Page 19 of Skipping Stones
“This is harder than it looks!”
“We’re not going far.” Linney pointed to a small island off to the right. “We’ll have breakfast over there.” The pair paddled silently, except for the splashes when Aiden dipped his paddle into the water less than gracefully.
They arrived at the island and Linney hopped out of her kayak to helped Aiden get his to shore. She pulled out the hamper, and they sat on the stone outcrop as she poured coffee from an insulated carafe and began arranging plates of pastries, eggs, and fruit. Linney raised her coffee cup.
“To the married couple.”
“To Derek and Olivia. They’ve beaten us both to the alter!”
Linney tore off the end of a croissant. “You didn’t bring a date to the wedding. I’d say the alter is a ways off for you.”
Aiden laughed. “A very long way! But what about you? You’ve got a pretty serious guy in London, right?. Why didn’t he come?” He grabbed a hard-boiled egg.
“Mac had things to do. He couldn’t spare the time.” Even to her, the excuse sounded thin, so she was thankful Aiden didn’t pursue it. Instead, he stood up and stretched.
“I think I understand why Derek loves it here,” he mused. “I read somewhere that the human eye can see far more shades of green than any other colour. And that being in nature can lower your heart rate, reduce stress, and even speed up healing times.”
“I’ve read those studies too. And I believe it. I love London, but my trips home are what keep me grounded. I think Derek feels the same way. I know I always feel so much calmer after I’ve spent time back home at the lake.”
They finished their breakfast, and as they put away the empty containers into the hamper, Aiden spoke. “Thanks for bringing me out here. Way better than breakfast at a restaurant.”
“Anything for Derek’s best man. But we have some good breakfast spots. Make sure you come up sometime when Derek and Olivia are here and have them take you out to Vi’s Café or the Doughnut Hut. Two different experiences, but both great.”
“I’ll take your word for it. I don’t have a lot of spare weekends.”
“You work as hard as Derek, then.”
“Guilty as charged. But it sounds like you work just as hard.”
Linney reddened. “You caught me!”
The pair kayaked back to the dock, and Aiden thanked her again as he got ready to go. “Maybe I’ll see you in Toronto sometime when you’re here to see the newlyweds.”
“You never know. Safe drive back to the city.” Linney waved as he backed his car out of the driveway and took off.
Her phone buzzed, and Linney sat on the porch stairs with the hamper to read MJ’s text.
Your boyfriend is grumpy.
??
He looks like crap. Comes in late every day, barks at the interns. Gemma’s pissed.
Sigh.
Gotta be honest with you. He’s been out late at the pub every night since you left. And I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he has a bottle in his desk. You need to know. He’s acting strange and people are noticing.
It was like a kick in the stomach and Linney put her phone down and closed her eyes. MJ wasn’t one to sugarcoat the truth, but the fact she’d said it so plainly was a surprise. Linney knew Mac had always been a heavy drinker. But he’d always been professional in the newsroom and his work had never suffered. She felt a tension headache forming and realized she hadn’t had one since she’d been home.
Linney got up and moved to the porch swing, clutching a throw pillow tightly. If she were honest with herself, she knew that Mac had been drinking more in the last year. A lot more. She’d had suspicions about what was in his coffee in the morning for several months but had never asked. She didn’t want to know. Linney gulped. Maybe it was worse than she thought. She was afraid she was going to have to face some unpleasant truths soon. Squirming uncomfortably, she picked up her phone again.
Oh no.
Miss you.
Miss you too. Hurry back.
Later that day, after Linney put dinner in the oven for her and Gran, she leaned against the kitchen cupboards. Six o’clock. So eleven in the UK. She pulled her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and her fingers hovered over the keyboard. She started typing and then deleted it. She started over but deleted it again. Finally, the words came to her.