Em (The Summer My Life Began Book 1) Page 4

  Halfway down something out the window catches my attention and I turn to see Cade bent over a bush, pulling weeds. Although it’s midmorning, his shirtless back glistens with sweat. My gaze trails downward, noting he wears the same shorts as yesterday.

  He stops working and I get this weird feeling he’s about to look over his shoulder and catch me watching. So I quickly go the rest of the way down back to the kitchen.

  Domino glances up. “Well, don’t you look like a slice of pretty peach pie?”

  Embarrassment warms my cheeks. Gwenny’s the one who gets compliments, not me.

  He puts a plate down on the kitchen island. “Now, for the palate challenge.” A soufflé sits centered on the dish, with a whole-grain English muffin on the side. I eye the beautiful breakfast, excited to get my taste buds popping.

  Domino nods anxiously toward the plate. “I hid a few things in that. Let’s see what you got.”

  Taking a seat on one of the barstools, I eagerly pull the plate over for my first bite. “Egg whites, of course. Goat cheese, milk, butter, flour.” I take another bite. “Himalayan pink salt, not sea or table, and black pepper. Bread-crumb base.” Another bite. “And just a dab of plain old Season-All. I’m pretty sure that’s it.” I look up at him expectantly. “Well?”

  He throws a dishtowel down. “Girl, you are officially my challenge for the summer. I swear to God, I will stump you.”

  “I’ll look forward to having you try!”

  Aunt Tilly pushes through the swinging door with a bucket and mop. “Doesn’t that soufflé rock?”

  “It does more than rock,” I agree.

  She puts the bucket down. “That dress fits you great.”

  “Thanks. I really am sorry about the photo album.”

  She flutters her fingers through the air. “No need to apologize. All is forgotten.”

  I sigh with relief even though the whole thing nags me. Why had she seemed so taken off guard?

  Cade strolls through the back archway, breezing past me and over to the refrigerator. He gets out a jug of orange juice, takes a cup from the hanging rack, and pours himself a glass.

  I try really hard not to stare at his tanned chest as he drinks it down in one long swallow. I try and fail.

  He puts the juice away, smoothing back his sweaty auburn hair, and then looks right at me. Inwardly, I cringe, wishing I hadn’t been caught staring at him. Outwardly, I go back to my breakfast.

  “Is that Tilly’s dress?” Cade asks.

  “Yes. My luggage still hasn’t arrived.” I wait for him to say I look nice, but he doesn’t.

  “I thought Cade and Frederick could show you around the island tomorrow,” my aunt offers. “Sound good?”

  “Sure.” I chance a look at Cade.

  He gives me a half-grin that shoots squirmy nerves through my belly.

  Aunt Tilly continues, “Today you can just hang out around here and see the goings-on.”

  “Sounds good.”

  With a smile, she picks up a towel to dry dishes, and Cade sweeps past me and out the back.

  My phone buzzes and I check the display. Gwenny! “It’s my sister. I’m going to take it upstairs. Do you mind?”

  Aunt Tilly waves me off. “Not at all.”

  “Hi!” I greet Gwenny as I trot up the back stairs.

  “Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!” she chirps back.

  We both laugh.

  She whines, “Oh my God, you’ve been gone only one day and I desperately miss you.”

  Smiling, I crawl onto my bed.

  She says, “Tell me everything, and don’t leave anything out.”

  So I do and twenty minutes later I finish with, “I can’t believe we have a cousin.”

  “I know. And, hello, Cade sounds amazing.”

  For some reason, I think of the bikini she bought me and then I make myself not think of it. “Hey, did you know Grandmother’s been sending Aunt Tilly pictures of you and me since we were little kids?”

  “Really? That’s so weird.”

  Rolling over onto my back, I stuff a pillow under my head. “I know. The whole thing is odd.” I pause. “Anyway, so what’s going on there?”

  Gwenny sighs. “Nothing. Boring. Want to bang my head against the wall. Rose’s coming later today to hang out. Grandmother will be here for dinner tomorrow night.”

