Loudly.
“Nothing happened,” he said now. “I promise. Just lots of you yelling. And then you passed out.”
“Really?” she asked, looking uncertain.
“Really,” he confirmed. “By the way, you snore.”
Laura chuckled a little.
“Oh...my head.” Laura cradled her head in her hands.
“Want a little hair of the dog?” He offered her an unopened beer.
“No. Please no.” Laura held up her hands together as if trying to ward off any more alcohol. “That sounds like a terrible breakfast.”
“How about I cook you a real one then? I don’t know about you, but bacon always cures what ails me.”
She looked up at him and managed a weak grin.
“Bacon it is,” he said and got to work on whipping up something for them both.
It had been a long time since Mark had felt this relaxed in his own kitchen. Hell, in his own skin, for that matter. His world had been turned upside down since his boy had died.
God, that awful day. He wanted to shake it from his memory. He glanced outside, past his patio and to the shell of his father’s boat. He hadn’t even thought about the boat in more than twelve hours! The boat was usually the last thing he thought about when he went to sleep and the first thing he thought about when he woke up. Of course, he’d been busy chasing Laura down the beach half the night. Still. He needed to stay focused. He’d need to get to work soon if he wanted to have any hope of finishing it before the race.
“So, the boat? Want to tell me about it?” Laura asked, catching him staring.
“Oh. Well, I want to restore it and race. Every year, there’s a big sailboat race on the island. And the prize is a hundred thousand dollars.”
“Whoa.” She looked suitably impressed. “That’s a lot of money.”
He nodded. “Yep, and when I win it, I’m going to go sail around the world. I’ve got a team who will help me finish the boat and help me race it. And after that, I’m just going out to sea. It’s the only place I feel...okay.”
Laura frowned. “Why is that? I mean, why on the boat?”
Mark swallowed, wondering how he was going to explain this. “I’ve always loved to sail. But now...it’s really because it was my son’s favorite place to be. Before he died.”
Laura’s face went pale. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“I know,” Mark said, waving his hand as if it was a dismissable foul. He was so tired of people apologizing all the time if he ever brought up Timothy. It wasn’t her fault he’d died. And frankly, talking about him meant no one would forget him. “I’m naming the boat Timothy...after him. He wasn’t quite three when he died.”
“Mark.” Laura clutched her chest as if her own heart were breaking. “That’s just so awful. What happened?”
“Accident,” he said, curt, cutting off the word before it even left his mouth. Accident. That’s what they called that horrible day Timothy walked into the ocean and never came back. “My ex-wife was watching him on the beach one morning when I was away at work. She fell asleep. Timothy wandered into the water and never came out.”
It was the other reason Mark wanted to be out on the sea. That’s where his boy was.
“She fell asleep?” Laura sounded shocked. “But that’s horrible. The boy in her care and...”
Mark nodded. It was horrible. All of it.
“I don’t know what to say.” Laura’s eyes brimmed with tears. Was she going to cry? He was momentarily baffled by the response. Why did she feel the loss so acutely? He was used to looks of pity. But hers was something else. Like she’d experienced loss herself.
He was about to ask her about it when a hard knock came on Mark’s door. Laura looked a little startled but recovered as Mark checked his phone. Only then did he realize he’d forgotten to plug it in. He guessed it must’ve died shortly after he’d shown Laura the video of her dancing on the beach. Mark walked to the door, praying it wasn’t his brother, or this morning was about to get a lot more hostile.
He swung open the front door to find Dave standing there, tall and blond, looking his usual tanned, thirtysomething self. Dave was one of the best sailors on the island. He’d won the race three years in a row, and he’d be helping Mark do it for a fourth time.
“Do you answer your phone?” Dave accused as he swept into Mark’s condo.
“Phone died,” Mark said and then added sarcastically, “Well, come on in. Make yourself at home.”
Dave saw Laura and stopped in his tracks. “Oh. Uh... I didn’t realize you had company. I can come back.”
“No, come on in. She’s my upstairs neighbor. Laura, meet Dave, the best skipper on the island.”
Dave extended his hand and Laura took it, though Dave barely acknowledged her. He seemed distracted, worried even. “I’ll come back, man.”
“No. Stay. I’ve got a few ideas I want to go over with you about the boat, and we’re way behind, really, so I need extra hands today if you can spare them...”
Dave was really starting to look uncomfortable as he shifted uncertainly from one foot to the other. He glanced anxiously at Laura, who managed a weak grin, her hangover still haunting her.
“No, why don’t I let you... I mean... I’ll come back.”
“Dave. Come on. You’re here. Let’s go over a few things.”
“I can go,” Laura said, standing up for a wobbly second, holding her head. Poor thing looked like she might topple over. That hangover was a doozy.
“No, stay,” Mark said, and Laura gratefully slumped into the couch once more. Mark returned to the kitchen where he finished cracking eggs in a bowl, added a bit of milk and then put them in the melting butter in the pan on the stove.
“You haven’t had breakfast yet. Dave? You want something?”
Dave reluctantly followed Mark to his kitchen. “Uh, no, man. I’ve eaten, and anyway I can’t stay long. The wife wants me to help shop for strollers today.”
Dave and his wife were expecting their first child in a few months.
Mark was happy for his friend. He and Katie had been trying for years and the pregnancy came after they’d both thought neither one would ever be a parent. Dave was a stand-up guy, a good guy, and Mark knew he’d make a wonderful father. Katie would also make an excellent mother. But the news still caused a pang in his heart.
“Any names yet?”
“A few.” Dave relaxed a little bit but still didn’t sit down. “Katie wants to name her Madison, after her mother’s maiden name. I prefer Penelope, after
