Em (The Summer My Life Began Book 1) Page 3

  “The two cottages out there sleep six people each, and the main house has eight bedrooms and baths. Only in season is it full, though. The first week you’re here the main house will have just you, me, and Frederick.”

  “Frederick?”

  Aunt Tilly’s blue eyes twinkle. “Your cousin.”

  “I have a cousin?”

  She laughs. “Yes, you do. He’s a few months younger than your sister.” She taps me on the nose. “I hope you two find you have things in common. He’s a bit serious, though. Maybe you can work on lightening him up while you’re here.”

  This is unbelievable. This place. Tilly. A B&B on an island. A cousin named Frederick. Why had my parents and Grandmother kept Aunt Tilly and my cousin a secret?

  “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.” Linking her fingers in mine, Aunt Tilly leads me back inside, across the dining room, and through a swinging door.

  “Boy, forget about it.” A skinny, bald man points a wooden spoon at Cade. “You don’t need him. You got us. When did you find out he was here, anyway?”

  Cade slides onto a barstool. “Just a few hours ago. Right before I picked up Elizabeth Margaret.”

  Aunt Tilly clears her throat, effectively bringing their attention to us.

  I look at Cade, wondering if the “him” had anything to do with how late he was picking me up.

  The skinny man slides a plate of fish and rice in front of Cade, then turns a wide smile to me. “Hello, Elizabeth Margaret. I’m Domino!”

  He trots around the kitchen’s center island and sticks out his hand. “It’s so nice to meet you!”

  Smiling, I take his hand, falling forward a little as he pumps it up and down.

  He stands just a little taller than me, maybe five foot five, and looks to be in his sixties.

  Domino waves his wooden spoon through the air. “Welcome to my kitchen. This is my domain. Domino’s domain.” He laughs. “You, sweetie, are more than welcome here anytime you want.”

  “Thanks, Domino.” I only just met him and I already like him.

  I can’t help but think about Navia back home and all the times I snuck into her kitchen to help. I don’t think I’ll be doing much sneaking around here, though. It seems like everyone’s welcome, and I don’t imagine Tilly to be the type to mind my helping out.

  The kitchen is exactly what I thought it might be with its ten burner gas stove, side-by-side ovens, a stainless-steel refrigerator, an oversized sink, copper pots hanging from a rack, a center island with barstools, cupboards along the walls, and enough room for ten people to move about comfortably.

  I inhale deeply. “Something smells wonderful. I heard you cooked fish?”

  Domino waves his spoon in the air. “Did I ever!”

  Sliding off his barstool, Cade carries his plate of half-eaten food to the sink. “Catch you guys later.”

  But he only just started eating.

  He heads through an archway that leads out the back of the kitchen. Halfway through it, he turns back to look at me. “I’m sorry about picking you up late.”

  His mouth cocks up into a cute little half-smile. It does funny things to my insides.

  “That’s okay,” I say, returning the smile.

  With a nod, he leaves and Domino puts a plate of food on the counter in front of me. “You eat all that up and I’ve got Key lime pie for dessert.”

  I slide onto the barstool where Cade just was. “Aren’t you eating?”

  “We already did. But I’d love to sit here with you.” Aunt Tilly pulls a bottle of blush wine from the refrigerator and pours herself a glass.

  I take a bite of the fish and the seasoning melts across my tongue. “This is incredible!”

  Domino winks. “Thanks.”

  “I mean it. I’ve eaten at the best restaurants, and this fish is, hands down, the best I’ve ever had. What is this, and how did you make it?”

  “Ah.” Domino rinses a dish and puts it aside to dry. “It’s snapper, and a chef never tells his secrets.”

  I take another bite, savoring it on my tongue. “Sea salt, ginger, lemon, green onions, tomato, lime, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce.”

  He glances around in surprise. “That’s some palate you have there, sweetie.”

  Aunt Tilly takes a sip of her wine. “Have you ever thought about being a chef?”

  For a second I just stare at her. We only just met and already she knows my passion.

  I give a little shrug. “I’m going to be a lawyer and work at my dad’s firm.”

  “Really?” She takes another sip. “You don’t look like the lawyer type. And you didn’t answer my question.”

