Chapter Five
Lisa
Interview complete. It’s the longest one I’ve ever had, almost an hour and a half. Nancy and I hit it off right away, which helped with my nerves. She would be my boss if I get the job so I took that as a good sign. She says that she has four more interviews over the next several days and should make her decision by the end of next week. I thank her for her time and head back to the parking lot. When I reach the car, I call my sister and talk to her while I follow my GPS to Crystal River.
We talk almost the whole ride as I give her the abbreviated version of things with Garrett. At first she seems concerned but by the end she’s excited for me. I give her the address of where I’m headed just in case there is an emergency and tell her I’ll call her tomorrow. We hang up as I’m pulling in to the driveway of a beautiful two story yellow house with white shutters located right on the river.
Nervous energy zings through me as I open my car door. My feet haven’t even hit the ground yet when the front door opens and Garrett strolls out followed by a good-looking guy about the same age. He’s watching Garrett with an interested eye. When I step out of the car Garrett pulls me in for a big hug and a happy little twirl that lifts me off of my feet. I squeeze him back and he gives me a tender kiss grinning like a little kid with an ice cream cone. When he turns us around the guy is still standing there.
“Tommy, this is Lisa. Lisa, this is Tommy, my little brother.”
Tommy and I shake hands and a bright smile spreads across his face. “Nice to have you here. Come on inside. My parents are anxious to meet you.”
I look up at Garrett with a lifted brow. “Are they? What did you tell them?”
“Don’t worry. It’s nothing bad. I was just excited.”
We enter through a small foyer into a great room with wall-to-wall windows facing the river. It’s an incredible view. Garrett’s parents are rising from seated positions on the couch as we enter. His dad is about his height with a full head of white hair. His face is a little bit weathered, but his expression is kind. His mother is shorter than I am with light brown hair with strands of gray interwoven throughout. It’s pulled back in a ponytail at the nape of her neck. She also appears fit for her age. Her expression is more curious than anything.
I stick my hand out in front of me, first to his mom and introduce myself, then to his dad. Garrett still has his arm around my shoulders in a protective hold.
His mother breaks the silence. “Rhett, why don’t you get Lisa something to drink?”
“Of course, what can I get you? We have soda, lemonade, coffee, water, sweet tea?”
“Sweet tea would be lovely… Rhett.”
I giggle like crazy as he gives me a scathing look.
“My family has called me that for as long as I can remember. It’s not my favorite.” The look he levels his mom with makes me giggle more.
“What can I get the rest of you?” he asks.
Everyone shouts out their order and we all sit down. I’m assuming they leave the loveseat open for Garrett and I. Conversation is easy and I find that I like his family more than I expected too. They are so down to earth. They seem curious about me so I give them the basics and then we talk about my interview for a bit. It’s midafternoon now and Garrett turns to his brother and asks, “Will you take us out on the boat before dinner?”
Tommy looks at him like he’s nuts. “You can take the boat out. You know how to drive it. I don’t have to tag along.”
“Yeah, I know, but I want you to come.”
“Oh, I see. You need someone to keep your woman entertained. Afraid you’re too boring?” He says all of this with a mischievous grin. He’s still smirking when his mom smacks him upside the head with a pillow.
“Watch your manners around the lady, Tommy.”
I bust up laughing and slap my hand over my mouth when I realize how loud I was. This sends everyone else into a fit of laughter.
Garrett grabs Tommy in a headlock. “Come on, dumbass. Let’s go. Lisa, do you want to change before we leave?”
“Um, yes. I’m thinking that a dress, heels and panty hose are not common boating attire.”
After I change we take a tour of the river. The smell in the air here is less briny and more earthy. Like leaves, trees, moss, and mud combined. The sounds of crickets on the riverbanks and various birds overhead can be heard as we putter down the river. This place is beautiful and I can’t wait to get out in the water tomorrow. We see one enormous manatee eating near the side of the canal. His tiny head and enormous body make him look rather awkward, but the whiskers and perfect, round nostrils give him a cartoon quality. He’s so ugly he’s cute.
About dinnertime we stop back by the house to pick up his parents and take the boat over to a local restaurant called Salty’s. It sits right along Kings Bay and has a nice view of the sunset. I love that we can get right off of the boat and go inside here. I’ve never done that before.
We have a nice meal and good conversation while sitting on the deck in the warm evening air. His family is genial, polite, and intelligent. It turns out that Tommy went to University of Florida and got his MBA. Now he owns his own boat towing company. He has six employees and is doing well for himself. He has a small house a little further down the river on one of the canals. His parents are both natives to the area and both are retired from the local power plant. His dad has a part time fishing charter business and his mom helps out with a few local charities and keeps up with the house.
