Dancing Hours (25 page)

Nessa was proud that her instincts had proven right.  She thought to herself that you may not be able to teach
an old dog new tricks
, but the old tricks worked just fine. 
She imagined that Holly and her sister were a mess after their parents’ death and Holly
found Noah charming.  She’d seen it happen to a girl at the club named Cassie.  Cassie had been an honor roll student, but when her mother died leaving nothing and no one to take care of her, Cassie started dancing.  A good looking man took an interest in her and said the right things, promised the world.  When Cassie turned up pregnant, the man disappeared.  Nessa tracked him down and found out he was married with children.  She had a long talk with Cassie about her future.  Cassie decided to give up the baby for adoption so Nessa only made sure that the baby’s father handled the medical expenses and enough extra money so that Cassie wouldn’t have to work during the pregnancy and could go back to school and find an office job somewhere.  That man had the means to take care of a situation he created and enough sense to know better.  Noah, on the other hand, was a punk kid who hadn’t even grown up himself yet.

If Nessa knew one thing, it was that sometimes bad things happened to good people – and those people might make some bad decisions because of it.  Knowing what she knew, Nessa had no choice but to do something about the whole mess.  It was the right thing to do.

The barbecue started out like any other lazy
afternoon,
except Nessa indulged a little early in her special iced tea while she was making a batch for the other ladies.  She didn’t bother to knock on Josephine’s door; she just went in through the living room and grabbed some glasses and ice out of the kitchen.  Mrs. Merchant was there shortly with Jessica.  They parked themselves in rockers out on the front porch to watch the sun go down and talk about nothing in particular.  Jessica went to explore Andy’s room with her, but couldn’t help noticing that she looked different wearing glasses today on the way inside.  Nessa giggled.  She’d heard the story of the salsa already from Josephine.  She could remember so clearly when Andy had been Jessica’s age – even when Josephine had been that young.  Time was a freight train, Mrs. Merchant agreed.

“How have you been enjoying having your family stay
ing
with you, Rosalie?”

“It’s just wonderful.  I haven’t felt so alive in ages.  That little one wears me out sometimes, though.  She never stops talking at home.  So many questions!  She’s a smart little one.”

“Well, the apple doesn’t fall fa
r from the tree, I suppose.”

“
Hmph
.
  If she’s lucky, it’ll start rolling on downhill from her tree.”

“Are you referring to her mother?”

“Of course.
  What kind of girl gets
herself
into trouble and then just leaves her baby?”

“It takes two to tango.  Have you ever even met the girl?”

“Don’t care to.”  Mrs. Merchant folded her arms in front of her chest in the universal sign of not really wanting to talk about something.  Nessa thought it might be best to change the subject.  She didn’t want to get into a figh
t about the relative merits of
girls who get into trouble versus the boys that get them there.

She offered up a glass of iced tea and Mrs. Merchant pulled out three containers of peach cobbler.  There was enough to feed the neighborhood.

“So how’s And
y
doing with your cooking lessons?”

“She’s quick as a whip.  You’d never know that when we got started she didn’t know how to make something as simple as mashed potatoes.”

“That apple didn’t fall far from the tree either, I couldn’t cook to save my life and neither can Josephine.”

“I know dear, but you’ve got other talents.”

Again Nessa thought she might be getting into tricky territory.  She started talking about the weather because that seemed like a pretty safe subject.  They saw Noah go by on his motorcycle.  Rosalie lifted her hand to wave, but Noah never looked in their direction.  He was headed to the square, where people must have started to gather.

Andy came outside and started showing some smaller children how to m
ake shapes with their sparklers.  I
t was getting to be dusk outside and the fireworks would start soon.  David showed up and waved to the older ladies then made a beeline for Andy.  Vanessa regarded him carefully.   What
makes a
man put his life on hold to pretend to be a father to his brother’s daughter?  Nessa considered that he perhaps felt guilty, but that didn’t feel right.  He was a quiet, but responsible boy when she first met him.  A chaotic home life had probably left him feeling like a
kid
in
grownup
clothes.  He felt responsible for Noah and was doing the right thing by not letting this girl suffer from two parents who were too immature to raise her.  Nessa had a feeling that Holly was working on that, though. 

Andy seemed to like David, too.  She just might not know it yet.  As
she watched
,
Noah walked up to
Andy and David
.
Nessa
wondered if Andy had any idea just how beautiful she was.  As much as her heart ached to do it, Nessa had to let Andy figure this one out for
herself
.

