Fish Perfume (Cozy Harbor Marina Series) (20 page)

I opened up the store and my day began. I kept busy all morning, which was good as it took my mind off Ian. Gram called around 11:00 and said they would pick me up at 6:00 for dinner. At 2:00, Ian came into the store.

He said, “I got in touch with Christine this morning. I’m going to go home and shower and then head up to Boston. I just wanted to tell you to have fun with your Gram and tell her I said hello.”

“I will.”

“I’ll call you when I get back.”

“Okay.”

Since no one was in the store, he kissed me goodbye and left.

I closed up early and went home to shower and change. I’d just finished getting ready when I heard Gram’s voice calling me. I walked out into the living room, and there she was, looking better than ever. Standing beside her was a distinguished-looking gentleman. He was about five-eleven, slender, with a full head of white hair and warm brown eyes.

I ran to Gram and gave her a hug.

I said, “It’s so good to see you. You look beautiful.”

She said, “So do you. Rhode Island always agreed with you. Meggie, I want you to meet Cal.”

I went over to Cal, who had a big smile on his face. He took my hand and said, “Meggie, I’ve heard all about you and you’re even more beautiful than your Gram said.”

I blushed and said, “Would you like to have a glass of wine before we go to dinner?”

Gram clapped her hands and said, “That would be great. We have a lot to tell you.”

I went quickly into the kitchen, opened a bottle of wine, and brought them each a glass. I went back to get one for myself and took a chair. They were sitting on the couch together holding hands. This was so weird for me. A good kind of weird. Gram looked so unbelievably happy.

Gram cleared her throat and said, “Meggie, we have some big news to tell you.”

I asked hesitantly, “What?”

Gram said, “Cal and I got married two weeks ago in San Diego.”

I was stunned. “Wow! Congratulations!” I stood up and went over to them and hugged them both. I asked, “Does Mom know?”

She said, “No. You’re the only one who knows besides my friend Dossie. At our age, we didn’t want to make a fuss with a wedding, and we didn’t want to wait. When you get to be our age, long engagements aren’t a good idea. I don’t even buy green bananas at this point in my life.”

I said, “You said you were old friends. When did you first meet?”

Cal said, “We met the summer your grandmother got out of high school. I was home from college and met her when I went into the restaurant she was working in for the summer. We dated that whole summer, and then I went back to college in California. I went to Stanford. We wrote letters to each other that following fall, but we were young and decided the distance was too great and we should see other people. I still had two years of school left. Back then, it wasn’t like it is now with people jumping on planes right and left.”

Gram said, “Last winter, Dossie and I went over to Newport for lunch, and Cal was there having lunch with some old friends. He recognized me after all these years and came over to our table. We had a grand reunion, and then he asked me out to dinner. He still has a home in Newport and one in San Diego. He goes back and forth. When he was in town, we would go out, and rekindled our romance after all these years.”

Cal said, “My wife died about ten years ago. I have a son, Michael, and a daughter, Marissa. They both live in San Diego with their families.”

I shook my head and said, “I’m floored. I’m so happy for you both. Where will you live?”

Gram said, “We talked a lot about that and decided to live the winters in San Diego and the summers in Newport.”

“Are you going to sell the marina?”

She said, “That’s up to you and your brothers. You see, I always intended to leave it to the three of you. I told your mother this years ago. I would hate to sell it because it’s been in the family for so long. Cal and I have an appointment in two weeks with a lawyer, and I’m going to leave it in a trust for you and your brothers to inherit it when I die. If I gave it to you now, it would cost a fortune in taxes. Since your brothers are both traveling the world with their careers, I was hoping you would stay and run the marina. I’ve gotten the impression that you enjoy doing it.”

“I’ve had the best summer, and I do love running the marina.”

Gram said, “Why don’t you think about it? You can give me an answer when we get back from Philly.”

I said, “Okay, I’ll think about it. I have a question for you, though.”

“Shoot.”

“Has Ian ever offered to buy the marina from you? I overheard some guy in the store ask him if he was still trying to buy it from you.”

She said, “Yes. He has made me offers, but I told him I wasn’t interested. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I was just wondering if he was trying to get on your good side by dating me.”

Gram looked surprised. She said, “I doubt that. Ian isn’t that kind of guy, Meggie. You’re a beautiful girl; that’s why he’s dating you.”

“Gram, are you sure? You’ve known him a lot longer then I have. I want to trust him, but I’m afraid I’m setting myself up for a broken heart.”

“I’m sure, honey. He’s a good guy. You can trust him.” She looked at Cal with love in her eyes and said, “If you don’t take a chance, you could miss out on something wonderful.”

I smiled at them and said, “Mom’s going to be blown away by your big announcement.”

