Farewell to Cedar Key (8 page)

14

I
had driven myself to the Island Room, but walking from the car to the restaurant I still had a silly assumption that this evening with Simon was a date and not just a dinner. And from the look on his face when I walked in, I couldn't help but think that perhaps he felt the same.

He was already seated at a table by the window but stood up as soon as I walked toward him. I couldn't miss the head-to-toe glance he gave me or the huge smile covering his face. He looked great in a pair of tan dress slacks and a chocolate-brown, open-collar shirt. I was glad I'd chosen my black and white sundress and the pretty black shrug that I had recently finished knitting.

“Good to see you again, Josie,” he said, sitting back down. “I'm glad you could join me for dinner. Would you like a drink or some wine?”

I sat across from him and realized again what a great-looking guy he was, in addition to having a pleasant personality. “Yes. White wine would be nice.”

After the waiter took our drink order, Simon said, “So you're doing a knitting class at the yarn shop? How'd that go for you last night?”

“Oh, very well. The guys caught on even better than I'd expected.”

“Guys?”

I saw the look of surprise on his face and smiled. “Yeah. It's a men's knitting class and I have four students learning how to knit. One of them is my father.”

“Well, that's wonderful. Knitting, along with many other things, has been seen as the domain of women for too long. I've never understood the reasoning. Look at all the great male chefs and clothes designers.”

I liked how this guy thought. “Exactly. I'm afraid up until recently there's been a stereotype attached to men who knit, but . . . more and more are now coming out of the closet, so to speak. Which I think is great.”

“I agree. My daughter is quite an accomplished knitter, so I know how enjoyable knitting can be just from watching Lily.”

Now it was my turn to be surprised. “Oh, I love to hear about young people knitting. We also have a children's class that we hold at the yarn shop. Has she been knitting since she was a child?”

“Thanks,” we both said as the waiter placed our wine in front of us.

“Give us a little while before we order,” Simon told him. “Yes, she began knitting around age ten, I think it was.” He lifted his glass and touched mine. “Here's to a great working relationship.”

I nodded. “Yes, a great working relationship.” I took a sip and then asked, “Does your wife also knit?”

Simon shook his head. “No, my ex-wife was never into that sort of thing. I'm afraid Stephanie was more caught up in spas, shopping, and socializing.”

I noticed how he used the word
ex
in relation to his wife, and I also noticed that just from his brief description of her, she sounded vain and superficial. “Right. Knitting and needle crafts aren't for everybody. You mentioned that something came up with your daughter last week. I hope everything is okay.”

He took a sip of wine and nodded. “Oh, yes. Fine. Lily will be going off to college next year, and she's been accepted at a few, so we're still doing the parent/student visits to check them out. We drove to the University of Tampa, and it was kind of a last-minute thing. Her mother had been scheduled to take Lily but . . . realized she wasn't able to.”

I thought it was odd that the mother had had a change of plans last minute, but I didn't say anything. “Oh, I thought Lily graduated this past June from high school.”

“Yes, she did,” Simon said before pausing for a moment. “She wanted to take a year off before beginning college . . . which I thought was a good idea. So she's all set to begin next summer.”

“That's great. Such an adventure ahead of her. Does she live with her mother?” I asked.

“Right now, Lily is splitting her time between my parents' home in Gainesville and a few days a month at Stephanie's on Amelia Island. She was spending a lot of time with me, but I've been so busy trying to set up the new office and I really don't have a proper home at the moment, so staying with my parents is good. I can see Lily when I'm there.”

It was obvious that he had a close relationship with his daughter. “Oh, that's great. I know Orli loves going to the Boston area to spend time with Grant and his mother.”

Simon nodded and picked up the menu. “I guess we should decide on what we're having.”

By the time the waiter approached our table I'd decided on a pasta dish, and Simon requested chicken.

“Did everything work out for your trip to Boston?” he asked.

“It did. Grant called and has e-mailed me all the info for the flights. Orli and I will fly up there on December twenty-second and fly home on the thirtieth.”

“That's great. I'm sure you're looking forward to it.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I am. I love it up there, and I know that Orli and I will have a good time, so it'll be fun.”

He shifted in his chair, and I saw a grimace cross his face.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, fine. Just an old back injury that nags me sometimes. So, does your daughter also knit?”

