Thirty-two
It was almost two weeks since she’d gone sailing with Jamie. Erica hadn’t heard from him and was wondering if she’d said something to offend him. Although her days were busy at the hospital, she still had the evenings to remember what it had been like to be with him on the ocean and how he had made her feel. She knew she was being foolish when she was the one who didn’t want a relationship, but he had said he was there for her. Did he mean she had to be the one to make the first move? While she wasn’t sure she was ready for that, she did miss the easy companionship they’d fallen into on his boat.
It was Friday night, and she had arranged to meet Joe and Gill at the yacht club along with a group of their friends. She already counted Cam and Poppy, and Liz and Finn as her friends too, and tonight Kate was joining them. It would be good to get to know her better. There had been no mention of Jamie, but Erica suspected he might be included, though if so, why had no one said?
To Erica’s annoyance, she felt a stab of disappointment when there was no sign of Jamie at the table Joe had booked. What was wrong with her? She smiled and greeted the other members of the group and was soon involved in a discussion about Joe’s pet project, while Gill rolled her eyes.
‘It’s all he can talk about these days,’ she murmured to Erica during a break in the conversation, ‘but there’s something attractive about his single-mindedness, and it’s such a good cause.’
Erica agreed. She knew what her brother was like when he got the bit between his teeth. She remembered Barb despairing of him too but like Gill, she’d loved him for it.
The discussion wound up when their meals arrived, the group having chosen to share several seafood platters which they washed down with a Margaret River sauvignon blanc and followed by decadent chocolate mousse.
During the meal, Erica had noticed Jamie’s sons at a distant table with a group of friends, but there was no sign of their father. She hoped all was well with Jamie. Perhaps she should make an effort to contact him, but she didn’t want to give him the wrong impression.
‘Something the matter?’ Gill asked.
‘No.’ Erica realised she’d been frowning as she tried to decide what to do. ‘Well, yes,’ she added, taking a sip of wine. She was glad the others were engaged in a debate about the upcoming election, something which didn’t interest her. ‘It’s Jamie.’
‘Ah!’
‘No, not what you think.’ Though how did she know what Gill was thinking? ‘We went sailing the Sunday before last and… when we parted, I thought… it seemed… I expected to hear from him.’
‘And you haven’t?’
‘Not a word. Do you think…? What if there’s something wrong, or if I offended him in some way? It’s not as if I…’ Erica bit her lip. She’d said too much. Now Gill would really think she was interested in him.
‘I wouldn’t worry. I’m sure it’s only that he’s been busy… or he’s giving you space. You probably gave off mixed signals, and he’s trying to figure out how to approach you. How was the sailing?’
‘It was brilliant. I loved it. It was a perfect day. We put into a little bay for lunch. It was one where we used to go when…’ Erica bit her lip. Had she given away too much?
‘Sounds as if you took a trip down memory lane.’
‘Mmm.’
‘You have a problem with that?’
‘Yes and no. When I came back to Pelican Crossing, I fully intended to start afresh, put the past behind me… then I met Jamie again and…’
‘It hasn’t been as easy as you thought?’
Erica gave a sigh of relief. Gill understood. ‘No, everywhere we go, everywhere I look, the memories resurface no matter how much I try to suppress them.’
‘These memories, are they happy ones?’
‘Yes, but it was a long time ago. I’m a different person now. We’re both different people.’
‘Has Jamie changed very much?’
‘He’s older, shows signs of having been hurt, but apart from that he’s still the boy I dated when I was a teenager.’ As she spoke, the image of Jamie rose so forcibly behind her eyes, she had to blink to make sure it wasn’t real, that he wasn’t standing there in the yacht club.
‘Hey, you two, we’re about to leave.’ Joe’s voice interrupted their conversation.
‘Sorry,’ Gill said to him, before whispering to Erica, ‘Why don’t you call him? You’ve nothing to lose.’
Nothing except my pride , Erica thought, as she joined the others, and they made their way out of the club. Once outside, she found herself alone with Kate as the three couples disappeared to their cars.
‘I’m glad to have this chance to talk,’ Kate said. ‘I haven’t made many friends here yet and we seemed to have a lot in common when we first spoke. I’d love it if we could meet for coffee some time.’