Cal reassured me. “Meggie, I’ll take good care of your Gram. Don’t you worry.”

I said, “I’m glad she has someone like you to take care of her. She deserves the best.”

Gram said, “Well, I don’t know about you two, but I’m starved. Let’s go get some dinner.”

I went and grabbed a sweater. It was a little chilly tonight. We had a nice meal, and I got to know Cal a little bit. He was a really warm person with a quick wit and keen intelligence. I could see why my Gram fell for him again. They were so cute together, and she was beaming with happiness. I told them about Lolly and the pole dancing class and filled them in on some of the other funny things that have happened at the marina over the summer. They told me about all their travels and what a good time they had. They planned to go to Philly on Tuesday and return the following Sunday. Gram said she would call me when she got back and we’d talk again.

They dropped me off at the cottage around 9:00 and I checked my messages. Ian hadn’t called. Since I had a lot to think about, I decided I wanted to be by myself tonight. I left him a message on his machine that I got home early, I was going to bed, and would see him tomorrow.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I spent another restless night thinking about Ian and Gram and trying to figure out what I should do about the marina. By noon, I was starving and since Journey was off today, I put a sign on the door that I’d be back at 1:00 and went over to the Shack for lunch. Mo was there by herself, chopping up some veggies, when I walked in.

She took one look at me and said, “Honey, you look tired.”

“I’m exhausted, Mo. I’ve barely slept the past two nights.”

“What’s on your mind?”

“Well, Ian finally asked me when I had to go back and I told him in two weeks. All he had to say was that the summer is flying by.”

She leaned on the counter and said, “I’m might have to smack that boy upside his head.”

I said, “He’s got me so confused. I get mixed messages from him. On the one hand, he is so sweet to me and says really nice things, but he never talks about the future. I also heard that he has offered to buy the marina from Gram. Since I heard that little bit of news, I’ve been worried. What if he’s just dating me to get on Gram’s good side so she’d sell him the marina?”

“Well, I’ve heard he’s made offers to her, but a lot of other people have, too. Big H told me he talked to her once about it, but she said she isn’t interested in sellin’. Push those doubts about Ian out of your head.”

“I’m trying to, Mo, but it’s so hard. If I lived here, it would be different; we would have more time to date. I’m only here for the summer, which puts a different spin on the situation. I don’t need more time to figure out if he’s the one; I know it. I guess he needs more time, or maybe he looks at our relationship as just a summer fling.”

Mo said, “Well, don’t push him. All a guy needs is a girl to corner him, and he’ll be runnin’ down the road like the devil himself is chasin’ him.”

“Believe me, I haven’t said a word, and I’m not going to. I wouldn’t want a guy who didn’t want me.”

“He might surprise you, Meggie. Guys are funny. They avoid commitment for years, and one day it’s like they wake up in the mornin’, they shit, shower, and shave and decide it’s time to get married, and that’s it. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. That boy’s in love.”

“There is something else on my mind, but you have to promise to keep this way under the counter. It’s big news.”

“Mum’s the word. What’s up?”

“I had dinner with Gram and Cal last night. You should see her, Mo. She looks radiant. I’ve never seen her happier. They got married two weeks ago in San Diego.”

“NO WAY!”

“I said, “Yep.”

“Oh boy. What’s he like?”

“He’s a very distinguished, handsome, older gentleman. I liked him. He was warm and funny, and it’s obvious he adores her.”

“Well, holy cow. I’m so happy for her.”

“She doesn’t want anyone to know until she gets back from Philly and tells my mom. I can’t wait to talk to my mom. She’s going to be shocked, but I think she’ll be over the moon that Gram has a great guy in her life after all these years alone.”

Mo smiled and said, “Hey, maybe there’s hope for me. Where will they live?”

“They said they would spend the winters in San Diego and the summers at Cal’s house in Newport.”

Mo got a worried look on her face and tentatively asked, “What about the marina?”

“Well, that’s the other thing that’s been keeping me up at night. She said she was leaving it to me and my brothers and asked me if I wanted to stay and run it.”

Mo smiled and said, “That’s great. You’re gonna do it, aren’t you? You love it, and you’re good at it. It would give you and Ian more time to figure things out.”

“Yes, it would. Running the marina part is easy. I
do
love it. The problem lies with Ian. I just don’t know what to do.”

Mo shook her head and said, “You need to tell him your Gram asked you to stay, then see what he has to say about it.”

“I know. I’m going to tell him tonight. Gram said to think about it this week while they’re in Philly and give her my decision when she gets back. If I’m going to stay, I also have to let the school know next week that I’m not coming back. I feel kind of bad about that, too. I’ll be leaving them in a pinch, but I’m sure they can get substitutes until they find someone permanently.”