  “Tell them both I say hi.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she drones. “Just make sure you have fun for both of us.”

  “I’ll give it my best shot.”

  “And Em?”

  “Yes?”

  “Don’t forget to try something new!”

  I say bye to Gwenny and head back downstairs and out the rear door of The Pepper House. I stand for a few seconds taking in the sight of the bay, the homes surrounding it, and several kayaks slowly cruising along.

  A tiny pebbled beach marks my aunt’s property at the water’s edge and I walk toward it. Leaning down, I pick up a sandy pebble and rolling it around in my hand, I look back up at The Pepper House.

  The two-story main building encompasses nearly half the property, its windows and shutters open to the island breeze. Gorgeous green trees with those bright red flowers grow tall and lush. Off to the right and tucked in behind sits one of the whitewashed cottages, and off to the left sits the other.

  A wrought-iron fence runs the length of the property, separating it from the homes on the right and left of us.

  I can’t recall ever seeing anything so quaint, alluring, and beautiful. To think I have a whole month to enjoy it all!

  But as that fun thought trickles in it’s followed by my life after this—the internship. Yes, it’s a month away, but I already don’t want to go back. What am I going to do?

  Chapter 8

  That afternoon, I sit in the great room across from my cousin studying the chessboard. He knows how to play this game. A little too good, actually. Like competition-level good. It’s a bit intimidating, as I’m used to being the winner in a chess match. I hate to admit it, but in just a few more moves he’s going to win this thing.

  Frederick moves his queen forward one block. I take his pawn in a diagonal sweep. “Who taught you how to play?” I ask.

  “My dad.”

  “Is he around much?” Generally, I’m not the type of person to pry into people’s personal lives, but I’m so very curious about my new family.

  “He died a long time ago.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry.” I never know what to say about someone’s death. ‘I’m sorry’ never seems like the right thing. Yet I say it anyway.

  “It’s okay.”

  Across the room, the front door to The Pepper House opens and in stumbles a couple, both tall and lanky with bright red sunburns.

  “The honeymooners,” Frederick whispers.

  Laughing hysterically, they cling to each other as they cross the living room. The man mumbles something to the woman and they laugh even harder. Frederick and I watch in amusement as they continue on, not even noticing us in the corner.

  Frederick turns back to the game. “They’ve been here a week and that’s how they are every time I see them.”

  It’s exactly how I hope to be with the guy I fall in love with.

  Frederick moves his bishop three spaces diagonally and straight into the line of my knight. I study the move, finding it odd, of course, that he’s basically giving me a kill. I look up at his face for any signs, but he holds his expression poker flat. I search the board, looking for an ulterior motive, and even though my gut says I shouldn’t, I take his bishop with my knight.

  He promptly takes my knight with his rook. My jaw drops. How did I miss that?

  Aunt Tilly picks that moment to whirl in. “Oh, there you two are!” She comes over and strokes one hand over Frederick’s head and the other over mine. “Who’s winning?”

  I point to Frederick. “You’ve got quite the genius here.”

  “Runs in the family.” Gently, she squeezes my shoulder. “I saw a co
okbook in your room.”

  An alarm goes off in my head, and I immediately squash it. This is Tilly, not Mom. “Uh, yeah, it’s sort of a hobby.”

  “Hm, I suspected as much.” She studies me for a second. “How about I talk to Domino? See about you helping out in the kitchen?”

  “Really?” I perk up.

  She laughs. “Really.”

  I grin at Frederick, showing every bit of the excitement bubbling inside me.

  He chuckles. “You must really like cooking.”

  “I do! I’ve made so many wonderful dishes over the years with Navia, our housekeeper. She’s a fabulous teacher. She taught me how to mix and mingle the things you’d least expect to allow true flavors to come out. She used to play this blindfold game with me when I was a kid, seeing if I could recognize what she was putting in my mouth.” I laugh as I remember. “One time she put a black bean stuffed in a Greek olive, sure the brine from the olive would mask the bean, but I caught her! I totally tasted the bean.”

  My grin gets even bigger and they both smile back in this sort of puzzled way.

