Summer at Oyster Bay: A gorgeous feel good summer romance (11 page)

As they began setting out the food, Emily noticed a dog trotting toward them from down the beach. It looked like some sort of Lab mix—it was brown with a bit of white on its chest. As it got closer, she saw it looked dirty and unkempt.

“We’d better pick up the food,” Emily warned, nodding toward the dog. When she did, he made eye contact and began bounding toward them.

Rachel scooped up their plates and stood just as the dog came barreling over, landing on the blanket. It shook, sending muddy water all over them. Afterwards, it sat down, panting, and looked up at Emily.

“Hi, doggy,” Clara said, walking toward him.

“Careful, Clara,” Rachel said. “You don’t know that dog.”

Clara, clearly enamored, put her little hands on his face. When she did, the dog whipped around, sniffed her wrist, and planted a big wet kiss on her hand, making her giggle.

The dog put his snout in the air and sniffed until he found the trail of scent to the plates in Rachel’s hands. He looked at her, his little eyes seeming so sad.

“He looks hungry,” Emily said. “Here, give him my sandwich.” She took her plate from Rachel and set it down in front of the dog. With barely a breath, he inhaled the contents. Then, he stood up and pressed himself against Emily. “He’s so dirty. I wonder where he’s been.”

Rachel set her plate down on the blanket and the dog ate the plate clean. “He looks thin.”

“I love him,” Clara said, giving the dog a hug. The dog sniffed her ear and licked her again.

Emily patted her legs to get him to come over to her. She rubbed his cheeks. “He’s very sweet. We shouldn’t just let him go.”

“Maybe we should take his picture and post it around town. Someone might recognize him.”

Emily put her hand to her nose and grimaced. “Why don’t we give him a bath first? He smells.”

“Yay!” Clara said, jumping up and down. “Let’s give him a bath! That’ll be fun!”

“Okay,” Emily said with a laugh. “We’ll take him up to the house and wash him with the hose.”

“What should we call him?” Clara asked, walking beside him as he followed their lead.

Rachel picked up the blanket and shook the sand from it. “Oh no,” she said. “We aren’t naming him because we aren’t keeping him.”

“Let’s call him Flash because he came upon us like a flash,” Emily said, feeling a little excited to have found this sweet soul.

“Hi, Flash!” Clara said.

“Don’t encourage her,” Rachel said with a wink.

“I’ll tell you what,” Emily told Clara, “if nobody claims him, I’ll keep him and you can play with him any time you want.”

Clara cheered and clapped sending Flash into a jumping frenzy.

Emily left Flash outside with a little more food and ran in to get her shampoo. On her way through the kitchen, she grabbed a bowl from the cupboard.

When she got back outside, she put the bowl on the ground and Rachel turned the garden hose on low to fill it with water. Before she’d even finished, Flash had his nose in it, lapping it up.

“It doesn’t look like he’s eaten or had any water in a while,” Emily said. “Look at him.”

When he’d finished, she held out the shampoo bottle and let him have a sniff. “I’m going to put some of this on your back,” she said gently, popping open the cap and squirting it on him. Surprisingly, he let her, though his eyes were wary. She kept the hose on low and wet his back as she started to scrub.

Flash allowed Emily to lather his whole body and rinse him. Before she could dry him off, he shook like crazy, soaking her and Clara. Rachel had ducked out of the way just in time. They toweled him off together.

“I think we need to get him dog food,” Clara said, her little head turned to the side as she looked at him.

“We should,” Emily agreed. “He needs a collar too. Should we get dressed and take him with us down to the pet store?”

“Yes!” Clara cheered.

“Off we go then!”

It took a little coaxing to get Flash into the car but Emily did it. When they got to the pet store, she kept her hand on him to guide him, but he walked right beside her as they entered the store. Clara settled on a dark green collar with a silver bone engraved with “Flash” on the store’s engraving machine. They got a matching leash, a giant bag of dog food, a fleece cushion, some dog shampoo, two chew toys, and a rubber ball.

“What if he belongs to someone?” Rachel said, the dog sitting beside Clara’s booster seat in the car, his head out the open window as they made their way back to Gram’s.

“I hope he doesn’t,” Emily said. “I already love him.”

