In His Eyes Page 10

  Since the small waiting area kept filling up with parents and tired children, there was no chance for a private conversation. Ice cream in hand, they sat at one of the small tables and talked about the upcoming Moonlight Madness. As the conversation dragged on, she started to wonder. Maybe he’d never mention Kelsey. Maybe he’d hope she’d forget. Disappointment curdled the ice cream in her stomach.

  “How about a walk on the beach?” Will asked, after they chucked their bowls into the trash.

  “Sounds good.” Uncertainty battled with the hope in her heart.

  When they pulled out of the parking lot, he breezed right past Whittaker Street. Head swiveling, she pointed. “Where are we going? Isn’t the public beach back there?”

  “You'll see, “ Will said, stepping on the gas. “Let me surprise you.”

  With the top down, the wind caught her hair, whipping it into the night. Diana let her head rock back on the seat. When they reached Bridgman, Will turned left at the light. “Ever been to Weko beach?”

  “Nope. Never even heard of it.”

  “Girl, what have you been doing?”

  “I haven’t lived here that long. It was tough getting the new shop up and running.”

  “You had no one to help you?” He seemed to be turning this over in his mind.

  “No one.” Up ahead, the road fanned into a parking lot. An orange ball, the sun was setting over the lake. “Will you just look at this?”

  Like an old drive-in movie, cars had pulled up for the sunset. Some families were stretched out on blankets or collapsed in beach chairs, kids tired and cranky. He parked and looked over, his expression unreadable. “Walk?”

  “Sure.” The beach looked inviting. Sleepy waves brushed the shoreline as if exhausted by a long day of pleasing tourists. If Will didn’t say anything about Kelsey, Diana would. She wanted this cleared up and soon.

  Taking her hand, Will fit his strides to hers. “I had a talk with Kelsey today.”

  “You did?” He sure didn’t beat around the bush. She liked it.

  “You sounded upset, and I wanted to get things straight.” He frowned, and she tried to imagine how awkward that conversation might have been.

  The man had cojones, as Chili would say.

  “Well, I couldn’t tell her the truth.”

  “Which was...” She held her breath.

  Stopping, Will turned her to face him. He wore that crooked little boy smile. She'd known another man who tried that approach, so she waited. Held her breath until she felt she might burst.

  Placing both hands on her shoulders, Will gave her a level look. “The truth was and still is, that I was so crazy to see you that I pretended to shop. Stupid, right?”

  Wonderfully stupid. “You mean you don’t have a sister?”

  “I do but we’re not close. I wanted to connect with you again so I stopped in. Came up with some story and bought the shirt.”

  “Blouse,” she supplied, feeling a delightful release in her chest.

  “Right. Whatever. When I got to the facility that day, I just tossed her the bag.” He shook his head. “My bad. I wasn’t even thinking of how that would look. The sh...blouse had served its purpose, and I didn’t know what to do with it.”

  He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Gulls were circling overhead in lazy circles. Relief made her woozy.

  He’d leveled with her. She should do the same. This was the time to tell him. She opened her mouth just as a small boy nearby tossed handfuls of bread crumbs in the air. The birds went wild. For a second, the beach felt like an old Alfred Hitchcock movie, filled with flapping wings and screeching. She ducked. Laughing, Will cuddled her to his chest, sturdy and warm. He pulled her away from the fray and they kept walking.

  “But Will, a woman makes an assumption when you do something like that. Give her a gift.”

  “Never crossed my mind. I was too dazzled.”

  “So what did Kelsey say?”

  He blinked. “Thank you. She said thank you.”

  She gave him a light sock on the arm. “No. I mean what did she say when you talked to her today.”

  “Oh, that.” She watched his face shift into administrator mode. This had not been an easy conversation for him. “I guess I confused her. She's so young, Diana, just out of high school.”

  Diana knew how that felt. “Kelsey’s lucky. You’re not the kind of guy who’d take advantage of her.” Her faith in him grew.

  “I’d just never do that.” She could tell he was struggling. “Diana, the administrator I worked for in Indianapolis had an inappropriate relationship with an employee. That was one of the reasons I left. Russ never knew where to draw the line.”

