11. Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
Ty had had no issues falling asleep after his FaceTime call with Maddy last night. Phone sex had never been his thing, but last night had shown him a new side to both himself and Maddy. And while it wasn’t the same as making love to her, it helped maintain their connection, despite their being separated by almost three thousand miles.
Although his ass was dragging the next day, he rose early and met up with Connor for a five-mile run. Following a quick shower, he spent the morning at the Jersey Boy Sunset Bay store before stopping by the marina to watch the progress of the demolition.
His coworker Dave had texted earlier and asked if he and Ally could meet up with him. They’d agreed to meet at the marina.
Ty nodded as his friends headed toward him.
“Hey, man,” Dave said. “You weren’t kidding when you said it was a renovation. Looks more like a demolition.”
“You should have seen it yesterday. It looks a hundred times better,” Ty said.
“I thought there’d be more they could salvage,” Dave replied .
“A lot of the wood was warped from the weather, so it was best to replace and start fresh. They’ll put in new windows and a counter that opens for the rental equipment with overhangs for shade.”
“What’s the big hole on the side for?” Ally asked.
“Garage doors so we can easily take the kayaks in and out. It will also store the equipment in the offseason.”
“Smart. Your focus is on paddleboards and kayaks, right? No wave runners?” Dave asked.
“I thought about it, and it seems like too much for this side of the bay. And with other stores and restaurants opening, I’d like to keep it to the paddleboards and kayaks. Thought I could offer rentals either with or without guided tours.”
“Is the deck part of your property?” Ally said.
“It is.”
“How do you plan to use the space?” Dave added.
“We’re going to build a concession stand and sell snacks. We’ll have tables with umbrellas and chairs where people can sit.”
“Can we check it out?” Dave asked.
“Sure.”
They walked along the ramp and onto the deck. A ten-by-twenty rectangle, it could likely hold a dozen tables. Ty hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about how to use the space other than what he’d rambled off.
Dave strode the length, jumping up and down a few times in various places, as though he were checking the stability. Ty had known Dave since college, and he had that look about him. An idea was forming.
“What are you thinking?” Ty asked.
Dave fidgeted with the brim of his baseball cap. “If you want to offer food, my brother, Ben, started a mobile food truck business. Lobster rolls, fish and chips, fish tacos, clam chowder, and the sort. Could be an option if you wanted to offer more than concessions.”
A food truck. An interesting idea. “I remember you mentioning he was looking to start something. Where does he work out of?”
“It varies depending on the day. The closest is in Sunset Bay, where he rents space to park the truck a few times a week. Serves lunch and dinner.”
“The Shuck Truck. I go there once a week,” Ally added. “The food’s amazing.”
“Glad to hear it. He’s in the process of getting a second truck. I’ll text you the schedule of when he’s there, and we can go over for lunch,” Dave said.
“That’d be great. It would be a nice draw to have more options,” Ty said.
“I have another thought,” Ally said, and struck a warrior pose. “Yoga. There’s a lot of space here. You could offer sunset yoga right here on the deck. There’s even paddleboard yoga.”
“I’ve done yoga on the beach,” Ty said. “Never thought of doing it on a paddleboard.”
“It’s gaining popularity,” Ally said. “My friend, Toni, owns a yoga studio in Sunset Bay. I’ve been working on getting my certification to be an instructor there.”
“You’re not busy enough with work and classes?” Ty said.
“Ha-ha. Toni mentioned she’s thinking about expanding her business in the area.”
“You think she’d be interested in talking with me?”
“I’ll ask her and let you know.”
“Thanks. How is the interviewing going for the other jobs?”
“I’ve met with several instructors with paddleboard experience, and people who were interested in working the rental counter either at the store or here at the marina,” Dave said .
“There were a lot of applications for the retail stores,” Ally added. “They’re all flexible about working either at the store on the boardwalk or here.”
“Perfect,” Ty said. “Go ahead and make offers like we discussed. Let’s start them training at the boardwalk store and we can see who is interested in working here. I’m fine if people want to split their time between locations.”