  She’s right I didn’t, and I don’t want to. So I change the subject. “How long have you owned The Pepper House?”

  “Going on ten years now.”

  “Do you have a big staff?” I take another bite.

  “We have a domestic engineer,” Domino answers, and Aunt Tilly laughs. “Her name is Beth and she’s something else.”

  “Domestic engineer, as in housekeeper?”

  “Call her that, and she’ll give you the evil eye. Love brought her here.” He glances at Aunt Tilly. “Love gone wrong, that is.”

  Tilly rolls her eyes. “Please, Beth bounces back quicker than anybody I know. She’s twenty-one now and happier than she’s ever been.”

  I finish the last few bites of my rice and fish, excited to meet this Beth girl.

  “Of course there’s Cade,” Aunt Tilly continues.

  “What does he do?” I ask.

  “You name it, he does it. Landscaping, repairs, transportation.”

  “So making me wait for two hours isn’t normally like him?” I joke.

  She gives me an affectionate smile. “No, not at all.”

  I stare at my aunt for a few seconds, feeling an unexpected warmth and affection forming. “You remind me a lot of my sister. Your personality, your looks.”

  “I hope to meet Gwyneth someday.”

  I find it odd she knows my sister’s name when I’ve only just found out Aunt Tilly even exists. It’s so bizarre that I have family right here that I know nothing about. “I call her Gwenny.”

  “Gwenny. That’s cute.”

  I want to ask Tilly about Mom and Grandmother and what happened between them. Why have they kept Tilly a secret? But I don’t want to be rude. That’ll be a conversation for another day, hopefully.

  “Mom?” a voice echoes through the bed and breakfast.

  “Kitchen!” Aunt Tilly yells back before looking at me. “That’s Frederick. He’s been at the library.”

  Very curious and definitely excited to meet my cousin, I sit up. He walks in then, and it’s like looking in a mirror.

  He has the same dark features I do. In fact, we look more like siblings than cousins.

  “Hey,” he greets me. “Glad to see somebody else got our grandmother’s genes.”

  I chuckle. “I was just thinking that.”

  With a warm smile, Frederick holds his hand out in a much more formal greeting than his exuberant mom. With his hair combed neatly to the side, a peach polo, and dark blue shorts, he has a preppy look to him. Only his flip-flops hint at a beachy feel.

  Looking into his dark eyes, I give his hand a shake and have an immediate, distinct feeling we’re going to be good friends. I can’t wait to tell Gwenny about him.

  I glance down to the book he holds. “What are you reading?”

  “Something from my summer list. Frankenstein.”

  I make a face. “Not my favorite. My sister, Gwenny, is reading that this summer too. You guys are the same age, right?”

  “I think.” Frederick glances at his mom for confirmation.

  Aunt Tilly nods. “That’s right. You’re both going to be juniors. You’re two months apart.”

  Frederick puts his book down and, playfully poking Domino in the ribs, crosses to the fridge and gets out a key lime pie. “Chess club’s been canceled this week.”

&n
bsp; “I’m not surprised, with summer break and all.”

  Frederick turns to me. “Do you play?”

  “I do, and I’d be up for a game anytime. I was president of my school chess club,” I say, being playfully obnoxious.

  Clicking the refrigerator door closed, he laughs. “I accept your challenge. In fact, I’m glad you’re here. No one else around here knows a pawn from a knight.”

  “Oh, jeez.” Domino rings out a rag and lays it over the dish bin. “Now we’ve got two brainiacs to deal with this summer.”

  Frederick and I exchange a small smile as he pulls a plate from the cupboard and a fork from a drawer. He adjusts his dark-framed glasses before serving himself a piece. “Have you seen your room?”

  “Not yet.”

  Aunt Tilly slides him a napkin. “Why don’t you give her the rest of the tour when you get done?”

  Frederick takes a bite of pie. “Sounds good.”

  My phone rings, and I dig it out of my bag. “Grandmother,” I say, looking at the caller ID.

  No one comments on this, and I get the distinct impression my grandmother isn’t exactly the most loved person around here.