I got the feeling he wanted to change the subject. “Strangely enough, no,” I said, then laughed. “I think she figures I do enough knitting for both of us. But I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years she'll be itching to learn. So if your ex-wife doesn't knit, how did Lily learn?”

He paused a moment before saying, “In school. One of her teachers taught her, and my sister is a huge knitter, so she helped Lily in the beginning.”

“Oh, that's great. How nice to have a teacher to do that after school hours.”

“Right,” was all he said. “I know Gloria normally frequents the yarn shop in Gainesville because it's close, but I'll have to mention the one here to her.”

“Yes, I also love the Yarnworks in Gainesville. We knitters usually have one local shop we're loyal to, but if she's like the rest of us, I'm sure she's probably already visited here. Somehow we can track down a yarn shop within a hundred mile radius.”

He laughed. “You're probably right. So, besides knitting, what else do you do for enjoyment? Do you fish?”

“Not really. Having been brought up on the island I've done my fair share of fishing, but I can't say I've really ever enjoyed it. How about you? Do you like to fish?”

He nodded. “I do. I just don't seem to find as much time to do it as I'd like.”

“Well, maybe actually living here will help that situation. Plus, I'll introduce you to Doyle Summers and my dad. They and a small group of guys go out on Doyle's boat at least once a week.”

“That sounds great. Thanks.”

The waiter approached with our dishes.

“Looks good,” I said.

“Yes.
Bon appétit
.”

I began eating my pasta and realized I was having a really nice time being in Simon's company. He was so easy to converse with, and I recalled the dead silences that Ben and I had encountered during dinners out. It even
felt
different being with Simon. Ben could be a bit strong-willed about certain things, and many an evening had ended in a heated debate. I often wondered if he had a bit of that control streak that my mother possessed. Perhaps that's why we clashed. My independent personality never went well with a control freak.

As if reading my mind, Simon asked, “So, you're not dating or involved with anybody right now?”

I wiped my mouth with the napkin and shook my head. “No. I'm a free agent again. I had been in a long-distance relationship with somebody—his uncle lived on the island. Mr. Al recently passed away. But we both came to realize that whatever we had, if anything, was going nowhere.” I neglected to mention that in all truth, Ben had dumped me.

“Yeah, I would think that could be pretty difficult. Trying to keep a relationship going with miles separating you.” He took a bite of chicken and was silent for a few moments. “So . . . your mother is a romance author. My sister is an avid reader, too, so I'll have to ask if she's read your mom's books. Does she write under her real name?”

“Yes. Shelby Sullivan. She and I have our moments . . . but I have to admit that she's done very well over the years with her writing.”

“Sounds like you're proud of her.”

I'd never given this too much thought. “I guess I am. Maybe I take her career for granted sometimes, but I know it's become more difficult to even get published, so yeah, I am proud of her for turning out a best seller every year. She can just be a bit difficult at times to get along with.”

Simon laughed. “Ah, that old mother-daughter thing, huh?”

I let out a chuckle. “Yup, I'm afraid so. I've always envied mothers and daughters who get along like best friends. I've never had that with my mother. It's been a constant battle filled with tension. My best friend Mallory . . . she and her mother get along so well. Once I got older, I realized that my mother is a control freak and that's the root of our problem.”

Simon nodded. “Yeah, I can understand that. My sisters have had their moments with my mother, but overall I'd have to say they all get along pretty well. And just from what you've told me about being a single mom, I can certainly understand how your mother's personality might rub you the wrong way.”

He understood? This was the first time I could recall a man saying that and agreeing with me. Even thought I felt that Grant probably did, he'd never come out and said it in so many words.

“Thanks,” I said. “I have to admit that I also envy you your large family. Being an only child isn't all that it's cracked up to be. That's why I've always felt bad that my own daughter has ended up as an only child.”

“I probably don't tell them nearly enough, but yeah, I do feel fortunate having my siblings and now their families added to the group. But hey, never say never on that sibling for Orli. Gosh, what are you, barely thirty? Women are having children much later in life now.”

Hearing his assumption about my age caused me to laugh. “Thank you for the compliment, but no, I'm not barely thirty. I'm thirty-five.”

I heard Simon chuckle. “You're a mere babe,” he said. “I just turned forty-seven.”

“Really?” I heard myself say. Whew, he looked pretty damn good for a guy pushing fifty. “You sure don't look it,” I said, and realized that was an awkward thing to say.

