Chapter 10 #2
Retrieving a pitcher of crimson juice from the fridge, Lily confessed, “You caught me in a fib. I only said that because I wanted to get rid of Claire. I was appalled when I overheard her interrogating you like that. She’s such a blabbermouth, even by Dune Island standards.
She isn’t necessarily ill-intentioned, but she has absolutely no filter. ”
“I was so caught off guard by her bluntness that I couldn’t think of a way to shut down the conversation,” Caitlin admitted, sinking into the chair and accepting the beverage Lily handed her. “Thanks for ending it for me. My name’s Caitlin, by the way.”
“You’re welcome, Caitlin.” Lily filled a second glass for herself and then sat down on the opposite side of the table. “I know what it feels like to be put on the spot by the local gossips.”
“You do?” Caitlin was surprised; from what Shane had said about Lily and her husband, they were the darlings of the island.
She nodded. “When I was in high school, one of my family members was burning debris in the yard and they accidentally started part of the conservation land on fire next door,” she said, and Caitlin recalled the rumors she’d heard when she was a teenager about an arsonist living at the farmhouse.
“No one was hurt, and we made restitution for the property, but some of the islanders were understandably upset. A few of them even signed a petition to boycott our cranberry farm.”
Caitlin frowned. “That must have felt so demeaning.”
“Yes, in fact, it was one of the reasons I decided to leave Dune Island as soon as I graduated high school. I didn’t come back for almost twenty years—and the only reason I returned was because I inherited my family’s farm,” she said.
“I intended to sell it, but obviously, I didn’t, and wild horses couldn’t drag me away from Hope Haven now. ”
“May I ask why you changed your mind and decided to stay?”
“Love, mostly. My son adored Dune Island and the farm, and I fell in love with it again, too. I also fell hard for Jake, my husband, and vice versa.” A pretty smile creased Lily’s face with lines.
“I’m not saying it was easy to get past…
the past. Especially not when there were people here telling my son their distorted version of events.
But they were in the minority and I’m glad I didn’t allow their gossip—or my shame and resentment—to keep me from enjoying living on Dune Island again.
My only regret is that I stayed away so long. ”
Caitlin slowly nodded, letting Lily’s words sink in. The two women sipped their juice in silence, and after a few minutes, Caitlin’s nausea subsided. She stood to leave. “Thank you for the juice,” she said. “And for what you told me. I feel much better now.”
“You’re very welcome. Don’t forget your cranberries.” Lily crossed the room to bring her the small sack. “No charge. Consider them a welcome-back-to-Hope-Haven gift from a kindred spirit.”
As Caitlin walked the short distance to the bus stop, she thought about how humiliating it must have been for Lily when the locals boycotted her family’s farm. Her courage to return to her hometown after twenty years away and reside there again was inspiring.
I wonder how she learned to let people’s criticism and ignorant comments roll off her back .
It was a skill Caitlin sensed she’d soon need to practice, too.
Because although she trusted Lily not to mention anything about her, she had a feeling Claire was already spreading the word that Caitlin had returned to Dune Island.
It rained all weekend, a blowy, drenching downpour that buffeted the roof and windows and stripped the remaining leaves from the maple tree in the front yard.
Initially, Caitlin welcomed the excuse to stay tucked away in the cottage.
Her interaction with Claire had left her feeling even more anxious about bumping into residents who might recognize her.
It had been both painful and appalling to hear her casual, misinformed rendition of how “that Nicole girl’s” death had affected Caitlin and her family.
If Lily hadn’t interrupted the conversation, I might have broken down in tears , she thought.
And no matter how sympathetic she pretends to be, I’m sure Claire would’ve loved sharing the juicy little tidbit that I’m still a mess after all…
Which Caitlin supposed was true, in a way, but it still wasn’t anyone else’s business, and she’d do whatever was necessary to avoid another public conversation about it.
So she was content to spend Saturday morning making cranberry-pumpkin scones, the afternoon cleaning, and the evening curling up with her e-reader.
On Sunday she began feeling antsy, especially because none of the friends she called in New Mexico answered their phones.
And by Monday morning she was so eager to speak to someone face-to-face that if Melanie had shown up on her doorstep, Caitlin would’ve welcomed her in and listened with rapt attention while she overshared details about her relationship with Jonathan.
However, it was actually Shane who knocked on the kitchen door. When he flashed his friendly smile, she nearly forgot how temperamental he’d been the last time she’d seen him. “Hi, Caitlin. How are you doing?”
“Fine, thanks. How about you?” she asked without inviting him in.
“I’m good.” He tilted his head and questioned, “You sure everything’s okay? You haven’t stopped by to check out my progress for a while.”
