Chapter Thirty

Meredith placed Clarita’s luggage in the trunk of her rental car. She’d already loaded up hers, as they planned to get on the road right after the christening without stopping back here. They’d had minimal interactions with Olivia, who’d been polite and had pretty much kept to herself in her room. She’d left early this morning to ride with William and Sofia and help them with the baby.

Olivia would be staying an extra day so would have the guesthouse to herself tonight. Would she ask Derrick over for a drink in the gazebo? When he’d said that thing about them taking things slow and maybe not being anything more than friends because his mind had been somewhere else, Meredith’s heart had given a hopeful surge. But then he hadn’t exactly followed through by expressing his interest in her, either.

Well, she’d done her good deed in bringing Derrick and Olivia back together.

Now the rest of their future was up to them.

“Beautiful place.” Clarita surveyed the property, the hemline of her lemon chiffon dress fluttering in the breeze. “I almost hate to leave it.”

Meredith wore her flouncy floral skirt and white peasant blouse. The ensemble was maybe a bit date-like, but it was the most suitable outfit she had for church. When she’d arrived at Derrick’s cabin, she’d brought mostly casual clothing.

“I know what you mean,” Meredith said. “I’m going to miss being in Blue Hill.”

“Keep telling yourself you’re doing a good thing, because you are.”

“Thanks, Titi Clarita.” She shut Clarita’s trunk with unexpected force. “I guess I’m just ready for all this benevolence to be over with.”

Clarita frowned in sympathy. “It will be soon enough.”

A short time later, Meredith walked down the sun-dappled sidewalk approaching the small white church with its tall steeple seemingly touching the clouds. The group was waiting on her and Clarita, who’d arrived there last. Sofia held Julia who was dressed in a darling white lace christening gown. Its matching baby cap was tied on with a silky ribbon knotted in a dainty bow.

Sofia’s parents and William stood beside her and Olivia. Derrick was there, too, along with the rest of his family. He looked so handsome in a suit and tie that Meredith had to peel her eyes off of him as she and Clarita hurried up the steps.

“Morning everyone!” she said.

Clarita smiled. “What a nice-looking group!”

Grandpa Chad grinned. “You ladies look lovely yourselves.”

Meredith turned her attention on Julia. “Aww, she’s an angel.”

“The christening gown belonged to my mother,” Ginette explained. “It’s been in the family for years.”

“What a precious keepsake,” Clarita said, admiring Julia.

Julia gurgled and Sofia jostled her against her shoulder. “Let’s hope she stays quiet during the service.”

Meredith guessed that she would. The baby had barely fussed the entire time she’d seen her.

Maybe that was because Julia had been saving up for a momentous occasion like today.

The first sputtering cry came right after the family settled into the pews. Sofia, William, their parents, and the grandparents sat on the front row with the others seated behind them. Clarita scooted down so Meredith could sit beside her on the end of the pew adjoining the aisle. Olivia and Derrick were on Clarita’s other side.

Sofia and William had all sorts of toys in their diaper bag to keep Julia distracted. They tried inserting a pacifier into her pudgy mouth, but she kept spitting it out. By the time the baptism ceremony began, the infant was cranked up and ready to roar.

The minute the holy water hit her forehead, she wailed. William shifted on his feet looking embarrassed and Sofia pursed her lips, passing Julia to the minister, an older man with silvery white hair. Hope and Brent stood close by, as the infant’s designated godparents, while everyone tried to pretend that Julia wasn’t screaming at the top of her lungs.

Clarita chuckled and leaned toward Meredith. “You were that way at your baptism, too. Very noisy.”

Meredith giggled behind her bulletin. “Let’s hope for everyone’s sake it’s over soon.”

And it was. The minister sped up the service and only walked Julia halfway down the aisle before returning her into William’s open arms and issuing a quick blessing. Ten minutes later, the service had ended and the Albrights and company escaped nervously out of the church, accepting well wishes from others in attendance as they passed by.

