Seaview Inn (11 page)

“A car bomb in Iraq,” he said succinctly.

Her eyes widened. “Luke! Good God, you could have been killed.”

“But I wasn’t,” he said. “I made it home. A lot of others didn’t. Save your sympathy for their families.”

“Why were you in Iraq in the first place? Surely you didn’t enlist.”

“Actually, I did. I’d served in the army before. They paid for my education, so when buddies of mine were sent over there, I reenlisted for a one-year tour of duty. I was only a few weeks from coming home when this happened.”

“How long ago was that?”

“About six months.”

“That long?”

“Rehab took a while.”

She studied him with a narrowed gaze. “Something tells me you’re minimizing what happened.”

He shrugged but didn’t deny it.

“What about post-traumatic stress disorder? Is that why you aren’t with your family?”

Now they really were treading on turf he wanted to avoid. “No,” he said tersely. “Look, let’s not go there, okay?”

She looked hurt by his abrupt demand that they change the subject, but it was hard enough to see the sympathy in her eyes when she heard about his injury. He didn’t want to see the pity that was bound to follow if he told her the whole ugly story of the disintegration of his marriage.

Just ahead, fortunately, he saw the road that intersected with the town’s main street. Climbing over the
dunes, they emerged onto a busy sidewalk. “Rocky road at the drugstore soda fountain or frozen custard from Lila’s?” he asked.

“Frozen custard,” she said at once. “Chocolate and vanilla swirled together.”

He glanced at her, wondering how she’d remembered that it was his favorite. Or if she actually did.

“You brought me
my
favorite,” she said, responding to the unspoken question. “Now it’s my turn to treat you to yours.”

“I’m surprised you remember,” he said, studying her.

“I remember
everything
about those last two summers before we went away to college,” she said in a way that made him wonder what she meant. What had made it so memorable for her?

Seaview Key, 1985

Just about everyone from the high school—sophomores, juniors and seniors—had turned out for the end-of-year party on the beach. The guys had dragged several picnic tables together early in the afternoon and those were now laden down with food. A couple of charcoal grills were glowing hot and the boys were taking turns fixing hot dogs and hamburgers, while the girls set out bowls of potato salad, macaroni salad and trays of home-baked cookies. Coolers filled with ice and cans of soda sat in the sand under the tables. Davey Roberts had brought his sound system and music was blaring. They’d chosen a secluded spot on the beach about a half mile from the inn, where no one would be disturbed by the noise.

Ever since sophomore year Hannah had had a crush on Luke Stevens, but he’d been unaware of it. Though
they were both juniors now, they didn’t hang out with the same crowd at all. Luke was a jock, who always had the most popular girls in school surrounding him. Hannah was focused on getting perfect grades, so she could win a scholarship to a school far, far away from Seaview. That didn’t stop her from wishing that Luke would give her a second glance. Fortunately, no one, not even her best friend, had a clue about her infatuation, so there was no chance she’d be humiliated by someone pointing out the futility of it.

“Hey, Hannah, let’s go for a swim,” Abby Dawson shouted, waving at her from the water.

“I’ll be there in two minutes,” Hannah called back. “Just let me get the last of the food on the table.”

She’d barely turned away, when she heard shouts from the water, but this time there was a frantic edge to them that had her whirling around and scanning the surf for Abby. Half a dozen kids were already running toward the last place she’d seen her.

Hannah dropped the bowl she was holding and ran after them. “Abby, where are you? Abby!”

She saw her friend’s head bob above the churning waves, but then Abby went under again. Hannah started into the water, but suddenly Luke was there. He pushed her back. “Stay here. You’re not a strong-enough swimmer. You’ll wind up going under, too. I’ll get her.” He shook her slightly, his gaze locked with hers. “Hannah, are you listening? Stay here.”

She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Just save her, Luke. Please, hurry.”

While others waded more tentatively into the rough waters, Luke dove in and began swimming with clean, strong strokes. The next time Abby bobbed to the surface,
he was only a few feet away. He covered the distance in less than a heartbeat, it seemed, but she was already under again. He dove down and seemed to be out of sight for an eternity. When he emerged, coughing and gagging, he was holding a limp Abby in his arms.

