Summer on Highland Beach

Chapter Eleven What the Heart Wants

May 2022

“This is Garrett Brooks. I’m unable to come to the phone right now. Please leave a message and I’ll reach out at my earliest convenience.”

Olivia pressed the End button hard enough to crack the screen. She let out a long, exasperated sigh and paced the length of the patio. “Stop avoiding me, Garrett Brooks.”

It’d been her third time calling since she left Sag Harbor. He checked in once by text to make sure she arrived safely. After that? Radio silence.

“He’s the one who insulted me,” she muttered under her breath.

“Are you having relationship troubles, too?”

Olivia screamed, holding the phone against her galloping heart. She relaxed when her brain kicked in and she recognized CJ, standing near the back door. She hadn’t felt like she was being followed since she returned to Highland Beach three days ago, but then again, she hadn’t been out and about.

“I...” She gave up the lie and simply nodded.

Yes, I most definitely have relationship troubles.

The sun set behind them, and the air cooled.

“You’re home early,” she said to her father.

He shrugged. “It’s six thirty.”

Olivia nodded. “That’s early for you.” Besides that, they were still preparing for the Memorial Day festivities, now only a few days away.

“You aren’t avoiding your constituents, are you?”

“Not any more than you’re avoiding my question.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Are you having relationship troubles?”

Olivia crossed her arms. “I nodded, which means yes.”

CJ sat on the bench. “You want to talk about it?”

Not really, she thought. But when she took in all of CJ’s shadows—the five o’clock shadow across his jawline and the shadows under his eyes—she changed her mind. She sat across from him, hoping he wouldn’t try to impart knowledge on a subject he’d spectacularly failed in.

He reclined into the cushioned seat. “I’ve heard from Mr. Whitt, but I’d like for you to tell me about your young man.”

“His name is Garrett. He’s in his early thirties and a widower. He’s a real estate attorney, and he has a whip-smart six-year-old daughter, Zora, who’s my goddaughter.” Olivia couldn’t help but smile when she thought of Zora. But the smile quickly turned to a frown. She hadn’t said a proper goodbye to her goddaughter. How could she when Garrett obviously didn’t want her around Zora?

Maybe I can convince him to let me speak to Zora to give her some closure.

Olivia immediately shook her head. Her goddaughter didn’t need to be in the middle of a grown-up’s mess.

“How did you meet?”

Olivia’s gaze met her father’s. His was a look of patience, of yearning, just like Olivia’s.

How many times had she wished to relax into a conversation with her father? Something unlocked inside of her chest. Something sturdy, something brave. She didn’t want to imagine any longer. She would try.

Olivia rubbed her palms against her shorts, working through her sudden shyness. She cleared her throat. “His mother was my neighbor. When she died of Covid last year, he moved in and... and I guess he never left. He and Zora now live in Sag Harbor full-time.”

“Ah, so you fell for the next-door neighbor.”

Olivia inhaled. “Eventually.I was engaged back then.”

“Yes, your mother mentioned some other man. A comedian?”

“That’s right. We ended our engagement last summer. He’s an actor, too, with a comedy special coming out soon.” Olivia sent up a prayer every so often that she would in no way be the brunt of his jokes. Anderson had done it before.

“Hmm.”

Olivia could see him processing this information, then landing on the truth. She’d fallen for Garrett, cheated on Anderson, and later broke off their engagement.

“Things with Garrett are new, then.”

“Not quite a year... but things got really serious.” Maybe too quickly. Just like my relationship with Anderson.

Maybe Garrett was right about not knowing what I want?Her heart stuttered at the realization.

“Because you’re neighbors?”

It would be so easy to blame falling for Garrett on the convenience of it. But Garrett was so much more than that. He made her laugh, made her heart beat out of her chest. Before Garrett, she’d had no desire to date a man with a child. Olivia fully accepted that her feelings about children had been selfish, but realistically, she knew she’d always come second to a man’s child.

Though even if that was true, as it should be, she had never felt she came in second with Garrett.

But she’d made him feel that way.

“He’s just an incredible man. With everything that’s happening, I can’t commit myself to a more serious relationship.”

“What’s your definition of a serious relationship?”

“Emotionally and physically supportive. Being emotionally supportive means talking daily, validating his feelings, spending quality time together, and loving him as he needs it.”

CJ nodded. “Now, what’s his definition of a successful relationship?”

“It’s...” Olivia paused, drawing a blank as she realized she’d never asked him what he specifically wanted in a relationship. She had made assumptions. “I’m not entirely sure, but... I get the impression that he wants to marry me.”

