That Summer Place (12 page)

“J
ust exactly who
are
you?” Nikki snapped, narrowing her eyes at the woman and the boy as if she worked for the FBI.

“Nikki,” John muttered, “I’ll ask the questions.” This wasn’t his day. Or his month. Or his year, for that matter. He looked at the woman and asked, “Just exactly who are you?”

“I’m Beth Graham and this is my son, Paul.” Her voice shook with nerves, but she met his gaze squarely. “We’re friends of the Reynolds family.”

“Ah.”

“Who?” Nikki frowned, glancing up at him.

“Perhaps I could put on a pot of coffee and we could talk this out,” Beth suggested, pushing her bangs away from her forehead. “We just arrived ourselves and…oh, dear, this is something of a mess.”

“You were planning to share the house with Dave Reynolds and his family?” John asked, thinking the situation was becoming far too complicated. He’d gotten a call around eight the night before from the company president, who’d asked him to fill in on this assignment. John had agreed, but really, what choice did he have when it was coming from Schumacher himself?

Then there was Nikki, who made spending a month away from her friends sound as if he was dragging her off to boot camp.

Now this.

“They aren’t staying here, are they, Dad?” If it was up to his daughter, she’d throw them out on their ear without giving the matter a second thought. He found himself annoyed with her lack of patience, her lack of compassion. Then again, if he was going to complain about Nikki’s failings, he should look to his own. He’d been a rotten husband, and now it seemed he wasn’t much of a father.

“Yes, why don’t we all sit down and talk this out,” John said, wondering just how uncomfortable this was likely to get. Dave’s accident was unfortunate, but it wasn’t John’s fault the man had taken a tumble from his roof. Frankly he wasn’t interested in playing host to a couple of strangers just because Dave had decided to play handyman by repairing a broken skylight.

The four of them moved into the kitchen, and Nikki threw herself into a seat at the breakfast nook as if sitting down in a civilized manner required too much effort. Paul slipped in across from her and the two eyed each other warily.

Beth and her son might have arrived only a few minutes ahead of him, but John was impressed with how quickly she located everything they needed for coffee.

With her back to him, she explained the situation. “Mary Jane and I are friends from high school.”

“Mary Jane is Dave’s wife?” he asked. “I think I met her at the company Christmas party.”

Beth nodded. “When Mary Jane learned Dave would be spending a month in Seattle, she researched rental houses and found this one. It was cheaper to rent Rainshadow Lodge than for Dave to stay alone in a hotel room for the month. Seeing that there are five bedrooms—”

“And a huge TV room,” Paul inserted.

“—she asked Paul and me to join them.”

“We’ve been planning it since last March,” Paul added, his voice betraying his disappointment. “It’s the first time we’ve gotten away since my dad died.”

John watched as Beth gave her son a gentle look that said she’d do the explaining.

“But, Mom, he needs to know how much we’ve been looking forward to this! I must’ve read five books about Seattle and the San Juans and—”

“Paul, please.”

“It’s a really big house,” her son said. “They wouldn’t even know we were here.” He turned to John. “We’ve got trips planned for practically every day, and Mom signed us up for kayaking lessons this week, and then there’s the Sol Duk Hot Springs and a trip to Victoria, British Columbia—I’ve never been to Canada. And…and we’re gonna visit the Seattle Aquarium and the Pike Place Market and ride the ferry. We were even going to take a drive up to Hurricane Ridge. Did you know there are mountains in Washington State that have never even been explored?”

John watched as Beth’s cheeks flushed pink. Clearly her son’s outburst had embarrassed her. She was around his own age, he guessed, and attractive. The realization caught him by surprise. It’d been a long while since he thought of a woman in those terms. For the past three years he’d done his best to ignore the opposite sex altogether. His own wife had left him for a man she’d met on the Internet. Even now, just thinking about Lorraine and her cyberspace boyfriend tightened his jaw. The fact that she’d actually divorce him for a man she’d never met face-to-face had deeply scored his pride. But apparently it was a match made in cyberheaven, because the two of them appeared blissfully content. Within a month of exchanging their first e-mail messages, Lorraine had left her husband and daughter—lover boy didn’t like kids—and moved to Philadelphia. Once the divorce was final, Lorraine had remarried within a week.

“My mom’s a really wonderful cook and she could fix all the meals.”

“Paul!” She cast John an apologetic look. The color in her cheeks had splotched her neck now. “I’m sorry. Paul’s disappointed and, well, I can see it’d be best if we found other accommodations.”

The teenager wasn’t the only one who felt disappointed, John suspected. Beth’s shoulders sagged slightly and the luster was gone from her eyes. This was one hell of a predicament.

