The Ivy House - By Drea Stein Page 0,60

sails,” he told Phoebe, but she merely nodded.

It was warming up and the pale pink of her shirt showed off the light tan of her skin. She looked content, sitting back on the cockpit seat, her head turned up to catch the sun.

It took more than a few minutes motoring slowly to make it out to open water. He gave the wheel to Phoebe, told her which direction to point the boat in, and got his sail up. In a moment, it snapped, caught the wind and the boat picked up speed.

Chase came back down in the cockpit and stood next to her. He felt her tense as he put an arm out to help her correct her course. When she had it, he cut the engine and there was that moment of pure, glorious quiet, the only sound a whisper of wind, and the smooth swish of water beneath the bow.

<<>>

Phoebe watched him move around the boat, capable and confident. He looked as good in a pair of rolled-up khakis and polo shirt as he did in his jeans and t-shirt, and she found herself focusing on the pull of his muscles beneath the fabric of his shirt.

He touched her and her body tensed, but it was only a hand on hers, to help her point the boat in the right direction, and as soon as he did, she felt the boat leap to life below her, surge forward on the power of the wind.

Now he was sitting down, stretched out, hands behind his head.

“Aren’t you going to watch where we’re going?

“No, that’s what you’re here for,” he said with a smile.

“But I could hit something.”

He shrugged. “It’s the middle of the week, early in the season. I bet we have the water all to ourselves.”

Phoebe looked around. The harbor was quiet, its high banks covered in a blanket of leafy trees, the sun sparkling and dancing on its surface.

“I guess we’ll be safe.”

“Just don’t get too close to shore.” Chase settled in and for all the world looked like he was going to nap.

Phoebe watched him for a moment and then nudged him. “Not fair. I didn’t know you were going to make me do all the work.”

“Work? You call this work?”

Phoebe sighed, looking at the harbor, at the houses nestled among the trees, at a bird, a hawk probably, flying overhead.

“No, this isn’t work at all,” she agreed.

“Told you nothing beats a sail for fixing what ails you.” Chase sat up now and looked around. He scooted over and came and stood behind her, one arm coming around and touching hers. “A bit to the starboard,” he said.

She had lost track of their course. She was supposed to be heading for the wedding cake. That’s how she had always thought of the Queensbay Show House, a giant white wedding cake perched on the edge of the bank.

“I see it.”

Chase was still behind her, close—too close—when he asked, “If you loved going to the theater, how come you never wanted to be an actress?”

“You mean like Savannah?”

“Exactly. You have the name, the face, and I am sure she would have opened the doors for you.”

Phoebe swallowed, surprised that the memory could still pain her after all these years. Chase moved so he could see her.

“What is it? Tell me.”

Lips pursed together, Phoebe shook her head.

“That bad?” he guessed.

“Worse,” Phoebe admitted and then found herself smiling. “I was in first grade. We were doing a play, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” I got to be Goldilocks, of course.”

“Of course.”

“Well, it wasn’t just the hair. The teacher had figured out that Savannah was my grandmother and I think she held out the hope that if I got the lead, Savannah would deign to come.”

“Did she?” Chase asked.

“Of course she did.” Phoebe closed her eyes as the memory replayed itself.

“And…”

“I got stage fright, forgot my lines, and knocked down one of the walls of the Bears’ house. Who knew Goldilocks was a comedy?”

“That sounds pretty bad. But you were just a kid.”

“And I knew I wasn’t cut out for it. And Savannah knew too. You know what she said?”

Chase shook his head.

Phoebe’s voice changed, becoming richer, more ironic. “Don’t worry, dear, the theater will survive quite nicely without you.”

“Ouch,” Chase said, but he was smiling, his teeth white against the tanned skin of his face.

“Well, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I never had delusions of making it as an actress. Savannah helped me find my