CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
W hen Crystal got home , she greeted Misty watching television on the couch, and went directly to her bedroom. There, she put on a nightshirt and climbed between the sheets.
At the knock on the door, she tensed.
“Are you alright?” Misty asked.
“I will be,” said Crystal in a firm voice. She’d wanted more than Emmett was ready to give. It was a lesson to her not to create something that wasn’t there. Emmett could’ve, should’ve had his arm around her during the fireworks, not let Diana hang all over him. He hadn’t encouraged anything, but on the other hand, he hadn’t indicated any unhappiness in having Diana act that way.
Her thoughts spiraled downward, feeding her insecurity. Gravitating toward a new person in town, she’d mistakenly believed she and Emmett had the foundation of something better. He was a super lover, experienced. Surely, with his looks and personality, he would be a catch for anyone. Diana certainly thought so. On and on it went.
Crystal put a pillow over her head as if that could stop her thoughts. It reminded her of times when as a child she’d do the same thing to prevent hearing her mother rant and rave about something or nothing.
Taking a deep breath, Crystal pulled the pillow off her head. She would move forward as she usually did, keeping busy with work. Though her heart was broken, she was a strong woman.
###
T he next morning, she headed down to the Café at her usual time, her mind made up to get through the day. She’d been making too much of their growing relationship, putting her own spin on it. Was it her hormones at play? She couldn’t stop thinking about having a family of her own. A real family—loving mother and father, and one baby, or more.
Her day started with a crowd of locals coming in to talk and gossip about the Summer Faire. Merchants were allowing their doors to open late to catch up on the news and compare success.
Midmorning, the cleanup crew met for coffee before tackling the job of taking down banners, signs, and balloons and sprucing up the town. But it was a slower day than most, with everyone relaxed and feeling good about the event.
Her staff, some hungover, pitched in to give the Café a decent straightening and cleaning before the lunch crowd appeared.
As she was wiping down tables, Whitney appeared carrying Timothy in a front-facing carrier. Seeing his sweet face, knowing her hopes of a child might be dashed forever, Crystal fought tears.
“What’s up? Why the sad face?” asked Whitney giving her a look of concern.
“I let Emmett know I was upset with the way Diana acted toward him at the picnic and why he didn’t do anything to stop it. I told him I thought we ought to step away from one another.”
“Wait a minute,” said Whitney. “You told him all that?”
Crystal nodded, wanting to cry. “You saw how Diana was hanging all over him. She took my seat on the blanket when I went inside, and she wouldn’t move. I was forced to sit off the blanket on the grass on the other side of Emmett.”
Whitney shook her head slowly. “Yes, I wondered what was going on with that. She’s a beautiful, aggressive young woman and she seems determined to catch Emmett’s attention. What did he say when you told him how you felt?”
“He said Diana was like a family friend working on his father’s campaign, that he has to be kind to her.”
“Do you want to know what I think?” asked Whitney, putting the pacifier back in Timothy’s mouth.
“Yes. I’m at a loss,” said Crystal.
“My suggestion is for you to just leave it alone. Give Emmett time to think about things. You’ve told him how you feel and now the ball is in his court. No matter how long it takes.”
“Diana told me it would never work between Emmett and me because his family favors her.”
Whitney’s cheeks grew red. She narrowed her lips. “I’ve known women like her. Diana is a bitch. Believe me, she won’t get away with it in our crowd. Poor Dirk. He’s starting to get comfortable in town and doesn’t need a sister to mess things up for him.”
Crystal gave Whitney a squeeze on the arm. “Thanks for being here for me. You can imagine how insecure I felt when Diana talked to me that way after his mother had been awful to me.”
“Let’s see how independent Emmett is,” said Whitney. “I’m sorry you’re having to go through this, but it might make your relationship stronger in the future.”
“If there is any future with us,” grumped Crystal. “I don’t want to be one of those women who’s jealous if her spouse even looks at another woman. But I need to know how the future is going to play out with Diana in it.”
“That sounds fair to me. But remember, no contact with Emmett. He has to figure it out for himself.”
“Got it,” said Crystal. “It’s suitable timing anyway because, for the next eight days, I’m working on a play in Ogunquit and will be gone most of the time.” She waved to someone coming into the Café. “What can I get you?” she asked Whitney.
“A glass of water,” Whitney said. “Timothy and I are simply going for a walk. And after gorging myself on food all weekend, that’s all I need.”
