When Beth finally wound down, Theo’s mom said, “Theo, how wonderful.”
Theo nodded, waiting to hear Mack say something even slightly positive.
Instead, Mack stood up. “Son,” he said. “Let me shake your hand. Words can’t express how grateful I am that you saved my daughter’s life.”
Theo stood up. He took Mack’s big calloused hand.
“Thank you,” Mack said. He enclosed Theo in a quick gruff hug.
Theo’s butt hadn’t even touched his chair when Beth gleefully announced, “So we decided to move in together.”
Theo choked. “Still got some water in my lungs,” he muttered apologetically.
His mom sat there looking at him and Beth, and she was smiling radiantly.
Mack didn’t look so radiant. “Well,” he said, returning to the sofa, “I can see how, in the excitement of the storm and Theo saving you, you would feel that way. But, honey, you don’t have to decide something so important so quickly.”
Theo saw his mom glance at Mack.
Beth was exuberant. “But, Dad, we’ve been in love with each other forever. And we’re not saying we’re getting married. We both just got back to the island, and we both need to concentrate on our jobs. We want to be together, and live our lives day by day.”
“But,” Lisa said, “where would you both live?”
Theo and Beth had discussed this on their way over. Now they gave each other an encouraging look.
Before Theo could speak, the back door slammed.
“Mom? I’m here with Ryder.”
Juliet came into the room. Her clothes were somehow dry, rumpled, and muddy, and her short hair stuck out all over the place.
“Dude,” Theo said. “You need some mousse.”
Ryder was with her. He looked more composed. Dry hair, clean shirt, pressed khakis.
“Ryder helped pass sandbags at the Island Home,” Juliet said, and she gazed up at Ryder as if she’d just seen him rescue a pack of puppies.
Everyone spoke at once. Theo relaxed because the talk was all about the storm and everyone’s experiences. Lisa slipped out of the room into the kitchen.
Theo followed. “Can I help?”
After a while, they returned with a pot of coffee, a bottle of wine, several bottles of beer, and a tray of cups and glasses.
Lisa returned to the kitchen and came back with a plate of cookies. “Wicked Island Bakery,” she said.
“I love their cookies,” Juliet said.
Theo, on his best behavior, stood up and offered his sister the comfortable wing-back chair. He pulled over a straight-back chair and sat next to Beth.
Ryder pulled over the other straight-back chair and sat next to Juliet.
The three men each reached for the beer. The women had glasses of wine. The conversation flowed easily, as they still spoke about the storm.
Then, suddenly, everyone was silent, like clocks that had run down.
Theo’s mom spoke. “I think this is the first time we’ve all been in the same room together.”
Mack leaned back and scanned the ceiling. “The ceiling looks perfect, doesn’t it? You’d never know about the mess it was before.”
“I know,” Lisa said warmly. “And the bathroom is wonderful—”
Theo settled in his straight-back chair, even though it wasn’t the kind of chair to settle in. It had a caned seat, and part of the caning had ripped and one small piece was poking into his thigh. He was aware of how Mack kept shooting looks at him, but the looks weren’t like bullets, they were more like those little circles beside exam true-and-false questions. Or, maybe, those asterisks that could almost be stars. Mack knew by now that Theo was a good worker who always showed up on time, never backed down from a difficult job, and got on well with the crew. He didn’t think Mack knew anything really bad about him, because Theo hadn’t ever done anything bad unless he thought about how drunk he got in college. But Mack hadn’t seen him then.
The fact was that Mack had been good to him these past few weeks. He’d trusted Theo to be a good worker, and he’d taught Theo about a hundred thousand things to do with carpentry. But that didn’t mean Mack would want a guy like Theo, who didn’t even have a profession, to move in with his only daughter. Also, his mom’s question hung in the air: Where would they both live?
While Juliet paused to sip her wine, Ryder said, “Lisa, I’d like you to know that I’ve asked your daughter to marry me, but she has declined.”
Lisa cocked her head. “Oh?”
“I did,” Juliet declared. “But he didn’t actually propose. And I didn’t actually decline. I want to start a new website business of my own. That will take time and concentration. I have to wait to think about marriage.”
“While you’re thinking about it,” Lisa said, “Mack and I have our own announcements to make.” Lisa took Mack’s hand. “We’re going to get married.”
“Oh, Mom,” Juliet cried. “This is fabulous! Wonderful!” Jumping up, she threw herself on her mother and kissed her cheek. “Hooray! I want to be your bridesmaid.”
“And I’ll give you away,” Theo told his mom.
“And I’ll give you away,” Beth told her dad.
Lisa said, “That sounds perfect. We’re going to have a huge event. We’re waiting until January so we can organize a proper ceremony and reception.”
“So you’ll live together?” Beth asked. “Where?”
“That depends,” Mack said. “Where will you and Theo live together?”
“Wait,” Juliet said. “What? Theo, you and Beth are moving in together?”
“Yeah,” Theo told her, and he couldn’t help grinning like he’d scored a major touchdown.
“Where are you going to live?” Mack asked.
Man up, Theo told himself. “What we thought…and we haven’t had the chance to talk with Ryder about it yet, obviously…was that we would live in the apartment over Ryder’s garage. Just for a while, until we sort out a better place to live.”
Juliet snorted. “Yeah, because it’s so easy to find a year-round place anyone can afford on this island.”
Theo ignored his sister. He’d had years of practice. “What do you think about that, Ryder?” Theo asked. “We’d pay you rent, of course. Whatever you ask.”