“I think that’s definitely going to be the case. Applicants were already asking about it,” Ally said.
“I may want to come down here and work,” Dave said.
“We can figure out how to schedule it, so you have time here, too,” Ty replied.
Dave clapped him on the shoulder. “This is going to be a popular spot, bro.”
Ty was counting on it. Knowing it was a dream of his dad’s to open a place like this added to the importance of making it a success. And he wouldn’t let anything stop that dream from becoming a reality.
Two days later, after tossing and turning for over an hour, Maddy gave up on sleeping in. She yanked her phone off the end table and saw that it was just past five thirty in the morning. She longed for the days when she could sleep until seven or even eight, which she could no longer do, thanks to Dylan’s internal clock that had her waking up with the sun.
Ironic that now that Maddy had no one stopping her from sleeping in, she couldn’t.
Groaning, she gave up and went into the bathroom. After brushing her teeth, she slipped into a short robe and went upstairs to her studio. On her balcony, she settled into a lounge chair and watched the sunrise. Houses in California had less property and were closer together than in New Jersey. The only places that had lush green lawns were celebrity mansions.
Picking up her phone, she saw two texts from Ty. The first had photos at the swim club during Dylan’s lessons. She posed in the mermaid bathing suit he’d bought her, which she wore every lesson because “it was Uncle Ty’s favorite.” Another photo was of the two of them together in the pool. The second text contained a video of Dylan holding on to a kickboard and propelling herself forward.
Maddy’s heart skipped a beat because her daughter put her face in the water with ease. She didn’t panic or flail her arms like her mother likely would. She was making good progress.
Even though Maddy was still nervous, she was glad Ty and her friends had convinced her to teach Dylan how to be comfortable in the water. Seeing what she accomplished gave Maddy hope and made her determined to overcome her fear.
She zoomed in on the picture of the two of them together. Ty was holding Dylan in the water, and she pressed her cheek to his. They looked happy, almost as though they were father and daughter.
The thought of that caused her pulse to race and something to tug in her gut.
It was too soon to be thinking such thoughts, especially if she moved back to L.A. How would they get over not seeing Ty and her friends every day?
Maddy saved the photo and made it her phone wallpaper.
Since she was up, she may as well get work done. She had responsibilities for the foundation she was juggling between her music business. She worked for an hour and was heading downstairs when the door to her mom’s room opened and a man almost collided with her.
Maddy let out a screech.
“Whoa, Maddy. It’s me.”
“Gabe? What the hell?” Why was her manager coming out of her mom’s room?
Her faced heated as realization dawned.
“You’re sleeping with my mom?”
“Maddy?” Her mom peeked out, tying her robe closed. “Morning, sweetheart.”
“You could have warned me, Mom.”
“I was going to…eventually.”
“I’ll let you ladies talk,” Gabe said. “See you both later.”
He jogged down the stairs, and Maddy heard the front door open and close. She followed him downstairs. “I need coffee before this discussion.”
She didn’t expect her mom to live a life of celibacy, but hooking up with her manager? Could that be any more awkward?
“What has you up so early?” her mom said, entering the kitchen and taking out mugs and spoons.
“My sleep schedule is all messed up. I woke up, couldn’t fall back to sleep, and was looking at pictures and a video Tyler sent me of Dylan at her swim lessons.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Really great. She’s comfortable in the water. Ty takes things slow and lets her set the pace. I’m super proud of her.” Maddy took out her phone and showed her mom the photos and video.
“Wow, she is doing wonderful.” Her mom put her hand on her chest. “One of my biggest regrets was being so afraid of the water myself that I caused you to be afraid.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Mom. You had a good reason to be afraid of water.”
When her mom was fifteen, she’d stepped in a hole in the ocean, and the suction from the wet sand made it difficult to remove her foot. She’d panicked, especially when waves crashed over her, and feared she would drown. Lifeguards got to her quickly, but she had swallowed a substantial amount of water.
While she was fine, the incident made her vow to avoid the ocean. And she had instilled that fear in Maddy, never allowing her to go into the water any further than filling her bucket.
