Page 79 of Seven Summer Weekends

“Well, if you do, I’m telling you right now, I’m coming with you.”

They both laughed and wrapped their arms around each other.

Ben whispered in her ear.

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” she whispered back.

Ben took a step back to look into her eyes and spilled his heart out.

“I think I’ve loved you since I saw you sitting on the sidewalk with your tossed salad. But I’m broken. And you’re not. And I’m not sure it’s fair of me—to love you.”

“It’s not fair not to,” Addison barely whispered, before taking his hands in hers and kissing him gently on the lips.

“I thought my world had to be big in order to be fulfilled.And then I came to this tiny beach town, and met you, and suddenly a hundred feet holds more happiness for me than the entire universe.”

The next kiss was more passionate and ignited a hunger in them that had to be quenched immediately. They quickly made it to the bedroom—a trail of shoes and shirts, pants and sweats in their wake. All the tossing and turning that Ben had been doing before Addison’s arrival felt like a distant memory. As soon as they were done making love, he drifted off to a peaceful sleep, as if he hadn’t slept in days. The truth was, it had been years.

As the morning light filled the room, Addison woke first. She sat up and stretched her arms overhead before patting Sally on her belly. Ben woke too and pulled her toward him, kissing her gently all over her face.

“I owe you an apology, Ben. I really do.”

He shot her a quizzical look.

“I never should have pushed you to clean out Julia’s things. I’m so sorry.”

“You didn’t really push me; you brought boxes. It’s just, when I woke up that morning and saw Julia’s sun hat in that box—I don’t know how to explain it, but seeing that hat on the hook, especially when I’ve been away from here for months, makes me feel like she’s still here, waiting for me. Sometimes I even say, ‘Hi, Jules,’ when I walk in the house. I know it sounds crazy—itiscrazy.”

“It’s not at all crazy.”

“I packed everything up—look.”

There were boxes lined up between the bed and the wall. Addison rolled over to look at them.

“I know the sale is over, but I’m going to tape them up andsend them back to the city for her mom and sister to go through. That’s where her stuff belongs, anyway.”

“Never apologize for loving Julia. I love that you still love your wife. I love that you want to keep her alive. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

•••

Addison and Ben took Sally for her morning walk on the beach, holding hands for anyone and everyone to see. By lunch, the news of their pairing traveled to the checkout girls at the market, where Les stood at the grill, making Shep a bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll. He eyed Shep over the griddle and said, “You kept a good secret, my friend. I’m impressed.”

“What you talking ’bout, son?”

“Ben and the new girl, the neighbor?”

“That gal is long gone. I was hoping, so was Gicky. She had it all planned out, you know. She set the whole thing up from the grave. But Ben blew it.”

“That’s not what I heard.” Les called over one of the register girls. “Ginger, come here—tell Shep the gossip?”

“You mean about him and Mrs.Ingram?”

Shep turned bright red and Les laughed.

“Didn’t know you could embarrass, Shep. Wow!”

Les redirected, “Not about him, about Ben.”

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