8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
It was a little after four o’clock when Tyler met Connor at the marina. Together, they lifted a rowboat out of the bed of Connor’s pickup, each carrying an end, and lugged it into the bay.
“How exactly did you come by a Pelican Bay lifeguard boat?” Ty asked.
“I have my ways,” Connor said.
“Please tell me you didn’t just take it.”
“ Borrowed is a better word.”
Ty groaned. “How about next time I buy one?”
“This is more fun. Think of it as an adventure.”
“What are we, ten?”
Connor gave him a wide smile. Ty shook his head, not sure if his friend was an idiot or his idol.
While he had been okay in the immediate area off the bay beach, he struggled when they attempted to swim out into the channel. Connor had come up with the idea to use a boat to reacquaint Ty with going out further into the bay, intending to boost his confidence.
Ty was willing to try anything .
Taking a deep breath, he climbed into the boat, settling himself across from Connor.
“We’ll go south and take it nice and easy,” Connor said.
Ty looked out at the vast amount of water and fought the urge to back out. Gripping the oars, he followed Connor’s lead as he steered them out. The sun was warm on his back, making the sea breeze welcome.
The rhythm of the push and pull of the oars came back, like riding a bike. Overhead, seagulls circled, swooping down to nip at something in the water.
“How’s Abby’s shop doing?” Ty asked. He had stopped at Soap Sisters during the grand opening a couple weeks ago and been impressed with the retail layout and product offerings. Who knew there could be so many varieties of soaps, body lotions, and more? But from the selection in the hall bathroom at home, there were quite a lot.
Other than stopping in for a gift for his mom, sister, or a friend, he wouldn’t be seen there too often. But from a business perspective, homemade and natural soap and bath products were a smart idea, and Ty expected she’d do well.
“She’s kicking ass, man,” Connor said. “She’s had to hire another seasonal worker to help with online orders and ring up sales so she can make more products.”
“That’s a great start,” Ty said.
“I’m proud of her. She’s working hard, but I’ve never seen her so happy.”
“The beginning of a new business is crazy. She’ll figure out how to manage her inventory so she isn’t always needing to make more. Of course, it helps that she can make everything right on the premises.”
“It can be a drawback, since she always thinks of something else that needs to be done, even when she’s not supposed to be working,” Connor said. “When I can, I help her out so we can spend time together.”
“You going to stay there after you’re married?”
“Initially, but eventually I’d like to get a house. Jace and I are always looking for deals, but I don’t think Abby is ready for that step yet.”
“She’ll get there. She’ll likely eat, drink, and sleep the business until tourist season ends. Then you can think longer term.”
“Right now, I’m enjoying having gotten a second chance with her.”
Connor and Abby had dated during the latter part of high school and a couple of years after until Samantha hit. Forced out of their homes, as many had been, Connor, Jason, and their mom moved to Florida and in with their uncle. The first few years, the brothers worked in construction and struggled to make a fresh start. Connor had issues with drug addiction and, after a couple of close calls, went to rehab and got clean.
Eventually they started flipping houses on their own, and were discovered by a network who wanted them to host a new TV series. Beach House Flippers had been a hit from the start, making Connor and Jason overnight celebrities.
“You both deserve it,” Ty said. He wanted what the Maguire brothers had—to settle down with that special someone and start a family. Prior to last night, he would have said the chance of him finding that with Maddy were nil, but after spending last night and early this morning making love to her…
He hoped that they could make it work.
Jason and Emma would get married in September. And while Ty was thrilled for them and looked forward to being an uncle, he knew the time was approaching when he would need to get his own place .
Probably too soon for him to think about buying a house with Maddy, though.
Slow down and enjoy just being with her.
“You okay, man?” Connor said, waving a hand in front of his face.
Ty snapped out of his thoughts and went back to rowing. “Sorry. Things on my mind.”
“Maddy?” Connor asked. “You two argue more about her going to L.A.?”
It seemed so much had changed since the foundation meeting. “Yeah, it was a surprise, but I get it.”
“You’re okay with it?”
“It’s part of her job and important to her. Besides, it’s only for a week.”
