do some work for his dad, so I might catch up on the book I was telling you about the other day.”

  “Ya know, I feel really guilty about ya having to watch her all the time.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t mind, and neither does Evan. It’s not like we are the type to need to paint the town red, if you know what I mean. We’re home anyways. Besides, I think Evan enjoys it. He was talking about us trying for a baby right away.”

  “Really?” I cocked my head to the side as I sauntered toward her, swayin’ in an overdramatic way as though to emphasize my curiosity.

  She smiled, givin’ me a wink. “Truth be told it might happen before the wedding.”

  “Are you?”

  “No. At least I don’t think I am. Oh, Lord, what would mother say?”

  “You could always bump up the wedding.”

  “She’d still know.” She let out a groaned sigh as though frustrated with the lack of control over her own life. “But I just wanted to tell you we really don’t mind watching her.”

  “I know, but I still feel guilty.”

  “You shouldn’t. We actually had a great time last night. After the Thompsons left, that is.”

  “They left?”

  “Oh, yeah. Screaming at each other like banshees all the way out the door and to their car.”

  “What happened?”

  She gave me a sideways glance before dumpin’ the eggs into a hot, buttered pan. “No, no. Not until you’ve told me all about last night. What did he make for dinner? What time did you get home? And why does he seem to be in the best mood I’ve ever seen him in? Come on, I want details.”

  “Well, he made a lasagna and I . . . well, I’ll get home when I go tonight.”

  Her eyes widened and as she screamed, she dropped the whisk and darted across the kitchen, wrappin’ her arms around me. “Oh my goodness. I’m so happy for you.”

  “What that we had sex?” I laughed.

  “No, that you . . . well, yeah, I guess so because it wasn’t just some one-night thing and you know it. You two are together now!”

  “I don’t know if I’d go as far as to say that.”

  She slapped my arm. “Oh, you are, and you know it.”

  “I should still probably talk to him about it.”

  “Oh, Maggie, he’s loved you since the day he met you. I don’t know why everyone else can see it but you.” She spun away and trotted back over to the eggs, movin’ them around the pan before they burned. “So, I suppose that is the reason for his good mood.”

  “I guess so,” I laughed.

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “How was he?” She glanced over her shoulder, givin’ me another wink.

  I shook my head. “Nope. Not tellin’.”

  “Oh, come on, I told you.” She playfully stomped her foot and pointed the spatula at me.

  “Fine.” I rolled my eyes. “Each time was amazin’. Better than the time before.”

  “Each time? How many times did you do it?”

  “This mornin’ was number four.”

  “Maggie!” Her mouth gaped open. “You better be careful or else I’m not the only one going to get knocked up around here.”

  “Who’s knocked up?” The door shut behind Helen and she glanced between the two of us. Her eyebrows arched high up her forehead.

  “No one, Helen,” I said, castin’ Nancy a grimace.

  “On that note, I guess I can safely guess your date with James went well?” Helen asked.

  “You can say that again,” Nancy said, laughin’.

  The rest of breakfast was spent recountin’ the evenin’—minus the details of our adventures underneath his sheets. The two women exchanged more glances than I could count; their eyes sparkled as though their devious plan to get us together had actually worked.

  TWENTY-SIX

  Maggie

  October 1967

  The days and weeks blended together as I spent time between the in
n, checkin’ in, takin’ care of, and checkin’ out guests and then with Rachel and James. It wasn’t long before summer was over and the weekends that were once filled with visitors began to dwindle slightly. People still visited once fall rolled around to admire the changing of the leaves, of course. But the weekdays dwindled to a few couples here and there, which allowed me more time with, not only my daughter, but also James.

  “Care for another slice?” He pointed toward the cake sitting in the middle of his dinin’ room table.

  “I couldn’t eat another bite.” I set my fork on my plate, slidin’ the dish away from me. “So, are ya going to tell me what we’re celebrating tonight?”

  “It’s a surprise.” He winked.

  “Yeah, ya said that. But what surprise?”

