Page 68 of Summer Longing
This was not how Olivia had planned to spend the morning, but she’d walked into the kitchen for coffee and found Fern and Marco chopping up the dried seaweed. She was immediately self-conscious in her baggy drawstring pants, her hair in a messy ponytail, her face bare. But Marco hardly glanced up.
“What’s going on?” Olivia had said, though it was fairly obvious. She opened a window; the kitchen had the briny, sulfuric smell that she’d experienced in the backyard the other day. Fern told her they were experimenting with tea and kelp mixtures, trying out ratios and flavor combinations. “We’re not taste-testing it today, just bagging up the different varieties. Wanna help?”
She glanced at Marco. He was intently measuring leaves with a tablespoon.
“Um, sure. Just let me get dressed.”
She changed into a pink T-shirt and white jean shorts, brushed some mascara on her lashes, put a dab of lip gloss on her mouth, and joined the group at the table.
That had been hours ago. The detail-oriented task of measuring the ingredients, folding them into bags, and labeling them kept her mind busy. Every so often, she would steal a glance at Marco, watching his quickly moving hands, his thick wrists, and the way his jaw seemed to tense. At one point their eyes met, and she nearly lost her breath.
By the time the front doorbell rang she’d forgotten all about her father’s arrival. “Oh!” she said, jumping up, ignoring the twinge in her back, and rushing out of the kitchen.
“Expecting someone?” Fern called after her.
Olivia kept running, nearly tripping over an area rug in the living room. She swung open the front door, grinning before she even laid eyes on him.
“I can’t believe you’re here!” she said.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he said, hugging her. “Well, you might not feel great, but you look no worse for the wear.”
“How was the trip?”
“Loved the ferry. Very relaxing.” He followed her into the living room. “Nice place. Your mother always did have great taste in houses.”
“I can show you to your room now or…you should come meet everyone first.”
“Who’s everyone? Oh—yes. The residents of the ‘weird bed-and-breakfast,’ as you described it.”
Had she said that? She didn’t remember. But it was sort of true. “Wow. And you still came. Brave of you.”
He smiled. “You didn’t sound so hot on the phone. I’ve been worried about you.”
Olivia felt a pang of guilt. It wasn’t fair for her to have dragged her father out here. It was selfish. But now that he was here, she was determined to show him a good time. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world to have gotten him out of his comfort zone.
She led the way to the kitchen, where the group around the table looked up in surprise. Olivia made the introductions.
“Nice to meet you, everyone,” her father said. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“Not at all,” Fern said. “You’ve got a great daughter there. She’s been a big help today.”
Olivia felt herself beaming. How had things felt so awful just days ago? “He’s staying on the third floor,” she said to Fern. “Are you guys okay if I…”
“Go—enjoy,” Fern said.
“Later, alligator,” said Jaci.
“Thanks for the help,” Marco said. “We’re doing the taste-testing on Thursday if you’re around. Fern, what time do you think?”
“Eight in the morning. Sharp. In Lidia’s kitchen because she has instant hot taps.”
“I’ll be there,” Olivia said happily.
She walked her father back through the living room. At the base of the stairs, he said, “So what’s going on with you?”
“What do you mean?”
He glanced back toward the kitchen, then whispered, “I came out here thinking you were on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but now I get the distinct feeling you might actually be having a good time.”
