As she walked back inside, an idea came to her. Kristen wasn’t much of a cook, but she had a sweet tooth and loved baking. And everyone raved about her peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. She hadn’t made them in ages and she was pretty sure she had all the ingredients on hand.
A quick check of the kitchen showed that she had everything she needed and she got to work, pulling out her pretty turquoise Kitchen-Aid mixer. She followed the recipe on the back of the Nestle Semi-Sweet chocolate chips bag and the only change she made was to add a heaping large spoonful of creamy peanut butter. It did something magical to the cookies, gave them a hint of peanut flavor and made them delicate and delicious so they melted in your mouth. And of course she had to sample the batter, even though it supposedly wasn’t good for you. It was irresistible.
An hour later, she had dozens of warm cookies resting on paper towels all over her kitchen counters. She found a plastic container, lined it with a paper towel and filled it with several dozen cookies leaving just a handful for herself. And then before she could lose her nerve, she walked over to Tyler’s cottage and rang his doorbell. It took a long time for him to come to the door and she was just about to ring it again when he opened it and looked surprised when he saw her.
“Oh! I thought you were the UPS man. I’m expecting a package.”
“Well, I do have a package for you. Hopefully more exciting than what UPS is bringing.” She held out the container of cookies. “Peanut butter chocolate chip. I made a huge batch and shouldn’t eat them all. I thought you might like some. Consider it a welcome to the neighborhood.” The words came out in a rush. It had seemed like a good idea at the time but now she was feeling intimidated by his silence.
Finally, he took the container and a slow smile spread across his face.
“I know that Andrew told you what today is.”
Kristen didn’t know what to say to that so she said nothing. “Do you want to come in for a minute? Your container is still warm. Did these just come out of the oven?”
She nodded. “Are you sure? I don’t want to interrupt your writing.”
“I can take a cookie break. I’m almost done for the day, anyway.”
“Okay then.” She followed him inside, to his kitchen where he opened the container, found a paper plate and put a few cookies on it.
“Let’s go to the porch. There’s a good breeze out there. It’s where I’ve been working.” His porch was identical to hers, but instead of a fluffy white sofa, his was a deep navy velour, so dark it was almost black. He sat on one side of it and she settled on the other. He put the plate of cookies between them. She looked around the room and noticed a standing desk that faced outside with a nice view of the yard and flowering bushes.
“How much did he tell you?” Tyler asked as he reached for a cookie.
Kristen hesitated, unsure how much she should share as Andrew had said not to say anything.
“It’s okay. He gave me the heads up that he told you. I think he felt bad that he told you as much as he did. But, I understand why he did, since we’re neighbors and all. And he worries.”
“He said it was a hard day for you, and the third anniversary of your divorce.”
Tyler nodded. “He got part of it wrong. It’s an emotional day, but not for the reason he thinks. Taylor and I were heading toward divorce, anyway. My drinking just made it happen sooner rather than later. She did me a favor filing when she did. I don’t have any hard feelings toward her. I wish her well.”
Kristen reached for a cookie and took a bite, listening as he continued to explain.
“It’s just a big day. It’s hard to really understand if you haven’t suffered from addiction, but it’s a milestone and it brings up all kinds of feelings and urges.”
“You still want to have a drink?” Kristen asked.
He laughed. “I always want a drink. I loved drinking. But I hate it too, because you know how you can go out with your friends and have a few drinks or even just one and then go home?”
She nodded.
“Well, I can’t do that. There is no such thing as one drink. If I open a bottle of wine, I’ll drink the whole bottle, or two bottles. Once I start, I have to drink it all. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and not finished your drink because you were full?”
“All the time. Especially if I order a second glass when my meal is served. I almost never finish and leave a half a glass or more.”
Tyler groaned. “See, I could never do that. Ever. There’s no such thing as just a little for me. I wish there was.”
Kristen tried to imagine what that would be like, and how hard it must be to not drink when everyone around you was socializing and having a cocktail. Before she could stop herself, she asked the question that she was most curious about and that was none of her business, at all.
“Have you relapsed at all, since you stopped?”
He smiled. “No. Not yet. I’ve come close a few times. But I know what will happen and it’s not worth it. When I feel like that and it happens once or twice a year, I go find a meeting fast.”
“And that helps?”
“It does. Because they’ve all been there. And I don’t want to let them down. I don’t want to let Andrew or anyone down. But most of all me.” They were both quiet for a minute. Tyler reached for another cookie and inhaled it in two bites. “These are good. Thank you.” He looked out the window and then at Kristen. “My life was a mess before I went into rehab. It was dark and ugly. It’s good now, and I don’t intend to go back there.”
“I don’t want you to go back there either. If I can be of any help, I’m right next door.”
“You’re sweet. You don’t have to worry though. This is my one dark day for the year and now it’s brighter. I made it to a meeting, saw my brother and now I have cookies. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Kristen laughed. “I’m not much of a cook, but I can manage cookies now and then.”
“How are you doing? You’re fresh off a breakup, any regrets?”
