6. Return to the Living
6
RETURN TO THE LIVING
S ummer sat in the backyard, phone to her ear.
“I’m glad you called, Blakely,” Dewitt’s voice sounded strange to her. She hadn’t talked to him in so long, and there was a softness he’d never had before.
“I was wondering how you were doing?” she asked.
“I won’t lie. Things were hard at first, but now I can say I’ve never been better.”
“Oh? Tell me about it.”
“I’m getting married next month,” he said. “Her name is Mai.”
Summer swallowed. Griff told her Dewitt was getting married. How had he known? She pushed the question aside and tried to figure out her feelings. Happiness or jealousy? She wasn’t sure. A healthy dose of surprise, anger, curiosity, and fear was wrapped up in the stuff pulsing through her veins.
“How did you meet?” She figured she wouldn’t need to find the right words if she could keep him talking.
“I’ve always known her, but we never dated or anything. She’s a nurse at the local clinic. I was being fitted for a prosthetic, and she always smiled at me. It was nice to have someone see me, not the missing leg. ”
There it is. Summer honed in on the positive feelings warming her chest. “I’m so happy for you.”
“How are you doing?” Dewitt shifted focus to her.
“I’m good. My parents and I spent several months exploring Europe. I just got home recently.”
“Well, text me your address, and I’ll send you a wedding invitation.” Dewitt spoke to someone off to the side and then said, “I’ve got to go. It was good hearing from you.”
“You, too. Congratulations.”
After hanging up, Summer stared at the fence in an effort to untangle all the thoughts. Dewitt was getting married.
Did that mean Griff was haunting her? Or had she heard someone mention it without registering the information until her subconscious brought it to the surface?
Griff shook his head. “Bullheaded woman.”
Her mom called out for her, “Summer, there’s someone here to see you.”
A gut-wrenching sensation moved over Summer. She had avoided visitors all week by hiding in her room so she wouldn’t have to paste on a smile and pretend to be happy. What if it was Brandon? She was nervous about the day he would show up and demand she talk to him. Had that day come? She sat on the edge of the seat, ready to run for her room if needed.
Instead of Brandon, a young, familiar-looking woman walked onto the patio with Summer’s mother. She had long, straight brown hair, a sweetness to her expression, and eyes that belonged to a Fletcher. They all had that blue-sometimes-green like the sea color that couldn’t be missed.
“Hi, you must be Summer.” The woman sat beside her and continued, “You probably don’t remember me, but I’m Ellie. Brandon’s youngest sister. Anyway, I need help and he thought you might be able to do it.”
Ellie talked quickly, and it took a moment for Summer to catch up. “Brandon sent you? ”
“Well, when I asked him for help, and he couldn’t do it, he suggested you. Do you think you could help me?”
“With what?”
“Sorry, I’m so excited that I’m messing this up. You see, I applied for a summer music program in Boston but didn’t get in. And then I got a phone call this morning, and someone dropped out. I was the first alternate, so I have to be there by tomorrow and need to pack, but I was supposed to help Austin on the lake with a kayak tour today. Brandon said you loved being on the lake. So, could you take my shift? Austin can hire someone before the next tour, but he won’t have time today.” Ellie finally paused long enough to take a breath. “Brandon said to tell you he wouldn’t be there if that helps. Please, I really want to do this program.”
Summer didn’t know what to say. She stared at Ellie for a moment, glad Griff was keeping his mouth shut for once. It gave her time to consider the request without his input. She knew he’d say to take it, and she did miss being on the lake. Would it hurt to go for one day? If it were a tour group, she probably wouldn’t know anyone other than Austin, and she could pretend to be happy and pleasant for one day. They wouldn’t know her secrets or comment on how she’d changed over the years.
“Okay, I can do it. When does he need me?” Summer asked.
Ellie jumped up and bounced on the balls of her feet while clapping her hands. She might be more a girl than a woman, but the show of joy touched something inside Summer. If only she could have held on to that innocence after high school. She hoped this girl would.
“Thank you so much. I’ll let Austin know you’ll meet him at the main dock in thirty minutes.” She glanced at her watch. “He’ll have everything ready and tell you what he needs you to do.”
Summer stood, and Ellie reached over and squeezed her hand.
“Seriously, thank you so much!” With that parting comment, Ellie practically ran through the kitchen’s open door and disappeared.
Griff decided to add his two cents, along with a wink in her direction. “I’m proud of you, pretty girl. Now I’ll get to see you in a swimsuit. ”
“Shut up,” Summer laughed. “Maybe I’ll dig up my wet suit just to annoy you. Goodness knows you annoy me plenty.”
