Chapter 16 #2
Mia shouldn’t lose her house when there was something he could do about it. Cody might be fast friends with loss, but that didn’t mean Mia and the kids had to be as well.
As he walked home, the rain slackened to a light drizzle. He pulled out his phone and keyed in the number he’d spotted on the Harpers’ application. They agreed to meet him at the dock in Port Joseph and grab a piece of pie together at a nearby shop that evening.
The storms must have moved all the way off, because an hour later as he docked his boat in the public slip, his rain slicker held only a few drops on it, which could easily have been from the spray off the boat. Spotting the neon sign for the café, he hustled toward it.
Inside the combination convenience store and café, the wooden booths and smell of cinnamon were a welcoming embrace. Near the door sat an older couple, late sixties at least. Must be them.
“Mr. and Mrs. Harper?” Cody held his hand out and Mr. Harper shook it, his grip tight.
“Thanks for coming over,” Mr. Harper said, giving an additional squeeze before letting go. “We were just about to order some pie.”
Cody slid into the booth across from the couple. They looked like they fit together in that way people do after having been married for a long time. Maybe he and Mia would look like that someday.
“I’ll get right into it.” Cody laid his hands on the table. “Your shop would be a great fit for our community. I’d be happy to answer any concerns you have, and then we can get those papers signed tonight for the meeting in the morning.” Guilt twinged at having snagged the paperwork behind Mia’s back. But she would forgive him when he returned with them signed, and her house secure.
Mr. and Mrs. Harper shared a long look.
For the first time, Cody’s gut clenched. They were going to sign, weren’t they?
Before they could say anything, the waitress arrived with three slices of apple pie. Cody dug into his first bite. Sweet apple and the spicy cinnamon notes burst on his tongue. No wonder the place smelled so good.
“Jonathon Island is a great place to live and work.” Sure, he was quoting verbatim from Mia’s website, but they were good sales points, couldn’t hurt to use them on the Harpers. “We’re a tight-knit community, but very open to bringing new people into the fold.” He took another bite of the pie.
“Let me stop you right there,” Mrs. Harper said. “We’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this opportunity, especially since getting that call this afternoon. And I’m sorry to tell you…” She paused and looked down at her plate. The apple pie turned to ash in his mouth.
Mr. Harper cleared his throat. “We won’t be signing the papers. We thought we were ready for a new adventure, but once it became a reality, we realized we like it right here.”
“But you seemed so excited.” Even as he spoke the words, Cody knew they were futile. “Is there anything I can say to change your mind?”
Mrs. Harper looked him in the eye again. “We do love Jonathon Island. We’ve visited many times. And we appreciate the gesture of you coming over here to talk to us. But we’re too old to be making that change. In fact, all of this discussion made us think about selling our shop and starting our retirement.”
The last of his hope died a swift death.
A few minutes later, Mr. Harper laid some bills on the table then stood and clapped Cody on the shoulder. “Have a safe trip home.”
Cody stood from the table and wandered through the convenience store. He’d failed. The words kept ringing through his mind. He’d lost the Harpers, and now Mia would lose her house.
He stopped in front of a candy display without really seeing it until a bright yellow package caught his eye. Gushers. I used to love those things. Mia’s words from their date jolted through him. Thinking about her that night, in her yellow sundress, lit a fire in him. He would go home, talk to Mia, and they would come up with a plan together.
Nothing was lost yet.
He paid for a few packages of the candy and raced to his boat. As he pushed away from the dock, a crash of thunder rolled over him.
The sun raced for the horizon as though it were being chased there by the dark clouds forming to the east. Its orangey-purple light did little to illuminate the lake. He motored out into the straights and flipped on the boat’s running lights before checking his smartwatch. With any luck, he’d be back before Finn and Maggie were in bed. Hopefully Maggie was feeling better. He could help Mia get them into their jammies and tucked in. He’d love to read them the story about the pigeon and the bus he’d spotted on their bookshelf.
And then, once the kids were settled, he and Mia could have some quality alone time.
A bolt of lightning sizzled overhead followed by another ominous boom of thunder. He pulled up the weather app on his phone. Sure enough, a new storm had kicked up on the lake. His pulse kicked up in response.
Because of course there was a storm.
