Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
ELEVEN YEARS AGO
Ian
I’d expected to spend the next few months waiting to leave for Stanford in the fall, but suddenly, I’m looking at the calendar in Dad’s office and wishing I could slow down the days of this unexpectedly magical summer.
Every morning, I wake up anticipating the minute I can get to the club and catch Josie for a few stolen moments before her shift starts.
If I time it right, I can meet her in the parking lot by the employee entrance and press her up against the wall for a long, hot kiss before she heads inside.
And then, after sailing practice, I hurry to the restaurant for the chance to see her.
If she’s working in the dining room, I’ll even suck it up and sit with Dad and whatever client he’s entertaining that day.
I don’t want to get her in trouble or distract her from her work, but the secret smiles that she directs at me across the crowded room are almost better than those parking lot kisses.
Almost.
But the best part of the day is when her shift ends and she meets me on the dock for a sail or a sunset walk on the beach. That’s when we get to be alone, away from the club, from her boss and the guys on the sailing teams, and away from Dad’s scrutiny.
I know Dad specifically requests for Josie to be our server, and he always hands her a huge tip for her service.
I’m happy for him to throw all his money at her if it means she’ll be able to save for the study abroad trip she’s been dreaming about.
But I know he’s not doing it to be generous.
Just like everything else, charming Josie is a calculated business decision.
I made it sound like a joke when I mentioned that Dad would love her if she convinced me to come back to Sandy Harbor and work for him.
But I know it’s what he’s not-so-secretly angling for.
He can tell my feelings for Josie are special, and if he can impress her with our family’s money, he thinks she’ll eventually take his side about me working for Langley Capital.
But he doesn’t know her like I do. She wasn’t impressed by my ridiculously named sailboat or any of the other obvious signs of my family’s wealth. And she’d never try to influence my future. The more I know her, the more I’m sure of it.
It’s part of the reason I’m falling for her.
Josie and I are returning from an evening sail and I’m tying the boat to the piling when I hear footsteps behind us.
“Beautiful evening, isn’t it?” says a familiar female voice.
I draw myself upright and turn to find Dad and Mom approaching.
I blink, staring at the two of them walking arm-in-arm down the dock.
What are they doing here? My gaze darts to Mom, searching for the tell-tale glassy eyes and sway in her limbs that indicate she’s had a few too many drinks.
Her cheeks look flushed, but she’s not slurring, and though she’s gripping Dad’s arm, he doesn’t seem to be holding her up.
It’s the first time this summer Mom has visited the club. She used to come more often when I was a kid, but as her drinking habits intensified, Dad started holding more business meetings in the club’s dining room, probably to have an excuse to keep her from tagging along.
Now as I watch them together, I remember my conversation with Dad in the car a few weeks ago.
He promised he’d make more of an effort to spend time with her and work on getting her to stop drinking.
Did our conversation actually have an impact?
Is it possible he’s really following through? I’m buoyed by the thought.
Dad’s gaze sweeps over Josie, taking in her windblown hair and pink cheeks.
Her lips are red and slightly swollen from our kisses out on the water.
Dad raises his eyebrows in a knowing look before he smooths his face back into a neutral expression.
“Josie,” he says with a nod. “It’s nice to see you again. ”
Josie reaches up to tidy her hair. “Hi, Mr. Langley.” Her voice is tinged with a hint of deference, a tone I’ve heard for my whole life when people are talking to Dad.
He’s an important client at the club, and I know she’s probably nervous to run into him while we’re on a date.
I wish I could have given her some warning that my parents were going to show up like this.
Josie’s gaze slides to Mom, and I wish I’d had some warning, too. But more than anything, I hope my earlier impression of Mom’s sobriety holds up.
“Josie,” I say. “This is my mom, Patricia Langley. Mom, this is Josie Sullivan.”
“Hi, Mrs. Langley,” Josie says with a hopeful smile.
“It’s so lovely to meet you,” Mom says, her attention drawn to my hand holding Josie’s.
“It seems you know Christopher already, so I’m the last to meet you.
I should have come to the club sooner so we could get acquainted.
” She gives Josie a warm smile, and I see a hint of the woman I remember from before she started drinking.
