Summer by the Sea (5 page)

After she’d seen Isabella, held her, given her auntie-kisses, and congratulated Casey and Scott, she’d spent the rest of the night in her apartment. It was the loneliest she’d ever been. That whole night, all she could see when she closed her eyes were Scott and Casey—the happiness on their faces. It had been like a double-edged sword: she’d felt terribly guilty at the thought of wishing they hadn’t been that happy, and she felt angry that her sister, who was capable of being so selfish, could have that kind of happiness at Faith’s expense. But then she thought about little Isabella. Isabella deserved to have a family who loved each other.

Faith had grown a lot since those days. She no longer carried around any feelings for Scott—she knew he was good for her sister. What lingered still, however, was the pain of disloyalty. Family had always been the most important thing in Faith’s life. They were the people who, no matter what, should be by her side. They knew her failures and her strengths, and they should love her unconditionally. So, when Casey had betrayed Faith’s trust, it had knocked her sideways. She’d tried to rationalize that at least it had ended in something meaningful. And it had. Casey had created a family, and Faith could see the importance of this. It had helped soften the blow a little. But now, Casey was getting divorced, and she seemed resigned to the fact that the divorce was imminent. That bothered Faith. It made her angry with Casey all over again despite her attempts to feel sorry for her.

Casey finally turned and looked at her sister, her eyes glassy with emotion. “He says he doesn’t feel like he knows me anymore.” Faith had never heard Casey’s voice like this. It was mild, unsure, nothing like the confident, strong voice she’d always had.

“Why?” She could feel her face crumpling with this news. It made no sense.

“I’ve been pulling long nights at the firm. Scott works all the time too. When I do have free time, I spend it with Isabella. She needs me. He’s a grown man; he can take care of himself. I can’t keep him entertained. I don’t have time.”

How had things turned out like this? Everything had seemed so perfect. Where had it gone wrong? Just then, her sister had sounded scared. Faith could tell.

“How’s Isabella handling it?” Faith asked.

Casey took in a long, steadying breath. “He moved out. It’s been just the two of us. She misses him. She cries at night. She says I don’t read her stories the right way. She asks for him.

Faith bit her lip, trying to make sense of it all. “I’ll help you through this,” she said. Even after everything, this was still her big sister and she didn’t want to see her hurting. It was strange to find herself in this position but seeing her sister so scared and lost, she knew she’d do whatever she could to make things better.

“Thank you. You’re the one person I need in all this.”

“Hey, y’all,” Martha said, poking her head out the door. “I’ve got some strawberry margaritas mixed up. I’m thinking frozen. Want me to get the blender going?” Before they could answer, she beckoned them in as she said, “Jake, you’re welcome to one yourself before you leave. We won’t tell if you’re drinking on the job.”

Only their mom would invite the handyman she’d just met to have a drink with the family.

“She brought a blender?” Faith said to Casey, unable to control her grin.

“I guess so. You know how she packs. We’d better get in there and have a drink since she’s gone to all that trouble. I want to catch her anyway before she adds the alcohol. Isabella might want one.”

“Where is Isabella?”

“She’s probably with Nan. She loves that woman. Every time we see her, I can’t pry Isabella away from her.”

The idea of another person understanding Nan like she did filled Faith with happiness. Isabella wasn’t a baby anymore. She was a little girl with her own fears and needs. Why hadn’t Faith been able to get over herself and be a bigger part of this little girl’s life?

She’d thought she could carry on with life and make it just fine without seeing her sister, but that had stolen time away from Isabella as well. Life had moved along regardless of whether she saw Casey, and, although it had never felt comfortable, she’d been able to move along with it. Faith decided that there was no better place to get to know this little girl than this cottage at the beach. It had been her safe haven, the place that had contributed a stockpile of good memories, where nothing could go wrong. And she wanted everything to be right.

Casey walked up beside her. “What do you make of that guy, Jake? I’ve never seen a handyman with a haircut that perfect. He could be in magazines,” Casey pointed out in a whisper as they crossed the porch to the door.

Faith shrugged, befuddled herself by Jake. She thought she’d seen the last of Jake earlier on, but her Nan, or fate, had seen to it that wasn’t the case. And she couldn’t help feel excited by it. She wasn’t about to admit to Casey what she thought about Jake. She was having trouble defining it herself. He had that kind of personality that could pull a person right in, and he had. She was so glad to have the opportunity to go back inside, leave the struggles with her sister behind, and spend some time with him. Being with him eased her away from the burdens of her issues with Casey. She’d only just met him, and yet, he made her feel happy.

“Right. Time for margaritas!”

Faith balanced the remains of her margarita on the uneven step outside. She’d been keeping Isabella busy most of the time that Jake had been there, and she was glad to finally be outside with him. She hadn’t even had a chance to talk to him, so when he excused himself to load the truck once his drink was empty she followed him out.

“Be careful on this pavement,” Jake said, throwing a roll of flooring into the back of his truck. He clapped his hands to rid them of sand. “I haven’t swept up yet, and there could be nails. You’ve got bare feet,” he pointed out.