“
W
hat in the
world is that?” Gram said, her handbag hanging on the crook of her arm as she leaned on her cane. Emily was in her bedroom, getting ready to go to the concert with Charlie, and Flash was lying next to her, chewing his toy, his tail thumping on the floor.

“I thought you might need someone to keep you company,” Emily teased. She remembered how Gram used to pretend to be irritated by their family dog when Emily was a kid but deep down she loved that dog. She’d sobbed when it passed away.

“Tell me you didn’t buy me a dog.” She stood in her pressed skirt, her button-up shirt, and low boxy heels. Flash stopped chewing and looked up at her. She was shaking her head, her pearl earrings showing through her hair.

The sight of her unease was enough to make Emily laugh out loud and abandon her bantering. “No,” she said, still laughing. “This is Flash. As far as we know, he’s
my
new dog. That’s unless someone claims him. Rachel’s going to put posters up. He came down the beach today all dirty.”

“Well,” Gram said, pursing her lips. Then, she walked out of the room muttering something.

“You look nice, by the way,” she called out to her. Flash’s ears went up and down.

“Thank you,” she called back with a playfully irritated tone.

Emily laughed again. Flash had put her in a good mood. She didn’t even worry about where Gram had been or who she’d seen.

Once Emily was ready, she and Flash walked downstairs to the kitchen where Gram was pinning her hair up. “Y’all want to eat somethin’ before you go tonight? I’m cookin’ regardless,” she said, washing her hands at the sink.

There was a knock on the door then, sending Flash into a frenzy of tail wagging and barking. He bounded toward the sound, his nails causing him to slip on the hardwoods. He slid to the front where he got a firm hold on himself and barked like crazy.

Emily opened the door to find Charlie smiling at her.

Flash bucked around their legs. He threw his snout up under Charlie’s hand, nudging him for attention.

“Hi,” she said. “This is Flash. I think he’s my new dog.”

“I’m gone one day and you find yourself a dog?” Charlie said as he bent down and patted the dog’s head.

“He sort of found Clara.” She let Charlie inside, Flash still hopping around with excitement behind him as he entered. “Are you hungry? Gram wants to cook us something.”

“If it isn’t any trouble.”

“It isn’t!” Gram called from the kitchen. “I’m makin’ chicken and dumplin’s. I’ve already got it all made up in the fridge. I just have to cook it.”

“I’ve never had chicken and dumplings,” Charlie said as they entered the kitchen.

Gram turned around with a look of astonishment on her face. Then she smiled. “Well,” she said, reaching into the fridge for the covered dish. Flash threw himself down at her feet and sniffed the air. “You’re definitely havin’ dinner with us tonight then.” She stepped over Flash who was more worried about what was in her hands than the movement of her feet or her cane. “It’ll be ready in about twenty minutes.” Flash barked, his eyes on Gram. “I suppose you can have some too,” she said with mock displeasure. Flash stood up expectantly.

“Do you need any help, Gram?” Emily asked.

“I’m just fine, dear. Why don’t y’all go outside and enjoy the fresh air.”

“If you’re sure,” Emily said, giving it one last effort.

“I’m sure.”

“Call us when you need us,” she said. Charlie held the door open for her and Gram shooed Flash out with them.

Flash ran toward her with the ball from the pet store, which he’d found nearby. He dropped it at her feet. Emily picked it up and threw it across the yard, the dog leaping into the air to fetch it.

She couldn’t help but ask the question that had come to mind as soon as she’d seen Charlie. “How did things go with the architect?” She wanted to be on the inside of things, to know what was happening so that she could try to stop it, but every time things moved forward at all, she felt worse, so she hated to even ask, but her curiosity got the better of her.

“Really well,” Charlie said with a smile that was beginning to look familiar. His eyes gave away his caution. “It looks like leaving a few acres between the inn and the neighborhood will work out just fine. I’m hoping to make that a selling point when I meet with the commission again.”

Emily nodded, satisfaction settling in her chest. She knew Rocky wouldn’t budge.

