Page 8 of The Lighthouse on Plum Island
“Do you come here often?” Caroline asked after noting how well Brad seemed to know all the staff.
“I know the owner very well,” Brad informed her. “We were at school together. I like to support his business, and Simon makes the best fancy coffees, food, and desserts in New York.”
“Ah, the decadent coffees and desserts are how he keeps you coming back here, I bet.” Caroline laughed.
“Oh, definitely,” Brad agreed. “I noticed you were also on good terms with Simon yesterday.” He noted. “Did you come here often when you lived in New York?”
“No, only in the last six months when my daughter and I moved in with my best friend,” Caroline explained. “I like the ambiance here, and Simon makes the best coffee.” She glanced at the dinner menu. “I’ve never come here for dinner, though.”
“What do you feel like eating?” Brad asked.
“I was thinking of seafood,” Caroline said, eyeing the menu again.
“Then I can recommend the grilled salmon,” Brad told her. “It’s exceptional and a personal favorite of mine.”
“Then I’ll try that.” Caroline closed her menu and sipped her wine.
“Excellent choice. I’m having the same.” Brad hailed the server, who took their order and disappeared as quietly as he’d appeared. “Tell me a bit about yourself.” He smiled, picking up his wine.
“What do you want to know?” Caroline’s heart raced.
“Everything!” Brad’s voice was low, deep, and hoarse. His eyes darkened with emotion. “And anything you want to tell me.”
“I hope you’ll return the favor and tell me about yourself,” Caroline prompted.
“Of course.” Brad grinned, sipping his wine and staring into her eyes. Making her breath catch in her throat for the umpteenth time since she arrived at the restaurant. “I’m an open book. You can ask me anything.”
“Okay, how about your last name?” Caroline asked him.There, Jennifer will feel better.She ignored the little voice at the back of her mind that whispered.And so, will you.
“Beckett,” Brad answered her question.
“Hello Brad Beckett, it’s nice to meet you.” Caroline playfully held out her hand and then nearly melted when he took it and kissed it. “I’m Caroline Parker.”
She had no idea why she gave him her married name, which she’d stopped using over a year ago. But it was too late to change it now, and it could be seen as an honest mistake, especially after fifteen years of marriage.
“It’s nice to meet you, Caroline Parker.” Brad linked his hand with hers and kept them on the table in front of them. “Do you like the theater?”
Starting a possible romance was like getting a new puzzle. There was the extreme patience you had to have while you sorted through all the pieces and painstakingly sorted them into piles. The excitement of finding each piece and then finding where they fit. Sometimes, you got all the pieces, which clicked into place, creating a beautiful picture. Other times, the puzzle pieces might fit, but at the end of putting the puzzle together, you find the picture it made wasn’t for you. Then, there were times when the puzzle was a complete dud, and none of the pieces fit correctly, or they had to be forced into place.
So far, the pieces to the puzzle Caroline and Brad were sorting through seamlessly fitted into place. While they waited for their food to arrive, the conversation flowed naturally, like two old friends catching up after years apart. They laughed and regaled their way through a myriad of topics. They found out that they had a lot of shared likes and dislikes.
“I love the theater, and it’s one of the things I miss most about New York,” Caroline admitted. “And you?”
“I love it too.” Brad raised an eyebrow. “Would you like to go to a show tomorrow night?”
“I’d love to, but I promised Jennifer I’d go to a work function with her.” Caroline’s heart sank.
“Another time then.” Brad’s easy smile sent more electric shock waves through her system and gave her goosebumps.
Their conversation shifted to their movie preferences. They found even more common ground. Other than their shared and deep appreciation for the theater, where they relished the magic of live performances, they both agreed that their favorite nights out often revolved around the anticipation of a gripping mystery or thriller at the movies.
Dinner arrived—an array of tantalizing dishes that delighted their senses. Amidst bites of exquisite cuisine, they continued to share stories and laughter. Time seemed to slip away, and neither of them was in any hurry for the evening to end. The conversation eventually fell on the subject of music.
Brad, an avid music enthusiast, shared his eclectic taste, which ranged from classical compositions to the electrifying beats of rock. Caroline found herself captivated by his enthusiasm and shared her own love for music, mentioning how her daughter, Jules, was a talented pianist who often filled their home with melodies.
Mentioning Jules turned their conversation to a deeper personal level when Caroline shared the challenges she hadfaced with her daughter since her divorce. She explained how her ex-husband had remarried and was now expecting another child, which had created an even rockier relationship between Jules and her father.
“Of course, I’m the one to blame for all of it.” Caroline laughed. “Although I think I’m slowly winning her back after this visit. She’s gone from blaming me for everything to asking me to help her sort out difficult situations between her father and his new wife.” She shook her head. “We’re slowly getting back to the mother-daughter relationship we had before the divorce. We were close. Now and then, I see a glimpse of my pre-divorce Jules right before she remembers she vowed to hate me for all eternity.”
