Page 81 of Sunset Tides
Becca ran toward the car, her flip flops clapping with each step, and Claire followed, dressed in a white linen dress and a wool coat.
“I’ve got snacks in my bag,” Becca said as she crammed into the car. “Anyone hungry?”
Lucy snorted a laugh. “There’s going to be food on the boat.”
Becca ignored her, reaching into the bag and pulling out a handful of candy bars. “And we’re supposed to trust that? What if we get lost at sea?”
Lillian and Rose erupted into laughter, just as Claire shimmied her way into the car.
“Is there enough room for me?” Claire asked, hanging halfway off of the seat.
“Of course! Move your butt, Rose!” Becca barked, shoving her over.
Lillian couldn’t stop laughing, and the morose cloud that had been following her all morning dissipated.
Once everyone was safely buckled in, Lucy put the car into drive and headed toward the harbor. Rob, who had proven to be an extremely attentive boyfriend, had rented out an entire sailboat for their day. The plan was to sail around the San Juan Islands looking at wildlife, enjoying brunch and dinner, and having cocktails – alcohol-free ones for Aunt Becca, of course.
Lillian was impressed with Rob’s planning skills. After he’d come up with the idea, he hand-picked the meals and found a schedule to accommodate each of them.
Mason couldn’t come up with something that thoughtful if his life depended on it.
Not that it was a competition. Lillian wasn’t a competitive person; she was just impressed with Rob. Somehow, he’d managed to break through Lucy’s quite formidable walls, all while managing to get her to face some of her more destructive habits.
For now, Lucy was still working at the farm. She was quite beloved there, and rightfully so. She was taking her time figuring out what she wanted to do next – whether it was going back to school or setting herself up in a new career.
Most impressive to Lillian was the fact that Lucy was allowing herself to be crazy about Rob. She wasn’t holding back, and she wasn’t afraid.
Well, at least she wasn’t afraid to show how she felt. Lucy was still afraid he’d die in a plane crash, or drive off a cliff, or drown when swimming in one of the lakes in the park. But those were normal Lucy fears, not ones that made her run away.
When they got to the harbor, the sight of the ship took Lillian’s breath away. It was gorgeous, like something from a storybook or an antique, a ship in a bottle blown up to five hundred times its size.
The captain greeted them with a tray of fresh squeezed orange juices.
“I like this,” Becca said. “But I was hoping you’d be dressed like a pirate.”
“I’ll get my eyepatch out, as long as you don’t mind me steering one eyed.”
“I don’t mind!” she said, taking a swig of the juice.
Lucy shook her head. “He needs both eyes so he can spot eagles and orcas and all that stuff.”
Claire laughed. “You have plenty of eyes between us to spot those.”
It was a gorgeous day – the air was cool, but it felt pleasantly warm in the sun. The sky was a solid sheet of blue, and the water calm and inviting. They were giggling and exploring the deck when Lillian’s phone rang.
It was Mason. She stepped away before answering. “Hey.”
“Hey. I got back from my trip a few days early. Do you want to grab dinner tonight?”
There was a commotion behind her –Becca had tried to untie a rope and was quickly caught by the captain.
Lillian stifled a laugh. “I can’t. I’m still on the island.”
He let out a heavy sigh. “We talked about this.”
“I told you I wasn’t ready to leave yet.”
“And I toldyouthat when I got home, I expected you to be here.”