CJ lifted a hand. “My biggest regret with your mother was lack of honesty. I wasn’t honest with myself until it was too late. And when I recognized my feelings, I allowed small things to get in the way.”

“Okay, that means...?”

“Don’t repeat history. Don’t assume things. Just ask the man what he wants. Then figure out if that’s something you can and want to give him.”

Olivia nodded. “What if he doesn’t want me anymore? What if he’s tired of waiting?”

Waiting for me to live up to this dream woman in his head.

“Then it’s up to him if he wants to wait. And you’ll have to respect his decision.”

Olivia swallowed. She was too afraid to ask Garrett to wait. Anderson had asked her to wait, and it hadn’t taken her long to realize that he wasn’t the man for her. Garrett was only three years older than her. In his life, he’d fallen in love, married someone, had a child, and buried two parents. In contrast, Olivia had broken off an engagement, quit a lucrative job to start a nonprofit, and recently discovered that her biological father was not deceased, as she’d believed, but very much alive.

Garrett knew his feelings, his worth, and deep down she knew he was right about how she treated their relationship. Olivia had undergone many changes since last summer, but she still hadn’t figured everything out. However, she wasn’t ready to admit that she was the wrong role model for Zora.

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“I hope you will. And I hope you see what happens when you make assumptions and let the love of your life marry someone else. Don’t be like me.”

Olivia winced. “That was harsh. You should really stop insulting yourself.”

“True.”

Olivia gave him a sad smile. “I assume things haven’t turned around just yet?”

“No. Not even a little.” CJ shook his head. “Anyway, I just got a heads-up from Aneesa that they’ll be doing a write-up in the paper.”

Olivia nodded. According to Cindy, it had been Aneesa who deleted the photo posted on the town’s Facebook page. She was also leading the search for the anonymous poster.

“Is she writing the article?”

“No such luck. The publisher feels that would be a conflict of interest, so Jackson Davis will take on the assignment. They’re doing a little exposé on our family.”

Dread filled Olivia’s stomach. “Okay, outside of a secret love child, the young lover, your new lover Lauren—”

“She’s not a new lover. She’s just a partner.”

“What kind of partner? A potential marriage partner or a business partner?”

“It’s only ever been about business.”

“What are the terms of this partnership?”

“She wants to be the next mayor. And I will endorse her after serving my term.”

“An ex-girlfriend as mayor seems messy.”

“Well... she wasn’t supposed to be an ex so soon.”

“So you’ve violated the terms of your partnership.” No wonder Lauren was upset.

“We discussed it the other day, and she’s fine with our breakup, so long as I keep my promise about the endorsement.”

Olivia crossed her arms. “Fine.Do we have any other skeletons in our closet?”

CJ looked out at the pool. “When...” He cleared his throat. “When Indigo died, there was a lot of speculation surrounding her death. People spread rumors that either our family or a stranger had murdered her. Some even think that she took her own life. It just didn’t make sense to anyone... to me... how she died. She was a Junior Olympian swimmer, and beyond that, the bay waters were calm. And I think Christine knows more than what she’s let on. I think she and Indigo were fighting about something big... something regarding our family.”

“What about the family?”

CJ shook his head. “It’s just something about that day that didn’t seem right.” He stood. “I’m beat. I’m going to shower. Whatever comes out of that article, I’ll deal with it, okay? You don’t have to worry. You don’t have to...” He let his voice trail off.

“I won’t flee again. I promise.”

He walked away without responding.

Olivia stared out at the pool with a question in her heart. Did the family secret die with Indigo?

“I’m leaving,” Olivia blurted out loud to her mother as she paced the kitchen floor.

Cindy flipped the page to her book and then placed a bookmark between the pages.

“I’m assuming you mean you’re leaving the house for a little bit, not Highland Beach?” her mother calmly responded.

“Correct. I’m just going out for an hour or two.” Olivia hadn’t jogged the beach for fear that someone would recognize her face from the social media post, or that the stalker would see her and start following her again.

Cindy nodded and reopened her book. “The town knows who you are now. You might as well venture outside.”

Olivia stopped pacing and huffed. “Maybe I should jog later tonight.”

“We’d prefer you not do that.”

“But—”

“Please don’t argue about that point. Indigo died on that very beach at night, and someone followed you and took your picture without your consent. You don’t have to hide, but you need to be careful.”

Now it was high noon and the locals, along with their visitors, flooded the beach.

But if I wear a hat, I can blend in.

“Aneesa wants to meet for dinner. How about you come with us?”

“Yes!” Olivia eagerly agreed. “When are we going?”

“Tonight.”