  “What happened?”

  Hands laced together, they kept walking, their feet leaving soft impressions in the wet sand. “I don’t know the details. And I don’t want you to think his relationship with a young aide affected patient care. I didn’t see that at all. But still...it wasn’t right. Something I would never do.”

  Will kept walking, still processing. She liked to watch him.

  “I think it would be good if she went back to school. I know Gull Harbor is a great little town, but there's a whole wide world out there.”

  She smiled up at him. “You are so wise.”

  “Great. Just what I want to be,” Will said in a resigned voice. “A wise old man.”

  “Who said old?”

  He was closer now, bending his head until she saw the slight chip in his front tooth, stubble on his cheeks, and the lips she was about to kiss. “Mature maybe,” she whispered.

  Cupping her head in his hands, Will covered her lips with his with slow certainty. She’d never felt so precious. But there was a question in that kiss. Her hands rested on his muscled forearms. With a sigh, she pulled him closer.

  “Oh, Will.” What was a man's honesty worth? He'd given her such a gift tonight.

  Grandma Kit had always advised Diana to “wait until a man shows his true colors.” Were these his true colors? She sure wanted to think so. The light stubble on his chin felt welcome. His hands skimmed her sides until they settled on her waist and tugged her closer.

  “What is it?” Will peered down at her through the gathering darkness. She was glad her eyes were hidden.

  “Nothing. Come on. Let's go back.”

  As they approached the pavilion, the sustained trumpet note brought her to a halt.

  “The veterans play taps every night.” He squeezed her hand. “You’ll like it.” Walking higher onto a dune with sea grass tickling her bare legs, they finally plopped down together in the warm sand. Had she ever felt so moved? Two retired servicemen played taps while the sun dropped from the sky. There was such purity in the notes. They rang true in her heart. She didn’t want to ruin it.

  Chapter 11

  The night of Moonlight Madness, Diana was ready. She’d asked Rachel to work with her that night, just in case it really got busy. Some of the stores weren’t sold on this idea, but why not give it a chance? Mercedes and Kate had worked so hard on this promotion. She’d set out chocolate chip cookies from Sarah’s bakery and small bottles of water. Her sale racks were clearly marked. Yellow and green tie-dyed skirts wouldn’t sell in October. Diana wanted them gone, and if her thirty percent off sale ate into her profit a little, she was still fine with it. As the evening wore on, more and more people poured into the store. To her excitement, many were new customers.

  “You've got the right idea,” Mercedes said when she stopped in around nine. Diana was glad there was a lull so they could talk. “Your markdown is a lot more tempting than the ten percent some of the shops are offering.”

  “So, you're coming back for that tie-dyed skirt you missed last time you stopped in?” Diana teased. She enjoyed Mercedes' blush. The New York girl wore a lot of black, and that hadn’t gone unnoticed in town, where bright summer colors reigned.

  Playing along, Mercedes pulled an especially colorful green, pink and yellow tie-dyed skirt. �
��What do you think? Does this look like me?”

  “Have to be honest. From what I see, you’re, well, a little more subdued.”

  “Guess you can’t take the city out of the girl, even when the girl’s left the city.” Mercedes gave her a knowing smile. “You're not from here, right?”

  “Nope. I grew up in a wide spot in the road called Newtown. Indiana. Ever heard of it?”

  Mercedes shook her head.

  “How about Kokomo, Indiana?”

  Even when she wrinkled her forehead, Mercedes was beautiful. “Is that near Indianapolis?”

  “You got it. I couldn't wait to get out of town.”

  “I guess a lot of us wanted to spread our wings. But now that I’m back? Having people know all about you can be nice. Comfortable. You don’t have to fill in the blanks.” Mercedes stopped sliding the hangers. “Not all of them, at least.”

  Diana’s palms were suddenly damp, and she wiped them on her long, blue skirt. If her grandmother knew her Chicago story, she’d be mortified. That was one blank she never wanted to fill.

  “Well, I’ve got to check on Phoebe,” Mercedes said, making her way through the displays toward the front door. “You’re coming to Kate's wedding, right?”

