21. Eli
E li had slept fitfully and woke the next day with a heavy heart. He came downstairs hoping to find Kate and Jonah making a breakfast feast, but the living area and kitchen were still, quiet, and empty.
He made a pot of coffee, taking a cup to the deck to drink in daybreak on this, his last day with Kate.
When had this happened? He’d thought they were friends—barely—and suddenly, all he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and make her stay. Stay here? He didn’t even live in this town.
But Vivien, Lacey, and Tessa did…at least, they were planning to for the next seven months.
He fought a smile as he settled into a comfortable seat and took his first sip of coffee, remembering what had unfolded last night.
The three of them had been out on a boat ride and came in smelling like salt spray and giggling like, well, like the girls he remembered on this beach so many years ago. Clearly hopped up on a plan, they took no time convincing him that they should live in the Summer House until it went on the market in November.
He’d never even considered saying they couldn’t—but, dang, he wished he could figure out a way to stay, too. With Kate, of course.
But after the way Ryan treated Vivien in Atlanta, he fully encouraged her to stay, and Lacey, too. He loved the idea of having caretakers for the property getting it ready to sell.
As for Tessa? Well, he was happy that she no longer held sway over him. Especially after Kate’s insights, he’d fully forgiven Tessa for past hurts and could now see her as a woman still searching for her place in the world. If he could help her find it, then that was a good thing.
He and Vivien had privately agreed not to mention the addition of Tessa Wylie as a temporary resident to Maggie, since their mother did technically own the place and would undoubtedly freak out.
He and Kate told Vivien and Tessa about the visit with the Cavallaris, and they all decided that infidelity for either couple was impossible to imagine and, if it had been true, one of their kids would have gotten wind of it by now. For their part, it didn’t answer any questions, and they had no desire to delve deeper.
The evening had been quiet after that. Tessa and Lacey went off to plan their new endeavor. Vivien had worked in the back office on some design ideas. Kate disappeared upstairs to make travel arrangements and pack.
Worst of all, Jonah came home glum, and holed up in his room.
They didn’t even have a final dinner as the ad hoc family they’d become over these last few weeks, and that sent Eli to bed early and unhappy. Now, sipping his coffee, he studied the horizon, wondering when the rest of the house would be up.
“Dad!”
He turned at the sound of Jonah’s voice as he barreled up the stairs from his first-floor bedroom. “On the deck, son. Join me for coff?—”
Jonah shot out through the sliding glass doors, his face bright. “Meredith is a genius!”
He almost choked, not sure what surprised him more—the compliment for Jonah’s sister or the expression of sheer joy on his son’s face.
“What happened?”
“She found a program at Northwest Florida State, which is twenty minutes from here in some town called Niceville, if you can believe that.”
Eli put his cup on the table, standing up. “I know exactly where that is. Very close and very, well, nice.”
“I knew there was a school there, but when I checked their site, it said culinary management only, which isn’t what I want. I want culinary arts, but Meredith—holy cow.” He gave a laugh and shook his uncombed hair back. “My girl is unstoppable when she wants something, but this time I’m grateful.”
His girl? My, how things changed. “Tell me what she found.”
“That community college is starting a flagship culinary arts program in the hospitality department this summer .”
“What’s all this I hear?” Kate came out to join them, looking dressed and ready to travel, but Eli didn’t let that dampen his excitement for what Jonah was saying. “You found a program?”
“Right over the Bay Bridge,” he told her. “Apparently, it’s going to be run by a local chef who wants to take very few students, so”—he made a face—“I’ll need to interview and cook something. I’m thinking that Brazilian shrimp should do the trick.”
“Anything you make will wow him,” Kate said, reaching to give him a hug. “I’m so happy for you, Jonah.”
“Well, no congrats yet, but it’s a first step.” He let out a sigh and looked at her, then Eli. “I’m really grateful to both of you.”
“Us?” Kate asked with a quick laugh. “Your father’s the one who’s helping make this happen.”
“But you…” He pointed to her and nodded, as if he didn’t have to say anything, the connection between them palpable.
“You provided the inspiration and encouragement,” Eli finished for him, taking a step closer and hoping his feelings for this woman weren’t too obvious. “Thank you, Kate.”
“And you provided the means,” Jonah said to Eli. “I just hope I can get accepted to the program.”
“You can live here,” Eli said, not even giving the idea a second thought.
“What?”
“You went downstairs early last night,” Eli said. “You missed the news that Vivien, Tessa, and Lacey are staying through November. We’ll get you a proper bed and you can live and study here, and use our kitchen.”
His jaw loosened as he processed this. “I was seriously going to live in my van, but…wow.” He looked choked up as he reached for Eli to give him a hug. “Thank you, Dad.”
Eli patted his back warmly, knowing that at that moment, he couldn’t be happier.
Well, he could be happier, he thought when he opened his eyes and his gaze landed on Kate, who watched the exchange with pure joy on her face.