Charlie had moved over to Papa’s boat, and it was clear that he didn’t want to talk about the architects. Did he worry he’d upset her? She walked up beside him. Flash came tearing over and dropped his ball. This time, Charlie picked it up and sent it sailing across the grass. He continued to throw the ball so many times that Flash eventually got tired and started rooting around in the woods. Charlie’s relaxed demeanor, the way he seemed more comfortable every time he was there, made her confidence grow. She might actually change his mind about what was important down here.

“I was going to come by to paint the boat tomorrow,” he said. “You’re off, yes?”

“Yes. Today and tomorrow. Tomorrow night I have to go in for a wedding, but that’s it.”

“Why don’t I come over and we’ll go to the paint store to pick out some paint? Then I can get the first coat on.”

“What time?”

“How about nine o’clock? I’ll treat you to breakfast.”

“Okay,” she said. She didn’t want to admit to the flutter she felt when he offered to take her to breakfast. She didn’t want to enjoy being with him as much as she did.

Emily called Flash and he came running her way. “Want to get your chicken and dumplings?” she asked as he trailed along beside them like he’d been her dog for years.

When they got inside, the icy cool air conditioning hitting them, Gram said, “I was just about to get you.” She’d set the table with the “good plates,” as she’d always called them. On each, a portion of chicken and dumplings steamed, the hearty, soupy mixture set off by a tall glass of iced tea and a piece of crusty bread for dipping.

With an extra spoon, Gram dropped a few dumplings into Flash’s bowl. He grunted and slurped until they were gone and then settled under the table. Charlie pulled out a chair for Gram and then one for Emily.

“Thank you,” she said. Papa used to do that for them, too. As she looked over at Gram, she wondered, by her expression, if she was thinking the same thing.

“This smells amazing,” Charlie said, taking a seat and scooting up to the table.

“The recipe’s been in our family for years,” she said. “It’s nothin’ special, but it hits the spot when you’re hungry.”

Charlie spooned some into his mouth. “It’s delicious,” he said once he’d swallowed.

“What kinds of things do y’all eat up in that fancy city of yours?” Gram asked, draping her napkin in her lap.

Charlie smiled at her. “Oh, I don’t know… Nothing like the food you’ve offered me. I’ve really enjoyed trying it all.” He took a sip of his iced tea and then he said, “Perhaps I can cook you something one night.”

Gram clasped her hands together in delight. “That would be lovely! Why don’t you and Emily decide what to cook and then we’ll get the ingredients you need.”

“That would be fine,” he said. “But I don’t mind getting what I need.”

There was a thump under the table and they all looked to find Flash had laid himself out completely, his head resting on Charlie’s foot. They all laughed.

“I love having you kids in the house,” Gram said. “Never a dull moment.”

E
mily and Charlie
arrived at Tippy’s Grille. “Tippy’s,” she explained, “was named after the original owner, two generations ago. Now it’s owned by his grandson.” It was a small space, nestled between two other establishments on a strip of land by the water. She could see some of her friends inside through the large window as they walked up.

Charlie put his hand on her back to guide her through the door. She couldn’t help but think how much she liked his gesture.

“Hey!” she said as she neared her group of friends. They smiled and threw up their hands, embracing her. Rocky leaned in for a handshake and greeted Charlie before introducing Elizabeth. Emily couldn’t stop smiling. It had been too long since she’d been with this crew. They’d all known each other for so many years, though, that her time away had hardly changed a thing. It was as if they’d never left each other.

When everyone had settled into a more normal volume, and drink rounds were ironed out, Emily introduced Charlie to the group. “This is my friend, Kim and her husband Joe,” she said, nodding toward them. “And that’s Scotty over there with his wife, Ann. And you know Rachel and Jeff.” She turned to her sister. “Where’s Clara?”

“We got a babysitter!” Rachel said, her excitement clear as she did mini-claps with her hands and bounced slightly. “I haven’t been out in ages! I’m so glad to be with everyone.”

“I’m glad you’re here!” Emily said. She noticed the grin on Jeff’s face and she hoped he and her sister could enjoy themselves tonight. Jeff was already drinking a beer, which was a good sign.

“The lead singer grew up with us. His name is Jason Richards,” she told Charlie. “He used to play his guitar for us on the beach at Oyster Bay.” The memory made her nostalgic. She was so glad she could hear him play tonight.

“Remember that song he wrote about Sally Jenkins?” Rachel said. “It was so good. I still think that could’ve been a hit.”