“You were pretty upset,” Connor said.
Ty wasn’t sure how much to tell his friend. Maddy hadn’t said not to say anything to their friends, but…
“Something happened between you two,” Connor said.
“I’ve thought about it and see things in a different light,” Ty said, pulling back the oars and focusing on the repetitive motion that worked out his arms and made him feel less guilty for missing his morning swim.
“You had sex with her,” Connor said.
Ty opened his mouth, prepared to deny it, but didn’t want to start out his relationship with Maddy with a lie. “Maybe I did.”
“Fuck yes, you did,” Connor said. “About freaking time.”
Ty couldn’t argue with him there. “What gave me away?”
“Your one-eighty about Maddy going to L.A. And you’re smiling.” Connor lowered his sunglasses, studied Ty, and nodded. “I’d say you did the deed at least three times.”
It had been four glorious times—not that he needed to know that.
Connor stopped rowing. “Tell all, man. ”
“Since when have you been such a gossip?”
“Since I found love. I want everyone to be as happy as I am.”
Ty sighed, resigned to giving his friend enough detail but nothing he could use to embarrass Maddy. “When I got home last night, I grabbed a beer and went out to the patio. Maddy was there playing the guitar.”
“A woman who can play guitar and sing is super hot,” Connor interrupted.
“Do you want the story or what?”
He put his hands up. “My bad. Continue.”
“After she finished playing, I sat next to her, and we talked about her music. I told her about what happened at the beach.”
“You did good, bro. We’re going to keep working on it,” Connor said.
“I know it. Maddy asked how she could help, and I told her I wanted her to swim with me. Part of my issue is I think I see or hear her and can’t get to her.”
“And if she’s with you, maybe you would focus on helping her swim and not on how you’re feeling.”
“Exactly. With some reluctance, she agreed. Then we kissed. We were outside on the lounge chair like last time. Turns out she did remember kissing someone the night of the shots. She thought it was a dream.”
“I take it she knows it was real, and it was you?”
“She does. I thought she was going to freak, but we’re good. I hadn’t intended on the sex part and actually we had decided on taking things slow because of L.A. and Dylan.”
“But you said you had sex.”
“We did. I went upstairs to shower, and she followed me.”
“Ooh…hot shower sex. Nice,” Connor said, and gave him a high five. “So , you’re together now?”
Ty nodded. “But no one knows. I’m not sure how we want to tell everyone.”
“Dude, everyone’s going to take one look at both of you and know.”
Fuck, he was right.
“I need to tell Emma. I don’t want her finding out from Jace.” Ty pointed a finger at his friend. “Which means you need to keep this to yourself for now.”
“No way. This is too good not to share.”
“Just until me or Maddy talk to Emma.”
“Ten bucks says she’s already told Emma. They’re best friends. Don’t girls tell each other everything?”
Apparently, so did guys. “Can I count on you, Con?”
“Tell you what.” Connor pointed outside the boat. “Check out how far we’ve come.”
Ty looked and saw they’d rowed south, past the boundary of Pelican Bay and to the adjacent town of Barnegat City.
Progress, for sure.
“It’s hot out here.” Connor stripped off his shirt. “I’ll keep quiet tonight if you take a quick dip with me. Deal?”
Blackmail. Figures.
Ty wiped the sweat off his brow and took a swig of water from his insulated bottle. He peered over the edge and considered the dark water. He’d grown up swimming these waters and knew there was nothing there he hadn’t faced before. The demons he faced were all in his head.
He nodded and removed his own shirt, only to hear a splash as Connor dove in.
“Come on, it’s perfect.”
It’s now or never, man. You can do this .
Before he could talk himself out of it, Ty dove, and found the water cool and refreshing. He surfaced and saw Connor right by his side.
He was fine.
“Race you to the buoy,” Ty said, and took off, leaving Connor in his wake.
After dropping Dylan off at camp, Maddy worked from Emma’s house. Midafternoon, she couldn’t put it off any longer and went to find Emma. She had to tell her best friend about her and Ty.
