Never Forgotten (Never Forgotten Series) (5 page)

“I’m thinking of heading to Europe, you know?” Katie continued. “Maybe take a year off and go backpacking.”

“Really? My best friend and I were planning the same thing. This was going to be the year we started planning everything out, but then my mom got sick and…”

She touched my arm briefly. “Your mom is sick?”

“Yeah,” I said, regretting that I brought it up. “Cancer.”

She looked me in the eye. “Want to talk about it?”

I shook my head, and we continued to walk in silence. A few minutes later, Katie nudged me with her shoulder. “I’m sorry about your mom.”

“Yeah,” I said. I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. Thankfully, she understood and didn’t push me to talk. “Me too.”

We came around a bend, and the lighthouse came into full view. Tourists mingled on the grounds in front, and the waves crashed against the surrounding rocky shore.

“Wow,” I said. “Cool.”

Katie stood next to me, covering her eyes with her hand to shade the sun. “The view’s not too bad.”

We walked around the grounds, and I took a few pictures with my phone. I’d send one to Kim later. The water churned below, and I moved to get a better look. Unlike the beaches I’d seen in photos, this shoreline was all rocks worn smooth by the rough waters. I stepped on some gravel and slipped.

“Careful.” Katie caught my arm and pointed to one of the signs posted randomly throughout the area, warning tourists of high-wave dangers.

“Have people been hurt here?”

“It’s been known to happen.” She stood next to me and looked down. “Someone gets too close and, whoosh! They’re dragged out to sea. Usually, they’re rescued.”

“Usually?”

“It pays to read the signs,” she said solemnly.

Noted. This was not the place to go for a swim.

***

When I got back to my grandparents’ house, it was almost six o’clock. After Katie finished showing me around, I offered to drop her off at home. I felt a little guilty about not calling, because I saw that the movers were there. They were in the process of unloading all of our stuff. Mom sat in a chair, an ice pack on her forehead, watching the progress. Grandma Mary walked beside one of the surlier-looking men, discussing where she wanted a particular piece of furniture placed in the house. She seemed a bit frazzled, and I thought she was worried about whether our possessions would fit. I kind of wondered the same thing myself.

I walked over to my mom and perched on the arm of her chair, leaning in and hugging her briefly. “The migraine is bothering you?” I asked as casually as I could.

She smiled up at me and patted my arm. “It’s better. Thanks. Where were you all afternoon?”

“I wandered into town, grabbed lunch, and then walked to the lighthouse with Katie.”

She nodded, but I could tell she wasn’t really listening when all she said was, “That’s nice.”

I watched the movers a little longer, growing bored. In the distance, a few dark clouds moved in, and the wind picked up. It looked like I was in for my first storm in the Cove. Hopefully, the movers would be done before it broke.

On her next trip in, Grandma Mary stopped in front of me. “You hungry?”

“Not really,” I said. “I ate a late lunch. Sorry for not calling.”

She waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it. I was just going to tell you that I didn’t make anything anyway. There are some leftovers in the fridge, if you do get hungry. Your mom already ate.”

“Thanks, Grandma Mary,” I said. She hurried toward the movers. Mom shivered a little, so I took her hand. It was ice cold. “C’mon, Mom. Let’s head inside. The movers have this under control.”

A little while later, I carried two mugs of hot chocolate into the living room and handed one to my mom, who was curled up on the couch. I sat down and snuggled up next to her, resting my head on her shoulder. She smelled like shampoo and her favorite perfume. The familiar scents relaxed me. “Can you tell me more about David?” I asked, closing my eyes and listening to the soft buzz of the television in the background.

She was quiet for so long that I didn’t think she was going to answer. In fact, I wondered if she even heard me. Another minute passed, and then Mom kissed the top of my head and started talking. “I’ll tell you about the first time I met him. I remember it was a Thursday morning. When I showed up for work at the Cove Inn, Lydia was positively glowing. She told me about a guest who had arrived the night before. She insisted that I had to meet him. I was curious, but I didn’t think too much about it. Lydia was the beautiful one. If he were interested in either of us, it would definitely be her. It didn’t even seem to matter that she was married. Guys hit on her all the time.”

I could relate. Kim was flirty and outgoing. Whenever guys were around, she was the one who always got the attention. I never really minded though. It took the pressure off me. Mom took a sip of hot chocolate and then continued. “A few hours later, I was vacuuming the hallway when I met David for the first time. He smiled and told me good morning, but I was too stunned to speak. He chuckled then, amused at my awkwardness, and asked me if I had plans for dinner. He asked me on a date, just like that. I finally managed to shake my head no, that I didn’t have plans. He smiled then, and said he would meet me out front at five.”

“You had your first date that same night?”

