Chapter 3
3
A swift wind kicked up the waves, misting Jack’s hair. He flipped up the collar on his windbreaker to shield his neck. The sun painted long shadows across the sand, and the salt air was just cool enough to remind him that Christmas was coming.
Someone called out to him. “Hey, Jack, wait up.”
Jack looked up toward a dune. Oliver had just cleared it and was walking toward him. He motioned for Oliver to join him.
“Want some company?” Oliver asked. “I try to get in my daily step count, but I didn’t walk the course today. I played with a buddy who has a golf cart.”
“No worries, it’s always good to see you. I’m out here with Leo and Scout.”
Still wearing his golf clothes, Oliver fell into step beside him.
Despite the age difference, the two men had become close friends. They watched Leo toss sticks down the beach, sending Scout bounding after them with his uneven gait. The yellow Lab’s enthusiasm never failed to make Jack smile.
“Good throw, buddy!” Jack called out as Leo jogged ahead.
Another few years, and the lanky kid would be his height. Maybe even taller. Now that Leo was in his life, Jack was acutely aware of the passage of time. His son’s milestones marked it for him.
Oliver chuckled as he watched Leo play with Scout. “Your son is growing into a fine young man. You seem to be on good terms with his mother. I admire that.”
“We were always friends and work colleagues, except for one stressful night. We were reporting on a tense, dangerous situation.” Jack shoved his hands into his pockets, thinking about what seemed a lifetime ago. “We weren’t sure we’d see the morning light.”
“And you didn’t know about him until a few years ago?”
“It was a shock, but we got past that,” Jack replied. “Vanessa is a great mother, and we’re comfortable co-parenting now. Leo is one of the best things to ever happen to me, along with Marina.”
“You’re still a man in his prime—do you miss the thrill of reporting from the front lines?”
Jack chuckled as he drew a hand through his damp hair. “I don’t miss ducking whizzing bullets. Once, I lived for that, but I’d be a fool to leave my life here. I’m finally doing what I always dreamed of—researching and writing books.”
“Congratulations on the successful book launch, by the way,” Oliver said. “How is it doing on the charts?”
“I’ll know in a few days.” He’d just returned from New York, where he’d made the rounds of morning shows, magazines, and radio talk shows to discuss the biography he’d written with Ginger, Decoding a Remarkable Life. The publisher risked a large print run on him, so he had to support the effort.
Oliver grinned. “Have you heard who might play Ginger in the film?”
“If they could bring Maureen O’Hara back, she’d be perfect.”
Oliver’s face lit. “I always thought Ginger favored her—more in grit and determination than actual appearance—though their hair was similar. In fact, we just saw Maureen O’Hara in Miracle on 34th Street , one of my favorite holiday films. ” Oliver paused, and a smile lifted his lips. “Ginger will always be a beautiful woman. I’m a lucky man.”
“You two are a good match,” Jack said, and he meant it. “I can’t imagine Ginger putting up with anyone else.”
“Hey, Dad,” Leo yelled. “Watch this.” He tossed three pieces of driftwood in different directions, and Scout took off, making the rounds like he was touching bases—and loving every minute of it.
“Look at him go,” Jack yelled back, pumping a fist.
They watched Leo and Scout for a few minutes before resuming their walk toward the marina.
“I have to confess,” Jack began, changing the subject. “I’m having trouble finding the perfect gift for Marina. I know what would make my wife the happiest—seeing Ethan for Christmas, but he’s busy. Any suggestions?”
Oliver nodded knowingly, watching a pelican dive into the waves. “He’s got real potential on the pro circuit. In sports, a man must make his mark when young.”
“That’s true.” He and Marina had traveled to tournaments with Ginger and Oliver to watch Ethan play. Oliver’s golf expertise helped them appreciate just how good Ethan had become. And Oliver was always willing to hit golf balls with him.
“Have you and Ginger discussed any special plans this holiday?” Jack asked.
Oliver stroked his chin in thought. “I had an idea, but with your book out, I want to give her the time to make appearances if she needs to. Book signings, I suppose.”
Jack shook his head. “She doesn’t want to do any promotion, aside from talks she might want to give to students. She told me living her life is her job; writing about it was mine.”
Oliver chuckled. “That’s Ginger. She’s more interested in the next idea or experience.”