Wind whipped at him right before the rain began coming down in sheets. He tugged on a baseball cap to try to keep the worst of it out of his eyes. He glanced behind him. The far shore he’d left ten minutes ago had disappeared in the waves. Better to keep moving forward. Toward home. And Mia.
He turned the boat to a forty-five-degree angle into the waves, knuckles gripping the wheel until they streaked white. Acid pooled in his stomach. This is nothing like before, just a little wind, a little rain.
The spray from a wave hit him in the face. Not that there was much difference than the rain pelting him. The boat rose over a wave and nosed down the back of it. He forced the images of what could happen out of his mind.
Pitchpoling .
Capsizing .
Broaching .
Dangerous words rang in his ears. Or maybe it was the grumble of thunder overhead. Cody fought to hang on as another monster wave hit almost broadside. He wrenched the wheel back the other direction, attempting to tack on the slight calm between waves.
The sky hung fully dark now. The distance between Port Joseph and Jonathon Island only stretched about eight miles, but he may as well be at sea. He couldn’t see either shore. He squinted at the compass mounted on his boat. The arrow swung northeast. He’d gotten turned around. Biting back a curse, or was it a shout? He swung the wheel into the next wave. The boat tilted starboard.
A prayer ripped from his lips. Please, God, save me. And he didn’t have time for any more words because another wave caught him. Tipped him portside. He swiped at the rain on his face. It tasted salty. Maybe not rain, then.
Just then he saw another boat, another captain fighting this storm. Bad things happen to everyone. What matters is how you deal with it.
Okay, Liam had a point. Focus on the good things. Mia’s words chased in.
In that moment, he made a decision. He didn’t want to focus on losses anymore. No more waiting around for bad things to happen, for more loss to crash in. He was going to cherish the good things in his life for as long as he had them. He loved Mia and he couldn’t wait to tell her.
Another wave crashed and there was no time to analyze that truth. He fought the lake rising in front of him.
Wait. Was that…? A moment later, another flash. Land ho! Keeping his eyes on the light, Cody tacked up and down the waves, making slow progress. A grueling fifteen minutes later, he motored into Jonathon Island marina, soaking wet, but alive.
Overhead, the thunder lost its power and the rain fell to a trickle.
He’d survived. The lights of downtown beckoned him home. He couldn’t wait to get the boat docked and secured.
After tying up the boat, he hurried toward Lilac Lane.
In moments, he was turning up Mia’s front walk. He tapped lightly at the door in case the kids were already in bed.
The door opened wide, framing Mia, hair in a tumble, with a red-cheeked Maggie on her hip.
“Cody! I’m so glad to see you.” She reached for him and pulled him tight to her, Maggie sandwiched between them. “I know it’s only been a few hours, but I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” His heart sank as he thought about the bad news he was about to deliver.
“The kids have been asking about your mama sheep story and the thunder. I think you’ve made an impression on them.” She pulled back and smiled at him. “What brought you back? And why are you all wet?”
In answer, he pulled the Gushers from his pocket. Her face lit up, and she reached for the candy. “Gushers! Where did you find these?”
She looked beautiful. A band tightened around his chest.
“Can I read the kids a story?” He really wanted to know what happened with that pigeon in their book. And spending time with the kids would help warm him up.
“They’re both exhausted from the day and the storm.” From the sound of her voice, the kids weren’t the only ones who were exhausted. “I’ll just lay them down and then we can talk.”
All right then. He’d have to think of another way to warm up. Looked like he and Mia would have some alone time after all.
He sat on the couch and waited for her. The room was different without Troy’s chair in the corner. Lighter somehow. Or maybe he was projecting, because despite the bad news he’d come to deliver, right now he felt lighter, and the specter of Troy didn’t seem to matter as much between him and Mia.
Mia came in. She’d tied her hair back, but a tendril of it framed her face. His fingers itched to stroke that lock. She sat in the easy chair next to the couch.
“Cody, why are you wet?” A furrow creased her brow.
He pulled his hat off and ran a hand through his wet tangles. “I, uh, was out on the lake.”
She shot to her feet. “In the storm?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes flashed. “I hope you had a good reason.”
