Finding Love in Forgotten Cove (Island County Series Book 1) (12 page)

“It was my mom’s butterfly garden. She planned every single inch of it and planted it the first summer she was here. Each detail was thought out with such precision my dad thought she’d gone mad. She made sure the hedge she planted to block wind wouldn’t block any sunlight since butterflies drink from flowers that are grown in full sun. And she only planted flowers that were in festive colors because she was sure butterflies only enjoyed being somewhere that happiness grew naturally.”

A brilliant orange monarch butterfly flew into a thicket of milkweed that I was surprised to see blooming. My mother had hunted those milkweed seeds down and even though it wasn’t meant to grow in our part of Washington, she managed to get it rooted quickly. I hadn’t expected it to last all these years without her nurturing it the way she had.

“I guess my mom’s theory was pretty accurate.”

“Aren’t monarchs in the milkweed category?” Mason asked.

I spun around surprised that he knew butterfly categorization and saw the glimmer in his eyes. No one knew that. I only knew it because my mom pounded it into me.

“Yeah…something like that.” I narrowed my eyes at him and he grinned. “How’d you know that?”

“I don’t give off the impression I’m into butterflies and bird-watching?”

“Actually, no. I don’t take you for a unicorn or rainbow kind of guy either,” I laughed, turning my attention back to the butterfly garden.

“There,” he replied, pointing at a hot pink lupine. Inside was another beautiful butterfly, but I didn’t know the type. It was black with a speckling of white spots and a red band across each wing. I’d never seen one like it, but it was striking.

“It’s beautiful,” I said.

“It’s a Red Admiral.”

He rested his hand on my shoulder and a charge ran through me. A collision of emotions rattled my insides as my gaze stayed focused on the bright yellow yarrow, blue sea holly, and bleeding hearts that filled the overgrown garden. I pondered how in the world the sexiest contractor alive knew so much about butterflies of all things, and why he was interested in me. I didn’t mean that in a bout of self-loathing, but I was curious what in the world drew him to me?

“Believe it or not, the madronas provide nectar too.”

“You’re just full of all sorts of surprises, aren’t you?” I teased.

“Well, if you think that’s a surprise, you should really get to know me. I’m way more than butterflies, rainbows, and unicorns.”

“I don’t doubt that,” I replied, slowly walking down the trail again.

There was something about being around him that made me feel better, more grounded. It was a sensation I hadn’t had for so many years, I couldn’t even recall the feeling since my sister and mother passed away.

I’d forgotten exactly how steep the trail was, and when my foot slipped on a slick of gravel, it was quite a sobering experience. Mason’s hand quickly gripped my arm so that I didn’t fall down and possibly over.

“How about you slow it down a little?” he teased, his voice softening, but firm nonetheless. “I would’ve made you put on a hard hat if I knew you wanted to marathon it down here.”

“Sorry.”

“Yeah. That’s right you’re sorry,” he chuckled. “It’s always good to apologize right before you fall over a cliff…what were her last words? I’m sorry.” He shook his head and squeezed my hand softly. “Just be careful. I’m really fond of you too.” Mason gripped my hand tightly while he helped to keep my pace slow and steady as we traversed the rest of the trail.

“I kind of gathered that from earlier,” I confessed.

“Was it the kiss or my words that gave it away? And you can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it.”

“I wouldn’t dare tell you that.” I grinned.

I hadn’t realized the closer I got to Forgotten Cove, the quicker my pace had become. It was as if this tiny piece of shoreline was suddenly calling to me and I was listening. For once in my life, I heard the calls to come back home, but I was grateful Mason had my hand to guide me the rest of the way.

It wasn’t until I saw the cherry tree filled with Rainier cherries that I felt as if it might really be time for me to be here. An overturned wooden rowboat sat underneath. I assumed it belonged to my dad. I wasn’t trying to grasp onto signs and metaphor, but sometimes it felt like that was all there was to remind me that there was something more in this life and the next.

For years, we’d waited for cherries to magically appear on this cherry tree, and they never did. Year after year, we’d all make the trek down the trail to look for life after the cherry blossoms and nothing. Not one year did this thing bear fruit for us.

But today, when I was no longer searching, there were cherries covering every inch. As silly as it might seem, I felt like it was a sign from above. The problem was that I didn’t understand what the sign was supposed to tell me.

“Those are just about ripe. How random,” Mason said, glancing up at the stately tree. “A cherry tree near a beach?”

“My parents planted the cherry tree when my sister and I were really small. The damn thing has never had cherries. Even after I moved away, my dad would come down and look every year, and every year, it was empty.”

“Really? It’s certainly making up for lost time then.”

“Sure is. I might have to do some canning before I leave. I almost think it’s a mirage.”

“It’s no mirage. The thing is loaded. Maybe it’s a gift from your dad,” Mason whispered, and heaviness sat on my chest.

“Maybe.” I let out a sigh, not sure I was ready for what was waiting around the bend.

We continued navigating the now rocky terrain. We were just about to the beach. As typical with most Northwest beaches, the shore was filled with pebbles and rocks, not sand, so it made walking on it a little more treacherous, especially near the water’s edge where it was extra slippery.

When we rounded the last curve on the trail, my heart slammed into my chest as Forgotten Cove came into full view. It was exactly as I remembered. The pebbled beach curved along the coast as it dipped into the saltwater, and fir trees lined the beach for as far as the eye could see. The tiny cove looked so peaceful and calm. It was deceiving. I knew what she was capable of, and my heart felt as if it were being stabbed with millions of little knives as I looked into the water.

“We used to have bonfires down here in the summer,” Mason said, bringing me out of my stupor. “Lots of great memories. Partly why I fell in love with the house. I can imagine my family here.”

“You had bonfires—here—of all places?” I asked, ignoring the other half of his comment.