  Frederick says, “Uh, yeah, you really do like cooking, don’t you?”

  I don’t care. I don’t have to hide my excitement here about anything.

  Leaning down, Aunt Tilly kisses the top of my head. “Anything that makes you that happy is definitely worth exploring.”

  She’s right and I intend to do just that.

  She says, “Okay, you two have fun. I have paperwork.”

  As she walks away, the front door opens. Cade strolls in with a pretty giggling girl hanging on his arm. Really pretty, actually. Short like me but with every feature opposite. Fair skin instead of my olive tone. Cropped dark hair in lieu of my long. Thin and lean. Although she’s dressed in cutoff jean shorts and a white tank top, somehow it makes her even cuter.

  Cade pokes her in the ribs, bringing out more laughter between them, and I squash a pang of jealousy.

  The girl glances up, catches sight of me and Frederick, and shoots us a huge grin. “Hi, you must be Elizabeth Margaret.”

  I can’t help but smile back. “Yes, that’s me.”

  The girl bounces over to us and holds out her hand. “I’m Beth. I’m the Domestic Engineer here.”

  “Oh, I’ve heard all about you.” I shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You’ve heard all about me, huh. The family’s been yapping, have they?”

  I chuckle. “No, nothing like that.”

  Beth gives Frederick an affectionate knuckle rub on the head, and he bats her hand away. Aunt Tilly said Beth’s twenty-one, but she could easily pass for Gwenny’s age.

  “So, have you met everybody?” she asks.

  “I think so.”

  “You’re going to love it here, Elizabeth Margaret. You’ve landed in quite the paradise for the summer. Maybe you and I can grab dinner out sometime. I know a lot of cute guys I can introduce you to.”

  “Sure. That’d be great.”

  “Elizabeth Margaret,” she rolls the name around. “That’s a mouthful. We should come up with a nickname for you. Lizzie, Maggie—”

  “Actually, my sister calls me Em.” After a lifetime of being called my full name by everyone but my sister, I’m surprised at how easily that suggestion comes.

  “Em.” Beth gives an affirmative nod. “I like it.”

  “Me too,” Frederick agrees.

  We all glance at Cade. “Em it is.”

  Beth waves good-bye to everybody. “I’m off to work. Nice meeting ya!” With that, she bounds out of the living room.

  I glance at Frederick, who has his attention glued back to the chessboard.

  Cade grabs a chair. “So who’s winning?”

  I roll my eyes to my cousin and Cade smiles. “Sounds about right.”

  He scoots in close to see the game and I find myself unable to look away. In fact, I outright stare at his auburn hair, the stubble along his jaw, and a muscle moving in his cheek where he chews a piece of gum.

  Around his neck hangs a tiny gold ring. I saw it in the pictures of him in my aunt’s album.

  He must feel my stare because he quietly tucks the ring inside his T-shirt.

  “I saw some pictures of you two,” I tell them.

  “Oh yeah?” Cade shifts in his seat and his knee brushes mine.

  I swallow and all my attention goes straight to our touching knees. “Um, in Tilly’s album. You two must have grown up together?”

  Frederick and Cade exchange a glance. “Pretty much,” my cousin says. “Cade’s the closest thing to a brother that I have.”

  “Yeah, actually, I lived here at The Pepper House for several years.”

  “You did?” I look between them. “What about your parents?”

  “Oh, they barely missed me.” Cade pushes back from the table, and I miss the feeling of his knee. “Well, I’ve got tons of work to do. Catch you two later.” Then with that, he leaves.

  What just happened? “Did I say something wrong?”

  Frederick sweeps his queen across the board and takes my king. “Checkmate.”

  I don’t bother pointing out the fact he didn’t give me a proper “Check” notice first. “Next time you’re mine,” I joke.

  My cousin resets the board. “You didn’t say anything wrong. Cade’s had a lot of issues with his parents. He doesn’t like to talk about it.”

  “Oh.” I help Frederick put the pieces back on the board, wondering about Cade’s problems. I hope it isn’t anything too terrible.

