Chapter Twelve
The rain had washed away the pollen from the roof and the porches around the store, leaving the air clear and fresh until the breeze picked up to start distributing the yellow dust once again. Chrissie’d gone outside to tend to the garden she’d been meaning to plant. She’d worked the soil a bit here and there, but if she was serious about growing anything this year, she had to get going today. She’d bought flower seeds, but for the vegetables she wanted, she’d gone with plants that had been started in pots. She’d bought some from Clay Madison and a few strays from the local hardware store. Today they were going into the ground.
She walked around the side of the building to Ruby’s garden shed and unlocked it with the key Ruby’d given her earlier. She selected a hoe, a spade, a trowel she stuck in one of the side pockets of her cargo pants, and a short-handled shovel. As she walked back to the garden, she glanced out at the bay and stopped in her tracks. There in the cove off Dune Drive was the Cordelia Elizabeth. She dropped the hoe and placed one hand over her heart. Jared had moved his boat to be closer to her, to watch over her through the night. The fact that he probably couldn’t have seen anyone if there was a break-in—and even if he had, he couldn’t have gotten there in time to prevent something bad from happening—wasn’t the point. She was pretty sure the point was to let her know he was there.
How had so much happened since that first time he’d asked to join her on a simple walk around town?
This wasn’t the first time in her life Chrissie thought she was falling for someone, but it was the first time she’d had her eyes wide open. This time if she fell in love, it would be for all the right reasons.
After what she’d been through, the very thought of another relationship had made her cringe. But Jared was not Doug, and just by being himself, Jared had changed her mind about a lot of things. Kissing Jared had felt so right, had made her smile and want to kiss him again.
Her life then, her life now. The contrast couldn’t have been greater.
She was determined not to let the memories direct her future or destroy what could be her chance at lasting happiness. She would take each day with Jared and see where it led them.
The garden soil was thick and damp from yesterday’s rain, but she’d made up her mind that this was happening today. She turned the heavy soil over and mixed in a little bit of peat moss that Owen had left in the garden the year before when he’d planted for Ruby. She’d just finished working it in when Ruby came out onto the back porch, a glass of iced tea in each hand.
“Come here, girl, and have something cold. Your face be red as an apple. Need to set for a minute and get your right color back.” Ruby set her glass onto the small table that stood between the two rocking chairs and held the other glass out to Chrissie.
“You don’t have to tell me twice, Gigi.” Chrissie leaned the shovel against the wall and walked through the gate to the porch. “It’s really heating up out here.”
“Summer be here before you know it.”
Ruby lowered herself into her favorite of the two chairs, and Chrissie sat on the top step, leaning back against one of the pillars that held up the roof and stretching her legs out in front of her.
“I don’t think the temperature pays any attention to the calendar,” Chrissie said.
“That be true.” Ruby began her slow, rhythmic rocking, which could hypnotize the unsuspecting if they stared too long. “Sun comes out when it wants, same with the rain.”
Chrissie took a drink and pushed errant strands of hair from her face. It felt good to sit, and after what had seemed to be a never-ending winter, the warm air was welcomed.
“You be quiet today,” Ruby said.
“I guess I’m still tired from the weekend. Four days with Jared and his family was a lot. That is one partying group.”
“Expected it to be so. Delia be a lively soul.”
“She sure is. She asked me to give you her regards.”
“That be nice of her. Always liked that woman, liked her books before I even met her. She be on an adventure with that man, though.” Ruby chuckled.
“You mean Gordon?”
“I do. He be a wandering soul, but now he has someone to wander with him. Hope that doesn’t slow down her writing those books, because I be a fan.”
“He gave her a wet suit for a wedding gift,” Chrissie told her.
“A wet suit? Why would he give her a suit that be wet?”
“It’s made out of a material that’s sort of rubbery. You wear it when you dive. Like that black body-suit-type thing that Owen has?” she explained.
“I didn’t know what it be called. Makes sense. You wear it in the water, it be wet.”
“Jared said his dad took Delia diving for the first time and she liked it a lot and wants to dive again; that’s why he bought her a suit.”
Ruby nodded. “Doing new things be good for the soul and the mind. Keep you learning.”
“Jared wanted to teach me to dive, too, but . . .”
“But you be afraid.”
“I’m not afraid. Why would you say that?” Chrissie asked, defensive.
