Beach Rental (8 page)

Once or twice she gave Ben an opening to discuss his illness more fully, but he turned away as if not recognizing her interest. She was torn about pressing the issue. She was afraid he’d invite her to go with him to the doctor’s office. Riding with him, even sitting in the waiting room while he met with his doctor, was okay, but as his wife, they might expect her to go with him to the examination room—way beyond the level of intimacy she expected to share in a platonic relationship.

But it was only the second week.

Almost every evening they walked toward the sunset, usually hand in hand. People nodded and smiled at them. Juli liked that and the feel of his hand in hers, or his arm around her shoulders, gave her a strange sort of satisfaction.

Most nights, Ben went to bed early and her restlessness returned. Juli would stand at the porch rail like a figurehead on the prow of a ship, but restless, watching the night. She was in her twenties. There was life out there in the world. Now that she had the luxury of rest and free time, she was lonely, especially in the quiet of the evening.

In Emerald Isle proper there was little night life to speak of, certainly none anywhere near this strip of sand where she and Ben lived. When the sun went down, and the families came in from their beach activities, all was peaceful. She was alone and adrift, or would’ve been adrift, except she was anchored here, moored for the time being at
Sea Green Glory
. She consoled herself that her feelings were natural given the circumstances, but she acknowledged they were also ungrateful.

It was important to remember this was business, a contractual arrangement, despite the wedding ceremony. Almost all of the benefits in this bargain fell to her. In good faith, she could do better by Ben.

In fact, she cared about Ben, but within limits. And the limit was friendship.

Juli vowed to withhold deep emotions from their relationship. She would do her best to make this a worthwhile deal for both of them, but to allow too deep an attachment to grow for a man who was soon to die, would be foolish.

Chapter Nine

Juli put off dinner at Luke’s as long as she could. Finally, Ben insisted.

“I want you to get to know each other better.”

She resolved to make the best of it. “Where are we going?”

“He invited us to his home.”

“We were going to a restaurant.”

“He changed his mind.”

She kept her back turned, pretending to look out of the window, so he wouldn’t see her face. “What should I wear?”

Ben seemed to seriously consider her question. “You look wonderful in everything.”

She huffed. “Please.”

“Leave your hair long. I like it. If you don’t mind, that is.”

Juli remembered his kind words while dressing to go. She was foolish to be so apprehensive. It was only dinner.

She reached up and touched her hair, self-conscious, but smiling. Maia had convinced her to get it trimmed and add highlights. It still hung below her shoulders, but was much more flattering.

Juli wore a lightweight skirt with a scarf-like pattern and a solid red knit top, her clearance items. She checked herself in the mirror and was happy with the purchases. She tossed her head, pleased with how her new haircut fell back into place, cascading neatly over her shoulders. Juli agreed with Ben—she liked her new look.

Luke lived on the sound side of the island.

Ben drove. He asked, “Are you nervous?”

Juli stopped her fingers mid-tap and stretched them out on the arm rest. “Yes.”

“It’ll be fine. Luke is a great guy. We’ve been close all of our lives.”

The late afternoon light picked out the silver in Ben’s hair. She hadn’t noticed it before. “You’re both bachelors?” She laughed. “Or were, I guess.”

“I’ll tell you about Deb sometime. We were college sweethearts and our marriage was over almost before it began. I had a hard time of it when she died.”

“She died? I’m sorry, I assumed divorce.”

“That’s often what it is. People live longer; marriages last shorter.”

“It happens.”

“Luke divorced a long time ago. It was difficult at the time, but he’s moved on. No one likes divorce. It’s hard on everyone.” He was quiet for a moment. “Given time and purpose, people are resilient. It’s faith that gets us through the bad times.”

A flip remark was coming on and she curbed it. Instead, she asked, “What about Luke? Faith didn’t work for him?”

Ben sighed. “Luke fell away. When he needed faith in God and his church community the most, he turned his back.” He shook his head. “But it’s still in him, that seed of faith, and one day he’ll understand it.” Ben groaned. “
And
, I’m ashamed to say this is Luke’s business. I shouldn’t be talking about him like this.”

“No worries. I won’t say anything.”

The wide concrete drive curved around attractive landscaping. The house was tan-colored brick with red trim. It was low and wide, seeming to sprawl across the top of a rise of land. The ground sloped down to Bogue Sound on the backside and Juli expected the house was much larger than it appeared from the front.