Her mom sat on a barstool. “It was wrong of me to project my own fears onto you. I’m sorry, honey. I should have insisted you learn how to swim. Many things would be different if I had.”
They’d had the same conversation over the years. And while maybe Mr. Erickson wouldn’t have died that night or Ty wouldn’t have lost a portion of his hearing, no one knew what else could have happened to them since.
“Ty’s going to teach me.”
“You think he can?”
Maddy thought back to their conversation the night on the patio. “He gave up a lot because of what happened to him. Since I played a part in that, I need to help him.”
“Help him with what?”
“He can’t swim in the ocean. He can handle the pool and is working on swimming in the bay, but he’s still haunted by the ocean.”
“You both had a terrifying experience there,” her mom said.
“And enough time has passed. It’s time to work on it. Together.” Maddy poured coffee in their mugs and added sugar and creamer the way they both liked. “Dylan’s getting to the age where she’ll be wanting to go to the beach. There will be bonfires and beach parties, and I want her to experience all of that without the fear.”
“She will. You’ll make sure she does. She wants to be a mermaid when she grows up, right? ”
Maddy laughed. “Ironic, right? I’m going to buy Dylan and the girls coming to her birthday party mermaid costumes. The bottom is a long skirt, but it flares out like a tail.” She brought up a photo and showed her mom.
“She will look adorable in it. You said it’s in a few weeks?”
“Girls’ Weekend on the island is the first weekend of August. Dylan’s party is the next weekend. Why don’t you come out?”
“There’s something else. What haven’t you told me?”
Growing up with just the two of them made them close. Maddy’s mom was her best friend, her confidante. Other than the couple of years she lived with Reece, Maddy had always lived with her mom. They’d shared difficulties and never had secrets.
“There’s something I want to show you,” Maddy said. She opened the photo app on her phone, found the pictures she was looking for, and slid the phone over.
Her mom scrolled through the photos and furrowed her brow. “That’s Broadway Betty’s Ice Cream Parlor.”
Maddy nodded. “The island’s going through a lot of changes. Properties are being bought, renovated, and reopened. Jason and Connor Maguire are fixing up Mr. Riley’s mini-golf, and there are lots of changes planned at the marina.”
“Are they taking Broadway Betty’s on, too?”
“They will if I buy it.”
Her mom raised an eyebrow.
Maddy held up a hand. “Hear me out. It’s an iconic landmark on the island. You remember how much I loved working there.”
“I remember.”
“I want to renovate and reopen it. Similar premise where the waitstaff sing, but I want to offer classes during the day, for kids and even adults who want to sing and learn how to perform. We’ll create routines that can be learned over a week and performed for friends, family, and visitors.”
“Wow. I’m speechless.”
“I know it’s a lot to take in.”
“You’re going to teach these kids?”
“I have friends who I’m hoping can help me. If not, I’ll hire people.”
“What about your own music?” her mom asked.
“There’s an apartment above the restaurant. I’d renovate it so it’s part living space and part recording studio. I’m not sure yet how it would work with Marco and Aiden. They’re contracted out to Pacific Records, and I still have one more album to fulfill my contract. After that, I could record and publish under my own label. Maybe they’d come work for me or even form that band we once talked about.”
“But until you finish your commitments with Pacific Records, where would you live?”
Maddy frowned and flopped back in her chair. “I’d probably have to move back here.”
“Which puts a wrinkle in your relationship with Tyler.”
Maddy blew out a breath. “Yeah. I can’t expect him to wait for me.”
“What would you do if you were out of contract with Pacific and there was nothing holding you back here?”
Maddy didn’t want to disappoint her mom, but she always spoke the truth. “I love Pelican Bay. I want Dylan to grow up in a place like that. My friends are all getting married and will soon have their own kids. I want to be part of it.”
“And what about Tyler? How do you feel about him?”
She’d been waiting for that question. “I’m falling in love with him, Mom. I’ve had feelings for Ty well before we got together. I fought them for so long, I convinced myself nothing could happen between us.”
