Chapter 5
“Piper? I thought that was you! Thank goodness you’re back.”
She turned to find Laura standing at the door and went up the stairs.
Laura hugged her like they hadn’t seen each other in years rather than two weeks. “I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life.”
“That can’t possibly be true.”
“It is true. I’ve got sick kids with Sarah and Charlie in Italy with Russ and Adele, and all my summer help gone back to school. I’m dying, and now there’s Ethel to contend with.”
“Piper is here to make it all better.”
“And Laura is delighted to have her back. Thanks for cutting your vacation short.”
“It was fine. My mother was driving me crazy asking me what I plan to do with my life now that I let Ben get away, so I was glad to have a reason to come back early. The ferry ride, however… Barf.”
“I saw the boat coming toward South Harbor, and it made me sick just looking at it.”
“You ought to have been on it. They’re cleaning it with fire hoses.”
“Ew.”
“Yep. I ran into a friend who helped me get through it.”
“Anyone I know?”
“In fact, it was. Jack Downing.”
“Oh,” Laura said with a big smile. She knew how dazzled Piper had been over him for months now. “Is that right? And how is our favorite hot cop?”
“He’s quite lovely and back on the island to stay now that the trial he was working on has ended.”
“Isn’t that a fun development? That you both came back to stay on the same day. You’re back to stay, aren’t you?”
“For as long as you need me.”
“Girl, that’s apt to be ten to fifteen years.”
Piper laughed at the face Laura made to go along with the statement. “I’m here for you.”
Laura hugged her again. “Thanks.”
“What can I do?”
“Take over the desk for me so I can check on Owen and the kids?”
“You got it.”
“Excellent.”
“Hey, Laura…”
“Yes?”
“Did you know Jack was a widower?”
“What? No!”
“Don’t say anything about it to anyone, okay? I wasn’t sure if that was public info, and I guess it isn’t.”
“I only know him to say hi to. Wow. That’s so sad.”
“His wife died of breast cancer three years ago. She was only thirty-two.”
“Oh, that’s awful.”
“Yeah, for sure. I had him pegged as a world-class player, but he said he hasn’t dated anyone since he lost her.”
“Huh. How do you feel about that?”
“I feel sad for him that he lost her and intrigued because he told me I’m his first so-called flirtation since that happened.”
“Ohhhh, well… Isn’t that interesting?”
“It is. He makes me all… fluttery inside.”
“Is there any better feeling than that?” Laura asked with a sigh and a smile. “Owen still makes me feel fluttery, even after three kids have done their best to kill our romance.”
“Nothing can kill your romance with Owen.”
“Aw, you’re sweet to say so. We’re muddling through somehow. I’m pulling for you to get your happy ending, too.”
“Thanks. It’s good to be back.”
“We’re so glad to have you. I’ll be down to relieve you shortly so you can settle in.”
“No rush. Do what you need to. I’ve got you covered.”
“Bless you,” Laura said as she took off for the stairs, heading for the apartment she and Owen shared with their kids on the third floor.
When she was alone at the front desk, Piper fired up the computer and immediately felt guilty when she googled Jack Downing and Rhode Island state police.
The third item on the list was a newspaper article about Jack’s late wife, Ruby Downing, who’d chronicled her four-year battle with breast cancer on Instagram and had more than one million followers at the time of her death.
Piper clicked on the link to Ruby’s account and then on her last post, in which she announced that she and her sweet husband had made the difficult decision to end treatment.
She’d quoted Saint Timothy. “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race.” She thanked her doctors, nurses, extended family and friends who’d stood by her and Jack through the highs and many lows of her illness.
“But most of all, I thank my love, Jack, without whom I would’ve given up a long time ago.
Make the most of every day, y’all. You never know how long you have. Peace out.”
Piper scrolled through the photos Ruby had attached to the post. The one from their wedding took her breath away.
What a beautiful couple they’d been, and obviously so in love.
Time ceased to exist as Piper scrolled back to earlier posts that told the story of a happy life until cancer upended everything.
She read about harrowing treatments, setbacks, infections and the leave of absence Ruby had taken from her teaching job, hoping it would be temporary.
In between the cancer updates were sunrises, sunsets, flowers, the babies of friends and family and a black dog named Scout, who’d belonged to her parents.
“Whatcha looking at?” Laura asked, startling Piper.
