Restless Hope

Chapter 29

Isaac

We take the ferry and arrive in Nantucket Island just as the sun is setting. The ride is about two hours. I find the trip invigorating. I breathe in the salty scent deeply and feel the breeze tickle my face. Seagulls squawk overhead as they circle close by. I am looking forward to enjoying the peace and solitude of the island.

Solaire has booked rooms in the White Elephant Inn for the contestants, but Beth has been granted permission to spend the nights with her family at the beach house. Sophie has never been to the house and is dying to see it, so she convinces me to drive us over. She doesn't have to twist my arm. I've been curious about the Malcolm's beach house ever since I was a teenager. Almost every summer, I would wave goodbye as Beth and her family loaded up the car with swimsuits, towels, and copious bottles of sunscreen. They'd be gone for a month, sometimes longer. The time always dragged in interminable boredom, until Beth returned, tanner and happier.

I used to wish they would invite me. I think Beth tried once, but her father refused. Big shock there. It didn't escape my notice that Mariah almost always brought a friend with her. It was just one more reminder that I wasn't deemed worthy, though now that I'm older, I realize it might also be because Beth's best friend happened to be a boy.

We drive the winding roads to the beach and pull up in front of the Malcolm's beach house. All Sophie can talk about is the beach, and all Beth can talk about is seeing her niece and nephew again.

The house is actually much smaller than I had imagined (at least compared to Malcolm Estate). Still, with the stunning views and prime location, it must be worth a small fortune. The beach house is build in a Cape Cod style, with gray wooden siding and white trim. It sits right on the beach, and is surrounded by several large pine trees that loom overhead.

Beth opens the door for us, and we are greeted with a chorus of "Beth!" followed closely by another for "Sophie!" as the children jump into their arms. I hover by the door holding Beth's luggage. I haven't been denied entrance into this house yet. I can't shake the feeling that they would do it in a heartbeat if given the slightest provocation.

Beth's sister, Mariah, brushes past me.

"Beth's room is upstairs, two doors to the left," she says as she walks toward her sister, giving her one of those fake air kiss greetings.

Who does she think I am? The valet? Still, she has given me permission to go to Beth's room, and I'm definitely taking advantage of that.

Finding the room with no difficulty, I set the luggage on the floor. I see a picture of a gorgeous woman in a seashell frame. I've seen similar pictures around their house in Lexington. Beth inherited her mother's dark hair, and she looks so much like her it's uncanny.

"I wish I had known her," a voice says at the door. I look up to see Beth. She steps softly next to me and touches her mother's face.

"Me too," I say. "I think she would be proud of you."

"Why?" she asks, cocking her head to the side.

I shrug.

"For entering the competition. For putting yourself out there. It's not easy, reaching for a dream like that."

"I suppose you would know a lot about reaching for impossible dreams," Beth says. "I just wanted to let you know you're invited to dinner. We are doing a clam bake tonight. Have you ever tried it?"

I shake my head.

"It's really something you need to experience," she says.

This is the most she's said to me since the night of my surprise birthday party. I can tell she is trying to be civil. I know she wants to go back to being friends, and I guess that's better than nothing. I'm hoping I can convince her otherwise.