Hope creek, p.22
Hope Creek, page 22
She smiled back, her expression brightening. “And I hope I’ll be even luckier to have you as a brother one day.”
* * *
Kit scooped a large heap of ice into a plastic bag filled with freshly caught brown shrimp, knotted the top closed, and lifted it high. “Here’s the last of it. Are we delivering to Vernon today or tomorrow?”
Royal, standing beside her in front of the deveining and packing table in the Teague Cottage fish house, took the bag and hefted it up a time or two, testing its weight. “Perfect five pounder, and tomorrow’ll be soon enough for delivery.”
He walked over to the freezer on the back wall, opened the lid, and dropped the bag of shrimp in with several dozen others they’d packed that afternoon.
Kit shrugged her shoulders, stretching the tight muscles between her shoulder blades, and moved her neck from side to side. She smiled, the slight ache in her biceps and calves and the lingering tingle on her windswept skin conjuring to her mind the hours she’d spent on the water with Royal earlier that morning.
It had become a morning ritual over the past week—waking up at six in the morning, dressing, and joining Royal on the front porch to enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the sun rise. The new screen-free porch had become Royal’s favorite spot, and it had even overtaken Kit’s preference for the “thinking tree” spot she’d enjoyed so much over the years. Now the hour around sunrise, spent kicking back in the wicker chair, sipping hot, strong coffee, enveloped in the scent of Royal’s morning cigar, had become Kit’s favorite time of day.
Not just for the coffee and contemplation, but for the company, as well. Royal, growing more at ease and optimistic every day, relished having a full house again, and his drive for shrimping had returned full force, along with his love for the water. Even on days when the fishing was slow, Royal would navigate the boat along Hope Creek, find a calm, clear spot to view the horizon, and cut the engine, allowing the vessel to bob in the waves while he sat and enjoyed a smoke or just closed his eyes for a few minutes, a slow smile crossing his face as he soaked up the sun.
These were the kind of days Kit remembered—and loved—the most from her childhood, and it was wonderful to see Royal more like himself again.
“You got enough energy left to help me and Mackey finish painting the guest room?” Kit teased.
A look of mock affront crossed Royal’s face. “You trying to say I’m too old to tackle another labor-intensive task today?”
Kit laughed. “Nope. Just asking if you’re interested in making the effort this late in the day.”
He glanced at his wristwatch and grinned. “It ain’t late, girl. It’s only five o’clock. Still two or three hours of daylight left, and it’s supposed to be mild out tonight, so it’s a good time to leave the window open for the walls to dry after we finish.”
“It’ll involve moving a dresser, too,” Kit warned.
Royal laughed. “So be it. This ol’ back of mine’s got enough gumption left in it to move a dresser.”
And it did. Mackey was already hard at work by the time they walked to the house and made their way into Sylvie’s old bedroom. He had painted half the walls of the room light blue and stood by one of the remaining unpainted walls with a paintbrush in his hand, dripping blue paint on the hardwood floor.
“Oh, Mackey.” Kit grabbed several sets of old newspapers Royal had placed in the room for Mackey earlier that morning and started spreading them out over the damaged areas. “You need to make sure you’ve got the papers spread out before you start painting again, okay?”
Mackey frowned. “Oh. But the blue looks good, doesn’t it?” he asked. “Even on the floor?”
Kit winced. “Well, the walls are beautiful, and the floor . . . well, the floor—”
“Looks fantastic, too,” Royal said, walking across the room and hugging Mackey. “It’s about time this room had some life in it again, and the colors you chose are perfect, son.”
Mackey beamed.
Smiling, Kit blinked back a sheen of tears as she glanced around the room. Mackey had done a great job overhauling the room. Over the past week, he’d stripped the bed and spot cleaned the mattress, swept the floor, packed up and removed (with Royal’s help) all of Sylvie’s clothes and jewelry, and dusted down the furniture. He’d also taken down the curtains, washed them and rehung them, after cleaning the windows.
Sylvie’s favorite view of Hope Creek had never been so clear or beautiful. A bittersweet ache welled inside Kit. Her mother would’ve loved it, and she’d have been proud of Mackey’s hard work.
