Love Finds You in Martha's Vineyard (19 page)

“Looks like your cousin and her boyfriend are having a little spat,” Reggie said.

“Too bad they don't have the good sense to move it along.” Waverly felt embarrassed for both of them.

“Looks like the fellow—Blake was it?—is trying to get her to take it somewhere else.” Reggie chuckled as Janice held a fist in the air. “But I'm guessing that is one determined woman.”

Waverly sighed. “You've got that right.”

Then, to Waverly's surprise, Blake turned one way and Janice the other, and they stomped off in opposite directions.

Reggie laughed. “Well, I guess that takes care of that. Do you think it's really over between them or just a lovers' quarrel?”

“I have no idea.” Waverly shook her head and looked back down at her chocolate torte. So much for trying to block Blake from her mind. Now he was all she could think about. What had happened out there? Were those two really over with? Even if that was the situation, what difference did it make to her?

She tried once again to make small talk, but she could tell it was fading. She blamed it on tiredness, which was actually true. “It's been kind of a whirlwind week for me. And I've got a painter coming early in the morning too.”

As they were leaving the restaurant, she explained about the mural that she and her young artist friend were going to start on as soon as the basecoat was dry.

“So you
are
pursuing art,” he said as he held the door open for her.

She rolled her eyes skyward. “I wouldn't exactly call painting video-game characters ‘art.'”

He held up his forefinger. “Don't forget that art is like beauty…in the eyes of the beholder.”

“Yes.” She nodded. “You're absolutely right. And I'll bet my Sicily would staunchly defend her video-game characters as art too.”

“Is that the owner of the bike? Sicily?”

“Yes.” As he walked her to her building, she almost admitted that Sicily was Blake's daughter, but for some unexplainable reason she could not. At the steps to her apartment, she suspected that Reggie would've liked an invitation, but she was not ready for that. So she simply thanked him for dinner and told him good night.

He tipped his head politely. “And thank you for consulting with me today.”

“I really do think you need to keep a closer eye on the humidity in there,” she reminded him. “It's constantly changing in a climate like this, and you want to maintain a consistency.”

“I'll keep that in mind. Perhaps we can discuss it further in the future.”

She smiled at him. “Perhaps we can.” Then she turned and hurried up the stairs. She didn't want to be rude, but she didn't want to lead him on either. In fact, as she went into the apartment, she wasn't completely sure what she wanted. This was so new to her. She had no doubts that Reggie was a good guy and possibly even boyfriend material. However, she knew she wasn't interested in him like that. She might've been out of this dating game biz for a while, but she wasn't altogether ignorant. If you were out with one man and thinking about another, something was definitely wrong.

Convinced that Reggie was gone now, Waverly went back outside and stood on the terrace, gazing out over the water and the dusky periwinkle light. Although she'd claimed to be tired—and it had been a long week—she was also restless. Too restless to go to sleep yet. She lit the big hurricane candle that she'd placed out there and sat in the deck chair beside it. What a lovely night! No wonder people fell in love with Martha's Vineyard in the summertime. However, she wondered what it would be like in winter. That might take some getting used to. If she stayed that long.

“Hello up there?”

Waverly jumped to her feet. Then, with a pounding heart, she peered down to see who was standing at the foot of her stairs. She blinked and looked again. “Blake?”

“Sorry to disturb you.” He gave a feeble wave. “Mind if I come up?”

“No, of course not. Come on up.” She watched as he slowly made his way up the stairs.

“These stairs are a little rickety,” he said once he was on the terrace. “I wonder if you should get someone in here to sturdy them up.”

“That's occurred to me.” She nodded, studying his expression, which was impossible to read. “But surely that's not what brought you here.”

“No, just an observation.” He pointed to the pair of deck chairs. “Mind if I sit?”

“Make yourself at home.” But she heard the sarcasm in her tone.

“I know I don't deserve your hospitality,” he said as he lowered himself into the chair, “but it's been a long night…and a long day too.”

“Reggie and I witnessed the little fight you had with Janice this evening.”

He looked surprised. “You saw that?”

She suppressed the urge to chuckle. “Yeah. Are you all right?”

He nodded. “I'm fine. I'd been meaning to break things off with her for a while, but she's got a pretty persistent personality, if you catch my meaning.”

“I know all about her personality.”

“And she wasn't too happy when I told her where I stood.”

“Janice likes to win.” Waverly wondered how much to say now.

“Tell me about it.”

“She also doesn't give up easily,” she admitted.

“So I've already seen.”

“Just so you know.” Waverly sighed, enjoying the view again. “Isn't it beautiful up here?”

“Stunning.”

She turned toward him, but instead of looking at the view, he was staring at her. Now she didn't know what to say.

“You're probably wondering why I'm intruding on your space like this.” He sounded a little uneasy. “First of all, I wanted to apologize for being so rude this afternoon. You know, that scene at the beach.”

“Oh, yeah.” She nodded, remembering how upsetting that had been.

“Well, that was partly due to the pressure I was getting from Janice. But mostly I was worried about Sicily. When she wasn't at the arcade, and when Rosie said that you'd taken the day off—well, I was confused.”

“So Rosie didn't give you my message?”

“Well, after I looked around town, I went back and asked Rosie again. Finally she told me she thought that you and Sicily had gone to the beach together. Of course, by then I was fairly anxious and worried about Sicily's safety. Plus it made no sense. Why was Sicily willing to go to the beach with you when she'd stated in no uncertain terms that she did not want to go to the beach today?” He ran his fingers through his beard and shook his head. “Parenting a teenage wannabe is like walking a minefield.”