“Oh good. I’ll pick out what to...” Her voice trailed off when she realized she’d be crashing her mother’s much-needed time with her best friend.

“Actually, I... need to call someone. I can’t make it.”

Her mother’s face dropped into a dubious expression. “You need to call someone?”

“Yes.”

“During dinnertime? At seven o’clock?”

“Yes. Perry and I are planning a visit to Billie and Dulce’s place. They’re going on an overdue vacation.”

“Can’t you reschedule your—”

“No.” Olivia shook her head.

Cindy exhaled, and then, after a moment, smiled. “Neesa and I have caught up. We’ve been to dinner twice already, and we’ve spoken on the phone nearly every night since we reconnected. If you think you’d be a bother, you aren’t. She wants to get to know you, too. She’s pretty mad at me for keeping you away for most of your life.”

“Are you sure?”

“Very. Now, go find something fabulous to wear, because we’re going to a nice restaurant with the best wine, according to Aneesa.”

Later that night, Olivia and Cindy met Aneesa at Café Normandie, a cozy French fusion restaurant. Even before they stepped inside, Olivia could smell the fresh baked bread.

The restaurant had a mix of old-world French and whimsical lavender decor. The round tables were small and arranged in the front near the window. Along the walls were partitioned booths with wood panels hewn from centuries-old trees. Aneesa, already seated in a booth, waved from her seat. A charcuterie platter and baked mussels sat in the middle of the table.

“We aren’t late, are we?” Olivia stage-whispered to her mother.

“No. Aneesa’s just always been that annoying ‘if you aren’t early, you’re late’ person.”

Olivia smiled. Aneesa’s time philosophy reminded her of how punctual her late godfather Omar was. She also imagined that it served Aneesa well as a reporter to settle in and observe her surroundings before someone else arrived.

Her mother slid into the booth beside Aneesa, and Olivia sat across from her mother’s friend.

“Oh, this is nice,” Olivia said, lifting the pink snakeskin Gucci purse from the seat. “Where should I place this?”

“Sorry, I’ll take that,” Aneesa responded. “I don’t want any scratches on my baby.”

It was then that Olivia noticed the cobblestone wall that led up to a carved archway with a hanging light.

“I ordered you that divine shiraz I told you about,” Aneesa told Cindy, smiling. Staring at her friend, Olivia’s mother said, “If I don’t like it, I’m sending it back.”

Aneesa rolled her eyes. “Girl, I know my wine. You’ll drink it and you’ll love it.”

“We’ll see,” Cindy said in a grumpy voice, but her eyes shone with humor.

Aneesa turned her attention to Olivia. “I see your mom’s still prickly.”

Olivia was glad Aneesa found her mother’s contrarian attitude endearing. Olivia certainly hadn’t all these years.

The server quickly arrived and took Olivia’s wine order. While they nibbled on appetizers and drank wine, Aneesa updated them on the happenings in town.

“I’m telling you, it’s not as bad as you think. You should stop hiding, Olivia. Trust my reporter instincts on this.”

“Alan and Christine say—”

“Christine is only looking out for herself,” Aneesa snapped. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you off, honey.” She leaned over and patted Olivia’s hand. “But Christine has always looked out for number one—and that’s her own hide.” Aneesa whipped out a decorative fan. “Sorry. Hot flash.” She fanned her face for a full minute.

Olivia wanted to argue, but it was true that Christine’s initial reaction to the news had been off-putting. Though, since her return, Christine had been more than effusive with her compliments, telling her granddaughter how glad she was to have another woman of style around.

“Anyway, enough about that woman,” Cindy jumped in. “Aneesa, tell me about your date last night.”

“Girl.” Aneesa waved her fan. “Snooze fest.”

“No! You were so excited.” Olivia had never heard her mother’s voice so animated.

Aneesa turned to Olivia. “I’ve been divorced for three years, and I’m dating again. There’s this silly app for old folks, and Richard, that’s the guy’s name, seemed nice enough. But he just talked about himself the entire time.” She drank more wine. “He wants to meet up again.”

Cindy leaned back. “So where are you meeting?”

Aneesa shrugged, tucking her fan into her purse. “I could go for some steak.”

“Wait a minute, I thought you didn’t like him?” Olivia asked.

“I didn’t. But he kisses well enough.”

Cindy laughed into her wineglass. “This is what she does. Complains, but then she’ll end up doing the very opposite of what she wants.”

“Who knows? Maybe he’ll stop talking about himself on the next date,” Aneesa said, with little enthusiasm in her voice.

Cindy tilted her head toward her old friend. “That’s what I should’ve been doing all these years. Going on dates.”

