She knew that there were plenty of couples that weren’t initially attracted to each other. Ben seemed interested enough, maybe in time, she would get there too. As she drove home, she wondered how Chase liked the Wauwinet and she smiled at the thought of him there in his suit. She couldn’t help but remember the few times Chase’s hand had brushed against hers, as she handed him a check to sign or he gave her a letter to mail, and how electric it had felt to her. And not for the first time, she wondered how it was possible for her to feel so much for someone and to have such a strong physical reaction and for him to seemingly feel nothing at all?
Chase was glad he didn’t have to wear a suit every day. And he wasn’t even wearing an actual suit, just the blazer with dress pants and a polo shirt. Even though it fit perfectly, he still felt constricted by the formal wear. But he put it out of his mind when he saw Lauren in her blue dress. It was a shade of blue that was so light it was almost white and when she turned around, well, the back of her dress seemed to be missing and all he saw was smooth, tanned skin. It rendered him speechless.
She didn’t seem to notice though and chatted non-stop as he drove them to the Wauwinet. They were meeting her roommate Tracy there with her new boyfriend and a few others. When they arrived, he saw who the other two were— her brother, Rick, and David Wentworth. He shot Lauren a questioning glance, wondering why she hadn’t mentioned that those two were joining them. But she just took his arm and smiled sweetly.
“Isn’t this place beautiful? They’re serving hors d’oeuvres and apéritif wines out front.” She led their group out front where the views of the ocean were breathtaking. Even though Chase had been born and brought up on Nantucket, he was still often in awe of the island and the ocean’s beauty. There was a small crowd of elegantly dressed people there already, sipping wine and enjoying the beautiful night.
“This is the 2018, Rosa Lee Chardonnay, enjoy!” A server came by with a tray of wines and they each took one.
Lauren explained that the winery partnering with Topper’s, the restaurant at the Wauwinet, was ZD Wines, a Napa Valley winery. Chase had never heard of it, but he wasn’t as up on wine as his sisters and mother were. He was really more of a beer drinker, but he didn’t mind wine.
As soon as the wines were delivered, another server came by with skewers of shrimp in some kind of a green sauce. Chase and Lauren each took one and Chase waited until Lauren took a bite to ask her what the sauce was.
“It’s pesto and it’s delicious. Try it.”
He did and it was. More servers floated by with other strange looking but tasty things. A foie gras pate on toast, which Chase thought was really good until Lauren told him what foie gras was. His favorite was the spinach and cheese wrapped in phyllo. Rick and David Wentworth were off chatting and Chase forgot they were there as he and Lauren laughed and watched a family of vacationers play croquet on the lawn.
“That looks fun. Have you ever played croquet?” Lauren said.
“Can’t say that I have. It does look fun.” He took a sip of wine and smiled, thinking of what Beth said earlier. “Beth was right. She said this place reminded her of The Great Gatsby.”
Lauren laughed. “It is a bit Gatsbyesque. Aren’t you glad you came?”
“I’m glad you invited me. I was surprised to see your brother and David though. You didn’t mention they would be here.”
“Didn’t I? I could have sworn that I did.” She smiled up at him and lightly touched his arm. “I think it’s about time to head in.”
The dinner lasted several hours and the food kept coming, course after course, each paired with a different wine. Chase liked them all, especially the rich Cabernet that was paired with grilled lamb chops. After dessert, they went back outside to stretch their legs and have an after dinner drink. Since Chase was driving, he opted to just have straight coffee. He hadn’t really talked much to Rick or David as they were seated at the opposite end of the table. But when Lauren excused herself to go off to the ladies room with Tracy, David and Rick strolled over and Chase felt the shift in the air before they said a word.
Rick spoke first. “Lauren gave me the news that you’re passing on the project. I was disappointed and I know David was too.” David nodded and stayed quiet, to let Rick continue. “We wanted to give you some time before David goes out to the other guys on his list, to make sure you’d really thought this through. It could be an incredible opportunity for you. For all of us.”
Chase felt ambushed, annoyed and oddly flattered all at the same time. But he’d made up his mind and already given David his answer.
“I’m sorry. I appreciate the chance, I do. But, I’m still passing. It’s not a good fit for me and I’m pretty busy with work as it is. I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding someone else.”
David Wentworth laughed. “No, we won’t. I’m disappointed that it won’t be you, given your relationship with Lauren and Rick. I like to work with people I know and trust. But I do think you’ll regret it. This is going to be huge. Huge!”
Lauren walked up as David finished talking and looked around excitedly. “Are we celebrating something? Did Chase change his mind?” Now it was his turn to feel disappointment. Lauren had known the two of them were going to approach him again. It had put him in an uncomfortable spot and he didn’t appreciate it.
“No. We’re not celebrating anything. It has been a wonderful night though. Thanks for including me.”
“Are you ready to head home?” Lauren asked. Disappointment was evident on her face.
“Sure, I’m ready.”
The ride home was quiet and when he pulled onto Lauren’s street she was yawning. He was pretty tired himself. It had been a long night, with lots of food and he was ready to fall into bed.