Mo said, “Well, I can see why you haven’t been sleeping, honey. You need a good lunch. What are you in the mood for today?”

“I would love a chicken salad sandwich with roasted red peppers on wheat bread, some chips, and a coke. You make the best chicken salad I’ve ever had.”

Mo winked and said, “I put a little lemon juice in it. It gives it a little zing.”

She turned around to make my sandwich. The door opened and in swaggered Tony, with a big smile on his face.

I said, “Look who’s here. Mo. It’s Mr. Happy.”

Tony wiggled his eyebrows and said, “I’m Mr. Very Happy.”

I asked him, “How was your weekend?”

He took a seat next to me and said, “Great. Helen and I went down the shore on Saturday and spent the night. She took me to some of your favorite hot spots. We ran into some friends of yours, Frannie and Sue. I got to hang out with three beautiful women all evening. Oh, Sue told me to tell you that she has a new boyfriend. He’s an assistant coach for the Flyers.”

I said, “Good for her. I’m sure the girls loved you.”

He smiled and said, “Well, I did turn on the Maroni charm.”

Mo said, “I just bet you did.”

I asked him, “What else did you do?”

Mo handed me my sandwich, and Tony asked, “What is that?”

I told him and he said, “Mo, I’ll have what she’s having.”

Mo nodded and said, “Comin’ right up, handsome.”

Tony continued, “Helen took me to her parents for brunch on Sunday.”

My jaw dropped, and I almost fell off my stool. The only guys Helen has ever brought home were prom dates and that was because Mrs. Jakowski threatened her. Mrs. J wanted to take pictures before the prom.

“Wow. That’s huge, Tony. Helen never brings anyone home. Did you meet everyone?”

“Yeah. I met the whole fam-dam-ly. Her mom put on a great brunch. The food was great, and I loved the whole family. I fit right in.”

“I love her family, too. When we were growing up, we were either at my house or hers. They’re my second family. Will Hel be coming up soon?”

“This weekend. She has to work a full day on Friday, so she’s flying up Friday night. I’m going to have a pool party Saturday night. I hope you and Ian can come.”

“We don’t have any plans that I know of. I’ll check with Ian.”

Tony said, “Mo, you’re welcome, too, and feel free to bring anyone you want.”

Mo said, “I just might do that, but I’m not gettin’ in a bathin’ suit.”

He looked her up and down and said, “Mo, I’d bet you’d be pretty hot in a thong. You could warm up the water in my pool.”

We all laughed.

Tony finished his sandwich way before me and went back to work. I’m a slow eater.

I said, “Mo, all we’ve done is talk about me. What’s new with you?”

She said, “Well, the Fisher Man finally asked me out.”

“That’s great. Why aren’t you excited?”

“After my Internet disaster dates, I’ve kinda’ lost my lust for lust.”

“Are you going out with him?”

Rather unenthusiastically, she answered, “Yeah, I said I’d go. He’s gonna pick me up on his boat at the fuel dock Friday night about 6:30 and take me to a restaurant up in East Greenwich.”

“Good.”

“Meggie, I was hopin’ you’d do me a big favor?”

“Sure, you name it, Mo.”

“Well, I’ve always met these Internet guys in public places, so I’m leery of goin’ on a boat alone with one of them. I was thinkin’ maybe you could go down to the dock and check him out before I get on the boat. With my luck, he’ll pull up in an old rust bucket, and he’ll only have two teeth in his mouth.”

“I’ll meet you at the Shack after I close up at six. I’ll keep an eye out and then go down and check him out. If he looks like a creep, I’ll tell him you got sick and couldn’t make it. If I think he looks okay, I’ll come back and get you.”

Mo said, “Deal. I really appreciate you doin’ that for me. You never know about people these days.”

I got up to leave, and I felt a lot better than when I came into the Shack.

I said, “Mo, thanks for lunch and for listening to me.”

She smiled and said, “I can’t wait to meet your new grandpa.”

I said, “Hey, that’s right. I have a grandfather. I never knew my real grandfathers. They both died before I was born.”

“Everythin’ will work out, sweetie. Just you wait and see.”

“I hope so.”

Ian came and found me in the store after he finished work.

He said, “How about I cook dinner tonight? I’ll pick up some steaks on the way home.”

“That sounds good. I’m going to close up early and take a nap at the cottage. I’ll be over around 7:00.”

He said, “I’ll see you then, and you can fill me in on your dinner with your grandmother. He pulled me in for a kiss and said, “By the way, I really missed you last night.”

“I missed you, too.” He kissed me again and walked out the door.

I sighed and watched him cross the parking lot to his truck and then quickly closed up the store. I was pooped.