“Because I know when you be afraid, girl. I can feel your fear.” Ruby never missed a beat in her rocking rhythm. “Like yesterday, you be afraid for me. Afraid that stupid boy had come around and done me some harm.” She stopped rocking and pinned Chrissie to the deck with a stare. “That boy come around here, he won’t know what hit him, that be for sure. I got no mercy when it comes to people like that. Old enough to be a man, but got a mind like a boy. Hmmph.” Ruby muttered something else but Chrissie didn’t catch it.
“What was that last part you said, Gigi? I didn’t hear you.”
“I said, be a sad day for that boy, he come around here. Don’t know what he be dealing with, and that’s all I have to say about him.”
Chrissie guessed that Ruby’d gotten herself a little worked up over Doug, probably because of the way Chrissie’d reacted the day before. She thought Ruby was about to say something further, but she let it drop, so Chrissie did as well. She didn’t want to waste another minute of her life on Doug. She wanted to sit here, drink her tea, and think about the birthday party for Ruby she and Cass had talked about the night before.
“Surprise party or no?” Cass had asked.
“We can try for a surprise, but you know Gigi. She might see it coming,” Chrissie’d said.
“True, but maybe even the pretext of a surprise might be fun. As long as no one actually tells her, we won’t know if she knows or not.”
“Good point. Where should we have it?”
“We have choices. We could have it here at the store, or outside in the yard. Or at the point. I’ll ask Lis what she thinks.” Chrissie thought about what fun it would be to celebrate Ruby’s 101 day. “I can make a cake . . . oh, more than one. Everyone on the island and half the town of St. Dennis knows her. And we have relatives—I don’t even know who they are or where to find them, but Lis might have some ideas.”
“We should get together with Lis and make a plan.”
“Soon, though. Her birthday’s in a few weeks. We should meet one day after I leave Blossoms.”
“I can be free any afternoon. Lis probably can, too. I’ll check with her and let you know.”
Had Ruby ever had a big birthday party before? She didn’t know.
“Gigi, your birthday’s coming up soon.”
“I be aware.”
“Anything in particular you want for your birthday?” Chrissie asked.
Ruby appeared to be thinking, then she shook her head. “What I be wanting for?” she asked Chrissie. “Seems to me I have more than most. Less than some, but I not be worried about that. Don’t need anything to make me happy. Got my store. My kin. My island.” She smiled at Chrissie. “Some oyster fritters once in a while be nice, though.”
“I can take care of that for you.”
“I be counting on it.” Ruby closed her eyes and rocked for a few more minutes while Chrissie envisioned 101 balloons tied to the porch railings all around the store. Maybe just a barbecue, she thought, something simple if we’re going to have a very large group. Or maybe just dessert. The more she thought about it, the more she realized there could be well over a hundred people there, depending on where they decided to cut the guest list.
“Write down Grace’s name for sure,” Ruby said, her eyes still closed. “Delia, too.”
Chrissie’s eyes narrowed. “Write them down for what?”
“You think you and Cass be clever, but all that whispering last night, and you talking about my birthday—don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning.”
“Damn. Did you hear us or are you just, you know, feeling it?”
Ruby lifted her head and smiled.
“That’s what I thought,” Chrissie grumbled. “I should know better than to try to keep a secret from you.”
Ruby resumed rocking, craning her neck to look out into the garden.
Chrissie followed her gaze. “What?” she asked. “What are you looking at?”
“I be looking to see if those tomatoes planted themselves yet, but no, they still be in their pots.”
“I can take a hint.” Chrissie finished her tea and went back to work.
By the end of the afternoon, all the trays of vegetables had been planted and all the flower seeds sown.
“I should have started the flowers sooner,” she complained to Ruby later when she came inside to clean up.
“They be fine.” Ruby was seated in her chair near the window where Chrissie and Jared had sat the afternoon before. “Might be late this year, but they be blooming by the end of the summer. Those others, the roses and the daisies, they be blooming soon. No need to tend to them, ’cept maybe pull out those few weeds. You be wanting some decoration for that party I don’t know you’re planning.”
“I give up,” Chrissie muttered, and went upstairs to take a shower.
She found her phone and saw Jared had texted her several times, once to see if she was okay, another to tell her he was waiting for the last of his crew to show up. Tomorrow would be their first day to dive, and he’d be moving the Cordy E to the site early in the morning, but he’d be coming back to the cove at night.
Thank you, she’d texted back. Knowing you’re so close makes me happy.
I’m glad. It makes me happy, too.
And safe, she’d added.
That too, babe.
• • •
“SO I THINK we should just call everyone,” Chrissie told Lis and Cass. “If we send out invitations, it’s going to take too long. Buy them. Address them. Mail them. Wait for people to RSVP. If we call, most people will tell us flat out if they’re coming or not.”
