16. Kate
“ T his was certainly not here thirty years ago,” Kate said to Jonah as she looked around at what was once a quiet harbor with a handful of local seafood joints.
Not quiet anymore. Today, HarborWalk Village was a bustling hub packed with shops, restaurants, and street entertainment, its vibrant energy a stark contrast to the sleepy charm of the past.
They’d borrowed Tessa’s car for today’s errand, and as Jonah locked the door and slid the keys in his pocket, he grinned with the knowing look of a local.
“I found this place the other day. It’s a tourist trap, of course, starting with a restaurant called Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville—isn’t that supposed to be in the Keys?—and ending with mini golf. But it’s also home to a seafood shop that Reddit says has the best and freshest shrimp in town. Perfect for that Brazilian specialty you’re teaching me tonight, Kate.”
“I hope I can do my lab’s cleaning lady justice,” she mused.
“Just don’t forget the coconut milk,” he joked, the two of them having discussed the recipe for way longer than necessary—but they’d bonded over food and enjoyed every minute of their “role” as the cooks of Summer House.
The walked together to the crowded wharf and dock, warmed by the sun and salty harbor air.
She frowned, getting her bearings from the past and spotting the distinctive roof of AJ’s, which had been a new and very hot restaurant thirty years ago. But something was definitely missing. “Where’s the magnolia tree?”
“Is that a shop?” Jonah asked.
“No, it’s a literal tree and it was huge and right…there.” She pointed to the dead center of the whole place where an information sign stood next to a brightly painted ceramic pelican. “There was a monstrous magnolia tree—probably the biggest landmark in Destin—right there, over a tiny wharf.”
Walking up to it, Jonah bent over to read the plaque. “Yep. The magnolia tree died and was cut down twenty years ago. And in its place, I give you…” He gestured toward the blindingly teal and tangerine pelican. “Peli, the outrageously painted bird who stands as a beacon of progress.”
She snorted, always amused by his mix of cynicism and humor. “Hey, your father took down a beach cottage jam-packed with memories and built a mini-mansion, so progress isn’t always bad.”
“Touché, Katherine the Great.” He shook his long hair back and donned a pair of sunglasses. “Shall we brave the sea of touristas and find these legendary jumbo shrimp—the world’s best oxymoron—sold at this harbor?”
“We shall.”
Together, they walked down a set of steps, threading the crowds as they strolled among the shops and restaurants on either side of a wide wooden boardwalk. The harbor wafted briny air, putting her in the mood to buy fish.
The planning, shopping, and cooking had become a bit of a ritual over the past week. The days slid into happy evenings around the table, with the ad hoc “family” gathered to feast on whatever Kate and Jonah wanted to try that night.
For Kate, the break from life in the lab was beyond welcome. She’d had a few Zoom calls with her team at Cornell and, somehow, the testing of energy density and life cycle of large batteries was proceeding without her hands on the experiments.
She missed Matt and Emma terribly, and their pleas that they spend their spring break in Florida with her were starting to sound…possible.
Their break started at the end of next week and she certainly didn’t expect to still be here…but she didn’t want to leave.
And then there was the matter of her mother, who never sounded great when they talked.
The fact was, life beckoned Kate home to Ithaca, but she just didn’t want to answer that call yet. She was having too much fun.
And a big part of that was this easy and unexpected friendship with Jonah Lawson.
The two of them had spent a good deal of time together over the past week, and he’d let his guard down just enough that Kate could see glimpses of the man he might be if life hadn’t been so unkind and taken his mother when he was a teenager.
He was broody, sure, and his rough edges showed themselves in bursts of self-effacing humor or sarcastic comments. But when he was in the kitchen with her, experimenting with spices or slicing vegetables with a practiced hand, he seemed at ease.
Eli had filled her in on Jonah’s situation—the cross-country drive, the van, the girlfriend, the baby. They all knew, but no one had really brought it up or put him on the spot. As they walked, she decided it was as good a time as any to see if he’d talk to her about it.
“So, your dad sort of filled me in on what’s going on in your life,” she started. “Feel free to tell me to shut up if this is out of line, but…how are you feeling about it all?”
Jonah didn’t react immediately, but he didn’t look annoyed, either. Finally, he shrugged.
“It’s not out of line,” he told her, then pointed to a small crowd standing outside what was essentially a shed with a sales window at the end of a dock. “But there is a line at the seafood shack. Do you mind waiting?”
“Of course not,” she said, smiling up at him. “Do you mind talking?”
He chuckled. “Sure, let the therapy begin.”