She felt like she’d been caught watching porn at work, or something equally embarrassing. “I’ve done a bad, bad thing and looked up Jack and his late wife, Ruby. This is her Insta account.” Piper moved over so Laura could see the photos. “She was so brave and inspiring. She fought so hard.”
“She was lovely.”
“Check out the wedding photo.” Piper clicked on the post that included it.
“Wow. Stunning.”
Piper clicked on the red box in the corner to exit out of the browser. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to fall into such a rabbit hole. How long were you upstairs?”
“An hour.”
“Jeez.”
“It’s normal to be curious, Piper.”
“I know.”
“But?”
Piper took a moment to try to get her thoughts together before she answered Laura’s question. “I was starting to get a little excited about the thing between us, whatever it might be. But now…”
“It’s okay. You can tell me. No judgment.”
“How could I ever compete with her and what was obviously a very big love, you know?”
“I see what you mean, but I think it’s significant that he told you he hasn’t been with anyone since she died.”
“Is it too big of a deal? Don’t they say the first big relationship after a huge loss is always a disaster? Would I be setting myself up for another heartbreak by letting this go any further? I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime, and I’m sure he has, too.”
Laura seemed to give her questions considerable thought. “Those are important things to think about, but here’s another perspective. Would you be sad if you never got a chance to find out what you might have with him?”
Piper recalled the immediate spark of attraction at a time when she was in no place to be attracted to anyone, as well as the way he’d come to her rescue on the ferry. She’d thought about him endlessly during the weeks he’d been off the island.
“I missed him while he was gone,” she said, “and I thought that was odd since I don’t really know him all that well. A few conversations, a couple of laughs, some low-key flirting. That kind of thing. So it was weird that I missed him, right?”
“Not at all,” Laura said. “You like him. He likes you. There’s a spark of something there, and you were hoping to find out what that might be.”
“And now I just don’t know.” She glanced at Laura, who’d been like a big sister to her since she showed up on the island in rough shape after a horrible breakup and then was assaulted the first time she ventured out. “What would you do?”
“The curiosity would have me wanting to spend more time with him.”
“Even knowing what I do now?”
“I think so, but I’d proceed with caution.”
“Thank you for listening.”
“No problem. We old married people live vicariously through people like you who are still dating.”
“Not that long ago,” Piper said, “I thought I was done with dating, and now I’m back to square one.”
“Don’t forget, I’ve been right where you are.
” Laura had shared how she’d found out her new husband was still on dating apps and meeting women after their wedding.
“It totally sucks to have to start over, but trust me, it’s worth it when you get it just right.
” Laura squeezed Piper’s shoulder. “I have a good feeling about you and Jack, for whatever that’s worth. ”
“It’s worth a lot.”
The phone on the desk rang. “I’ve got it,” Piper said. “Sand & Surf, this is Piper. How can I help you?”
“Hi, Piper, this is Dara Watkins, the lighthouse keeper?”
“Of course. Hi, Dara. What can I do for you?”
“Oliver and I are wondering if you have any rooms available. We’re a little unsettled about riding out the hurricane at the lighthouse.”
“I just got back to the island, so hang on for one second and let me check with Laura.”
“Sounds good, thanks.”
Piper put her on hold. “Dara Watkins is asking whether we have rooms. She and Oliver don’t want to ride out the storm at the lighthouse.”
“I don’t blame them. Tell them to come over. We’ve got plenty of room after just about everyone left and our reservations canceled for this weekend.”
Piper pressed the flashing button. “Dara? We’ve got rooms, and Laura said to come over.”
“Oh, great. Tell her thanks. We’ll be there soon.”
“Sounds good.”
Piper had no sooner put down the phone than it rang again with a call from Slim Jackson, asking the same question.
“Erin and I aren’t sure our summer shack is up for a hurricane,” Slim said.
“We’ve got rooms, and you’re more than welcome to come,” Piper told him.
“Excellent. Erin will be glad to hear that. We’re on our way into town.”
“See you when you get here.”
“Don’t charge anyone who comes in today,” Laura said after Piper hung up with Slim.
“We’re happy to provide shelter for those who need it, although I sure do hope this old girl will still be standing when it’s over.
” Laura took a tentative look around the nearly one-hundred-year-old building.
“She creaks and moans during a Nor’easter.
I can’t fathom what a hurricane will be like. ”
Piper was truly nervous about what was coming their way and hoped the grand old hotel that’d begun to feel like home would survive the storm.