  “Hello?” I answer, eyeing my aunt. She becomes very interested in the depths of her wineglass.

  “Elizabeth Margaret, did you make it to your aunt’s?” Grandmother asks, not even bothering to exchange pleasantries with me.

  “Yes, I’m sitting here in the kitchen visiting with everyone.”

  “I tried calling Matilda earlier on her house phone, but she didn’t answer. Put her on.”

  I hold the phone out to Tilly. “She wants to talk to you.”

  My aunt takes her time reaching over and grasping the phone. “Mother?”

  My grandmother’s muffled voice bleeds through the phone. Not an angry voice, but not a nice one either. More stern and matter-of-fact, making Tilly visibly tense.

  Keeping my gaze glued to Aunt Tilly, I try my best to eavesdrop but can’t make anything out.

  A few minutes later, Aunt Tilly mumbles something and then she hangs up. She pastes the biggest, fakest smile on as she hands the phone back.

  “It’s nice to know I’m not the only one Grandmother yells at,” I say, trying to lighten the mood.

  But Aunt Tilly doesn’t respond and instead slides from her stool. “Frederick, why don’t you show your cousin to her room?” With that, she leaves the kitchen.

  Chapter 7

  Stifling a yawn, I follow Frederick up a flight of stone steps. He leads the way down a wide hallway. “This is the owner’s section of the place. Across the other side are the four rooms we rent out. Plus the cottages.”

  Two doors sit open off the left side of the corridor. “That one’s Mom’s.” Frederick points into a room with the most beautiful canopy bed I’ve ever seen. Filmy fabric drapes over the structure, flowing with the breeze from the open windows. It suits my aunt.

  “This one’s mine.” He nods into one that looks like something straight from of a history book, complete with a globe, telescope, books, and no electronics.

  It occurs to me. “I haven’t seen a television anywhere.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Is that on purpose?”

  “Absolutely. Our guests don’t come here to watch TV. They come here to relax. If they want technology, they can go to the resort or the local bar for sports.”

  “You’re okay with that?” No one I know would be.

  He points to a laptop laying on his bed. “That’s my connection to the outside world. We do have Wi-Fi here.”

  I laugh. “Good thing because I brought mine, too.”

  He nods to the two rooms across the hall. “There are two empty bedrooms reserved for family and friends—you can take whichever one you’d like. Each has its own bathroom.”

  I smile. “Thanks.”

  “Sure.” Frederick steps into his room. “Well, yell if you need anything. I’ll be in here digging through the first chapter of—” He holds up the summer reading book.

  “Let me know if you want to discuss the finer points of reanimation.”

  He smiles at that, and as he closes his door halfway, I wander across to the two available bedrooms. I pick the one closest to Frederick’s, drop my meager belongings on the floor, and flop across the bed.

  On a quick thought, I dig my phone out and text Gwenny: YOU WOULD LOVE IT HERE.

  A few seconds later, my phone buzzes with a response. SHUT UP! I’M SO JEALOUS.

  AUNT IS GREAT, I type back. REMINDS ME OF YOU.

  REALLY?

  YOU TWO LOOK ALIKE.

  SHE’S GORGEOUS, TOO, HUH?

  Laughing, I roll my eyes. SHE SEEMS FUN.

  OH, EM, I WISH I WAS THERE.

  ME, TOO. I yawn. SLEEPY. TALK TOMORROW.

  I plug my phone in to charge and lay back across the bed. I stare up at the wooden beams lining the ceiling and think over everything that has happened in this very long day. As my thoughts drift, my eyes close.

  ~*~

  The next morning I wake to the sound of singing—loud and very off-key.

  With a stretch, I sit up, noticing someone laid a blanket over me. My bedroom looks different in the morning light. Sunny and warm. Friendly, and with the large fan circling overhead, very welcoming.

  As I take in the room, my gaze falls on a painting hanging on the wall. With its swirl of color, it depicts a realistic scene of a family in a sailboat. I want to climb right into that picture and dive into the clear water. I’ll have to remember and ask my aunt about the artist.