  “You will see.” He rose from the table, fetchin’ my plate along with his before he moved into the kitchen and set them in the sink.

  I stood too. “I’ll wash, you dry?”

  “Oh, no. You aren’t going to work tonight.”

  “Why?”

  He poured me another glass of wine then motioned toward it. “Because you are going to take this and Rachel and you two are going to go out onto the beach and watch the sunset.”

  “Oh, we are?”

  He picked up the happy toddler and handed her to me. “Yes, you are.”

  Before I could argue further, he pressed his hand on the small of my back, guidin’ me toward the door.

  Colors of orange and yellow met me as I made my way down to the beach and set Rachel down in the sand. She crawled through the fine grains and pebbles, pushin’ herself up into a standing position. She wobbled a little, swayin’ back and forth as she waved her arms. The few times she tried to take a step, she fell to her butt and screeched, slappin’ her hands in the sand as if to blame it for knockin’ her off balance.

  “Gotta have a flat surface like carpet or the tile floor, kid,” I said to her.

  “Down by the water would be good enough,” James said as he strolled down the beach toward us.

  “That didn’t take long.”

  “I left most of them in the sink. I’ll get to them later.” He stopped next to me but didn’t sit down. “I didn’t want you to have the view all to yourself.”

  “It certainly is stunnin’, isn’t it?”

  “Especially mine.”

  I glanced at him while he stared at me.

  “So, Rachel,” he moved around me, and bent down, pickin’ her up. “Shall we let Mommy in on the surprise?”

  “Ya told her, but ya wouldn’t tell me?”

  “Of course, she’s the perfect secret keeper.”

  “Yeah, well, she won’t be when she learns how to talk.”

  “She knows how. Huh, baby girl? Say Momma.”

  “Momma.” Rachel pointed at me and with her little voice, repeated the word several times as he took her down to the water’s edge where the sand was flat and hard.

  “Okay, Rach. Are you ready?”

  He set her little feet on the sand and as she held both of his index fingers, one in each hand, she took a few steps.

  “I think she’s going to start walking soon,” he said, glancin’ up at me. A proud smile beamed across his face.

  “Well, she should. She’s over a year old now.”

  He wiggled his fingers from her grasp and held onto her waist, helpin’ her a few steps before he let go. Her butt slammed into the sand. He helped her up again, tryin’ the pattern again. Both, with determination etched in their faces. Tonight was the night. They were sure of it.

  “What is the saying?” James asked. “Third time’s a charm? Or is it more than three?”

  “I think it’s three.”

  “Well, all right, Rach, this is your third time.”

  He held her waist once more, waitin’ for her to take a couple of steps before lettin’ go. Her body tipped forward slightly, but she remained on her feet, and he moved around to the front of her.

  “Come on, Rach. You can do it. Come to me.”

  She stared at him for a moment before pointin’ at him. “Lee. Lee,” the name she’d given him for one reason or another. My only guess was his whole name was too difficult for her just yet.

  “That’s right. Come on. Just one step.”

  My heart thumped and I set down the glass in the sand, rollin’ up onto my feet. Perhaps they were right, the two of them, usin’ their bond against me yet again. Not that I cared much.

  “I think she’s going to do it, Mags.”

  “I think she is, too.”

  We both sucked in a breath, holdin’ it as though us not breathing would somehow help her.

  It did.

  She took one step, then two, then three, and finally a fourth one before she lost her balance and her rump hit the sand once more.

  “She did it!” I screamed.

  James scooped her up in his arms, kissin’ both her cheeks as he spun her around. “You did it. You took your first steps.”

  He handed her to me, and I spun her around too, givin’ her several more kisses. “I’m in trouble now.” I laughed. “But good job, baby. You walked. Yes, you did. That was a great surprise.”

  “You know, now that she’s taken her first steps, I think we should to.”

  I stopped turnin’ her in circles and faced James. “I don’t understand.”

  He inhaled a deep breath and as he exhaled it, he got down on one knee and reached for my hand.

