After closing the cafe at two on Sunday afternoon, Birdie drives straight to Stan’s house. His truck is in the driveway, but he doesn’t answer when she knocks and rings the bell. Venturing around to the waterside of the house, she sees the Island Daze is missing from the dock. She waits in a rocker on the porch, out of the heat of the afternoon sunshine. Thirty minutes later, the rumbling of diesel engines grows closer and the Island Daze appears. She hurries down to the dock to help him tie up.
“What’re you doing here?” he asks from the flybridge.
“I’m hoping you’ll let me explain why I lied to you.”
Killing the engine, he comes down the ladder and steps on the dock. Leaning against a piling, he crosses his arms and legs. He doesn’t offer her a seat in one of the Adirondack chairs. He doesn’t intend for her to stay.
“You may have your say, Birdie. As far as I’m concerned, there is never a good reason to lie.”
“I totally agree, and I almost never lie. My daughter says I’m honest to a fault. But I’m also a sucker for someone in need. The woman Cary ran off with stole all his money and left him stranded in Maui with only an airline ticket back to South Carolina.”
Stan removes his baseball cap, smooths back his salt and pepper hair, and returns the cap to his head. “Serves him right, if you ask me.”
“I felt sorry for him, and in a moment of weakness, I agreed to let him stay with us until he finds a job.”
Stan tucks his chin and peers at her from behind his sunglasses. “You mean he’s living with you too. I thought he was just working at the cafe.”
“He was only helping out at the cafe. He can’t find a job. No one will hire him.”
“Because everyone in town knows how badly he mistreated you. Everyone except you, apparently.”
Anger surges through her body. “I’ll never forget what he did to me. He nearly destroyed my life. But he’s still Hannah’s father. They were once close, and I was hoping they could rekindle that relationship.”
“And have they.”
Birdie shakes her head. “Hannah won’t even talk to him. I made a mistake in letting him stay with us, and now I can’t get rid of him. I told him, he has to get out by Friday. If he doesn’t find a job, I guess I’ll have to give him some money. I can’t just put him out on the street. Regardless of what he did to me, I’m not that heartless.”
She waits for Stan to say something. When he remains silent, she continues, “I’ve fallen hard for you, Stan. And I didn’t tell you about Cary, because I didn’t want you to know what a stupid thing I’d done in letting Stan back into her lives.”
Stan pushes off the piling. “I don’t judge people, Birdie. Except when they lie to me.”
He motions her to the chairs. “You may have heard that my wife cheated on me. You may also have heard that she cheated on me with another woman. In my opinion, a fifty-year-old woman doesn’t suddenly decide she’s gay. I feel like our marriage was based on a lie. For twenty-five years, our entire lives were based on a lie.”
“I’m sorry, Stan. That must have been so hard for you.”
“It was. But I’m over it now. I’m ready to move on.” He takes Birdie’s hand. “I’ve fallen hard for you, too, Birdie.”
Birdie’s pulse quickens. “Does this mean you forgive me?”
“If you promise to never lie to me again.”
She draws an X across her heart. “I promise. I will always be truthful with you no matter. what.”
“And I will with you as well. Like right now when I tell you I think we’re moving too fast. And that’s my fault. I’m the one who invited you to dinner every night last week. I enjoy your company. And I want to be with you. But seeing Cary behind the counter in your cafe reminded me of the pain relationships sometimes cause. And I rather ease into this.”
He’s putting me on probation, Hannah thinks. To make certain I won’t lie to him again.
“I understand,” she says. “And I agree. I think we should slow things down. Hannah freaked out when I didn’t come home on Friday night, as I worried she might. Cary’s disappearance traumatized her. When she couldn’t get in touch with me, she assumed the worst.”
Stan frowns. “I’m so sorry. I’m to blame for coercing you into staying.”
“Not at all. I should have trusted my gut instinct and gone home. It looks as though Hannah will be moving to Charleston, and I want to be there for her as she makes this transition. She and I are closer than most mothers and daughters because of what we’ve been through together, losing Cary and Hannah having a baby. I will miss her like crazy, but this is what she needs.”
“Sounds like you both could use this separation. Lucky for you, Charleston is just the right distance away.” He gets up and pulls Birdie to her feet. We were supposed to go out on the wave runners this afternoon. Did you, by any chance, bring your bathing suit?”
Birdie gives him a sheepish grin. “Actually, I did. It’s in the car. I was hoping you’d find it in your heart to give me another chance.”
“I’d be a fool not to.” Spinning her around, he smacks her bottom. “Now go change into your bathing suit while I get the wave runners ready.”
She’s back in a flash. Stan whistles when she removes her cover up. After a quick tutorial, they take off on the wave runners with Stan in the lead and Birdie following at a safe distance. After riding for more than an hour, they stop for a break. They are alone on a deserted beach with no other boats in sight. Stan looks hot in his board shorts, and she desperately wants him to take her in his arms and make love to her in the sand. But he doesn’t touch her. And later, when it’s time for her to go home, he only kisses her cheek in parting.
Stan opens Birdie’s car door for her. “Tell Cary to come see me in the morning. I’ll give him a job.”
Birdie narrows her eyes. “Why would you do that?”
“To assure he moves out of your apartment on Friday. Besides, I had a salesman quit last week, and I’m short staffed.”
Birdie stuffs her key in the ignition. “Honestly, Stan, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Remember he embezzled funds from his law firm.”
“Which is why I won’t let him near the money. Let me worry about it. I can handle Stan.”
Birdie drives off with a sinking feeling in her gut. She’s relieved Stan agreed to give her another chance, but something has shifted in their relationship. There’s an awkwardness between them that didn’t exist before. He’s the same Stan, yet he’s somehow different. She senses he’s waiting for her to make another mistake. And nothing good will come of Cary working for him.