Feeling a little foolish that it was so obvious she’d been avoiding him, Caitlin said, “Now that you’ve done the framework, I figured it would be more fun to wait till the rest of the remodel is finished before I see it.
” It wasn’t a complete lie; Caitlin did appreciate an element of suspense, but that wasn’t the main reason she hadn’t dropped in on Shane.
“That’s understandable,” he said. “But I’ve missed chatting with you. I, um, I’ve wanted to apologize for how loud and obnoxious I was the other week. I didn’t mean to drive you from your home.”
“No problem. Drilling and hammering are part of the equation. It’s not as if I expect things to be quiet when you’re remodeling.”
“I wasn’t referring to the drills and hammers. I meant my big mouth,” he said sheepishly. “I really went off about whoever TP-ed the windmill and your roof.”
Touched by how candid he was being, Caitlin gently admitted, “Yeah, I was a little surprised by how upset you were about it, considering it was only a silly prank.”
“I know. I overreacted and I’m sorry. See, the thing is…
when I was in high school, I made some poor choices.
They started out small, and relatively harmless, kind of like the trick someone played on you.
But my first trespass was a slippery slope, and after that, I kept crossing lines I shouldn’t have crossed.
Nothing illegal or violent, but I did things that were reckless and irresponsible, without any regard for other people—or for myself, for that matter.
Eventually, I got caught, which was the best thing that could’ve happened to me.
Otherwise, who knows what else I might’ve ended up doing. ”
He shook his head and jammed his hands into his pocket before continuing. “Anyway, when I saw what someone had done to your property, I wished I could’ve caught them in the act and lit into them, so maybe it would prevent them from going down a path like the one I went down.”
Relieved to learn the real reason Shane had seemed so sanctimonious about the windmill mischief, Caitlin gave him a saucy half-smile. “So what you’re saying is all that ranting was your way of expressing concern for their future?”
“Nah. All that ranting was because I lost my temper,” he said self-deprecatingly. “But beneath my anger, yeah, I do feel concerned for them.”
“The stupid little punks,” kidded Caitlin, quoting Shane.
“I really said that, didn’t I?” He grimaced.
“Yes, but it completely makes sense now. Thank you for explaining what was going on in your head.” Caitlin still wondered what Shane had done in high school, but she didn’t press him for details. He already seemed embarrassed enough and it wasn’t any of her business anyway.
“You’re welcome. Like I said, I’m sorry if my outburst made you uncomfortable—especially after we had such a great time together at the party.”
“It was fun, wasn’t it?” exclaimed Caitlin, glad to hear he’d felt the same way. She excitedly told him about her second visit to the cranberry farm, and about meeting Lily.
“You’re really getting around the island for someone who doesn’t have a bike or car,” he remarked.
She shrugged. “I like to walk whenever I can and the public transportation system here isn’t bad, considering how small the island is. So if I’m going beyond Lucy’s Ham, I just catch the bus. It’s kind of liberating not to have a car.”
“You might not feel that way when the cold weather sets in,” he warned. “Any time you want a lift, just say the word.”
“Thanks,” she said. “So, what have you been up to this past week… other than working here, I mean.”
“Nothing too exciting. Usually, I spend Monday or Thursday night catching a football game at Ahab’s.”
“Is he a friend of yours?”
Shane chuckled. “No, Ahab’s is a pub off Main Street in Benjamin’s Manor. In my opinion, they serve the best clam chowder on the island. No kidding, I could eat it morning, noon, and night.”
“I’ve never heard of Ahab’s. When I used to visit Dune Island, my aunt and uncle always took me to the Clam Shack, right up the road.”
“Yeah, their chowder’s delicious, too. So is Captain Clarke’s.
But Ahab’s has them both beat, and unlike the Shack, it’s open year-round.
I also like going there because it’s quieter during the week than most sports bars, and I can watch the game with other people, but sort of on my own, if you get what I mean. ”
“I’m the same way,” she acknowledged. “I like my independence, but too much time alone makes me crawl the walls.”
“Yup. It’s a delicate balance.” Shane nodded extra slowly, as if there was something else on his mind. Finally, he said, “I should get to work, but, uh, just to confirm… it’s all good between us again, no hard feelings, right?”
“It’s all good—no hard feelings,” she repeated, and gave him a smile, which he returned.
I’m glad I don’t feel like I need to avoid him any longer , she thought as he pivoted toward the windmill. But their little rift—coupled with her recent encounter with Claire—had left Caitlin feeling shaken and vulnerable, as if she might be exposed at any moment.
I’ve got to be more careful about not letting my defenses down—which means being friendly with Shane is fine, but no more flirting , she resolved and firmly shut the door.