Towing her, he made his way toward shore, then immediately lay her down and began performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. In moments Abby began to cough up water.

Hannah knelt down beside her, her heart pounding so hard she thought for a minute it was going to burst. “Abby, are you all right?”

“Has anyone called 911?” Luke asked, taking Abby’s pulse. “I think she’s okay now, but she should be checked out.”

“They’re coming,” someone in the crowd said, and already the faint sound of a siren could be heard in the distance.

Clinging to her friend’s hand, Hannah shook. “What happened, Abby? You’re a better swimmer than I am.”

“Stomach cramp,” Abby murmured. “I went out too far, the cramp hit and then I was gulping water. Thank God for Luke.”

When the EMTs arrived, they examined Abby and insisted that she go to the hospital.

“I’ll go with her,” Hannah said at once.

Abby gave her a grateful look, but then the EMTs suggested Luke go in and get checked out as well. He turned to Hannah.

“I’ll keep an eye on her, okay? You stay here and enjoy the party.”

Hannah wanted to argue, but then she saw the glint of adoration in Abby’s gaze as it settled on Luke. She knew
in that instant that something was going to happen between the two of them and she’d wind up being an outsider.

Abby reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’ll be okay, Hannah. I’ll call you as soon as I get home.”

“Sure, fine,” Hannah said, stepping back as they loaded Abby into the back of the ambulance. “Should I call your folks and tell them to meet you at the hospital?”

“Good idea,” Luke said, his gaze never leaving Abby’s face. He looked as if he’d been hit by a bolt of lightning, as if he’d never seen Abby before and had just discovered that she was this absolutely fascinating person.

Hannah stood by as the ambulance rode away. The other kids drifted away and then she ran the half mile up the beach to use the phone at the inn to call Abby’s parents.

After she told them what had happened, she fixed herself a glass of iced tea, but when she started to pick it up, her hands were shaking so badly, she had to set it down again. Leaving it where it was, she went onto the porch, where her mother and grandmother were already settled in rockers for the evening, while her grandfather worked inside on the inn’s books. For once, she craved the comforting familiarity of the routine.

“What are you doing back here so early?” her mom asked.

“Abby nearly drowned,” she said, an unexpected catch in her voice. She covered her face and started to cry. “It was so awful, Mom. She got a cramp and she kept going under.”

“Oh, no,” her mom said, looking shaken. “She’s okay, though? Someone got her out?”

Hannah nodded. “Luke Stevens saved her. He went with her to the hospital, so they could both get checked out. I just called to let her folks know.”

“You must have been terrified,” her mother said. “Are
you sure you’re okay? Do you want me to drive you to the hospital to check on Abby?”

Hannah shook her head. “Luke’s there,” she said wearily. “That’s all she needs.”

It was her grandmother who apparently caught the note of defeat in her voice. “Hannah, what’s wrong? What is it you’re not saying?”

She stood up, afraid she’d already let them see too much. “Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m going to bed.”

“You don’t want to go back to the party?” her mother asked worriedly. “Maybe you should be with your friends tonight.”

“Abby’s my friend. It wouldn’t be any fun without her,” she said. And deep down inside, she wondered if the whole summer wasn’t going to be just as miserable as tonight had turned out to be.

The next day was the first full day of summer vacation and Hannah had managed to sleep away most of the morning. She dragged herself downstairs just before noon and wandered into the kitchen wearing shorts and a tank top, only to find Abby sitting at the table while Grandma Jenny made strawberry-rhubarb pies.

Hannah was relieved to see her, but a part of her was wary, too. “You’re okay? I got worried when you didn’t call last night like you said you would.”

Abby rolled her eyes. “Too much commotion then, but I’m fit as a fiddle, according to the doctors,” she said. “Otherwise, I doubt my parents would have let me out of their sight. They flipped out when they heard what happened, and they totally embarrassed Luke. They kept carrying on like he was this huge hero, and then they offered him a reward. Can you imagine? It was so embarrassing.”

