Beachfront Embrace Read online

  She smiled.

  “You know me well, Jonathan, but with everything we’ve been through this past year with our relationship, and almost breaking things off, and me struggling back then with the idea of change… it taught me a lot about myself. I’m still learning more and more every day.”

  “Like what? How particular you are about where shoes go, or the time of evening you’d prefer for the house to be quiet?” He teased, laughing a bit more than Mae would’ve cared for.

  “Oh, hush, Jonathan. You know what I mean,” she said.

  “Yes, I do. Continue. I’m all ears.”

  “I work hard, but I don’t play hard enough. You don’t have that problem. You’re so much more of a free spirit than I am, and I love that about you. It kind of has me thinking, maybe I need to learn how to live a little more, before it’s too late.”

  “Too late? Mae, how many times do we need to have this conversation about your best years being ahead of you? It’s not too late for anything,” he said.

  “Mm hmm. I’m old enough to consider these things, that’s all I’m trying to say.”

  “I guess it’s wonderful that you’re open to considering new things, Mae. But, living on a boat?”

  “Well, it’s probably not a permanent solution, but would you consider us purchasing a boat to travel with? This way we’d still have the cottage when we’re working, and we could set sail when we have time off to get out there and explore a little.”

  Jonathan lifted Mae off her feet and spun her around, kissing her repeatedly before placing her back down.

  “Wait a minute. Before I get too excited. Is this some sort of passing idea or are you serious as in ready to move forward on this?” he asked.

  “I wouldn’t have brought it up if I wasn’t serious. I figured, now that your old place is sold, a new boat would be a fraction of the cost, and it might be something you’d want to invest in.”

  “Mae, I could pick you up and spin you around all over again,” he said with an expression of joy.

  Mae held her hand out against his chest, stopping him before he followed through with it, laughing the entire time.

  “Jonathan, we’re at work. Save the excitement for later on tonight. Then, we can snuggle up and talk more about our plans,” she said.

  “Don’t you threaten me with a good time, woman. You know I’ll take you up on the offer. We don’t have to wait for tonight. We can run home for some snuggle time at lunch.” He teased.

  “Jonathan!”

  “All right, I’ll cool down. But, seriously, I love the idea, Mae. Thank you for being open to this. I can see us now… planning trips, setting sail across the sea, and making sweet memories together. Memories that go far beyond giving tours here on Solomons Island,” he said.

  “I can see it, too. Do you know what else I can see?”

  “No, but from the look on your face I can tell it’s something good,” he said.

  “Oh, it is. Remember the impromptu date you planned for us with an overnight stay on a yacht, sailing across Chesapeake Bay?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you remember what we did that night, under the stars?” She smiled.

  “Woman, if you want me to behave, you better get back to work, and run fast if you know what’s best for you.”

  “I will, but this conversation is not over,” she replied.

  “No, it is not. We’re just getting started.”

  Back inside, Mae returned to find Mike stacking and shifting boxes around in the supply room. She watched him for several minutes, trying to figure out what he was working up such a sweat over.

  It wasn’t until he attempted to unstack a pile he just stacked that prompted her to interrupt him.

  “Mike.”

  He jumped, startled at the sound of her voice.

  “Ms. Mae, good morning. I didn’t see you standing there,” he said.

  “Apparently not. You were too busy stacking and re-stacking to notice me,” she said, peering into one of the open boxes.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many boxes of copy paper before. Are you working on a special project of some sort?” she asked.

  “No, it was a mistake. Jan, the secretary at the North Beach office, had a bunch of these sent here by accident. It’s no big deal. Figured I’d try to store everything out of Clara’s way until we figure out what to do with all this.”

  “Ah ha, I see. I guess that makes sense.”

  She paused for a long moment, discerning there was more to his busy behavior than a misplaced shipment.

  “Is everything all right with you two?” she asked.

  “With me and Clara? Sure, things couldn’t be better. What makes you ask a question like that?”

  “I’ve known you for a long time, Mike. Jonathan and I both recognize when something isn’t right with you. One of the telltale signs is your over-indulgence in things that aren’t important. Like fiddling around with boxes of copy paper, for example,” she said, picking up a ream and displaying it before him.

  “If it’s not relationship troubles, it’s something. The question is, are you going to be honest with me and come out with it, or do I have to pry it out of you?” she asked.

  He took a seat on one of his stacks.

  “Sometimes I forget how well the two of you know me. I’ve never been good at keeping a poker face, and I have a bad habit of wearing my feelings on my sleeve,” he replied.

  “It’s not the worst thing in the world. What’s bothering you?”

  Mike viewed Mae and Jonathan as more than employees. They were trustworthy, would do anything for him, and had become more like family members over the years.

  He glanced toward the door.

  “Did the two of you break up or something?” she asked.

  “No, of course not.”

  “Well, then, come out with it already. What’s bothering you?” she asked impatiently.

  “Without going into the specifics, let’s just say I was planning something special for Clara, but her sister’s impromptu visit sort of put a damper on things.”