She nodded. “Yes, and we were together the rest of the summer. In my wildest dreams, I never thought someone as beautiful as David would be interested in me, especially over Lydia. But, he was. To Lydia, he was cordial, but he only had eyes for me.”

As my mom talked, I absentmindedly fingered the necklace that lightly rested on my collarbone. It was a gold sand dollar, and I never took it off. My mom gave it to me on my tenth birthday. She noticed and touched it with her finger, saying, “David gave that to me, you know. Besides you, it was the one thing I had to remember him by.”

That was the first time I heard that, so I asked, “Why did you give it to me?”

She looked at the necklace again before responding. “I always knew that he meant it to be yours.”

I thought maybe that was all she was going to say about David for the evening, but she seemed to have made up her mind that it was time for me to know more. She settled more comfortably into the couch. I got comfortable, too, and then she began to talk again.

“Even that first night, I knew there was something special about David. He consumed my thoughts. I wondered when I would see him next and where we could escape to be together. He didn’t seem to have a real purpose for being in Peggy’s Cove. Sure, he helped at the docks, but he would also disappear for days at a time. Whenever I asked him about it, he carefully evaded my questions. He never lied to me, but I knew there were things he wasn’t telling me.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“Well, he said he couldn’t stay forever, and he was careful not to make any promises. It didn’t concern me at the time. From the moment I met him, he was everything to me.”

I wondered where she was heading with this story. When she first started talking, it sounded like your typical boy meets girl, boy asks girl out, boy and girl fall in love story, but it was heading in a new direction. I waited for her to say more, not wanting to break the spell.

“When he was around, we were inseparable. His passion about the sea, about history, about art, about so many things, was contagious. We talked late into the night, and I often felt like I knew him better than I knew myself. But there was something there; something that I couldn’t put my finger on. I knew he was hiding it from me. He was mature beyond his years, had too many experiences for someone in his early twenties, and had a wilder, more primitive side than any boy I had known before.”

She stopped and gave my shoulder a squeeze. I smiled at her in a way that I hoped was encouraging. It worked. She continued her story. “The logical side of me knew I should be careful, but my heart wouldn’t let me. I was recklessly, wildly in love. By the end of summer, I realized I was pregnant with you.”

“What did you do? Did you tell him?”

“Of course. He was surprised. Happy, I think, but reminded me that he couldn’t make any promises.”

“And then he left you?”

“Not right away. He stayed as long as he could.”

“Why couldn’t he stay?” I asked.

She looked at me, tears shining in her eyes. “I don’t know.”

I wanted her to say more. I knew the story was incomplete. She knew why my father left and chose not to tell me. I wasn’t sure how I knew that. I just did. I couldn’t push her. Not tonight, when I could see the migraine pained her and she looked so frail, so worn. Instead, I kissed her.

She touched my check and gave me a faltering smile. “I wouldn’t change it, Meara. I want you to know that. If I had to do it all again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“I love you, Mom.”

At that moment, my grandmother came in the front door. “Movers are all done and on their way. I’m amazed we—” She paused when she saw us. “Everything okay in here?”

“Fine,” Mom and I said at the same time. Grandma Mary looked at us a moment, and then sighed. “Well, if you girls are okay, then I’m going to head back to my room do a bit of sewing.”

“We’re good, Mom,” my mom said.

Mom and I continued to cuddle on the couch, eventually finding an old horror movie to watch. We loved the classics. This one was with Vincent Price. When the movie ended, I went to bed. I thought for sure I would dream of David that night, but I slept in peace.

It was Friday, July 1. I powered up my laptop to work while the house was quiet. I promised Rebecca I’d maintain the Sew Beautiful website until she could find someone else. Sure, there were companies that would do it for her, but none as cheap as I was. Plus, after helping at the shop, I knew the business pretty well. The site looked good; I changed the main page to feature three fall projects and updated a broken link in the resource section. I e-mailed Rebecca a summary of my work and asked if anyone reported problems. Since online sales were far surpassing those at the store, I knew it was important to keep things easy to find and updated for her customers.

Once I finished work, I e-mailed Kim, attaching the picture of the lighthouse. She hadn’t replied to my first one yet, but I wasn’t surprised. She told me the internet connection was terrible at her uncle’s ranch.

It was time to tackle the stack of boxes the movers left in the corner of my room. I could arrange the room to my liking. Not that I minded my grandmother’s decorating, but it was always nice to be surrounded by your own things. Opening a box, I got started unpacking and decorating.

“Meara?” Mom popped her head in my room. “Did you want some lunch? It’s just you and me, kiddo.”

“Where are Grandma Mary and Grandpa Jamie?”

“At a barbecue.”

“You didn’t want to go?”

Mom made a face. “Head hurts.”