“He was a hero,” Hannah said. “No one else was
diving in to save you. I was going to, but he stopped me. He said he was a stronger swimmer, and he was right.”

Abby twisted the glass of tea she was holding around and around in her hands, her gaze avoiding Hannah’s. “He was pretty great, wasn’t he?”

“He was amazing,” Hannah agreed. She hesitated, then asked, “So, are you going to see him again?”

Abby blushed. “He said he might stop by today. I told him I’d be here.” She finally met Hannah’s gaze. “That’s okay, isn’t it?”

Hannah forced a smile. “Sure. Of course.” She was careful to avoid her grandmother’s penetrating gaze when she said it. She had a feeling Grandma Jenny saw right through her and knew it was anything but okay.

“Why don’t you girls go outside and sit on the porch and relax?” Grandma Jenny suggested. “I’ll bring out something to eat. Abby, did you have breakfast?”

“No, ma’am,” Abby said with a grin. “I came over here hoping you’d offer to fix us something. Now that my mom’s working, at home all I’d have would be toaster waffles.”

“I definitely think I can do better than that. Hannah, what would you like?”

“Whatever,” she said.

“I’ll make waffles, then. With peaches on top. How does that sound?”

“Awesome,” Abby said enthusiastically.

“It sounds great, Grandma Jenny. Do you need any help?”

“Not on your first day of vacation,” she said. “Run along. And if Luke gets here, let me know. I imagine he’ll want some, too.”

Hannah slowly followed Abby outside and settled into
one of the wicker chairs. “Are you really okay?” she asked Abby.

“Fine, thanks to Luke.”

“Were you scared?”

“Terrified, but when I came to on the beach and saw his face, I knew everything was going to be okay.”

“And now you’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Hannah said, her voice toneless.

Abby gave her an odd look. “I’m grateful to him and I think he’s pretty incredible because of what he did, but he’s never even noticed me. Last night was just an emergency.”

Hannah had seen the look in his eyes the night before, when Abby had been lying on the sand. “You’re wrong,” she said. “Luke might not have noticed you before last night, but trust me, he’s noticed you now.”

“Well, half drowning will get a guy’s attention,” Abby said. “Hannah, why do you sound so angry about it?”

“I’m not angry. I’m glad he was there.”

“Well, you’re mad about something.”

Hannah forced a smile. She was not about to reveal her crush now, when it was too late. “Am not. It’s the first day of vacation. What’s there to be mad about?”

Abby didn’t look convinced. “That’s what I want to know.”

Fortunately before Hannah had to answer, her grandmother came out with two plates with waffles, glasses of orange juice and a pitcher of iced tea. And just as she set everything down on a table for the two of them, Luke strolled up the front walk. He acknowledged her grandmother with a nod and said a distracted hello to Hannah, but his gaze was riveted on Abby.

“You feeling okay?” he asked, his hands shoved in the pockets of his cutoff jeans.

To Hannah’s disgust, Abby looked just as smitten as he did.

“Luke, if you’re hungry, you can have my waffle,” Hannah said. “I’ll go fix myself another one.”

She brushed past her grandmother and went into the kitchen. Grandma Jenny followed.

“It’s hard, I know,” she said as she spooned more batter into the waffle iron. “Seeing your best friend with a boy you like.”

“I don’t like him,” Hannah said adamantly.

“You sure?”

“Well, I can’t like him, can I? He only has eyes for Abby and now she’s falling for him, too.”

“Sometimes it happens that way,” her grandmother said sympathetically. “I’m sorry.”

Hannah impatiently brushed at the tears welling up in her eyes. “Gran, please, don’t say anything about this, okay? Promise me. They can’t find out, not ever.”

“Of course not. If you want to talk about it, though, I’m always here.”

Hannah sighed. “I think the less said about this the better.”

In fact, if God was merciful, she’d never even think about Luke that way again. But, of course, life almost never worked like that.