“Aren’t you exhausted?” Lauren asked as he pulled in her driveway. He smiled, and knew that was code for ‘I just want to go to sleep, alone.’
“I am. Looking forward to crawling into bed and sleeping late tomorrow. Goodnight, Lauren.” He leaned over to give her a kiss and it was over in a second.
“Goodbye, Chase.”
11
Kristen suffered from severe phone phobia. The thought of calling someone she didn’t know or even someone she did know that wasn’t a close friend or family member filled her with dread. It always had, and she didn’t know why it was so terrifying but it was. So, instead of calling all the local galleries to see if they were interested in taking some of her new paintings, she preferred to drop in, say hello and wait for them to ask if she had anything new. Most of them knew her by now, so it was usually an easy conversation.
She always put the visits off as long as she could, but the paintings were piling up in her studio and although she had a healthy savings account, it could use some replenishing. She had plans to meet her mother and sisters for lunch at Black-Eyed Susan’s, and figured she might as well go early and stop by a few of the galleries first, including Andrew’s. His was the newest, but he’d been nice enough to give her a solo show recently and she’d gotten to know him and really liked him. He was as passionate about art as she was and they’d had some lively discussions.
She knew that her mother and sisters were disappointed when she’d gone back to Sean, especially after just starting to date Andrew. She didn’t blame them. Andrew was everything that Sean wasn’t, humble, creative and down to earth and very good at what he did. Andrew loved art and he had a good eye. He wasn’t an artist himself but he had a knack for discovering new talent.
Andrew was unfortunately, off the market. After Kristen had made the choice to go back to Sean, Andrew had been disappointed but rebounded quickly and met Nicole, an elementary school teacher and Nantucket native. Kristen knew Nicole and liked her. Given their personalities, she thought they’d be a good match. She’d had a twinge of regret when she stopped dating Andrew, but she knew if she didn’t at least try with Sean, she’d regret it.
And she wasn’t surprised at all to learn that Andrew and Nicol
e were getting serious. She really was happy for them. She headed into town an hour before she was due to meet her sisters and mother and stopped by two galleries and chatted with the owners. Both of them said they’d love to take a few of her paintings, which was good news. She saved Andrew’s gallery for last as it was just a short walk to Black-Eyed Susan’s, so could head over there when they finished up.
Andrew wasn’t in the gallery when she first stepped inside. There was an older woman that she vaguely recognized. She looked to be about her mother’s age. The woman smiled when she saw Kristen.
“Hello, dear. You’re one of the Hodges girls, right? I know your mother from the Garden Club. I hope she’s well? Haven’t seen her in a while.”
“Yes, I’m Kristen. She’s good, she’s just been busy with the bed-and-breakfast.”
“Oh, that’s right. What a clever idea that was. I always thought it would be fun to run a bed-and-breakfast myself. Maybe someday. Are you looking for anything particular?”
“I’m looking for Andrew, actually. Is he in?”
“I’m right here.” Andrew came walking out of the back office and smiled when he saw Kristen. He walked over and gave her a big hug.
“I thought I recognized that voice. How are you? Come on back and we can chat.”
“I’m good, thanks.” She followed Andrew to his office and was surprised to see someone else there. Tyler was sitting in one of the chairs facing Andrew’s desk. He stood when they walked in.
“Kristen, you remember my brother, Tyler?”
“Of course.”
Tyler didn’t say a word, just barely nodded in her direction and turned to his brother. “I’ll leave you two to talk. Catch you later.” His words were short and clipped and he left so abruptly that Kristen was surprised. It was like he was in a bad mood.
“Sorry, about my brother. He’s having a rough day. He’s on his way to a meeting.”
“A meeting?”
“Alcoholics Anonymous. He goes to meetings regularly but sometimes, during stressful times, he seeks out additional ones. It helps.”
“I hope everything is ok?”
“It will be. Each year it gets easier. It’s his anniversary. They’ve been divorced for a little over three years.”
“Oh, I didn’t know he was married.” She’d just assumed that he’d always been single like her.
“He married young, right after college. And they were good for a long time. Until he started having problems with his drinking. He’d always been a social drinker, like all of us, but it turned into more than that, and he didn’t get help until it was too late.”
“Too late?”
His wife, Taylor, was done and asked for a divorce. That’s when he hit rock bottom. But we staged an intervention and got him into a program and to give him credit, he’s been sober since.”
“His wife wouldn’t take him back, even after getting sober?”
Andrew shook his head. “There was too much water under the bridge for them at that point. They’d grown apart before the divorce. She’s already remarried. At least they never had kids.”
“That’s good, I guess,” Kristen agreed.
“He put the time to good use. He started writing seriously when he got out of rehab. Tyler was a journalist before that and a good one, but he’d always dreamed of writing a book, and with Taylor gone, he had a lot of time on his hands. It became an addiction that replaced the drinking.”
“I had no idea.” Kristen felt for him. She still had moments of sadness over ending things with Sean, even though she knew it was the best decision for her. She couldn’t imagine the level of sadness Tyler must be feeling.
“I’m only telling you this because you’re living so close to him now. I like that someone I know and trust is nearby.”