Now that she said it, I noticed her pale face and bruised eyelids.

“I can get lunch,” I said.

“Are you sure?” When I nodded, she gave me a small, tired smile. “Then I’m going to go and lay down again. Try to kick this thing once and for all.”

“Do you want me to bring you something?”

“No thanks, hon. I’ll eat later.” She turned to leave, and then looked back. “By the way, your room looks nice.”

“Thanks.” I looked around, pleased with my progress. It was starting to feel like my room. It was a decent place to break, so I went to the kitchen and searched the fridge and cabinets. It was my first time in the kitchen without Grandma Mary there. I took advantage. The kitchen was well stocked, but I didn’t feel like cooking. I settled on a turkey sandwich, chips, and a Diet Coke. I was rinsing off my plate when the doorbell rang. Who was here?

I ran to get the door. If Mom fell back asleep, I didn’t want whoever it was to wake her. Opening the door, I found Katie and Evan. What was I wearing? Oh yeah, jean shorts and a tank top. Did I put on makeup this morning? Yep. Relax.

Evan looked as hot as I remembered. He wore cargo shorts and a polo shirt. He smelled good, too. It reminded me of fresh air and herbs. He leaned against the doorframe, keys in hand.

“Um, hi,” I said. “What’s up?”

“Mind if we come in?” Katie asked as she proceeded to walk around me. She looked around the room. “Did the movers come?”

“Yeah,” I said, wondering why they were here. “Yesterday.”

“Thought so. There’s more furniture now. Looks nice.”

“Um…thanks.” I watched as Katie tried out the leather recliner from our old house. She leaned back in the chair and smiled at me.

“Katie,” Evan drawled from the doorway, clearly amused at his sister. “Maybe you’d like to tell Meara why we’re here…”

My face flared with heat. Would I ever be able to control that?

“Grandma Mary called this morning,” Katie said from the chair. “Asked what we were doing. She said you were home unpacking and might need a break.”

“I’m pretty much finished. What’s up?”

“We’re heading into Halifax for the festivities.” Katie stood and smoothed the hem of her sundress. “Do you want to come with us?”

“Sorry for just dropping in,” Evan added. “I thought Katie called first.”

“Whatever, Evan.” Katie rolled her eyes at him before she winked at me. “You might want to grab a jacket or something. It’ll probably cool off a bit later tonight.”

“Um,” I mumbled. “I’m not sure…I don’t know if I should leave my mom alone…”

Katie peered across the empty living room. “Where is she?”

“Sleeping. The migraine’s bothering her.”

“Still?” Katie asked.

I nodded. “Sometimes they last a few days.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to go,” Evan said.

The problem was that I really wanted to go. Should I leave Mom alone? What if she got worse? On the other hand, Grandma Mary did tell Katie and Evan to come over and get me.

“No, I’ll go.” I would leave a note for Mom in the kitchen. She could call my cell phone if she needed me. She might even be awake. “Be right back.”

“We’ll wait for you in the car,” Evan said as I went to grab a coat. I was going to have to keep a close eye on my grandmother. She seemed to like to meddle. She could have given me some notice. I would have spent more time getting ready and less time unpacking. On the other hand, I was going to hang out with Evan. Right, Evan. Definitely called for more makeup. I stopped by the bathroom and added a bit of shadow and lip gloss, tossing the tube of gloss in my purse. On my way back down the hall, I checked on Mom.

“Mom?” I whispered. She didn’t respond. Her back was to me, but she appeared to be asleep. I jotted a quick note in the kitchen and left it in the middle of the table.

“What took you so long?” Katie teased as I climbed in the backseat.

Before I could answer, Evan spoke. “What are you talking about, Katie? She was ready way sooner then you ever are.”

Katie stuck out her tongue. Evan ignored her.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Evan addressed me through the rearview mirror as he started out of the driveway, “but we’re meeting up with some other kids.”

“It’s kind of a tradition,” Katie added. “Just some friends from school.”

“No problem,” I said, although I wondered how many others would be there. I didn’t do well with crowds.

The drive to Halifax took about twenty minutes. Along the way, Katie peppered me with questions. I wanted to hear more about Evan, but in the end, all I could do was answer Katie. Where did I grow up? What was it like back home? What were my friends like? What did we do for fun? She went on and on.

“Katie,” Evan said after about the fifteenth question. “Give the girl a break!”

Katie pouted. “What else are we going to talk about?” She crossed her arms and turned to stare out the window.

When the silence ensued, Evan glanced in the mirror at me. “Thank you,” I mouthed when I caught his eye.

“Welcome,” he mouthed back.

