He clinked her glass and took a sip, hoping the wine would calm the nervous energy inside him.
They ate spaghetti at the table, their conversation comfortable and easy. Every so often Selena would ask Shaun a question, and he would either respond with a waving of one hand or an excited noise. Evan watched Selena, examining her interactions with his son. She didn’t talk baby talk to him, like some other people that knew them, and he was grateful for that. There was nothing more infuriating or frustrating than watching people degrade Shaun’s intelligence through pity.
He anticipated that Selena would look uncomfortable with Shaun’s movements or lack of proper articulation, but if she was, she didn’t show the slightest hint.
After a quick cleaning of the kitchen, the three of them settled into the furniture on the porch. The sun hung above the tree line that marked the boundary of Mill River, its light rippling with gentle waves that rolled in colors of cobalt and amber.
“God, it’s pretty out,” Selena said, gazing at the lake.
“Yes, it is,” Evan said, placing his wineglass on the patio table. “I’m curious, though.”
She looked at him, tilting her head.
“How did you find the phone number for the house?”
She blushed and licked her lips, casting her gaze at the floor. “I asked my secretary to find out who owns house, and after she told me, I looked up the name online and found a listing.”
Evan laughed. “Wow.”
Selena placed a hand over her face. “I know, right? I wasn’t even sure if it was correct or not, but since I didn’t have your cell phone, I worked with what I had.”
“Industrious.”
“More like creepy.”
“Industrious sounds better.”
She laughed, and Shaun giggled too.
“Now everyone’s laughing at me,” Selena said, shaking her head.
“It’s fine, I’m glad you called.”
She glanced his way, and their eyes met, holding for less than a second, but something connected and then released as he looked down into his wineglass.
“Me too.”
A silence stretched out, broken only by Shaun talking to his cars and the tinkling of the wind chimes.
“Professional question,” Evan said after a while.
“Oh no, here it comes,” Selena said, smiling.
“Nothing too weird, I’m actually curious about cabin fever.”
“Why, are you already feeling isolated out here?”
“No, nothing like that, it’s just—”
He hovered over the subject, not knowing whether to get into it or not. The night was going so well.
“The former caretaker here, Bob, he disappeared a couple months ago.”
Selena frowned. “Yeah, I think I heard something about that.”
Evan nodded. “People seem to think he walked off in the middle of winter. Is that common with someone in isolation?”
Selena pursed her lips. “It can be. The claustrophobia and isolated feeling people get after being alone or confined to a small area for a period of time usually results in them doing something that’s out of character.”
“Like what?”
“Like someone who is normally an early riser sleeps longer and longer into the day. Peaceful people become irritable, violent sometimes. Reason can be lost if the person doesn’t do anything to remedy the situation.”
“So wandering off into the woods in the middle of winter could be a possibility?”
“Sure. And mind you, some people are more resistant to isolation than others, they can handle being alone and not be any worse for wear.” She studied his expression. “Why do you ask?”
Evan drained the last of his wine, feeling the pleasant buzz weaken with the conversation. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”
“If I had a quarter.”
He chuckled. “I bet. No, it’s—” He glanced at Shaun, who intently watched the lake. “It’s disturbing being here when I don’t know what happened to the last guy, you know? I have these feelings that ... that he isn’t really gone.”
“You mean, like he’s hiding somewhere on the island?”
Evan frowned. “Maybe? I don’t know. It’s unsettling, that’s all.”
“I can see how it could be, you have a ton of responsibility,” she said, motioning to Shaun. “The weight of that sometimes does funny things to our minds. Makes us worry when there isn’t anything to fear. Not to say you’re unstable. A new location coupled with the last caretaker’s disappearance might have sent your protectiveness into overdrive.”
Evan sat back in his chair, surprised by how much Selena’s words made sense. “I never thought about it that way. You’re probably right.”
“A girl never gets tired of hearing that.”
He smiled. “Would you like another glass of wine?”
~
An hour later, he walked Selena to the door. The evening fell around the island in a cool hush that brought stillness to everything. Even the waves along the shoreline seemed calmer.
Selena paused on the stoop. “I had a really nice time tonight with you guys, thank you for dinner.”
“No problem, it’s great to have company, keeps the cabin fever away.”
She laughed and pulled out a business card from her pocket. “My home number’s on the back. I transfer it to my cell when I’m out in case I get an emergency call from the office for a patient.”
He reached out to take the card from her, a simple act, but one that held so much more weight for him. He hesitated before accepting it. A small flash of uncertainty crossed Selena’s face.
“Thank you,” he said, as lightly as he could. “And you already have mine.”
She blushed again and nodded. “Have a nice night,” she said, holding out her hand.
He took it, feeling the softness of her skin again, and instead of shaking it, he just held it for a moment before letting go. “You too.”
She turned and moved toward the dock, and he watched her go, wanting to say more, and at the same time, glad the night was over. When she was out of sight, he carried Shaun to the bathroom and helped him brush his teeth.
“So what did you think of Selena, buddy? Was she okay?”