Juggling a bakery bag, two large coffees, and her tote, Maddy opened the door to Shore Treasures, which was downstairs in Emma’s old house. The childhood dwelling of her friend had been a second home for Maddy most of her life. Growing up, she and her mom had lived in the guest house on the property of the Pelican Bay Bed and Breakfast. Their one-bedroom bungalow came furnished and was part of the deal working at the B&B. The bedroom was just big enough for two twin beds and a dresser. The rooms were hot in the summer and drafty in the winter.
Since her mom worked as a housekeeper for the B&B during the day and a server at a local diner in the evening, Maddy spent a lot of time at Emma’s house. She ate dinner and stayed over often, especially during the summer. And truth be told, she loved Emma’s house. It wasn’t the biggest, but had a partial view of both the ocean and the bay from the second floor.
Anna and Mark, always the first of her friends’ parents to offer to host a sleepover or a movie night in the backyard, had welcomed Maddy with open arms. The Erickson house was full of family and love. She used to dream that she lived in her friend’s house with her own mom and dad.
When Hurricane Samantha severely damaged the place, Maddy cried more for Emma’s house than for her own loss. Other than her clothes and a few childhood mementoes, there wasn’t anything worth saving.
Walking into the old house was like walking into a yard sale of the best kind. End tables painted a variety of colors surrounded Maddy. Mirrors, the perimeters outlined in shells. Lamps, bookcases, and desks, all damaged and discarded by the prior owner. Emma had taken the items and restored them into something not the same, but equally beautiful.
“Em?” Maddy called.
“In the dining room.”
She cut through the kitchen, where she set down the takeout bag, to the doorway to the dining room, where she found Emma at a table surrounded by plastic containers with compartments filled with colored gemstones, shells, and pearls.
“What are you doing?” Maddy asked.
“You know how Dylan has been wanting a mermaid birthday party?” Emma said.
“The people over in Sunset Bay know about Dylan wanting a mermaid birthday party,” Maddy said, setting her tote bag on the floor and sitting in a chair.
Emma laughed and slid something across the table. “I bought these hand mirrors and have been experimenting with various designs to decorate them.”
Maddy studied it, turning it over. A smooth, pearlescent paint was used to cover the handle, which was embellished with tiny pearls. Mosaics covered the back of the mirror, forming a starfish and outlined with shells .
“It’s beautiful, Em.”
“What do you think about it being a craft activity for her party?”
“I think Dylan and the girls would go crazy for it. How about the boys at the party? It’s now a mermaid- and pirate-themed party.”
Emma picked up something partially covered with newspaper. “The boys could decorate treasure chests.” The small box was adorned with dark jewels, and a skull and crossbones on the top.
“I think it could work. How much time would it take? Kids her age don’t have an attention span of more than thirty minutes.”
“If we did the prep in advance and all they had to do was glue shells and stones, I think thirty minutes would work. How many kids is it?”
Dylan didn’t know any kids on the island except for those in her camp. And, of course, she’d wanted to invite all of them. Maddy hadn’t had the heart to tell her no.
“She invited fifteen to twenty, but I haven’t heard from everyone yet.”
Maddy opened the notes app on her phone and looked at her checklist for the party. “It’s two hours long, and if the craft takes thirty minutes, plus another thirty for pizza and cake, that gives us an hour for the scavenger hunt plus playtime.”
“Sounds perfect. Do you need me to do anything while you’re away?” Emma asked. The party was planned for the second weekend in August, which gave Maddy plenty of time to finalize the details.
“You’re a lifesaver by letting me host the party at your house,” she said.
“Anything for my best friend and goddaughter.”
“I think I’m good for everything else. Pizza and snacks are easy and can wait until I return, and I already stopped by Shore to Please and spoke with Sarah about making a mermaid cake. She told me not to worry about paying because I’m like family.” Maddy clicked a link on her phone. “And check this out.” She held out her phone to Emma. “I found these adorable mermaid costumes online. I asked the moms for their girl’s sizes and will order one for each.”
“You have something for the boys?”
Maddy frowned. “Darn. No. I guess I need to find something for them.”
“Maybe hats and vests. Definitely no swords,” Emma said.