But he laughed again. “And thank
you
for your compliment.”

By the time coffee arrived I could hardly believe that two hours had passed. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was almost nine. I couldn't recall the last time I had enjoyed an evening out as much as this one.

Simon walked me to my car in the parking lot. “I'll follow you home,” he said.

“Oh, no, really. You don't have to do that. Cedar Key is quite a safe town.”

“I know that, but I want to. I'm leaving in the morning for Gainesville. Lily is at my parents' house and I'll be staying there for a few days. Then I have to head to St. Augustine for a couple weeks, but I'll give you a call when I'm coming back to Cedar Key.”

“Great,” I said, getting into my car and starting the ignition. “Thank you so much for a lovely dinner.”

“It was
my
pleasure, Josie. Really,” he said, and headed to his car. When I pulled into my driveway, Simon gave a short toot of his horn and I saw him lift his hand in a wave as he headed down Second Street.

15

I
walked into the coffee café at the bookshop and saw it was filled with the usual early morning patrons. After chatting with Suellen for a few minutes, I took my latte and found an empty table. Mr. Al's memorial was later that day, and I found myself thinking about the differences between Ben and Simon.

Although I didn't know Simon well, I knew I enjoyed being with him. Not to say that Ben and I hadn't shared some fun moments during our brief time together, but Ben could be a bit difficult when it came to having ordinary discussions. He was extremely opinionated, which was fine, but I always got the feeling he expected me to agree with him on all subjects, and that had caused a bit of tension between us. Whereas chatting with Simon just seemed so easy. Relaxed. Comfortable. I felt that we were going to form a pleasant friendship.

I took a sip of coffee and questioned if friendship was all I really wanted. Of course it was. I wasn't so sure I wanted to get into the dynamics of anything more. Friendships were so much easier than involved relationships. And being friends with a handsome doctor was an extra plus.

“Hey, Josie.”

I looked up to see Fiona standing beside my table with Andrea in her stroller.

“Good morning,” I told her. “And you, you get prettier every day.” I reached over to touch the baby's hand. “Can you join me for coffee?”

“Yeah, thanks. I just gave Suellen my order,” Fiona said, sitting down.

“No classes today?”

“Not till later this afternoon. So I thought I'd spend some mommy time with Andrea. Sometimes I feel guilty for all the time my classes and study take away from her.”

I nodded. I recalled the feeling from my days of raising Orli. “Yeah, that's understandable, but it'll all be worth it in the long run.”

“I think so, and guess what? Greg called last evening. He got the position teaching at the university. I'm so excited. He'll be starting the new semester in January.”

“Oh, that's great, Fiona. Marin had mentioned that you were hoping it would happen. So how soon do you think you'll be moving to Gainesville?”

“Thanks, Suellen,” she said as her coffee was brought to the table. “Well, this will be Andrea's first Christmas, and that's a special one. I don't want Marin to miss out on that. So Greg and I will stay with Marin and Worth through the holidays. We have it all arranged to move right after the first of the year.”

“That's really thoughtful of you. I know Marin will enjoy having all of you with her for Christmas.”

“Can I join your table?”

I looked up to see that Grace had arrived with her daughter, Solange, in a stroller.

“Of course you can,” I said, scooting my chair over to make room. “Good morning. I can't get over how fast Solange is growing.”

Grace laughed and bent over to touch Andrea's hand as she positioned her stroller so the two babies could see each other. “I know. Eighteen months old already. And what's Andrea? Four months now?”

“Actually, she just turned five months. Time seems to be flying by.”

It seemed like yesterday that Orli had been those ages. “Don't blink,” I said. “Because before you know it they'll be celebrating their sweet sixteen like my daughter.”

“I can hardly believe Orli is turning sixteen. So you're right. We have to savor these moments now, right along with all the sleepless nights. Is she teething yet?”

“I think she might be starting,” Fiona said. “Lots of drooling going on as you can see.” She reached over to wipe her daughter's chin with a napkin.

“How's your aunt doing?” I asked Grace. “I heard she was under the weather.”

“Yeah, I'm not sure what's going on. She has the heart condition of course, so I hope that's not acting up again. But she told me last night that she won't be doing the knitting retreats anymore. She said it's just become too much for her, and with me tied up with Solange and Chloe being a partner at the yarn shop, I think she's finding it difficult to manage on her own.”

