“It might be good for you, too, Zo. You’ve gone through a lot in the past few months,” Lauren sympathized. “I know you’re grieving, but Hope Haven has always seemed like, well, like a haven for you. And who knows, if you stay there for a while, you might end up meeting someone. It would be great if you could have a summer romance. Preferably with a swashbuckling type of guy who’d take your mind off your troubles.”
“Swashbuckling type?” Zoey cracked up. “This is a contemporary island, you know, not the high seas in the seventeen-hundreds. Besides, I just got out of a relationship with a pirate—Erik. It’s not an experience I can afford to repeat.”
“You know what I mean. Someone who’s very dashing. And chivalrous. An adventurer, like a fisherman or a lifeguard. Or someone in the Coast Guard.”
Zoey recognized this wish list. “And it wouldn’t hurt if he had a friend or a brother I could introduce you to, right?”
“Right.”
While she was considering whether she should tell Lauren about her interaction with Nick, just for kicks, her phone beeped, signaling she was getting another call. Zoey looked at the screen: it was Kathleen, who she supposed was her sister-in-law, in a way. In the six years since Jessica died, her husband Scott had remarried twice. Zoey rarely spoke directly with Kathleen, his current wife, so it was alarming to see her number. Had something happened to him or to Zoey’s fourteen-year-old niece, Gabi? She quickly said goodbye to Lauren so she could pick up the call.
“Zoey!” Kathleen exclaimed breathlessly. “I’m so glad I reached you.”
“Is something wrong? Is Gabi okay?”
“Well, yes and no…”
Zoey’s pulse thudded in her ears as Kathleen explained that Gabi had attempted to drive her father’s car, supposedly on a dare from a boy. Fortunately, she didn’t get very far; she backed into the brick retaining wall while attempting a three-point-turn in the driveway. Although she smashed a tail light and put a big dent in the fender, she didn’t suffer any injuries herself.
Zoey’s initial relief that no physical harm had befallen her niece was followed by a wave of concern for Gabi’s emotional well-being. “That doesn’t sound like Gabi at all.”
Gabi was genuinely a kind, good-humored, smart girl who seemed to be more interested in getting good grades and playing the flute with the city’s youth symphony than impressing boys or rebelling against her parents. But then, Zoey hadn’t seen her in almost ten months.
In the first year following Jessica’s death, Zoey spent virtually every weekend with her sister’s child. But shortly after Scott remarried the first time, his employer transferred him from Rhode Island to California. Although Zoey kept in touch with Gabi by phone and text, she usually only got to visit her twice a year. And actually, she hadn’t made the trip out west this past Christmas, the way she usually did. Because she’d just been laid off, money was tight. Since Gabi had planned to spend most of her school vacation performing with the symphony, Zoey decided to postpone the trip until her February break, when they’d have more time together. By then, Sylvia had gotten sick and was in and out of the hospital, so Zoey’s presence was needed on Dune Island. Afterward, she’d regretted that she hadn’t gone to California in December and she especially regretted it now.
“A lot has changed since you saw her last June.”
Zoey didn’t like the sound of that. Was her niece in trouble with drugs? Boys? School? “What do you mean?”
“It’s Scott. He’s been drinking. A lot. It’s really taken a toll on Gabi. And on me—”
Zoey waited quietly as Kathleen wept. Geography and differences in their personalities, as well as a sense of loyalty toward Jessica, had kept Zoey from becoming close to her, but she appreciated what an excellent stepmother Kathleen had been to Gabi. Kathleen was also very supportive of Scott, who had been absolutely devastated by Jessica’s death. He’d gone through a drinking phase right after she died—Zoey long suspected he was drunk when he married his second wife, Sheila—but that’s all Zoey thought it was. A grief-induced phase that had ended over four years ago, along with his second marriage.
But if he was drinking again, that explained why he’d seemed so indifferent when Zoey called to tell him about Sylvia’s passing. It wasn’t as if she had expected him to come to the funeral or to send Gabi back east for it. But she had at least expected him to reminisce with her about her aunt for a moment, considering all the summers Sylvia and Ivy had hosted him and Jessica. Instead, he’d expressed perfunctory condolences and quickly ended the call.