“Hey, as long as you get out there and give me something new to look at, I don’t care.” He pointed at her. “You said you’d bring me home and share it with me, but all you’ve done is hide here. Show me your world, Summer.”
The momentary happiness bled away and was replaced by a lump in her throat. She had wanted to share Sugar Creek with Griff, but not like this. He deserved to be here alive and whole. The people in town would have loved him, especially the single women. Oh, how the Sugar Mamas would have smiled at the prospect of setting him up with those women.
“Why couldn’t I have fallen in love with you?” she asked as she headed up the stairs to her room.
“Because you already gave your heart to him. That’s okay. All things considered, I’m glad you didn’t fall in love with me.”
That thought didn’t comfort Summer. Her friend was gone, and the truth was she still needed him.
“That’s why I’m here. Get ready, and I’ll see you at the lake.”
Summer pulled up to the beach and dock on Lake Champlain twenty minutes later. Plenty of people were scattered along the brown stretch of sand, primarily moms with their children and groups of teenagers. After grabbing her bag and locking the doors, Summer approached a building on the right. She could see stacks of kayaks leaning against the small shack and several people standing around.
As soon as she stepped onto the sand, she stopped. There had been plenty of sand in Afghanistan, but this felt different. She couldn’t be sure if it was the sweeter air or the seabirds calling and kids playing. The atmosphere was different, with a vaguely fishy smell, a breeze coming off the water, and the whine of a Seadoo zooming by. It truly was another world from the sandbox.
“One day, this memory will be stronger than the other one,” Griff said. “I can see why you love this place.”
“Yeah, I’ve missed it.” Summer murmured. Then she set off for the shack, determined not to give in to her fears for the day .
Austin stood out from the others gathered around. He moved kayaks and handed out paddles. He was pretty much the way she remembered: tall, with dark hair, just as good-looking as Brandon, but with more muscle. He had the Fletcher eyes, too, but they never pulled her in the way Brandon’s did. Today, he wore board shorts and a long-sleeved swim shirt that molded to his chest. She might not be in love with him, but she could appreciate the shirt’s effect when combined with his body.
He looked up and caught her eye. “Summer? I’m glad you’re here. Can you help me match people with the right-size kayaks and paddles?”
“Sure thing.” Summer dropped her bag next to the shack and got to work.
She appreciated that Austin hadn’t made a big deal about her coming to help. He hadn’t asked how she was or what it had been like overseas. There had been a moment when he studied her like he was assessing her, but then he gave a quick nod and had been all business. After another twenty minutes, Summer climbed into her kayak to follow behind the group. If Austin kept to this current approach, working with him wouldn’t be so bad.
“You should take this job,” Griff said as he perched on the edge of the kayak. He looked funny sitting there in a way that physics should have had them tipping over and swamping the kayak. Griff smiled as if he had read her thoughts, which he probably had. “I’ll swamp you if you don’t ask for the position Ellie left open. You need to be out here.”
“Let’s see how the day goes first,” she whispered.
Brandon was distracted all day. Luckily, foot traffic to the shop was steady, forcing him to focus on customers instead of brooding whether Summer was out with Austin. Ellie hadn’t texted Brandon to let him know if the woman who never left his thoughts had accepted the invitation.
He could have called his sister, but that felt too stalkerish. Instead, he kept the racks of t-shirts stocked, refilled the brochures, unboxed a new shipment of sunglasses, and helped customers choose trails that best suited their hiking or biking skills. Several signed up for kayak tours, excursions to the hot springs, or the waterfall hike. On top of that, he fielded calls for the rental cabins. Luckily, no issues required him to close the shop and head to the cabins.
The constant work mostly kept his focus off of Summer, but she was always in the back of his mind. What had she been doing all week? Would she ever relax enough to talk to him?
It was almost closing time when his phone buzzed in his pocket. A glance showed his brother’s face on the screen.
“Hey, how did it go?” Brandon refused to ask if Summer had shown up.
Austin laughed and said, “That almost sounded natural. Summer was great with the group. Quiet at first, but after twenty minutes on the water, she opened up and interacted with everyone. She even smiled.”
Brandon sighed with relief. Leave it to his brother to know precisely what he wanted to know and get to it.
“So, she looked okay?”
“Yeah. No one would know what she’s been through the last six months. There were no awkward moments. As I said, she hung back and observed, to begin with, but when we stopped at the island for lunch, she chatted with the tourists and helped with anything I needed.”
“Good, good.” Brandon was relieved that Summer was out doing something. He just wished he could have seen her do it.
“I offered her a job,” Austin continued. “She said she’d think about it and let me know tomorrow.”
“I’ll keep her in my prayers tonight. Working outside with you could be what she needs more than anything right now. ”
“Agreed. How are you doing now that she’s home? Have you two talked things through?”