“Is there someplace else you can stay?” he asked, and immediately wanted to grab back the question. He already knew the answer. He’d been told that the island’s population doubled in the summer months. A drive through town hadn’t revealed a single vacancy sign.

“I’m sure there is,” she said bravely, reassuring him with a smile. “We’ll call for a taxi and be out of your hair within the hour.”

It would have helped if she wasn’t so damned gallant about it. Only moments earlier he’d been irritated with Nikki for her lack of understanding, and now he found himself behaving without charity. A widow and her kid, no less.

“Hold on,” John said. Sighing, he buried his hands in his pants pockets. There was only one decent thing to do, not that he liked it. He didn’t, no way, but he couldn’t see any other alternative.

Paul’s eyes widened with gratitude. “You mean we can stay?”

“Ah…” John hesitated. All he’d intended to offer was the night.

“You won’t be sorry,” the boy insisted. “We can earn our keep. Mom can cook and I’ll clean up around the place, mow the lawn and—”

“Paul,” Beth said, raising her voice slightly. “I think it’d be best if Dr. Livingstone and I discussed this privately.”

Her son accepted her words with good grace, turned to Nikki and said, “You wanna see the upstairs?”

“Sure,” Nikki replied, showing the first signs of life since they’d arrived.

The two kids left the room, and Beth waited until they were out of earshot. “I am so sorry,” she murmured, handing him a mug of freshly brewed coffee.

“Sorry?” He didn’t understand why she felt the need to apologize.

“Paul makes it sound like we’re…”

He watched her as she searched for the right word.

“…desperate,” she said finally.

“You cook?” He walked to the table and claimed a chair, and she sat down on the bench.

“I’m a caterer, or I was until two years ago. I quit work after my husband was killed, but I have a job now, or I will starting in September.”

John took a restorative sip of coffee while he mulled things over. It boded well that Nikki and Paul seemed to get along, although it was too early to know for sure. He’d never been comfortable with the idea of leaving his daughter alone every day while he went to work. He’d be taking the new direct-to-Seattle ferry, which meant an hour’s commute each way. Then there was all the time he’d actually be spending in the city.

“Listen,” Beth said, smiling brightly, “this has been a shock, but once Paul and I get our bearings, we’ll be out of your hair. I apologize for any inconvenience we might have caused you.”

John stared into the dark rich coffee before he spoke. “Let’s not be hasty. Perhaps we can work something out, after all.”

The phone pealed like a fire alarm at nine o’clock, just before Beth was ready to head upstairs. The west coast was two hours behind St. Louis, but she didn’t feel two hours younger or two hours more refreshed.

“It’s for you,” Nikki announced, then handed her the telephone and walked out the front door. The kitchen had the latest in modern conveniences, but as far as Beth could tell, there was only one phone in the entire house.

“Me?” It had taken Beth a moment to realize the twelve-year-old was speaking to her. Other than that first direct question, Nikki Livingstone hadn’t said a word to her, almost as if she thought that ignoring Beth would make her disappear. It was clear to Beth, if not to John, that his daughter wasn’t the least bit pleased with this unexpected turn of events.

“Hello, Mary Jane,” Beth said.

“How’d you know it was me?”

“Who else could it be?”

“I’ve decided to forgive you for not calling me back right away. I’m going to tell you what I learned about John Livingstone and his daughter. I take it you two worked out some kind of living arrangement?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then listen up, because this is important. Like I said, he’s divorced, but from what I understand, it wasn’t a friendly divorce.”

“Is there such a thing as a friendly divorce?” Beth asked. She’d witnessed the emotional agony her friends had endured during the breakup of their marriages. It might start out friendly, but then declined to merely civil, followed by out-and-out anger and bitterness. Divorce ravaged lives.

“His wife left him and the girl high and dry,” Mary Jane continued. “Apparently the daughter’s a handful. Age twelve with attitude.”

Beth had already noticed.

“Also, John’s got a reputation as something of a curmudgeon.”

Seeing how generous he’d been to her and Paul, Beth had trouble believing it. “Curmudgeon or not, he’s been very kind. We were able to come up with a compromise.”

“I told you it’d work out.” Mary Jane sounded downright gleeful. “Details! I want details.”

“I’m staying at the house in exchange for cooking meals and entertaining Nikki.” Provided she could find a way to communicate with the kid.

“This is
ideal.
”

“Ideal?” Beth echoed. “I’m glad you think so.”

“Sure. Throw together two lonely people, raising their children alone. It’s perfect! You’ll be in love before you know what hit you.”

“Mary Jane!” In high school MJ had been the world’s most incorrigible—and least successful—matchmaker. Now it seemed she was up to her old tricks.