“Lord, no.” Maddy added a reminder to her never-ending to-do list.
Going into the kitchen, she grabbed the bakery bag and both coffees and handed one to Emma.
“Are you all set for L.A.?”
L.A.… With all the craziness of the day, between barely getting any sleep after her wild night with Tyler and finishing up details for the fourth of July activities, Maddy had almost forgotten about L.A.
Or maybe was dreading it.
“I’ve experimented with background vocals and will work out the rest of it in the studio.” She stifled a yawn.
“You look exhausted. You get another early morning call from Gabe?”
Maddy choked on her sip of coffee, feeling her face flushing at the memory of why she was so tired.
Emma patted her on the back. “You okay?”
Tell her. Maddy’s stomach clenched, and she set the coffee cup down and faced her friend. “Yeah, sorry. Listen, I need to tell you something.”
“Okay, sure.”
Maddy wiped sweaty hands on her shorts. “Do you remember the night we went to Toninos, and the guys bought us shots?”
“Of course. What I’d like to forget is the hangover the next day.”
Maddy, too, had suffered the mother of all hangovers and sworn off shots for the foreseeable future. “You remember me telling you about the dream I had that night? The one where someone kissed me on the patio under the moonlight.”
Emma nodded and peeked into the bakery bag, picking out a large oatmeal raisin cookie. “Yeah, you couldn’t see his face, but he was a good kisser.”
Good kisser and amazing lover, Maddy knew now.
“It wasn’t a dream.”
Emma raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? It really happened?”
Maddy nodded. “I made out with someone and didn’t remember because I passed out.”
Emma laughed. “Oh my. Poor you. The poor guy. Who was it?”
“Tyler.”
Emma blinked. “My brother, Tyler?”
“Do we know any other Tyler?”
“You kissed Ty?”
Kissed and did a helluva lot more. “I did.”
Emma set her coffee down and let out a whoop. “Finally! I’ve been wondering how long it would take you two to see you’re perfect for each other.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve seen the way you look at each other when you think the other isn’t looking.”
And Maddy had thought she was being so careful.
“Does he know you remember?”
Maddy nodded. “We sort of kissed again last night. Only I wasn’t drunk, and I remembered what happened.” She paused. “Em, we had sex.”
Lots of yummy sex, but Maddy didn’t think her friend would want to hear that about her brother .
Emma reached over and hugged her. “This is so great. You think it’s great, right?”
“Yes, of course. It was absolutely great. It’s just…Ty’s your brother. I don’t want to make it weird for you, us having sex in your house.”
“It’s Ty’s house too, even though Mom deeded it to me.”
“But still…I don’t want you to feel weird in your own house if, you know, you see us kissing.”
“It can’t be any weirder than you and Ty seeing Jace and I making out.”
And Maddy found her friends lip-locked often. “You’re really okay with this?”
“Damn straight.”
The knot in Maddy’s stomach loosened, and she let out the breath she’d been holding.
“Who else knows? You have to tell Abby, Natalie, and Jenna. We all had a bet on when it would happen,” Emma continued.
“You all knew?”
“Strongly suspected…and hoped.”
“How about Jason and the rest of the guys?”
Emma raised a shoulder. “What can I tell you? We’re all your friends. We see what we see. You really like him, right?”
“Yeah, Em. I have for a while, even back when we were kids. It’s just…”
“What?”
Maddy bit her lower lip. “I’m worried about L.A. and what will happen once my album comes out and I have to go on tour. Dating someone with my career is a lot to ask.”
“Don’t sell yourself or Ty short. Give the relationship a chance to develop. If it’s what you both want, you’ll figure it out. ”
Maddy nodded and hoped Emma was right. She needed to do some long-term thinking about what she wanted out of her singing career and figure out how it fit in with the rest of her life.
And pray Ty would be patient while she figured it out.
Emma slung an arm around her. “Come, let’s go tell the ladies.”
A few days later, Ty hurried back to town after spending the morning at the Jersey Boy store in Sunset Bay to meet his mom and Emma for lunch at the Blue Grotto, a Mediterranean restaurant that had recently opened along Crocus Avenue, the island’s primary shopping district.