“We had them many places, but in the summer we had several here. My parents had a cabin about ten miles away, and this was the only place secluded enough to do what teenagers do.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The impromptu bonfires were the bane of my parents’ existence. It drove them crazy during the summer months, and here I was standing next to one of the perpetrators. The nerve! To see Mason grinning…it actually made me smile too.

“My dad always came unglued when he’d hear them start up.”

“I know. He chased us away more times than I can count. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized we didn’t have to leave. It was a public beach.”

I laughed and shook my head.

“Secluded, huh?” My brow arched.

“Well, you know…at that age.” His smile widened, and I took the first deep breath since I’d stepped onto the beach.

“You okay?” Mason tilted his head, gauging my reaction. I gave none. Instead, I stared at the small, breaking waves and quietly took in the smell of the salt air.

“What a small world,” I whispered, slipping my hand out of Mason’s.

“It can be, if you let the world work that way.”

I didn’t want to think too much about the puzzle pieces of my life that were slowly finding each other. It scared me. The idea of more heartache in my life was terrifying, but before I realized it, I’d clutched Mason’s hand once more.

We quietly walked along the rocky beach, and instead of awkward silences and sideways glances, we existed silently, taking in the beauty of the cove as the sun was setting. It was almost enough to make me forget what my father expected of me in the weeks to come. I understood why my father wanted me to do it, but I wasn’t sure I’d be ready to execute his plans, now or ever.

We came to a stop where the cove met the forest beyond and I turned to face Mason. His blue eyes darkened in the light as he searched my gaze for something I wasn’t ready to give.

Answers
.

He released my hand from his, and I looked up into his eyes. A splinter of relief shot into me that I was able to stand here in Forgotten Cove without breaking down, without crumpling onto the beach. It would be so easy to get lost in a sea of horrific memories that wanted to do nothing more than cripple me. I could feel the weight of my family’s legacy here in the cove but for the first time ever, I didn’t feel the need to run away. I was ready to face what was waiting for me.

“Your eyes are so pretty. They constantly change color,” Mason said, moving a piece of my hair away from my face. “Like right now, they look golden, but back at the house they looked almost grey.”

“I’m a chameleon. What can I say?” I smiled and glanced out toward the water.

“Well, that’s better than a vampire.”

“I’d say so,” I agreed. “My appetite is easier to satisfy, I’d imagine.”

“I don’t know about that.”

I chuckled and had to agree. A shiver ran through me as the breeze picked up and Mason wrapped his arm around me.

“Should we head back?” he asked.

“Just a few more minutes,” I whispered, surprised by my request. I would’ve thought I’d want out of here as fast as I arrived.

But there was something holding me here, calling to me on some unexplainable level.

“This place is spectacular when the stars are out on a clear night. It’s like nowhere else,” he murmured, bringing me closer. It would be hours before the stars were out, but I imagined standing under the night sky with Mason, right here, in a place that had haunted my very existence.

I rested my head on him and nodded in agreement, but my eyes filled with tears. I looked toward the woods, trying to bat away the wetness, but it was no use. The wind was picking up, but I stood anchored in Mason’s embrace. I didn’t want to go back to the house yet.

“How long ago did your sister pass away?” Mason asked, his voice tender.

“She died the summer of our senior year. We’d just graduated,” I swallowed the first wave of grief and guilt that swept through my body as the images flooded my mind. “Both my mom and sister passed on the same day.”

Mason’s hold tightened. “My God, I’m so sorry.”

A few seconds went by and he didn’t ask anything else, but I wanted to give him answers. For the first time in my life, I
wanted
to confide in someone.

I
needed
to confide in someone.

“My mom and sister died in a boating accident. They’d wanted me to come with them, but I’d gotten in a fight with my sister so I didn’t want to be stuck in a canoe with her. If I’d gone, I could have saved her, saved them both.”

Mason shook his head. “You can’t be sure of that.”

I broke from his embrace. “My mom and sister always thought they didn’t need to wear life vests so they put them on and never fastened them unless I was in the boat because they’d do it just to shut me up. If they’d buckled their life vests, they’d still be here.”

His eyes were locked on mine as pure horror spread through his gaze.

“It was here in the cove. My father was barbequing on the deck above, and I was wandering down the trail to see why they hadn’t returned. That was when I found the upside-down canoe and one floating life vest.”

 “Shit, and I made you come down here?” He rubbed his brow and eyes as he let out a deep breath. “I wish I’d known.”

“You didn’t make me do anything. I needed to be here. There was something calling me to the cove. I could’ve told you I wasn’t up for it, but for the very first time in years, I was.”

Mason pressed his lips together.

“My mom’s body was never recovered. It was her life jacket I’d spotted. The rescuers found my sister’s body. Her life vest was tangled on some old pilings not too far from her body.” The lump in my throat was threatening to strangle me so I stopped talking.

“Jesus, Tori. I can’t believe I’ve been so insensitive and—”

“You couldn’t know. It’s not your fault. I’m the one who didn’t say anything.” I took in a deep breath. “To be honest, I wanted to get in and out of town before I had to deal with any of this. That’s how I’ve gotten through life. Avoiding and running, but it doesn’t seem to work. I may have run away from this place, but the ghosts of my past keep following me. Not to mention the guilt.”

“I know you’ve heard this a million times, I’m sure, but it wasn’t your fault, Tori. You can’t blame yourself for them not fastening their life vests.”

I nodded slowly. Logically, I knew what he was saying, but my heart knew another story.

“I always felt guilty for leaving my father too. I haven’t been down here since the day of the accident. I hung around for their memorial and left for college early. Part of me felt like I should’ve stayed back with my dad to help him get through everything. I mean, he lost his wife and daughter and then his other daughter up and left. He had no one.”