“No therapy,” she assured him as they joined the crowd. “I’m just curious and, well, maybe you need someone to talk to. Here I am, in line for jumbo shrimp.”
He regarded her with a wistful smile that she couldn’t quite interpret, then slid his sunglasses off as if he didn’t think they could have a heart-to-heart while his eyes were covered.
Kate did the same, taking off her glasses as she often did to have face-to-face conversations so she could really see into someone’s eyes.
“I don’t even know how to describe it,” he began. “Honestly, I’m freaked out. I mean…I’m about to have a kid.”
Kate smiled softly, a pang of longing tugging at her heart as she thought of her own babies and how much joy they gave her—and still did. And the possibility of grandchildren someday? She got a shiver of anticipation just thinking about it.
“That’s really exciting, Jonah,” she said. “Becoming a parent is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Jonah gave a faint smirk. “Yeah, but you were married, I’m sure. Likely very financially stable with good jobs and a nice house and a station wagon and probably a picket fence of some sort, right?” His tone was teasing, but Kate could sense a little fear and self-loathing beneath it.
“Well,” she replied with a laugh. “Stability is important when becoming a parent. But nothing is perfect, obviously. My ex-husband and I split up when the kids were only three and five, so…our picket fence collapsed.”
Jonah looked surprised as he stepped back to let someone carrying a bag of fresh fish on ice walk by.
“Huh. Well, still. I’m sure you were way better suited than I am. You’ve got degrees for days, a terrific job, and, except that you can’t keep track of your glasses, you’re pretty together.”
She laughed. “You’re together, too.”
“Oh, now I know you’re lying,” he said. “I can’t keep a job, and I don’t have a mailing address. Not exactly dad material.”
Kate glanced at him as they finally stepped into the cool dark shack and were smacked with the smell of fresh fish. “Those are easy fixes, Jonah.”
He shot her a look that said he didn’t agree, but zeroed in on the shrimp, launching into a conversation with the fisherman behind the counter.
“I’d like two pounds of your best white shrimp, preferably sixteen-twenties, if you have them,” Jonah said, impressing Kate with his knowledge of seafood.
The man grimaced in disappointment. “I got colossals, which are ten-to-twelves. What are you using them in?”
“A Brazilian stew but no sixteens, huh? The smaller ones could get lost in the sauce.”
The man leaned closer and lifted a brow, crinkling his forehead. “Gimme an hour, tops. The boat just radioed in that they’ve got a ton of those jumbos and they’re on their way back to the dock. They’ll be so fresh, you’ll have to name those suckers.”
He turned to Kate. “Mind waiting?” he asked. “We could hit Jimmy Buffet’s, search for that lost shaker of salt and…direction.”
Lifting a shoulder, she angled her head toward the restaurant. “When in Margaritaville…”
A few minutes later, they were at a table in the air-conditioned coolness of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville bar.
He lifted his drink for a toast. “To therapy.”
She narrowed her eyes. “To good conversation,” she countered and tapped his glass with hers.
“So, where were we?” he asked after a sip, surprisingly open and ready to talk.
“You were telling me that you’re not dad material.” She rolled her eyes. “Not sure I know what that is, but go ahead.”
“It’s…my dad—that’s who and what ‘dad material’ is,” he said with a dry laugh. “I’m not responsible, which is Carly’s beef. I’m not like you, or my dad, or—oh, please, the queen of overachievers, my sister, Meredith. I don’t have that stable, life-together kind of mindset. I feel like no matter how hard I try, I’m just gonna end up screwing everything up. Carly’s probably right to want me as far away from the baby as possible.”
Kate’s chest tightened at the hopelessness in his voice. It sounded familiar to her—like young Tessa being forced to read a thick book for an English class. It had been so hard for her and, like Tessa, Jonah covered his hopelessness with humor.
“That is absolutely not true,” she said, her voice firm. “And I think the only reason you haven’t discovered a career path is because you haven’t taken yourself seriously enough to give something a real chance.”
He dropped his head back and closed his eyes. “No one has ever taken me seriously except…”
When his voice trailed off, she felt her heart shift in her chest. “Your mom?” she guessed.
He smirked again. “Right you are, Dr. Freud.”
“Jonah.” She reached across the table. “I’m trying to help, and I know you deflect serious emotions with humor, like my sister. But, honestly, I think your dad takes you very seriously.”
