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Jo hopped off the couch and headed down the steps. She was thankful that she and Dare would have one last night together before she headed off, even if it was only a quick bite at Marcie’s.
The place was humming with the Labor Day crowd, so they felt lucky to find a spot at the bar. Marcie brought Jo her lemonade and Dare a beer. She took their orders but didn’t have much time for small talk. Jo was glad to see how business had picked back up so quickly.
“I’ve got a lot to fill you in on, Dare,” Jo said. “It’s been a crazy couple of days. Some good things and some things I’m not so sure about. But I have taken your advice so many times recently just to tackle things head on.”
“And?” Dare asked.
“Mixed bag, I think. But you decide.”
Jo began to tell Dare about her mom and her grandmother, her mom and her, and her grandmother and Chris. Their orders arrived, so a lot of the talking was interrupted with eating, with Dare nodding or shaking his head as the stories unfolded.
“You fit a lifetime of drama into a few days, Jo. But it’s great that you and your mom seem to have come to an understanding, and your mom and grandmother as well. I don’t know what to say about her and Chris. That’s a tough situation to be in and I’m in no position to judge.” He shrugged. “Maybe time will change things and maybe not. I have to say I like Chris a lot. He really knows his stuff about boats and all. He’s already given me some great information that I think will be useful as I get ready for my exam. He’s come around the docks a good bit when he can. Like I said, I like him.”
They talked a bit more - about the Labor Day crowds, what fish he expected to be biting, what classes Jo would be taking, and his excitement about working toward his captain’s license. When they finished, Jo gave Marcie a big hug and collected the take-out order for her grandmother.
“Dinner’s on me tonight, kids,” Marcie smiled. “You’ve been great customers all summer. Good luck back at school, Jo. Don’t be a stranger when you come back during breaks.”
“I won’t be, Marcie. And you keep an eye on Gran for me. She’s driving now and walking well, so she’ll be here in person pretty soon.”
“Good news,” said Marcie. “Gotta run. The crowd is still coming in.”
Dare and Jo got in the car and Dare asked if she’d like to just drive to one of the ramp lots to walk out onto the beach and see the stars just for a few minutes. Jo nodded. It was still early and they’d likely only be gone a few minutes. She had the take-out to deliver and there was nothing worse in Jo’s mind than cold shrimp and fries.
“Just for a minute or two,” Jo said. “You know I have precious cargo here.”
Dare laughed. They drove just a few minutes north to where the wind surfers usually gathered at the place known as Canadian Hole, and caught the end of the sunset. The planets and starts were just beginning to pop out, twinkling brightly on the darkening sky. There was just a sliver of a moon.
They sat in companionable silence for a minute or two and then Dare leaned over to kiss Jo. Not a peck on the cheek but a full-blown kiss. Jo stiffened and sat back a bit.
“Please, Dare. No. Let’s not go there,” she whispered.
“What?” he asked, his voice rising just a bit. There were plenty of other cars around and he didn’t want to make a scene.
“Dare, you and I have been friends forever. You’re like a rock to me. What we have is really special and I don’t want that to change. We don’t need to take our relationship into a place where we really can’t fulfill it. You’re here and I’m away at school and we need to focus on those things. Be each other’s support system. I’m so sorry if you thought I wanted to be more than friends.”
“But I thought you expected me to try something. That you’d think I didn’t care if I didn’t come on to you. It didn’t feel right to me but since you’re leaving…”
“You thought I expected that? That’s, well, it seems like that’s what society wants us to think. But no, I love our friendship, and in that way, I love you. I only expected you to be there for me like you’ve always have been. Please don’t be upset. I can’t take much more.” Jo started to cry quietly.
Dare said nothing for a moment or two. He was thinking. Then he put his arm around Jo. When she flinched a bit, he said, “I’m just hugging you, Jo. And as hard as it is for you to believe, I’m OK with what you said. I love our friendship too. Like I said, I just didn’t want you to think I didn’t care.”
“Caring is so much more than getting involved in a romantic relationship. Just be you, Dare. That’s what is so awesome about you. I never have felt you didn’t care. Your advice sometimes pisses me off, and you know we’ve had our moments, but I always know you care.”
“So, we’re good?” he asked.
“We’re just fine, Dare.” She smiled. “Now you’d better get me back home or there’ll be hell to pay with this shrimp.”
Dare gave her another quick hug and started the car. When they got to Susan’s, he reached over and took her hand. “Thanks, Jo. And do well at school. I know you will. Text me. You know sometimes it takes me a while to answer but I will. And I’ll see you during breaks, OK?”
“Absolutely.” She kissed Dare lightly on the cheek. “You study hard as well. I can’t wait to hear some good news later this fall.” And with that she left, carrying the precious shrimp up to Susan.
ChapterTwelve
Time seemed to pass in a blur after that. Before Jo realized it, she was six weeks into the new term. She was enjoying her classes immensely, but then, she’d always enjoyed school. Dare was texting regularly. The charter business had continued to stay strong right into early October, so he hadn’t had much time to study for his license testing, but things were starting to slow down just a bit. The weather cooled and vacationers were back home enjoying pumpkin spice lattes and vanilla candles. Jo could definitely sense the change of seasons.
SeaAnna and Jo talked every weekend. SeaAnna seemed to be more interested in what Jo was doing, and Jo tried her best to understand the intricacies of her mom’s dabbling in real estate.
She also told Jo she had sent in her DNA sample to the testing company weeks ago, so an answer would likely be forthcoming. Thinking about that always made Jo’s heart beat a bit faster. While she knew the outcome would be positive, she was still uncertain as to how SeaAnna would handle it moving forward.