  “So where did you see these pictures?” my cousin asks.

  “In an album your mom has in her closet.”

  Frederick nods. “She’s got lots of them.”

  “I also saw a photo of Cade and a boy named Levi. He looked familiar.”

  “Levi Cacy, the keyboard player for Bus Stop. That’s probably where you recognize him from. Levi comes nearly every summer. He and Cade are good friends. Levi’s dad grew up here.”

  Bus Stop. I know the group, of course. Mainly because Rose listens to them. I slide a pawn two spaces up. “Did you know Grandmother has been sending Tilly pictures of me and Gwenny for years?”

  “Yep. Just like she sends Grandmother pictures of me.” He jumps a knight up and over.

  “Then why didn’t I know about you guys?”

  Frederick shrugs. “All I know is that Grandmother and my mom have never gotten along. They’ve done nothing but fight their whole lives.”

  “Yet they send each other pictures?”

  My cousin shrugs again, as clueless as me.

  “Do you ever hear from Grandmother?” I move the rook.

  “I get a card on my birthday and at Christmas.”

  I pause. “Do you two send us stuff?”

  He nods. “Obviously you’ve never gotten it, though. Otherwise, you would’ve known about us.”

  I study him, thinking back over the years. Why would my parents hide birthday cards, Christmas cards, and whatever else? This has to be about more than family not getting along.

  Chapter 9

  The next afternoon my suitcase arrives and I go about unpacking what I now consider boring clothes. They have no fun or flair. After wearing items from my aunt’s wonderful carefree wardrobe, I realize even more how staid my old clothes are.

  A half-hour later I cross through the kitchen and a savory smell has me glancing in the oven. Pot roast simmers in a big pan. After checking the thermometer, I get a fork and sample a bit. It could use some thyme.

  I find some dried in a ziplock. I don’t care for dried herbs, but the roast definitely needs thyme. Doesn’t look like he has the accompanying vegetables prepped either—some carrots, onion, and new potatoes.

  I dig around in the refrigerator and pantry to find what I need. Lighting a flame under a sauté pan, I drizzle in grapeseed oil and red wine. I throw in some chunked garlic and bubble it around. Chopped yellow onion comes next, and while it simmers I quarter the potatoes and julienne s
lice the large carrots.

  The trick, as Navia taught me, is to get the vegetables tender, then situate them on top the roast, not letting them fall into the liquid. Some tented and ventilated foil over the whole thing, and it all will come out perfect hours later.

  It’s only as I’m closing the oven door do I realize what I’ve just done. I would hate for someone to tinker with my food without asking.

  Frederick steps from the back archway and into the kitchen. “Wow, something smells good.”

  “Pot roast.” I cringe. “But I just realized that Domino probably doesn’t want me messing with his food.”

  Frederick shrugs. “No clue. Live and learn I guess. Smells good, if that helps.”

  I move over to the sink to wash the dishes I dirtied. “Helps a little. I’ll leave a note to apologize, and I’ll make sure to touch base with him later.”

  Picking up a towel, my cousin dries as I wash. “The cottages are empty now. Was thinking you might want to see them?”

  “Perfect. And then sightseeing?”

  “You bet.”

  We finish with the dishes and I leave a quick note for Domino. Frederick and I cross through the dining room, out the side door, and down the pebbled path toward one of the cottages. The bay stretches along the right and a slight breeze drifts past, bringing the scent of salt.

  More of that fantastic greenery with the red flowers lines the path, some laced with pink. “What are these flowers?”

  “Oleander. You’ll see them everywhere.”

  “They’re beautiful.”

  “They’re also poisonous. When we’re out and about today you’ll see signs posted warning people not to eat them.”

  “Is that what happened to that person your mom was dealing with when I first arrived? Something about an allergy to hibiscus? Did she taste a plant?”

  Frederick laughs. “No. She thought the oleander was hibiscus. She even brought a medical card to prove she was allergic. Even though Mom proved to her we have no hibiscus around here, the woman ended up going to the resort.”

  “Probably for the best.”

  “Absolutely.”