  “I figured it was related to her sister. I never heard the details, but I’ve had a bad vibe about her arrival ever since I ran into Clara at the café yesterday.”

  “You ran into her at the café yesterday?” he asked.

  “Oops. I guess I wasn’t supposed to say that. Clara didn’t want to upset you, and she promised she was going to call you later that day. It’s no big deal. She needed time with her best friend. You know how tight they are. It meant nothing, I promise.”

  Mike looked disappointed.

  “Interesting. I waited for hours to hear from her before finally going over there to check on her,” he said.

  “Mike, don’t do that. Clara adores you. Her sister’s reemergence has obviously touched a nerve of some sort. Give her a little time. She’ll come around.”

  “I guess you’re right. Do you mind if I pick your brain about something?” he asked.

  “Go for it. I’m all ears.”

  “You’ve been around to observe our progress. You know how Clara and I met, and you know everything about me and how I make decisions.”

  “Right,” she said.

  “Do you think Clara and I have been moving too fast with the progression of our relationship?”

  “No, for heaven’s sake, what would make you say that? You two have been a perfect match ever since the day she backed her car into yours. She’s wife material and completely different from that other one you were with… what was her name again?” Mae chuckled.

  “Ms. Mae, there’s no need to go there. I get your point. What I’m asking is… could you see us together for the long haul? I respect your opinion, and I’d really like to hear your take on this. I probably should’ve asked you this before now, but do you think I’m rushing into things like a hopeless fool in love?” he asked.

  “You’re planning on proposing, aren’t you?”

  Mike cracked a smile, reveali
ng his bright white teeth and his intentions. Mae knew that look in his eyes. She’d seen it twice before in her lifetime. The first from her late husband, and the second time from Jonathan.

  “Ahh, I see what this is all about. There’s no way you’d be acting like this if you were just talking about dating. Am I right?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’d like to propose. I went as far as making the plans, purchasing the ring, and was ready to pop the question, but then all this happened, giving me extra time to reflect.”

  Mae gave him a look of disapproval.

  “Once you’ve arrived at the point of buying a ring, your mind should be made up without wavering, young man. Now, do you want to marry the girl or not?” she asked.

  “Yes, without a doubt. And, to be clear, I’m really not wavering about Clara. She’s the perfect woman for me. It’s just-”

  “What?”

  “With her sister showing up and her being really upset, it has me realizing that I really don’t know a lot about Clara’s family. Outside of the stories she’s told here and there, I mainly know Clara Covington from Solomons Island. The woman who started a new life when she moved here ten years ago, and even then, she was running away from her past. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt for me to press a little and get to know Clara Covington from New York… that part of her life counts for something. Right?” he asked.

  Mae shrugged her shoulders, feeling dissatisfied with his reasoning, hoping he wouldn’t change his mind altogether.

  Chapter 5

  Clara stood in the hallway, overhearing the conversation with Mike and Ms. Mae. She paused a few steps away from his door, hearing him stress the importance of getting to know Clara Covington from New York. It made her feel sick to her stomach hearing the words. It was the very part of her she wanted to bury for good. Even worse, she wondered why he was sharing this with Mae instead of being up front with her.

  “Clara, do you have a moment? I was hoping to submit a few purchase items for approval,” Brody asked, startling her from behind.

  “Brody, uh sure, sorry. I didn’t hear you coming,” she said, taking the papers from him and quickly returning to the front desk.

  “No worries, I wasn’t sure if you were thinking about going in the storage room or just deep in thought, but I figured I’d grab you while I could.”

  “That’s perfectly fine. Okay, what do we have here? More boat equipment. Got it. If you give me ten minutes max, I’ll process these and get you an approval form,” she said.

  “Perfect. I’ll pick up the form on my way up to the North Beach office.”

  Brody lingered a while longer, flipping through some papers and tapping his pen on the counter space behind her.

  “Brody, can I help you with anything else?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry. Was I being too loud? I have this silly habit of fidgeting… sometimes I don’t even realize when it’s happening.”

  He scratched his signature on a few documents, sipped his coffee loudly, and then began tapping his foot.

  “Have you seen Ms. Mae around?” he asked.

  “I think she’s in the back, talking to Mike. You can head on back there if you’d like.”

  “Oh, no. I’ll just hang out here. It’s not a problem.”

  Clara laid her pen down.

  “Brody, what’s on your mind?” she asked, trying her best not to show how irritated she was.

  He looked around.

  “Who? Me?”

  “No, the other Brody sitting around making tapping sounds for no good reason,” she said.

  He laughed, sounding a little nervous.

  “All right, you got me. I have a question for you, but I was hoping we could keep it between us. I don’t want everyone in my business if we can help it,” he said.

  Clara could tell he was trying to muster up the courage so she eased up a bit.

  “Sure, what’s up?”

  “It’s about your friend, Mackenzie.”

  “What about her?” It didn’t take long to realize this was personal.