“Maybe you're trying too hard.”

His brow creased. “I don't know about that. But I do know it's stressful. And it's not like I can simply let her go and do whatever she likes. She's only nine.”

“Yes, but she's a very mature nine.”

“Does that mean I should treat her like she's sixteen?”

“No, of course not. But maybe you should trust her a little more. Show that you have some confidence in her.”
Then,
to her surprise, she told Blake about how she was raised to be quite independent. “I know my mother was somewhat Bohemian, not to mention totally unconventional, but I turned out normal.” She laughed. “Well, at least I hope I did.”

“You make a good point.”

She thanked him, noticing how his eyes glowed warmly in the flickering candlelight. Then, feeling uncomfortable, she turned away.

“So, as I was saying…” He cleared his throat. “I didn't mean to invade your space tonight, but I did want to apologize—and to ask you a favor.”

“A favor?” She eyed him curiously.

He made a sheepish grin. “It's a little embarrassing.”

“What?” She waited.

“As it turns out, I'm without transportation. I could walk home, but that will take a couple of hours, and I left Sicily with your aunt and mother, and I suspect they don't want to be kept up too late.”

“But I don't have a car,” she explained.

He nodded. “I know. I wondered if perhaps I could borrow your bicycle.”

She laughed. “Seriously, you want my bike?”

“I do, and I promise to take good care of it and return it first thing in the morning.”

“You want to ride a bike all the way out there?”

“It's only about five miles.”

“Yes.” She considered this. “And my bike does have a light.”

“So you don't mind?”

She stifled her giggles. “No. But it's a girl's bike.”

He shrugged. “Beggars can't be choosers.”

“No, I suppose not.”

“So, do you forgive me for the scene I made at the beach over Sicily?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I felt terrible afterwards, thinking about how kind it was of you to help Sis get a bike. And then I left you stranded there with two bikes.” He ran his hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated groan. “I don't usually act like such an oaf. All I can say is that trying to parent my daughter, reinvent my life, and on top of all that deal with your cousin—I think it's knocked me a little off balance.”

“Totally understandable,” she told him. “Maybe you'll be comforted to know that it was through that very predicament—awkwardly wheeling two bikes through town—that I met Reggie today. He came to my rescue. Now I have a new friend.”

Blake's expression was impossible to read as he stood. But clearly he was ready to go.

“I put both bikes downstairs in the arcade,” she explained as she stood. “If you'd like to go back down and meet me around front, I'll bring mine out.”

“Great.” He nodded. “Appreciate it.”

She wondered why she hadn't invited him to walk through her apartment but then realized it was because the place was messy after the picnic lunch, the hurried shower, and change of clothes. If she ever did invite Blake into her apartment, she wanted it to look nice. Why she wanted it to look nice was a question she was not prepared to answer just yet.

She unlocked the front door of the gallery and wheeled her bike out to the sidewalk. “Are you positive you want to do this?” she asked. “I mean, I'll bet Janice has cooled off by now. She'd probably be glad to give you a lift home.”

He looked uncertain. “I doubt it.”

“You might be surprised. As hardheaded as she can be, she doesn't usually carry a grudge…once she gets past something.”

“I'd rather ride a bike”—he gave a lopsided grin—“even a girl's bike, than to beg Janice for a ride right now.”

Waverly nodded. “Yeah. I can understand that.”

“Thanks.” He bent over to roll up his pant legs. “I'm just glad you didn't make me ride Sicily's bike.”

She laughed. “Now that would be fun to see.”

“After my tantrum at the beach today, I wouldn't blame you.”

“Be safe,” she called out as he took off down Main Street, where despite the hour, the traffic was still moving rather slowly, faster than in midday perhaps, but sluggish just the same.

“Thanks,” he called as he passed a car. “See you tomorrow!”

It wasn't until she was back in her apartment that she began to replay bits and pieces of their conversation. She searched for hidden meanings, wondering if she was imagining things, or if it was possible that he was experiencing the same kind of attraction she was…if she indeed
was
attracted to him, which still wasn't perfectly clear.

Besides, there was the whole Janice thing to consider. Unless she'd read Blake wrong tonight, he still seemed a little torn and unsettled by that relationship. Was it possible he was as interested in Janice as her cousin had appeared to be interested in him? Waverly remembered how Reggie had called it a lovers' quarrel earlier. Wasn't that a real possibility? Especially when it came to strong personalities like Janice…perhaps even Blake? Besides, didn't
they
—whoever they were—say that true love never ran smooth? And, if so, she wondered, why was that anyway?

Blake wasn't surprised that Janice didn't join him for coffee in the morning. However, he was rather shocked when Louise huffed onto his porch, flopped down into one of his rockers, and exclaimed, “What did you do to my daughter?”

“What?”

“As you know, I was asleep when you picked up Sicily last night.” She paused to catch her breath. “But Vivian informed me that Janice was not with you.”

“That's because Janice left me in town…and I, uh, had to find another way home.”

“Yes, well, when Janice did get home, she was a mess.”

“A mess?”

Louise nodded, reaching into her shirt sleeve to extract a rumpled tissue, which she used to daub her damp brow. “
And
she was drunk.”

“Janice was drunk?” Blake was trying to wrap his head around this. Vineyard Haven was a dry town. Janice must've driven to Oak Bluffs.