Rumor had it that Noah had moved back to California shortly after that night and left Jessica with David and Mrs. Merchant.  Nessa was really starting to dislike that kid, but at least he wouldn’t be around to confuse Andy.

9

Vanessa knew that the world was a dangerous place, but Andrea had always had her heart in the right place.  If any young woman could thrive
out
there
in L.A.
, it would be her granddaughter.  Even still, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone keep an eye on her.

When And
y
left for school,
Nessa
called Edward Wright, Leonard’s son and the inheritor of his empire of businesses which were still thriving throughout the Southwest.  It was a lovely conversation, she had sent him birthday gifts his entire life and the families had regularly exchanged letters and school photos.

When Leonard had passed away a decade before, it was Edward who had called to inform her of the news. In Leonard’s will, he had
left an inheritance for Vanessa and a personal note:

Dearest Nessa,

Nothing could repay you for the many ways you saved my life.  Not only am I indebted to you for maintaining my business and improving it beyond measure, but also for bringing Dorothy to me.  Without her and without you, I might never have recovered from Katherine’s death.  I would never have had a son and watched him grow and have grandchildren!  They are truly the meaning of life.  I suspect without you I might have allowed myself to wither away and die quietly a long, long time ago.

Nothing could have made me happier than to introduce you to Samuel and see the love grow between you.  Hopefully i
n
some small way, I’ve given you a piece of the happiness you’ve given me.  I have lived a comfortable life and I would like to take care of my family in death.  You are part of that family. 

Please know that whatever you do, wherever you go, you will be remembered by my family as the woman who helped me survive.

All my love,

Leonard

It brought Vanessa to tears.  Leonard had been much more of a father figure than
her own
father and she cared for him
just
as deeply.  His passing was very sad news and the inheritance he left was unnecessary and did nothing to comfort her.  She would have argued
against
the inheritance had she known, but there was no arguing with a dead man.  Leonard would have to have the last word on this one.

Ed
ward
had flown out briefly with the note and a cashier’s check. 
Vanessa had not laid eyes on him since she and Samuel left California, but she knew what kind of man he would be – the kind she could rely on. 
He took Vanessa to a lawyer to have
her own
will made up
and she agreed because it sounded like something Samuel would advise and made sense.  Nessa didn’t introduce Ed
ward
to her daughter and he didn’t inquire about it.  She had always worked very hard to separate her family life from the life that knew so many shades of gray.

After a failed attempt to give the money
back
to Edward and his family,
Nessa
tucked the money away in a bank that was not near town.  The gossip mill would have run over
time about that sort of thing and she’d worked so hard to avoid any questions about her life before.

Edward had promised when he left that she should call him if she ever needed anything.  So, when Nessa called him to keep an eye on Andrea, he had said it was about time.  He delicately inquired what he should say
the
relationship was with Vanessa
and his family.  S
he requested that he not lie, but not volunteer information either. 

“Andrea is a smart girl with a sense of adventure almost as big as mine was.  It’s only a matter of time before she pieces things together, but I’d like to keep her blissfully ignorant for as long as I can, I suppose.”

“Fair enough.
  I can stop by her place once every couple of weeks, maybe drop off any homemade treats you want to send.”

Vanessa laughed boisterously.  “It sounds like your mother hasn’t told you what a terrible cook I am.  I nearly burned down her kitchen once.”

“No, she left that part out.  My parents have only ever told me wonderful things about you.”

“What a coincidence, they only ever told me wonderful things about you too.”

“They are all true.”

“Good, I’m glad.  You’ve grown up well.  I suppose you are overseeing Leonard’s business.”

“It doesn’t require much in the way of overseeing these days, it’s a machine.  I understand you had a hand in getting it that way.  Anyway, I make the big decisions and I have a lot of people I trust who make the little ones and handle the details.
  I also have invested in a number of other businesses.  You know, I could use another trustworthy person if you’re interested in moving back to California.”

“Don’t tease me, you sly dog.  I’m an old woman now and I couldn’t work like that even if I wanted to.  I have my volunteer work and work part time at a local establishment.”

“Then I’m quite sure it’s a successful establishment.”

“You know it!”

“Well, if you ever change your mind, the offer will remain open.”

“Thank you, but
between
the money your father left me
and Samuel’s insurance
I’ll never have to work again anyway.  You know, come to think of it, I do know a bright young man out here who is from your neck of the woods that might be interested in something.  His talents are being underutilized at the local shopping mall, I’m afraid.”