The only one who hadn’t seemed to notice Julia’s ruckus was Olivia. Each time Meredith had peeked her way, Olivia had had her eyes on Derrick and not the service. She was probably planning what she was going to say about them giving things another shot. Meredith was glad she wouldn’t be around for that part. She sighed, trying not to wonder about the possibility of her being with Derrick instead of Olivia, because clearly that wasn’t happening. She drew in a deep breath to calm herself, repeating the mantra her aunt had encouraged. You’re doing a good thing.

At last, her time in Blue Hill had finally ended.

…

Clarita and Meredith hugged everyone goodbye in the parking lot beside the church, thanking the Albrights for their hospitality and Sofia and William for accepting them as party crashers.

“You can crash our parties anytime,” Margaret said with a big hug.

Meredith’s heart hurt when she realized she’d miss Derrick’s grandma as much as the rest of them. There was even something about Olivia she’d miss. Strangely.

Olivia hugged her and whispered, “Thanks for your tips! I plan to act on them today.”

“Oh?” Meredith stared at her, not knowing what she meant and maybe not wanting to. Maybe Olivia was going to finally make her big play for Derrick by suggesting they start dating. So much for taking it slow. She was probably ready to step on the gas.

Meredith glanced at Derrick who was hanging back from the group, and then more family members pressed in for hugs from her Titi Clarita. The Albrights were a really huggy family. In that way, they reminded Meredith of her own.

Derrick was the last to approach her. Some of the others were still talking to her aunt.

“So.” He shoved his hands into his slacks pockets. “I guess this is it then.”

Unlike everyone else, he didn’t hug her and maybe Meredith was glad. She didn’t know how she’d take being in his arms again, even briefly. “Yeah, guess so.”

His blue eyes glinted in the midday sun. “I’m sure you’ll do great things in Boston.”

“Thanks.” She glanced at Olivia and her heart sank. “I’m sure you’ll do great things here.”

He nodded.

“Oh Derrick!” Grandmother Margaret said. “Would you be a dear and help your grandpa get his seat back? The controls are stuck on his car again and he wants to drive.”

Derrick set his chin. “Sorry,” he said to Meredith. “I’d better—”

“Sure, sure. Go.”

He walked away and Meredith’s heart thudded dully in her chest. His farewell had felt incomplete, though she wasn’t sure what she’d expected.

Clarita hugged her the hardest. “Well, mija. This is it until we see each other again in Miami or Boston.”

“Take care, Titi Clarita, and thanks again for everything. Give my love to Mom and Dad.”

Clarita got in her rental car and the others headed toward their vehicles with waves.

Meredith climbed into her convertible and pushed a button to lower the roof. Given the dark clouds thundering in her soul, she could use all the sunshine she could get.

Once she got back to Boston, things would look brighter. She’d devise a plan for getting her career back on track, beginning with a big reveal show about her sad engagement breakup and the important way it had ended…with her stepping aside for true love.

She saw Derrick and Olivia standing together, chatting with Sofia, and tears prickled her eyes. She held them back and slid the key into her ignition.

When she looked up, Derrick was striding in her direction. Her heart leaped but then it fell when she saw the sad look in his eyes.

“You know,” he said, “we didn’t get a proper goodbye.” He leaned toward her with a hug and she returned it, her battered heart aching. His embrace was tender and warm, but crushing in its finality.

“Goodbye, Derrick.”

“Take care of yourself, Mer.”

“Thanks. You, too.” She bit her lip, ready to put this agonizing moment behind her. “Um, I’d better get going. I’ve got a long drive.”

“Yeah.” He thumped the side of her car and frowned. “Safe travels.”

…

The drive back to his grandparents’ place was gruelingly slow. Derrick felt like it took an hour to go those last fifteen minutes. In a way he hadn’t expected, it had been really tough watching Meredith leave Blue Hill. He’d had this crazy idea about begging her not to go. He’d even thought about jumping into that car with her and heading down to Boston to begin a new life. But no. He’d never do that. His life was in Blue Hill and he loved his job at the boat school.