“Not yet. When she got to the house last week, she didn’t seem pleased to see me. She barely said anything while I was there. I figure it’s best to give her space and wait for her to come to me.”
“Maybe, but what if she never seeks you out?” Austin asked.
“I don’t know.”
“How about I keep you in my prayers? I’ll pray that you know when to go to her and that she’ll find it in her heart to give you some closure.”
“What, you won’t ask God to make her fall desperately in love with me? I’m wounded. I thought you’d at least do that for me.” Brandon laughed even though he didn’t feel like it. The truth was that he wanted everything that had been missing for the last ten years: Summer. He didn’t want anyone else but was afraid closure might be the only thing she could give him.
“You never know. It’s God’s plan, not ours. Good luck, little brother. See you at Sunday dinner?”
“Yes. Maybe I’ll see you before then.”
“Only if Summer starts working for me. I know how this goes.”
Austin laughed again, and Brandon felt comforted, knowing he couldn’t hide his true feelings from his family.
“I’ve got your schedule, Austin. I won’t bug you this week, but all bets are off once Clarissa returns.”
Another week passed, and Brandon still hadn’t seen Summer. She didn’t attend church services, and he didn’t have the time to seek out Austin on his adventure tours. He did get the text that Summer had decided to work for his brother. So, as Brandon worked the day-to-day routines at the shop and the family’s rentals, he pictured Summer outside .
He could easily imagine her hiking the trails on Mt. Rosie. She’d wear her lightweight long-sleeved t-shirt because she wanted protection from bug bites and scratches from branches. However, they’d be pushed up to her elbows because she was hot from hiking. In his memory, she wore a ball cap with her ponytail pulled through the back. Would she wear one now with shorter hair? How would it frame her face? Summer would stop to reapply her sunscreen every two hours. She always hoped it would keep her from getting new freckles, but it never did.
On Friday, Brandon closed the shop for lunch and headed to JJ’s Diner. He knew Austin and Summer should be returning from a morning bike ride with four tourists from Wyoming. Part of him wanted to head to the shack near the beach where Austin stored all his gear, but he doubted Summer would appreciate his sudden appearance. He sighed as he greeted the waitress. She pointed him toward a corner booth, and he took his seat.
Ruth Weston, one of the Sugar Mamas, got up from her table and sat down across from him.
“Brandon, you’ve kept yourself busy this summer,” she said as a greeting.
“Yes, ma’am. How are you, Ruthie?”
“I’m great, but I’m worried about you. You’ve avoided us since October but can’t do it any longer.” She pointed at him as she spoke. “You’re our next project, you know.”
“What?” He mockingly laid a hand over his heart. “You’re so desperate you’ve dropped all pretense of subterfuge.”
Ruth laughed. “You’re a unique case. None of this sneaking around is going to reach you. Plus, I have a feeling you’re ready to accept our help. All of the Sugar Mamas are here for you.” She looked at him over the rim of her glasses. “And for Summer.”
Brandon sighed. “I could use help getting her to talk to me. That would be a great start. Past that? Only time will tell.”
“Haven’t the two of you wasted enough time already?”
“I’d say yes, but I’m not the only one who matters here. Summer has a say in all of this, and it seems she wants nothing to do with me. I don’t even know why. Maybe you could ask her?”
“Hmm,” Ruth hummed. “I might do that. Teenie said she’s working with Austin. Can’t you show up and talk to her?”
“I don’t want to make her mad or scare her off. Isn’t it better to let her come to me? She’s the one who ran away. I’ve always been here.”
“Brandon, it’s time to get up and chase what you want. You’ve been respectful and given her ten years of space. Stop waiting and talk to the woman. Tell her how you feel and figure things out. If she doesn’t want you, then you need to let her go and find someone else. There are too many single women in town for you to keep yourself permanently on the shelf.”
“Well, tell me how you really feel, Ruthie.” Brandon scowled. He’d always loved the older woman and held her in high regard, but he didn’t like being told what to do, especially if the advice was to move on from Summer. He’d tried that, unsuccessfully, for most of the last ten years.
Ruth slapped his arm as she stood up. “Silly, boy. If you chase her, I bet she’ll realize she wants you to catch her. Now, I’d suggest you get lunch to go. Maybe order something for her. I bet riding all morning has given her an appetite, and she’d appreciate a delivery.”
Brandon chuckled. “Good advice. And thank you, Ruth. I’ll keep you posted.”
“No need. We’re keeping tabs.” She winked and returned to the table she shared with two other gray-haired women.
Instead of waiting for the waitress to take his order, he went to the counter. He ordered his favorite menu items, including Austin’s and Summer’s. As soon as it was bagged, he paid and headed for the beach.