Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Marshall
F or the next few weeks, Hayden attended the graphic design class I found for her and was busy at the center clearing more paths and taking care of the new flower beds and gardens.
Phyllis was planning a party to showcase the grounds.
She'd rented tents and tables but needed more help with scheduling a band and hiring a caterer.
Hayden was more than happy to assist with whatever was needed at the center.
It kept her busy, and in the evenings, she spent a lot of time with her new friends.
It was nice, and I understood how important her friends were. I just wished that we had more one-on-one time. Our summer was flying by. In June, I worried what we'd do with our time together, and now it was almost over. I didn't feel like I had much to show for it.
Hayden was happy with her work at the center and her new friends. But I wasn't sure we'd had any breakthroughs. But maybe I should count the reduction in the amount of eye rolls and heavy sighs as a good sign.
It meant that I spent a lot of time with Saylor.
She'd complete her work in the morning, and we'd spend the afternoon exploring the nature reserve, the ice-cream shops, and cafes.
We even ventured off island to go minigolfing and to a movie theater.
It wasn't the same as the small one that was on the island when we were teens, but it made me feel young again.
We held hands and savored our time together, knowing it was limited. Whenever we had the chance, I was inside her. Each moment we spent together, I fell more for her. The thought of her leaving at the end of the summer made my chest tight.
Mom had invited me over for breakfast this morning, so I left a note for Saylor and Hayden to remind them where I was, and that we were meeting Ivy in the afternoon to check out a few houses. I was reluctant to put an offer on a place until I smoothed things over with my family.
At my parents', I parked next to Dad's truck, noting that I was the only one who appeared to be here for breakfast. This was my chance to smooth things over with Dad.
I opened the door and followed the smell of cinnamon and sugar into the kitchen where Mom was drinking her tea at the table. A French toast casserole sat on the counter cooling.
Mom stood, hugging me. "Would you like eggs on the side?"
"Of course he wants eggs on the side," Dad said as he walked into the kitchen.
"Morning, Dad." Then to Mom, I said, "Eggs would be great. Thanks."
Mom cracked eggs onto a pan. She must have been waiting to make them fresh for us. I poured the coffee from a machine I didn't remember them having.
"Glad you could make it," Dad said.
"My time is fairly free for now. Hayden is at the senior center and with her friends most days."
"Teenagers keep themselves busy," Mom said with a smile.
Dad poured himself a mug of coffee and leaned against the counter. "Cooper said you're looking at houses."
I let out a breath. "I need to figure out my job situation before I settle anywhere."
"You don't want to work for Kingston Construction?" Dad asked.
"No, I do. I'm just not sure that everyone is okay with me returning yet."
"Hudson thought you two would work together to run the business. He was blindsided when you took another path."
I knew that was the case, but it was still painful to hear. "I never wanted to hurt him."
Mom gave dad a look. "We knew that one or more of you might decide to go in another direction. It was never a requirement to work for the business."
My sister, Luna, had taken the unusual step in leaving the company because Dad kept her on only as an administrative assistant. She wanted to do more, but Dad didn't listen to her until it was too late. Now she was happy flipping houses and designing spaces wherever she chose to be.
"What do you want now?" Dad asked.
"I want to come back to work for you. I know things might be different, and it's not guaranteed that I'll be a project manager. But I want to work with my hands again. I've missed it."
Dad nodded. "I don't have any problem with that. I hoped that you'd come back one day."
"I want to create a stable home life for Hayden. It would be easier if I lived in Naples near her mother's house. But this is where my heart is."
"Naples isn't that far, and if you need to leave early for school events, that's not a problem. Family comes first."
"Thanks, Dad." I didn't expect him to take me back so easily.
"We're just happy you're home, and Hayden is here too. That's all that matters," Mom said.
Dad exchanged a look with Mom. "We want you to be happy."
I thought back to the summer, the time I'd spent with Hayden and Saylor. It was the best summer I'd had in a long time. I was close to my loved ones, and I couldn't be happier. "I'm excited to get settled here."
"We are too." Mom flipped the eggs in the pan. "Do you know what the custody arrangement will be once Hayden is back in school?"
"We haven't discussed it, but I assumed I'd get weekends, maybe an evening to take her to dinner during the week. I can't get her to school from here." That was a sacrifice I was making.
"If she gives you the summer then, that's something," Dad said.
"It has been nice to have her full-time. We needed it."
Mom plated the eggs, handing us each one so we could scoop the casserole onto our dish. "Let's eat."
We sat at the table and dug into the food.
"Where is Hayden this morning?" Mom asked.
"She's sleeping in. I left her food in the microwave and a note saying I'd be back in time to look at houses. I want her input."
"I’m sure she appreciates being included. She probably felt separate from your life for a long time," Mom said thoughtfully.
"I want her to get to know you and spend more time with everyone." I shoveled in the French toast casserole. It was good, and I'd need to go for extra-long runs to make up for it this week.
"We don't blame you for anything. We're just glad we get to see her now," Dad said practically.
"We'll have her over for breakfast soon," Mom offered.
"She'll love that."
Dad scooped a second helping of the casserole. "What kind of a house are you looking for?"
"I'd love to buy a place on the beach. But I might have to be patient, waiting for the right place to come on the market."
"I'm sure you can stay with one of your brothers once your summer rental is over," Mom said.
"Do you think Hudson will come around?" I didn't have any right to expect it, but I sure hoped things would improve.
"Your best bet with him is to talk to him one-on-one. He's stubborn, but he'll capitulate as soon as you come to him."
"Really?" I thought it would take more than that.
"I think so," Dad said. "He's a softy under all that bluster."
"Okay." I wasn't so sure about that. It seemed like his wound had festered over time, and it wouldn't be so easy to heal.