He could be holding her and convincing her to stay for the summer, too.
Guess he couldn’t have everything.
“Well, I hate to break up the party,” Kate said with a wistful sigh, “but my flight leaves at eleven, so?—”
“Please say we have time for one more breakfast,” Jonah interjected. “We have to…oh, hang on.” He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen. “Email from the assistant to the hospitality and tourism department dean.” He took a deep breath and glanced from one to the other. “I’m scared to open it.”
“Did you apply already?” Eli asked, astounded at the possibility.
“Meredith the Relentless sent an note to the department asking what the requirements were and gave them my email.” He held up the phone. “Let me go read this. I’ll be back.”
He disappeared into the house and Kate and Eli looked at each other, silent for a beat.
“You did this,” he finally said. “You stepped in and saved my son.”
“Not a chance I can take credit for that, but I’m delighted I could play any role at all in this new season of his life. And sad I won’t be here to watch it unfold.”
He looked at her for a long time, taking in every feature and trying to imagine what he could say. Only one word would do.
“Stay,” he whispered.
She blinked, a little color draining from her face. “You know I can’t do that.”
“Doesn’t stop me from asking,” he said. “Don’t you get the summer off? Aren’t you on a school semester schedule in that lab?”
“Yes,” she said. “But…my mother. My kids. My life. Even thinking about it doesn’t make logical sense.”
“Logic is overrated,” he said, only half joking. He could tell she ached for her children, and certainly couldn’t fault her for that.
She looked like she wanted to say something, but closed her eyes, tamping down whatever it was, so he just reached for her hand.
“Let me take you to the airport,” he said. “Surely you agree that’s…logical.” Although when it came time to say goodbye and he wanted to kiss her? Then what?
Jonah came out, interrupting the conversation and looking far less excited than when he’d left.
“What did they say?” Kate asked.
He huffed out a breath. “I have everything school-wise, but they want restaurant experience.”
“You have plenty of that,” Eli said.
“Yeah, but they also want the one thing I doubt I can get from anyone. A letter of recommendation.”
“Oh, son. I’ll write?—”
Jonah held up his hand to stop Eli. “Not from a family member. From someone I’ve worked with in the past year at a restaurant or in food service.”
“Well, surely there’s someone,” Kate said.
Jonah winced. “Someone, somewhere over a bridge I burned. I’ll have to give it some thought, but…” He shrugged, looking defeated.
“Don’t let one roadblock stop you,” Eli said. “I’m sure you’ll think of a manager from one of your jobs.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know, but…I’m going to go downstairs and think about who I haven’t ticked off and try calling them. Don’t leave without saying goodbye, Kate.”
She gave him a warm smile. “I won’t. In fact, I have to go finish packing.”
She stepped inside, and Jonah followed, leaving Eli right where he’d been a few minutes ago. Only now his coffee was cold, his hopes were dashed, and he really, really didn’t want to say goodbye to Kate.
After a hug-filled goodbye to the rest of the household, Eli and Kate took off for the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, which was tiny in comparison to most, but slammed with spring break travelers.
There was one parking lot, packed and overflowing.
“You can drop me off, you know,” she said as he circled the lot a third time.
“I want to walk you in and say goodbye.”
When she didn’t say anything, he stole a look at her.
“What?” he asked, unable to read the expression behind her glasses that, for once, were on her nose where they belonged.
“I was thinking about how sometimes things don’t add up properly and they still feel right,” she said. “That’s kind of a hard concept for my scientific mind to conceive.”
“Things like what?” he asked.
“Like your faith and my…feelings.”
He saw the lights of a car pulling out and drove closer to the spot, processing exactly what she could mean.
“Your faith doesn’t make sense to me,” she continued. “Normally, religious people kind of irritate me.”
“I get that,” he conceded. “I don’t like to think of myself as ‘religious,’ per se.”
“You go to church every Sunday. Alone, too.”
He didn’t realize she’d noticed that he quietly disappeared on Sunday mornings to attend a small nondenominational church he’d found in Destin. “I do, but I don’t expect my faith to make sense to you. I haven’t pushed it on you, have I?”
“Not at all,” she assured him. “But my point was it is very right for you. I sense it.”
He waited while an SUV pulled out and slid his truck into the open slot, eyeing the clock to see how much time they had to just sit here and talk. Whatever it was, it wasn’t enough.
“And your feelings?” he prompted. “You mentioned those, too.”
She shifted in her seat, unbuckling her seatbelt as he turned off the ignition so his brake lights didn’t give someone hope that he was leaving.
“Feelings,” she said on a sigh. “Not my favorite subject, as you can imagine. But, yes…I’m having them.”
He smiled, taking off his seatbelt and turning to her. “Does that scare you, Kate?”
“Not exactly, but it does…present a problem that doesn’t have a solution. The scientist in me hates that.” She took her glasses off to look into his eyes. “The woman in me doesn’t seem to mind.”
