“What does he do now?”
“He’s an environmentalist. He’s working on writing the new conservation regulations for the Chesapeake Watershed.”
“There’s a switch of hats.”
“Not so much. Stef said he saw firsthand what pollution was doing to the Bay, and wanted to work to correct it.” Vanessa licked ice cream from the spoon. “Anyway, she wanted a place to do her thing, so her dad let her have their old shack. She worked on it for six months, fixing it up. She said it had leaks, it had bats, the windows needed to be replaced, and the floor needed repair.”
“She did all that work herself?”
Vanessa nodded. “Mostly by herself, though her brother did help her out when he could. He’s the vet here, owns a small animal and waterfowl clinic down on the river.”
“Small animal and waterfowl,” Grady mused. “Now there’s an interesting combination.”
“Stef said that when he went away to school, he wanted to come back to St. Dennis to practice someday, so I guess he knew what they needed most around here.”
They’d reached the wooden walkway, as far as one could go before stepping into the Bay. The water had rainbow swirls from fuel that leaked from the motor of one of the boats tied up just a stone’s throw farther down toward the pier. They stood and watched the boats ease in or out of their slips, the motors muffling as they maneuvered slowly around the pier. Once out in the channel they could open up their motors and the boats could soar and scream like wild things, but here, on their best behavior, they whispered.
“Well, now, I thought that was the two of you back there in Steffie’s place.”
Vanessa turned in time to see Hal take Maggie’s arm.
“Look here, Maggie. Vanessa and Grady are out enjoying the day, too.”
“I was,” Vanessa muttered.
“We’re just on our way to take the boat out for a spin. Maggie says she’s never been out on the water. Imagine that, Ness.” He looked her directly in the eye. “Imagine living your whole life, and never getting to feel the spray in your face, the wind in your hair…”
Vanessa’s smile was fixed and frozen.
“I was just telling Maggie about taking you out this week, Grady,” Hal went on as if everything was just peachy, as if Vanessa wasn’t staring daggers at Maggie, and Maggie wasn’t trying to ignore her daughter, choosing instead to focus on Grady.
“I enjoyed both trips,” Grady told them. Addressing Maggie, he said, “I’m sure you’ll have a great time. Hal really knows his way around the Bay.”
“After sixty-some years around here, I’d better know my way around. Say,” he said as if it just occurred to him. “I thought you were leaving this afternoon.”
“I had a change of plans,” Grady replied.
“I see. Well, then, why don’t you join us for a spin around the Bay? It’s been a while since you and I were out together, Ness.”
“Some other time, Hal, but thank you,” Vanessa replied.
“All right, then. See you later.” He took Maggie’s arm and started to turn toward the dock. “You know what would make me very happy? If you two would meet us for dinner later at Walt’s.”
Grady watched the conflict cross Vanessa’s face. She loved Hal and wouldn’t hurt him for the world, but she still clearly had issues with Maggie.
Finally, she said, “Grady, did your brother ever get back to you about having dinner tonight?”
“No,” he replied. “I haven’t heard from him.”
“Oh, Andy you’re talking about?” Hal adjusted the dark glasses on his face. “I ran into him earlier at the Inn. He said he’d be heading over to Cannonball Island. He and his wife and a couple of your cousins left around three. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were to have dinner while they’re there.”
“In that case, I guess I’m free.” Grady turned to Vanessa. “Are you free?”
Still watching Hal’s face, Vanessa nodded. “What time is good for you, Hal?”
“I suspect we won’t be out as long as an hour.” Hal looked across the Bay and seemed to study the sky. “No point in it, since the sun is going to be setting soon enough.”
“Let’s say an hour then.” Vanessa nodded.
“Good. I’ll be looking forward to it. Now, to get that boat out of her slip without nudging into that fool Carter Harwell. Will you look at the way he’s parking that Whaler of his?” Hal set off down the walk, his eyes on his precious boat, one hand on Maggie’s arm, the other raised to his face as he yelled across the pier, “Hey, Harwell! Watch where you’re going…”
Grady looked down at Vanessa, who was looking up at him.
“Way to stand firm,” he said.
“I can’t say no to him. If he wants me to do this, I’ll do it. If he wants me to make nice to my mother, I’ll make nice.”
“I think he’s hoping you’re doing this for the right reasons, not because you want to please him.”
“Pleasing Hal is the right reason.” She shook her head. “It’s the only reason why I’d sit down with her right now.”
“Well, then, I guess that’s going to have to do. For now.” He took her hand and walked to the end of the pier.
Even from a distance, they could hear Hal berating his old sailing buddy, who still hadn’t gotten his boat into the slip.
Listening to Hal, Vanessa started to laugh. “He’s such a paper tiger. He’ll rail away on Carter, and Carter will rail away on Hal, and in an hour, they’ll be buying each other a beer at Walt’s. Hal just loves to bluster sometimes.”
They stood and listened to the harangue-fest for a few more minutes before Hal leapt from the dock to the deck of the Whaler and helped navigate the craft into position. Within minutes, the boat was tied up and both men were stepping up onto the dock. They chatted a few minutes-Hal introducing Maggie to Carter-before apparently forgetting all about the Shady Lady as the three headed directly to Walt’s.
“She’s up to no good.” Vanessa’s eyes narrowed. “Her last husband died recently so she’s on the loose. She’s come to St. Dennis and she’s realized that Hal is pretty well off and she’s setting her sights on him again.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Oh, yes I do. I know that look.”
“Look, I’m sure after all these years, they have things to say to each other. They were in love once, they had a child together…”
“Which she never even bothered to tell him about until she couldn’t handle him. Let’s not forget about Beck and the way she told Hal that he had a son.”
When Grady didn’t comment, Vanessa stopped walking. “What?” she asked.
“I think you need to leave that part to them to work out.”
“How would you feel if Melissa-that was her name, right?” she asked, and when he nodded, she continued. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. “How would you feel if she disappeared from your life and came back years later with a child she said was yours?”
“She did disappear from my life,” he said softly, “and if she showed up today with a child of mine, I’d be very happy to have that child. I would have loved to have had a child. But since she’s dead, that’s not a possibility.”
“Oh, God, I am such an idiot. I am so sorry.” Vanessa’s face flushed as scarlet as the sun dropping into the Bay. “I can’t believe I said that.”
“It’s all right, Ness…”
“What a boneheaded thing to say.” She was wide-eyed. “Boneheaded and thoughtless and insensitive and-”
“Enough.” He put a hand over her mouth. “I understand the analogy you were trying to make. It’s all right. We can talk about Melissa, Ness. Just as we can talk about Gene.”
“That’s very different.” Her face grew very serious. “Gene and I got divorced because I knew that sooner or later, he was going to kill me. That’s why we’re not together. You and Melissa-you’d probably still be together if she hadn’t died, right?”