Tudor Reunion Tour (13 page)

Though Amadeus was home, the brother’s
tour commitments finished, it didn’t mean there weren’t other projects either
in the works or being thought up. Things that could be done at everyone’s
leisure.

The school year wound down for Logan.
While he’d met new friends, he was anxious to spend some guy time with his dad.
He seemed to thrive in Amadeus’s presence, which made us both realize Logan
hadn’t had much in the way of father figures until now. The two became
inseparable, as Amadeus showed him how to clean up and maintain the Tudor Queen
from all the effects of the salt water. He never complained or batted an eye at
the chores assigned to him. Of course, we both knew sooner or later the other shoe
would drop and there would be some old fashioned teen aged rebellion. Enjoy it
while it lasted.

Everyone seemed to be melding into their
own family routines. Angus and Ashleigh were speaking on better terms. Amadeus
and I hoped they’d work through their issues. Angus was a mess without his
family. He might act all silly in front of others, but when everyone else was
gone, he was a very devoted family man and husband.

Damien himself had enough issues dealing
with his decision to divorce Julia. His daughters were living with him in
Seattle, though the eldest was college bound. Nowhere exotic, a college nearby
where she could still see her dad and help him out.

With no word from Julia and not having a
way to contact her, his divorce hit the fast track. The judge deemed she had
deserted him, the marriage, and the children. Whatever she had left behind was
Damien’s to do with what he liked. This meant Amadeus and I were free to do the
trade with him. The judge approved the transaction, and we were owners of what
had been Damien’s castle. But he had our old condo, and he loved it and being
close to everything, the marina in particular.

We were free to do our remodeling, and
everyone moved into the guest house while it got underway. Believing it would
be the longest six weeks, Amadeus and I were pleasantly surprised at how
efficiently the contractor worked to schedule all the tasks. Of course, a nice
bonus at the end of the project didn’t hurt his motivation.

Ah yes, everything was how it should
be…quiet. I loved taking day trips into Seattle, just the four of us. We would
hit various stores for items we needed for the renovation. Amadeus and Logan
would feign their displeasure of being forced to endure my hours of hunting and
comparing by silently escaping my clutches. They’d go find the manly things to
check out. Stuff like power saws and even lawn mowers.

“Come on, Amadeus, I need you to help me
pick out the sinks for both bathrooms. You promised,” I teased as he and Logan
attempted to sneak off.

“Zara, I’m sure whatever you choose will
be wonderful,” he moaned. “You have exquisite taste.”

“No, you’re not getting off that easy.
All I’m asking is for a yay or nay on two choices for each bathroom.”

“Okay, okay.”

Just as he was pondering two vastly
different sinks and faucets for the main bath, my iPhone rang. It was Damien.

“Hi, Dame, everything okay?” I asked
cautiously, only because he usually called Amadeus.

“Yeah. I knew you guys were coming over.
I thought perhaps I could talk you into a late lunch at my place. I have an
idea I want to run past you, Zara.”

“Sure, we can do that. We’re almost
finished anyway. Just let Amadeus make his final choice on a couple of items so
we can pay for them. Then we’ll be right over. Can we bring anything?”

“No, just you two and the kids.”

I was quite curious at our quick
conversation. Whatever it was, Damien was excited. I hung up and turned to
Amadeus, who was eyeing me. I shrugged my shoulders and repeated the
conversation.

“Well, let’s finish what you dragged me
here for so we can go see what’s up.”

“Maybe Uncle Damien’s got a girlfriend!”
Logan chimed in, grinning.

I pretended not to hear him, instead
keeping my eyes focused on the sink I wanted Amadeus to approve. He shook his
head at Logan and turned back around to me.

“What? It’s bound to happen sooner or
later.”

“You know something I don’t?”

“No, just
sayin
’.”

“I know, but it’s none of our business.
So get your mind on the sink in front of you.”

We finished our tasks, paid for the
items with delivery to be made the following day. The rest could wait. I’d
written down numbers off the tags of mirrors and other things I wanted. I’d
order it online or give the list to Bill, our contractor, and let him order
them.

It was a strange feeling to walk back
into the condo Amadeus and I had shared. The larger one I had moved us into
when he was in a coma so I could take care of him at home. That all seemed like
it was another lifetime ago. Shaking that off, I could also recall a lot of
good times we’d shared after that incident. Damien seemed to enjoy the place as
much as we had.

“Smile, Zara,” Amadeus chided, pinching
me in the ribs.

Damien greeted us, and we followed him
in. Julia leaving him with virtually nothing had run its course. Damien had
obviously been shopping. There was a new leather sofa in the living room with
matching recliners along with a huge television on one wall. It felt like a man
cave, and I wondered where the girls hung out. Damien showed us around, proud
of what decorating he’d pulled off on his own. The den or small office was just
that, an office for Damien. All of his professional items along with his piano
were neatly positioned in the room. The sun room was what the girls had staked
out as their own. We all went back into the living room where he offered us
both a beer and Logan a soda. Elizabeth was oblivious to everything, sound
asleep. I took her to one of the girl’s bedrooms and laid her down on a bed. I
banked pillows on the floor just in case she rolled her way to the edge.

I joined the two of them. Logan had
found his way to the TV and a game.

“So what’s up, Damien?” Amadeus asked,
taking a swig off his beer.

“Well, I didn’t know if Zara had an
opportunity to read her emails this morning, but it seems Jack, our
photographer, is going to be occupied and making it here for the sailing photos
might have to wait. I thought you could do them, Zara.”

“Me?”

“Why not? I think it would be the
perfect solution. I was really hesitant about taking a stranger out to your
place.”

“That had occurred to me as well. The
only way I saw around it was if Amadeus sailed the boat back here to Seattle.”

