Tiny Island Summer (3 page)

Reluctantly, Ben pulled the phone out from the cushions and put it on top of a box next to his couch. He had less than a day left in his home, but he couldn’t grasp it. His mind refused to accept that he was moving on from his bachelor pad. He didn’t need to sell the condo, necessarily. But something had changed for him in the last month. Dealing with everything with Mom had put his life into perspective in a way. He didn’t want this anymore.

The phone rang again. He looked at it and promptly walked out of the room, collapsing on his bed.

Fresh air and an all-day drive had conspired against Darcy. Despite her best efforts to rise with the sun, she slept until her eyes could no longer block out the light streaming into her room through the curtains. She slipped from the bed and padded downstairs as quietly as she could. Char had always been a late sleeper, and if Darcy had slept until ten, then Char would surely be in bed until noon.

A cool breeze rushed through her shoulder-length hair and goose pimples rose on her neck as she reached the bottom step. Had she forgotten to shut one of the doors last night? The question alerted her other senses as she caught the smell of coffee wafting toward her and heard soft footsteps and cabinets opening and closing.

Steeling herself for a fight as she rounded the corner toward the kitchen, she grabbed the bear-shaped umbrella stand, prepared to defend herself.

“Argh!” Char screamed and dropped a ceramic mug as Darcy came around the corner.

Relief and embarrassment washed over Darcy as she met her best friend’s eyes.

“What on earth are you doing?” Char scolded.

“I could ask you the same,” Darcy retorted, retrieving the broom and dustpan from the hall closet and sweeping up the shards.

“I’m making coffee, you weirdo. Not trying to attack innocent women.”

“I’m sorry. But forgive my shock. When have you ever woken up before me?”

“You can sweep this up too,” Char pointed to the remaining shards strewn on the tile floor. “And then when you’re done, I made a breakfast tray for us to take outside.”

Darcy looked at the wooden tray laden with a coffee pot, several plates and cups, mixed berries, a small vase with a single flower, and three toasted, buttered crumpets.

“When did you become such an elegant hostess?”

Char shook her head. “Just sweep this up, okay?”

“Fine.”

Char glided through the screen door in the kitchen and descended the steps to the patio on the golf course. As Darcy swept up the mess, movement caught her eye, and she paused. Charlotte fussed over setting up the table, dragging the metal chairs along the concrete in the loudest manner possible. Darcy threw out the shards and went outside.

“You okay?” she asked her best friend, who attempted to arrange the plates.

“Fine,” Char replied, glancing up toward the patio next door.

Darcy sat down. “You know he might still be asleep, we probably shouldn’t be so noisy out here.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” Char replied and sank into the chair opposite.

“Thanks for breakfast, this is nice.”

Char smiled. “You’re welcome.”

“I was thinking it would be fun to explore more of the island today.”

“Sure.”

“We could gather up a little picnic lunch and head up to one of the state parks.”

“That sounds fine.”

“Maybe we should leave in an hour. I can clean up and pack if you want to get ready?”

“Oh, okay,” Char said with a tinge of disappointment.

“You know it might be okay to be a little mysterious,” Darcy offered.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Char replied, smoothing out the napkin in her lap.

“Look, he seems great. And I think it’s nice that we met him. I’m glad you won’t be bored when I start work in a few days. But don’t . . .” Darcy trailed off at the challenging tilt of Char’s eyebrow. “Just be careful please,” she implored.

“I will and I appreciate what you’re saying,” Char bit out as she gathered the tray to go inside. “But you have to acknowledge, you don’t have a lot of experience here.”

Darcy’s cheeks flushed, and she turned her back on Char’s retreating figure, eager to hide her face. Charlotte’s words stung, but Darcy couldn’t deny them. She didn’t have much experience with dating. She’d dated a couple guys in high school, but never seriously. She hated the loss of control and vulnerability inherent in a relationship. At twenty-five, she had less experience than the average fifteen-year-old.

James had been her first and only real relationship. They’d dated on and off through college, and when they’d both graduated and landed jobs in Chicago, their relationship had turned serious. Darcy could admit now that she’d almost resigned herself to being with him. It seemed inevitable that they would be together, no matter that she had never felt comfortable being herself with him.

