Two Weeks in August (21 page)

“I thought it was over between you two. You weren’t still seeing her when you were with me, were you?” She turned and eyed Rhonda with anger and pain.

“No, not really,” she answered quickly. “She would call me now and then, but that’s all.”

“Then why?” Nina grated. “Why did you go to her and why did you bother to ask me to be your life partner? Why did you not even have the simple decency to tell me what was going on with you?”

 
Rhonda walked to the bedroom doorway and leaned against the jamb, arms crossed. “I wanted you, Nina, still do. I just had to make sure what I had with Wendy was really over.” She sighed. “And…I was afraid of a real commitment.”

“Oh, hell. We talked and talked about that,” Nina reminded her. “You’re a liar! You said you were okay with committing.”

Rhonda held up her hands. “I just realized I couldn’t face all those people at that party, and...” she paused and raised sheepish eyes. “I just ran.”

 
Nina nodded. “Yes. You just ran,” she snarled. “Leaving me with friends and relatives wanting to know where you were, with the ceremony to cancel, dresses to return. You can’t imagine the hell I went through. The embarrassment.”

“I know, I’m sorry, I just…”

Hazy and Martha entered the cottage, Martha laughing at some witticism Hazy had shared with her, and it worked to help dispel the tension filling the small room.

Upon seeing Nina, Martha rushed across the room to fling silk-covered arms about her neck. “Nina, Nina, how are you, sweet girl?”

“Hello, Martha,” Nina said politely, trying to smile. Circumstances made it hard to show the excitement she normally would have shown.

“I hope you don’t mind my bringing Rhonda along. I was visiting with your parents when she showed up looking for you. I had planned to visit and thought she might as well come along.”

“Yes, that’s fine,” Nina replied quickly, trying to put Martha at ease. “We have some things that need to be sorted out anyway.”

Hazy was watching the exchange with curiosity. Nina saw her eye the flowers lying on the table so she moved to unwrap them and put them in a vase of water.

Martha, Hazy and Rhonda stood in awkward silence until Rhonda spoke to Hazy.

“Must be quite a business you have here, with the influx of tourists each year,” she said with a polished, friendly smile. “Does it go on all year long or is it seasonal only?”

“Well, actually,” Hazy began, boldly moving to take a seat at the table, as if laying claim. “It goes on pretty much all year ’round now. Used to be just during the pony penning or oyster season. Now it seems like people have realized how nice the islands are all year long. I do business up until way after first freeze.”

“Do you do the cottages as well as boats?” Rhonda asked, joining Hazy and audaciously miming for Nina to bring them both a drink.

Nina looked at her in disbelief. Shaking her head, she fetched a pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator and glasses from the cupboard. She poured two glasses over on the counter then placed the pitcher and two empty glasses on the table with a thud.

Chapter 29

While Hazy and Rhonda served their own tea and discussed the tourist business, Martha and Nina escaped to the boat rental dock with their glasses of cool, sweet tea and settled themselves on the two end Adirondack chairs.

“How are you, really,” Martha asked brushing Nina’s hair from her face so she could see the younger woman’s eyes. “Was bringing Rhonda a no-no?”

 
“You might have given me a heads-up,” she retorted then shrugged and looked out toward the channel. “No, I need to resolve things with her.”

“Did you find out what happened? I only made small talk with her on the drive over. I didn’t want her to think I was prying.”

“Well,” Nina sighed. “She says she got cold feet.” She couldn’t bring herself to tell Martha that she went back to her old girlfriend.

Martha nodded wisely. “It’s happened before. So, why is she back?”

“That I don’t know yet,” she replied firmly. “But I intend to find out.”

“Well, don’t do it right now,” Martha suggested. “I’ve made lunch reservations for the three of us at The Elite. Do you think your nice friend Hazy would like to join us?”

“No,” Nina snapped, startling her friend so much that she almost spilled tea from the glass she was raising to her lips. “I’m sure she has work to do.”

She knew her nerves would not be able to stand Hazy and Rhonda in the same space for long. Rhonda’s sudden appearance confused her. And being near Hazy still made her skin tingle and overwhelmed her with desire.

Martha eyed Nina’s pink cheeks as if wondering what her thoughts could be. “Well, if you’re sure.”
 

“Sure,” Nina said firmly. “Listen, why don’t you go fetch my bag for me. It’s just inside the bedroom door. I think I’ll wait here.”

She handed her empty glass to a puzzled Martha, then walked over to stand by Martha’s car.