“You worry about him.” Kristen could tell that their bond was strong.
Andrew nodded. “He’s my older brother, but yeah, I worry when he is going through a rough time. I just want him to be safe, and happy. I’m glad I was able to convince him to move here.”
“I’m glad too. Manhattan is a fun place to visit, but even with all those people I’d feel lonely if I was there by myself.”
“Please don’t mention to Tyler that I shared any of this with you. He’s pretty private.”
“Of course not.”
“So, what brings you in to see me today? I hope you might have more paintings?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
Lisa was looking forward to having lunch with her girls, though actually it was breakfast that Black-Eyed Susan’s served until one and then they reopened for dinner. She and the girls all loved to occasionally meet there for the best sourdough French toast and Susan’s special grits with ham, and hollandaise. Lisa made sure to get her morning walk along the beach in so she could indulge. It had been harder than usual though. The walk had seemed longer even though it was the same distance that she always did. She wondered if maybe she was coming down with something. But after, a long, hot shower, she felt more herself.
When she arrived at the restaurant, Abby and Kate were already outside in line. There was almost always a line there in the summer months. It was a small restaurant with really good food. Kristen was the last to arrive, a few minutes late, but with a smile on her face and Lisa guessed that her gallery meetings had gone well.
“Sorry I’m late. Andrew and I were catching up. I didn’t get her name, but there’s a woman who works there that knows you from the Garden Club.”
“Oh, I think that’s Missy Lewis. She mentioned last time I saw her that she was working part-time at one of the galleries. I didn’t realize it was Andrew’s.”
They didn’t have to wait too much longer before they were seated and put their orders in. They always got the same thing. The girls all had the sourdough French toast with the orange Jack Daniels butter and cinnamon pecans. Lisa had the veggie scramble and her side of smothered grits.
Kristen gave them the good news that all the galleries had wanted more paintings from her. Lisa was so proud of Kristen that she’d been able to support herself with her painting. It hadn’t happened quickly. Until several years ago, she’d always worked hard waitressing and other part-time jobs, just enough to pay the bills and to give enough free time for her painting.
“Andrew had an interesting idea for me. He suggested that I put up a web page and sell prints of some of my best paintings and maybe other products too like greeting cards or coffee mugs. I told him that seemed like a lot of work, but he said it’s really not. What do you all think?” Kristen looked intrigued but apprehensive.
“I think it’s a fantastic idea!” Kate said. “There are all kinds of places online to sell creative stuff, shops on Etsy for instance or different places where they will make whatever you want, mugs, shirts, etc. and print your design. I could research it a little for you if you like?”
“If you wouldn’t mind, that would be great.” Kristen sounded relieved. She was the least tech savvy of the family.
“Mind? I love that kind of thing. Doing Mom’s advertising is fun for me. A nice change from the writing.”
“How is that going?” Abby asked.
Lisa watched Kate’s face carefully as she answered. She’d sensed that Kate had been a little stressed recently with her writing, so she didn’t ask how it was going the last time she saw her daughter.
But Kate laughed and didn’t seem to mind the question at all. “It’s going good now. Really well actually. It wasn’t a few weeks ago. I was pretty miserable and wondered if I was ever going to be able to finish another book again. But I had lunch with Philippe and he gave me some great advice that worked and now I’m back on track.”
“That’s great honey. If you girls will excuse me, I’m going to run to the ladies room. I’ll be right back.” Lisa stood and winced when shooting pain ran through her knees and the soles of her feet. She felt a bit like an old woman as she slowly made her way to the back of the restaurant. If she
moved too quickly, all her joints seemed to hurt and she was so stiff. She thought once again that she must be coming down with something. Hopefully whatever it was would blow by quickly.
When she returned to the table and carefully sat down, the girls all exchanged worried glances.
“Mom, what’s wrong with you? Did you pull a muscle or something? You look like you’re in pain?” Kate’s voice matched the worry that was on all three faces.
“I must be coming down with something. I haven’t felt myself the past week. All my joints feel so stiff and painful.” She smiled and made a joke of it. “Maybe I’m just getting old.”
“Very funny,” Abby said. “You should go see Dr. Casey this week. When was the last time you had a checkup?”
“I’m due, actually. Maybe I will see if they can fit me in this week or next and I’ll mention it to her when I see her. Hopefully, I’ll be feeling fine by the time I go in.”
12
When Kristen got home, she went to paint for a few hours, but found it difficult to get into the zone. She was sleepy and full from the carb heavy meal, and she ate every last crumb. She finally gave in and put her brush down and did something she rarely did. She sprawled on the soft sofa in her sunroom and closed her eyes for just a few minutes.
She woke an hour later, feeling disoriented at first but once she got up, she felt refreshed, but still not really in the mood to paint. She took a walk outside to get the mail and glanced at the cottage next door. Tyler’s car was there, so he was home. She thought about what Andrew told her earlier and she wondered how he was doing. She wanted to do something to help, but didn’t know what she could do. Or what would even be welcome. Tyler was a very private person.
Nantucket Neighbors Page 9
