Page 10 of I Heart Mason Cartwright
Traffic is heavy, and it takes us a while to get from the freeway exit to the ferry terminal. AshLynn gets more agitated the closer we get. By the time we arrive, she’s sighing intermittently while also looking at her phone continuously. To top off her mood, it’s a twenty-minute wait until boarding for the next ferry.
“I can’t believe it took so long to get here. This is ridiculous. And traffic is boring,” AshLynn says. “Which makes me bored. Let’s go already!” she yells.
“We’re almost there. Aren’t you excited to go on a ferry?” I ask.
She shrugs.
“To see your sister?”
She shrugs again.
“Are the two of you close?” I ask.
“No, not really. We were when I was young, but we drifted apart over time. She’s a lot older than I am, with her own life and I was just an annoyance.”
“How much is a lot older?” I ask, picturing someone in their forties.
“She’s thirty-four.”
“I thought you said you were twenty-three?” I ask.
“I did.”
“That’s only eleven years difference.”
“I know, see?”
Somehow, I don’t think we are at all on the same wavelength here. I wait a minute to see if she’ll say anything else. She remains quiet, so I keep talking.
“What about your parents?”
“What about them?”
“You said they were meeting you there. Are you excited to see them?”
“God, no.”
So, why are we rushing to get there?
“How far into the island does your sister live? Do you know?”
“No, I still need to get her address and let her know we’re coming.”
“She doesn’t know you’re coming?”
“No. But, it’s fine. She loves it when we visit. It’s why she bought such a big house, so she’d have room for us all.” She sounds funny when she tells me that. Almost like she’s saying what she wishes it was like, instead of how it actually is.
Her sister doesn’t answer the first time, so AshLynn calls right back. I’m starting to see a pattern with this family and their inability to leave voicemails and wait for a call back.
Willow answers the second time around and their conversation is brief.
“You know that we are much closer to her than an hour, right?” I ask in relation to how far out she told her sister we were.
“Well, then it will be a surprise when we arrive sooner.” She waves her hand in the air dismissively.
“Does your sister like surprises?”
“Not really, no.”
I put the top down after we exit the ferry despite AshLynn’s protests; the sun is just going down and it’s still warm enough for it. It doesn’t take us long to reach Willow’s house. Large, mature trees line each side of the long driveway making it feel incredibly private. The effect is isolating and peaceful at the same time.
The drive curves slightly and I see the house ahead. From the outside it’s a bit reminiscent of a log cabin with its redwood siding and brick-colored trim. The rounded drive circles a huge sugar maple tree surrounded by a low brick wall. A detached multicar garage sits off to the right of the main house shadowed by more large trees. If it weren’t for the sun setting on the horizon above the single-story home, it would be impossible to tell the home was on the waterfront.
A stone walkway leads to the front porch in one direction and the garage in the other. From the exterior, the home appears to be in decent shape. It is well lit on the inside, but even from the car I can see the dated interior through the windows in the front. Nevertheless, the structure looks to be a ranch-style home—one of my favorites to renovate.
A tall woman comes out to the front porch, a small Husky puppy by her side. She’s dressed in cut-off shorts and a tank top. Curly red hair pulled into a messy bun on top of her head. My heart beats a little faster, which seems odd since I’ve yet to even meet her. Though, I’ve always had a weakness for redheads. And I find myself inexplicably drawn to this one.
“By the way,” AshLynn says as she steps out of the car. “I may have to introduce you as my fiancé since Brian fucked everything up. It won’t be for long. Just go with it. Otherwise, I’ll tell everyone you assaulted me on the drive here. And I’m a really good actress.”