Accepting a full-time job out of state in an effort to strike out on her own might have been the coward’s way out of their relationship. But it had been effective. Of course, only now did she realize how inexperienced she was when it came to the opposite sex. And even thinking about it made her palms itch and her heart race.

The wind picked up and rustled the branches of the birch and pine trees.
Why am I fighting with Char?
Gazing out across the green Darcy could just make out the boats at the yacht club. The day was too beautiful to lose to agonizing over the past.

“Fair enough,” Darcy muttered to herself as she walked into the empty kitchen.

She stuck her head in the fridge to sort through its contents. Pulling out a rotisserie chicken, vegetables, and mayonnaise, she set the ingredients on the counter, found a knife and cutting board, and began whipping up a chicken salad.

“I’m all set,” Char announced, sailing into the kitchen in shorts and a T-shirt with full makeup and her red hair perfectly styled in beachy waves.

Darcy bit her lip to keep from rolling her eyes.

“What about you? Do you have a bathing suit on underneath those shorts?”

“No. Do you think it’s warm enough to swim?” Darcy asked, raising an eyebrow. She couldn’t imagine the deep water being warm. It would have to be a hot, humid day before Darcy would even consider jumping in the lake.

“Well we might not swim. But what if we want to lie out?”

“Hmm, good point. But I don’t know if I packed a suit.”

“Never fear, I’ve got you covered,” Char replied, racing up the stairs before Darcy could reply.

Don’t bring me a bikini
tickled the tip of her tongue. Heaving a sigh, she turned to her task. Despite her distraction from the conversation, she’d managed to chop the vegetables, tear the chicken, and throw the ingredients into a Tupperware container, stirring in a heavy dollop of mayo for good measure. Rifling through the pantry and countertop, Darcy grabbed chips, rolls, cookies, and a couple bottles of water. Staggering under her load, she stumbled over to the cooler she’d left in the hall closet and dumped the contents.

Dragging the cooler behind her, she opened the front door, unlocked her car, and stopped at the back of the CR-V. As she struggled to lift the cooler, John pedaled over on his bike and stopped in her driveway.

“Hi, need help?”

“Sure, that would be great.”

Lifting the cooler entirely by himself, John gingerly placed it in the trunk with ease.

“Thanks.”

“Sure,” he replied, wiping sweat from his brow. “You heading out on a picnic?”

“Yeah, we thought we might go up to Big Bay State Park.”

“Oh nice.”

“Would you like to come?”

“Thanks. I might see you up there. I need to clean up first.”

“Fair enough,” Darcy nodded. “We have plenty of food if you do join us.”

“Great. I’ll see you later.”

Darcy waved and walked back inside. Probably she should tell Char about John, she mulled as she climbed the stairs. But then if he didn’t show up, she’d mope the rest of the day. Darcy stared at her feet, lost in thought, and crashed into Char.

“Hey.”

“Oh, sorry. I’ll get changed and then we can go.”

“Sure.”

Darcy hesitated for a second.

“Something wrong?” Char asked.

“Nope, not at all. I’ll be a minute.”

Char nodded and continued down the hall.

Darcy raced to shower, find a bathing suit and shorts in her half-unpacked suitcase, and get back downstairs.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Char followed her out. Life didn’t get much better than driving north on County Highway H on a bright blue day. After driving down a two-lane road surrounded on either side by pine forest for twenty minutes, Char began to voice her concerns.

“We’re heading to the beach?” she asked in total disbelief.

“Yes.”

“You’re sure?”

“This is what the map said. My GPS doesn’t work here. I had to resort to Rand McNally and this is the way.”

“You’re one hundred percent sure?”

Darcy ignored her. Following the signs for the park, she pulled into a heavily forested parking lot. Char blew out a dramatic sigh. “Let’s just give it a chance, please?” Darcy asked.

They unloaded the car and dragged their gear over a wooden bridge and down a packed dirt path. They wound through trees that showed no sign of letting up until suddenly the path ended in soft, powdery sand.

“See?” Darcy said triumphantly.