“I did have a good reason, but before we talk about that, there’s something I have to say.” Her face turned stony, which wasn’t super encouraging. But he’d promised himself he’d tell her. He stood too. “Mia, I’ve waited too long to tell you this. I love you. I think I’ve loved you since the day you came to the island. You are talented and kind and funny. You bring out the best in me.” She opened her mouth then shut it again. Were those tears in her eyes? “I want to be with you. I want to stay in the lives of those amazing kids of yours. I want it all, Mia.”
“Cody.” Mia’s voice tightened, and he reached for her. So, they were tears. She shook him off. “The last few hours have been traumatic for me. When the storm came up, I had flashbacks of the night Troy died. And now I find out you were in that storm? And all you can say is that you love me? It’s too much.” She pressed a fist to her mouth then tapped it on the arm of the chair. “Why were you even out there?”
“A good reason, I promise. I went over to Port Joseph. I met with the Harpers.”
A look of horror crossed her face. “You went over there after you said you wouldn’t? It wasn’t enough that I sent one man to die, you thought you’d make it two?”
“I’m sorry, I—” She gave him a sharp look, and he bit off the rest of the sentence. Except, wait. “You didn’t send me. I wanted to go. I offered, remember? And I never said I wouldn’t go.” Was it cold in here?
“But you wouldn’t have gone if it weren’t for me. I told you I’d figure it out. You didn’t need to endanger your life for this. You didn’t think I could do it?” She tightened her lips and breathed deeply.
That wasn’t what he’d thought at all. “I wanted to help save your house.” Yeah, it hadn’t worked, but they could figure that out together. “I don’t get why this is such a big deal.”
“What’s a house compared to you dying?” The words should have been loving, but the hiss she delivered them in stung. “You didn’t trust me to do it on my own, so you took an unnecessary risk. And for what? A contract I could get signed in a few days?”
His gut clenched. “Mia, they didn’t sign. They don’t want to move here.”
All of the color drained from her face. She opened her mouth. Shut it.
“We can figure it out together.” He reached for her again, but again she shrugged him off.
“I don’t think I can be with you.”
“What? You’re overreacting.”
“Don’t tell me I’m overreacting. My husband died out there. Do you get that? Died.” Every word she said punched him in the gut. “My children have no father.” She pointed toward the hall. “Maggie never even met him. It doesn’t matter how I feel about you. I can’t open myself and them up to that again. If this is how it’s going to be, I can’t do it.”
“I can’t promise I won’t go back out on the water.” He squared his feet. “And I won’t apologize for doing it this time either. I was trying to help you.”
“Some kind of help. It didn’t even work.” She crossed her arms. “Sorry. That was uncalled for.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Look, Mia, going out on the lake is part of my job, part of the life I’ve chosen. But I’d give it up to be with you.”
“I can’t ask you to give up your dreams.”
“But that’s just it. You’re my dream. Mia, I love you and I want to be with you.”
“Have you not been listening? I can’t be with you.”
“But you love me, right? I know you. I can see that you feel the same way about me.” He leaned forward. “We can figure this out together. I will fight for you.”
“Love doesn’t have anything to do with it. The kids and I can’t handle losing another person. I know you want to reopen your dad’s business, and Cody, you should do that.” He longed to meet her eyes, but she gazed somewhere in the middle distance. “You should follow your dream. Do it for yourself, or do it for Troy even. But I can’t be with you.” Tears streaked their way down her face.
He ran a hand through his damp hair and gave it a tug. Who cared if it stuck up now. “So, it’s choose the business or you?”
“No. I’m taking myself out of the equation.” She swiped a hand across her face and turned away from him. “Have a good life. Catch lots of fish. But I can’t be waiting onshore wondering if you will be coming home.”
A heat flared in him, and he reached for her again. If she would just listen to him…“Mia, anything could happen to anyone at any time. Don’t close yourself off from love just because you’re scared.”
Maggie called from down the hall. “Mama?”
“See you around, Cody.” Her voice broke. “Will you lock the door on your way out?” Then she walked away from him.
He was too late.
Maybe if he had told her how he felt earlier, before going out on the water, it would have made a difference.
No. He knew better. He always lost everything he loved. The revelation on the lake evaporated in the face of this. The worst bad thing to happen to him.