“I’m sorry to hear about this,” she said after Kathleen regained her composure. “How long has it been going on?”
Kathleen sniffed. “Almost two years.”
Why hadn’t Zoey noticed Scott’s drinking when she’d visited their house? “I had no idea.”
“Scott used to be able to hide it, but it’s gotten a lot worse. It’s ruining his career, his health and his relationship with his daughter. And I can’t tell you what a strain it’s putting on our marriage. We’re fighting all the time.”
Zoey winced, remembering the months—the years—leading up to her own parents’ divorce. No wonder Gabi took her father’s car; she was probably trying to get as far away from the two of them as fast as she could. And at this moment, Zoey wished she could help her escape. She didn’t know what to say except, “That’s awful, Kathleen.”
“Yeah. That’s why I finally gave him an ultimatum. Either he goes through a recovery program and gets sober, or I’m leaving him and I’ll do whatever it takes in order to bring Gabi with me.”
Zoey was afraid to ask. “Which did he choose?”
“Recovery—he’s going to a residential center.”
“That’s great!”
“It’s hardly great,” Kathleen said sarcastically. “But it is necessary.”
Don’t get snitty with me. I’m kind of on the edge here, myself. “I meant it’s better than the alternative. And it’s a very hopeful step. But it’s still going to be difficult. For all of you.” Especially for my niece—and she’s the one I’m most worried about.
Kathleen seemed to read her mind. “Yeah, it is. I don’t know how Gabi is going to behave once Scott isn’t here.” She explained that Scott was either drunk or hungover so often that he’d become something of an absentee parent. Which meant she’d had to play bad cop when Gabi banged up the car. She’d taken away Gabi’s phone and in retaliation, Gabi hadn’t spoken to her for over three weeks. Kathleen anticipated Gabi would blame her for sending her father away and she was concerned the teenager would act out and get into even more trouble.
“She refused to tell us the name of the boy who dared her to drive the car, but obviously I’m concerned about his influence on her. And I can see how the tension between all three of us has negatively affected her, too. I think it would be helpful for her to be in a healthier, more positive environment. That’s why I’m calling—to ask if Gabi could stay with you for a while.”
Zoey bit her lip to keep from blurting out, How fast can she pack? She recognized a decision of this gravity needed to be considered from all angles. “Don’t most programs want the family members to be involved in the recovery process? Like go to counseling and stuff?”
“Eventually, but Scott’s not going to be allowed to have visitors for the first thirty days, at least. And he only gets to make phone calls once a week.”
Thirty days, at least? “What about school?”
“She can transfer. There’s not that much of the school year left, anyway.”
“I’d like to take her, but I’m… I’m still unemployed. And I’ve been spending most of my time at Hope Haven, on Dune Island. I don’t know if Scott mentioned it, but my great-aunt Sylvia just passed away.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I totally forgot. When is the funeral?”
“We, uh, already had it.” Zoey didn’t want to make Kathleen feel worse by telling her it was the day before. “Anyway, I’ve been subletting my tow
nhome on a month-to-month basis. But if I land a job, I’ll need to go back to Rhode Island and start work. Which means Gabi might just get settled into a school here in Benjamin’s Manor and then I’d have to uproot her again. That could be really disruptive.”
“Trust me. It would be a lot less disruptive than what’s going on here.”
Zoey’s head was swimming. “Have you talked to Scott about this?”
“More like he talked to me. It was his idea. Obviously, he trusts you deeply. We both do.”
“What does Gabi think about coming here?”
“Who knows? Like I said, she won’t talk to me.” Kathleen sighed. “I’m not sure she should have much of a say in this decision, considering her behavior lately. But before we even considered asking you to take her, Gabi told Scott she wished she could go stay with her cousin in Virginia, so she clearly wants to get away. Not that we’d ever let her live with Sophie.”
Zoey understood why they wouldn’t: Scott’s niece was a year older than Gabi but she acted as if she were twenty-one and she had absolutely no parental supervision. Then it occurred to Zoey that if Gabi was willing to go to Virginia, it meant she was willing to give up playing her flute in the spring concert. And if she was willing to give that up, things at home must have been really, really bad.