The beach butted up against forest as far as they could see. The water looked like glass, perfectly calm and clear, with each pebble, stone, log, and rock in view. They walked through the hard-packed sand to stake out a spot with their towels, then went back for the cooler. As they dropped the cooler on their towels, they heard a man’s voice shouting to them. They turned to see John.

“Hello,” he called again.

“Well you showed up about five minutes too late,” Charlotte teased.

“Sorry, I’m still working on my timing for helping damsels in distress,” he replied.

“How about you help us out now by joining us for lunch? Darcy asked. “Then the cooler will be much lighter on the return trip.”

“That sounds like a deal,” John agreed.

John sank onto one of the towels, and Charlotte joined him, with a decided change in attitude from the evening before. Darcy sat opposite and handed out rolls, chicken salad, chips, and bottles of water.

“So John, what are your recommendations for us while we’re here?” Darcy asked.

“I could tell you, but then you wouldn’t need me as your tour guide,” he replied.

“Oh, don’t worry about that.”

“You definitely need to see the other islands. This is the only inhabited one, but there’s a lighthouse on Raspberry Island that’s worth checking out. And it’s fun to boat around and visit the different beaches.”

“That does sound like fun, but we lack a boat,” Char added.

“And this is exactly where my services come in. Well, probably we should wait until my brother comes to visit. He’s much better with the boat then I am. I never paid attention when we were taught.”

“Oh come on; I’m sure you’re being too modest. It’s got to be like riding a bike, right? You know, I think I’d like to rent a bike while I’m here,” Char said suddenly before turning to John. “Do you like to bike?”

Shock quickly passed over Darcy’s face and she bit her lip. How had Charlotte stumbled onto that topic?

“I do,” John replied. “In fact, I was just out this morning. Did Darcy tell you?”

Char turned to look at Darcy in surprise.

“No, she didn’t,” Char raised a quizzical eyebrow.

“I actually have a couple of extra beach cruisers, if you’d be interested in borrowing one.”

“Thanks, that would be nice,” Char agreed with a smile.

Darcy watched John smile back at Charlotte and realized she’d become the third wheel.

“I think I’m going to take a walk. I ate a little too much,” Darcy announced.

“Sure, we’ll be here,” Charlotte said, waving her off without turning to look.

Darcy kept to the water’s edge, finding it easier to walk on the hard-packed sand. The occasional splash of icy water against her bare feet seemed a small price to pay. They had the beach to themselves, despite the perfect weather. Darcy walked until she stumbled upon a fallen tree. It lay on its trunk with its roots exposed like a gnarly spider web. She could imagine cutting off the roots and covering them with a piece of glass, turning it into a unique coffee table. Darcy turned to call over to Char to come look, and realized how far she’d strayed.

John and Char looked no bigger than ants in the distance. She gathered up her courage and gingerly eased her way into the water. Her first few steps in the icy water felt like stepping on knives. But after continuing in up to her knees, her legs had numbed to the cold. Little fish darted around logs and in between some of the bigger stones before swimming back out to deeper water. Darcy stood in the lake for some time, never seeing another person or even a boat, until she could no longer feel her toes.

She reluctantly made her way back to the beach, regaining feeling in her legs as she went. She wished for a dog. Her summer had turned from one last getaway into a burgeoning summer romance for Char. If she had a dog, at least she’d have some companionship. But she didn’t have time. Her few days off had given her a false sense of vacation.

For nearly four years, Darcy had worked nonstop at the auction house. A deadline always loomed and every sale required constant attention. Her weekends gave way to writing appraisals, contacting buyers with condition reports, and finishing the latest catalog descriptions. She loved the fast pace, but her work-life balance suffered as a result. Darcy stood on the edge of being a success or having a complete emotional breakdown. She loved her work but had come to understand that working as hard as she did for someone else meant she had no time to herself.

She’d gone to her boss to discuss taking time off, but instead she’d been presented with her options quite clearly. Either she look for an opportunity to bring in more property of higher value and thus be given a raise, promotion, and hire an assistant to help her, or she could leave without a very good reference. The terms shocked her. Working her tail off would have been for nothing, and she’d have little to show for it all. She’d of course accepted the challenge, her only real choice, and had been given the Upper
Midwest territory by her boss.