“It’s important not to let things go unsaid,” she said, her expression gentle. Her face was the way it had been when she’d tucked Faith into bed on those nights when her mom was working. It wasn’t the same as having her mother tuck her in, but Nan was so warm and loving that she had no problem falling asleep. Nan would read her a story first, and then she always found a way to bring that story around to real life. She’d talk to Faith, her words smooth like silk, as Faith’s eyelids would drop. Faith would work to keep them open so that she could hear what Nan was saying, but sleep won every time. Finally, somewhere in the middle of a sentence, as Nan spoke, her eyes would close for the last time, and she’d drift off into dreamland. “He’s just a person, Faith. Just someone with insecurities and worries and a yearning to be happy. You don’t talk enough to people. You keep all your emotions bottled up. When you let someone in on those thoughts, you’re showing that you trust them. But first, you have to trust yourself.”
Nan’s words calmed her, easing her back to normal. She felt like herself again. Faith knew exactly what Nan was saying. She’d gotten better at talking to people over the years and she’d begun to trust herself. But still, it didn’t come easily to her, and instead of taking a leap into the unknown she’d hold back. Nan gave her an encouraging look.
“Make this old woman feel like she’s making an impression on you even if she isn’t.” She winked at her. “Humor me.”
Faith huffed out a chuckle and shook her head as she stood up and straightened her clothes. Then, with a grin in Nan’s direction, she walked to the door and went outside.
When she rounded the corner of the porch, leading to the long stretch that faced the ocean, she found Jake squatting down near a window, a putty knife in his hand. He was filling in an empty space around a window frame. She noticed the slight golden stubble on his face, almost reddish in the sunlight, and the way the lines on his forehead pulled downward in concentration. He wiped the knife on the paper towel and stood up to greet her.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hey.” He pulled up one of the rockers and offered her a seat.
She sat down, and he joined her in the other chair. The air was warm on her skin. She looked at the ocean, the sun blazing out over the beach. She put her bare feet up on the rung of the rocker and leaned forward to take in more of the view. A woman was out walking her dog, the surf coming up on its paws. The dog didn’t seem to mind as it walked along beside the woman, its tail wagging furiously. Two boys were throwing a Frisbee, and a plane flew overhead, a banner trailing behind it, advertising an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. She squinted to make out Casey down below, Isabella in her pink swimsuit, building a sandcastle. She smiled to herself.
“Were you going to ask me something?”
“Oh.” She looked back at Jake, wondering how to phrase her question. “I had a lot of fun yesterday on the boat,” she said, scrambling for words. He smiled, and he seemed genuinely glad to hear it. “I was just wondering…” she broke eye contact in an effort to get out what she wanted to say, “why you would invite a complete stranger to sail with you. It seems like an awfully big thank-you for asking you to breakfast.”
He let out a little cough of laugher. “It’s really nothing,” he said, flashing that smile that sent her heart pattering. “I enjoy meeting new folks, and you and your family seem like great people.”
She wanted to ask him why she was so ‘great’ in particular, but he’d already stood up and was putting the rocking chair back in its place. His answer had been polite and acceptable, but she wondered if there was a reason he was holding back.
“I think your grandmother wanted to talk to me about some suggestions for the cottage,” he said.
“Wait,” she said, standing to stop him. He turned around. “You could tell when my stomach hurt yesterday.” His brows creased in the middle, showing his attempt to make sense of where that comment was going. “You could just tell, right?” He nodded, still unsure, clearly of her point. “Well, I can just tell that there’s another reason you asked us to go sailing. I can’t imagine that you go around being this nice to people all day long. It would be exhausting.” She smiled to show her humor. “What is it that made you offer? Tell me.” She took a step closer to him, her heart beating so fast she worried he could feel it in the air around them, but it was worth asking.
He smiled, his face gentle. “I like your family in particular,” he admitted. “I don’t know why—maybe it’s your Nan’s frankness; it reminds me of my father. Or, maybe it’s little Isabella; I’ve never had any kids, and I love kids. Or maybe…” He stopped.
Maybe what?She was willing him to finish. She’d never met another human being who could cause this kind of intensity in her. She was not going to let him move until he finished that sentence. Maybe he liked being aroundher. That’s what she wanted to hear. “Maybe what,” she finally verbalized when she realized he wasn’t going to say anything more.
He cleared his throat. “It’s good getting to know you.”
“Me?” It was a question but she stated it rather than asking because she wanted to hear it aloud to make sure she was right. He said it felt good to be aroundher.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “You keep a lot of who you are on the inside, and it’s fun to see if I can figure you out.” His amusement came out as a little puff of air, and he shook his head. Before she could add anything else, he said, “Now, I must see what your grandmother has to say aboutimprovements.”
“Oh, goodness. Don’t feel like you have to listen to her. She’s very opinionated,” she said, but she was still processing the conversation they’d just had. She wanted to know more about why he enjoyed finding out about her so much. Why did he even care?
He laughed again, making the flutters return. “I don’t mind.”
She followed him inside. Nan had been right. Talking to Jake was easy. A little too easy. And with that buzzy feeling zinging around inside her, Faith decided to get ready for the beach and join her sister and Isabella. It was a gorgeous day. Best she take full advantage of it. Her fondness for Jake worried her a little, and she’d rather think about something lighter than falling for a guy she hardly knew and who lived a state away. While Jake was chatting with Nan, Faith grabbed the box of photos and took them into her bedroom. She set them down on the bedspread, the bright white wicker of the footboard contrasting with the battered brown edges of the box. She rifled through her suitcase and pulled out her swimsuit.
“Hey there,” her mother said from the doorway. “Oh, what is that?” She began walking toward the bed, eyeing the box.
“Nan brought me her photos.” Her mother opened the box and peered inside.
“Ha!” she pulled out a photo and turned it around for Faith to view. Faith couldn’t help herself; she started giggling. “Remember when you two were dressed up as scarecrows?” she said, looking at the picture and shaking her head, her chest still rising and falling with quiet laughter. “The straw kept falling out of your outfit and, as we walked, I had to tuck it back in. By the time we finished trick-or-treating, you were ‘The Skinny Scarecrow’ and Casey was ‘The Fat One’.” Then her face sobered. “Oh, sometimes I miss those days. They were tough, but boy were they fun.” She put the photo back into the box. “Where’re you headed?”
“Casey and Isabella are out on the beach. I’m going to join them.”
Her mom smiled. It wasn’t her usual smile; it was a proud, motherly smile. It was clear that she was glad her girls were together again. On the outside, that’s what it looked like, but on the inside both girls still had a lot to get through if they wanted to be happy like they had been. Faith was doing her best to put the past behind her, but her issues with Casey would never really go away until they’d talked them through. But that would have to wait.
“Wanna go?” Faith asked, setting her swimsuit on the bed and digging around in her suitcase for her cover-up. She looked up to see her mother’s response.
“I’ll join you in a bit,” she said. “I’ll stay up with Nan for a little while. I hate leaving her all by herself in the cottage.”
“Want me to stay too?”
