Tides of Love, page 6
Mikayla shook her head. “It’s a vacation house. My husband spent so much time in London for work, and I often accompanied him. I got it in the divorce.”
So much for a subject change. Gem searched her mind for a less touchy subject, and as a result, the pause drew out.
“The subject of divorce kills conversations.” Mikayla grimaced. “It’s not off-limits. Or we can totally change the subject.”
Gem laughed, probably a little more than the comment warranted. “Whatever’s comfortable to you. Or we can meet in the middle and talk about the swap with Brandi. If the divorce comes up, so be it.”
“Great idea,” Mikayla said, and Gem saw her shoulders relax.
“The whole concept is interesting to me. It’s obvious why Brandi did it. As usual, she waited until the last minute. Things always magically work out for her. Although, I wonder why you chose to. I may be wrong, but you probably have the means to live anywhere. Why here?”
“I’ve been wondering the same thing,” Mikayla said, and then her eyes got comically big. “That came out wrong. Oceana is a beautiful place.”
“I didn’t think you meant it any other way.” She didn’t seem to be a very judgmental person, as far as Gem could tell so far.
“I truly didn’t. The simple answer is, my sister suggested it when my old house sold faster than expected. The longer answer is, the divorce just became final.” She cocked a brow at Gem, who thought it was cute. “There it is again. Anyway. Six months ago, I was happily married, living in the house I’d lived in for twelve years, with a husband who loved me. Everything seemed like it would be the same forever. I never envisioned the structure of my life collapsing so completely. One brick fell out and bang. Now I have to figure out how to rebuild it.” She pushed her hair back. “And the thing is, I don’t even know if I like brick anymore. Maybe I like flagstone, marble, or glass. I couldn’t figure out where to live. Who I wanted to be. When I came to see Brandi’s place, peace flowed into me.”
She paused, and Gem didn’t try to fill the silence, so they just hung out until Mikayla let out a breath.
“It’s stupid. I came here because my sister thinks I’m boring. She didn’t think I would. And honestly, I had no intention of swapping. I’m anything but an impulsive person. It’s funny. I stepped into this house, and it seemed safe. Not only safe. Inspired. I honestly can’t explain it, but the idea of staying here for a while seemed like the right thing to do. So here I am.”
“Wow. That’s a lot.” In effect, she was starting all over again. Gem guessed that in six months, Mikayla would embark on yet another new adventure, leaving Oceana behind. A little surge of envy hit her at the idea.
“I’m sorry for the emotional dump.” Mikayla fidgeted with the napkins. “Dinner finished cooking a while ago, but I’ve been blathering. I promised to feed you.”
Gem reached for the napkins, worried that her comment about it being a lot had come off wrong. “Don’t be sorry. I was just absorbing what you said. It’s who you are. We should all be so insightful and be the person we want to be.” Gem caught a glint of something that might be gratitude in Mikayla’s eyes. “Do you mind if we eat out on the deck? It’s perfect outside, and the sun will set in a little while.”
Some of the tension left Mikayla’s stance. “That sounds amazing. I’ll bring the food out.”
Gem picked up the plates and silverware and went out to the deck to set the table.
“You’ll have to forgive me,” Mikayla said, following and setting out the food. “It’s just enchiladas and salad. I forgot to start the rice when we were talking. I never do that.”
“Enchiladas and salad are perfect. If it tastes anything like it smells, it’s delicious.” Gem went back in to get their drinks. When she returned, Mikayla was watching the sunset. A few boats floated close to shore, and a large ship inched across the horizon in front of the sun hanging just above the edge of the ocean. A slight breeze ruffled their hair, making it a perfect evening.
“This is beautiful,” Mikayla said.
Gem took a bite and tried to keep from moaning. “And this is delicious.”
“Thank you.” The pleased expression on Mikayla’s face made her smile.
“Hey, Gem,” a familiar voice yelled from the street.
“Hey, Shia. How were the sets?” Gem called back.