His mom and sister were waiting for him by the door.
“Hey, sweetie,” Anna said, stepping forward to give him a hug.
“Hi, Mom. Hey, sis.”
Anna was dressed in typical beach-town style, with white capri pants and a navy-blue shirt that showed off her shoulders. Her chestnut-brown hair fell to the bottom of her neck in soft waves. At fifty-nine, she was slim, pretty, and fit—and, now that she’d found love with the mayor, happier than Ty had seen her since his dad was alive.
“I’ve missed you. It feels like a while since I’ve seen you,” she said.
“Things have been busy between the stores and getting ready for the marina work,” he said.
Emma put her arm through his and their mom’s. “It’s nice spending time just the three of us.”
“Long overdue.” Ty nodded at the restaurant. “I’ve heard good things about the food.”
They entered and were seated in an outside courtyard. Mosaic-decorated tables with matching chairs and dark blue umbrellas filled the space. A lattice fence painted with a mural of the sea offered privacy. Hanging baskets of foliage were artfully displayed throughout the space.
A server approached and took their drink order, placing a basket with an assortment of bread in the center.
“How are the renovations at the marina?” his mom asked.
“They’ve finished demolishing and are starting the new construction,” Ty said.
“I can’t wait to see it. Your dad would be so proud that you’re moving ahead to make it something special.”
“That’s the plan,” Ty said.
His mom studied him when the server returned with their drinks and to take their lunch order. “You look tired, sweetie. You must be working long days between all three stores and the marina.”
“And the late nights,” Emma murmured.
Ty gave her an annoyed look, which of course their mom caught.
“What’s going on that you two know?”
Ty took a sip of his soda. Now that his sister knew about him and Maddy, she’d been excited, but would his mom feel the same way?
“Will you just tell her?” his sister said.
Better for Mom to hear it from him than from the small-town gossip mill.
He took a deep breath. “Um…Maddy and I are dating.”
His mom’s face lit up with a wide smile as she covered his hand with her own. “Oh, Ty. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”
The tension in his neck subsided. “Yeah?”
“I’ve been waiting for you both to come to your senses.”
“See, I told you everyone knew,” Emma said.
“It took us a while to get on the same page,” he said.
“Why do you seem unsure about it?” his mom asked .
“It’s more that I’m worried about what will happen when she goes to L.A. next week to work on her new album.”
“It’s only a week,” Emma said.
“What if she changes her mind about wanting a relationship with me?”
“Why would she change her mind? Because of Dylan?” Anna asked.
“Not because of Dylan. Maddy doesn’t want her mixed up with the L.A. scene, which is why she’s leaving her here.”
“Then what has you concerned?”
“How can Pelican Bay compare to the excitement of L.A.?”
“L.A. doesn’t have the one thing that Pelican Bay has,” Emma said.
“You,” their mom finished.
Ty wasn’t as confident. “I hope that’s enough.”
“I know my best friend, and it will be more than enough,” Emma said. “She was never into the L.A. party scene. It was one obstacle in her marriage to Reece.”
“I heard she looked at Broadway Betty’s,” Anna said.
“She’s thinking about buying it,” Ty said.
“Seriously thinking about it,” Emma added.
“That doesn’t sound like something she’d do if she was planning on returning to her life in L.A.,” their mom said.
Ty hoped she was right. “It’s too soon to tell, so I’m going to focus on helping her see how great her life can be here.”
“That’s a perfect start,” his mom said. “Listen, there are a couple of things I wanted to discuss with both of you.”
Ty looked at Emma, who avoided his gaze. “Why do I feel now I’m the one in the dark?”
“The first is about our old house,” Anna started.
“What about it? ”
“I want you to have it, Ty.”
His heart skipped a beat. “Me, live there?”
“It needs a lot of work to be livable and has to be brought up to new codes, including being raised, but it would be perfect for you.”
And Maddy and Dylan.
Ty could see it: large, open rooms, a deck, and a swing set in the yard. A dog of their own and a couple more kids. As much as he knew it was too soon, he couldn’t stop the hope that spread through him.
