Chapter Fifteen
When I arrived at the Crest after work, I went to where Kyle kept his supplies and the unfinished landscape of the Crest. Looking at it now, and not because of what he had done and the person he had proven to be, I did not like it.
It was too cold. It didn’t have the feeling of being a home, just that of being some sort of monument, despite his claim of showing it from some unique perspective.
When I went to my room, Anna was waiting.
“How are you?” she asked.
“I’m good, Anna. Life, especially now for me, goes on.”
She smiled. “Your mother could have given that answer.”
She hugged me and went off to prepare our dinner.
I looked at the drawing Kyle had made of me. How ironic that Aunt Frances had been right. I took a sharp bread knife and tore it up like she had. At dinner, I told Grandfather about the landscape painting.
“I think I’d like to do it, Grandfather.”
“Good idea. I should have let you from the start. See, we both learned lessons,” he said, smiling.
“What do you hear from Daddy?”
“Threats of returning every day. We’ll see.”
Despite my strength, I couldn’t help wondering if Kyle would call one day and come up with some excuse. He never did, but I read in a newspaper that he had gotten married and was making art in New Jersey. He was getting more involved with New York exhibits.
Jamie eventually heard about it, but he didn’t call to ask how I was. I knew what he was going through. He wanted me to call first. I hesitated. The one thing I didn’t want was for him to feel like he was second prize. I wasn’t sure about any of it anyway.
I finally called him and, without saying anything more, asked him if he would like to go out on my sailboat.
“Sure,” he said, and we set the date and time.
I was in the boat waiting for him and saw him coming down the pier. I hadn’t seen him for a while and thought he looked stronger and was walking better. He was in a bright turquoise light sweater and jeans and wore his sailor cap. When he saw me, he brightened and walked faster.
“You look like you’re doing so much better,” I said.
“Went at it vigorously. Beautiful boat.”
“Well, you’re going to take her out,” I said, sitting back.
He brightened even more and got in. It was a good sailing day, with clouds peppering the sky. The wind was strong but not strong enough to make the water rough. I saw the pure pleasure in Jamie’s face as he navigated us northwest of Birdlane.
“This is like sailing a Cadillac,” he said.
“I brought us lunch and drinks.”
“Great. We can go to Captain Blood’s Inlet.”
“Oh, I forgot about that. Yes, beautiful.”
He stared at me for a moment, and when he realized I could see him staring, he turned away. I lay back and closed my eyes. It was, at least for the moment, as if nothing had changed between us.
I knew what he was wondering, but he wouldn’t ask specifically. Finally, he asked something that would give him the answer.
“I guess you’re going to Bar Harbor a lot these days, right?”
“Not as much,” I said. “But I am looking more seriously into classes at the school of art.”
“Oh.”
“I sorta take things day by day.”
“Understood,” he said.
“So, tell me about your New York trip,” I said, hoping to leave the topic.
He became more animated, describing the lights and the excitement.
“But after a few days, we grew tired of the crowds and noise and set out for home early. You heard how we broke down. We took an off-the-beaten-track route and ended up in a small town with the car. Pretty boring few days. I guess I am truly a Birdie,” he said.
I knew what he wanted to hear from me.
“I do enjoy the excitement of Bar Harbor—more restaurants, stores, things to do—but I have to admit that when I am heading home to Birdlane, I feel a breath of fresh air, comfort, and warmth. So I’m a little mainland but mostly Birdlane.”
Jamie liked that answer. I could see it in his smile.
“I like occasional trips to Bar Harbor, too.”
“Great,” I said, and we headed toward Captain Blood’s Inlet. We had lunch and talked about things we often did. It was like old times and comforting, but I was careful. I didn’t want to start a deeper relationship until we both felt certain about it. No more hurting Jamie, I thought.
For some of the time, we just sat quietly and enjoyed the beautiful day. The ocean gleamed, and the birds seemed excited about life. We watched ships off in the distance, and, like always, we talked about the exotic places they were sailing to.
On the way back, Jamie asked me more about Daddy. I told him everything I knew. He paused and then said, “Some people are calling him a stain on the island.”
I nodded, but I didn’t say anything more. We made a date to sail again, hugged, and parted at the pier. It all felt a little strange to me because we were both hiding our emotions.
After work each day, I started on my landscape of the Crest. I used the materials Kyle had left since we had paid for them. Getting deeply involved with the work helped me to ease back more to a new version of my life. The only tension both Grandfather and I felt was anticipating Daddy’s return.
