would be my anchor. I let her fill my plate up with food, and then I asked her out for a date. We were happily married forty-eight years when she died. Oh, we had some tough times after our Billy was killed in Vietnam, but we always had each other to hang on to.”
Sadly I said, “That must have been so hard for you both.”
“It broke our hearts. We both loved that boy so much. We wanted to have lots of children, but God only blessed us with one. He was such a good boy. Marie loved children.”
“I remember her well. She was so nice to us when we came up here to visit. She would come down to the marina with a tin of cookies and hand them out to all the kids. She made the best chocolate chip cookies. My brothers used to rave about them.”
“How did you feel about your old boyfriend? Did you love him?”
“I thought I did at the time. After we broke up, I realized I cared about him, but I probably didn’t love him. I think if I really loved him, I would miss him, and I don’t. I never felt the way you did about Marie. I was comfortable with him, but I never got butterflies in my stomach when I saw him. When he would walk in my house, my only thought was would he want to watch hockey or basketball. He did me a favor breaking up with me. You were lucky. You had the real deal, Mac. My parents have the real deal. I won’t settle for anything but that.”
“Good girl. Maybe you’ll meet someone up here. You should find yourself a nice Rhode Island boy.”
I gave him a wink and said, “I’m with the best guy in Rhode Island right now.”
He laughed and said, “You sure know how to make an old man feel young again. There are a few nice boys at the marina. Have you met any of them?”
“I’ve met Tony Maroni and I ran into Ian Brady. I remembered Ian from when I was a kid.”
“Tony’s a nice guy. Ian I’ve known since the day he was born. Now there is a boy worthy of you, Meggie. He comes from a good family, and he’s a stand-up guy. He’s very well thought of around here. You two would be great with each other. You’re both good people with big hearts.”
“Well, don’t get your hopes up. He probably isn’t interested. He probably still thinks of me as twelve years old and klutzy. I bet he thinks of me as a sister.”
“I’m an old man, Meggie, but not a blind man. I can guarantee you that Ian Brady doesn’t see you as a twelve-year-old. Ian’s not stupid. He’s probably just biding his time and waiting for the right moment to ask you out.”
As we pulled into the marina, we saw Ian on The Stalwart getting fuel. He looked over at us and waved. Mac and I waved back. I glanced at Mac who had a big smile on his face, and I could feel the blood rush up to mine. It doesn’t take much to make me blush. I hate that about myself.
He nodded his head and with a twinkle in his eyes said, “I have a good feeling about you two.”
I blushed again and changed the subject. “Mac, you know I still haven’t heard from my Gram. I know my mother will call again this weekend, and she’ll have a fit if I don’t have some news.”
“I’m sure your Gram will call soon, honey. Try not to worry.”
“Thanks for a great afternoon. It helped take my mind off Gram. I hope you’ll ask me again.”
“I’d cook the clams for you tonight, but it’s my poker night with the guys. You take some, though.”
I took some clams to steam for dinner, and Mac took the rest.
“Meggie, how about we go again next Tuesday afternoon?”
“I’d love to. You know people will begin to talk Mac,” I said jokingly.
“Maybe it will make the young fellas jealous,” he said.
We both laughed, and I took the clams up to the cottage to put in the fridge for later.
I then made my way over to the store to check on things, do some paperwork, and call some suppliers. I caught onto things faster and more easily than I thought. Maybe I inherited some marina gene. After all, I’m the fourth generation in my family to work at
Sadly I said, “That must have been so hard for you both.”
“It broke our hearts. We both loved that boy so much. We wanted to have lots of children, but God only blessed us with one. He was such a good boy. Marie loved children.”
“I remember her well. She was so nice to us when we came up here to visit. She would come down to the marina with a tin of cookies and hand them out to all the kids. She made the best chocolate chip cookies. My brothers used to rave about them.”
“How did you feel about your old boyfriend? Did you love him?”
“I thought I did at the time. After we broke up, I realized I cared about him, but I probably didn’t love him. I think if I really loved him, I would miss him, and I don’t. I never felt the way you did about Marie. I was comfortable with him, but I never got butterflies in my stomach when I saw him. When he would walk in my house, my only thought was would he want to watch hockey or basketball. He did me a favor breaking up with me. You were lucky. You had the real deal, Mac. My parents have the real deal. I won’t settle for anything but that.”
“Good girl. Maybe you’ll meet someone up here. You should find yourself a nice Rhode Island boy.”
I gave him a wink and said, “I’m with the best guy in Rhode Island right now.”
He laughed and said, “You sure know how to make an old man feel young again. There are a few nice boys at the marina. Have you met any of them?”
“I’ve met Tony Maroni and I ran into Ian Brady. I remembered Ian from when I was a kid.”
“Tony’s a nice guy. Ian I’ve known since the day he was born. Now there is a boy worthy of you, Meggie. He comes from a good family, and he’s a stand-up guy. He’s very well thought of around here. You two would be great with each other. You’re both good people with big hearts.”
“Well, don’t get your hopes up. He probably isn’t interested. He probably still thinks of me as twelve years old and klutzy. I bet he thinks of me as a sister.”
“I’m an old man, Meggie, but not a blind man. I can guarantee you that Ian Brady doesn’t see you as a twelve-year-old. Ian’s not stupid. He’s probably just biding his time and waiting for the right moment to ask you out.”
As we pulled into the marina, we saw Ian on The Stalwart getting fuel. He looked over at us and waved. Mac and I waved back. I glanced at Mac who had a big smile on his face, and I could feel the blood rush up to mine. It doesn’t take much to make me blush. I hate that about myself.
He nodded his head and with a twinkle in his eyes said, “I have a good feeling about you two.”
I blushed again and changed the subject. “Mac, you know I still haven’t heard from my Gram. I know my mother will call again this weekend, and she’ll have a fit if I don’t have some news.”
“I’m sure your Gram will call soon, honey. Try not to worry.”
“Thanks for a great afternoon. It helped take my mind off Gram. I hope you’ll ask me again.”
“I’d cook the clams for you tonight, but it’s my poker night with the guys. You take some, though.”
I took some clams to steam for dinner, and Mac took the rest.
“Meggie, how about we go again next Tuesday afternoon?”
“I’d love to. You know people will begin to talk Mac,” I said jokingly.
“Maybe it will make the young fellas jealous,” he said.
We both laughed, and I took the clams up to the cottage to put in the fridge for later.
I then made my way over to the store to check on things, do some paperwork, and call some suppliers. I caught onto things faster and more easily than I thought. Maybe I inherited some marina gene. After all, I’m the fourth generation in my family to work at
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