by Kay Correll
“But I never got them. I think it must have been about the time when my apartment building had a fire. It was in a different wing than my apartment, I was lucky about that, but our phones were messed up for weeks.”
He searched her face. “Come with me.” He turned around and strode away. She hurried to catch up with him. He led her into a large office and motioned for her to sit down.
She sat on a chair across the desk from him. He sat down, then got back up and paced the floor, not saying a word. Then he turned and looked at her.
“I owe you an apology, too. I should have known if you got my message you would have called. If nothing more than to give your condolences about my sister. You’d never just drop out of my life when things were so… tough for me.” He paced a few more steps. “I should have called you again. Or sent a letter or something.” He shrugged. “I was just so overwhelmed with figuring out everything with Zoe. And, to be honest, I was hurt you didn’t call me. I picked up the phone so many times to call you… but just never did. Besides, once I figured out how crazy my life was going to be raising Zoe, I was sure you’d want nothing of it. Not that I regret my decision. I adore Zoe. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me, but it was super hard for both of us for a long time.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. If I’d just called you… but my pride…” She stood and walked over to where he was standing by the window. “I’m sorry.”
“We really messed it up, didn’t we?”
She smiled at him. “We could have made better choices.”
“We were prideful fools.” He frowned. “So, let’s make a better choice now. Would you go out with me?”
“Like on a date?”
He grinned. “Exactly like that. I pick you up. We go get something to eat. Honestly, I’d love to catch up with you. Hear what you’ve been up to.”
“I’d like that, too.” She would. She wanted to hear what he’d been doing with his life since he left… along with raising a child, of course. “You could come and eat at the inn tonight.”
“Okay, it’s a date.”
“About seven? That way I can help with the first of the dinner crowd.”
“Seven it is.”
She started to leave but turned back to him. “And Noah, I’m sorry.”
“I am, too.” His voice was low and strong. “I’m very, very sorry.”
Noah watched Sara walk away, and for the first time in a long time, his spirits soared. He’d missed her. Missed talking to her. Laughing with her at all hours when they pulled all-nighters working on some client presentation. They’d been good together. As friends, as coworkers, as a couple.
When he’d left that message all those years ago, he’d been certain she would call him. She would help him sort out the chaos of his life after his sister died. He’d checked his messages a dozen times a day for a week or more. Then he’d finally realized the call was never going to come.
If only he’d known that she never got the message and Diane hadn’t given her his note. If only he’d called her again, instead of being too proud to call and ask her for help.
But if only didn’t get a person anywhere in life. If only his sister and brother-in-law had taken a different route home that night, they wouldn’t have been in the accident that had taken their lives.
But if his sister hadn’t been killed, he’d never have had the enormous joy of raising Zoe. He’d probably still be the workaholic he’d been before, thinking kids were aliens and that work was the most important thing.
He walked over to the desk and picked up a photo of Zoe. “You’re a good one, Zoe. You turned out great in spite of my too-many-to-count mistakes I made raising you.” He set the photo down and walked back out to the main hall. He had seniors to check on and he’d promised to play a round of bridge with a group of the ladies.
Chapter 16
Robin walked into The Nest, with Charlotte right behind her. “So, what happened? Did you find Noah?”
Sara turned from where she was putting the dishes away. “I did.”
“And?” Charlotte came over and lounged against the counter.
“And we’re going on a date. Kind of. He’s coming over to the inn and we’re going to have dinner.”
Robin scowled. “That’s kind of a weak date, but okay. It’s a start.”
Was it a weak date? Was she getting it wrong already? “But I have to help Jay with at least the beginning of the dinner rush.” She hoped justified the choice of where to go.
“I’ll help him,” Robin offered quickly.
“You’ve done enough. Like tons.” She was so grateful for the help, but felt guilty for all her friends were doing for her.
“I’ll help, too. Though I’m not much of a waitress, I can clear tables or help in the kitchen.” Charlotte pushed off the counter. “And you’re not wearing that, are you?”
She looked down at her khaki pants and teal blouse. “I… I hadn’t really thought about it.”
Charlotte took her by the shoulders and spun her around. “Come on. Let’s go raid your closet.”
Charlotte and Robin sat on the bed while she took out outfit after outfit. They shot down each one. “You either look like you’re headed into a business meeting or flopping on a chair on the beach.”
Her nervousness about tonight raised up a notch with every outfit they vetoed.
Robin jumped up. “I’ll be right back. I have the perfect dress.”
She came back in a few minutes with a simple sundress with flowers on it. “This. It will look great on you.”
She tried it on and admitted it did look good.
“There. Now, I’m going to pull your hair back and twist it into a fancy knot. Sit.”
She did as Charlotte ordered. After a touch of makeup, she stood in front of the mirror.
“See you look great.” Robin nodded approvingly.
She snatched her cell off the dresser when it dinged. A text from Diane.
* * *
Don’t forget I need that proposal from you by tomorrow at five. No later.