I
t was funny, Hannah thought as she and Luke sat on a bench now with their frozen custard cones, but as vivid as the memories of the past were, she didn’t see the carefree boy in the man. She glanced sideways and studied him, trying to find some glimpse of the boy she’d been so crazy about, but it simply wasn’t there.

Oh, he had the same twinkle in his eyes on occasion, the same dark blond hair that was already getting sparks of gold and red from being out in the sun, the same smile and dimple, but there was a sadness about him now that hadn’t been there before. She imagined almost losing a leg to a roadside bomb had contributed to that, as had whatever had gone on in his marriage that had sent him to Seaview Key. She’d been infatuated with a boy. Now she was increasingly drawn to a man, with all of his complexities and secrets.

“Luke, do you ever wonder why your relationship with Abby didn’t last?” she asked, recalling how powerful the attraction between them had been. They’d been inseparable that summer, all during the following school year and that one last summer after graduation. Once they’d gone away to separate colleges, though, the bond had been broken.

“We were kids,” he said simply. “How long did your first real relationship last?”

“I didn’t have a real relationship until I graduated from college,” she said, faintly embarrassed to admit that. “I was too focused on my studies.” And getting over her unrequited feelings for Luke, she added to herself. She’d dated from time to time, but not one of the men had been worth risking the achievement of her goals, and not one had come close to sparking the sort of feelings she’d had for Luke. For years she’d wondered if her feelings for him had been magnified simply because she couldn’t have him or because she was so young, but based on how quickly they’d been rekindled lately, there had to have been something there.

“That surprises me. I thought one of the reasons you wanted to get away from Seaview was to meet guys who were smarter or more ambitious than the boys here.”

She poked him with an elbow. “You make me sound like a terrible snob.”

“Well, at the time I thought that, but in retrospect I can see that you were just being choosey.”

“Did everyone think that?” she asked, horrified.

“Maybe not everyone, but I could name half a dozen guys who wanted to ask you out but were too scared to do it.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “Name one.”

“Tommy Wilder,” he said at once, a wicked glint in his eye.

“Tommy Wilder could barely find his way from one end of the football field to the other, even with the team shouting at him,” she said with an exaggerated shudder.

“But he thought you were hot. He even asked me to set the two of you up on a date.”

“But you didn’t even try,” she recalled. “I would have remembered that.”

“Abby said you’d never in a million years go for it,” he said, then glanced over at her. “Was she wrong?”

“No. Abby knew me better than anyone. What did you tell Tommy?”

“That you were thinking of going into a convent, so you didn’t date.”

She poked him again. “You did not!”

“I did. I had to let him down easy. He was the best offensive tackle we had. I couldn’t crush the guy. And the mention of a convent was all it took to scare off a good Catholic boy.”

“You are so lying,” she accused.

He grinned. “Didn’t you ever wonder why all the boys at school were giving you a wide berth?”

“I’m not even Catholic,” she said.

“Minor detail,” he said blithely. “Sorry if I ruined your social life.”

“Actually, you probably made me more intriguing than I deserved to be,” she said, not especially bothered by the revelation that he’d deliberately put a damper on her social life. “And I had lots of time to study so I could keep my grades up.”

“So, let’s get back to my original question. How long did your first big relationship last?”

“Five-and-a-half years,” she said. “And we were married for most of that time.”

He whistled. “Kelsey’s father?”

Hannah nodded. “Maybe if I’d been more experienced, I would have seen just how wrong we were for each other, but then, I wouldn’t have had Kelsey. I can’t regret my ill-advised marriage, because I came away from it with this amazing child.”

He frowned slightly. “And there’s been no one important since then?”

“No one worth shaking up the status quo,” she admitted. “My judgment was so bad the first time around that I never quite trusted it again. Ironically, I chose someone just like my father, a man with no staying power. I figured the odds were that I’d do it again. Besides, Kelsey and I are a team. Some men couldn’t deal with that. Some couldn’t deal with my successful career. Either way, they wanted me all to themselves.”

“Makes perfect sense to avoid a guy that selfish,” he conceded. “Surely not every man in Manhattan is like that, though. And there have to be plenty who can deal with a smart, successful woman.”

