Nantucket Weddings - Pamela M. Kelley Page 0,33
at Mia. “Do you golf?”
“Not yet. Your brother offered to show me how to hit.”
“We’re going to the driving range. We’re neighbors now, you know. Neighbors do things like that.” He turned to go, and Bethany looked at Mia curiously. “My brother is a nut. Have fun, you two.”
Ten minutes later, they reached the driving range. It wasn’t too crowded as Ben explained the weather was so good that most people were actually out golfing, not just hitting balls. He put her clubs in his bag and carried them to an open hitting tee.
Mia watched as Ben carefully explained what he was doing and why. He demonstrated a few swings. Then handed her a club.
“Okay, it’s your turn now. Remember what I said, keep your arms straight and your eyes on the ball.”
Mia tried to focus and do what Ben had told her. She kept her arms straight, brought the club back, swung hard and missed.
“Don’t worry about it. Try again. Stay down. You came up on your toes.”
She did, taking a deep breath and staying down. She hit the ball, but it didn’t go where she thought she’d aimed. Instead, it veered sharply to the left.
“That’s great!” Ben looked thrilled, but she shook her head.
“That was not good.”
“You hit the ball! That’s the first step. Keep going.”
And she did. Mia hit ball after ball after ball. And after a while, they started going where she wanted them to. She hit one that made a really cool sound, a loud crack followed by a whoosh, and the ball sailed up and out and straight. It was her best shot by far, and it felt different from the others.
Ben gave her a high five. “Now that was a golf shot. See if you can do it again.”
But her next shot was horrible. It went to the left again and she couldn’t understand it. She thought she’d done everything exactly the same.
Ben grinned. “Welcome to the mystifying, frustrating world of golf. It’s a mental game as much as a physical one. But the more you practice, the easier it gets. You tired yet? Or do you want to hit a few more?”
“I’ll hit a few more. It’s kind of addicting. I want another good shot.”
“All right, then. You can do it.”
And she did. Mia’s next three shots were her best yet. They hit for another twenty minutes and then they were both ready to go.
“Are you getting hungry?” Ben asked as they drove off. “We could grab some sandwiches from Claudette’s and bring them back to the inn. Have you ever had the meatloaf sandwich from there?”
Mia laughed. “I’ve never had a meatloaf sandwich period.”
“You haven’t lived then until you’ve had one—and Claudette’s is the best. You can get normal stuff, too, turkey or roast beef.”
“Well, now you have me curious. I’ll try a meatloaf sandwich.”
Ben drove to Claudette’s Sandwich Shop, ordered the sandwiches and when they were ready, Mia held the bag while they drove home.
When they reached the inn, they decided to eat outside, since it was still so nice out. Lisa had pointed out a common area in the back yard that was available for any of the guests to use. There were two outside wooden tables, chairs and a small grill. They brought their sandwiches to one of the tables. Once they were settled, Mia unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite. A cold meatloaf sandwich had sounded a little strange, but Ben was right. It was delicious.
“So, Mia, tell me more about yourself. What do you like to do for fun? Are you dating anyone?”
“There’s not a lot to tell. I mostly work and see friends. I’m not dating anyone. I’m not sure when I’ll be ready for that.”
Ben nodded. “It must be hard. How long has it been?”
“Just over a year.”
“It has been a year, though? So, you should be ready to date soon?”
Mia laughed. “It’s like something magical is supposed to happen at the one-year mark, like a switch is flipped and everything goes back to normal. I wish that was the case. I’m getting there. But I still can’t think of anyone but Mark. I’m sure that will change one day.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“So, what about you? Are you dating anyone? You’re sure that girl I saw you with is just a friend?”
“Oh, I’m very sure. I date whenever the opportunity presents itself. There’s no one serious, though. I haven’t met that special someone yet. When I do, I might be ready to settle down.”
“Do