Crystal served her water in a paper cup. “Take this.”
“Thanks. See you later,” said Whitney. “Love you.”
“Love you too,” said Crystal, overwhelmed by the way Whitney had tried to build her up.
The day progressed with no lunch order for Dr. Chambers. Crystal shrugged and kept on moving. Whitney was right. Even if she had jumped the gun a bit in trying to find out his long-term feelings for her, she had to give Emmett time to come to his own conclusion about them. In the meantime, she hoped never to cross paths with Diana.
###
A couple of days later , Crystal went over the normal morning and night routines for the Café with Misty for the umpteenth time. “Thanks for taking over for me. I’ll see you whenever I’m needed here. Otherwise, I’ll be gone for several days.” At first, Crystal had planned to leave after lunch each day to drive to Maine for the play, and then after the show that normally ended about ten o’clock late, she’d either drive back to Lilac Lake or spend the night in Ogunquit with friends. Then she realized it wouldn’t be fair to Misty to do that. Especially when Misty would take care of opening and closing the Café and overseeing staff as part of a trial period.
“Take care driving,” said Misty. “And don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine. Use this as a break from everything here, including a certain doctor.”
Crystal hugged her sister. “What would I do without you?”
“It’s about time I paid you back for all you did for me,” said Misty. “Go!”
Full of anticipation, Crystal got into her car. She was off to her summer adventure. One that she’d enjoyed for years. She played only small parts, but it was enough to give her pleasure and keep her creative juices flowing. By now she knew the management of the theater well and a few of the touring thespians who played summer stock performing plays away from larger venues.
Located on the southern coast of Maine, Ogunquit sat in Perkins Cove and was a beautiful example of what visitors described as a picture postcard scene of the Maine coastline. The four-square-mile town was known for its sandy beaches, active art and theater scene, and dining, shopping, and lodging.
As she drove into town, Crystal smiled with anticipation. For her, it was a place to revive her love of the theater. The small roles she undertook were a means of releasing her inner creativity. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. The ability to transform herself into another character was very satisfying. In this case, she would be playing a part in the ensemble of the play, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Not many people in town knew that she took voice lessons in the slower days of winter. She was content to do some ensemble work. That was enough to keep her going.
Crystal pulled up to the bungalow that her theater friends Jerry Sandler and Lance Matthews owned. It was a cute, white cape cod with black shutters within easy walking distance to Footbridge Beach.
A short, heavy-set man with blond hair streaked with pink said, “There you are,” as she emerged from the car. His blue eyes sparkled. “Lance and I were starting to get worried. You don’t have much time before you need to get over to the theater. But come inside and relax a bit.”
“Thanks,” said Crystal, hugging Jerry.
Lance appeared. Tall, with black hair graying at the temples and sporting a black goatee, Lance was the gentleman he portrayed. “Did you bring luggage?”
“I have just one bag, but it’s big enough to last the week while Misty runs the Café for me. If necessary, I’ll go back to Lilac Lake to take care of things.”
Jerry laughed. “I get it. The Café is your baby.”
Lance took the bag from her. “We’ll just put this in our guest room. Come inside.”
The ordinary exterior of the house contrasted with a unique, updated interior. Pale-lavender walls held an array of pictures and paintings, and the gray-stained wooden floors, and the comfy off-white furniture combined to give off cozy but interesting vibes. Thinking of Emmett’s renovation, Crystal took note of the details. The lime-green, orange, and lilac pillows on the couch popped with color.
The living area opened to an updated kitchen that was a dream for any chef. Jerry had insisted on it and rightly so. He was a wonderful cook. Though you couldn’t tell from Lance’s thin frame, he eagerly ate whatever Jerry prepared.
“I’ve put your bag in the guest room. We can either stay inside or go out to the back deck. Your call,” said Lance.
“I’d love to be outside and smell the salty air,” said Crystal. “As relaxing as the lake is, being here by the ocean is always a delight.”
“I’ll fix us something cold to drink. Lemonade alright?” Jerry asked her.
“That sounds delicious,” said Crystal. “Thanks.”
They waited and then each carried a glass of it outside to the wooden deck behind the house. An awning kept a portion of the long deck shaded. Running the width of the house, the deck was a perfect place to stretch out in one of the lounge chairs or to eat at the umbrella-topped table. Like everything inside, the cushions on the teak chairs were color-coordinated in shades of gray, green, and brown.