After removing the screen from the front porch, Royal had decided it was time to renovate other areas, as well, and Sylvie’s old room had been at the top of the list. The old rule of not entering the bedroom had been abolished, and Royal, opening the door wide one night, had referred to it as the guest room—or, as he’d put it, Kit’s new room, seeing as how she’d announced her intention to stay. And the new partnership with the Suttons had further fueled his excitement to redesign some of the space in Teague Cottage.
Royal was ready for change, and Kit, surreptitiously wiping away a tear, was glad to see him happy.
“I can’t do that one yet, because of the dresser,” Mackey said, pointing his paintbrush at an unpainted wall.
Kit ducked to avoid the drops of paint that were flung across the room. “Well, that’s why we’re here. If we hurry up, we’ll have the room painted by the time Viv comes back from the farm. That’d be a nice surprise.” She walked over to the dresser, braced her hands on one corner, and lifted her chin at Royal. “Come on, Dad. Time to get that back of yours warmed up.”
After they moved the dresser to the center of the room, it took a little over an hour to finish painting the room. Kit leaned into one side of the dresser and gave it a final push, helping Royal position it a few inches from the wall Mackey had just finished painting.
“Now,” she said, heaving out a breath and smiling. “I think you can safely say you’ve finished decorating this room, Mackey.”
Mackey, drying his hands with a towel, looked around, his eyes wide. “It looks good, don’t it?”
“Better than good,” Kit said. “It’s gorgeous.”
Royal murmured a sound of agreement, then flopped on the freshly made bed. “Y’all kick back and admire it for a minute.”
Laughing, Mackey jogged across the room and hopped on the bed, then laid his head on Royal’s chest. “It’s gorgeous, ain’t it, Dad?”
Royal kissed the top of his head and smiled. “You done perfect, son.” He stretched his free arm out and turned his palm up. “I got another shoulder free,” he said. “Don’t care how old you are. You’re always welcome to it.”
Heart turning over, Kit walked over to the bed and lay down, too, and rested her head on Royal’s shoulder. They lay there silently for a few minutes, gazing at the blue-painted walls and watching the long lace curtains flutter in the breeze flowing through the open window.
“Your mama loved this room,” Royal said softly. “She’d have been proud of what you’ve done, Mackey.”
Kit lifted her head and glanced to her left, then smiled wider as Mackey giggled with pride and nuzzled his cheek closer to Royal’s chest.
“Y’all got room for one more?”
Kit looked to her right, where Viv stood in the doorway, a hesitant smile on her face as she studied them lying on the bed.
“There ain’t no question about that,” Royal said. “You’re part of the family.” He patted Mackey’s shoulder. “Roll a little to your left, son. Your sister needs her space.”
An excited squeal left Mackey at the prospect of all of them piled in the bed—something they hadn’t done in years. Kit had been nine the last time she recalled them doing so.
“There’s too many of us,” Mackey said, laughing. “You think it’ll break?”
“Nah,” Royal said, smiling wide, as he scooted over a couple of inches. “This old bed’s strong. It’ll hold us all.”
Viv smiled as they all shifted over; then she gingerly lay down beside Kit. She stared at the ceiling for a minute and laughed. “Whose idea was this? I feel like a five-year-old.”
Royal slipped his arm out from under Kit’s head, reached out, and playfully mussed Viv’s hair. “Y’all will always be five years old in my book. Or at least, you’ll always be my little girls—no matter how old you are.” He turned his head, and his dark eyes moved beyond Kit’s face to focus on Viv’s expression. “No matter where you are. I hope you know that.”
Viv grew quiet, her arm tensing against Kit’s.
“Viv?” Kit slipped her hand in her sister’s. “What’s going on?”
Viv was quiet for a moment, then said, “I thought about what you said. You know, the night you talked about Highlands?”
Kit nodded, her breath catching.
“I want to go,” Viv said quietly.
Mackey shot upright, his chin trembling. “Go where?”
Royal smoothed his hand over Mackey’s hair. “Viv needs some time on her own, I think.”
Viv pressed her lips together, a wet sheen forming over her eyes. “You knew I was thinking of going?”
