Page 41 of Hearts at Seaside
Chapter Twelve
JENNA HUNG UP the phone from talking with her mother and banged her forehead on the table for the millionth time. That seemed to be a theme for the summer.
“I’m the worst daughter in the world. Seriously.” It was Monday morning, and Jenna, Amy, and Bella were lying in the sun in the quad behind Jenna’s cottage, debating walking the hundred or so steps to the pool or driving to the beach, each too lazy to make a decision, much less get up and go.
“No, you’re not. You’re dealing with a lot right now. Your mom knows that.” Amy shaded her eyes from the sun and reached for Jenna’s hand.
“No, she doesn’t. I didn’t tell her about Pete.” Sadness welled in her chest as she thought about her mother, which always brought her mind to her father. Although she wasn’t in close contact with him, they talked every few weeks. A brief catch-up phone call, like he was checking off a to-do list, and though she didn’t hate him for everything that was going on in his life and he hadn’t left her mother for his young bride-to-be, every time she heard the pain in her mother’s voice, or saw her mother’s emotional turmoil masked by a forced smile and her ridiculous new costumes, it drove an arrow of anger through her, aimed directly at her father.
“Why not?” Amy wore a light pink bikini, and she’d painted her toenails pink to match. She wiggled them now as she waited for Jenna to answer.
“Because. I don’t know. She’s so in my face these days. She’d ask a lot of questions and want to talk about sex—and there’s no way I’m talking about that with my mother.”
“Especially sex with Pete,” Bella added as she twisted her hair into a pile on top of her head and secured it with a clip.
“I still can’t get over our mild-mannered Pete coming out of his shell. How did we not see that side of him?Ever?”
“Seriously,” Amy agreed.
“If I had seen it, I probably would have been even worse off around him.” Jenna sighed, thinking of being in his arms, the sheer strength of him, and the way he looked at her like she was the most delectable creature on earth. “What do you make of the sudden end to our date? I mean, we know he’s not married or anything, so what would send him running off like that when I was ready to spend the night? Do you think it was just an excuse? Like he’s second-guessing this whole thing?”
Bella slid her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose and looked at Jenna over the enormous brown frames. “You established boyfriend, girlfriend. There’s no way he reconsidered.”
“He could have. Maybe he thought about it while he was on the phone and realized I am a pain in the butt. Oh no! Bella! What if that call washisemergency call?”
Amy gasped and swung her legs over the side of her lounge chair, staring at Bella with worry in her eyes. Bella sat up, and Jenna followed, trying for the millionth time to ignore the worry over her parents.Is there really such thing as forever for a relationship?
“You guys?” Jenna’s heart raced. “Maybe the connection we felt was momentary for him. I have to know.” She needed to talk to Pete, not wallow in her parents’ messy lives or let it screw up her hopes and dreams. Jenna jumped to her feet and gathered her towel in her arms.
“Where are you going?” Bella asked as she gathered her suntan lotion and slipped into her flip-flops.
“I’m going to Pete’s to see if he’s working on his boat. I have to talk to him.”
“Jenna, wait.” Bella was on her feet in seconds, holding on to Jenna’s arm. “If that was his emergency call, you don’t want to get upset in front of him. Are you sure you don’t want to call first? Maybe find out over the phone so you’re not alone? Just in case?”
She looked at her friends, both ready to stand beside her in her pain. She knew they’d both say horrible things about Pete if that was his emergency call. They’d slay him forever in all their minds—and after she got over the devastation of losing Pete, she’d probably thank them for it.
“No, but thank you. I couldn’t have misinterpreted our connection. I’ve never felt so much for a man in my entire life, and I swear, if you could have seen his eyes, you would have thought he felt the same thing, too. I can handle this.”
She headed for her house to grab a sundress to throw over her bikini. She turned back and said, “Besides, if I fall apart, I know you guys will be here waiting to put me back together.”
“With two full bottles of Middle Sister wine, which Amy and I will go buy right now.” Bella dragged Amy toward her cottage. “Come on, Ames. I need to grab my keys and purse.”
Twenty minutes later, Jenna drove down the private road leading to Pete’s house. The sun streaked through the tips of the tall trees that bordered the narrow road, striping the shaded areas with bright sunlight. It was a strange feeling to know that this time yesterday morning she didn’t know exactly where he lived, and just a day later, she not only knew, but had an intimate look inside who Pete really was. It wasn’t just the way they’d come together, or the power of his sexuality. She’d seen who he really was, marked by the family photographs all over his house, the masculine style of his furniture—substantial pieces of wood and warm, dark colors—the puppy beds in each room. The thing that lingered in her mind the strongest was that despite so many homey touches and Joey, when she’d first walked in, his house had felt a little lonely.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted his truck in the driveway. She parked behind it, and Joey bounded toward her from the barn, a good sign that Pete was in there, too. She crouched to pet Joey, who flopped right onto her back.
“Is your daddy home?” Jenna glanced toward the bay. The tide was on its way out, and the view of the wet sand was calming. She drew in a deep breath and then pushed to her feet.
“Come on, let’s find Pete.” She followed Joey as she sprinted into the barn. Country music filtered out the oversized doors. Jenna stopped at the entrance, mesmerized by the enormous boat looming above her, propped up by several metal stands that were also much taller than her.
Joey barked and ran around to the far side of the boat.
“Hey there, girl.” Pete’s voice sent a shiver through her. He was talking to Joey, and obviously hadn’t seen her yet. She spied his booted feet and followed them up to his muscular calves. Her view of him was blocked by one of the metal stands and the swell of the boat.
Jenna didn’t rush to his side, though she wanted to more than anything. Instead she took in the barn and bided her time, trying to figure out how to handle asking about the way their date had ended. She had much more confidence when she was with Bella and Amy, which was silly, given that she’d been so intimate with Pete.
She looked up at the ceiling.I can do this. He loves me. I know he does.