When I got to the cottage, I plopped down on the couch and slept for two hours. I felt like a new person when I woke up. It’s amazing what a nap will do for you. After I showered, I put on a short, candy-apple green shift that I picked up at a shop in town, and headed over to Ian’s. Sam greeted me at the door, and I gave him a good scratch on his rump. I followed Sam into the kitchen where Ian was making a salad.

Ian looked at me and said, “You look revived. I love the dress. That’s a great color for you.”

“Thanks. Can I help?”

“No. Why don’t you pour us both a glass of wine? I have some white opened in the fridge.”

I got up and poured us each a glass.

He said, “Come out on the deck with me while I cook the steaks, and you can tell me about your dinner last night.”

I picked up both glasses and followed him out to the deck.

I said, “Well, it was full of surprises. You have to promise not to tell anyone, though.”

“Sure. I promise.”

“Gram and Cal got married two weeks ago in San Diego.”

“Really. Wow. That’s a surprise. Do you like him?”

“Yeah, I do. He’s a really nice man and seems to adore her. I couldn’t be happier for both of them. They’re going to Philly tomorrow to tell my parents. She doesn’t want people up here to know before she tells my mom.”

“What’s she going to do about the marina? Do you think she’ll sell it?”

Those words couldn’t come out of his mouth fast enough. Well, I guess it’s the moment of truth.

I said, “I heard that you offered to buy it from her a few times.”

He looked surprised when I said that. He said, “I have. She told me if she ever decided to sell, she would give me first crack at it.”

Well, at least he was honest about it.

I said, “I’m surprised you never mentioned that to me.”

He shrugged his shoulders and said, “I guess it just never came up in conversation.”

“Well, Ian, I’m sorry to disappoint you but she still hasn’t changed her mind. She asked me if I would like to stay and run it. She told me to think about it this week and let her know my answer when she gets back. They’ll be back on Sunday.”

“What do you think you’ll do?”

I said, “I’m not sure.” I couldn’t wait to hear what he said next.

He said, “I’m happy for your grandmother. I’ve always liked her. She’s been great to me.”

I tried not to show the disappointment on my face. I was hoping he’d tell me he loved me. That he wanted me to stay.

He swatted at a mosquito and said, “The bugs are starting to bite. Did you put bug cream on?”

“Yes. I’m okay.” Since he didn’t seem too anxious to talk about whether I should stay or not, I decided to change the subject. I asked, “How was your dinner with Christine?”

“Good. We had an early dinner. Then I went back to her condo and hung some pictures for her. She just moved in last month.”

He pulled the steaks off the grill, and we went into the kitchen.

Ian was really quiet during dinner. I told him, “Helen is coming up Friday night and Tony is having a pool party Saturday night. Do you want to go?”

“Sure. That’ll be fun.”

I couldn’t finish my steak. I lost my appetite. I cut up the rest of it and put it in Sam’s dish. He gave me a doggy smile, wagged his tail, and ate it up in two seconds.

Ian laughed and said, “That’s it. He’s officially in love with you.”

I smiled. I guess there is always a bright side. At least the dog’s in love with me.

We did the dishes together and talked about Boston. I’ve only been there once when I was little. He told me he would take me up there sometime and give me a tour. When we finished the dishes, I picked up my purse.

Ian looked at me wide-eyed. He said, “You’re not leaving, are you?”

“Yeah. I think I should go home. I have a mountain of laundry to do.”

“Is there something wrong, Meggie? You don’t seem yourself tonight.”

“I’m fine.”

He came and stood in front of me and pulled me toward him. He kissed me and then gave me a big hug.

He said, “I’ll miss you tonight. Can I change your mind?”

I said, “No, I’d better go.”

He walked me to the door and said, “I’ll stop by after work tomorrow. Are you sure you’re okay?”

I smiled at him and said, “I’m sure. See you tomorrow.”

As soon as I pulled away from his house, the floodgates opened and I cried all the way home. If he was going to say anything about his feelings for me, it would have been tonight. Obviously, I was right. He just wanted a summer fling.

When Journey got into work the next morning, I went to the Shack for breakfast. When I walked in, Mo was just pulling a coffee cake out of the oven. It smelled so good my stomach started to growl after just one whiff.

Mo said, “Hey there, sweetie. What can I getcha?”

“Can I have a piece of that? I’m starving.”

“Sure. Would you like a cup coffee to go with it?”

“Sure.”

Mo served me my cake and coffee.

She said, “How goes the battle. Any big decisions yet?”

“Oh, Mo, I don’t know what to do. I saw Ian last night and told him about Gram. He immediately asked me if she was going to sell the marina. I told him no and then told him she wanted me to stay and run it. I didn’t tell him she was leaving it to me and my brothers.”