“Nice to see you here, Mr. Mayor,” Teresa said. “I’ll be with you shortly.”
“No worries,” Bennett said, grinning. “I thought I’d stop by to dream a little.”
The older couple chuckled. “It’s time you acted on those dreams,” the husband said. “You’re still a young man.” He winked at his wife. “I heard congratulations are in order for you, Mayor. Are you here to plan a honeymoon?”
“I’m not sure I’d call it that,” Bennett said, feeling his neck warm. His relationship with Ivy had become complicated, and he didn’t know how to explain it—or what to do to get it back on track. He picked up a travel brochure. The Amalfi Coastline.
“Well, I’ll bet Ivy would,” the woman said. “Every woman should have a honeymoon, even if it is ten years late.” She gave her husband a playful poke in the ribs.
“Don’t make the same mistake I did,” the man said, taking his wife’s hand. “Fortunately, I managed to make up for it.”
“Mostly,” she said, her eyes gleaming with laughter. “This next trip just might do it.”
As they turned their attention back to their business at hand, Bennett collected a few more brochures. Paris, Hawaiian Islands, Nordic Tour, African Safari.
He cast about for ideas, unsure of what Ivy might like. He needed to do something.
Bennett had seen a change in Mitch and Shelly after they returned from their honeymoon. Or maybe it was because Shelly moved into Mitch’s beach cottage. Whatever the reason, they seemed more in tune with each other.
That’s what was missing with Ivy, he thought, furrowing his brow. A couple of days after their commitment ceremony, they’d drifted back into their separate worlds. He understood that Ivy had responsibilities. Running the inn took a lot of effort and energy, and tending to her daughters was a priority.
He wasn’t placing all the blame on her, though. As mayor, he had many duties during the day and after hours. Still, he wondered when they’d have the chance to spend more time together.
Or was this the new normal in relationships? A lot seemed to have changed in the last ten years since he’d been widowed.
This isn’t really a marriage yet, Ivy had told him afterward. Bennett hoped she would change her mind. He realized the ceremony had been a last-minute decision, but he’d been thinking about it for months. It had seemed so right at the time, and Bennett loved her more than he’d ever thought possible again.
Still, they had yet to make a lot of decisions that couples usually did. He wanted them to come together as a couple, but she didn’t seem ready.
Bennett passed a hand over his forehead. The elusive Ivy Bay. However, he knew she couldn’t be pushed. Although he was trying to understand her reticence, he wasn’t as patient as he made out.
As he thumbed through the travel brochures, he wondered what he could do to show Ivy how much she meant to him.
The travel agent called out again, “Are you sure you don’t have any questions, Mr. Mayor?”
“Not yet,” Bennett replied. At least, none that the travel agent could answer. He stuffed a few brochures into his pocket and left.
After leaving work, Bennett swung by the marina to drop off supplies at his boat. As he walked toward the vintage vessel he’d restored, he saw his neighbor from the ridgetop sitting on his yacht with his buddies, having martinis and swapping stories. Tyler waved him down and introduced his friends, who were fraternity brothers visiting from Silicon Valley.
They talked a few minutes before Bennett thought about a men’s book club he planned to organize. Given his high-tech entrepreneurial experience, Tyler would bring interesting views. Bennett told him about the new book club and invited him to a meeting at the inn.
“We’d like to hear your perspective on topics,” Bennett said to Tyler. “You’re a big deal for Summer Beach.”
“Celia was talking about joining a book club at the inn,” Tyler said, sipping his cocktail. “Is this the same one?”
“This one is for men only.” Bennett’s comment drew a variety of crass comments from Tyler’s friends.
Tyler looked embarrassed. “Hey, you guys. This is the mayor of Summer Beach. Come on; show some class.”
Bennett ignored the comments. “It’s for thoughtful conversation and camaraderie. I thought we’d start with books on leadership or history.”
Tyler lifted his glass in acknowledgment. “Count me in. I could use a break while Celia’s busy with the music program.”
“You’re on.” Bennett gave him a thumbs-up sign and started toward his much smaller boat. He was proud of it, though. He’d refinished the teakwood, polished the brass, and refurbished the interior.
He stepped onto his boat and stashed the supplies he’d brought before tending to minor repairs and cleaning. As he was working on the deck, his thoughts turned to Ivy.
Bennett understood her reluctance, or he thought he did. Jackie had been gone several years before he had even thought of dating again, and when he did, he hadn’t clicked with anyone. He’d dated a few attractive, accomplished women, but the spark hadn’t been there. Not until Ivy crashed back into his life.
He had been patient with Ivy, but he wanted to see their relationship progress. Something seemed to be holding her back, and he wasn’t sure if it might have been something he’d said or done.
Or it might be that their work didn’t leave time for much togetherness. He continued to address city business during the week, as well as a few real estate clients on the weekend.
As for Ivy, with the inn’s steady flow of guests and ongoing repairs, she had a great deal of responsibility. Summer was the high season for tourists, and he understood that her time was at a premium. Not that he expected supper on the table every evening—in fact, he enjoyed preparing dinner with her—or for her and Sunny. Misty also visited from Los Angeles when she had a break. He got along with Ivy’s daughters, and he was grateful that they accepted him into their lives, although it hadn’t been easy with Sunny at first.
Could that be holding Ivy back? Bennett didn’t mean to replace the girls’ father. Still, he wanted to offer positive support because he knew just how messy life could be at their ages.
Maybe she just didn’t have time to ease into marriage right now. Bennett and Ivy had enjoyed the short trips they had taken to Catalina, Coronado Island, and a nearby vineyard. Until they could get away on a longer trip, he wanted to do more for just the two of them.
The idea of a honeymoon was appealing.
Bennett let his mind wander as he worked on the boat. They could stay in a hotel in San Diego’s Little Italy—Ivy loved Italian food, and they could explore the seaport. Or they might visit the nearby observatory and have a meal under the stars somewhere. Then again, a cabin near the artist colony of Idlewild could be quiet and intimate.
Short day trips might help, but the problem was that their schedules weren’t very conducive to that right now. If he had a free weekend, the inn was at its busiest then.
After he finished his work on the boat, he headed back to the inn, considering these ideas and options. Somehow, he wanted to do something magical for Ivy.
Maybe his buddies Flint and Forrest, Ivy’s brothers, might have some suggestions. Ivy said they would be joining them this weekend to clean and paint the downstairs level, and he was looking forward to that.