They sat at the front table in Cuppachino, drinking iced coffee and watching what passed for rush hour traffic on Charles Street, which meant there might be five or six cars waiting at the town’s one stoplight.
“Right. We just say, ‘Would you mind checking your calendar to see if you’re free that day? I don’t mind waiting,’ ” Cass said.
“If that’s what it takes, why not? And Alec thought we should have it out on the point. We can rent the tent we had for our wedding if it gets too hot,” Lis suggested.
“Or how ’bout we do something like an old-fashioned box lunch? A delicious sandwich, fruit, a salad. Then we can all have birthday cake and sing to Gigi.”
“That’s a really good idea,” Cass said. “If the number of people who accept is over fifty, I say the box lunch is the way to go.” She tapped Chrissie on the arm. “Where do we get boxes?”
“I can give you the name of the place we sourced them from when I was at my last job. We did box lunches and they were very popular with our customers who wanted a lunch from Luna but didn’t have time to sit in the restaurant and eat.”
“Get me the information and I’ll take care of it,” Cass volunteered.
“And I’ll get with Clay and Wade and see about beer,” Lis said. “But we’ll need a couple of flats of water and some iced tea or something for the people who don’t drink beer.”
“I can order from Tom, our supplier at the store. I can also get cups and straws and plastic utensils from him as well.” Chrissie made a note to herself, then sighed heavily.
“What?” Lis asked.
“I’d wanted to tie one hundred and one balloons to the porch railing,” Chrissie told them.
“You can still do that. I’ll help.”
“Great. That’s it, then. We divvy up the guest list into thirds, we each take one of the lists, and we make all the calls before the end of the week.” Chrissie made one last note, then closed her phone.
“It all sounds so easy when you say it like that,” Lis said.
“It will be easy, you’ll see,” Chrissie promised.
“Maybe we should ask people when we call what kind of sandwich they want.” Cass was thinking out loud. “Otherwise, how do you know how many of each to make?”
“We’ll figure that out. The important thing is that the planning is done, we know what we’re doing, and Gigi will have a great birthday.”
“Too bad we couldn’t have surprised her.” Lis stood to leave.
“Not an option. No one else knows where the bodies are buried,” Chrissie said. “I mean, how to get in touch with the relatives.”
“Owen’s a little nervous about who’s going to show up,” Cass said.
“He has reason to be,” Lis told her. “This family is a mixed bag.”
“Honey, every family is a mixed bag. You should see what comes out of my family tree when we shake it.” Cass got up. “I wonder if we shouldn’t have something for the little kids. We’re going to make sure we have Owen’s son that weekend.”
“How is that sweet boy?” Lis asked.
“J.J.’s fine. He’s adorable. He’s getting used to spending time here with us and going back to his mom and stepfather without drama. Unless he’s forgotten a favorite toy, then we have tears. But it’s working out well.” Cass smiled. “And he’ll be at the party for his great-great-grandmother’s birthday. How extraordinary is that?”
They disposed of their trash in the can on the way out the door, and Carlo, Cuppachino’s owner, waved as they left. Chrissie’d driven, and she dropped the other two off at their homes, Lis at the house she and Alec shared at the point, and Cass at the relic she and Owen were restoring.
When Saturday night rolled around, Chrissie and Jared drove into Ballard, the next town, for dinner and a movie, and they were both half asleep by the time the movie ended. Jared’d been diving every day since the merchant ship was cleared, and he could barely keep his eyes open. Chrissie’d been doing double duty, working at the store in the morning and at Blossoms during the day, where she’d taken on more and more as Sophie’s pregnancy progressed.
“Want to take a walk? It’s still early,” she asked after he’d driven her back to the store.
“Will you carry me?” She thought he was only half kidding.
“You’re really wiped out, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, but maybe a walk will revive me.” He got out of the car at the same time she did.
She reached for his hand and they walked from the parking lot onto the road, which was asphalt but heavily covered with sand. There were no streetlights on the island, and it was already dark.
“So how many Jenkinses can we expect at the party?” he asked as they rounded the first curve.
“Probably none. The Jenkinses are my father’s family and we didn’t invite any of them. They’re not from St. Dennis or the island, and there’s no relationship to Gigi.”
“How many are coming so far?”
“Last tally was one hundred and seven.”
“That’s a lot of box lunches.”
She nodded. “And one hell of a big cake.”
“How do you make a cake for that many people?”