“No. We broke up once before and it was harder that time. That’s when I met your brother and we went out. But I wasn’t in the right mind to be with anyone else. It was too soon and then Sean finally did what I’d asked and filed for divorce. He was separated when I met him and I thought then that divorce was right around the corner. This time, it was easier as I was more sure of my decision. I still miss him sometimes but not enough to want him back.”
“That makes sense. It’s good to take time to just be by yourself. You’ll know when you’re ready to get back out there again.”
“I hate the sound of that. I’m in no hurry.”
“You will be, when the time is right. It can be fun to date a little, meet new people.”
She smiled. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience. Have you met anyone interesting yet here?”
“Interesting, yes. I’ve gone out with Andrew a few times and he knows people everywhere we go, so I’ve met a few women. One actually asked me out that night we saw you at Millie’s. Her name is Violet and we’re supposed to meet for a drink later this week.”
“Violet? I think I know her. She’s a bit older than us?” That was an understatement. Kristen wasn’t exactly sure of Violet’s age, but she was no spring chicken.
“I think she said she was twenty-nine, so odds are she’s a little older. She seemed nice enough and I don’t know many people here yet, so I’m happy to meet her for a drink.”
“That doesn’t bother you?” Kristen asked.
“What?”
“Going to a bar, meeting someone for drinks?”
“It did at first. The first year was hard. I tried it maybe once or twice. But now I don’t mind at all. I can have an O’Doul’s which is actually a pretty decent non-alcoholic beer. And it’s kind of interesting to be completely sober in a bar with people drinking all around you. Did you know a big percentage of bartenders are alcoholics?”
“I never thought about it, but it
doesn’t surprise me, now that you mention it. Thinking back to the restaurants I worked at, I rarely saw the bartenders drink off-hours.”
Tyler yawned and Kristen realized she’d been there for close to an hour. The time had flown, but she knew it had been a long day for him.
“I should probably get going and let you get back to your writing.” She stood and Tyler yawned again and stood too.
“I think I’m done writing for the day, but I am pretty tired. I think it’s going to be an early night. I do appreciate the cookies. Thank you for bringing them by.”
Kristen smiled. “You’re welcome. Have fun on your date with Violet,” she teased him.
“I’ll let you know how it goes.” He walked Kristen to the door and watched until she let herself into her porch. She looked back and he waved as she locked her door behind her.
13
Chase didn’t make coffee Sunday morning until just after eleven. He and Lauren slept in after a late night out with friends at the Chicken Box. It had been a good night, lots of fun and his irritation with Lauren had disappeared as soon as she called him Saturday afternoon to see if he wanted to go out with her and her friends. She was in a great mood and beautiful as ever and he was hopeful again that maybe this could turn into something more serious.
He added two sugars and a splash of half and half to her coffee, gave it a stir and handed it to her as she was relaxing on his living room sofa, flipping through the real estate section of the local paper. She was wearing one of his old t-shirts and it was huge and looked adorable on her.
“Are you hungry? I have donuts or…I guess donuts is it. They’re good ones though.”
She laughed. “No, on the donut, thanks. The coffee is fine.”
He poured himself a cup, grabbed two of the sugary cinnamon donuts and sat next to her. Lauren took a sip of coffee and looked around the room and then shook her head.
“I don’t know how you can stand this place. It’s so small. You should get yourself a real house. I could help you find something.”
“I don’t mind it here. It’s a place to sleep. I’ve told you before, I’m not in a hurry. I want to wait until I can afford to do what I want to do. To build my dream house exactly the way I want it.”
Lauren narrowed her eyes, “When will that be?”
“I’m not sure. Probably not for a few more years at least. You know how expensive everything is here.”
“You could probably qualify for a Covenant home, that would at least be better than this place.”
“I make too much to qualify. I have for a few years now. It’s a great program, but I don’t want to be restricted and with what I do, my house could also be great advertising for the kind of quality I’m capable of.”
“True, but that could be five to ten years from now. That’s so long. I know you already said no, but it’s probably not too late to still do the condo project. That might get you where you want to be sooner.”
Chase was sick of hearing about David Wentworth’s project. “I’m not changing my mind and I don’t want to discuss it again.”
“Okay, fine. It was just a suggestion.” Lauren sulked as she sipped her coffee.
Chase had been looking forward to a relaxing day with her, but he didn’t like the mood she was in. Still, he tried to shift the focus. “What do you feel like doing this afternoon? Want to go see a movie or something?”
Lauren yawned and turned another page. “I don’t think so.” Her tone was frosty. “I think I’m just going to head home soon.”
“Oh? I thought we’d spend the day together.”
“I have so much laundry to do and errands to run. It’s going to be a busy week.” Lauren stood and brought her coffee cup to the kitchen, rinsed it and left it in the sink. She went into the bedroom and came out a few minutes later in her jeans and a sweater, with her designer purse over her shoulder.
“Last night was fun,” Chase said as he walked her to the door and pulled her in for a goodbye kiss. She allowed it for just a few seconds and then pulled away and took a step backwards. “It was fun. I’ll talk to you later.”
