Girls of Summer(44)
She jumped a bit when he asked, “Where are you from?”
“Nantucket.”
“I mean, where did you grow up?”
“On Nantucket. I’m a real native. Born here, went to high school here, went to college at Wheaton, and got a master’s in museum studies at BU. But all along I knew I wanted to come back here. I’d like to be director of the Nantucket Historical Association someday.” Beth blushed when she told him her deepest dream.
Ryder took his eyes off the road to look at her. “You’re really extraordinary, Beth, and a very lucky woman to know where you want to live and what you want to do. So many people your age have no idea. I know I didn’t. It took me a long time to find out and I did a lot of stupid things on the way.”
“Well, doing stupid things is half the fun, isn’t it?” Beth joked and almost covered her mouth, shocked that such a carefree sentiment had come from her own voice. But something about Ryder, maybe simply his age, or maybe his calm very controlled presence, made her feel safe. If she’d said something like that to her father, he’d have given her a lecture about safe driving and the use of contraceptives.
Ryder leaned forward, concentrating as they bumped over the rutted dirt road to Cisco Beach. He parked at the top of the bluff leading down to the water. They both jumped out.
“There,” Ryder said, pointing.
They slid down the sandy bluff to the beach. A man in shorts, work boots, and T-shirt was straddling a harbor seal, who was wallowing side to side, trying to escape and getting nowhere.
“Leo,” Ryder said.
“Ryder, hey. Stand over this little lady and hold her steady while I cut the plastic off.”
Ryder straddled the animal, gripping it with his calves, holding it firmly with his hands.
The seal was about five feet long, its fat body covered with soft speckled gray fur. Beth stayed a few feet away, knowing that the presence of people stressed these animals. She positioned herself to the side of the seal’s face. It looked like a puppy, a sad puppy, its short snout bewhiskered and spotted and its black nose shaped like a black button.
She clicked pictures and moved to the side to video the men struggling to free the seal from the net of turquoise plastic that ringed the seal’s neck, choking it.
Something about the bulk of the creature and those wide dark eyes made her think of the last time she had seen Atticus, even though then his eyes had been blank and staring.
She shook it off. This was now. This animal would live.
As the plastic was cut away, the seal lifted its head and cried out. It wasn’t a bark or a groan, it was more like a song, a long note held, expressing its fear…and its hope. After Leo sliced the last plastic cord away, he turned the seal’s head to check the neck for injuries—none—and said “Okay” to Ryder. Ryder released the struggling seal. Immediately, it humped its ungraceful way down to the ocean and disappeared beneath the waves.
The two men shook hands and congratulated each other. Both were out of breath, and Leo actually dropped right to the ground.
“Thanks for coming so quickly,” Leo said to Ryder. “I tried to deal with her myself, but she fought me. She really wanted to bite me.”
“I was glad to help,” Ryder said. “Beth, did you get it all on video?”
She double-checked. “I did!”
“Great,” Ryder told her. “We’ll get it up on Facebook and Instagram right away.”
“Send me a copy,” Leo said. “We’ll post it on our marine mammal rescue site.”
“So,” Ryder said as they got back into his SUV, “first thing, get a Facebook and an Instagram account. Claim a domain and start building our website. We need to get this up fast.”
“I can design the website but I’ll need someone else to build it.”
“Fine. Get someone right away.”
His Bluetooth phone buzzed, the number flashing on the dashboard panel. As they drove back to town, Ryder talked with his secretary in Boston and there was no way Beth could not overhear the conversation. Ryder had a lot of meetings scheduled, including one with the governor. She was impressed, and she was glad that this new organization she was starting to work for was gaining support. It made her even more excited and eager to do her job.
They reached Easy Street, Ryder pulling into a parking space near the small grassy park that overlooked the harbor.
As Beth started to open her door, Ryder put his hand lightly on her arm. She turned back to look at him.
“Beth, what we did today was important. We were only three people, and we can’t save the entire ocean. But think how that seal feels now, free of that plastic noose. We’re starting a grassroots movement—” He stopped and corrected himself. “An eelgrass movement,” he continued with a smile. “That seal was lucky, but so were we. We’ve got the perfect iconic video for what’s happening out there in the ocean and how people can help. Think about that when you design the website.”
Beth blinked as Ryder spoke, so passionately, a fire in his eyes and his hand so warm and restraining on her arm. As if he might draw her closer.
God! she thought, what was she even thinking? He was old! But he didn’t look old and he didn’t seem old. He was energetic, fiery, strong. She wanted to throw herself into his embrace and kiss him. Her heart was racing. She hoped he couldn’t feel it through her arm. It was so many things at once, the excitement of doing something significant, the attraction of this frighteningly brilliant man, the opportunity to use her own skills and intelligence…and the chance of humiliation if she failed.