* * *
“Does your boss ever give you a moment’s peace?” Charlotte shook her head.
“Not when we’re in the middle of a big project. And not when I’m away from the office in the middle of it.” She frowned. “Not that I’ve ever been away from the office when we’re working on a presentation to snag a client like Coastal Furniture.”
“You should take vacations sometimes.” Charlotte took her phone away and put it back on the dresser.
She sighed. “I should. I really should. And I’m going to come back here more often to check on Aunt Lil.”
Robin looked skeptical.
“I am,” she insisted.
“It would be great to see more of you.” Robin sank onto the bed.
“I’m sure Lil will love that.” Charlotte walked over to the dresser and picked up a pair of earrings. “Here, wear these, too.”
She put on the earrings as commanded and twirled around in front of the full-length mirror. She liked this casual, beachy version of herself. “You two do a good job of dressing me.” She smiled at her friends.
“Just part of the services we best friends offer.” Robin popped back off the bed. “I should head to the dining room and see if Jay needs help.”
“I feel terrible that you two are doing so much work.”
“It’s not a problem.” Charlotte headed after Robin.
“Hey, wait for me. I’m going to help until Noah gets here.” She hurried after them.
Noah glanced in the mirror. “What do you think, Coop? Do I look okay?”
Coop looked up from lounging on the floor and wagged his tail.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Noah tucked his shirttail in, then untucked it. “That’s better, right? A casual look?”
Coop didn’t answer him this time.
He didn’t know why he was so nervous. Yes, he did. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been o
n a date. He’d been so busy raising Zoe that he hadn’t had time for dating. Zoe had tried to set him up a few times, but nothing had really come from it. He’d always grudgingly gone along with her fix-ups. He knew she just wanted him to be happy. But he’d become used to his bachelorhood. He was fine with it. Comfortable with it.
So why was he going out with Sara Wren of all people?
He reached down and ruffled the fur on Cooper’s head. “I’ll be back in a bit. Wish me luck.”
Coop thumped his tail twice.
That meant good luck, Noah was sure of it.
He decided to walk to the inn. The heat of the day was abating with a nice evening breeze chasing away the humidity, and he was early, anyway.
He walked along the sidewalk, taking his time. He didn’t want to show up so early that he looked over-eager. Though… he was kind of over-eager. He sucked in a deep breath of the salty air. He needed to get over himself. This was not a big deal. Not at all. Just a dinner with an old friend, playing catch up.
He stumbled on a crack in the sidewalk and caught himself. Since when could he not even walk down a sidewalk? He shook his head, watched his feet as he walked, and started counting his steps to keep his mind off this date.
He got to the inn only five minutes early. That was acceptable, right? He climbed the front stairs and walked inside. The air conditioning cooled him, and he took another deep breath as he walked across to the dining room.
He stood in the doorway and saw Sara busy talking to a table of customers. They laughed at something she said as she took their menus. The room was crowded for a weeknight, with only a few empty tables.
Robin walked up to him. “Hey, Noah. I saved you two a table near the window.”
“Great.” He followed her to the table and slipped into a chair.
“I’ll go wrestle Sara away from her customers and send her over.”
“If she’s busy—”
“She’s always busy. But tonight she’s taking some time off to catch up with you. And I’m not taking no for an answer.”
He didn’t doubt that for a second. He’d learned long ago that no one argued with Robin.
Chapter 17
Sara turned around when Robin touched her arm. “Noah’s here.”
She looked over in the direction where Robin nodded. “I don’t know. We’re so busy tonight.”
Robin took the menus from her hands. “And I’m taking over for you. Charlotte’s helping in the kitchen.”
“I can’t leave you two working and go and just have dinner.”
“Quit stalling. Go have dinner. You’re allowed to take a break sometimes, you know.”
“But—”
Robin glared at her. “Don’t make me drag you over there. You’re just nervous. Go.” She gave her a little push.
Sara pasted on a smile and walked over to where Noah was waiting. He stood as she approached the table and held out the chair for her. Noah, always the gentleman. She remembered that much about him. She remembered a multitude of things about him, she just didn’t let herself actually think about those memories.
He took his seat across from her. “I was afraid you weren’t going to be able to get away.”
“Robin didn’t give me much choice. I’ve learned to never argue with her. I never win.”
Noah’s eyes sparkled. “She’s rather persuasive.”
She ducked her head to look at the menu instead of his eyes, which was ridiculous because she knew everything on it. But she stared at it, anyway.
Noah set his menu on the table. “Have you decided?”
“I think I’ll have the red snapper.”
“That’s what I decided on, too.”
They ordered their meals and some wine and sat sipping their drinks.
“It’s getting warmer and warmer these days.” Noah fiddled with the silverware beside his plate.
“Pretty soon it will be those oppressively hot and humid days where all you want to do is hang out on the beach.” She leaned back in her chair and stretched her legs. They bumped against Noah’s and she jerked them back and tucked them under her chair.