He considered that and took a deep drink before answering. “He took me being an architect seriously. When I made it clear that wasn’t in the cards, he stopped thinking I was legit. We ended up in this huge fight and…and…” He flicked his hand as though the topic were an annoying mosquito. “Anyway, I know I’m a disappointment to him. And now, to Carly. And in six months, or sixteen years? I’ll be a disappointment to…Junior.”
“That’s only true if you make it true,” Kate said. “It’s in your control. And Eli is not disappointed in you, trust me.”
Jonah ran a hand through his unkempt hair, the gesture reminding her so much of Eli when he was thinking hard about something. For reasons she didn’t really want to examine right then, she found it utterly endearing.
“I’m completely unqualified to do anything, Kate,” he said. “And I sure as hell am not qualified to be a dad. I don’t even have any money.”
“The money will come if you find something you love and put your heart and soul into it,” she said simply.
“I don’t have something I love,” Jonah shot back. “I didn’t want to be an architect.”
“When did that become the only job in the world?” she asked with a laugh.
“When you’re a Lawson.”
Kate put both elbows on the table and leaned in to make her point. “Do I have to spell it out for you, Jonah? Isn’t it obvious? You’re a chef !”
Jonah barked out a laugh. “I’m a line cook who gets fired every two months and barely scrapes together enough hourly pay to fill my gas tank. I’m not exactly the next Bobby Flay.”
“But you could be,” Kate insisted, determined that he see what she did. “You have serious talent. There’s a reason you can’t stand doing a restaurant’s boring burgers the same way over and over again. You have a passion for food and flavor, and a really, really good culinary instinct. I cook like a chemist—you cook like an artist. Big difference.”
Jonah stared at her, his expression torn between disbelief and something she couldn’t quite place.
“I mean…I just like cooking,” he said finally. “Experimenting with stuff. I don’t know if that’s really a career that’s gonna put my life on track. I need to get, like, a suit. And sit at a cubicle in some office. That’s the only way Carly will see real change.”
“Is that what you want?” Kate asked, unable to believe it was. “A suit and a cubicle?”
Jonah made a face. “Of course not! If I could mess around in the kitchen all day long and get paid to do it, I would. Obviously. But real chefs go to school for years and have all kinds of education and training. I have nothing.”
Kate shook her head, seeing how deep his insecurities ran, once again reminded of her sister.
“Those are just obstacles, Jonah. They’re not permanent. And you’re so much more capable than you give yourself credit for.”
Jonah didn’t respond right away. He turned to look out to the harbor, quiet for a long moment before whispering, “I’m terrified to be a dad. I want to fix things…so badly, but I don’t even know where to begin. I’ve never asked my father for help before, but I didn’t know where else to turn.”
“You made the right call by coming here,” Kate said gently. “And, really, no one is ever ready to be a parent. It’s a one day at a time thing. For now, as you prepare for it, you have to figure out some plans and logistics, and the rest will follow. I promise.”
Jonah looked over at her, something vulnerable and raw in his expression. “You really think I could do the whole cooking thing as an actual job? Not just a line cook, but, like…for real?”
“Absolutely. I have zero doubts about you. None.”
He let out a sigh, and his hazel eyes softened as all the edge left his handsome features. “I bet you’re a helluva mom. Lucky kids.”
She drew back at the compliment. “Thank you. But this mom is day-drinking in Destin after leaving her teenagers for two weeks in the cold harsh winter of Ithaca.” She wrinkled her nose. “Maybe you shouldn’t take parenting advice from me.”
He chuckled at that. “Nah. You’re really good at it. You remind me of…” His smile faded. “She believed in me, too. Like no one else.”
She lifted her glass again in a toast. “And to honor her, Jonah, you should believe in yourself.”
He closed his eyes as the words hit. “You’re right,” he admitted on the softest whisper. “But what do I do? Where do I start?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Why don’t you get that degree? How about a culinary school?”
“How about I win the lottery?” he asked without humor.
“How about you talk to your dad?”
“And say what? Give me money? Nope. Not happening.”
“Let him know what you’re thinking about, Jonah. He loves you and would do anything for you.”
His eyes shuttered. “It’s been an hour. We should go get our jumbos before they sell out. And stop for that coconut milk. I think a little mango salsa, too, which would bring together the tropical flavors.”
“See? You know what you’re doing.”
“Yeah. Changing the subject.”
They both took one more drink and headed back to the seafood shack, talking about Brazilian shrimp recipes instead of his life.
Later that afternoon, any serious conversation was set aside for the equally serious business of making dinner. Tessa’s beloved speaker blasted out her latest playlist, “The Kate and Jonah Show”—a mix of eighties and nineties classics and the much, much newer rock that Jonah preferred.
