Chapter 24
A t the close of the weekend, Ivy relaxed on Bennett’s modest vintage boat in the marina, her bare feet propped on the railing. Wind tousled her hair, but she didn’t care. Lifting her face to the breeze, she enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine as the craft bobbed beneath her.
After cruising the coast that afternoon, Ivy and Bennett had returned to the marina. She spotted Mitch returning from a charter cruise and noticed Tyler and Celia having an impromptu party on their boat. She and Bennett might stop by later.
Her husband was in the galley, making a charcuterie board for them so they could watch the sunset from here.
Otherwise, Summer Beach was quiet. Only a few locals strolled the beach, and just a handful of boat owners lingered in the marina. The Spring Fling crowds were gone, giving her family with a well-deserved rest.
Earlier that morning, she had put the orchid Ken had given her in a place of honor in her studio to inspire her painting. She’d taken up her brushes again and had made excellent progress. She would finish her custom commission next week.
She liked to think of the orchid as Hana, even though Kiko’s grandmother had called it Basil. Maybe Hana and Basil had joked with each other about that.
Hana Kato. A beautiful flower named for a woman who’d lived a life Ivy could only imagine. She’d endured imprisonment, helped heal many, loved a man forbidden to her, and left behind those who loved her.
Ivy watched the tide coming in, thinking of the ripples people left in the world, even long after they’d gone.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen. It was her mother calling. She sat up, hoping she could get a good signal here.
“Mom?”
“ Hola, mija .” Carlotta’s voice was clear. This connection was much better than the last one. “We arrived in Recife and bought new phones.”
“Thank goodness,” Ivy said, relieved they’d made it. “How was the crossing?”
“A little challenging at times, but utterly gorgeous. We loved it.”
Ivy could hear happiness sparkling in her mother’s words. “Is Dad with you?”
“He’s talking to an artist, so he’ll call you later. If we’re not careful, we’ll be back in business. On this voyage, we’ve seen so many unique, beautiful items—jewelry, housewares, clothing. We miss our import business.”
“You always loved the chase for unusual pieces.”
“What we enjoyed most was discovering incredible talent and helping those people tap into a larger market for their art and crafts. We didn’t realize how much we’d miss making a difference in people’s lives.”
Ivy heard the wistfulness in her mother’s voice. Retirement had its costs, and they weren’t what most people thought. “How long will you stay in Recife?”
“A couple of weeks or so. We have friends here from our import days, and they’ve invited us to their home in the countryside. We’ll have to adjust to sleeping in a bed that doesn’t rock.”
“And the next port?”
“We’ll head toward the ABC islands,” Carlotta replied. “That should take a few weeks. We’ll rest there and meet other friends who want to pass through the Panama Canal with us. We’ll need the extra hands.”
Ivy knew they’d sailed those islands before—Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao—three Dutch Caribbean islands that were outside of the hurricane belt. Still, after leaving there, Ivy knew the sea north of the South American continent could be treacherous.
“Please be careful,” Ivy said.
“We always are, mija . No need to worry. We’ve charted the journey, and we monitor the weather patterns.” Carlotta’s bracelets jingled softly on the other end of the line. “How was your big spring garden event? Your father and I have been thinking about you.”
Earlier, Ivy had emailed her mother about it. “The Spring Fling was a success. Shelly did an incredible job. It was close, but we pulled it off.”
“I never doubted that you girls would.”
Ivy grinned. “Mom, when do you think you and Dad will be home?”
Carlotta grew quiet. In the silence, Ivy sensed her mother’s thoughts. Her parents were enjoying the journey they’d always dreamed of. And Ivy was here, living a life she loved, built from the wreckage of her old one. They were both adults, doing what they loved.
“Soon, darling. Our home port is still our favorite.”
Ivy could feel her mother’s love through the phone. “Everyone misses you, but we understand your love of adventure.”
“We all do that which makes us who we are.” Carlotta’s voice softened. “Give my love to Bennett and the girls. And to Shelly and that beautiful granddaughter of mine. Tell Daisy that I’m bringing her something special from Brazil.”
“She’ll love that. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, mija . More than you know.”
When the call ended, Ivy cradled the phone in her lap, feeling the warmth of her mother’s voice linger like an embrace.