He also preferred the peaceful view of a moonlit cove over the glare of big-city lights, and the quiet rustle of the breeze through the pines to the wailing sound of late-night emergency vehicles. He got enough of that when he visited his grandparents in their ritzy brownstone in Boston. He didn’t need concrete sidewalks when worn dirt roads did just as well for his morning runs. Boston Common was beautiful, but the enormous, planned park couldn’t compete with the view of sailboats skimming across Blue Hill Bay in his mind.

Meredith had called their one passionate moment together a mistake. And maybe it had been, because now it was going to be twice as hard getting over her. No matter how much he wished things had ended differently, they hadn’t. At least he was on better footing with Olivia. Not romantically, though. He was more certain than ever that their chapter had closed. He just needed to find a way to tell her.

…

The rest of the afternoon was pleasant enough, with folks having cake and coffee on the back porch after lunch and enjoying the sunny weather. Derrick tried to keep abreast of the various conversations going on around him, but his mind kept drifting out to sea with the tide.

Olivia stayed beside him, chatting with his family, and it was easy to forget there had ever been rift between them. She really was a good person, and the two of them were getting along better than they had before.

But the vibe between them was definitely friendship. Nothing more.

Sofia’s parents were the first to announce they needed to go.

“I have summer school classes tomorrow,” Amar told them.

“Ahh, I remember those days,” William said.

“Now he’s lucky to get a break at all,” Sofia added, but she was smiling.

“I don’t mind the hard work.” He lovingly gazed at his wife and the infant daughter in her arms. “It’s been worth it.”

“We’re saving up for a bigger house,” Sofia told the group.

“How exciting,” Ginette said. “We didn’t know.” She was already slipping on her cardigan and had gotten to her feet.

“We should probably hit the road, too,” Parker said, standing. He nodded at Elsa as she carried some empty dishes into the house.

“All packed!” she answered. Her apologetic gaze swept the group. “It’s been such a wonderful weekend. We really hate to go, but duty calls.”

Derrick knew his mom’s work as a magazine editor kept her busy, and his literary agent dad had an upcoming conference to prepare for.

“We need to push off, too,” Brent said, nodding at his wife. “To catch our flight back to North Carolina out of Boston.”

Hope smiled. “It’s been so great seeing everyone.”

“Am I the only one staying until tomorrow?” Sally complained.

“No,” Grandmother Margaret said. “William, Sofia, and Julia will be here one more day.”

“So will I,” Olivia volunteered.

“No one needs to ask where Derrick’s going to be,” Grandpa Chad said with a chuckle.

“How much longer is your break?” his dad asked him.

“I’ve got one more week.”

His mom turned to Olivia. “So then, will you be staying on?”

Olivia glanced uncertainly at Derrick. “We haven’t actually discussed that.”

“Oh well, you’re welcome…” Derrick said, feeling suddenly on display. “Welcome to stay as long as you can, of course.”

She dropped her voice in a whisper and said, “Maybe we’ll discuss this later?”

After a brief lull, Grandpa Chad suggested they all take a stroll to the driveway to see the departing family members off. As the final vehicle disappeared from view, Grandmother Margaret spoke to the remaining group.

“We’ve got a ton of food left in the kitchen. I was thinking we might have leftovers for dinner?”

Sally wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “After that big lunch today, an informal dinner sounds great.”

Everyone agreed that was a plan as they headed back into the house together.

Sofia grabbed the pram from the living room where she’d left it and spoke to William, who held Julia. He’d been burping her after her feeding and a cloth diaper covered his shoulder. “I thought I’d take her for a little stroll before it gets much cooler.”

“You know what?” William shot a look at Derrick that he couldn’t decipher. “I think I’ll stay here.”