“Mark my words!”

Beth groaned and glanced over her shoulder, making sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. “Shouldn’t you be sitting by Dave’s bedside holding his hand?”

“I always said things happen for a purpose,” Mary Jane said. “Unfortunately Dave had to break his leg so you could finally meet a decent guy. Ah, well,” she finished good-naturedly, “he should never have gone up on that roof in the first place. I
told
him to call a repairman.”

T
his had to be the worst summer of her life, Nikki thought, sitting on the porch steps after dinner—which she’d barely touched. She was stuck here with Martha Stewart and the Boy Wonder because her dad was going to desert her every morning.

It hadn’t taken long, she thought darkly, for the intruder to sucker her dad into letting them stay.

Nikki couldn’t believe he’d actually agreed to this. What bothered her most was his saying this was for her benefit. Yeah, right! She didn’t want company, and the last thing she cared about was seeing the sights. As for kayaking classes, she had news for them. They could forget it. She wasn’t remotely interested in anything to do with water.

Nikki didn’t know what her father was thinking. The last thing she wanted—or needed—was a baby-sitter. As for Beth seeing to their meals, big deal. Up until now, her dad had been eating the dinners
she
made without complaining.

The screen door creaked behind her, but Nikki didn’t turn around to see who it was. She already knew.

Her dad sat down on the step next to her. “Tired?” he asked.

“No.”

“You don’t look very happy.”

“Give the man a prize,” she said with an exaggerated sigh.

“It isn’t my fault Dave Reynolds broke his leg.”

That wasn’t the point. “She manipulated you into letting her live here rent free and I’m supposed to be happy?” Nikki blurted. No use beating around the bush. The one thing she’d learned in the three years she’d been living exclusively with her dad was that he didn’t take hints. “You think I should have kicked her out?” He sounded incredulous.

“Damn straight I do. We don’t need her.”

Her dad didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes. “You’re right, we don’t need her.”

“Then why’d you let her stay?”

He took his own sweet time answering. “She needs us.”

“Oh, puh-leeze.”

“There’re no vacancies on the island.”

“How do you know that?” Nikki demanded. He hadn’t made any phone calls; neither had Beth. They hadn’t even tried.

“Don’t you remember what the ticket agent said when I mentioned Spruce Island?”

Nikki didn’t.

“He said it was one of the most popular of the San Juans. Spruce Island is a great summer escape. You didn’t notice any vacancy signs while we were driving in, did you?”

She shrugged. Truth be known, she hadn’t looked.

“I don’t need a baby-sitter.” Her vehemence surprised even her.

“Of course you don’t.”

“Then why—”

“I suggested Beth include you so she’d think she was earning her keep. People have their pride, you know.”

“Well, then, what about mine? You make it
sound
like she’s my baby-sitter.”

“She isn’t.”

“So I can do what I want, right?”

He hesitated. “Right, but—”

Nikki groaned. “There’s always a but!”

“You can do what you want,” he continued, “
but
it has to be within reason.”

“This is going to be a real fun month,” she said sarcastically. Nikki heard someone move up behind her. She twisted around and glared over her shoulder. Sure enough, Beth Graham stood on the other side of the screen door, watching them.

“What are you doing sneaking up on my dad and me?” Nikki shouted, vaulting to her feet. “Let’s get something straight right now. My dad said you could live here, but I don’t have to like it. Just because you—”

“I’m sorry, I—”

“That’s enough, Nikki.”

It was her dad’s tone of voice that stopped her. When he was annoyed, he raised his voice, but when he was angry,
really
angry with her, he kept it level. Only someone who knew him as well as she did would realize that.

“I apologize for intruding,” Beth said softly.

Nikki crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She’d just bet Beth was sorry. Yeah, sure.

“I wanted to tell you I was going up to bed and tell Nikki I’d see her in the morning.”

Nikki couldn’t contain a snicker. See her in the morning? Not if she had anything to say about it.

Tired though she was, Beth barely slept that first night. It wasn’t the bed or even the circumstances. Well, that was probably
part
of the problem, but what seemed strangest of all was the silence. She lay awake half the night straining to hear something, anything. She wasn’t accustomed to the lack of sound and found it downright…eerie.

She supposed that in time it would strike her as peaceful, rather than unsettling With her window open, the scent of the sea wafted lazily into her room. Once, in the early-morning hours, she heard the cry of a gull and smiled to herself, remembering her earlier exchange with Mary Jane. She felt relieved to know that life went on outside her bedroom window.