“And now that you’ve started something?”
“I want to give it a try.”
“Even if it means giving up part of your singing or taking a step back in your career?”
“The truth is, I don’t feel like me when I’m here in L.A. I haven’t for a while…probably since I got pregnant with Dylan. Even when Reece was alive, it started getting to me.”
“I thought you knew what you were getting into when you signed the record deal.”
“I love singing and will continue to write and record music. But Pelican Bay and the life I could have there are important, too.” Maddy thrust her fingers into her hair. “Gah. Why does me choosing Pelican Bay and Ty have to cost me my career?”
“Maybe it doesn’t, but you haven’t figured out how to make it work yet.” Her mom got off her stool and put an arm around her daughter. “Have you discussed any of this with Marco and Aiden? It’s your decision, but they’re your friends and could offer a perspective that could help.”
Or add to her confusion. “Not yet. I’ve tried, but after we finish work, they drag me to a party or dinner.”
“I think you should talk to them.”
Maddy nodded. “I will. Today.”
“And how about talking to Gabe? As your manager, he can be honest about what you’re considering.”
Maddy knew her mom was right, but the discussion with Gabe would be harder. “I know you’re right. Let me talk with Marco and Aiden first.” She narrowed her eyes at her mom. “Now, tell me what’s going on with Gabe. Are things serious between you?”
Her mom blushed and shrugged. “He wants to move in together. ”
“If it’s what you want too, then you should do it.”
“Thanks, sweetie.” She wiped at her eyes. “The idea of starting a new life with someone other than your dad is hard. Ben and I knew each other since we were kids and thought we’d have our entire lives together.”
Maddy had limited memories of her dad. Ben Kinkaid had been an average-sized man with wavy, reddish-brown hair. He used to carry Maddy on his shoulders at the boardwalk. She had vague memories of him reading stories to her at bedtime, pushing her on the swings at the park, and the three of them on the balloon ride.
Her mom had made a special photo album for Maddy, with pictures of her mom and dad throughout their early years of their marriage and after Maddy had been born. All happy times. The love between her parents was clear in every photo. She’d dreamed of sharing a love like that with someone.
Maddy was sad to say that she hadn’t felt that way about Reece.
“I know, Momma. You need to do what you feel is right in your heart. And if that’s not with Gabe, then you need to tell him. If it is, then you should embrace finding love a second time.”
Her mom covered her hand. “Wise advice we should both take.”
After working the morning at the Sunset Bay store, Ty met Dave and had lunch at the Shuck Truck. Ally hadn’t been kidding that the food was good and would be a perfect complement to the paddle company and other changes planned for the marina.
Ty chatted with Dave’s brother Ben about scheduling his new truck in Pelican Bay, and they came to a tentative agreement. On his way back to town, he stopped by Shore Treasures, having gotten a text from Emma .
He parked in the driveway and paused a moment before getting out of the car. The pull of his childhood home was real. He loved the house and had hated when they had to move into their grandmother’s Victorian home. Sure, it was bigger, but the Cape Cod he’d been raised in was filled with memories of his dad.
Memories he was afraid he’d forget.
Pushing away the past, he made his way up the walkway and knocked once before entering. “Hey, Em.”
“In here,” she called from the room that used to be his parents’ bedroom.
Inside, Emma stood amidst three large boxes on the floor, each partially full. Next to them lay piles of old clothes and other stuff.
“Whatcha doing?” he asked.
“Mom was here earlier and helping me sort through what remained of her and Dad’s belongings. She said to take whatever we wanted.” She rummaged in a box. “Did you know we still had Dad’s old fishing hat?”
Ty reached for the hat, his heart lurching at holding something of his dad’s. The beige boonie was worn and threadbare in a few spots. “He wore this when we went out on the boat.”
They’d had a small center console boat they used to take out all the time. Both for fishing and pleasure. His dad had shown Ty how to care for it and navigate through the water. He’d even let him do it himself many times.
“Wow, I thought it had gotten ruined and tossed,” Ty said.