"We're so proud of you. You had a military career, and now you're coming home to work with us," Mom said.
"Thanks, Mom." It felt good when your parents were proud of you.
We finished eating, and we helped Mom clean up. Then I headed home to get ready to see some houses. I was a lot more excited now that Dad had given me the go-ahead to work with him again. I just had one more possible hurdle—Hudson—and he would be the hardest of them all.
"What are you looking for?" Saylor asked me once we were in my truck and on our way to meet with Ivy.
"I'd love to find something like your grandma's beach house, but there can't be many of those available for sale."
"You might be able to rent one."
"I think I'd like to get something permanent. I've been moving around for so long; it would be nice to have something that's my own."
"I can understand that."
"I want to visit you on the beach," Hayden interjected from the back seat.
Marshall looked at her in the rearview mirror. "So a pool, hot tub, and beach access?"
"Sounds great," Hayden said with a smile.
"We'll see what we can find." I wasn't sure what Ivy had come up with. I'd told her what I wanted, and she said she'd see what she could do.
We pulled up to the first place which was a condominium. It was at the far end of the island and looked more like a resort.
Hayden immediately searched online for the amenities. "This place is cool. It has a restaurant, tennis courts, a huge pool, a spa?—"
"It's like living at a resort," Saylor mused. "Is that what you want?"
"I'm not sure." But I didn't think so. I wanted to have some privacy. If we lived here, I'd never see Hayden when she visited. I was sure she'd love it, but I wasn't positive it was the right place for me.
When we got out, Ivy said, "I wanted to show you all the possibilities on the island. This place has everything you could ever want, but it comes with a high HOA fee."
"I'll take a look at it, but I'm not sure I'd want to live somewhere like this full-time."
Hayden frowned.
She might not be happy with my decision, but this was the first place I was considering buying, and I wanted to get it right.
Ivy led us onto the elevator and to the fourth floor. It was a two-bedroom, two-bath condo. It was bright and open concept with modern appliances and tile flooring.
"What do you think?" Ivy asked me.
"It's nice, but I don't think I can see myself living in a condo. It feels confining." I demonstrated with my hands.
"You want more open space and privacy," Ivy observed.
I breathed a sigh of relief that she understood. "Yes."
"I have one other place to show you that you might like.
" We followed her in my truck to a house on stilts that was a few blocks from the beach.
It was outdated, the floors ripped out to the subfloor, and the kitchen looked like it hadn't been touched since the seventies.
The worst part was that it smelled like cats.
I wasn't sure we'd be able to get rid of the smell.
"What do you think of this one?" Ivy asked.
"This is too much work, even for me. I'd like something that's more move-in ready. We'd have to renovate before I could even think about moving in."
"Good to know," Ivy said.
"Are we going to be able to find a place?" Hayden asked, and I liked that she'd said we like we were in this together.
"If you have time to wait, I'll get you something," Ivy said with confidence.
"I appreciate you helping us," I said to her.
"Can you check with my grandmother and see if you can stay in her rental until you find something? We are moving into the quiet tourist season. She might like to have a guaranteed renter," Saylor said.
"I can do that."
"In the meantime I'll keep looking for you," Ivy told me. "If I find something, we'll need to move quickly. Everyone wants a house on the beach."
"I would consider something like this one." I threw a thumb over my shoulder at the house we'd just come out of to get some fresh air. "If we could live in it while I renovate it."
I was hopeful my brothers would help me get the place ready.
"Enjoy the rest of your day. I'll be in touch."
Ivy pulled away, and Saylor said, "It looked nice on the outside, but inside it was a mess."
"The problem is they already got rid of the carpeting and flooring, and it still smells. That tells me that it will always linger."
"Yikes," Saylor said. "They'll have trouble selling it."
"Someone will assume they can fix it and offer a lower price. They'll be happy about the deal but not the smell," I said, remembering the homeowner conversations I'd overheard over the years when I worked with my dad.
"I think Ivy just wanted you to see the various options. Do you really want to be on the beach, or would you take something inland if it's available first?"
"I'll have to think about that." If this was the place I'd live in for years to come, maybe I should wait for the right location. "I can always renovate, but I can't change the location."
"True," Saylor said.
"I really liked the condo," Hayden said.
"I know you did. But this will be my home and yours when you're here. I don't want to feel like I'm living in a hotel, even if it has a ton of amenities. We can always drive to tennis courts. And I'd much prefer a private pool."
"When does school start for you?" Saylor asked Hayden, reminding me of her leaving.
"The week before Labor Day."
That was coming up soon. I wasn't ready to let her go. I'd need to talk to her mother about visitation during the school year. I wasn't looking forward to living without her again. This summer had been nice, but it was coming to an end.
Hayden looked out the window. "I'll be around to help with the center's party."
"Do you need to go school shopping? You need supplies or a book bag or anything?" I asked her, feeling good that I could offer that to her.
"Mom wants to take me."
It would take some time for her and her mother to get used to me being here. "If you need anything, let me know."
At home, Hayden shut herself in her room, and I sat outside on the pool deck, wondering if I was doing the right thing in working for my family and living on the island.
"What's going on in that head of yours?" Saylor asked, sitting next to me.
"I'm wondering if I'm making the right decision. Should I move to Naples to be closer to Hayden?"
"I think you should wait and see how it is once she's back in school."
"That's not a bad idea." And it gave Ivy more time to find a house.
I sighed. "Everything's going to change soon, and I'm not ready for it."
Saylor leaned back on the cushion. "Can we just freeze time and live like this forever?"
"I'm all for that." This time with Hayden and Saylor was precious. I wasn't sure we'd ever get to live like this together again.
Next summer, Saylor would be living her life in Jacksonville, and Hayden might not want to visit the island.
Freezing time sounded like the perfect solution.