  “I was wondering if she’s still seeing that guy, the lumber jack? The word around town is they parted ways. How is she doing with the breakup?” he asked.

  “What breakup? She didn’t mention anything to me about it. Then again, I’ve been a little pre-occupied these days, so maybe I’m out of the loop. Why are you asking?”

  “I don’t know… just curious, I guess.”

  His response didn’t sound so convincing. How often does a guy ask about the details of a woman’s relationship unless his heart is involved?

  “Are you interested in her?”

  “Whoa, whoa. You don’t have to go around saying that so loud. Rumors travel fast,” he replied.

  Clara knew McKenzie wasn’t feeling good about her last date with Bill, but she couldn’t speak to their current status. She glanced at Brody, considering what she knew about him. He was a quiet home body; he was kind to children, just didn’t have any of his own, he was well respected on the island, and hardworking. Why hadn’t Brody and Mackenzie considered each other before now? she thought.

  “Brody, there’s a difference between a rumor and a fact. The truth is, you like her… don’t you?” she asked.

  “I may have noticed her a time or two.”

  “And you’ve never said anything to her?” Clara asked.

  “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m more of a quiet, low-key kind of guy. Striking up conversation with women isn’t exactly my forte.”

  She nodded, seeing how that could be the case. At least it was the case for her when she first moved to Solomons.

  “Look, if you think it’s a bad idea, I trust your judgement. I just thought if she’d give lumber jack a chance, maybe an old mechanic like myself might have a shot,” he said, slowly backing away.

  “I’ll let you get back to your paperwork. I can stop by later for those approval sheets.” He continued.

  Clara was tempted to take him up on his offer, given how distracted she was after overhearing Mike talking to Mae. But Brody was a nice guy and if McKenzie would be interested, the least she could do was investigate.

  “Brody, wait. Let me see what I can find out. And for the record, you need to stop selling yourself short. You’re a great catch… if not for Mackenzie, then someone else. You just have to get out there and let your personality shine, that’s all.”

  “Yeah, that’s what they say. Only problem is I’m the textbook definition of an introvert.” He tugged his baseball cap down further, covering his eyebrows. “Either way, thanks for your help,” he said, proceeding to leave before turning around one last time.

  “If you wouldn’t mind, can we-”

  “Keep this between us?” she asked.

  “Exactly.”

  “Sure, no problem.”

  “Thanks, I’ll see you later,” he replied.

  Once Brody exited to the back, a customer entered, approaching the front desk. Clara noticed Mae grabbing coffee and Mike walking around in the back, acting as if everything was normal.

  “Good morning, welcome to Lighthouse Tours. How may I help you?” she asked.

  “Hi, my husband and I want to plan a tour for my in-laws who will visit in a couple of weeks. I was wondering if you had a brochure or information I could take home and share?” she asked.

  “Absolutely. I’d strongly encourage you consider our tour of Annapolis. Everyone raves about it, and I can personally say the views are to die for.” Clara explained.

  “Really? Well, I’m sold. My in-laws love sailing, so I know they’ll be happy. How about I book the tour now, and if my husband wants to make any changes we can call back if needed?”

  “Perfect. Let me pull up the schedule on the computer.”

  The phone rang amid scheduling the tour. It was Agnes, apologetically, asking for a couple of minutes of Clara’s time.

  “Agnes, hold on a moment. I’m wrapping things up with a customer,” she said, placing her on hold.

 
“Okay, you’re all set. Here’s your receipt and confirmation of your date and time. Plan to arrive early. Our tours usually depart on schedule.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Mm hmm, take care.” Clara watched as the customer left before reconnecting to Agnes on line one.

  “Are you still there?”

  “Yes, I’m here.”

  “What are you doing, calling me at work? This better be an emergency, Agnes.”

  “It is… somewhat. I was wondering if on the way in you could stop by the grocery store and pick up some crackers and ginger ale?”

  “What’s wrong?” Clara asked.

  “I’m feeling a little under the weather, but it’s nothing I can’t get past. If I could have those items for later on that would be very helpful.”

  “Sure, crackers… ginger ale… anything else?” she asked.

  “No, that should do it. Thanks, Clara.”

  “All right. Feel better.”

  She hung up to the sight of Brody and Mike wheeling out a couple of hand trucks stacked with boxes.

  “Brody, I’ll have your form ready for you in two minutes if you want to come grab it before you leave.”

  “Sure, I’ll be right back,” he said.

  Mike stopped at her desk, greeting her with a quick peck on the cheek.

  “It’s nice to see you back in the swing of things. Is everything okay with you and your sister?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure what’s going on with my sister and me, but for now everything is at peace, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Hey, peaceful is better than being at war, right?” he asked.

  “I suppose.”

  “Listen, I’m loading up a few of these boxes to take to the other office. I plan on spending the rest of the day there sorting out a few odds and ends. I wanted to give you all the time you needed with your sister, but let me know when you’re free to talk. We were sort of in the middle of something before she arrived,” he said.