“Well, if you would’ve returned my calls, I could have imparted my wisdom.” Aneesa laughed, then returned her attention to Olivia. “Speaking of men, how are you and Garrett?”

Olivia scrunched her face. She certainly hadn’t spoken of her relationship with Aneesa. Cindy helpfully answered her unspoken question.

“Oh, I told her about your boyfriend Garrett and his sweet daughter.”

Garrett.Olivia leaned back against the stiff, cushioned booth. Words hurt, and hearing his name was a reminder.

It hurt that he hadn’t answered any of her calls.

It hurt that he didn’t think she was good enough for his daughter.

But what hurt the most was that she wasn’t all that sure he was wrong. “She told me about Anderson, too.” Aneesa snorted, snapping Olivia out of crisis mode and into irritation.

“Mother.”

Cindy winced. “Sorry.”

“Sounds like you dodged a bullet there.” Aneesa rolled on as if she had every right to know Olivia’s business.

Olivia cleared her throat. “He’s a good guy. We just didn’t work out.”

“Because he’s white?” Aneesa fired off the question like the seasoned reporter she was.

“Aneesa...” Cindy’s voice carried a warning.

Olivia raised her hand, halting Aneesa’s oncoming questions. “No... because we didn’t make each other better. Can you pass the bread, please?” Olivia could hear the desperation in her own voice. Aneesa nodded. “Sorry, sweetie. I realize I may have overstepped.”

“It’s okay.”

“Speaking of incompatible, how about I tell you about my nutty ex-husband?”

She launched into a series of funny stories, and soon the tension from her earlier questions slipped away. She deftly moved away from talking about her ex-husband Jared to recounting childhood antics with Cindy, reminiscing about when they snuck out of their houses to wear two-piece bikinis.

“Honey... you couldn’t tell either of us anything. I had the butt and hips. Cindy had the boobs. We were toddling around the beach—”

Cindy clicked her tongue. “I do not toddle.”

“You did in those cheap platform sandals you insisted on wearing, remember? Not to mention you tripped and fell so hard you stumbled into the water.”

Aneesa laughed, and soon Olivia joined in. She could not imagine her mother being a silly teenager.

Cindy gulped her wine.

“Whew. We had so much fun. Every summer felt like a turning point.” Aneesa fanned herself again, in the throes of another hot flash.

“You’re right. I think that’s the last summer when things were fun.”

“We were... what? Nineteen then?” Aneesa asked.

Cindy nodded. “The next summer, Indigo died and... you know.”

“Yeah.” The laughter fled Aneesa’s voice. “I was thinking about looking into her case.”

“Now, Neesa—”

“She was my friend, too.” Aneesa turned to face Olivia. “Indigo was like our little sister, and I’m telling you, something’s not right about what happened.”

“So what are you going to do? Ask around town and hope that any persons involved will suddenly share new information about something that happened ages ago?” Cindy snapped.

“I’m going to have a conversation with my neighbors about what they think happened to Indigo.” Aneesa snapped her fingers. “Hey, Olivia, do you want to join me?”

“Join you?”

“Once you’re done with your dog-and-pony show with Alan and Christine, why don’t you come with me and get to know the residents?”

“By asking them about the... the murder of my aunt?”

“No. We can simply say that you want to get to know the Jones family through the lens of the Highland Beach community. You’ll also be assuaging their curiosity about you. A win-win situation, I say.”

Olivia sipped her wine, thinking about the proposal. She wanted to help CJ with his reelection. And she would love to help him find peace about Indigo’s death. “Okay,” Olivia nodded. “Deal.”

After dinner concluded, Olivia drove them back to CJ’s home. Beside her, Cindy was so stiff, it was like she’d sprayed starch on her bones.

“All okay?” Olivia asked once she parked her car.

Cindy didn’t move from the passenger seat. “Just thinking about things. About the past. I don’t know if you should dig into the past with Aneesa.”

“Why?” Olivia shrugged. “Indigo’s death was probably accidental, and I’d love to hear more about her without causing pain to CJ or Christine.”

“Because I’m very sure that something happened, and I don’t know who may have done it,” Cindy whispered. She opened the car door. “I think I may have drunk too much wine and I need to go to bed. My head is spinning.”

“Oh, of course.” Olivia hugged her mother, knowing something had rattled her.

“Maybe we can speak on it tomorrow?” Olivia asked.

“I would like that.”

“To convince me otherwise?”

“Yes,” Cindy confessed without remorse. “Your grandmother has too many enemies, and I’ll be damned if you’re going to get involved in her decades-old mess.”