For some reason, those words did stupid things to his insides. Things he couldn’t remember feeling in a long, long time.
He put a hand on her cheek, loving the feel of her skin against his palm. “You want to tell me what kind of feelings they are?”
“No,” she said with a quick laugh. “But I do want you to know they are real and keep me awake at night.”
Very slowly, he grazed the pad of his thumb over her chin, searching her face. He was determined to memorize her cheekbones and the fine lines around her eyes, the shape of her lips, the hint of dimples, and the way her dark bangs fluttered around rich brown eyes that were as warm and grounding as freshly tilled earth.
“Same,” he finally whispered. “And I have no idea what to do about that.”
“Nothing,” she said.
He gave a dry laugh. “Well, that doesn’t make sense.”
“Eli, my life is in Ithaca, New York. My family is there, my job is there, my cat is there.” Her earth-toned eyes glimmered at that, and maybe with a few unshed tears. “But my heart, at the moment, will be in the same place it was at the end of every summer for seven years.” She smiled. “In Destin, belonging to a sweet kid with blue eyes named Eli.”
Oh, how had this happened? How could he feel so disappointed after these amazing weeks? Because he was not ready to say goodbye. This couldn’t be over before it even started.
“Can I call you?” he asked.
“Of course.”
“Can I visit?”
“Yes, but?—”
He slid his finger over her lips. “No buts. We’ll take it from here and see what happens.”
“Nothing can happen,” she said. “It’s kind of hopeless, you and me.”
He drew back, giving her a look. “I don’t believe in hopeless, Kate.” He was a little surprised at how vehemently that came out, but it was the foundation of who he was. It was important to underscore that. “I don’t think there is such a word as hopeless. There’s never not hope.”
Her eyes shuttered, doubt etched on her features, but she smiled. “Okay. I’ll hold on to that.”
He leaned in closer. “And hold on to this.” Before she opened her eyes, he kissed her, as lightly as possible.
She made a soft whimper in her throat, then wrapped her fingers around his neck, tunneling through his hair, pulling his head closer to deepen the contact.
Their first kiss lasted for less than three seconds, but it was pretty much the best three seconds of his life.
As they parted, her eyes were definitely filled with tears.
“Don’t walk me in,” she said gruffly, inching away. “Please. I…I just want to go by myself and remember that kiss.”
He nodded, respecting the request, slowly drawing away. “I’ll get your bag.”
With that, they both climbed out, and he reached into the cab and pulled out her single roller suitcase and a small backpack with the Cornell logo on it.
She pulled up the carry handle, tugged her backpack on her shoulder.
“Well, I guess you’re over Tessa, then,” she teased as she smiled up at him.
He laughed. “Completely. But her sister? Whew.” He looked skyward. “Another Wylie to wreck my heart.”
Laughing at that, she took a few steps backwards, turning the suitcase. With her free hand, she blew him a kiss. “Bye, Eli!”
He just smiled at her, feeling the pressure on his chest. He stayed very still, resisting the urge to do something dumb and dramatic like run after her.
Instead, he watched shoulder-length hair swing as she walked to the end of the parking lot, crossed the street, and disappeared into the small terminal.
The drive back to the Summer House was slow, sad, and quiet. It wasn’t until he pulled into the driveway that he looked down at the console and saw her glasses resting in the cup holder.
“Oh.” He picked them up, giving a quick laugh. She had more, he knew, but…now he had these. Maybe he’d deliver them in person.
As he was walking toward the house, Jonah came out of the garage, holding his phone up.
“Dad, you are not going to believe this.” He waved the phone. “She wrote me a letter of recommendation.”
He almost asked who “she” was, but he knew. It wasn’t Meredith. He gave the glasses a slight squeeze.
“She emailed it to me to send to the admissions office—a top research scientist from Cornell University!”
Of course she did, Eli thought. Because Kate Wylie was made of goodness. “What did she say?”
“Oh, please. It’s over the top.” He glanced at the phone. “She said she cooked side by side with me for several weeks and found me to be…” He chuckled. “I can just hear her saying this: ‘Creative, inspired, and talented in the kitchen as well as excellent with instructions, and eager to learn.’ And get this—she said, ‘Jonah Lawson would be an asset to any college or university and Northwest Florida State would be fortunate to have him as a student destined for greatness in the culinary world. We’d certainly be thrilled to have him at Cornell, but your flagship program is a tremendous draw for him.’ Man, I love that woman!”
Eli smiled and knew that if he didn’t already, he certainly could love her, too. So he clung to the hope she didn’t believe in, grasped the glasses she couldn’t keep track of, and hugged the young man she’d helped save.
“I’m so proud of you, son,” he said, his voice thick.
“You will be, Dad. I promise.”
As Jonah headed back inside, Eli stood for a long moment in the shadow of the house and looked up at the sky.
“I hope You have a plan,” he whispered. “I’m counting on it.”