Royal nodded, a sad smile appearing on his face. “I guessed as much. You’ve had the same look on your face that you had when you left for the Suttons. The same yearning in your eyes.”
Kit bit her lip and studied Viv’s face. “You want to go to Highlands?”
Viv nodded.
“For how long?” Kit asked. “A couple weeks or—”
“No.” Viv shook her head. “I want to start over there—or someplace like it—like you did. I need a change in scenery.” She shrugged. “A change in perspective. A chance to start over. And I guess that’ll take as long as it takes. I know this isn’t ideal. I know we’ve partnered up with the Suttons, and that I had grand plans with Beau, but that didn’t exactly work out the way I planned.”
Kit squeezed her hand tight. “Viv, I—”
“No.” Viv smiled. “It’s the way it should be. You’ll have a chance to start over now, too. A chance to do so here, in a place you love.” She raised her head and smiled at Royal and Mackey, then met Kit’s eyes again. “With people you love. And I’ll have the same opportunity.” Her voice softened when she added, “Don’t you remember how you felt when you left, Kit? Don’t you remember how much you needed to go?”
Kit closed her eyes and nodded. “I understand if this is what you want—what you need—but . . .”
“Please let me do this, Kit,” she said softly. “Let me do this for me. For you and Beau. And for Dad and Mackey.” She grew quiet again, then said, “Beau asked me once what Mama would’ve wanted for us.”
“She would’ve wanted you girls to be happy,” Royal said, blinking back tears. “That’s all she ever wanted. No matter what her problems were or how low she ever became, she always looked up to you girls. Loved you girls. She wouldn’t have wanted you to live a life of regret. She would’ve wanted you to move on and be happy, and if that means I have to lose you for a little while—like I lost Kit—it’d be worth it to have you back whole and happy.”
Viv smiled. “I think this would be a chance for me to be happy.” She held her hand out and wiggled her fingers. “Is that okay with you, Mackey? If I take some time on my own? Do you think you could take care of things here for me while I’m gone? Maybe keep this room spiffy for when I come back?”
Mackey remained silent for a moment, then reached out, slipped his hand in Viv’s, and squeezed. “Yeah,” he said, managing a smile. “I can do that.”
Kit studied Viv’s face again. “I hope you know how much I’ll miss you—how much we’ll all miss you. I hope you’ll find your way back to us soon. There’s still another six months left on my apartment lease. You’re welcome to use it if you’d like until you find a place of your own.”
Viv threw her arms around Kit’s neck and hugged her tight. After a moment she whispered, “Well, if you’re feeling generous and decide to give me that car of yours, I think I’d make my way back here faster. Every place on this island that’s worth going to is within walking distance.” She laughed, her breath tickling Kit’s ear. “You don’t need it here, anyway, do you?”
Kit smiled and buried her face in Viv’s hair. “No,” she whispered. “I don’t plan on going anywhere. I’m already home.”
CHAPTER 15
Kit grabbed the handle of an overly stuffed suitcase, hefted it off the dock and into Royal’s hybrid bay boat, then glanced over her shoulder and huffed out a breath. “How much more you got, Viv? If we load too much more, the boat might sink before we make it to shore.”
Viv, who had walked up the Teague dock with small overnight bags in both hands, laughed as she joined Kit by the boat. “This is the last of it.” Her steps faltered. “Except for—”
“Already got it,” Beau said, striding up behind Viv with another stuffed suitcase.
“And you forgot your to-go bag.” Royal hustled up behind Beau, holding a clear plastic bag packed with two sandwiches, crackers, and other snacks. “You can’t drive all the way into Charleston this late without something to put in your stomach before bed.”
Viv tossed her bags in the boat and, grinning, took the bag from Royal. “Thanks, Dad. But I’m pretty sure there’s a restaurant at the hotel, and I can always grab something out of the vending machine if I get desperate.”
