Page 43 of The Art of Loving Lacy
“Don’t worry. We’re not catching sharks,” he assured her.
Lacy looked up and down Main Street. “I can’t remember if I have ever been here. It looks familiar, but…” Lacy said.
Despite the early hour, tourists walked along the sidewalk of the small town. Lacy and Dane peered into the shop windows as they passed. Unlike other parts of the lower Cape, Chatham was known for its predominantly preppy undertone. Pink Izod shirts and lime green shorts were displayed in almost every clothing storefront window. They looked over the books in front of the used bookstore, then headed across the street to Kate Gould Park, where Lacy walked through the plush carpet of grass with wide eyes.
“I’ve been here. I know I have,” she said.
Dane pointed to the white gazebo at the far end of the field. “To a band concert?” he asked. The Chatham Community Band had played every Friday night during the summers since just after World War II.
“Yeah,” she said. “I remember old men in red outfits, I think. Gosh, I must have been so young. I haven’t thought of that in…forever.” Lacy smiled. “Come on.” She took off running down the lawn to the gazebo and flew up the steps, then twirled around on the empty stage.
Dane jogged after her, watching the smile spread from her lips to her eyes.
“You know what?” she asked.
“What?” He wanted to touch her hand again, something, anything to let her know he was there for her, ready, willing, wanting to listen to whatever she wanted to share.
She sat down on the steps of the gazebo. “I don’t think happiness is based on the amount of time you have with someone. I think it’s all about how you spend that time and the enjoyment of each other while you’re together,” she said.
“You’re thinking about your dad,” he said.
“My dad wasn’t around a lot because he had another family, as I told you,” she said. “But when he was with us, me and my mom, he was present. He was there. Emotionally and physicallypresent.”
“Lace.” He wondered if she was making the same connection he was between her father’s attentiveness and his own. “I’m sorry if it was difficult for you when you were growing up, and I’m sorry I wasn’t physically there for you for so long.” Dane watched her nod, then pull her knees to her chest.The heck with keeping my distance.He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his side.
“Thank you. You’ve heard me say it all before. I had a good childhood, but it was kind of weird knowing I had sisters that I had never met, and the kids at school thought I was making up stories.” She sighed. “But my dad loves all of us, and I never had any hard feelings toward Danica or Kaylie even though he spent most of his time with them. After I met their mom, I felt horrible about what he had done, but he loves us all. Even their mom, I think. And my mom was always there for me. I guess that really made things okay for me.” She touched his hand. “Even when you weren’t physically there, Dane, I still felt your presence as if you were.”
Dane closed his eyes, relishing in the confirmation of his attentiveness. He needed to hear that she at least recognized the efforts he’d made. It was another step forward.
“I think you’re right, Lace. It’s not how much time we have. It’s how much we enjoy the time we have with others that matters.”Like spending time with you right now.Her body was warm against him, and he had to remind himself that she was not his girlfriend. He hated that invisible line in the sand that he had to try not to cross.
“Are you thinking about your mom?” she asked. “You must miss her very much.”
Dane’s chest tightened. A familiar lump formed in his throat. He pushed past it and smiled down at her. “I do, Lace. Some days more than others.”
She smiled up at him.
Not wanting to push his luck, Dane withdrew his arm from around her shoulder and pushed to his feet.
“Library?” he asked.
“Sure.” She reached for his hand, and he helped her to her feet. Lacy didn’t release his hand. Dane didn’t pull away; he didn’t grip her hand tighter. He let her control the connection between them.
When they reached the stone wall in front of the library, Lacy walked up the edge of the grassy lawn and balanced as she crossed the wall like a balance beam, still holding on to Dane’s hand.
“I would bet that I did this when I was here, too,” she said with a laugh. At the end of the wall, she released his hand as she stepped onto the grass and he climbed the steps.
“This is gorgeous,” Lacy said as they passed through the entrance, lined with rich, dark wood, and crossed the Oriental rug to the hardwood of the library’s main room.
Dane waved to the women behind the desk and then guided Lacy to a particular aisle and began pulling books from the shelves.
“What are we doing?” she asked.
“You got the itinerary,” he said with a smile.
“All it said was,library therapy.”
“That’s what we’re doing. Come on.” He carried a stack of books to a table in the back of the library and sat beside Lacy. “Here. Take a look at this and tell me three facts about tiger sharks.”