“I’d love to come along!” Olivia said with a hopeful grin. “If you’d like company?”

Sofia took Julia from her husband and laid her down in the pram. “I’d love company,” she said, smiling at Olivia. “Thanks.”

After Sofia and Olivia left, Grandpa Chad turned to William. “I got a couple of new books in last week from my mailer book club. They’re in the library if you’d like to take a peek.”

“Sounds good, Grandpa.” He placed his hand on Derrick’s shoulders. “But first, I’d like to talk with Derrick.”

This sounded kind of ominous.

“How about a scotch?” William asked Derrick, pausing at the bar in the den.

“A scotch sounds good.”

William fixed them both a drink and suggested they build a fire in the firepit on the patio. Temperatures were already dropping and it cast such a warm glow. Since the family enjoyed having traditional lobster boils and clam bakes out here, their grandparents had eschewed the idea of converting to gas, and none of the grandkids minded. Building fires together out in Blue Hill had become just another treasured Albright family tradition. Once Derrick and William had gotten the fire started, William settled into a chair with his drink. “Fun week here.”

Derrick nodded sitting next to him. “Yeah. It’s been great.”

“Having family around’s important.”

“Especially when celebrating someone as special as Julia.”

William laughed warmly. “Yeah, she’s awesome.”

“Sofia’s awesome, too,” Derrick said.

William sipped from his drink. “You and Olivia seem to be getting along.”

“Who’d have thought?”

“That old tension’s gone.”

Derrick laughed. “I’m sure that’s been a blessing for everyone.”

“True.” William chose his words carefully. “But something else is missing, too.”

Derrick’s chest constricted. There was a lot missing in his relationship with Olivia. He guessed he shouldn’t be surprised that William noticed. Maybe it was obvious to everyone in his family. “Yeah.”

Kindling crackled in the firepit and the smoldering logs above them caught fire. Flames leaped toward the sky, which hedged purple with night settling in. They heard a screen door open, indicating that the women had returned from their walk.

“No relationship is perfect,” William said. “But sometimes that doesn’t matter when you find the perfect woman for you.”

Derrick stared at him, not understanding. He couldn’t believe that Olivia—

William tilted his glass toward the house. “Something tells me that your perfect woman is not the one in there.” He let those words linger in the air as the women gathered their things and came out to join them.

“Oooh, the fire’s going!” Olivia said, arriving on the patio with a glass of wine. Sofia and Sally were not far behind her, and Sally held the baby.

William winked as the women drew closer, letting his brotherly advice sink in.

Their grandparents emerged from the house. Grandmother Margaret admired the sunset from the porch and Grandpa Chad took her hand. They looked so peaceful together, companionable, and still like they were very much in love.

And all these years later, wow.

Derrick’s heart warmed.

Now that was the kind of relationship worth holding out for.

…

After dinner was done, Derrick approached Olivia. “Hey, do you have a sec?”

Her forehead creased. “Sure. Why?”

“I was hoping we could talk. In private.”

“Oh, um. Okay.”

She glanced around the crowded den as people ambled toward the French doors.

“Where?”

“There’s nobody else staying at the guesthouse now. Maybe there?”

She nodded and shot him a curious look when he whispered to William they’d be back in a bit. Crickets filled the night air with their song as he led Olivia down the pebbled path. She followed silently along without questioning him further, and Derrick felt like the worst person on earth. She’d done nothing but try earnestly to repair things. But he couldn’t keep up the charade of a friendship that might lead to something more, because he knew it never would.

“Can I fix you anything to drink?” he asked, as they entered the cottage.

“No, thanks.”

He suggested they sit on the sectional sofa facing the water and she gave him a melancholy smile.

“Something tells me this is not a romantic talk. Otherwise, you might have taken me out to the gazebo.”

Derrick felt even worse now. Had she imagined that he was going to declare his love for her, or suggest they start dating again?