He watched her walk to her car and drive off before he closed the door and added more coffee to his mug. He was feeling a little deflated. They’d had such a good night and he’d been planning to hang out with her all day and just relax. But, as it turned out Lauren wasn’t one to sit around and relax. Not with him anyway. He had the whole day ahead of him now and he wondered what to do with himself.
His mother usually had Sunday dinner for whoever was around but he knew that she and Rhett had gone off-island to Boston the night before to see a Red Sox game and have dinner in the North End. He decided to give Abby a call. He hadn’t hung out much with his baby sister lately.
She answered on the first ring and invited him over to spend the afternoon watching movies and catching up.
He showered and changed and arrived at his sister’s house an hour later. He didn’t see Jeff’s car in the driveway and asked about him once he was inside.
“He’s golfing with his brother. So, your timing is perfect. We have all afternoon to eat junk food, watch Netflix and solve all the world’s problems.”
Chase laughed and gave her a big hug. “I’ve missed you. We need to do this more often.”
“Yes, we do. But you’ve been busy with a certain someone lately. How is that going? Wait don’t tell me until we’re settled in the living room. I need a bowl of ice cream, want to join me?”
“Sure, load me up.” Abby filled two bowls full of this week’s favorite flavor, caramel fudge ripple, and they got comfortable in the living room.
“Okay, so fill me in, how is everything going with Lauren? Are you madly in love? Or is she a bitch and you’re breaking up?”
Chase laughed again. “Somewhere in the middle I guess. It depends on the day. She has her moments. She was pushing me hard still to do that condo project.”
“The one you already turned down?”
“Yeah. They brought it up Friday night at the wine tasting we went to at the Wauwinet.”
“How was that? Was it amazing? I’ve never been there and have heard it’s so elegant.”
“It is. The food and wine was incredible. But I didn’t expect that Lauren’s brother Rick and David Wentworth would be joining us. It was fine until it was almost over and we were outside. That’s when they brought it up again. Maybe they thought they’d get me liquored up and I’d agree. But I was driving, so I didn’t drink as much as the rest of them. Lauren was pretty disappointed too, I could tell.”
“She invited you to that dinner, right?” Abby asked.
“She did and I wasn’t happy when I dropped her off and she was pretty annoyed too. I didn’t expect to see her for the rest of the weekend, but then she called the next day and invited me out to go hear some music at the Chicken Box.”
“How was that?”
“It was really fun, actually. We had a great night and slept late this morning at my place. I thought we’d spend the day together, but she brought it up again after telling me my place was too small and I really should buy something.”
Abby laughed. “And I suppose she offered to find the perfect house for you?”
“She did actually. And when I said no yet again, she suddenly had things to do and went home.”
“I’m sorry, Chase. I know you really like her.”
“She can be a great girl and there’s just something about her. She’s gorgeous, but it’s more than that.”
Abby laughed. “It’s lust, pure and simple. You’re physically attracted to her. But that won’t last if you don’t like her as a person.”
Chase thought about that for a moment. He wasn’t ready to give up on Lauren yet. “I think maybe it will be okay now that she knows I’m definitely out for that project. I told her not to bring it up again.”
“Hmmm. It’s too bad you’re not attracted to Beth, she’d be a great match for you.”
“My Beth?”
/> Abby laughed. “Yes, your Beth. Although it might be too late now, anyway. She had a date the other night and it went well. They’re going out again.”
Chase pictured Beth in her navy blue top and that red hair. She was a pretty girl. There was no denying that.
“No kidding. Good for her. Beth is great. I’ve just never thought of her that way. Plus, she works for me, so that wouldn’t be a good idea. Could be really awkward if it didn’t work out.”
“Or it could be really amazing if it did.” Abby smiled as she polished off the last of her ice cream. “But, like I said, it’s probably too late now, anyway. She seems to like this new guy.”
“And I’m not ready to give up on Lauren yet. I still think there’s potential there.”
“Maybe there is. I hope so, if that’s what you want. I just want you to be happy, with someone that will love you for you.”
Chase grinned. “Thanks. I think that’s pretty much what everyone wants.”
“You have to go out with him at least one more time. To really give him a chance and see if there could be something there. Has he kissed you yet?” Abby asked. Beth was on the phone in her office eating lunch which was just soup because she had a dinner date with Ben after work. But she really didn’t feel like going.
“No, he hasn’t. We’ve gone out twice now and he’s been a perfect gentleman. It’s just that there’s something missing. I don’t really want him to kiss me, so I said goodbye, gave him a hug and pulled away before it could turn into anything else.”
“You had a nice time though?”
Beth sighed. “Yes, very nice. He’s a good dinner companion. We ended up splitting nachos on our first date, at Millie’s, and Sunday night he took me to Black-Eyed Susan’s and we brought our own bottle of wine.”
“Oh, that’s kind of fun. They don’t serve alcohol right?”
“Yeah, it’s BYOB only and he did pick out a good bottle of wine.”
“Beth, he sounds pretty great so far.”
“I know. He’s a catch, but I don’t think he’s the one for me.”
Nantucket Neighbors Page 10