  More off-key singing brings me to focus again, and I peer out the window where dark green leaves curl around the frame with red flowers tucked in here and there. A small bit of wind trickles in and I inhale the scent of the ocean mixed with a tinge of sweetness, probably from the flowers.

  Swinging off the bed, I pad across the room to my bathroom. With its pedestal sink and claw-foot tub, it rounds out the unique charm of the room and house.

  After doing my morning routine, I find my way downstairs to the kitchen.

  “Morning,” I say as I walk in.

  Domino stands by the stove flipping pancakes and singing. “Hey! We were wondering when you’d finally come back to the living.”

  “Smells good.” I sniff. “What else are you making besides pancakes?”

  Narrowing his eyes, Domino points his spatula at me. “Not telling. I’m going to feed you and see if that talented palate of yours can decipher it.”

  “I’m up for the challenge.”

  Aunt Tilly swings through the doors carrying a tray of dirty dishes. “Cottage One’s checking out today.” She catches sight of me and her eyes light up. “Hi, gorgeous!”

  I grin. “Hi.”

  Aunt Tilly literally glows. Her hair hangs in long blond layers down her back. She wears another flowy, lightweight outfit, and thin bracelets clink on both wrists.

  She puts the tray down on the center island. “You need some fresh clothes. Go sift through my closet and see what works.”

  “Aunt Tilly.” I pause, trying not to hurt her feelings and at the same time a little embarrassed. “In case you haven’t noticed—” I point to my body. “I’m not exactly your size.”

  She tisks. “Nonsense. Go on up. If you don’t find anything, well, then it’ll give us an excuse to go shopping.”

  “Okay.” I turn to Domino. “Save that palate challenge. I’ll be back in a few.”

  Tilly shoos me off and I trudge back up the stairs, not exactly looking forward to the futile exercise. I enter my aunt’s bedroom and head to her closet. A multitude of colorful, lightweight, flowy garments hangs in jammed, jumbled rows.

  Sifting through them, I check the sizes. A peach-colored sundress catches my attention and I pull it off the packed rack. It springs free, along with several other dresses and a couple of hats. A bundle of scarves snags on a shelf above, sending books sliding down.

  I pick everything up and sort of stick it back i
n where I can. As I put the last book away, I catch sight of one with FAMILY PICS printed on the spine.

  I pull it down and open the cover. On page one is a candid shot of Aunt Tilly and Domino having a water fight outside The Pepper House. I can almost hear their laughter.

  The next page shows my aunt with what looks like a young Cade building a sandcastle.

  Frederick and my aunt come next, doubling on a moped.

  Then my aunt, a dark-haired man, and Frederick posing in the living room. Frederick’s father, maybe?

  Several more pages show my cousin and Cade goofing off. Clearly, he’s a big part of this family.

  Another of Cade with a brown-haired boy I sort of recognize. I look at the inscription below the photo to read Cade and Levi.

  I flip the thick album paper a few more pages to find a formal shot of my grandmother, mother, and Aunt Tilly when she was probably a little younger than me. None of them smile. I shake my head, not at all surprised.

  Then there comes a row of pictures of me, starting when I was just a baby and going until now. I spot a few of Gwenny, too.

  “Hey,” Aunt Tilly says, and I jump.

  Glancing at the album, she clears her throat. “Oh, well, look what you found.” She tries to sound cheerful, but her voice comes across more guarded and uncomfortable than anything.

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be a snoop. The label caught my eye and I was curious.”

  She slips the album from my hands. “It’s okay,” she says, but I know it isn’t.

  “How did you get all those pictures of me?”

  “Your grandmother sends me new ones of you and Gwenny every year.”

  “Really? She never talks about you. Gwenny and I were shocked to find out we even had an aunt.”

  Aunt Tilly glances down at the peach sundress on her floor, clearing her throat again. “Nice choice,” she says, clearly changing the subject. “I’ll see you downstairs.” Carrying the photo album, she leaves the room.

  I stand here for a second feeling absolutely horrible. It isn’t like me to be nosy. It seems I’ve upset my aunt before I even got a chance to know her.

  With a sigh, I go into my room and put the dress on, surprised with our size differences that it actually fits. I find a white scarf to tie my hair back, put my sandals on, and head downstairs.