“Have you never been to a wedding? It’ll be tiered, like a wedding cake,” she explained. “No big deal.”
“Have you spoken with your mother yet?” he asked.
Chrissie nodded but didn’t say anything.
“You’re going to make me ask?” Jared stopped in front of one of the lots Cass was building on. “Is she coming to the party?”
“She isn’t sure. She had a million reasons. She hasn’t seen Gigi in years and she’s uncertain whether she’d be welcome. She isn’t sure Gigi likes her. She has to see if Louis—that’s her new boyfriend—is free that weekend.”
“Do you want her to come?”
Chrissie thought it over. “Yes and no. I know if she shows up, there will be drama of some sort, so for that, since it’s Gigi’s birthday, I have to say no. For myself, yes, I’d like to see her again. Anytime I’ve made overtures to come out to see her, there have been excuses why it wasn’t a good time. She was going through another divorce. She was in the process of moving. She had the flu. She was just getting over the flu.”
“I can see where it would be tough to maintain a relationship with someone like that. But—”
“But—she is my mother. So yes, I’d like to see her, but God only knows what might come of it. We’ll see. I’m not going to worry about it either way. If she’s here, fine. If not . . .” Chrissie shrugged. “Nothing I can do about it. But if I ever have kids, I will not treat them the way I’ve been treated.”
Jared wrapped his arms around her and held her.
“Well, that does help,” she told him, raising her face for a kiss. In the dark, he found her lips. A car came around the curve, its lights momentarily blinding her.
“Oh, my eyes.” She blinked, trying to regain her focus. “How are yours?”
“Mine are fine.”
“Why aren’t you blinking? Why are your eyes fine when mine are seeing huge spots of yellow?”
“Because I was kissing you and my eyes were closed,” he said in that matter-of-fact way of his. “I think the real question is, why were your eyes open when you were supposed to be kissing me?”
“Because I felt something, the motion of the car, maybe. Want to try it again?”
“Yes.” He pulled her in close and kissed her again.
“Much better,” she told him.
“No flashing lights?” he asked.
“No, but maybe a bell or two,” she said.
“That sounds like wind chimes.” He looked around. “I wish we had a flashlight. It sounds like it’s coming from over there.” He pointed toward the dune.
“I have one in my bag,” she told him. “It’s small but it has a powerful light. But I left my bag in the car.”
“I’ll run back and get it. Stay right here. I’ll just be a minute.”
He disappeared into the dark, but she could hear his footfalls as he took off running. It was eerie, standing there in a pitch-black night, all alone. It reminded her of when she and Lis were kids and they’d play hide-and-seek on summer nights. Owen always knew where they were hiding—well, duh. They usually kept to the same places because it’d gotten too dark to find anyplace else. When he came up behind them, she and Lis would scream at the top of their lungs and run back to the store.
A noise behind her made her jump. Fifteen feet away, something scampered out from the dune grass and dashed across the road. She could hear but not see it, just as she could not see whatever was chasing it. Then she heard the sound of pounding feet coming her way and saw the beam of light. She let out a breath she’d been holding without realizing it. She’d never been totally at ease in the dark, and even now she left the light on in the bathroom across the hall when she went to bed at night.
“Told you I’d be quick,” he said as he trotted up. “Now, let’s see what’s back here.” He took her by the hand and they went from the road to the remnants of a driveway.
“This is one of Cass’s properties,” she said.
“Let’s take a look. Maybe the house is still there.”
“Or we could come back tomorrow when it’s light out and we don’t need the flashlight.” She followed the light with her eyes. “This is one of the old Blake properties. That’s on my granddad’s side. My mother’s dad’s side of the family.” She took the flashlight from his hands and scanned the area. “There’s the wind chime. Someone hung it from that pile of wood.” She walked closer and aimed the light at the stack. “These must be the old floors. Cass’s guys do a remarkable job saving them. Then they reuse what they can in the new houses, fill in what they need to, and then stain it all to match.”
She walked around the piles of wood slowly.
“I remember my granddad Blake. He was so nice. So was Gramma Blake. He died when I was twelve and she died a few years ago. She’d asked me to handle her funeral, carry it out the way she’d spelled it out, so of course I did. Ruby was a bit scandalized because her coffin was extravagant for an island lady, but that’s what she wanted and that’s what she got.” She paused for a moment. “Doug was incensed because I’d spent the money she’d given me for her funeral, instead of skimping on it and keeping the rest of it.”
“Sounds like a real stand-up kinda guy,” Jared said dryly.