We circled the parking lot a few times to find a spot. Beyond the building, which looked like a police station, I could see a Ferris wheel and a few other carnival rides. When I opened the car door, I smelled cotton candy and French fries. From the sound of things, at least two bands were playing. Rock n’ roll and country battled for volume, but they mingled pretty well together.

Katie hooked her arm through mine and pulled me along. “We’re meeting everyone by the midway.” Evan trailed behind us.

Katie started waving as soon as she spotted her friends. A few waved back, so I knew where we were headed. There were four girls and three guys. It was a pretty big group, but I’d manage. Katie gave my arm a quick squeeze before letting go.

“Hi everyone,” she said. “This is my new friend, Meara. She just moved here.”

A couple of kids muttered “hi” and a few waved. Katie introduced each of them, not that I would remember their names. The two girls standing closest to Katie—Val and Jen—seemed nice enough. From the way the three of them talked, I guessed they were best friends.

“So, where should we start?” Jen asked.

The general consensus was food first, so we hit the concessions. Evan walked next me and leaned toward my ear. “Sorry about my sister in the car,” he apologized. “She can be a little overpowering.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m sure I’ll get used to it.”

He laughed. “Really? When you learn the secret, let me know. I’ve been trying to figure her out for seventeen years.”

I thought maybe he would walk up next to his friends, who were leading the way, but he stayed at my side. One of the two other girls, I couldn’t remember her name, but she was a tall, skinny redhead, tried to get Evan’s attention. She asked him about hockey, and if he was playing in the fall.

“You play hockey?” I asked him. I realized I knew very little about him yet.

“He was the captain of the team last year,” the girl said as she smiled up at him and batted her eyelashes. Try a little harder, I couldn’t help thinking.

“I play,” he said. “I’m not sure if I’ll play in the fall or not.”

“You have too!” Flirty girl actually stomped her foot. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. She was too much. Evan caught my eye, and I knew he was thinking the same thing.

“How about pizza, guys?” Katie called back. Based on the murmurs of consent, we walked toward a pizza vendor.

“I want fries first,” Evan said. “How about you, Meara? Do you like fries?”

“Of course. Who doesn’t?” I was waiting for the redhead to gush about her love of fries, but she had already lost interest in Evan, flirting with one of his friends instead.

“You go ahead,” Evan said to Katie. “Meara and I will meet up with you all.”

Katie raised her eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. The group walked off, leaving us alone. He took my hand and pulled me in the opposite direction from their friends. “I saw fries back this way.”

There was a long line, but we got in it anyway. Next to the booth was a lemonade stand. One of those that advertised it was made with real lemons and fresh squeezed. That was always the first stop for Mom and me at the State Fair. Although, over time, the fresh squeezed gave way to freshly tapped. The last time we went, we joked that the only squeezed part was the lemon garnish that they added at the end to make it seem authentic. I hoped Mom was feeling better. I should have left her a sandwich or something.

“Are you okay?” Evan asked. I realized that I must have been frowning.

I smiled at him. “Sure. Why?”

“You just looked upset.” He studied my face, and I wanted to squirm.

“Do you want lemonade?” I changed the subject. I didn’t want to talk about Mom.

“Okay.”

“I’ll get it while you wait for the fries,” I said.

Evan reached for his wallet.

“I got it,” I said.

He shook his head. “Let me pay.”

“Thanks.” My cheeks burned as I took his money. Was this a date? I wasn’t used to guys paying for me either. On the other hand, I might not have been able to use my money. I only had American bills. I needed to get it converted to Canadian money.

The lemonade line was much shorter. When I returned with a cup in each hand, Evan had five more people in front of him. “Do you want to find us a place to sit?” he asked, motioning to the area behind the vendor’s trailer. I could see tables and chairs under a large tent.

“Good idea.”

The seating area was crowded and, at first, I didn’t think I would find an open table, but an older couple looked like they were cleaning up empty plates.

“Is this table available?” I asked them.

The woman smiled sweetly at me. “Yes, dear. It’s all yours.”

I thanked them and set the lemonades down. Before I sat, I turned my chair to watch for Evan, so I could stand and wave if he didn’t see me. There was no need; he spotted me right away.

“I didn’t think I’d ever get through that line,” he said as he sat down. I looked at the plate he set on the table.

“What’s that?”

“Fries.” He gave me a strange look. “You did want fries, right?”

“What’s on top?” The fries were covered with globs of cheese and some kind of brown sauce. I’d never seen anything like it.

“It’s Poutine,” he said, as if that explained everything.

“The ‘poo’ I get. Looks like the diapers I changed babysitting.”

He laughed and nudged the plate at me. “Try it.”

“How do you eat these things?” I didn’t see how I could pick up a fry without getting covered in messy goo.

“With a fork.” He handed me one. I could tell he was trying not to laugh.