“Try this,” Jonah said, holding out a tasting spoon as Kate finished chopping Thai chilis and green peppers.
She leaned forward, taking a bit of the salsa he’d been working on—mango, lime, cilantro, and just a hint of jalapeno.
“That’s amazing,” Kate said, her eyebrows lifting in surprise. “Jonah, this is perfect. How did you think of the lime zest?”
Jonah shrugged, trying to play it off. “Just felt right.”
“I told you,” she sang the words. “Inspired.”
As if on cue, Eli strolled into the kitchen, his T-shirt and shorts wrinkled and speckled with dirt as he made finishing the landscaping his top priority. He paused mid-step, sniffing the air like a man who’d been starved all day.
“Holy…what are you two making tonight?” he asked, wandering closer but holding his hands up. “I’m not clean yet, but, man, am I hungry.”
“Grab a chip and taste this mango salsa, Dad.” Jonah eased the bowl over the island. “I’d love your opinion.”
The words made Eli smile—not the food, Kate knew, but the words— I’d love your opinion. Was there anything better for a parent than to feel valued?
She held his gaze as she slid another bowl of tortilla chips his way. “Here, it beats a spoon.”
Taking a scoop on a chip, he ate it in one bite, closing his eyes and moaning. Kate took the chance to just look at him and…feel things she couldn’t explain. She was starting to get used to the sensation, though. Maybe a little too used to it.
Her crush on the man was alive and well, she knew in her heart of hearts. This crush—far scarier than the old one she had as a teenager—was still a secret. Although if anyone suspected, it might be Eli himself, since their long walks on the beach had grown progressively more personal.
“This is unbelievable ,” Eli said as he finally opened his eyes. “You made up this recipe? The two of you?”
Kate pointed to Jonah. “He’s the man,” she said with a burst of pride. “I’m nothing but the sous-chef in this operation.”
Jonah actually blushed a little. “Yeah. Just…threw it together.”
“You’ve got some serious skills, kid,” Eli said, reaching for a second chip. “This is…yeah. Top-notch taste. I’ve never had anything quite like it.”
“It’s just salsa,” Jonah muttered, clearly uncomfortable with the praise, but Kate caught the way his shoulders lifted slightly, like her words at the restaurant had planted a seed that was just beginning to sprout.
Before she could say anything, Tessa and Lacey strolled in, with Vivien right behind them, all three laughing about something Kate didn’t catch.
“What’s for dinner?” Vivien asked, grabbing a chip and scooping up the mango salsa. “We’re famished.”
“Brazilian jumbo shrimp with coconut milk and Thai chili peppers, mango salsa and chips for the appetizer, and chocolate mousse for dessert,” Kate announced as she set her glasses on the counter. “Jonah’s taking the lead tonight.”
“I’m experimenting, really,” Jonah said.
“It’s perfect,” Vivien cooed.
“We are your willing and hungry guinea pigs,” Lacey said, taking a big scoop of her own. She barely finished chewing when her eyes went wide. “Whoa!”
“Too much jalapeno?” Jonah asked, sounding worried.
“No, no, it’s perfect. This is it!” She gave Tessa’s arm a jab. “This is that perfect bite you wanted for the party apps. Can you put this with seafood, Jonah?”
He gave her a look like she was crazy. “Abso-stinking-lutely. It goes beautifully over salmon or mahi.”
“It goes beautifully in my belly,” Lacey crooned, taking another scoop. “Yikes, this is good. Everything you make is, Jonah.”
Kate beamed at him, catching his eye and giving her best “I told you so” flick of the eyebrows.
But her phone buzzed from her back pocket before she could say anything. She pulled it out and read the screen, seeing that it was Jo Ellen calling.
“I need to take this,” she said. “It’s my mom. Save me some salsa, please.”
“No promises.” Lacey waved another chip.
“Slow down, Spacey,” Jonah teased.
“Make more, Chef,” she countered.
As Kate walked out, she got to see those shoulders square even more at the title.
Happy about that, she left the banter behind to slip up the stairs and take the call.
She let it ring again as she paused in the afternoon sun pouring on the landing, knowing deep in her heart what she was about to hear.
Come home, please.
Sighing, she took the steps slowly, soaking in the place that had become her home these past few weeks. Everything was so bright, airy, fresh, and bathed in blinding Destin sunshine. She’d already made new memories to pile on top of old ones, and just like those bittersweet late August days so many years ago, she didn’t want to go home.