They parked in the circular drive near the front door and near a wine-colored Toyota. Ben stared at the car. He didn’t move to get out.

“Whose car is it? Luke’s?”

“No, it’s probably a rental. My guess is Adela’s here.” Ben stared at the car.

“Adela? Your sister? From Ohio, right?”

“My older sister. Only sister, I mean.”

“You look concerned, Ben.”

“She can be difficult.” He turned to face Juli. “But it’s because she cares so much. It’s hard for her that I’m…ill.”

“Ben, I promise I’ll be nice. No matter what.”

“She’ll love you once she gets to know you.”

If Luke was anything to go by, and Adela was even more ‘caring,’ then Juli doubted Adela would ever like her. She did, however, expect courtesy and Juli knew how to hold her tongue and temper when she had to, no matter how provoked. Hadn’t she done that for years in every job she’d held?

“Luke probably thought it would be easier for us all to get to know each other in a private setting rather than a restaurant.”

She didn’t hear conviction in Ben’s voice.

They stood on the front porch and she brushed a speck of something from Ben’s shirt sleeve. Ben knocked lightly on the door. It swung open as if someone had been standing just on the other side.

Adela had short brown hair. Her body was thick through the middle, but she was dressed smartly, casually. Juli was certain the garments came with a price tag that would’ve made her faint dead away.

Adela extended her hand. “You must be Juli.”

Shaking her hand was like gripping a block of jagged ice. Juli nodded, but the cordial smile on her face stiffened. Adela pretended to be nice and Juli hoped there was some truth behind it because she wanted it to work, but she saw no friendliness in Adela’s eyes or posture.

Adela hugged Ben and looked teary.

“Hey, sis, I’m good, okay? Let’s enjoy our evening.”

She dropped her arms, releasing him, and he moved to Juli’s side. He placed his hand on Juli’s back. “I want to show you Luke’s view. It’s the best thing about this house.”

Big sister’s eyes turned hard. “Go ahead. I’ll help Luke.”

The aromas coming from the kitchen almost made up for the chilly reception, but Juli didn’t relish sharing a meal in this company.

They stopped in the kitchen doorway. Luke was sprinkling something on a roast and returning it to the oven.

“It smells wonderful,” Ben said.

Luke closed the oven door and stood, removing his oven mitt. He smiled at Ben. Juli was ready to give him a bright smile, but he conspicuously avoided looking at her. He said, “London Broil. It’s Esther’s cooking, her recipe with her secret marinade. She got it started. I’m merely the finisher.”

“I’m going to give Juli a tour. Call us if you need help.”

Ben guided her to a railing that overlooked part of a room below, with two-story floor to ceiling windows. The green of the back lawn sloping down to the water, was tipped with gold from the late day sun. The water picked up the light and seemed to pass it along from wavelet to wavelet, shimmering. Down slope to the left, was a dock and boathouse.

In the room immediately below them, the furnishings were all burnished leather and deeply grained wood.

“It’s beautiful,” she told Ben. And it was, but it also looked lonely. Maybe he entertained a lot. For all she knew, he had lots of girlfriends.

They walked out to the screened porch, and beyond it to the deck. It was peaceful—almost like a time out—a chance to prepare herself for what was to come.

“Ben?” She put her arm through his, their elbows on the rail as they leaned forward together. She detected tension. But these were people who loved Ben, no matter what they thought of her. She should be nervous, not him. And she was. Definitely.

“Yes?” He clasped her hand in his.

“We’re good together, aren’t we? You don’t regret—”

“Don’t worry, Juli. It’ll be fine.” He reached up and touched her hair. He ran his fingers down its length, smoothing the tresses over her shoulder until his hand reached her back. He leaned toward her and placed a tender kiss on her cheek.

Their first kiss. A friend’s kiss, except for the insistent pressure on her back. Instinctively, she moved closer and his arm tightened.

Adela was behind them. She cleared her throat. Juli turned, startled.

“Dinner’s ready. Come to the table.”

Adela gazed at her with her lips pursed into a tortured-looking fake smile. Without a word, they followed Adela back inside the house.

Ben held her chair as she sat. Juli smoothed her skirt before taking the cloth napkin from beside the plate. She situated the napkin in her lap and straightened the forks beside her plate, but there was a limit to the mechanics she could use to hide her fear before finally, she had to look up and risk the unfriendly faces.