“Well, how about if I come out and bring
the girls? The three of us can go out for a short sail, and you can take the
shots. Hell, Zara, you’re as good as Jack if not better.”

“It would be a perfect way to get you
back doing something you love, Zara,” Amadeus added taking a drink off his long
neck beer bottle.

“You’re both right. How about if I send
Jack and Christina an email this evening and make the suggestion? I’ll also
suggest that I could take the photos of the three of you. I’ll use the fact
that here is easier. You’re all here.”

“Thanks, Zara. Jack says he still would
like to do the ones of me in New York if I can get over there in the next week
or so.”

“Do you want me to accompany you for the
shoot? Make sure they do what you want?”

“If Amadeus doesn’t mind.”

“No, I don’t mind. In fact, it might be
a fun trip for all of us.”

“How’s that?” I asked, eyeing them both.
Something was going on I was unaware of. Something the two of them were privy
to.

“Well,” Amadeus started, “Mother and
Peter have rented a home in the Hamptons. You know she’s dying to meet Logan.
We could take the kids, stay with them. You and Damien could go into the city
and do the shoot. Once you’re finished, we could relax and stuff.”

“Yeah it’s the stuff that worries me.
But that sounds like a good idea. I know how much she wants to see Logan.”

“Then you’ll arrange it?” Damien
inquired.

“Yes, consider it done. I’m sure the two
of you will tell me what else you’ve got up your sleeve at some point.”

“Us, plot against you Zara? No, never.”
Amadeus cackled, winking at his older brother.

“Damien, didn’t you mention something
about lunch? Can I help you with anything?” I asked. Something was up, or they
were doing a good job trying to make me think there was.

“Yeah, if you don’t mind, Zara. I got us
some crab for lunch. Logan can order a pizza if he’d prefer. I was down at
Pikes Place this morning, and there was some Dungeness crab, fresh off the boat.
I had to grab a bunch.”

“We need to go, Amadeus, pick up some
salmon or something, and grill it out.”

My quest was ignored by the rustling of
newspaper as he and Damien spread it over the dining room table. New dining
room table. Damien was certainly settling into his new life. I was glad.

We all sat down, picking apart our
crabs. Logan’s pizza arrived, and he was eating it in the front of the TV. Both
of Damien’s girls were out for the day. Lessons, visiting friends, they both
kept busy.

Hearing what I thought was Elizabeth, I
was almost horrified to see her crawling along the floor towards us. While she
could walk now, if it meant a distance, she still preferred to get down on all
fours and cruise. I wiped my hands on a damp cloth and got up to catch her
before she got into too much. Amadeus beat me to the punch, scooping her up.
She was babbling and happy, and he quickly passed her on to me. The odor
permeating from her was more than he could take.

“Oh, that’s right. Give her to mom. What
do you do when I’m not around? I know you must change her.”

“Well, you’re here, I’m eating, and if I
have to smell that much longer, I won’t be.”

Shaking my head, I took her off to
change her as she screamed her disapproval of being separated from her fun
loving daddy. She was becoming more independent and made her likes and dislikes
well known. How babies could know how making a diaper change hard by not lying still
and by squalling was beyond me. It must be in the genes or something. I was not
looking forward to her toddler years and these little bursts of anger and
independence she was throwing.

Joining the guys, I made my way to the
kitchen to dispose of Elizabeth’s mess and to wash my hands. I sat back down at
the table, noting Amadeus had cracked my crab so I could relax. I took a sip
off my beer and smiled over at him, saying nothing.

“Damien was telling me that the girls
got an email from their mother,” Amadeus said flatly, eyeing me for a reaction.

“Did she? What did their mother have to
say?”

“Just that she missed the two of them
and me very much,” Damien replied. “Oh, and the email actually went to her
sister, Zara. I had the girls shut down their old email accounts until we knew
what was going on.”

“Do you know where she is or what she
wants?”

“No, she never said where she was other
than it was someplace she had always dreamed of going. So my guess would be
Italy or France. She always wanted to go, but would never go with me when I
toured abroad. She hinted at wanting to see the girls.”

“They do know they can’t do that. Not
right now.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m not worried about that,
Zara. They both are still angry and confused by what she did to them, and to
me.”

“Trouble in paradise then, or perhaps a
twinge of guilt?”

“I say either or both. In either case, I
don’t care,” Damien replied. “She made her bed, now she can lie in it. I’m over
her.”

Looking at Amadeus for a clue, I got
none. There must not be anyone new. No, I believed Damien was finally enjoying
his life. His daughters were now his life, at least for the immediate future.

****

Clearing the local photo shoot with
Christina and Jack was easy. Damien had done a good job convincing them they’d
get high quality shots of him on the boat. He’d no doubt given them my
photographic resume.

A week before we were to leave for New
York, and the Seattle area enjoying a stretch of beautiful weather, the three
of us set out for an afternoon of sailing. Damien’s daughters had accompanied
him on the trip over to help out with Elizabeth.

Amadeus had stowed all my photography
equipment in the cabin earlier along with a lunch I’d prepared for us. I found
myself actually excited. It had been a long time since we’d been out together.
I had been reluctant to take Elizabeth out even though Amadeus assured me she’d
be fine.

We cast off and headed out into the open
water. I sat back, wind blowing through my tied back hair, and let them get us
underway, enjoying the sights of the islands one could only get from this
angle.

Once the sails were set and the boat
opening up the way Amadeus wanted, the three of us simply took in what Mother
Nature wanted us to enjoy. Men had done this for millennium in all sized craft,
and here we were in modern times doing the exact same thing. Harnessing the
force of nature and using it to our advantage and pleasure.