Royal frowned. “Those hotel restaurants ain’t got nothing but pretty, overpriced food that has no taste. And can’t nobody live off the junk that sits in a vending machine for weeks.” He pointed at a sandwich wrapped in foil. “That right there is tuna, and I wrapped it up real good so it’ll stay cold for a while. There’s crackers. . . I know you like peanut butter . . . And if you get up in the middle of the night and have a hankering, you just dig on down in there and you’ll find—”
“Everything I need,” Viv said, then began to laugh. Her laughter trailed off as she looked up at Royal. She bit her lip. “You’ve done so much for me. I don’t just have everything I need. I have everything I want, too.” She lifted to her toes, threw her arms around Royal, and hugged him tight, burying her face in his shoulder. “I’m gonna miss you, Dad.”
Royal’s chin trembled, and he ducked his head, hugging her closer. “Well . . . I’m sure gonna miss you.”
Kit looked away and focused on the waves rippling along the creek as she surreptitiously wiped a tear from her cheek. Three days ago, Viv had followed through with her decision to leave Hope Creek by selecting a date of departure and starting the arduous task of packing her belongings. Kit had helped, and they’d focused on necessities at first, but the longer they had worked, the more evident it had become that Viv planned on staying in Highlands for far longer than a brief visit.
The more they’d packed, the more Viv had suggested they pack, and by last night, almost all of Viv’s belongings were stowed away in carefully secured bags. All that was left was to ferry Kit’s car back to the parking lot by the Hope Creek Water Taxi dock, which Kit had taken care of yesterday.
Kit wiped away another tear and started slightly when Beau’s hand squeezed her shoulder.
He looked down at her, concern in his eyes. “You okay?” he asked softly.
She swallowed past the lump that had lodged in her throat and tried for a smile. “Yeah,” she whispered. “The moment just snuck up on me sooner than I expected, I guess.”
She’d been prepared—she really had. Last night had been difficult. She and Viv had stayed up late, spending their last night together in their old bedroom. They’d opened the window and snuggled down in their own beds, talking quietly as the warm early summer breeze swept in, stirring the air. Kit had tried to keep the conversation going as long as possible, struggling to keep her eyes open and hold on to the sweet nostalgia she felt with Viv by her side, but eventually, despite her best efforts, sleep had claimed them both, and the alarm had woken them both early this morning to begin the final preparations for Viv’s departure.
“You said you’d come back no later than Christmas, right?”
Kit glanced over her shoulder just as Mackey edged his way into the middle of Viv and Royal’s embrace to claim his own hug.
“You said Christmas, huh, Viv?” Mackey repeated, his voice muffled, as he pressed his cheek to Viv’s neck. “You’re coming back no later than Christmas.”
“Yeah, bud.” Viv’s voice trembled, and she wrapped her arms tight around Mackey, her eyes meeting Kit’s over his head. “I promise that I’ll be back for Christmas, if not before. No matter what happens between now and then, I promise to stay at least a week when I arrive, okay? How does that sound?”
Mackey murmured his approval.
“That sounds wonderful,” Kit said, smiling at Viv.
Viv squeezed her eyes shut, tears glistening on her lashes in the late afternoon sun, gave Mackey one more hard squeeze, then gently extricated herself from his arms and kissed his cheek. “I have to go, kid. I’ll be late checking into the hotel, if I don’t.”
Royal cleared his throat. “Come on, Mackey. We’ve got some oysters to roast up. Nate and Cal are coming by soon, remember?”
Mackey’s expression lit up. “Oh, yeah. And can I have the first oyster this time?”
Royal slung an arm over Mackey’s shoulders and led him back up the dock. “Sure you can.”
Mackey peered up at Royal and grinned. “And can I roast my own oyster? You said I could. Last night you promised, remember?”
Royal smiled. “Yeah, I remember.”
Viv sighed as they ambled up the dock and into the backyard of Teague Cottage. “I’m glad to see he’s taking it better today.”
Kit’s mouth curved. “Which one? They were both having a hard time with your leaving for a while.”
It was true, and Kit still couldn’t figure out whether Royal or Mackey had struggled the most to hold back tears over breakfast this morning. But as the day had worn on, the excitement on Viv’s face as she spoke of her plans for the first few days in Highlands had perked them both up, and her happiness had seemed to set their minds—and hearts—at ease.