Shia carried a short surfboard under her arm, her wet suit draped over it. She wore swim shorts and a sweatshirt with the hood pulled over her head, and Gem guessed she’d just gotten out of the water. She paused at the base of the stairs. “Mostly mush and no juice from the onshore winds.”
“It’ll be better in the morning.”
“Hope so. I’m dropping off my board and headed to the hot tub to warm up.”
A smidgeon of shame brushed through Gem. She liked Shia and normally enjoyed her company, but right now, she wanted her to leave so she could get to know Mikayla a little better on her own. The pause became a little uncomfortable.
“Have you met Mikayla?”
“Nope.” Shia rested her board against the deck and stepped up. “You’re eating. Sorry to interrupt. I’m Shia. I live next door.” She offered her hand.
Mikayla stood as she took it, mirroring Shia’s wide smile. “I’m glad to meet you. Are you hungry? We have plenty.”
Disappointment washed through Gem. Don’t say yes. Don’t say yes. Gem was positive Shia couldn’t read her mind, but she still felt bad for wishing she’d go away.
Shia glanced between them. “It smells good, but I’m all about rinsing off and hitting the hot tub.”
Gem let out a relieved breath.
“Brandi told me a lot about you. I’ve never met a professional surfer before,” Mikayla said, and Gem tried not to be too impatient for Shia to leave.
“There are probably a half dozen of us in Oceana and a hundred rec surfers,” Shia said. “We should have a bonfire so you can meet everyone. Not all the surfers, just the neighbors on our street.”
“That would be nice,” Mikayla said.
“I’m freezing my tits off.” Shia put a hand over her mouth. “Sorry. I’ll figure out the bonfire and let you know. My date with the hot tub awaits. I’ll see you around. If you need anything, gimme a knock.” And with that, she retrieved her board and disappeared around her house.
“Did Brandi tell you we have a pool and hot tub?” Gem asked, hoping her relief wasn’t obvious.
“I’ll definitely use the pool. I used to swim in the ocean but lost the habit. Maybe I’ll pick it up again living here.”
“Shia swims the jetties most mornings. I’m sure she’d love a buddy.” Gem pointed to two dark lines made of piled boulders that jutted out into the ocean. The waves started building right about where they left off. “They’re about three-hundred yards apart.”
“Do you swim with her?”
“Nope.”
“Is it the cold?”
“Jaws.” Ridiculous but the God’s honest truth.
Mikayla snorted. “The movie about the shark?”
“Don’t make fun. I watched it at the harbor float-in on a big screen several summers ago. They show movies throughout the summer and rent kayaks, paddleboards…all sorts of floating devices, so people can watch the show from the water. It’s like a drive-in on the water. I made the mistake of watching that damn movie. It’s insane how the people in tubes could let their body parts dangle in the water.” She shivered even as she knew how ridiculous she was. “It’s irrational how the movie made me afraid of deep water, where sharks or other very large carnivorous creatures can hide. I’m good with lakes and rivers and all that. I’ll even play in the waves, but forget about the ocean.”
Mikayla looked amused. “I would have never guessed.”
Gem shrugged and continued eating.
“I can’t wait to meet more of the neighbors. Tell me more about the people on our little cul-de-sac.” Mikayla took a last bite.
“Well, you just met Shia from next door.”
“Brandi said she’s a bit of a loner. Very sweet. And if you aren’t around, I can go to her for help with small fixes around the house, and she accepts baked goods for her trouble.”
Gem laughed. “A very accurate assessment.”
“She seems so young.”
“She’s twenty-two.” She didn’t offer anything about Shia’s past spent in the foster system. It was Shia’s story to tell. “She’s got a good head on her shoulders, and she’s a phenomenal surfer. I think she’s doing well for herself.” She pointed at the double-sectioned mobile home past Shia’s. “Next door to Shia is Alice. She’s been here going on twenty-five years. She’ll no doubt be over in the next day or two with a plate of cookies. I think she lives off coffee and cookies. She works up at the mission. She’s religious, which you’ll probably notice right away. I only say that so you can make an informed decision if you decide to curse or something in front of her. My dad says she came from a convent. I have my doubts. I think it’s because she usually carries a rosary.”