When the sun rose, it was so bright it woke her. She opened one eye and looked at the clock, shocked to discover it was only five-forty-five. The sun, however, refused to go away. Actually she had to admit this was a pleasant way to wake, and she sat up in the feather bed, stretched her arms and yawned.

A gull screeched once more, followed by a chorus of frantic cries. Beth slid out of bed and hurried to the window to see several birds in flight, along with a flock of crows excitedly beating their wings. Obviously they’d been disturbed by someone or something.

As she turned away from the window, Beth caught sight of an eagle. It soared elegantly in the distance, circling the beach. For once, the word “awesome” seemed apt. This was the first time she’d seen an eagle in the wild, and its beauty and grace were stunning. Hypnotic to watch.

It didn’t take her long to realize there was no love lost between the eagle and the other birds.

After she’d spent several minutes studying the eagle, it flew off and Beth reached for her robe and headed down the stairs. Not wanting to wake anyone else, she made as little sound as possible.

Her plans were to brew a pot of coffee and take a mug outside to the porch swing. Enjoy the luxury of early morning. She hadn’t done much of that, even with a two-year break from her career. During quiet times, when she allowed her mind to wander, it invariably went searching for memories of Jim. She could think of him now without the crushing burden of grief. Remember the good times and smile, grateful for the life they’d shared. Thank him for the incredible gift of her son. She’d loved her husband, and his death had badly shaken her world and her sense of self. Yet she’d known then and knew now that she had everything she needed to be happy.

She was halfway into the kitchen before she realized John was up and dressed. He sat at the table in a business suit, reading the Seattle morning paper.

“Oh,” she said before she could stop herself.

He lowered the newspaper and frowned. “Morning.”

“Good morning.” Self-consciously she brought her hand to her neckline and clutched the edges of her robe together. “I…I didn’t realize anyone was up.” Since she’d slept so lightly, it surprised her that she hadn’t heard him.

“There’s coffee,” he said, and gestured toward the pot.

“You’re going into work? So early?” She regretted the question as soon as she’d asked.

“I’ll be back late this afternoon.”

“Would you care for breakfast?” she asked, thinking he might want her to cook him something. That was their agreement, after all, and she fully intended to keep her end of the bargain.

“Nothing, thanks.” His gaze didn’t waver from the newspaper. He seemed to resent her intrusion.

“Have a good day, then,” she said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She was almost out of the kitchen when he stopped her.

“I’ll leave a phone number where I can be reached if you need to get hold of me,” he said.

“Thanks.” But she stayed where she was, suspecting he intended to say something else.

“About Nikki…”

“Yes?” she encouraged. Beth could see she was going to need all the help and advice he had to offer.

He hesitated. “She’s got a chip on her shoulder about all of this.”

Beth smiled despite her effort to suppress any reaction.

“You might have noticed.”

“I did.”

“My daughter hasn’t adjusted very well to the divorce.”

“I’ll be patient with her,” Beth promised. “I won’t force her into anything she doesn’t want to do.”

His eyes revealed his gratitude. “She’s a little difficult.”

“Teenagers can be,” she said, forgetting that Nikki was only twelve and technically not a teenager. Then, because there didn’t seem to be anything left to say, she carried her coffee outside.

The morning was lovely beyond description. Beth sat on the porch swing and gazed out over Puget Sound. A green-and-white Washington State ferry could be seen in the distance. It intrigued her that this island, which seemed so remote, could be only an hour away from a huge metropolitan area like Seattle. Spruce Island was quiet and charming, almost untouched by the busy world bustling around it. That was, no doubt, due to the fact that the only access was by ferry—or, she supposed, by private boat or seaplane. It felt as though she’d stepped back ten or fifteen years the moment she’d walked onto the island.

The screen door opened and Beth turned, expecting John. Instead, it was Paul.

“What are you doing up so early?” she asked.

He rubbed both eyes with his fists and sat down on the porch step. “I woke up and it was morning.”

He sounded none too pleased by the discovery.

Beth leaned back and savored her coffee. If it wasn’t for Paul, she would have left on the first available ferry the minute she learned Mary Jane’s plans had fallen through. But Paul had been looking forward to this trip for months. She could accept the disappointment for herself, but not for her son. Not when he’d already experienced so many.

A part of her still said she should pack her bags and go. John was only being kind in letting her stay. If it was up to Nikki, they would’ve been booted off the property within the first ten minutes.

“What would you like to do today?” Beth asked, figuring he’d reel off a list of suggestions.

“You know what I think, Mom?”

“You’ll have to tell me, since my mind-reading skills aren’t up to par these days.”

He grinned. “I think we should spend the day getting to know Nikki. She isn’t so bad, you know, if you give her a chance.”