“I sympathize with you. What can you possibly give a woman like that?”
“I’ll figure it out,” Oliver replied. “This isn’t my first rodeo, Jack.”
“I suppose not. The Delavie-Moore women are gems, each in their own way.” Jack remembered the first time he’d seen Marina hobbling from her room at the Seabreeze Inn after she’d lost her job in San Francisco and sprained her ankle. His world had shifted on its axis.
The best gifts life had to offer couldn’t be wrapped.
As they approached the marina, Scout’s bark announced their arrival. They spotted Axe talking with another man near a boat.
Axe had built the Shell Amphitheater that he and Kai ran. Last summer, they produced the musical Mary Poppins they’d planned before Stella was born. Marina confided that, with the new baby, the production had been more difficult than Kai thought it would be. That was behind her decision to take the holidays off.
Jack couldn’t blame her. Leo taught him how much commitment children require.
This year, Axe leased out the venue to friends producing a Christmas choral extravaganza. He and Kai planned to produce another holiday musical next year when Stella was a little older.
“Hey there,” Jack called to Axe and his friend Tyler, who’d made his fortune in tech.
Tyler waved them over. “Axe and I are discussing some plans. I want to renovate the house and add a wing.”
“I can certainly help you with that, but my crew is booked for a couple of weeks after the holidays,” Axe said. “You’ll have to wait your turn.”
Tyler grinned. “You know I don’t like to do that.”
“This time, it’s nonnegotiable,” Axe said. “I have a surprise project for Kai after the holidays. Don’t breathe a word about this. I’m building her a studio on the back of our property for her recording and dance choreography. Besides, your project will take much longer. We’ll need architectural plans and approvals before we do anything.”
“Put me in line, then,” Tyler said with a fist bump.
“You got it. In the meantime, let’s discuss what you want.” Axe turned to Jack and Oliver. “What are you guys up to?”
Oliver crossed his arms. “Aside from solving world problems, we’re trying to decide what to give the special women in our lives.”
Jack dragged his knuckles across his stubbled chin. “Maybe some sort of kitchen gadget, a sweater, new shoes…”
Oliver chuckled at his list.
“What’s wrong with that? Marina told me she needs new shoes for work. Some sort of heavy-duty clogs.”
“Oh, no, my man,” Tyler said. “That’s like buying a woman a toaster. I made that mistake once when we were young and poor. Don’t go there. You could take her shopping, but that has no romance, no originality.”
“Worse,” Oliver chimed in. “She would think you forgot about her. No, they deserve something memorable. Romantic, but not in a way she would expect. Something to make her laugh and throw her arms around you.”
Jack scrubbed his face in exasperation. “You’ve had more experience than all of us.”
“Doesn’t mean I have good ideas for Marina,” Oliver said. “And you know what Ginger is like. She’s seen the world.”
Axe snapped his fingers. “Say, I have an idea. We’re all in Summer Beach for Christmas, right?”
They all nodded, and Jack wondered what his brother-in-law had in mind.
“How much is this going to cost me?” Tyler asked.
“Don’t worry, you can afford it, old man,” Jack replied, giving him a playful punch in the arm.
“Hey, who’s old?” Tyler tugged a few gray hairs on Jack’s head while he swatted him away.
“Come on, guys, listen to this.” With a mischievous expression, Axe shared his idea. “This might be out of your comfort zones, but I guarantee it’s something they’ll never expect—and never forget.”
Oliver’s eyes lit up. “We should get Chip involved, too. Make this a surprise for all our sweethearts.”
“What do we need to do?” Jack asked, intrigued.
Axe waved his hands in a conspiratorial gesture. “First, we get everyone together. Heather’s fiancé, too. Trust me on this one.”
Just then, Leo and Scout bounded across the beach. “Hey, Dad, can we get ice cream now?”
“Soon, little man.” Jack shivered. “Make it hot chocolate with a dollop of ice cream, and you’ve got a deal. Marina makes the best. We’ll go to the cafe soon.”
Leo grinned. “Cool!”
“The kid is in, too,” Axe said, pulling Leo into the group.
Oliver put his arm around the boy, who looked slightly confused. “I have a feeling we’re about to get ourselves into something interesting, son.”
Jack laughed and tousled Leo’s hair. “Don’t we always have a good time?”