She held on to the railing and pivoted under the stairs to retrieve a pair of flip-flops that she had left at the bottom for her walks to the beach. With a grin, she held them up before slipping them on. Jake was still loading bits and pieces of construction materials into the back of his truck. She picked up an armful of wood—thin slats like the ones on the porch—and began walking them over to the truck. Jake quickly took them from her as if she were holding a mass of bricks. She wondered if he was just being mannerly or if he thought she wasn’t capable of holding them.

After looking around for something else to help load and finding nothing that she could manage, she opened the latch door to the small closet under the house and retrieved the broom. It was wide-bristled with a very long handle, and she remembered how they always used to have one to push the water off the pavement after big storms. And even if the water retreated, it would still fill the concrete pavement underneath with sand and debris. She pushed the broom across the surface, looking for nails and any other materials that could be dangerous as she walked. Jake’s concern was kind, but it was clear that he had been extra cautious, as there wasn’t a thing on the pavement. She finished sweeping and leaned the broom against one of the stilts as he walked up beside her.

“Do you think your family likes the cottage?” he asked.

She nodded. “It’s perfect in every way. I love everything about it and couldn’t have asked for a better place to spend two weeks.”

He smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”

She was so glad Nan had made them all come. “This is one of those places that I didn’t realize I loved so much until I came back. We haven’t been to the Outer Banks since I was a teenager. It has been a while…” She turned toward the wind, allowing it to push against her face, and, like an old friend, it wrapped around her, embracing her as if to say it had been too long.

The slower pace, the simplicity—it was as if she’d needed it to recharge her batteries, and until that moment, she hadn’t realized they were so low.

“I remember being here as a boy,” he said, and she turned to face him. “There was a time when all I wanted was something else, something different than what I was used to. But then, after I left, I realized that what I really wanted was right here, and I could fill in the gaps in my life myself as long as I was here.”

Faith could understand what he meant completely.

“You and your sister seemed pretty caught up earlier. Everything okay?”

Had he seen them talking? Had he watched Casey cry? At the time, the only thing Faith had focused on was Casey. She hadn’t given a single thought to who may be watching them from inside. How would she explain to Jake all that had gone on between her and Casey? She took in a deep breath as she tried to find something to say. But he’d already figured it out.

“From the look on your face, things aren’t okay.”

Once again, they’d managed to slide into unfamiliar territory. How was she supposed to discuss something this serious with him? He didn’t know her at all. Yet, there was something in his face that showed his concern for her—his head turned to the side as he waited, his brows creased. It seemed genuine, sympathetic, and she was taken aback by the fact that this man could show such worry for a person he’d only just met. The funny thing was, she wanted to tell him. But she was standing outside where anyone could overhear.

“It’s complicated,” she said finally.

He nodded. “Yeah. I could tell.”

“It’s okay, though,” she lied, trying to find a graceful way to move the conversation forward. She really wanted to sit down in the rocking chairs on the porch and pour her heart out to him. There was something about him that made her feel like she could tell him things, and he seemed to really want to know. He didn’t know when he’d asked if she was okay what he was really asking, and she didn’t want to weigh him down with a conversation like that. Not here. Not now.

He seemed to read her mind, nodding again as if he’d heard her internal battle. “You don’t need to tell me, and I don’t want to pry, as long as you are okay. I should probably get going.”

She didn’t want him to go. She knew he wasn’t going to stay all night; that would be imposing. But she wished she could have a little more time to talk. She walked with him to the driver’s side of his truck.

As he got in, Faith said, “I’ll see you later,” hoping that would be true.

He leaned on the open window with his forearms. “You will?” he said with a smile, his eyebrows raised in anticipation. “I hope so.”

She laughed, her stomach a mess of nerves. She’d never felt such a rush of excitement over someone before. She took a step back and he started the engine. As he backed out of the drive, he raised his hand to wave. She turned around and headed toward the house, unable to wipe the smile off her face.

“Nan!” Faith said with a gasp as she walked out onto the porch. “Are you drinking a margarita?”

Nan was sitting on one of two rocking chairs, the pink, frozen drink looking out of place in her withered hands. She’d been wondering where Nan had gone for the last half hour. They’d started a card game inside to keep Isabella busy, and Faith had had a hard time breaking away. She’d been thankful for the card game. It took away the pressure on her and Casey, and it managed to lift the earlier mood. It was also fun to see her niece as she smiled, the way her lips pressed together, her eyes showing surprise every time she had a good hand. But if Faith had known her grandmother was outside, she’d have tried to join her a little sooner.

“Is there an age requirement or something?” Nan asked just before she lifted the glass to her lips and took a long, slow sip. “I asked your mother to make me one, although, it’s so cold, it’s freezing me down to the bone. That’s why I’d come out here in the first place. The new air conditioner is certainly working well.”

Faith pulled the other rocking chair over and sat down next to her nan. She looked past the new-window sticker into the house. Casey, her mom, and Isabella were laughing at something, cards spread across the table.

“Did the carpenter leave?” Nan asked.

“Yes. He only stayed for one drink.”

“Mm.” She looked down at her margarita, swirling the melting ice around in the glass. “I was hoping to catch him. I have some ideas about improvements. Wouldn’t a built-in shelf look just perfect over by the sofa on that wall?” She glanced in through the window. “He could add some cabinets…”