“Derrick,” she said softly. “It’s okay.” Olivia patted the sofa cushion beside her and he sat down, gathering his courage.

“Olivia—”

“No.” She pressed a finger to his lips and met his eyes. “Me first.”

This was a turn he hadn’t expected, so he sat there waiting.

She folded her hands in her lap. “Hoo boy,” she said with a shaky breath. “This is harder than I expected.”

Derrick swallowed past the lump in his throat. “What is?”

She looked up, her green eyes misting. “Telling you how I feel.”

“Maybe I should go first.”

“Nuh-uh.” She shook her head. “What I’ve got to say is important. And, after I do?” Her eyebrows arched. “Maybe what you have to say will be different.”

“But, I—”

“Derrick,” she said, giving him a stern look. “Stop being so pig-headed and listen to me. I’m trying to tell you that this is no good.”

A tsunami of confusion swept over him. “What do you mean, no good?”

“You and me.” She frowned. “Trying to make this work.”

“But I thought…”

“I know you did, and I did, too. You weren’t the only one, you know.” She cocked her chin. “I’ve thought about you a lot these past ten years and always wondered what it would be like. Us getting back together. Only…it’s not how I imagined. Do you know what I mean?”

“I think so.”

“It’s so nice not fighting.” She laughed and rolled her eyes. “I really don’t miss that part.”

“But…?” he asked, leading.

“But,” she said. “Not fighting’s not enough. There has to be more. That’s part of what I was talking to Sofia about. Getting her advice.”

“On your walk?”

Olivia nodded. “Here’s what I think. I think we make great friends.” Her eyes sparkled tellingly. “I mean, friends and nothing more.”

Derrick heaved a breath, releasing a load of anxiety. Yes.

“Derrick,” she said sweetly. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t want to be a boatbuilder’s wife. Not even a boatbuilder’s girlfriend, really.”

He chuckled at her choice of words. “What?”

“It’s not that I don’t admire what you do, or respect it. Because I do. It’s just that…” She lifted a shoulder. “I’m tired of pinning my ambitions to guys. I have other goals in mind. Meredith helped me see that. Goals that will take me to places besides Blue Hill, because there are certain things I can’t do here. At least, not as well.”

She apparently read his lost look because she added, “Meredith asked me what I wanted to do with my life.”

“And you’ve decided?”

“About a lot of things, yeah.” She nodded. “Including that I’m not really happy moving from man to man.”

“Oh.”

“It’s not you!” she added hastily. “It’s all about me and what I want for my future. And that future doesn’t involve me moving here to be with you.”

“Where then?”

“I don’t have that part figured out yet. But I do know one thing—whatever I do with my life, I want animals in it. Lots and lots of animals. Which is why”—she gave an impish grin—“I’m thinking of starting an animal rescue.”

“Olivia,” Derrick said, meaning it. “I think that’s spectacular.”

“I know, right?” She bounced in her seat. “Think of all the good I can do.”

“A ton.”

“I need to do this, Derrick. Do something for me for once that really feels right.” She frowned. “Do you get that?”

He nodded. “More than you know.”

“I’m so relieved you understand,” she said. “I didn’t want to let you down. Not after all the trouble you went through. And Meredith, she took pains to get us back together, too.”

“I’d like to believe some good has come from this,” he said. “You and I have learned to get along.”

“Yeah.” She chuckled. “I think that’s better for everyone.”

“Agreed.”

“And there’s me and Sofia,” she said. “I’ve missed her friendship so badly.”

“I know she’s really happy that you guys are back in touch.”

“So!” she said. “What were you about to tell me?”

He hesitated, not wanting to hurt her feelings but then decided the truth was best.

“Pretty much the same thing.”

“That you want to start an animal rescue?”

“No, I think I’ll leave that to you.”

“Kidding!” she said, shoving him playfully.

He chortled out loud and hugged her. “You’re funny. I didn’t know that about you.”

“Some girls are full of surprises,” she said, hugging him back.