When we get back to his mom and dad’s house they set me up in a room upstairs with a spectacular view of the river. As I gaze out the sliding glass door that opens to a balcony I’m entranced by the full moon hanging in the night sky and the little lights that dot the riverside where the houses are. In the center of the room is a king sized bed with big fluffy pillows and a sage colored comforter. Even better for me, there is a bathroom attached to this room.
Garrett takes the room across the hall. He told me earlier when we were alone that he wanted to be respectful in his parent’s home so he requested two bedrooms. I was glad because I felt the same way. It’s nearing midnight and I’m lying there, looking out over the water thinking about how different this life is than my life in Ohio when my door creaks open. Garrett’s silhouette appears in the doorway as he enters and climbs into bed behind me.
“What are you doing here?” I whisper.
“I couldn’t sleep. I won’t do anything. I just wanted to hold you.”
“What?” I ask, more than a little surprised.
“Yeah, this is a new feeling for me so don’t ask. Just go with it.”
I can tell by the sound of his voice he’s grinning. “Okay.” I smile to myself and relax against him.
He wraps his strong arms around me, pulls my back to his front, tangles his feet with mine and kisses my neck. “What is it about you that keeps me coming back?” His voice is quiet and serious.
I shrug, not having an answer for him.
“I wanted to punch my brother in the throat when I caught him staring at you today. Jealousy is also a pretty new emotion for me.”
I don’t know what to say so I stay quiet.
He rolls me over a little and kisses my lips. Then he moves my hair behind my ears and studies my expression in the moonlight. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” His eyes narrow on me.
“I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to make this into anything more than what it is. It may not seem like it, but I’m pretty vulnerable right now and if I’m not careful my head will take this to a place it was never meant to go. I want to keep the memory of this time beautiful and perfect in my mind. These last few days have been some of the best of my life. I want to keep that.”
“Fair enough.”
He rolls me back to our previous position and I fall asleep like that. It’s the best night of sleep I’ve had in over a year. I’m alone when I wake up to the shrill sound of my phone ringing in my purse. I hop out of bed with a thud and fumble around to find it.
I clear my throat and try to steady my voice, “Hey, Mark.”
“Hey, Lisa. How’s your vacation?”
“It’s great. You must have gotten the results,” Feeling more impatient than usual, I hold my breath waiting for the inevitable.
“Yeah. I’m sorry, Lisa,” his voice gentles. “The baby is Matt’s.”
The tears roll down my cheeks, as I release the breath I was holding. “I knew it was going to be. Give me a minute, okay?” A sob breaks free and my whole body shakes with the force of my grief.
“Yeah, I’m sorry, honey.”
It’s obvious he dreaded making this call. The tone of his voice makes me believe he still held out hope this wasn’t true, but I never did. I always knew in the pit of my stomach that Mariah was Matt’s daughter. It takes me a few minutes to get myself under control. I sniffle and ask, “Did you get our offer drawn up?”
“Yes. Let’s review it and you can tell me what you don’t like. Five-hundred dollars a month for eighteen years, going back to the baby’s birth four months ago. Then forty-thousand dollars for college or trade school and anything remaining in the trust will be paid out when she turns twenty-five years old. In the event of a catastrophic injury or major medical issue, like cancer, the lump sum can be used to help pay for medical expenses. It will all be subject to approval by the executor of the trust.”
“Make it six-hundred a month and fifty-thousand dollars for college or trade school. I also think we should cover the medical expenses from the birth. Do you have the totals handy for that?”
“Approximately one hundred fifty thousand dollars.”
“Wow! Is that normal? That seems excessive”.
“Jill was in an accident the day she met you and was in the hospital for a month because the doctor was worried about the baby.”
I didn’t know that. I thought I was wrecked that day. In fact, I thought my world had imploded. I can’t imagine what it was like for Jill. Not that I should care, but I guess hearing him recount what she had been through nudges my conscience a little. Maybe she didn’t know he was married. It’s possible I was quick to judge her and she wasn’t ever out to scam for money so she could live easy. The possibility that she showed up wanting Matt to be the active father his baby was going to need only to find out he was married and dead had to be devastating. Adding a month long hospital stay and fear for her baby’s well-being on top of it all makes me sad for her.
“Okay, do that and the remainder of the trust to be paid, half at twenty-five years of age and the other half at thirty years of age. I’m willing to give more per month, but we need room to negotiate. I don’t want the little girl to want for anything. I just want to make sure it gets spent on her. And I’m hoping you’ll agree to be the executor of the trust.”