“Yes, but Sally wouldn’t have been happy hearing it on the radio over and over,” she said with a chuckle. Then she said to Charlie, “It was a break-up song.”

“Ah,” he said, nodding, as they started walking toward the front.

“I remember he’d play for us before school at our bus stop and then he’d drag that big guitar all the way to school just so he could play it as soon as the dismissal bell rang.”

“I remember that!” Scotty said. “I’m glad we’re all together tonight. Emily, It’s great to see you.”

They all took a seat at a small table on the side of the stage as the place started to fill up. A waitress came over and took their drink orders. Charlie ordered everyone the beers he and Emily had had at Merroir—he’d remembered. “I hope that’s all right,” he said as the waitress left, leaning toward her, his voice in her ear. “If you want something else, please feel free to get it. I’m buying tonight. I’ll get one tab for everyone.”

“Thank you. But I don’t mind paying for myself,” she said. “And I’m sure the others are willing to pay.

“I know. But it’s the least I can do for crashing your reunion with all your friends.”

“They don’t mind, I’m sure.”

The band took their places and began to warm up, the notes gritty and southern, Jason’s familiar raspy voice pulling Charlie’s attention to the stage. Emily was watching the band as well, but she also noticed the interest on Charlie’s face as he watched them play. He was enjoying himself. Maybe he was thinking that he didn’t want to drown out little places like Tippy’s with a giant expansion, maybe he was thinking, like she was, that he could go back to the farm, have a drink on the patio, and talk until the sun rose over the bay.

“Y’all know what we’re gonna do first, Clearwater!” Jason said into the microphone, and the crowd went wild.

Charlie sent a silent question over to Emily, his eyebrows furrowing.

Emily couldn’t stop the smile that had spread across her face. She held her beer in the air like the rest of the crowd. Then, she leaned over to Charlie as he turned his head to hear her voice over the noise, and she could smell that spicy scent of his. “He has a song called ‘Water,’ that he always plays first,” she said as the guitars got going, the drums kicking in. “He wrote it on Oyster Bay.”

“Where’s the best place to be?” Jason’s voice roared through the speakers, the crowd whooping and cheering.

“IN THE WATER,” the crowd chanted as they got to their feet. Emily tugged gently on Charlie’s arm, and he stood up beside her.

“What water?” Jason said, the music loud and thumping.

“CLEARWATER!”

Then the drums went wild, the guitars going. The entire crowd toasted their beers and took a drink.

“I’m glad to be home, y’all,” Jason said as a waitress climbed on stage and handed him a beer. “Let’s have some fun!” He took a sip of his beer and started singing. The crowd erupted into cheers and dancing, laughter and excitement.

Jeff and Rachel had moved to the small dance floor up front. He was spinning her around like he did when they were younger. Rachel was giggling, and, more excitingly, she was looking at Jeff in that way she always had before.

“Would you like to dance?” Charlie said, his proximity startling her. Emily turned toward him in response, their faces so close she could feel his breath. The energy of the moment, the happiness that was bubbling up—before she could think things through, Charlie had her hand and was taking her beer from her. He set it on the table and walked her through the crowd to an empty spot on the dance floor.

The stage lights were flashing through the dim room, the air humid. The music pounded through her chest, the tinny sound of the notes coming off the guitars ringing in her ears.

Charlie spun her around, surprising her. Emily laughed, the movement making her dizzy. He pulled her close and then sent her sailing outward again in some kind of perfectly orchestrated swing dance. His skill was evident.

“Where did you learn to dance like this?” she asked over the music as he guided her, sliding his fingers down one of her arms before taking her hands and leading her backward two steps.

“My mother made me take dance lessons so I wouldn’t make a fool of myself at my wedding. Although, I didn’t learn the Charleston.” He winked at her.

She threw her head back and laughed.

Joe and Kim had joined them. Charlie, so well versed in his dance steps, made Emily look as though they’d practiced together.

“Don’t make it tough for the rest of us,” Joe teased.

“Hey, I’m just glad you’re out here,” Kim said to him, taking Joe’s hands and swaying awkwardly with him. “Not a dancer, this one,” she said, leaning toward Joe. They all laughed.