Chapter Twenty-One
Jace
It was a gorgeous day for canoeing. The weather was in the low 80s and the humidity was low; I woke up feeling better than I had since the day I found out that Grandma died.
Part of it was that canoeing was something that my brothers, my grandmother, and I all enjoyed and did together every chance we got. I love the Boston Harbor Islands. They’re great for camping, hiking, or just taking a day trip like we were that day.
I showed up early to World’s End where we would begin our trip. The church allowed me to use their large pick-up truck and trailer to bring up the boats and the other equipment we were going to need for our day trip. I stood in the center of the park and took in a deep breath of the dewy morning air.
The place was such a gem. World’s End is a park that’s part of the Boston Harbor Islands. It’s lovely just to walk through and there’s usually more than one artist with their easels set up, painting the gorgeous landscape of the harbor with the blue sky in the background.
I looked at my watch. It was still about an hour before everyone else was scheduled to start showing up. I started to unload the truck and I’d only gotten one boat out and dragged down to the water when my phone rang. It was Ryan.
“Hey, little bro; what’s up?”
“That’s what I want to know,” he said. “You dropped a couple of bombs on us the day we had lunch and then took off. I’ve tried to call you three times since. What gives?”
“Um…I really don’t have time right now…”
“Nope, no way. You’re not going to hang up on me and then not take my calls again for over a week. You said you got drunk and had sex. I want details.”
“Jesus, Ryan, I never should have said that.”
“Why? Is it not true?”
“No, it’s true…scary true.”
“Shit! My brother the priest is getting more action than me!” he laughed. This is exactly why he is the wrong person for me to talk to about it. He’s going to act like it’s a good thing.
“Ryan, this isn’t funny. This is worse than if I had a spouse and I cheated on her. I broke my vows to God and the Catholic Church.”
“Okay, you’re upset about it, I hear you. But Jace, here’s the deal: you’ve spent your whole life doing what everyone else thinks you’re supposed to do. You chose to be a priest because it’s what Grandma wanted you to do. You were the only one of us who is good enough and she knew it.”
“No Rye, it wasn’t about Grandma. It was a calling and I believed…I believe in it. I made a horrible mistake, and I just don’t want to talk about it like it’s a notch in my bedpost the way it would be for you or for Max.”
“I’m sorry, okay? But I can hear in your voice that you’re torn up about this. You always shut us out and act like you have to deal with everything on your own. You have me and Max — you don’t have to struggle through this by yourself.”
I heard my name being called out. I looked around and saw Lily coming towards me.
“Hey, Rye, I really have to go. I will call you tonight, okay?”
“Promise?” Sometimes he was such a child.
“I promise. I love you, man.”
“I love you, too. You better call me or I’m going to drive over there and kick your pacifist ass.”
I laughed and hung up. If Ryan and I ever got into a fist fight, and that was less than likely, I’d be the one kicking butt.
I looked back up at Lily. She was wearing cut-off jean shorts and a short pair of brown leather hiking boots. Her t-shirt was simple, but it fit her perfectly to show off her womanly curves. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail and a pair of giant, Jackie O’ sunglasses on. She looked gorgeous, and my body responded. I can’t believe this. All of a sudden I’m acting like a damned man. What the hell is wrong with me?
“Hey, Lily! You’re early.”
“Am I?” she said. It was just after six a.m. I was sure I told her seven. The sun was barely up.
“Yeah, but that’s okay. I’m glad I’m here, so you aren't out here alone.” She came over to me and gave me a hug. That didn’t help my body’s response any, especially because she seemed to hang on a little longer than she should have and, if I’m not mistaken, pressed her chest into mine.
“I was just getting the boats unloaded,” I told her.
“It’s so pretty here,” she observed, looking around at the verdant green grass and the lush umbrella of leafy green trees above our heads.
“Yeah, it’s one of my favorite spots. When I was younger, I would come here with my brothers and Grandma and we’d kayak or canoe or just take a hike and look at the views. There are some stunning ones here and also on the island we’ll end up on.”
“Where are we canoeing to today?”
“We’ll start here and end on Bumpkin Island. I’ve arranged for lunch to be brought out there to us, so we’ll eat and then I have a boat coming to pick everyone up and bring them back here.”
“I heard Bumpkin Island is haunted,” she said, grabbing the other end of the canoe I was carrying and helping me take it down near the water. God help me, but I was watching her breasts bounce as we did. Am I completely ruined now because I got one taste of sex? It was such a good taste, and maybe that was the problem. Sometimes I wish I had been too drunk to remember. “What do you think?” she asked.
“About?” I wasn’t paying attention to a word she said.
She laughed. “What do you think about the island being haunted?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m not one of those people who worry about things like that. There’s a ton of history there, and if you talk to the old Native Americans, they’ll tell you it’s haunted. I don’t think it’s haunted by anything evil, though. I always get a real sense of peace when I’m there. You can ride in my boat. I have holy water.”
She laughed, “Agreed.” We put that boat down and went up to get another. As we stepped up a relatively steep embankment, she reached out and grabbed my hand. I held onto her and helped her the rest of the way up to where the truck was and then reluctantly let her hand go. Maybe that’s all it is with me, lately. Maybe I’m not craving sex as much as I am human contact. That would make me less creepy, I think.
“Is the water really cold?” she asked.
“Not this time of year,” I told her. “It’s not warm, but it’s definitely not frigid. My brothers and I used to swim in it when we came out during the summer.”
“How are your brothers?” My brothers never liked Lily. Neither did my Grandmother. They all thought she was too fast for me and were afraid she’d break my heart. It turned out I was the one that broke hers.
“They’re doing well, I guess. Max is doing well. He’s always been the most likely to succeed, though. Ryan is a little lost…more so now without Grandma. Hopefully, he’ll grow up soon. If not, I might have to adopt him and let him live on my couch.”
She laughed. I couldn’t help but look at her and wonder how different my life would be if she and I had never broken up. Would we be married now? Would we have children? Or would I be the man she divorced?
I pondered that while we finished taking the boats down and I’d just grabbed her hand again to help her up the incline when I saw another car arriving. I let go of her hand quickly…too quickly. She stumbled and almost fell backwards. I reached out and caught her in my arms.