Bennett stepped onto the deck carrying a charcuterie plate of sliced Gouda, Havarti, and Camembert cheeses with bread, along with thin prosciutto, rustic salami, ruby red grapes, fig jam, and kumquats from their tree.
He placed it between them with a flourish. “Was that your mother on the phone?”
“They made it to Recife,” Ivy said, nodding. “They’re resting before the Caribbean.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Bennett sat beside her and poured the wine he’d opened earlier to breathe.
While they ate and watched seagulls circling the waves, Ivy told him about the phone call, sharing her parents’ news and her worries.
“I hope they’ll be okay,” she said. “I worry about the weather.”
“Your parents know what they’re doing. If anyone can avoid or outrun a storm, it’s Sterling Bay.” He reached for her hand. “But I understand why you’re concerned.”
“Mom and Dad don’t worry; they prepare. You know, I stopped worrying about the Spring Fling at some point. I knew it would work out.”
“And why was that?”
She squeezed his hand, realizing where he was going with that question.
“It was thanks to a crew of talented people. And there are few better than my parents. They grew up sailing off this coast. Considering the shenanigans my brothers and sisters got into, my parents had to navigate unpredictable waters for years.”
“A good crew is key, even at City Hall,” Bennett said, swirling his wine. “Building one is the mark of a good leader. That’s what you’ve grown into, though you might not realize it.”
She started to protest, then stopped, reminding herself to receive his compliment.
His face lit with pride. “The Spring Fling was only the latest in a string of nearly improbable triumphs. That’s why I’ve learned to get out of your way.”
She thought about how she and Shelly had turned a wreck of a house into a profitable inn. She’d even started asking more for her paintings, finally realizing they were worth it.
“Thanks for not feeling like you need to rescue me,” she said, tapping his glass with hers. “I’m flying higher than I thought possible.”
Bennett removed his sunglasses. As he cleaned them, he asked, “Do you believe in coincidences?”
“Sure, they happen. I’m not sure what you mean.”
He tucked his sunglasses into their case. “Think about everything that had to improbably fall into place these past few weeks. As I was preparing our food, I thought about all that’s happened since Kiko arrived. Let’s tally the coincidences.”
Ivy ticked them off. “Okay, let’s start with her grandmother leaving a letter for her. I don’t know if we can count the psychic that told her to find a house by the sea.”
“She was a catalyst. Count her in, for sure.”
Ivy smiled at the irony. “That’s like a scene straight out of Shelly’s woo-woo book. Maybe I should pay more attention to things like that.”
“I think you do, more than you’d like to admit.”
He was probably right. Ivy acknowledged that with a nod before continuing her tally of unusual events. “There’s Hana’s story, and then Kiko ran into Ken at Java Beach. And his grandfather turned out to be her grandmother’s only true love.”
“And her own grandfather,” Bennett interjected.
“The orchids, the sketchbook, the carved initials. That’s a lot of coincidence.”
He shook his head. “What if all of life is a series of coincidences, even if we don’t call it that? What if we expect things to fall into place?”
Ivy considered that. “But it’s the not knowing what’s ahead that makes life exciting. The uncharted seas, the thrill of?—”
She stopped herself with a sudden realization. “Hold on, I think I understand my parents a little more. The thrill of the unknown is what keeps them going, whether it’s sailing around the world, visiting a new country, or finding incredible pieces and befriending the creator behind it.”
Bennett stroked his chin. “Everyone is wired differently. And I think you have more of them in you than you realize. We never would have met again if you hadn’t been a risk taker.”
She laughed, thinking about when she’d decided to take on the inn project. “Even if it was risk-taking out of desperation?”
“That was a muscle you just hadn’t exercised much.”
“Dormant muscles,” she said wryly. “I think a lot of women have those. We spend years raising children and tending to everyone’s needs but our own.”
“You had more skills and knew more than you thought you did.”
“I did. That’s interesting. I’d been trained to think I had few skills.”
Bennett took her hand. “Jeremy?”
She nodded. “And all the Clarences of the world who doubt me—and women like me. I’m awfully glad you’re not like that.”
“I’m not perfect,” he said, smiling. “I needed some reverse training, too.”
Thinking about how their lives had overlapped, she said, “Maybe what we call coincidence is really the pieces of life being drawn together. What if our job is to show up and pay attention?”
“Okay, but what about free will?” he asked.
Before answering, Ivy pointed toward a pod of dolphins in the distance, jumping through the whitecaps.