She turned in the dark and hugged him. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me. If it hadn’t been for him, I might never have come back here, I’d have never met you, and he’s behind me now and I’m here with you. I’d say I came out on top.”
The breeze had blown her hair into her face, and with his hands, Jared pushed it back.
“That’s how I feel about you. Like you’re the best part of my life. Well, you and that ‘tea ship’ at the bottom of the river.”
Chrissie laughed. “That’s so romantic, Jared.”
“You are, though. You’re the best part of my life, and I’m grateful that you got here by any means, but I wish I could have spared you.”
“Water under the dam. Over the dam? Under the bridge? Whatever. It’s just something that happened. And now we’re together and that’s what matters.”
“It’s definitely what matters to me.” He took the flashlight from her hand and put an arm around her, leading her to the road. “Want to go sit in my car and make out?”
“Best idea you had all night.”
• • •
RUBY’D BEEN SO pleased with the fact that she was having a birthday party, she’d tried to interject her ideas into the plan Chrissie, Lis, and Cass had come up with, but they didn’t back down. She’d ended up issuing invitations of her own to just about everyone who came into the store. To Chrissie’s dismay, Ruby told her all the early morning watermen had been invited and all of Emily Hart’s nieces and granddaughters who served illegal dinners at Emily’s house on the island—illegal because she was not licensed by anyone and hadn’t reported her earnings in . . . well, ever. Emily’s explanation was that she served dinners in her home to a select group of guests every week, but since there were no regulatory agencies of any kind on the island, she didn’t have to report to anyone. It made sense if you were an islander, Chrissie explained to Jared, and though she didn’t necessarily agree with Mrs. Hart’s method of operation, she had to admit that a woman in her eighties who still cooked delicious meals for crowds once or twice a week, depending on demand, was a woman to be admired. She hoped she was still functioning at that high a level when she reached Emily’s age.
The party was set for two o’clock, an hour when most of the point would be in shade. Jared pitched in to help Owen and Alec set up tents and rented tables and chairs, and together the three took turns using the helium tank to blow up the 101 balloons Chrissie had insisted on.
They also took turns breathing in the helium and singing rock songs in little Munchkin voices.
Lis looked out the window to watch. “Honestly, you’d think the average age of the three of them is about eight.”
“Would you go out and tie the balloons on to the railing?” Chrissie asked Lis. “I don’t know how securely they’re tying them on, and I don’t want them blowing off before Gigi sees them.”
“She’s still getting ready?” Cass asked.
“Taking her time. Said the rest of the world could wait for her today.” Chrissie smiled. Seeing how excited the usually unflappable Ruby had been that morning made all the work worth it.
“You go on upstairs and get dressed,” Cass told Chrissie. “I’ll finish packing up the box lunches and then we’ll go over to the point. I love the idea of the red-and-white checkered cloths, by the way.”
“Everything ruby red today. Steffie made a special ice cream in Ruby’s honor, and she named it—”
“I heard. Ruby red,” Cass said. “Heavy on the raspberries, I understand.”
“So I’ve been told. Thanks for taking over, Cass. I won’t be long.” Chrissie took off the apron she’d been wearing and folded it, leaving it on the counter.
“Jared said he’ll stay here and drive you and Ruby over when she’s ready.” Lis stuck her head in through the doorway. “There are already a bunch of cars there, early birds, I suppose, so we should probably hurry up. I didn’t recognize hardly any of the vehicles.”
“It’s no wonder. We get so little traffic here on the island.” Chrissie headed toward the store and the steps to the second floor.
She showered and dressed in less than thirty minutes, even pausing to put on makeup, which she found herself doing more and more. She’d never bothered before, but these days, she wore light makeup to work, a little more when she and Jared went out. For the party, she’d chosen a black sundress with wide straps and flowers in shades of pink with green leaves. She’d bought it for the wedding weekend, and while she hadn’t worn it then, she’d worn it twice since and Jared had admired it both times. It was her personal favorite, so she was pleased he’d liked it as well.
She went downstairs and found Ruby sitting at her table in the store.
“Ready for your close-up, Gigi?” she quipped.
“I be just about.”
“I thought you’d be pacing the floor waiting for me.”
“Needed a few minutes to just set,” Ruby told her.
“Are you feeling all right? Do you want me to bring you some water?” Chrissie asked.
“No. Just set with me for a few.”
“Of course.” Chrissie walked over and sat next to Ruby instead of in the chair she usually occupied at the opposite side of the table. “Are you having deep thoughts?”