Trapped at the table and inappropriate—she wanted to climb out of her skin and be anywhere, but here. She should’ve purchased the expensive silk blouse she’d fingered at the boutique, instead of this knit top. The skirt she’d bought was too cheaply made. No wonder it had been on clearance.

She tried to pretend she was as good as them, but it was difficult with Adela seated directly opposite her at the table.

Adela helped herself to the London Broil, then passed the dish.

“Luke is more like a brother to us than a cousin. We’re all family here, Juli. Simple people. Did Ben tell you we grew up in the same neighborhood as Luke? When we lost our parents
—
we were already adults at the time—but when we lost our parents, we still had Aunt Susannah and Uncle Matt, Luke’s parents. Have you met them? No, I suppose not.”

She paused in buttering her roll and nodded toward Luke and then Ben. “We’re proud of our family’s accomplishments. Did you know both of them were honor graduates at Duke? That was before they pursued advanced degrees and went on to open a number of businesses.”

Ben said, “Adela. Please. Enough. Let’s enjoy our meal.”

“We
are
enjoying this delicious meal and I know Juli will agree you are very special.”

Juli nodded, but her smile felt as false as Adela’s good manners.

“They are both very successful businessmen.” Adela paused again. With her knife held dramatically aloft, she said, “Where did you go to school, Juli?”

Juli was tempted to lie, but she couldn’t because Luke and Ben knew the truth. She looked at Ben beside her, then at Luke across the table. She could tell Luke was angry by the set of his mouth. She took a cleansing breath and said, “Nowhere special.”

“Oh. Well, I understand you work in a market? Interesting work. And for a caterer?”

Juli watched Ben. He looked tired—as if he’d checked out. Luke watched him, too, and when Ben’s shoulders sagged, Luke interrupted.

“Juli is an artist, Adela. Isn’t that so, Ben?”

Ben perked up. “She is.”

Adela opened her mouth to reply and Ben said kindly, but firmly, “Enough. If you want to get to know her better, invite her to lunch.” He leaned toward Juli. “I guess I’m not the only Bradshaw who interrogates over a good meal.”

Juli laughed with him, but it was forced. Their amusement was surface only, just enough to cover the damage and let them escape with some dignity. She noticed Luke seemed more relaxed now, but she couldn’t begin to read his face and didn’t care to try. This wasn’t even about her. This was a battle for possession of Ben, and Adela had the finesse of an out-of-control sledgehammer.

“Ben, I have a headache. Do you mind?”

Adela spoke, “There’s still dessert.”

Luke said, “I can wrap it up for you to take home.”

They left with a few quick goodbyes. It was such a short distance home neither of them spoke, digesting both meal and the dinner conversation in silence. The silence continued up the stairs. Ben preceded her into the house, but Juli walked past him and straight out the front door onto the porch and into the night.

Air. She needed air.

Juli was partway down the crossover, half-running by the light of the moon, before she heard Ben calling her name. The ocean sounded louder at night was less noise to compete. She continued for a few steps more, pretending she hadn’t heard him over the crashing surf.

She put her hand on the rail. The wood was damp with sea spray and grainy with sand. She held the rail to steady herself and waited for Ben.

“Juli, what’s wrong? Why are you out here?”

She shook her head, the jumbled thoughts and emotions stayed topsy-turvy and senseless. “We missed our sunset walk.”

Ben frowned and leaned closer. “What? Our walk?”

She raised her voice, “Our walk, Ben. We missed our walk.”

He put his arms around her. He pulled her close. She rested her face against his shoulder and shivered. How could she explain they should never have gone to Luke’s? That he should’ve stopped Adela? Once it was gone, you couldn’t get it back—whether it was lost innocence, special moments, or peace of mind.

“I don’t understand. I’m sorry we missed our walk, but there’ll be more.” He relaxed his hug and put his hand beneath her chin and lifted her face. “Come with me.”

He pulled her to the end of the crossover and led her down the steps. When they reached the deep, dry sand her shoes bogged down and she stumbled. He stopped to kick off his shoes and she did the same. Juli was barely steady again when he tugged her hand and led her forward, near to where the tide was going out and the sand was wet and firm.

He kept hold of her hand, but slid his other arm around her back, near her waist, and pulled her close.

“What—?”

“Shhh. Be still. Close your eyes and listen.”

He shut his eyes, head up and listening. After a moment of uncertainty, she did the same.

“Do you hear it?”

“What?” She felt the beat of his heart against her chest, echoing her own.