I nodded. “I can understand that, but it's a shame. She really enjoyed doing that at her carriage house, and I'm sure her knitters will be disappointed. But everyone does reach a point when they simply have to slow down a little. That's one of the biggest downfalls that I've seen with my patients—the reluctance to give things up that they're no longer able to do. It's a difficult decision to make when the time comes.”

“I know, so I'm hoping that she's really going to be okay about not doing the retreats anymore.”

“Good morning. Got room for one more?”

We looked up to see that Chloe had joined us.

“Of course,” Grace said, getting up to give her sister a hug. “How's your arm today?”

“Itchy,” she said, sitting down. “But I think that means its healing?” She looked at both Fiona and me.

“It does,” I told her. “So that's a good thing. When do you see the doctor again?”

“Next week, and I'm hoping this silly cast can come off sooner than he said. I've been a model patient, but I'm having terrible knitting withdrawal.”

All of us nodded and laughed because we understood her feelings.

“So,” Chloe said. “When does Doctor McDreamy open that practice of his?”

“After the first of the year,” I told her. “It couldn't have worked out better for me. Now Orli and I will be able to fly to Boston for Christmas and her birthday.”

“That really did work out well. And it seems that you were spotted at the Island Room having dinner with him last week. What's that all about?”

I felt a flush creeping up my neck. “Geez, it was only a dinner. A thank-you dinner. For recommending Brandy as his new receptionist.”

Chloe laughed. “Right.”

“While we're on that subject, how're things going for you and Gabe?”

“Who?” Grace asked, leaning toward her sister.

Chloe waved her hand in the air. “Oh, come on. He's just a nice guy taking Josie's knitting class. That's all.”

“That's all? Gosh, I thought I'd never get the two of you out of the carriage house after the class so that I could lock up and go home,” I kidded her.

Grace held up a hand. “Wait a sec. Back up. I seem to be missing a lot of details here. Start at the beginning, Chloe.”

Chloe laughed and shook her head. “There isn't much to tell. Gabe Brunell is here for the winter. He signed up with Josie to learn how to knit. I happened to drop by toward the end of the first class and . . . well . . . we just got to talking. That's it.”

“Hmm, that's it, huh?” Grace shot me a wink. “Well, if
it
turns into anything else you'd just better share it with me.”

“Ah, female gossip,” I said, then took my last sip of coffee. “Nothing beats it. I have to get going. Will I see you guys at Mr. Al's memorial today?”

“I'll be there,” both Grace and Chloe said.

“Good, I'll see you there,” I told them, and got up to leave before they could start hitting me with questions about Ben.

I had purposely arrived at the memorial only a few minutes before it was due to begin and slipped into the last pew next to Sydney Webster.

She touched my hand, gave me a smile, and whispered, “How're you doing?”

“Fine,” I whispered back, and shot a smile and nod to Noah Hale sitting beside her.

Mr. Al had a good turnout for his final good-bye. I saw my parents sitting up front, along with many of the women from the yarn shop, fishermen, locals, and merchants. Then I spotted Ben sitting at the end of the first row. I craned my neck to see who was next to him, half expecting to see his pregnant girlfriend even though he'd said she wasn't coming. But it was a neighbor of Mr. Al's.

The pastor began the ceremony with lots of nice words about Mr. Al, followed by music, some heartfelt eulogies, and before I knew it, Ben was heading to the podium.

“I want to thank everybody for coming today,” he said without a trace of emotion in his voice. “My uncle would have been very happy to see so many friendly faces. Uncle Al loved Cedar Key and all of the people here.” He then paused as if uncertain how to continue. “Although I spent childhood summers here, I'm afraid I just never felt the same attachment, so I've decided to put his house up for sale rather than keep it myself.” He cleared his throat and coughed.

There was a pause before he said, “So . . . thank you again for coming. We're having coffee and pastry in the church hall, and I hope you'll join us there.”

That was it. No
I'm going to miss my uncle
or
My uncle was a great person
. No mention of his love of fishing. Nothing.

I was struck by the lack of emotion and intimacy that he had conveyed. And just before I stood and slipped out of the church, I was convinced that Ben Sudbury was definitely not someone I wanted to be around—and it had nothing to do with the fact that he had dumped me.