Ruby nodded slowly. “I be thinking about all them that’s come before here, my folks, my Harold. All the folks on the island who came and went. None of them made one hundred and one years. My momma almost made it, came close at ninety-six. But my Harold died young. Left me with a lot on my plate.” She smiled at Chrissie. “But we be strong, girl. We have the blood of those who made the crossing back in 1813. You remember that, Christiana. You be strong.”
“I’m trying to be.”
“There be times to try, and there be times to be.” Ruby stood suddenly. “Got a party to go to. Who be driving?”
And just like that, she headed for the door, leaving Chrissie to catch up.
Jared had been waiting on the front porch in Ruby’s favorite rocking chair. When the two women came out and Ruby saw where he was sitting, she stopped suddenly.
“You ask about setting in that chair?”
“Ah, no, ma’am, I . . .” Jared stood hastily.
“Good thing we be going someplace. Else there could be words over who sits in that chair.” She went down the steps holding on to the railing. When she reached the bottom, she turned and said, “You two coming?”
Chrissie giggled all the way to the point, and Jared appeared to have a hard time keeping a straight face. He drove around the curve, then parked on the grass next to Lis and Alec’s house.
“You ready, lady of the hour?” he asked.
“I am,” Ruby said. When he came around to the passenger side to help her out, she took his hand and said, “It makes my heart glad to know you be there for her, but a woman’s got to be able to save herself. You be helping her do that, and for that I be grateful.”
“Thank you,” he said.
As Chrissie got out of the backseat, she saw Jared kiss the side of Ruby’s face. Ruby pretended to brush him away, but Chrissie could tell she’d been pleased by his gesture. The threesome, with Ruby in the middle, made their way into the party.
Ruby’s appearance was met with shouts and applause, and she acted flustered, but Chrissie saw the theatrics involved and it made her smile. Owen led Ruby to the seat of honor, where she sat while her guests—Lis referred to them as Ruby’s minions—could greet her and offer homage.
“She is lapping this up the way a tabby laps up cream.” Lis leaned in behind Chrissie, who was stacking the box lunches on a table, and Chrissie laughed. She’d tied up the boxes with red-and-white bakers twine and slipped napkins under the ties. The napkins were white with a scattering of red tulips.
“Too cutesy?” she asked Lis.
“Adorable. Kitschy, but somehow looks just right. I think those boxes look darling. And the plastic red rubies scattered on the white tablecloths are a fun touch, along with the cornflowers in red and white vases.”
“Ruby’s Harold used to bring her cornflowers. I thought it would be a nice touch, to have a little bit of him here.”
“Everything looks perfect. Everything has a bit of ruby red.”
“I cannot tell a lie. I cheated and called Lucy at the inn and asked for some tips.”
“No shame in asking the queen of event planning for a little help. I wish I’d thought of it.”
Chrissie looked at the mountain of boxes. “The recycling guys are going to be busy this week.”
“Alec’s going to take them into St. Dennis tomorrow and put them in the recycling bins,” Lis told her. “Everything else can go out in the trash.”
“Good, because after all the prep, I’m just about burned out.” She finished stacking the boxes and stepped back from the table, and as she looked up, she saw a face she wasn’t sure she’d ever see again. The woman was looking directly at her, as if she were afraid if she blinked, Chrissie would be gone. She wore a khaki skirt and a brown polo shirt, and her strawberry-blond hair was brushed back from her face.
“Mom?” Chrissie walked out from behind the table. “You came.”
Instinctively, Chrissie hugged her. At first, her mother seemed surprised, but she hugged her back. A long, warm hug that was well overdue. When Chrissie stepped back, she saw the tears in her mother’s eyes, and she softened.
“Mom, I’m so glad to see you. I’m so happy you’re here.”
“Oh, I knew all along I had to come. I don’t know why I was hemming and hawing the way I did. Ruby’s my grandmother, and who knows how much longer she’ll be around.” Dorothy glanced at Ruby. “Though she looks damned good for having lived one hundred years on this island.”
“One hundred and one,” Chrissie said, correcting her.
“Oh. Right. You did tell me that. Well, that’s old.” Dorothy coughed the smoker’s cough that Chrissie always associated with her mother. Dorothy touched Chrissie’s face, then smoothed back her hair. “And you look wonderful. I’ve never seen you look so happy. Healthy. Beautiful. You’re planning on staying here?’
“I am. I have a great job cooking in a wonderful little restaurant in St. Dennis. If you’re still here on Tuesday . . .”
“Going back in the morning. Have to work on Monday.”