  “Wouldn't miss it. See you there.” Diana had been relieved when Will mentioned it to her. She didn’t want to go alone.

  Customers continued to trickle in, the yellow map in their hands. Diana and Rachel dashed back and forth, checking additional sizes in the stockroom, clearing fitting rooms and ringing up sales. The event had brought new faces through her door, and they quickly snapped up the summer stock. It felt good to be a part of it, to feel she belonged, that she'd contributed something. The time passed quickly.

  As she closed up that night, she felt the town settle around her. Soon the summer people would pack up and head back to Chicago. Gull Harbor wouldn’t see much of them unless they came for a Notre Dame football game or were into cross-country skiing. That seemed to be how the town worked.

  But now with Kate at the PR helm and Mercedes adding her expertise, the winter season might be busier. She felt hopeful.

  That Saturday night, she had dinner at the Mangy Mutt with Will. Watching the sun set from that upper patio was magical. The rich scent of the lake rolled over them as they dawdled over their drinks and fish tacos. Later, they strolled down to the public beach and walked north to get away from the people. Hand in hand, they splashed through the shallows. Will grabbed some rocks, asked her to make a wish, and then taught her how to skip them over the ripples on the water. He won, of course, with four skips.

  “Girls from Newtown don’t learn how to skip stones,” she said in her defense.

  “Neither do boys from Beanblossom.” Drawing her closer, he kissed her forehead. When had she ever felt so content? For a while, they sat up in the sea grass, breathing in the damp lake air. “I wish I could hold on to summer,” she murmured.

  “Do you? Why?”

  She swept one hand toward the water. “This is all so perfect. You’re so perfect.”

  “Hey, I’m not going anywhere, okay?” Tipping her chin up, he kissed her. He tasted so good. Hooking her arms around his neck, she giggled and pulled him down to the sand, still warm from a long sunny day.

  His lips inflamed her. Before long Diana felt warm and rumpled and breathless. When they were both gasping, Will drew back. Sucked in a slow breath. “Winter will be good for us but in a different way.”

  “How?” She wanted details. Reassurance.

  “Well, let’s see.” He glanced around. In the darkness, a night breeze rustled through the tall sea grass and whispered over the sand dunes. “You can’t make out on ice floes. That’s for sure.”

  “Don’t remind me.” Remembering how the jagged ice built up to rim the lake in Chicago, she shivered. Same lake. Same climate.

  “I’ll keep you warm. I promise.”

  Now. This was a good time to tell him. The words were on her tongue. But she just couldn’t. Why ruin this perfect date with a confession that could destroy all this? Just a few more days.

  That night she slept soundly, but in her dreams, she was pushing against a wall, terror ripping across her chest. Something outside wanted to come in. The door bulged with the fury of the force outside. She woke up in a sweat and turned the overhead fan on high. But it was a long time before she got back to sleep.

  On Sunday, she drove to the care center for the dance. Labor Day weekend and the place was festooned with red, white and blue flags and banners. A holiday mood filled the halls. When she danced with Tim, he told her about fighting in Desert Storm. She couldn’t tell if any of what he said had really happened. Jan mentioned that Tim suffered a brain injury in the war. “Those explosives,” she’d said with a quick shake of her head.

  That day Harold, dressed in a red plaid shirt but still wearing his winter cap, insisted on dancing with her twice. Afterwards, Diana sashayed over to the shyer ladies to form some couples and send them spinning onto the floor. Only Luanne remained seated, plucking at the blue flowers on her dress. Oh, it took some coaxing but soon Diana was guiding her gently through some simple steps, while Luanne hummed to the music and smiled.

  When Will didn’t show, she told herself it didn’t matter. She’d see him at the picnic the next day. After they straightened up, Jan walked her out. When they passed the front desk, Kelsey ducked her head. Diana hoped someday the two of them would feel comfortable together. What Kelsey had done was awkward but innocent.

  “See you tomorrow, Jan,” Diana said when they reached the door.

  “Diana...?”

  She turned back.

  “Thanks for giving us your time. The residents really like you. They can feel your kindness and that matters. You care.”