Hazy came out a moment later and her questioning blue eyes captured Nina.

Nina wanted to rush to her, to kiss her, to wrap her in her arms. But the best thing for both of them was for Nina to stay as far away from Hazy as possible.

Martha came up behind her then and Hazy turned away. Nina took her bag from Martha.

“Hazy,” Nina called and walked to her.

She could smell the wonderful open-air scent that seemed so much a part of her, could feel the heat radiating from her sun-bronzed skin and had to fight the urge to nibble at her neck where a slow pulse throbbed.

“Nina,” she said gently. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I think so,” Nina answered timidly.

“What’s goin’ on,” she asked, nodding to indicate Martha and Rhonda.

Tears filled Nina’s eyes and she could only shake her head. Why couldn’t life be simpler?

Conscious that Rhonda and Martha were watching her every move, Nina reached into her handbag and counted out the money she owed Channel Haven for her second week.

“Here, here’s what I owe you for next week’s rental,” she said.

She felt rather than saw Hazy’s back stiffen at her words. “What are ye tryin’ to prove, Nina?”

“Please Hazy, just take the money,” she pleaded, her voice catching on a sob. “This is business.”

Anger transformed Hazy’s features as she roughly grasped Nina’s upper arm and turned her so her back was to the other two women.

She released Nina, jerked the money from her hand then stuffed it helter-skelter back into the handbag. “I da na need your mainland payoff nor none of your pitiful excuses,” she growled, her accent growing thick from anger. “Be off with ye’re friends and lovers. I shan’t sit about and mewl after you, ye can be assured of that.”

 
She stomped toward the office and Nina, heart heavy, walked slowly toward Martha’s car. Heartbroken, she nevertheless felt certain keeping Hazy at a distance was the best thing to do.

Chapter 30

Lunch proved pleasant even though Nina’s heart throbbed low in her chest like a worn engine.

Martha and Rhonda carried most of the conversation, eating heartily of the fresh seafood delicacies offered by one of the island’s finest restaurants. Nina answered when spoken to and picked at the food. She saw Martha watching her with a worried frown and tried to push away the gloom engulfing her. She joined into a conversation about the many types of gulls as her mind wondered what to do about Rhonda now that she was here. Obviously Rhonda wanted to resume their relationship as if nothing had happened.

Even if they could go on as before, she could definitely not trust her anymore; that much she knew for sure. How could she give her life and love to someone she couldn’t trust implicitly?

Yes, she would definitely send Rhonda away and continue alone, praying no one found out about the madness between her and Hazy. And madness was what it had been. A fast and furious infatuation, impossible to allow. She had been loved by Hazy and had loved her in return. Now she could move away at the end of the week and try to avoid her in the future. Perhaps someday they would meet by accident and could laugh about the strange chemistry that had thrown them together for that brief moment in time.

Nina swallowed hard, fervently hoping that day would never come. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to face her alone without wanting her just as much as she had last night. As she did right now.

“So Nina, do you think you’ll like living on the island?” Rhonda’s voice was soft and intimate as she leaned across the table.

Martha had disappeared. Nina saw her enter the ladies’ room.

“Yes, I already like it very much,” Nina told her. “I can’t wait for the house to be finished.”

Rhonda watched her a moment then grasped her hand. “And us, Nina? What is our future? Do I have a chance? I know I live several hours away but I could relocate. My father has a blending company on the Eastern Shore and I’m sure he could transfer me there.”

Though she had expected it, Nina was still appalled beyond belief. She was tired, so tired of this insane trend her life was taking. Her mind suddenly brightened and took an impulsive shift and she knew the right choice. She would avoid any relationships and live alone with her books, her music, and maybe a cat and some ducks for company.

She studied Rhonda with hard eyes, re-evaluating what life would have been like had she turned up for the commitment ceremony. What she had once considered a charmed existence no longer was the case. It was so obvious now: Rhonda was vain, spoiled, demanding and unpredictable. She hadn’t even decently apologized for the hurt and humiliation she’d inflicted.

Then there was Hazy, who was quarrelsome, certainly a womanizer, and betraying lovely Mama New.

Neither of them deserved her.

“Nina? Are you all right?” Rhonda was worried about her, she could see it in her long, sleek face. Nina’s decision was made. “Yes, I’m fine, but we need to talk.”

“Good,” said Martha coming up behind her. “You can drop me off at my hotel so I can make some calls and you two can take my car and go for a nice long drive.”

Rhonda protested politely but Martha insisted.