“Yes, I figured you would want that. I understand, Lisa. I’ll contact Jill’s lawyer and call you once they get back to me. Try not to think about this. Enjoy your vacation. All of this will still be here when you get home.”
“I know. Thanks, Mark. Talk to you soon. Bye.”
“Bye, Lisa.”
I stand looking out on the view of the river. I’m grateful now more than ever that I wasn’t left with any financial issues. Matt may have left me with more heartache than I could take but money isn’t an issue. It wasn’t until after I met with Mark about Matt’s estate, that I became aware he’d taken a five hundred thousand dollar life insurance policy out on himself and named me the sole beneficiary. It surprised me that he’d done so since we had no kids and had paid off our home with his sales bonus four years ago. We’ve always been good with money, saving for a rainy day and never living beyond our means so the policy seemed excessive. Now I’m thankful for all of these things.
It takes me twenty minutes to dry my tears. When I make my way downstairs it only takes one look at me for Garrett to know something isn’t right. He meets me at the bottom of the stairs, grasps my shoulders and looks into my eyes.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“I got a call from my lawyer.” My bottom lip is quivering.
I don’t have to say anything else. He pulls me into a hug and I fall apart again. I should have realized that his family is standing off to the side watching us, but I’m too busy having a nervous breakdown.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers into my hair with a gentleness that I’ve not heard from him before.
“Thanks,” I mumble.
He holds me like that until I stop crying and then escorts me to the table. When I realize everyone is in the room I’m quick to apologize. His mother places a gentle hand on my arm and tells me not to worry about it. Breakfast is quiet. I think his family is afraid to ask what’s going on and I’m not sure if I should share. It’s such an awkward situation.
After breakfast we paddle down the river in the kayaks and through a narrow water passageway to Three Sisters Springs. Trees line the sides of the spring area all the way around, shading most of the water except for the middle. The sand on the bottom is white giving it a magical appearance like something out of a magazine. Squirrels and birds can be heard back in the brush and up in the trees while the howls of swimmers ring out when their warm bodies hit the cold water. Garrett is right, this is breathtaking. He told me that the manatee pile into the spring area during the winter because the water is warmer here than in the river or the Gulf. Last year, over three hundred of them were packed into the spring at the same time. I can’t even picture those enormous beasts piled in here three hundred deep.
The click of Garrett’s camera is continuous as he takes it all in. After a few minutes he talks me into jumping in. Icy cold water covers my body as I take the plunge. Now I understand why people were screaming a few minutes ago. I swim away from where he is over the top of the headspring. It’s massive compared to the smaller ones in the other section and a great big fallen tree lays at the bottom near the opening, acting as a sentry to any who dare get near it.
After I flop back into the kayak we paddle to Garrett’s parents’ for lunch. His dad says that the phone has been ringing off the hook since word got around that Garrett is in town so he decided to cook out and just have everyone over.
They invite me to stay another night and I’m having such a good time that I accept. The thought of walking away from Garrett makes my stomach knot up, but I try to push that thought from my mind. After the morning I had I don’t want to even consider anything else that might cause me pain today.
By six p.m. there are about thirty people at the house milling around between the deck and the kitchen. His sister and her family didn’t show up until an hour ago, something about a sick horse. His niece has been my constant companion since she got here. Her name is Olivia and she’s an adorable four year old with the vocabulary of a teenager. Most of the guests are friends that Garrett has grown up with. It’s obvious that most of them are surprised that he has a woman with him, but I down play it as us being friends. Everyone spends a lot of time telling stories about Garrett, most of them funny. I’m attentive as I listen feeling sorry for his mom and all that she had to endure with his childhood antics.
By ten p.m. everyone has gone home and I’m snuggled up on the loveseat next to Garrett watching a DVR episode of Jimmy Fallon, laughing my butt off. Garrett has his feet propped up on the table and me tucked under his arm. I’m feeling pretty content when he leans in and asks, “You okay?”
I turn my head to see his face. He’s concerned. I pat his leg and reply, “Yes, I had a very nice day despite how it started. I enjoyed your friends and family. You’re a lucky man.”
His lips tip up at the corners and he leans in and kisses my forehead then goes back to watching the show.
An hour and a half later I’m lying in bed looking at the moon again dreading the goodbye tomorrow will bring. My stomach is in knots and I’m trying to fight off the tears. It was such a bad idea to come here. I’ve had an amazing time and I hate that I will never have that again.