“How much longer do you think you’ll be here?” He said it without any sign or reaction to her legs brushing his.
“I’m not sure. I want to get Aunt Lil settled back here. I should probably do a quick trip back home though. At least for a few days. Diane is breathing down my neck on a presentation.”
“You still working for Diane?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, but I’m up for a promotion. Partner. Then we’d be equals. Well, kinda. Not sure anyone is ever an equal to Diane.”
“Good for you. I know that’s what you always wanted.”
“It was. Is. I mean… I do want the promotion, but there’s some stiff competition. There’s the guy that came on board after you left. Terrence. He acts like he’s all helpful, but I get the feeling he’s cutthroat behind my back. He’s probably my biggest competition right now. And, as a bonus, he’s still in Boston while I’m working remotely.”
“I’m kind of surprised Diane let you work remotely.” He leaned forward in his chair, closer to her.
She leaned back in hers, farther from him. “I didn’t give her much choice. And I swear she texts me and emails me a million times a day. Or night.”
“As I remember, Diane lives and dies by her job. I think her job is like her oxygen that keeps her alive.”
“She hasn’t changed any. She’s still all work, all the time. I usually am too, but… well, Aunt Lil needs me, and she was there for me when I needed her.”
“I’m sure it’s a great relief for her knowing you’re here helping to keep the inn running smoothly while she’s away.”
“I’m not sure I’d call it smoothly. I’d never have been able to do it without Robin and Charlotte’s help. I just hope we’re not screwing anything up. Well, nothing major.” She grinned.
“I’m sure you’re doing fine.” He nodded encouragingly.
“Charlotte is doing a fantastic job with the remodel of two of the cottages. And I think she’s enjoying doing it.”
“You said she was an artist if I remember right.”
“You remember correctly. She is. She lives in California. She’s having some kind of painter’s block thing going on, so I think she likes the creative outlet of fixing up the cabin.”
He sat there listening intently. He’d always been such a great listener. But now she wanted to know about him.
“So, how about you? What’s been going on with you in the last… oh, twenty years or so?”
His lips curled in a warm smile. “Well, there was raising Zoe, of course. That was quite an adventure. I knew nothing about kids, much less one who had lost both her parents. It was really tough at first. I took a couple of months just to sort out everything and be there for Zoe. Eventually, I had to go back to work. Didn’t have much trouble finding another job in advertising. Diane’s pretty well known in the industry and I think she gave me a great recommendation.”
“That’s good.”
“It was good and bad. It was a large agency, and the hours were grueling. Luckily I still had the same lady my sister had found—Marisol—to watch Zoe. She stuck around even after Zoe started school.”
“How old was Zoe when your sister… when you started looking after her?”
“She was three, just about four.”
“Wow, that was young.”
“And I was clueless. So clueless.” He shrugged. “Luckily, Marisol stuck around and would be there for Zoe when she got out of school. But the job got even crazier, lots of evenings and weekends. I tried to balance the job and Zoe and tried not to miss any of her games or things at her school. But… well, I wasn’t very good at it. Actually, I was terrible at it. If I left work to see one of Zoe’s games, I felt guilty I wasn’t at work. If I had to work and miss something at her school, I felt guilty I wasn’t there for her.”
“I’m sure it was hard being a single parent.
”
“I finally took Zoe on vacation and decided to come to Belle Island. You always made it sound like a magical place. I needed that back then. We got here, and she ran around on the beach, we spent hours together, and she was just so happy. Happier than I’d seen her since my sister died.” He reached and took a sip of his wine. “She made a friend that week here—Lisa— and begged to stay. So, I kind of just decided that we’d up and move here. Give Zoe the small-town life. Find a job where I could be around for her. They happened to have the community center director’s job open, and I suggested some advertising and promotion for them and… well, I got the job. And Lisa and Zoe are still best friends.”
“So just like that you packed up and moved? To my island?”
He grinned. “Your island. Yes, pretty much. And Zoe thrived here. Made friends immediately. Quit being this sad, serious kid and just… well, it was rewarding to see I’d made the right decision.”
Sara had a hard time processing all the changes in Noah’s life. How he’d taken on raising his niece and given up a promising career to move here to the island so he could spend more time with her. She reached across the table and took his hand. “You’re a good man, Noah McNeil.”
He gave her a soft smile. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“You gave up so much for her.”
“I’d do it again in a heartbeat. She gave a lot to me, too. I learned from her. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“I am sorry about your sister and brother-in-law. Accident?”
“Yes, just a random two-car accident. You don’t think that will ever happen… and then it does.” He looked out the window, then back at her. “Anyway, Zoe is great. She has a job up near Orlando now. I miss her, but I guess everyone has to let their kids spread their wings at some time.”
She didn’t miss the look in his eyes. How much he cared about Zoe, how hard it was to let her go. She squeezed his hand again.
“I still can’t believe you chose Belle Island. Weren’t you afraid you’d run into me?”
