Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
L ooking out the window, Paolo said, “What in the world?…”
Wiping her hands on the dish towel, Maggie joined him. “When did that get here?”
“They just drove up. Have you booked a large crowd and didn’t tell me?”
Millie, Riley and Iris peered out another window. “Hey, look! Your mother is with them.”
Maggie and Paolo looked at each other and then ran out the back door.
“Mom, what are you doing here…are you on a senior tour?”
“Good afternoon, Maggie, my dear. I’m the tour director now for our development. I organized a visit to The Mucky Duck for dinner, drinks, dancing and the sunset, of course.”
“I see,” Maggie responded, all the while watching Paolo try to corral two men with walkers from going into his garden. Several of the women were gathering under the gazebo. One woman joined Maggie and her mother.
“Sarah, the ladies wondered if there would be any refreshments here? I think that lovely gazebo would be a nice spot to sit and maybe have an iced tea or lemonade.”
Grandma Sarah looked at Maggie and waited for an answer. Maggie looked as if steam was about to exit both ears.
Sarah turned to the woman. “Carol, why don’t you sit with the others and I’ll see what I can do?”
As Carol walked away, Maggie fumed.
“What could you be thinking? We are getting ready for the dinner crowd. Iris and Riley are busy with that. You want them to stop and make iced tea for these people? The least you could have done was prepare me with a phone call.”
“I’m sorry, Maggie. You don’t have to do a thing. We’re headed to The Mucky Duck and they can have their drinks there. Can you blame a mother for wanting to show off her daughter and her lovely inn. Is that such a crime?”
Maggie’s anger subsided, and she put her arm around her mother. “You’re really something.”
“One more thing, dear. I wondered if we might park the bus here until after sunset. The Mucky Duck is only around the corner, and you know what little parking they have. We’re all not so feeble that we can’t walk there.”
Maggie looked at Arnold and Charles. “Oh no? Those two won’t be able to do it. It’s too far for them.”
Her mother watched Paolo explain how he grows his garden to the two men.
“Oh dear, you’re right.” She smiled and looked at Maggie. “I have an idea. Can Paolo drive Charles and Arnold over? We all can walk there and they can meet us. I’ll text you when the party’s over, and Paolo can come and get them. I know this is an inconvenience, Maggie, I just thought it would be a nice evening out.”
Maggie nodded. “That’s fine. Why don’t you all start walking? I’ll tell Paolo and he can drive them.”
Grandma Sarah hugged Maggie. “Thank you, honey. You’re such a good daughter.”
Maggie went to tell Paolo the plan while her mother gathered the rest of the group. She then went to help Paolo get Charles and Arnold into the car.
“You’ll probably get there before everyone else; hopefully, you can reserve a few picnic tables.”
Maggie almost laughed out loud at the turn of events. She could tell Paolo was also holding back a chuckle.
Millie, Riley and Iris came out onto the driveway, and they all watched as Grandma Sarah, at the front of the group, led the way to The Mucky Duck.
“Where are they all going?” Riley asked.
“The Mucky Duck,” Maggie answered and continued laughing as she started back inside. “Something tells me the place will never be the same after tonight.”
Standing in front of her mirror, Chelsea liked what she saw. Wearing a white linen sleeveless dress with white sandals, her tanned skin gave her a healthy glow. She felt radiant and wondered if anyone who knew her could see the change that was so evident to her.
The simplicity of her outfit and light fabric flowed gracefully as she moved. Adding a delicate silver bracelet and a pair of small, sparkling earrings added a touch of elegance.
She gave herself one last approving glance before heading downstairs. The nerves she felt the last time she saw Steven had been replaced with a new excitement for their date tonight. She had no idea where they were going for dinner, but she was thrilled that they’d have quiet time together, giving her the chance to learn more about him.
It was the opportunity she’d been waiting for ever since she sat across from him at Isabelle and Sebastian’s dinner party. She needed to uncover more about his life, his dreams, and the little things that made him who he was. It was a chance to deepen their connection, and she couldn’t wait to see what the night would bring.
At seven o’clock, the doorbell rang.
“Right on time,” Chelsea said as she opened the door.
“I hate to be late for anything. You’re lucky I wasn’t camped out on your doorstep fifteen minutes earlier. I’ve been known to show up early for things all the time.”
His eyes moved downward and then back to her face. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. Let me run upstairs and grab my purse.”
“Sure, take your time.”
She ran to her bedroom and took one last look in the mirror. Feeling confident that she’d picked the right outfit for the date, she grabbed her purse and headed back to the living room.
Steven was looking at the photos on the bookcase. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you. It took a lot of years of love and shopping to get it where I feel like it’s a reflection of my tastes. Ready to go?”
“Absolutely,” he said as he held the door open for her.
Once on the porch, Chelsea stopped at the top of the stairs.
“You have a Tesla? I’ve been dying to ride in one of these.”
“What else would an environmentally-conscious person drive? Would you like to drive it?”