But she had to. And this call was just one more reminder why.
In her room, she tapped the phone. “Hey, Mom. How’s everything going?” she asked as she softly closed the door. “You okay?”
“Well, Katie, honey, I’m just having a really hard time here with Marie Curie,” her mother’s voice came through, sounding more fragile than she should, even for a woman in her late seventies. Before Dad died, Jo Ellen had been vibrant and dynamic.
Now? Sad and frail.
Kate pinched the bridge of her nose. “What’s the matter?”
“Oh, you know. She’s meowing a lot. She keeps looking at the front door. I think she misses you.”
Kate sighed softly. Someone missed her, and it wasn’t Marie Curie . “Mom, I’m coming home soon, okay? Try giving her those squeezable tuna treats.”
“We’re all out of tuna treats,” Jo Ellen said with a sadness that tugged at Kate’s heart. “When do you think you’ll be coming back? I mean, I’m sure you’re having a good time. Are you?”
She dropped on the bed and braced for a tough call.
“It’s been great, Mom. Such a wonderful place—it’s like old times.”
“Who all is there? Not Maggie, right?”
“Oh, no. Just Eli and Vivien, and their kids, like I told you. Oh, and Tessa, of course.”
“Yes, yes. That’s nice. But…are you coming back soon? I mean, I’m sure it’s warm and lovely there. So there’s no rush, but…”
But she was lonely, and still grieving her husband. Guilt smacked Kate in the face, and it hurt.
“It won’t be too much longer, Mom. I don’t want you to get tired of Marie Curie.”
She gave a soft laugh. “The cat who now sleeps on the empty pillow next to me?”
The empty pillow. Ouch.
“That sounds like my Marie,” Kate said, trying to keep her voice light. “She’s not bad company if you don’t mind a little kitty snoring.”
“I love snoring,” her mother said. “I miss the sound of it.”
Kate closed her eyes, the ache in her chest deepening. “I know, Mom. I know how hard it’s been for you. I promise I’ll be back soon.”
“How is Tessa doing?” Jo Ellen asked. “She hardly ever calls.”
Because she knew her mother would talk about their father, and Tessa couldn’t take it.
“She’s busy starting a business,” Kate said, purposely brightening her voice and tamping down any of her worries about Tessa’s latest adventure.
“Oh? She is?” Jo Ellen sounded interested. “I thought she worked for the Ritz-Carlton.”
Kate winced, realizing Tessa hadn’t told their mother she’d lost that job. “Well, you know Tessa. Always on the move.”
Her mother sighed. “I just ache for… I need you, Katie. Well, Marie and I both do. She’s staring longingly at the door right now, hoping you’ll walk through it.”
Kate tried to chuckle, but her heart tugged hard. “I know, Mom. And I promise I’ll be home soon.”
After they said their goodbyes and hung up, Kate leaned back on her hand, looking around the empty room. Vivien would fill it soon, with texture and color and style, but Kate wouldn’t be here to see it because she couldn’t keep making that promise to her mother and not follow through.
Reality felt like a storm cloud inching closer, ready to pour down on her idyllic escape. As much as she wanted to stay here, she knew she couldn’t.
As she stepped out into the hall, Eli was coming up the steps, an expectant look on his face.
“Everything okay?” he asked as he slowed at the top stair, searching her face.
“It’s fine, but…” She lifted a shoulder, not wanting to say the obvious.
Real life was waiting, and these dreamy days had to come to an end. Not tomorrow. Not the next day. But very, very soon.
“Well, you left these.” He held out her glasses and smiled. “Which surprises absolutely no one.”
She laughed softly and slid them on. “Thanks.”
“I’m going to shower,” he said, thumbing over his shoulder. “You’d better get into the kitchen before you lose your job to Jonah.”
She opened her mouth to share some of what they’d talked about, but it all felt like too much right then. Too much emotion after the call with her mother and she just didn’t want to delve into it.
“What is it?” he asked, always reading her so well.
She just shook her head. “Just…well, I had a great day with Jonah,” she said. “He’s an awesome kid, Eli.”
His smile grew. “Thank you for being so good to him.” He reached for her hand. “If you need anything…”
She held his hand for a moment, letting the sensation dance over her. Then she withdrew her fingers from his and smiled, knowing this time was coming to an end and not wanting to make the parting any harder on her heart.
“Just some mango salsa,” she said lightly. “Which is probably gone by now, huh?”
“He’s making more.”
“Good boy.” She slipped by him down the steps and heard him sigh behind her. A sigh that echoed exactly how she felt.