“Probably so, but as time went on I became more and more married to my career. I stopped looking.” She gave a rueful shrug. “It drives my friend Sue crazy. She’s set me up on so many blind dates and has such an agenda to see me happily married, it’s a wonder any single man will go near her.”

“Don’t you know how challenging most men find an unavailable, uninterested female to be?”

“I thought all men hated and feared rejection.”

“They do. They just don’t believe it will happen to them. It’s these oversize egos we’re blessed with.”

She studied him curiously. “You included?”

“Mine’s taken a couple of hits, but basically, yes. I believe in myself.”

Hannah wasn’t entirely convinced of that. “Then why are you here?” she asked bluntly. “I get the feeling you’re running away from something.”

“Just taking some time off to get back on my feet, literally and figuratively,” he claimed. He met her gaze. “So, tell me something, does it work?”

“Does what work?”

“Substituting a job for a life. Isn’t that what you’ve been doing?”

She bristled at the suggestion, then sighed. That was exactly what she’d done. How could she even attempt to deny it? “I didn’t mean to, but that’s how it turned out. I’m not complaining, though. My career has allowed me to provide well for Kelsey and me. I get a lot of professional recognition.”

“But you’re alone at the end of the day. Who shares that success with you?”

Ah, that was the rub. There wasn’t anyone. Oh, Sue, of course. She was always ready to have a celebration. And the people at work always made a fuss when she landed a new account or pulled off a public relations coup for one of their clients.

“I see you don’t have an answer for that,” he said quietly. “And what happens now that Kelsey is grown and about to have a child of her own? Especially if she stays here in Florida or goes back to California?”

Hannah had no idea how to answer. The question was one she’d been asking herself a lot recently. Over the past couple of years she’d begun to realize that having Kelsey away at college was foreshadowing the loneliness of her future.

“I don’t know,” she confessed finally.

Suddenly she saw how deftly Luke had shifted the conversation away from himself. He’d barely answered her question about his breakup with Abby—or any of her other tentative personal questions—before turning the spotlight right back on her.

She was about to call him on it when the cell phone she’d stuck in her pocket out of habit rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she saw that it was Sue.

“I need to take this,” she told Luke. “It’ll only take a minute.”

When she answered, Sue said, “I can hear waves. Are you on the beach, you rat?”

Hannah smiled at her indignation. “No, but close. I’m sitting on a bench across the street and I’ve just finished a huge cone of frozen custard.”

“I hate you. It’s twelve degrees here and the wind is whipping down Sixth Avenue. I’m scared to walk outside for fear I’ll be blown all the way to Staten Island.”

“Sorry,” Hannah said, but without much sincerity.

“No, you’re not, and who could blame you?” Sue said. “When are you coming home?”

“Another week or so, I guess.”

“You don’t sound very sure of that. What’s going on, Hannah? Is your grandmother balking at selling the inn?”

“She didn’t balk. She flat-out refused. Worse, she’s convinced Kelsey to stay here and work with her.”

“Say that again?” Sue said, her shock evident. “Kelsey is giving up Stanford to stay in Seaview Key?”

“That’s the plan,” Hannah confirmed with weary resignation.

“Oh, brother. Do I need to come down there to keep you from killing her?”

“No, I’m restraining myself, for the time being, anyway.”

“When are you coming home?”

“As soon as things are under control here, whenever that is.”

“I thought your doctor’s appointment was in eight days. You’ll be back for that, right?”

“Hopefully,” she said evasively.

“Hannah, you can’t blow it off,” Sue said urgently.
“You know that. I don’t care what’s going on down there, this is too important.”

Hannah rubbed her temple, where she could feel a headache starting. “I know. I’ll be there, I promise. Even if I have to turn right around and fly back down here.”

“You’d better be or I’ll be down there the next day to drag you back up here myself.”

She smiled, despite the added pressure she was feeling. Sue would do exactly that, if need be. “I’m not giving you an excuse to play hooky from work,” she retorted. “If you want to come to Florida, just say so. You’re always welcome.”