Crystal chose one of the table chairs where she could converse with her friends. Jerry and Lance found seats on either side of her.
“How are the two of you?” she asked. “You both look terrific.”
“I’m fine,” said Jerry. “Lance had a bit of a cold in the spring before we came here for the summer. But we keep on keeping on. I’ve been working on a cookbook. A friend suggested I do it.”
“If you have any recipes for me to use, I’d love it,” Crystal said.
He laughed. “I do have one for you. Orange Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Everyone loves them.”
“Sounds perfect. Thanks.” Crystal turned to Lance. “How about you? Still doing consulting work for start-ups?”
“Yes. It’s amazing how many people think they can simply say they’re in business without laying any of the foundations behind it. The underprivileged people I work with are sometimes able to get funding from government programs, but it takes a lot of organization to put it to the best use. And a lot of patience to deal with the government.” Lance had created and sold a computer program to a large company and was still getting royalties every year from it.
“Before you go back to New York, I hope to lure you to Lilac Lake.”
“The fall is a good time to visit with all the rest of the ‘leaf peepers’. Maybe then,” said Jerry. He leaned forward eagerly. “Any new man in your life?”
Crystal couldn’t stop a pink flush from entering her cheeks. “Maybe. Maybe not. But I have met someone who interests me.” She blinked rapidly. “I may be more interested than he. We had a spat, and I’m waiting to see what will happen.”
“Tell us about him,” said Lance sitting back and giving her a look of concern.
“Emmett Chambers is the new doctor in town. He’s the son of Everett and Natalie Chamberlain.”
“He changed his name?” asked Jerry.
“Yes. Everett is his stepfather, and in a show of independence, Emmett changed his name as he was about to go to college to study medicine. Everett wanted him to go into law, hoping, I think, that he’d go into politics. It was important to Emmett to separate from his family, one he doesn’t much admire.”
“Some of us are forced to separate from families,” said Lance with a touch of bitterness.
“Yes. And some would like to forget what family they had,” countered Crystal. “In this case, it’s worked out well. So well, that Emmett will cooperate with his family when it’s announced his stepfather is running for president. If it gets that far.”
“That’s a big if,” said Lance. “The senator has made a lot of enemies.”
“Including the gay community here,” Jerry said. “I’m surprised the MeToo movement didn’t bring him down.”
“The senator is nicer than his wife. Emmett’s mother has been rude to me and made it clear to Emmett that I’m not suitable.”
“Aw, sweetie, that’s too bad,” said Jerry. “That can make it impossible.”
“Emmett and I talked about it, but he wasn’t going to let his family’s opinions stop us from getting to know one another. Now, his mother is pushing a young woman at him, someone who’s working on his father’s campaign. She’s beautiful ...”
“Stop,” said Jerry. “Crystal, you’re one of the most beautiful women I know. Inside and out.” He gave her a teasing smile. “Even without the purple hair.”
“Very Grace Kelly-like,” commented Lance. “Sometimes it’s best to let the situation settle for a while before any final judgments can be made.”
“My friend, Whitney Gilford, said the same thing.”
“How is she?” said Lance. “I haven’t spoken to her since her baby arrived. She had the idea I should serve on a board of directors for a theater group she’s trying to organize.”
“She still intends to go forward with the idea of offering drama camps for serious students and ones for underprivileged kids as a way to express themselves.”
“It’s a sound idea,” said Lance. “After our busy summer is over, I’ll talk to her about it again.”
“So, you’re a member of the ensemble for the play. Have you been practicing?” Jerry asked her.
“Before Misty came back home and Emmett entered the scene, I practiced singing a lot. It’s something to do when I’m all alone,” said Crystal. “But I have no speaking parts, I just sing and dance a little. Nothing too showy. That’s how I like it.”
“It’s fantastic that you’ve kept up with this,” said Jerry. “It’s wise for the theater companies to hire locals for parts like this. Saves them money.”
“As a board member for the summer theater, I encourage it,” Lance said.
“It’s great for someone like me who wants the continued experience.” She checked her watch. “I guess I’d better go. I’ll eat dinner with someone from the group and will see you later.”
Both men rose.
“We’ll probably be out and about, but you know where the key is hidden,” said Jerry.
“Thanks.” Crystal hugged both men and went to her car, her stomach fluttering with excitement.