  Diana didn’t know what to say. This felt important, as if she were really touching lives. “I enjoy coming. You’ve got a great group.”

  When Monday arrived, she helped Will at the barbecue grill. “Sure you want to do this?” he asked, eyeing the glowing coals. “Gets pretty hot.”

  “Come on, I won’t melt,” she laughed. “I’ll take my turn. I enjoy it.”

  “You’re amazing, you know that?” Leaning over, he kissed her. She could feel herself glowing.

  That evening a bus took the residents down to the beach for the fireworks. Will and Diana joined the outing. They sat on canvas chairs, their feet in the cool sand while colors exploded overhead. The brilliant bursts and streaks left her breathless. Or was that Will rocking her world by just holding her hand?

  The drive back to her place was quiet. As soon as he parked the car, they turned to each other. The hot kisses and exploring hands felt so good but she called a halt. Other words on her lips, Diana didn’t invite him inside. She wasn’t quite there yet. But when she closed the door behind her, the yellow bungalow felt empty.

  ~.~

  Kate's wedding on the beach the following Saturday was beautiful. Standing high on a dune with Will, Diana decided she'd never been in a church that felt more sacred than this sandy stretch. Carolyn and Phoebe stood near them, and the hairdresser teased Will unmercifully about being enough to handle three women. If she ever got her hair cut, Diana looked forward to spending time with Phoebe.

  Kate looked absolutely gorgeous. Her dress flowed with the breeze while she waited to walk across the sand to meet her groom. Hard to believe that this had happened so quickly since the Firemen’s Ball. Obviously, Cole and Kate were adults who knew what they wanted. From what she’d heard, this flame had been burning since high school. Longing knotted deep inside, and she took a deep breath. Her grandmother had always told her that good things come to those who wait.

  The setting sun turned the clouds a rose color when the short wedding procession started. First Sarah and then Chili, followed by Mercedes. Their bridal party all wore pink dresses in different styles and shades that seemed to match the sunset. Mercedes was looking pretty hot in a strapless design with a beaded bod
ice that twinkled in the fading light.

  When Natalie, Cole’s daughter, stepped forward with her basket of rose petals, murmurs rippled through the guests gathered in a semi-circle. Diana didn’t know if it was Natalie or Prissy, their Great Dane, who caused such a stir. Dancing along beside Natalie, the huge dog tried to catch the flowers she scooped from a white basket. The two soon had the whole crowd chuckling.

  Then it was Kate's turn. The crowd settled. Even the waves washing ashore sounded softer, slower. Cole was just a dark outline against the sky, the groom waiting for his bride. Diana blinked back the tears prickling in her eyes. Sometimes she wished she weren’t so sentimental, but she couldn’t explain the loneliness sweeping over her. Then Will took her hand. She wound her fingers around his, and the isolation she’d felt drew back like a retreating wave.

  With steady steps and bare feet, Kate moved across the sand. Her eyes found Cole’s and their glance made them one. Diana could feel their connection. They made such a good couple. So much had changed for them this past summer. When Kate had joined the book club, she’d looked exhausted and shaky. Here to help nurse her mother, who’d suffered a stroke, she’d just gone through a painful divorce. Then she ran into Cole, her debate partner in high school. Things moved pretty quickly after that. Diana smiled to herself, remembering her part in their romance.

  Glancing to the right, Diana noticed Finn Wheeler, owner of the Mangy Mutt. His eyes were glued to Mercedes. There’d been rumors about the two of them, and she wondered how that would turn out. She’d be pleased if Mercedes ended up in Gull Harbor. Diana wanted to get to know her better. Somehow, she thought they might have things in common, and she’d always believed in her instincts.

  Well, almost always.

  Cole and Kate had written their own vows. Although she strained to hear them, the waves had picked up and only the occasional word drifted back. The expressions on their faces told it all. Would these heartfelt promises last forever? Did difficulties strengthen love, as the minister had stated?

  At the end, Cole kissed his bride. Applause broke out and he invited the group to the party at his place just up the road. Blotting tears and shrugging out of sport coats, the wedding began to break up. “Ready to leave?” Will asked.