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ChapterEighteen
Jo stretched languidly as the first few notes from her alarm reached her ears. She slowly opened her eyes to see the first signs of the morning already seeping through the sheer curtains. Reaching over to the bedside table, she quickly clicked the snooze button before rolling back over with a sigh. She was still tired from the outing last night, but she couldn’t sleep in as she wanted to go into the restaurant to do some pre-preparation for the lunch and dinner menus. The family was having a get-together later, so she wouldn’t be able to work at the restaurant. It was the next best option to ensure that Daniel didn’t have his hands too full.
As her thoughts shifted to the six-foot one-inch-tall French chef, she couldn’t help the slight flutter that disturbed her stomach. The kiss had caught her by surprise, but she would’ve been lying if she’d said it wasn’t pleasant. She hadn’t been kissed in a long time, and yet that one kiss had awoken something inside her that she’d thought had been buried with her husband. However, it wasn’t something that she could entertain. The kiss had moved from feeling pleasant to her feeling as though she was betraying the memory of Charles, the one man she’d ever loved, and Nicholas, the second love of her life. Allowing Daniel to kiss her felt as if she was letting go of them and the memory of the life they had. She wasn’t ready to do that. Spending too much time contemplating the kiss and the man who delivered it was dangerous, and she needed to get a move on with the day.
Jo swung her legs over the side of her bed and stood to make her way to the bathroom to freshen up. When she was finished, she donned simple denim pants and a white T-shirt before making her way downstairs. It was still early, and she was sure her sisters were still passed out from how much fun they had last night and how much they drank. A smile decorated her lips as memories of their activities came to mind. They had truly been the life of the party, so much so that the patrons had started chanting “Triple H.”
When she finally made it to the restaurant, Jo keyed in the code before pushing the back door open. She made her way to the kitchen to start preparations. When she was satisfied with everything, she’d made a note for Daniel to let him know she wouldn’t be in for the day.
Jo exited the restaurant the same way she’d entered and made the ten-minute trek back to the main house. She found her niece sitting out on the front porch, gaze trained on the book in her hands. Jules was either too engrossed or just couldn’t bother to notice Jo’s assent when she came to stand directly before her.
“It’s that good, huh?” she asked, bringing Jules’s attention to her.
Jules looked up, her blue eyes registering surprise to see Jo. “I didn’t hear you walk up,” she spoke, a polite smile finding its way onto her face.
“I noticed,” Jo returned. “I guess this must be one of those page-turners that draw you in, and nothing else matters,” she continued, gesturing to the book in her niece’s hands.
“Oh, this?” Jules asked, making a face as she flipped it so Jo had a better look at the cover. “It’s more like compulsory reading for a test you never planned on taking.” She sighed.
Jo felt sorry for the young woman who looked on the verge of having a meltdown. She remembered what it was like being pregnant for the first time. Even though she was a bit older than her niece and had the support of an attentive and loving husband, she had felt the raw fear of the unknown, and doubts had seeped in on whether or not she would be a good mother. In the end, it turned out great. Her niece’s case, however, was a bit more delicate in nature. She knew Cora was struggling to accept this, and so it had put a strain on the two’s relationship, and she could only imagine how guarded Jules felt she needed to be with the rest of the family that hadn’t really been an integral part of her life for so many years.
“Want to go somewhere with me?” Jo invited.
Jules’s brows furrowed as she waited for her aunt to explain further.
“I want to take you out on the water in your grandpa’s boat. It’ll be fun, I promise,” she informed her.
“Okay,” Jules agreed.
“Great, let’s go change into bathing suits and sundresses.”
The young woman nodded her agreement and placed the book on the small table by the side before rising to her feet and following Jo inside.
“Where are the others?” Jo asked the minute they stepped in, and she realized that the house was empty.
“Aunt Drea is by the inn helping Ms. Marg out, and Mom took Grandma into town to do some shopping.”
“That’s good. It gives us some time to just have fun,” Jo expressed with a twinkle.
Jules smiled back but said nothing.
When the two had donned their respective outfits, they left out the back door and made their way down the patio, past the flower garden, and through the wall of trees hiding the dock from view.
Her father’s old boat was safely moored under the bottom of the two-story dock. The boat had been refurbished until it looked brand new, sporting the nameSilver Bullet,a name heavy with sentimentality. She smiled happily as memories of the many times her father would take her and her sisters out to the Camano Island State Park to trek the forest loop trail there or go fishing or crab hunting in the Saratoga Passage. Those had been some very fun memories of them all being together as a family. Turning to her niece, she asked, “Ready to have some fun?”
Jules’s face registered anything but enthusiasm.
Jo stood at the wheel, navigating theSilver Bulletas the boat sliced through the clear blue waters, as the steady chug of the engine drove the vessel forward. A foamy stream of bubbles formed a clear path behind it. Jo looked over her shoulder at her niece, who sat in the back, sunglasses covering her eyes, her head slightly resting against the back of the seat. Jo couldn’t tell if she was awake, taking in the scenery, or asleep. She released the wheel, giving it some slack causing the boat to swerve a little, sending up a spray of water that hit them both. Jules sat up and removed her shades. Jo smiled at her.
“Wanna try steering?” she invited. After a few seconds of silent contemplation, Jules rose from her position to join her aunt.
“Here, hold the wheel,” she instructed her niece, scooting over to give her room.
“What do I do?” Jules asked as she gripped the wheel until her knuckles were white.
“Nothing really,” Jo replied. “Just imagine you’re driving a car. This is the throttle. It kind of operates like a brake, but not entirely. If you want the boat to stop completely, you have to push this button in the middle— the kill switch,” she gave a few basic instructions.
“Okay.” Jules nodded while she listened. “Sounds pretty straightforward. Well, let’s pray I don’t send us crashing into some sharp rocks, you know, considering this is my first time without actual lessons,” she finished indifferently.