“It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other,” Mikayla said. “My mom was raised Methodist, I think, and my biological dad was Jewish, but the rest of my family isn’t religious. We’ve never gone to church or temple except on the odd religious holiday.”
Gem took a sip of water. “My mom was super religious. We went every Sunday and to other Masses during the week, depending on the occasion. We did all the Catholic things. The whole shebang. A couple of my sisters picked it back up after Mom died, maybe out of habit. My dad only ever attended on holidays.” She didn’t want to get into how she’d quit going to church when the priest had preached about the sin of homosexuality after the whole Morgan thing had happened, but it remained heavy on her mind as she pointed at the house next to Alice’s. “That’s Harper’s place. They work on our landscaping crew and is usually quiet at block parties. But they’re funny when they open up a little.”
“They? Is it a family?”
“They and them are Harper’s pronouns.”
“Gotcha. Thanks for telling me.”
“Next to Harper is Eight.”
“Like the number?”
“It’s a nickname. She told me it’s from having lived eight of her nine lives. Like a cat. She used to be a stuntwoman. You’ll probably like her. Everyone does. She’s got a story for every occasion, all of them funny, most of them harrowing.” Gem stood and gathered their plates. “And those are the people of Oceana Place, our little oasis.”
Mikayla picked up the dishes. “I wasn’t friendly with any of my neighbors at my old house. Not one. All the houses were hidden behind gates and walls.” She paused in the gathering of dishes. “I lived there for years, and here, on the first day, I’m having dinner with you. Impromptu, no pretenses, no putting on of airs, just you and me, some food, and a fabulous sunset. This. This is real.” She breathed deeply, as if taking it in.
Gem absorbed those words as they continued to chat, and she helped with the dishes before she said good night. The sincerity of Mikayla’s words sat with her, along with the knowledge that Mikayla had enjoyed their time together. She’d enjoyed it, too, and it wasn’t because she didn’t have neighbors to have dinner with. She did. There was something else. They seemed to click. When she left, she wasn’t ready to go, but she didn’t want to overstay her welcome.
As she walked across the quiet street, the damp sea air carrying the sweet perfume of star jasmine, Gem allowed herself a moment to ponder what it would be like to date Mikayla. She told herself it was just hypothetical because her dad had brought it up, but she knew deep down that it was way more than that, and she should curb even theoretical situations. But dang, Mikayla’s essence was so…so captivating and still so different than any essence she’d encountered. They’d only just met, and they were so different, but it didn’t matter. Gem wanted more dinners, more everything.
The therapist in her kicked in, telling her she’d made peace a long time ago with the no-getting-romantically-involved-with-residents situation, so it was fortunate that Mikayla’s recent divorce meant she needed time to work on herself. Gem knew it was the right thing to do, but she was surprised at her thoughts. In the last four years, she hadn’t entertained anything romantic with anyone. Sometime between dinner and the dishes, through no fault of her own, she’d developed a little crush on her new neighbor.
It was nice to know she still had the capability to dream of romance, but Gem was good at boundaries and had plenty of reasons to respect this one, mostly her responsibilities to her father.
However, she couldn’t discount the true danger here. Gem would fall way too fast into deep waters if she let her crush on Mikayla have free rein, which sounded scarier than coming face-to-face with a real-life shark.
Chapter Seven
A different kind of quiet greeted Mikayla when she woke up, and for a moment, she didn’t know where she was, but a quick look around settled her. She waited for the paralyzing depression that always came with her first waking thoughts: the memory of the day Craig had upended her life. It didn’t come. Nor did all the questions about what she could have done to make him stay. There were still fears about what she was supposed to do now, but the memory and the familiar lead blanket of failure and depression never came. Something else had moved in. A sense of joy she’d thought she’d lost filled her heart.