“I’d be happy to have her. I’ll have to talk it over with my aunt, first, but I can’t imagine her objecting,” Zoey said. “When will she arrive?”
“Um… is Tuesday too soon?” Kathleen explained she was concerned that if she didn’t put the plans into motion immediately, Scott would change his mind.
Zoey agreed Tuesday was fine and they arranged to discuss Gabi’s itinerary and the details involved in enrolling her in the local high school later that evening. Kathleen thanked Zoey profusely, saying, “I can’t tell you how much this means to me. And to Scott. We know you’re the best person to take care of her.”
After disconnecting, Zoey stared blankly at the phone, wondering, Am I really the best person to look after Gabi? Or am I the only person?
She’d always had a close relationship with her niece, but that was before the teenager started acting up the way Kathleen had just described. And how was she going to talk to Gabi about boys or be a good role model for responsible behavior and healthy relationships when she herself had allowed her last boyfriend to all but bankrupt her?
It was mortifying to acknowledge the part she’d played in her own financial ruin by signing off on all the transactions Erik had suggested without fully researching them. Later, she tried to convince herself it was because she’d been too distracted by her job search. Or that she hadn’t had enough time to examine the fine print because she’d been ferrying back and forth between her place and Dune Island to care for her aunt Sylvia. But the truth was, she’d been stupid to trust Erik with her money. And stupider to trust him with her heart. Or was that the other way around? Regardless, Zoey wouldn’t be making the same mistakes with any man again any time soon.
Hopefully, Gabi feels the same way about the boy at school, she thought and went downstairs to talk to her aunt about their youngest family member coming to Dune Island to find her footing again.
As she waited for the line of vehicles in front of her rental car to disembark the ferry on Tuesday morning, Zoey glanced at her niece dozing in the passenger seat. Then she looked at herself in the rearview mirror. She fully felt every one of her thirty-eight years. This was partly because the spray of lines near the outer corners of her eyes—which reminded her more of a cat’s whiskers than of a crow’s feet—always appeared deeper when she hadn’t gotten enough sleep.
It was also because seeing her niece brought Zoey back to when she and her sister were teenagers, another lifetime ago. With her fair skin and hair and pale blue eyes, Gabi had always generally resembled her mother, but this past year the girl had blossomed into her spitting image. The same high cheek bones, straight nose and slightly pointed chin. She’d inherited Jessica’s long legs, too.
When she was growing up, Zoey desperately wished she looked more like her mom and sister. Instead, she was short, had a heart-shaped face, hazel eyes, and an aquiline nose. Although her hair was thick and wavy, it was a decidedly ordinary shade of brown. As a kid, Zoey envied her sister’s golden locks. When they became adults and Jessica lost her hair because of the chemo treatments, Zoey couldn’t look at her without tearing up.
“Why are you crying? I’m the one who’s bald,” her sister had asked.
Zoey had confessed she used to fantasize about waving a magic wand and making Jessica’s hair all fall out at once. “Now that it has, I wish I could wave a wand and make it all grow back.”
Ever practical, Jessica had replied, “It will, eventually. You don’t need magic for that.”
“Yeah, but I can’t believe I wished such a thing on you. I’m sorry, Jess.”
Zoey recalled Jessica’s charitable response. “That was only petty jealousy, Zo. It’s not as if you made this happen. And if it helps you feel any better, sometimes when I used to watch you curling your eyelashes, I wished they’d break off. It drove me nuts that mine weren’t even long enough to use a curler—every time I tried, I pinched my eyelids.”
Zoey did have really long, thick eyelashes, but until that discussion, she’d never known Jessica envied them as much as she’d envied Jessica’s hair. For the most part, the Jansen girls were so close that any sibling rivalry between them was negligible. If anything, Zoey admired her sister. She was proud of how charismatic and smart Jessica was, especially in the sciences and math. And she marveled at her optimism and intrepidness. Her singing voice. Her wit… Does Gabi remember any of these things about her mom? Zoey wondered.