“The house is yours, Mom,” he said.
“Which I don’t need now that I live with John. Think about it this way—when I die, I would deed all these properties to both of you. Rather than waiting, I’m giving it to you now.”
He admired how she could be practical about everything, but that didn’t stop him from feeling guilty.
“Dad would want this for you, Ty,” his mom said after their lunch was served. “I had a full and happy life in that house with your dad and you kids.” She covered Ty’s hand with hers. “It’s time for you to move on and make fresh memories like we had as a family, and I think the house will help you finish healing.”
It had been a while since his mom had lectured him about not moving on, about being unable to fully get over the past and not blame himself for his dad dying.
He still fought his demons, as he knew they all did on some level. They had a tendency to creep up near the anniversary of the storm—the anniversary of his dad’s death.
Sure, he’d been having them a little more frequently since he rescued Maddy and Dylan from the bay, but he was working through it. Every time he swam, he went further and felt stronger. And Maddy was working on her fear of swimming. Progress was slow, but they were getting there .
“What about Shore Treasures?” he asked.
“I’ve been thinking about how to turn my art and photography into something meaningful,” Emma said.
“You need a studio.”
“I’m working through a couple of options,” she continued. “None which involve our old house. You can make it your own, Ty. And I know for a fact that Maddy loves the place.”
“Things with me and Maddy are still new. Too new to be talking about houses,” Ty said.
“We’ve dumped a lot on you. Think about it a few days,” his mom said. “Besides, I have something else to discuss with both of you that will keep you distracted.”
Lunch was already getting stressful. What more could his mom lay on him?
She took a sip of water. “John and I set a wedding date.”
“Yay!” Emma said. “When? Christmas, or how about Valentine’s Day?”
Anna laughed. “Not even close. We decided on July Fourth.”
“Of next year?” Emma asked. “I would have thought you would do it sooner.”
“No, sweetie. Fourth of July this year.”
Ty wished he had his phone out to capture the look of shock on his sister’s face.
“What? OMG, that’s, like…less than a week away. How can you plan something that quick?” Emma babbled.
“Everything’s taken care of. We’re having it in John’s backyard. It’s plenty big, and we’re only inviting immediate family and a few close friends.”
“What about your dress, food, flowers?” Emma rattled off a bunch of other things, but Ty dug into his Mahi burger, knowing his sister well enough not to interrupt .
“It’s all arranged,” his mom said. “We just need you to show up. And, of course, we want Jason, Maddy, Dylan, Connor, Abby, and Evan to come. I’m also going to call Allen and ask him and Tammy to join us. I hope you’re okay with that.”
Ty tried not to wince. Allen Maguire, Connor and Jason’s dad, lived in Sunset Bay. It was hard to be around the older man and not think about the night of the hurricane. That night, the only reason Ty and his friends were on the pier when the roller coaster fell into the ocean was because Mr. Maguire was passed out in a car. Ty’s dad may not have died had they not been trying to carry Mr. Maguire to safety.
While a part of Ty wanted to hate the man who indirectly contributed to his father’s death, he knew his dad wouldn’t want him to blame Mr. Maguire. Plus, the old man had paid for his mistakes and spent time in jail, where he detoxed from drugs and alcohol. At least now he seemed to be on a good path, from what Ty’s friends had told him.
“I’m happy for you, Mom. Let me know if there’s anything I can do,” Ty said.
“Actually, there is. I’d like very much if you would give me away.”
He stared at her, speechless. “Wow. I’d be honored to.”
“And I need a maid of honor,” she said to Emma.
Emma started crying happy tears. “Of course I will. Is there anything else I can do?”
Anna wiped at her eyes. “Having both of you be part of this is all I need. Pretty soon we’re all going to be settled and starting a new phase of our lives. It’s exciting.”
“And a little terrifying, to be honest,” Ty said.
“A good terrifying,” Emma said.
Easy for her to say. She wore Jason’s engagement ring and knew where things stood between them. Things between Ty and Maddy were new. Only time would tell if what they’d started could turn into forever.