But what was different?
Everything. She’d purged, she’d moved, she’d met knew people.
Thinking about the last, she rolled onto her back and stretched. The evening with Gem had gone better than expected, not that she’d expected anything. Her biggest talent was entertaining. Being the wife of the president of an investment company meant she could do it in her sleep, and so many times, she almost had. Craig’s business was the definition of boring. All the dinners bled into one.
Gem was a refreshing departure from the elitist and stuffy posturing of Mikayla’s old social circle. She was charming and interesting. She loved her family, and she seemed to genuinely care about the people around her, including her neighbors, who seemed more like family than friends. Mikayla could have spoken to her all night.
Sighing, she forced herself from her reverie, tossed aside the blankets, and sat up. There were seahorses to tend to. They were fascinating creatures. Last night, she’d left the front door open to let in the gentle sea breeze and had watched the seahorses. Brandi had left a laminated page of information, and she’d already studied the feeding regimen, which was intense. The adults required feeding at least three times a day with frozen blocks of shrimp, and the babies had to be fed every two hours.
Thankful for the automated feeders, Mikayla only had to make sure the squares of frozen shrimp were loaded into the chilling chambers in the feeders each morning. The seahorses would be fine for the rest of the day, and someone from the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institute would come once a week to check on the tank.
Othello and Desdemona, the largest and brightest with their deep yellow coloring, were swimming with their tales curled together. When Brandi had described how they mated for life and how they did the little swim-dance, Mikayla had to admit she’d had a cynical response, but she watched avidly, enjoying the signs of affection. Proof that her bruised heart had healed a little.
When the feeder cycled, filling the feeding tray, Othello and Desdemona joined an orange-reddish colored pair named Bonnie and Clyde, as well as Will and Grace, who were a tan and black couple with stripes on their tails. Enthralled, Mikayla spent the rest of the morning learning about the odd fish.
Two hours later, a knock on the door roused her, and she hadn’t even fixed her first cup of coffee. She got up to answer, still in pajama bottoms and an old T-shirt. She threw on a hoodie, unconcerned about not having her makeup on, a thing the old Mikayla would never have done. She’d decided on a natural appearance while she stayed in Oceana, and so far, it felt comfortable, although it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours. It didn’t mean staying in her pajamas all day, however, so it was going to be a work-in-progress.
Shia stood on the deck and waved shyly. “Hi. We met last night?”
“Shia, come in. I was about to make a cup of coffee.”
She entered and headed straight for the fish tank. “Yes! She kept the seahorses. Will Rich be helping you?”
“He’ll come on Mondays,” Mikayla said, joining her. “I’ve been doing research all morning.”
Shia watched for a minute more, then plopped on the furry couch, sinking her fingers into the long white upholstery. “I live for those seahorses. Brandi lets me come over all the time to watch them.”
“Come by any time you want,” Mikayla said. It wasn’t like her schedule was particularly full, and Shia seemed nice. She stepped around the island to make coffee.
“How do you know Brandi? Have you been friends long?” Shia asked and then laughed. “I told myself not to be nosey, and here I am. Brandi’s my Oceana mom. She told me she was going to London for a few months, but she never mentioned a house sitter until, like, a day or two before she left. Did you know she’s going to work on graphics for some superhero movie? She’s so cool.”
“She’s working on a movie?” Mikayla asked. “She told me she’s a graphic designer. I didn’t ask for details. Maybe I should have.” It struck her, once again, how little she knew about Brandi, and still, they’d swapped houses. It wasn’t something she would have guessed she’d be doing just a week ago, and that gave her a bit of a thrill.
“She does contract work for all kinds of companies.”
“I met her for the first time Monday. My sister introduced us. She needed a place in London, and I was looking for a temporary place here, so we sort of swapped.”
Shia got up from the couch and stood on the other side of the counter while Mikayla waited for the coffee to brew. “That’s cool. I never would have imagined people could swap houses like that. You’re from London? You don’t have an accent.”