She peeked at her niece again. Her eyes were still closed. After a red-eye, cross-country flight, it was possible she was truly sleepy, but Zoey got the sense Gabi was avoiding conversation. At the airport, the teenager had allowed her aunt to hug her hello, but she had barely returned Zoey’s embrace—a first. And although she’d replied to Zoey’s questions on the way to the ferry terminal, Gabi’s answers were practically monosyllabic and she didn’t initiate any conversation on her own. Is she afraid if we start talking, I’ll grill her about smashing up her dad’s car? Zoey hoped not; the two of them had always had such an easy rapport and she didn’t want her niece to shut her out.
Gabi’s eyes opened and she caught Zoey looking at her. “What?”
“I was just thinking how much you look like your mom did at your age.”
Gabi scowled. “Not really. I have my dad’s overbite.”
Zoey was secretly glad her niece had to wear braces; they kept her from appearing more mature than she was. Kathleen mentioned that Gabi had shot up so much this past year she was now taller than most of the boys and virtually all of the girls her age at school. So Zoey was counting on her orthodontic hardware to prevent the juniors or seniors at school from mistaking her for being in their grade.
“I hope you brought some cooler clothes to wear. Aunt Ivy keeps the house awfully warm.”
“I’ll be fine.” She crossed her arms in front of her.
After they drove down the ferry ramp and merged onto Port Newcomb’s Main Street, Zoey pointed to a restaurant. “Do you remember the first time you went to Captain Clark’s? You were about five years old and your dad asked you to help him choose a lobster from the tank. They had bands on their claws, so you thought he was going to let you keep it as a pet. When you found out he was planning to eat it for supper, you threw such a tantrum we had to leave before we were served.”
Gabi shook her head and closed her eyes again. “That was a long time ago. I hardly remember anything about being here.”
Really? Zoey was disappointed. Her sister had loved Dune Island as much as Zoey did, and Jessica, Scott and Gabi had spent two weeks there every July from the time Gabi was a baby until she was eight years old. Zoey always joined them. Summer vacations together in Benjamin’s Manor had been a family tra
dition since they were girls themselves and the sisters looked forward to it all year.
In fact, when it became clear Jessica’s cancer was terminal, even though it was only May she insisted on going to Dune Island, so they could enjoy one last vacation there as a family. It had been Jessica’s hope that her daughter would consider Benjamin’s Manor her second home, too. Even if Gabi doesn’t remember much about being here as a little girl, maybe if I show her what her mom loved about the island, it will become meaningful to her, too, Zoey ruminated.
It was gloriously sunny and there were plenty of interesting things to see on the brief trip back from the ferry dock. Hope Haven was made up of five towns, also called hamlets or villages by the local old-timers. In addition to Benjamin’s Manor and Port Newcomb, there was Rockfield, Highland Hills, and Lucinda’s Hamlet—Lucy’s Ham, for short. Each community had a distinct vibe and offered unique vistas of both land and sea. Zoey would have pointed out Jessica’s favorite views to Gabi, but her niece didn’t open her eyes again until they were parked in the driveway.
“Look who’s here,” Ivy said when they came through the back door. “My great and grand niece.”
When Gabi was little and her mom was trying to explain how they were related to Ivy and Sylvia, she said, “My mother was their niece. I’m their great-niece. And you’re their great-grand-niece.”
Gabi had asked in wide-eyed astonishment, “They think I’m great and grand, Mom?”
Jessica had managed to suppress her laughter, saying, “Yes, honey. You’re definitely the greatest and grandest niece they have.”
Gabi might not have remembered going to Captain Clark’s restaurant, but she hadn’t forgotten about this. Either that or her father had repeated the anecdote when she was older because now she giggled self-consciously and replied, “The greatest and grandest.”
When Ivy held out her arms for a hug, Gabi hesitated. Their aunt was still very emotional over losing Sylvia and Zoey hoped Gabi wasn’t going to give her the same lukewarm reception she’d given Zoey at the airport. But then, Gabi set down her flute case and carry-on bag and enveloped Ivy with both arms, proving that she was still the same warm-hearted girl she’d always been, just like her mother before her.
Aunt Ivy's Cottage: A totally gripping and emotional page turner Page 3