‘So would I. How about tomorrow in Books and Coffee ? Ten o’clock suit you?’
‘Perfect. I look forward to it.’
When Kate had left, Erica turned to walk home. She was becoming so accustomed to living close to the harbour, the yacht club and the town, she’d be sad to leave Livvy’s cottage when her friend returned. Fortunately, there was no sign of that happening anytime soon, so there was no immediate cause for concern. But Erica knew she couldn’t rely on Livvy remaining in England indefinitely. She would eventually return, and Erica would have to find alternative accommodation. Hopefully, by that time she’d have added enough to her savings to put down a deposit on a small place of her own.
When she walked into the cottage and turned on the light, Erica noticed a light blinking on the phone. Puzzled, as she had always used her mobile since moving here, she picked it up to listen to the message, her heart thumping when she heard Jamie’s voice.
‘Is everything okay? I’ve been leaving messages for you, but you haven’t replied. Did I do something to upset you? I wondered if you’d like to go sailing again on Sunday. Looks like it’s going to be another lovely day. I’ll understand if you don’t want to spend more time with me, but can you call me?’
He’d called her, left messages? Erica took her phone out of her bag and stared at the blank screen, trying to remember when she’d last used it. She normally turned it off at work, so as not to be disturbed. Had she forgotten to turn it back on? If so, when? She turned it on now, to see a list of messages pop up on the screen, most from Jamie, but one from Briony and one from Lou, the owner of the cat who had come to her door. She felt a flutter of excitement as she scrolled through those from Jamie.
Had a great time last Sunday. Want to do it again?
Did you get my message? It’s going to be fine on the weekend. Are you up for another trip on Princess Two?
Is everything okay? Are we good?
Please call me.
Erica almost wept. While she’d been wondering if she’d done anything to offend Jamie, he’d been wondering the same about her. They were a pair of idiots. She pressed his number, her heart racing when she heard it ring.
*
Jamie had almost given up hope of hearing back from Erica. She hadn’t replied to any of his messages, and his mind had been going around in circles wondering if he’d come on too strong and she had chosen to ignore him, or if something had happened to her. If he didn’t hear by tomorrow, he decided, he’d knock on her door as any concerned neighbour would do. There had also been the message from Lou about a welcome to the neighbourhood for Erica planned for the following weekend. Erica would have received one too. Had she replied to it?
He was sitting in his favourite chair nursing a glass of whisky and wishing he’d agreed to Rory’s suggestion he join him, Gary and Mandy for dinner at the yacht club. Instead, he’d heated up one of the frozen meals he seemed to live on these days and spent another lonely night at home, switching channels on the television trying to find something to watch that would hold his attention. He’d given up and his eyes were beginning to close when his phone rang. Expecting it to be Rory calling to make sure all was well – he and Gary did fuss over him these days – his heart did a flip at the sight of Erica’s number.
‘Erica, is everything all right?’
‘Oh, Jamie, I’m sorry. I only just saw your messages. I turn off my phone at work and I must have forgotten to turn it on again. I was about to call you when I heard your message. I thought something had happened to you, or you’d decided you didn’t want to see me again.’
‘Never! When I told you I’d always be here for you, I meant it.’ Jamie was so relieved to hear her voice. If she had been there, he’d have found it difficult not to pick her up and swing her around. As it was, he had to be satisfied by gripping the phone tightly.
‘I know,’ she said, ‘and I’d love to come sailing on Sunday, but this time, I’ll bring lunch. It’s only fair.’
‘Okay,’ he said, relieved she was sounding more like the old Erica, the one who’d always insisted on bringing sandwiches along when they used to go sailing together. ‘It’ll be like old times,’ he risked saying, pleased to hear her laugh.
‘I saw your sons at the yacht club tonight. I was there with Joe and Gill and some friends.’
‘Right.’ Jamie could have kicked himself. If only he had accepted when Rory made the suggestion he join them. But what difference would it have made? They were talking now. ‘So, Sunday. How about we make an early start, and we can sail further up the coast. Is seven too early for you?’
‘Sounds good. I can help you set up.’
‘Okay,’ Jamie said, surprised. ‘I’ll pick you up on my way.’
When the call ended, Jamie drained his glass then headed to bed feeling more positive than he had for some time. Maybe things were going to work out with Erica after all.