“There you are, Dots. I’ve been looking all over this place for you.” A man in khaki pants and a brown polo shirt that matched Dorothy’s seemed to appear out of nowhere. He wore dark glasses and carried a beer in a red plastic cup.
“This is my daughter, Chrissie. Christiana. Meet my friend Louis.” Dorothy made the introductions.
“Dotty tells me you cook in a restaurant.” Louis took off his glasses and hung them from the V at the neck of his shirt.
“I do.”
“Woman should know how to cook,” Louis was saying as Jared walked up. “Maybe you could give your mom here some lessons.” He stage-whispered, “She’s not very good.”
“Chrissie’s a great cook,” Jared said, joining the conversation. “But so am I. A man should know how to cook, too, don’t you think?” Without waiting for an answer, he slipped an arm over her shoulder and said, “Chrissie, who are your friends?”
“This is my mother, Dorothy DiLenno. And her friend Louis.”
“Good to meet you both.” Jared looked at Chrissie’s mother. “Especially you, Mrs. DiLenno.”
“It’s Dorothy,” she told him. “I’m not Mrs. DiLenno anymore.”
Dorothy took a step back and looked Jared over, obviously not blind to the possessive arm around Chrissie’s shoulder. Bluntly, she asked, “So what’s your relationship with my daughter?”
“I’m her guy.” Jared met her gaze.
“What does that mean, exactly?”
Before he could answer, Chrissie broke in. “Mom, have you seen Gigi since you arrived? It looks like there’s a bit of a lull in the well-wishers. You might want to slip over there while you have a chance.”
“Good idea. Louis, come with me. Meet my grandmother.” With a glance back at Jared, she tugged on Louis’s hand.
“Did you ask her about your father or your brother?” Jared asked.
“I didn’t have time, but I asked her on the phone when I called her to invite her, and it was just more of the same. ‘I don’t want to discuss it. Stop bringing up the past. I’m living in the present, you should, too.’ ” Chrissie shrugged. “She’s just not going to talk about it. I don’t know if she’s being stubborn, or if whatever happened is so embarrassing to her personally that she doesn’t want me to know.”
“One of these days you’ll find out. Today, however, we’re at a party for a great lady who is having the time of her life. Owen said his mother’s here from Arizona with her husband, and that Ruby was really happy to see her.”
“She doesn’t seem as happy to see ‘Dots,’ though, does she?” Chrissie observed. “She’s got that look on her face, the one she gets when she’s about to tell you something you don’t want to hear.”
“She can be tough,” he agreed, “but not to me.” He leaned closer. “She told me I’m the guy for you.”
“You are the guy for me.”
Chrissie looked into his eyes and saw Jared for who he really was: a caring, honest, loving man whose heart was as wide and deep as the oceans he explored. From the first day, he’d treated her as someone special, someone who deserved to be cared about. He’d listened to her, laughed with her, given her all the space she’d needed to find herself again. He’d never pushed their relationship toward anything she hadn’t been ready for. Even now, when she could tell his need for her was as great as her need for him, he didn’t push or try to pressure her. He’d let her take her time to find her way, made her understand with his actions more than his words that the pace of their relationship was totally up to her. Because he knew that trust didn’t come easy to her, he would let her decide if or when the relationship would move to the next level. If—when—they had sex would be her decision.
He was lovable in so many ways, but she could have loved him only for giving her that power. Tonight she was going to exercise it.
“Maybe we can take a moonlit row out to the Cordy E,” she whispered in his ear. “I hear there are private quarters for the captain. I think we should make use of them tonight.”
He took a step back and gazed into her face. “Chrissie—are you sure you want to . . . ?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.”
He took his phone from his pocket and speed-dialed a call. “Who’re you calling?” she asked.
“The crew. I’m giving them the rest of the weekend off. They’ll probably be at the White Dolphin lining up shots by the time I end the call.”
The call was answered and the message delivered. Jared tucked the phone back into his pocket, then tugged lightly on her ponytail. “How long do you think we need to hang around?”
“Until the end. I’m sort of hosting, so . . .” She held her hands out in a what can I do gesture. “But Gigi turns in early most nights, and we started early in the day. I don’t expect this to be an all-night affair.”
“In that case, I’m going to get a beer.” He kissed her on the lips.
“Look, there’s my dad, Delia, and Grace. When I called, Delia wasn’t sure if they could make it. I’m so glad they’re here. Let’s go say hello.”