He didn’t arrive until a day after we had both expected him.
Grandfather was very suspicious about it, but he was suspicious of Daddy continually.
And continually upset with things he had done at work.
The day before Daddy’s return, Grandfather called me into his office to tell me he had a special assignment for me.
“The Johnson fishing group is considering another distributor because of the way your father talks and deals with them. I’ve asked Matthew Johnson to stop by today to talk to us before he leaves us. I’m giving you this assignment,” he said. “He’ll be here in fifteen minutes.”
“Fifteen?”
Grandfather smiled. “You’ll be fine. Go familiarize yourself with the account.”
I returned to Daddy’s office and did just that.
About fifteen minutes later, Matthew Johnson arrived.
He was surprised, of course, to see me in Daddy’s chair.
Grandfather had given me my own office, but for this meeting I thought I had to be here.
Matthew Johnson was a tall, gruff-looking man with a full reddish-brown beard.
He looked poised to leap over the desk at me.
“This isn’t very respectful,” he said. “Having me meet with Melville’s daughter.”
“Oh. Sorry. No offense intended. I’ve been put in charge of accounts for now. Please, have a seat,” I said.
He sat, but he didn’t look any more relaxed.
“All I know is we can’t survive with the deal you are offering and that your father said is firm. The supply isn’t as plentiful, and we have to work harder to acquire what we need.”
“I imagine so,” I said. “I know about the supply. You do have a bigger overhead now.”
He sat back, surprised.
“If you don’t produce, we have nothing to sell,” I said. “That’s why we have this new offer for you.” I handed him the paperwork. “There is a ten percent increase.”
“Ten?”
For a moment, I thought that wasn’t enough, and then he smiled.
“Well, okay, this is fair.”
“I’m glad you feel the same,” I said.
He looked at me harder. “How’d you get so grown-up?” he asked.
“I had no choice,” I said.
He liked the answer and signed the paper.
“My grandfather would like you to stop by his office on the way out.”
“Will do,” he said, and left.
I let out a deep breath.
Ten minutes later, Grandfather came to the office doorway and stood there smiling at me.
“I like it when I’m right,” he said, and returned to his office.
Daddy returned home that night, and during dinner Grandfather told him I had saved the Johnson account. But when he found out how, he ranted, saying it was nonsense. “Fishermen know their risks and costs. We shouldn’t coddle them.”
Grandfather’s face turned red. “I was a fisherman first,” he said. “You don’t really know anything about it. You took rides as a child but never showed any interest.”
“Whatever,” Daddy said, and soon retreated.
I saw how he had gotten to Grandfather this time and tried to console him.
“The man doesn’t realize this is more like a partnership, us and the fishermen. I don’t think he’s capable of understanding.”
He left to go to sleep, grumbling to himself.
I fell into my routine of work and painting. About a week later, Jamie proposed that we go to Bar Harbor for lunch. “We can pretend to be tourists,” he said.
I liked his upbeat mood and agreed, even though I feared how I would react to the fresh memories of being with Kyle.
I had mixed feelings during the sail over to the pier, almost expecting Kyle to be standing there waiting to give me some sort of an apology.
What would I do if that really happened?
Fortunately, Jamie’s laughter and continued excitement took my mind off all that.
We tied up at the pier, and Jamie took over the visit.
He wanted us first to walk the streets and gawk through store windows, wondering if we would wear this or that.
I sensed he was trying to keep me from dark thoughts, just the way he had when Mommy died.
He pulled me into a Bar Harbor souvenir shop and got us Bar Harbor caps.
“One of the fishermen on my father’s boats, Skip Carnesi, told me a great new restaurant here is Mamma DiMatteo’s. How about lunch there?”
“If we can get in.”
“I made a reservation,” he said, and I laughed.
“You did plan this.”
He shrugged.
We headed for the restaurant. I was quite proud of Jamie for doing the research. One thing that cheered me was that Kyle had never mentioned the place. It gave me the feeling he planned every move strategically to overwhelm me. I had to admit to myself that he did.
Mamma DiMatteo’s had pizza on the menu, which was delicious.
While we ate, Jamie talked a blue streak about every subject under the sun. It was as if he was terrified of a long moment of silence between us. I understood and contributed to the conversation. Toward the end, he sat back and smiled.
“What?”