Outgoing, charming, a foil for Dad’s reserved nature.
They’re opposites, but they were good together once.
I wonder if maybe they could be again.
“Why don’t we sit down in the dining room, order some drinks, and get to know each other a little?” Mom suggests.
I hesitate, and Josie must feel the tension in my hand because she quickly glances in my direction.
I wish there was a way to signal that my reluctance to have drinks with my parents has nothing to do with her.
Will Mom order wine and then start slurring and falling out of her chair?
It wouldn’t be the first time it happened, but Dad and I are usually able to whisk her away before she makes too much of a scene.
If it came to that now, how would I explain it to Josie?
I haven’t even told her about Mom’s drinking yet. To be honest, I’ve been a little embarrassed to share that part of my life with her, and I’d hate for her introduction to Mom to be when she’s stumbling and unable to string two words together.
I give a quick shake of my head. “Oh, I don’t—”
“That’s a good idea.” Dad cuts me off. He waves an arm toward the restaurant. “After you all.”
I squint in his direction, surprised that he’d agree to sit down for drinks with Mom, too. Is it possible that something has shifted between them? That they’ve really had a conversation about rehab, and that he’s actually making more of an effort?
I don’t have a good excuse to say no, so I look to Josie, who gives me a nod to let me know she’s okay with this. We head into the dining room, and the hostess seats us at Dad’s usual table by the window.
Mom lifts the menu and immediately flips it over to the wine list. “What should we have, Chris? Red? White?”
With an almost imperceptible shake of his head, Dad presses a hand on her wrist. Mom sets the menu down. “You know, maybe I’ll just have sparkling water.”
I stare at Dad’s hand on Mom’s arm. It seems too good to be true, but I don’t know how else to explain it.
Another sliver of something like hope slides into my heart.
Until this moment, I didn’t realize just how worried I’ve been about leaving Mom behind to go Stanford.
If Dad is committed to helping her get sober—and maybe even committed to fixing their marriage—this really could be a fresh start for me.
My focus is drawn to Josie, who’s sitting straight in her chair, hands folded in her lap. I can tell she’s nervous about this meeting and wants my parents to like her. Under the table, I nudge her foot with mine. She looks up, and I give her a reassuring smile.
Mom turns to Josie. “What would you like, dear?”
Josie picks up her menu. “I’ll have sparkling water, too.”
A server approaches to take our order, and I look up to find Josie’s friend Alice.
“Hi, Mr. Langley, Mrs. Langley,” she begins, her gaze trained on my parents.
“Can I get you all something to…” Her voice trails off as her head swings between me and Josie.
“Josie… hi. I didn’t see you there.” She presses her lips together as if she’s trying to hide a smile, and over my parents’ heads, her eyes widen at Josie in some sort of silent girl-communication.
Josie blinks and acts like she doesn’t notice.
When Alice sees me watching, her face smooths into a serene expression and she clears her throat. “What can I get you all to drink?”
I’m pretty sure this whole exchange is a sign that Josie told Alice about me, and from the delight on Alice’s face and flush on Josie’s cheeks, I’m guessing whatever she had to say was positive.
I feel my mouth curving into a grin because this is just more evidence that Josie is as into me as I’m into her.
We order drinks, and once Alice leaves, Mom turns to Josie. “Now, Josie. Are your parents members of the club? Do I know them?”
Josie shakes her head. “Actually, I work here as a server.”
Mom’s face lights up, her eyes glowing for once with happiness instead of alcohol.
“Oh, how lovely. I waitressed all through college at a lake resort in Minnesota, where I grew up.” She slides her arm through Dad’s, leaning her head on his shoulder with a dreamy expression.
“I had the best summer of my life. And I met a handsome lifeguard who ended up following me to New Jersey when I was offered a job here. A few years later, I married him.”
Dad gives Mom a rare smile and takes her hand.
“It’s been twenty years,” Mom says, basking in Dad’s attention. “Can you believe it?”
Josie’s eyes go soft as she watches the two of them, and I can tell she’s a little dazzled by the romance of it all.
And who could blame her? In this moment, they seem like the perfect couple.
Mom is so obviously still in love, and Dad’s rare look of affection for her has even me feeling a little emotional.