After All (Cape Harbor #1)(94)
“What are you waiting for then, Bowie?”
Her man stripped out of his clothes, leaving him fully exposed for nature to get an eyeful. He dove into the water, much faster than she’d hoped. She wanted a minute or two to look him over, to really study him. Growing up, she had seen him change from a gangly teenager to a man, and their one time together had been rushed. They didn’t have to rush anymore; however, Bowie had other ideas.
Brooklyn tried to look for him in the water but couldn’t tell where he was. She circled and waited for him to pop up out of the water, and when she felt something touch her legs, her first instinct was to scream.
“People could hear you,” he said after he rose out of the water. He pressed his chest to her back, making her shiver. He kissed the droplets of water from her skin, nipping along her collarbone until he got to her ear. Bowie tugged lightly on her lobe before he turned her around in his arms, picked her up, and carried her to the blanket.
Brooklyn didn’t care that they were soaking wet or that they were outside, and someone could happen upon them. What she cared about was that this was where they spent most of their time growing up, this was where she saw Bowie as more than a friend, and this was where she was going to tell him she loved him. Brooklyn cupped his cheek as he hovered over her. “I love you, Bowie.”
THIRTY-FIVE
Bowie stood in the sunroom and watched as the Austin Woods trawler left port. The crew stood starboard and waved. Its flag flew at half-mast. They would be the only ship leaving port because of the current rainstorm, and Carly’s family would be on their way to church by the time the ship returned. Bowie raised his coffee cup in salute and glanced down at Carly’s empty rocker. Her afghan lay folded over the armrest. It was hard to believe that little over a month ago his life had changed because of her.
He heard his girls laughing. They were upstairs, getting ready for the funeral. He smiled at the thought of them being his girls and looked to the sky, sending up a silent prayer. The weather needed to change. He needed the rain to stop because by the end of the day he wanted Brystol to know he was her father, and the plan was to tell her after they spread Carly’s ashes. The past few days had been hard on him, and he was ready to tell her the truth.
The Hewett women came downstairs just as he walked into the room. He was taken aback by their beauty, even in these somber times. He reached for Brooklyn’s hand and pulled her into his side, kissing her temple. Being free to love her any way he wanted had always been a dream, and now that it had come true, he couldn’t get enough of her.
While everyone walked to the SUV, Bowie looked to the sky. The rain had turned to a light drizzle, the sun was working hard to penetrate through the clouds, and there, in the distance, he thought he saw the faint colors of a rainbow.
“Do you see it?” Brystol asked, pointing to the sky.
“I do.”
“Nonnie never liked the rain, so I guess this is her way of making sure her day is even more special.”
Bowie stared at his daughter in awe. She was something else. The entire drive to the church, he watched her in the rearview mirror as she stared out the window. He figured she was looking for the end of that rainbow.
Unlike the last time they had attended a funeral together, for Carly’s, they were some of the first to arrive. There weren’t any news cameras there to follow their every move, the school buses weren’t being used to transport people who had to park miles away in order to attend, and there wasn’t a line of mourners waiting for Austin’s family to arrive so they could tell his mother how sorry they were. Carly’s passing had less fanfare and would be more private.
Bowie kept his hand on Brooklyn’s lower back while she held Brystol’s hand and met Simone near her car. She carried the urn that contained Carly’s ashes. Bowie’s parents were already there, and Linda waited briefly on the steps leading to the church with the minister. She introduced everyone to Pastor Mann, having known him most of her life.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said. “I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you the receiving line. Mrs. Holmes indicated that there would be only three of you in line today?”
Brooklyn spoke. “Yes, it’s myself, my daughter, and Carly’s best friend, Simone.”
“No other family?”
“There are nieces and nephews from her husband’s side, but I don’t know if they’ll be in attendance.”
“Very well.” Pastor Mann led everyone into the vestibule and showed them where to stand and then had them follow him into the church. The first two rows of pews were reserved for family, but it was unlikely they would all be filled. The pastor showed Simone where to put the urn, and the family stood there, taking in the altar. A large picture of Carly with Austin sat on an easel. The picture had been taken about twenty years ago, and it had been years since Bowie had seen a picture of Austin. But now Austin was staring back at him, with his beaming, infectious smile. Bowie checked Brooklyn to see her expression, but she was on the stage, rearranging flowers, not even paying attention to the photo. Neither was Brystol. She was off with her grandmother. Bowie took one last look and decided he needed to shut the door on the past. After today concluded, he was done worrying about Austin.
People lingered on the steps, waiting for the receiving line to open. Once it had, the Bs and Simone shook hands and hugged folks they knew as well as some complete strangers. A lot of guys from the docks showed up, some still dressed in their fishing gear, but that was to be expected, and it hadn’t really shocked anyone. It also hadn’t surprised Bowie to see that his friends were there—apart from Grady, who, according to Graham, hadn’t been seen for a couple of days.