Chelsea shook her head. “No way. Technology and I don’t get along. I’d have us in a ditch on the side of the road before we made it to the restaurant. Speaking of restaurants, where exactly are we going?”
“I thought we’d go to Sweet Melissa’s. It’s one of my favorites,” he said, helping her into the car.
He ran to the driver’s side and got in. “Have you eaten there before? I think the food is good.”
“Yes, I love the place.”
Chelsea looked at the dashboard and marveled at the card Steven used to start the car. He then touched the screen in front of them, and then drove away and toward Sanibel.
“I can’t get over how quiet it is. It doesn’t sound like it’s on.”
“It’s quite simple to use once you get used to it. It was amusing when I test drove it. Once I got back to the dealer, I had no idea how to get out of the car or turn it off. I was a mess.”
Chelsea loved how Steven made fun of himself. He didn’t do it in a self-deprecating way, but more as an ability not to take himself seriously.
Chelsea took note that although they’d been given the option of eating inside or out, Steven had called ahead and asked for a quiet table in the corner of the dining room.
As they were directed to their table, Chelsea admired the warm earth tones of the terracotta decor. Each table had a lit candle, making the room glow with color.
Once drinks arrived and their orders were placed, Steven raised his glass.
“To Isabelle and Sebastian Barlowe for introducing us.”
It was this first time Chelsea had toasted to Isabelle, who normally got on her nerves, but not tonight.
“To Isabelle and Sebastian,” she replied.
“You know much more about me than I do you, Steven. How is it that our friends thought we’d make a good match?”
“That’s a good question. I’m not sure why they wanted us to meet. I can tell you that this was not the first time they tried.”
“Oh? You’ve met others this way?”
He shook his head. “No, I never accepted any of their prior invitations. I’ve been single for a long time. My ex-wife and I divorced five years ago. We were married for sixteen years. The marriage was good in the beginning, but I think…no… I know my wife got tired of me putting my work ahead of our marriage. I know it takes two to end a marriage, but I take most of the blame willingly.”
“It must be painful to take on such responsibility.”
Steven nodded. “I certainly have regrets, and I have learned so much from the experience. I hope it has made me a better person…a better man.”
“Do you have any children?”
He shook his head. “No. We never got around to that. To paint the best picture of our relationship, you need to imagine what our lives were like. We traveled the globe and lived a carefree life. My wife never wanted children, which I found out after a few years of marriage.”
“Another regret?” she asked.
“I regret I wasn’t smart enough to ask the right questions before we got married…and yes, I regret not having children. I’m glad I was smart enough not to bring a child into our family. It’s hard enough raising children when they’re wanted. Having a mother like Laura would have been a disaster. I couldn’t do that to a child.”
“It’s not too late for you. That’s one of the benefits of being a man. Many men have children when they’re older.”
“That’s true, but that’s not me. I’m not sure I’d have the energy now. What about you?”
“Me? No…no children, not because I didn’t want any, I was unable to get pregnant. Carl and I tried for years until we finally gave up. We almost adopted, but when that fell through, I took it as a sign. We felt grateful to have each other and had a wonderful marriage.”
“Sebastian told me about your husband. Was he sick for a long time?”
“Two years…four months…three days…the cancer came and went. He was in remission for three months, and then it was back with a vengeance. We sold the house up north and moved down here toward the end. It was his wish to die on Captiva Island, and so he did.”
Chelsea rarely revisited those days anymore, but somehow she felt it necessary to share this pain with Steven. If they were to be in each other’s life, he’d need to accept that Carl would always be her family.
Steven put his hand on hers. “I’m so sorry for both you and Carl. You should have been together for many more years. No one should go through that, and it’s sad that so many do.”
She smiled. “Thank you. It was hard for a long time, but I’ve grown enough to understand that some things you have to accept and move on. The first few years, I was angry at God and felt like I was angry all the time. That’s what happens when you feel you have no control over the most important things in your life. Once you learn that you have very little control, it’s easier to find peace and be grateful for what life gives you.”
Chelsea took a sip of her wine, but never moved her hand away from his.
“Are you happy?” he asked.
Chelsea laughed. “That’s a funny question.”
“Well?” he persisted.
She thought for a minute and then answered, “Yes, I am. I’m very happy. How about you?”
He looked into her eyes and smiled. “I’m happy with my life as it is. The only thing that’s missing is someone to share it with.”
There was no mistaking his intent, and it wasn’t until she heard his words that she realized it was exactly how she felt.
She’d seen the need for a man in her life somehow as a sign of weakness, that she couldn’t make it on her own. But, she had made it and was proud of who she’d become. She too wanted someone to share her life with, and until this moment, she never believed it possible that would happen for her.
What’s more, she realized for the first time since Carl died, that loving another took nothing away from what she and her husband had. She’d built walls around her heart after Carl’s death, but here was Steven, gently testing her courage to let the walls fall.
Steven’s eyes softened, and he squeezed her hand. It was as if he understood her sadness but encouraged a future with him. A future that suddenly appeared when she’d least expected it. If she didn’t know better, she was sure Carl, smiling from heaven, had a hand in this.