“There are a few other items I thought you’d want.”
Stepping over, he examined the contents of the box. Faded T-shirts, a few boating trophies, and, at the bottom, an old picture in a broken frame. It was of Ty when he was thirteen and his dad. In it, his dad wore the boonie hat, and Ty a baseball cap .
He sank to the floor, overwhelmed with memories and emotions he pushed down and rarely allowed himself to feel.
Emma lowered to sit beside him. “I know. It’s hard seeing this stuff, but it’s part of who we are.”
Ty felt tears sting his eyes. “I used to be so angry after the accident. I would go out to the beach and yell at Dad for dying…at God for taking him so soon and not taking me instead.” He paused to swallow the lump in his throat. “It was the only place I allowed myself to cry.”
“Oh, Ty.” Emma threw her arms around him.
“I could have died, too. Dad risked everything to make sure I didn’t.” His voice broke, and he held on to his sister as they both cried for a man they’d loved unconditionally.
“Dad did his job both as a volunteer firefighter and as a father—he protected you. Don’t think for one second that we all would have been better off if you died.”
He wiped at the dampness under his eyes. “I don’t feel that way now, but it was hard not to in the beginning.”
“I wish you would have told me or Mom. Why didn’t you feel you could cry around us?”
“I wanted to, but I couldn’t. I needed to be strong for the family.”
“We needed to be strong together.”
So many memories triggered by a few trinkets. Ty had only had sixteen years with his dad—not nearly enough, but good years they were.
“I love you, Ty. I’ll always be here with a shoulder to cry on…or to listen while you yell or whatever you need.”
“Same goes, and I love you, Em. Sorry to break down. It’s been a rough couple of days.” He sat back and brushed away the tears.
“Have you been okay with Maddy in L.A.? ”
The island felt smaller without her. How had he endured a decade with Maddy living on another coast? And what if she moved back to L.A.?
“It’s been fine.”
Emma nudged his shoulder. “There you go, putting up those walls again.”
Damn if she wasn’t right. “I miss Maddy, okay? I hate that she left when we just got together, but I understand.”
“You love her, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“Did you tell her?”
“Hell no. I don’t want to freak her out or think I’m pressuring her,” he said.
Emma sighed and pulled her knees into her chest. “Yeah, probably a good idea for now, but for what it’s worth, I think she loves you too.”
God, he hoped so.
“I’m willing to wait for her to get there.” He cleared his throat. “It’s not weird that she and I are together, right?”
“What is it with both of you worrying about me?”
“She asked you the same thing?”
“Yes, and I’ll tell you what I told her. I couldn’t be happier, and it’s about freakin’ time.” He smiled, and she ruffled his hair. “Come, I want to show you something.”
They rose, and he followed her into what had once been the living room. Of course, remembering that was hard, given that almost every available space was covered with stuff—tables, dressers, bookcases, and more. Some people would call it junk, but Emma spent hours restoring old furniture, making it something beautiful.
“I’m renting a place by the marina to sell my art and to expand my photography business. ”
“Wow, that’s a big step. It’s going to be a hit.” He gestured around the room. “What about Shore Treasures?”
“The building is pretty large. Large enough to separate into a few spaces. One side for art, one for an actual showroom for Shore Treasures, and an upstairs for a photography studio.”
Ty raised his eyebrow. “How big is the building? You’ve got a lot of stuff here.”
“I’m planning a massive sale in a few weeks and am sorting through what will go with me and what I’ll need to sell or donate.”
“Let me know if you need any help.”
“Have you thought about how you’ll renovate this place?”
Ty had several ideas, but he wanted Maddy’s input. Even if they never got to a point of living in it together, her input would mean a lot to him. “A little. When I’m ready, I’ll talk to Jace and Connor.”
“This will be a good thing for you. And Maddy and Dylan.”
“I’m waiting until she returns before I tell her, so please don’t say anything.”
The last thing Ty needed was Emma to tell her friend before he was ready. He needed to gauge how things went in L.A. before he gave in to his hopes of them living in the house and being a family.