  “I think we should take the steps toward getting married. Mags, I love you. I’ve loved you for, well, since the night I bumped into you when you arrived at the inn. I love Rachel just as much, and I just . . . I just want us to be a family. Please, be my wife.” Before I could answer him, he yanked a box from his pocket and opened it. Inside, laid a beautiful band of gold with a square center diamond and two smaller square diamonds, one on either side.

  “We come as a pair, ya know,” I said.

  “Good thing my favorite number is two.” He stood, wrappin’ his arm around me and drawin’ me into him. He pressed his forehead into mine. “And I’ll love you both for the rest of my life. I want to be your husband and I want to be Rachel’s daddy.”

  “But don’t . . . don’t ya think it’s too soon? I mean, don’t ya think this is a bit . . . crazy?”

  “Of course, I think it’s crazy. But I don’t think it’s crazy enough to stop us.” He shifted away from me, clutchin’ my shoulders. “I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Don’t you feel the same?”

  I bit my lip for a moment. While I did feel the same, hesitation muddied my thoughts. I’d been a widow less than a year. What type of a woman does that? A desperate one, and I wasn’t desperate.

  “So, you don’t feel the same.” James released my shoulders, lettin’ his arms fall to his sides.

  “It’s not that I don’t. I just . . . I was pregnant and married a month after I met . . . I just don’t want to make the same mistake.”

  “He was a mistake? Or even more, am I a mistake?”

  “No, that’s not what I meant. I meant I just don’t want to rush into anythin’.”

  “So, you’ll spend every moment you can with me, practically moving into my cabin. But you don’t want to rush anything?”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “Sometimes the truth isn’t fair. But it all boils down to two sides of this coin: either you want to marry me, or you don’t. Plain and simple. Just say yes or no.”

  “You did what?” Nancy shouted across the kitchen. She was tappin’ the potato salad off the spoon and had dropped the utensil into the bowl.

  “I told him no.” I shrugged as I rolled the ground beef into a ball then threw it down on the cutting board, pressin’ it flat into a hamburger.

  “I can’t believe you did that.”

  “Honestly, I can’t believe it either.”

  She moved around the counter and marched up to me. “Then why on earth did you?”

  “
It’s too soon.”

  “Oh, that’s bull crap and you know it. Evan and I were engaged in what two or three months, and if I remember right you were less than that with your late husband.” I opened my mouth to defend myself, but she held up her hand to silence me. “Don’t even think about it. You can’t reason your way out of this, Maggie. You made a mistake. Just admit it.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I can’t be mad at myself any more than I already am!” I moved around her and washed my hands, usin’ far too much soap in my haste. Once rinsed, I grabbed the tray of hamburgers and the spatula, and headed toward the back door, out onto the porch. My footsteps stomped across the wood to the barbecue in the corner. The black coals had changed into an ash grey color and some even glowed with orange as the flames of the fire licked at them.

  The door opened and closed behind me.

  Did she have to follow me? Can’t she just leave me alone?

  “I can’t keep talkin’ about this with you, Nancy. Ya want me to admit tellin’ him no was a mistake, well, then fine. It was. It was the biggest mistake of my life. Way bigger than anythin’ I’ve ever done, and boy, have I made some huge mistakes.” I slid the spatula under one of the patties and lifted it off the tray, holdin’ it over the grate while I continued to rant. “But I did it, and I doubt I can undo it. I mean, he probably doesn’t ever want to see me again.”

  “That’s not true,” a male voice said.

  I spun around, droppin’ the hamburger on the deck.

  “James.”

  “Hello, Mags.”

  “What are ya doin’ here?”

  His shoulders hunched as he exhaled a deep breath and made his way over to me. He took the spatula from my hand then he bent down and cleaned up the heap of hamburger. “I came to see you. I miss you. I miss Rachel.”

  “It’s been three days.”

  “And I was mad, which I had every right to be.”

  “I know ya did.” I took the spatula back from him and continued placing the rest of the hamburgers on the grill, the meat sizzled and smoked from the heat. “I don’t have much time right now. I’m gettin’ dinner together for the guests.”