“A few more days of this weather and I’ll take you up on that.” Sue paused, then asked, “You are feeling okay, though, right? And you’re doing your self-exams?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay, then, I’ll stop nagging for now. Love you.”

“You, too,” Hannah said. “Thanks for checking in.”

She shut off the phone and tucked it back in her pocket.

“You getting pressure from work to come back?” Luke asked.

“No, just Sue, the friend I mentioned earlier, calling to find out how things are going down here.”

He studied her intently. “Are you sure? Because between Kelsey and me, things here are covered if you do need to go back.”

“Are you trying to kick me out?”

“Heaven forbid!” he protested. “It would be a lot less interesting without you around. I just wanted you to know you could go back without worrying about Grandma Jenny or the inn. Or Kelsey, for that matter.”

“Neither the inn nor my grandmother are your responsibility,” she reminded him. “Neither is Kelsey.”

“I’m just saying that if you need to go, I’m here.”

She wasn’t sure how she felt about him sounding so eager to be rid of her, then decided she was being ridiculous. He was merely offering to help out. She was the one twisting that into some sort of rejection. No wonder she didn’t have a relationship. She couldn’t even accept a simple act of kindness in the spirit in which it was intended.

“I do appreciate the offer,” she said finally. “You really have been a godsend when it comes to getting the painting and repairs started. I know how much Grandma Jenny appreciates it. Despite what she says about all these people in Seaview looking for work, finding someone reliable isn’t as easy as she makes it sound. Still, I don’t want you to feel obligated to stay on or help out. You’re going to want to get back to your own life one of these days.”

“Hey, I’m in no rush. This has worked out great for me, too, so don’t think I’m doing her any favors.”

“You’re the one climbing up and down a ladder, despite your injury,” Hannah said. “That counts as a favor in my book.”

He gave her an odd look. “Don’t try to paint me as a hero, Hannah. Believe me, I don’t qualify.”

“Something tells me that there are a lot of people who would say otherwise, Grandma Jenny included, but if you want to be modest and humble, who am I to argue with you?”

“We should get back,” he said tightly.

“You’re not on a time clock,” she reminded him, but she stood up, anyway.

“Maybe not, but your daughter has guests booked into the inn in a couple of weeks and something tells me she’s going to expect everything in perfect order when the first
ones arrive.” He glanced at her. “Does she get that perfectionism from you?”

Hannah nodded ruefully. “Probably.”

“Don’t say that as if it’s a bad trait,” he teased. “Just remember that sometimes relaxation is as important as getting it all right.”

“You’re not the first to suggest that I could use more balance in my life,” she said. “It’s a favorite refrain of Grandma Jenny’s. What about you? Is your life in perfect balance?”

He laughed. “Hardly, but unlike you, I’m working on it.”

“Can you actually
work
on relaxing? Isn’t that an oxymoron?”

“No more than practicing taking deep, cleansing breaths,” he said. “Breathing comes naturally. You have to teach yourself to do the other kind.” He shrugged. “Or so I was told in rehab.”

“I took yoga once,” Hannah said.

“How’d you do?”

“I flunked.”

“How can you flunk yoga?”

“The teacher said I was too intense. I was making the rest of the class nervous.”

Luke chuckled. “I can actually see that happening. You probably tried to get everyone to breathe faster, so you could finish up and get back to work.”

Hannah laughed with him. “Something like that.”

“So how
do
you relax?”

She opened her mouth to answer, then suddenly realized that until the past few days, she couldn’t recall the last time she’d done anything solely for fun or relaxation. She hadn’t even taken a bubble bath in months, something she’d once savored. She was not going to admit that, though.

“I get together with friends,” she said eventually.

“And talk business?” he inquired, amusement lurking in his eyes.

“Sure, sometimes,” she said, then winced. “Okay, what about you? Are you any better?”

“Not much,” he conceded. “But I have seen the error of my ways. I’m here right now, taking a walk along the beach with you, while there’s painting to be done back at the inn.”