Ruby had fooled everyone—especially Chrissie—by keeping the party going into the evening. While a lot of the guests had left, there was still a hard-core group of St. Dennis and Cannonball Islanders partying. At ten, when someone called for pizza, Jared and Chrissie had had enough.
Chrissie took Owen aside and asked, “Do you think you could get Ruby back to the store when she’s ready to leave? Take back that mountain of gifts and cards? Get her settled in?”
“Sure. Where are you going to be?”
Jared stood behind Chrissie and waved a hand at Owen, who said, “Okay. Got it. I’ll stay as long as I can, but try to get back before dawn, okay?”
“I’ll make sure she gets back before that. You don’t have to worry about Ruby being alone,” Jared promised.
“I need to say good-bye to my mother. Maybe we can have breakfast with her tomorrow before she leaves.” Chrissie searched what remained of the crowd and finally spotted Dorothy.
“She’s over at the second table, talking to my mom,” Owen told her. “After thirty years, they’re finally talking. I wonder what brought that on.”
“Does it matter? They’re talking. Let’s take that as a sign that something good might come out of this.” It had occurred to Chrissie that something must have happened in her mother’s life years ago that had caused her to withdraw from her entire family. Undoubtedly it had something to do with her father, but Chrissie was no closer to finding out what that was all about than she’d been when she was a child.
Chrissie excused herself and walked over to where her mother was sitting. She knew that now was not the time to get into a deep discussion about past hurts and family drama, so she was determined to keep things fairly light and cheerful.
“Mom, I’m calling it a night. I’m exhausted from all the prep for this party. Could we maybe meet tomorrow morning for breakfast before you leave?”
“I’d like that very much, Chrissie.” Dorothy stood and hugged her daughter again. “I know that you had a lot of people to talk to tonight, so we didn’t have much time together. Breakfast would be nice, maybe at the restaurant where you work?”
“We’re closed on Sunday. Why not stop at the store in the morning when you’re ready—maybe around nine or ten? We can decide then where we’re going.”
“That would be fine.” Dorothy moved to hug her again, then paused. “Chrissie, who is that woman in the black shirt and long skirt talking to your friend?”
“That’s Jared’s father’s new wife. They were just married a few weeks ago.”
“She looks familiar.”
“That’s because she is famous. That’s Delia Enright, the—”
“The mystery writer. That’s why she looks familiar. That’s your friend’s stepmother?”
“My friend has a name. It’s Jared Chandler, and Delia doesn’t like to be referred to as a stepmother,” Chrissie said.
“What does he call her?”
“He calls her Delia.”
“And while we’re on the subject—what happened to the other boyfriend?” Dorothy asked.
“What other boyfriend?”
“The one you were living with in New Jersey. Such a nice guy. I’m guessing you broke up with him and now you’re dating this one?” She pointed to Jared.
For a moment, Chrissie froze. Then she took a deep breath and said, “Mom, that ‘nice guy’ wasn’t so nice. He abused me physically and mentally. Leaving him was the best thing I ever did. ”
Dorothy’s hand flew to cover her mouth. “Oh my God, Chrissie, I had no idea.”
“Of course you didn’t. I didn’t tell you because we almost never talked about things. But I’m telling you now. Mom, if he ever calls you, hang up. Don’t tell him anything about me. He doesn’t know where I am, and if he did, he’d do something to hurt me really badly.”
Dorothy shook her head, her eyes spilling over with tears. “Oh, my poor girl. Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you come stay with me?”
“It’s a long story, Mom. A story for another time. One of those stories like why did Dad leave and where is my brother.” Chrissie squeezed her mother’s hand and said, “Someday soon we’re going to sit down and we’ll trade stories, okay?”
Dorothy stared at Chrissie.
“That’s the price for knowing what happened to your daughter, Mom. It’s long past time we were honest with each other.” Chrissie kissed her mother good-bye. “I’ll see you in the morning, Mom. I’m so happy you came, for Ruby’s sake and for my sake. And for yours as well.” She lowered her voice and whispered, “I see you’re talking to Owen’s mother again. Mending fences?”
“As best we can.” Dorothy nodded. “It’s been a long time coming.”
“Yes, it has, Mom. It’s past time for a lot of things. We’ll talk tomorrow.” Chrissie kissed her again, then went off to say her good-byes to Delia and Gordon, then Grace, then finally to Ruby, who gave no sign she was slowing down.
Chrissie’d written 101 YEARS YOUNG on the three-tiered cake she’d made. Ruby was every bit that, and more, and Chrissie said a silent prayer of thanks that she’d been given the gift of loving this very special woman.