Coming Home To You (Man From Yesterday 1)

by Barbara Lohr

  “Of course they are. I locked up the cheese curls.” She wanted no distractions during this conversation.

  “Hey, Cole.” Mercedes appeared in the back door. Her black jeans and boots were her uniform, but the stylish trench coat had been replaced by a black leather jacket. Had she slipped that on after Kate stomped out of the room?

  The two shook hands. Seemed like Mercedes held on longer than necessary. The rush of resentment made Kate’s head swirl. If Mercedes thought she was in charge of this conversation, she was so wrong.

  Cole looked from one sister to another. “Maybe I should ask why I'm here today?” Each word was edged with caution.

  When Mercedes shook her head, her hair shimmered like a whip. “Just wanted to talk about the property. Want to walk around?” Flattening the violets still in bloom, she pivoted toward the front.

  “I believe Cole’s already seen the property, haven’t you, Cole?”

  Cole’s face flushed. “As a matter of fact, I have. Stopped by after your call, Mercedes, a little while back. Beautiful setting. The five parcels of land make it especially valuable.”

  “Love to hear it.” Mercedes led the way until they stood at the point where they could look down and see the water rolling into shore in glittering waves.

  Kate felt strangled. Growing up, she’d played hide and seek with Mercedes in the tall ferns her sister was trampling. But she refused to let Cole Campbell see how mad she was. This was family business and private.

  Cole nodded slowly. “Yep, breathtaking view.”

  His sunglasses gave no clue about how he felt. Probably pleased. She could only imagine what he would clear from a project like this. Condos? Another hotel? Chickaming County was casual about zoning. She ducked her head and slammed a lid on her uneasiness.

  With Kate trailing behind, Cole followed Mercedes as she walked the broad front of the land, the parcels that had given the family so much privacy growing up. The property had been given to them when Grandpa Clarence died. Their mom had been an only child.

  “Are you thinking of selling the five lots as one piece?” Cole gave no indication that he might be the buyer. “Or are you thinking of sectioning it off into five separate lots?”

  Mercedes looked like she might be frowning. Hard to tell with all that Botox. “Why don't you give us some figures for both scenarios? All hypothetical. Just for the sake of discussion,” she added, eyes sliding in Kate’s direction.

  “Sounds good. Just want to grab a pad of paper from the truck.” Cole took off in that long-legged stride.

  “Meet you inside,” Mercedes called over her shoulder. She wiggled her brows at Kate. “Pretty hot.”

  Kate was boiling. In silence, the two sisters tramped into the house. Kate took a seat at the long pine table in the dining room area. Chairs were tucked up as if they’d just left a family meal. How she wished their mother would come through the door with a platter of pot roast and brown potatoes. Make this all a bad dream.

  “You could lose the attitude,” Mercedes said as she sat down.

  Kate’s tongue swelled. If she said anything, she’d burst out bawling. She was just that mad. This whole scenario felt so familiar and frustrating. Whether it was Barbie dolls or borrowing the family car, her sister always had the upper hand.

  Cole was back within minutes, slapping his legal pad onto the table just as he had with Ignacio not too long ago. She’d liked him better then but not by much. “As you might know, the property runs at a premium, even though we’re still climbing out of this recession. Let me just go through some of the hot buttons.”

  Oh, he was pressing her hot buttons all right. While Kate knotted her hands so tight she thought her knuckles might crack, Cole launched into a rehash of the merits of their property. Mercedes’ eyes glowed. Amazing that she wasn’t openly salivating. Using the calculator on her phone, Mercedes ran some figures, smile broadening. When he finished, Cole sat back. His poker face had always been so hard to read in any debate. Probably served him well in situations like this when he was trying to finagle people out of their property.

  Mercedes continued to tap on her calculator. Kate studied the blue placemat, her fingers rolling a corner. Somewhere during the discussion, she’d forgotten to breathe. Now she sucked in the air. Still smelled and tasted sour in the house from being closed up during her mom’s hospitalization.

  “All very interesting.” Mercedes reached for Cole's figures. “Mind if I take this, Cole?”

  “Whatever you need.” Cole ripped the sheet from the pad.

  Sure. Right. Kate felt like her skin was peeling off along with the page of figures. Maybe her older sister was a changeling. Maybe Mercedes in all her blonde perfection had fallen from a planet of aliens.

  Kate refused to say a word. The silence became uncomfortable.

  Cole shoved back, chair legs scraping the floor. “Guess I’ll hit the road. Questions come up? Give me a ring. See you at the picnic tomorrow?”

  “Picnic?” Mercedes set her phone aside.

  “The Memorial Day picnic at Gull Harbor Care Center. I mentioned it Friday.” Kate worked to buff the impatience from her voice. “Mom was excited you would be here for it.”

  “Oh, right. What time is that again?”

  “About four or so.”

  “No problem. I’ve got a late flight.”

  While Kate worked at the produce stand that weekend, Mercedes had visited with their mother. Kate wondered how that went. Seemed like most of her sister’s visit to Gull Harbor had been spent barking out orders on the phone to her assistant.

  Mercedes lived her business. Was it any wonder that she didn’t have time for a relationship? Remorse stilled Kate’s mind. After all, she herself was divorced. Maybe Mercedes had been wise not to dip her toe in the matrimonial waters.

  “Great, see you tomorrow then.” Cole had reached the back door. He was looking around, probably taking in the dated kitchen. Figuring how much it would get on the market.

  She wanted to strangle someone. At this point, either Mercedes or Cole would do.

  “Sure. Can’t wait. Thanks for coming, Cole.” Mercedes walked Cole out to the truck, Kate trailing behind. A sense of déjà vu washed over her. This was just how it had been in high school when she was a sophomore and they were seniors.

  Cole swung up into his truck. Kate hung back, but Mercedes grabbed the open door. “Gull Harbor is lucky to have you, Cole.” Good lord, she was practically purring, hanging on the door like a cat in heat.

  Kate kicked at a dandelion in the gravel. “This is Cole’s job, Mercedes. Buying and selling Gull Harbor property.”

  That’s all they were to him. Owner of a great parcel of land.

  She had to have more yellow flyers made.

  Mercedes was blinking up at him as if he was still the star forward on the basketball team and she was the cheerleader. “But isn’t the development of Gull Harbor, well, a noble cause?”

  “Some of us see it that way, Mercedes.” Cole never blinked.

  Kate’s snort ended in a strangled cough.

  Mercedes’ attention remained with Cole. “See you tomorrow, Cole.”

  “Tomorrow.” But his gaze brushed Kate as Cole slammed the door. The suspension of his truck squeaked as he bumped down the driveway.

  “Too many tree roots in that road,” Kate murmured. “Have to have it resealed.” She gave the poor dandelion another frustrated kick and headed to the house. Maybe she was foolish to want to hang on to Breezy Point when so much needed work.

  “So you two are an item?” Mercedes twirled a length of hair around one finger.

  “What? No. We most definitely are not.”

  “Katie, I sure felt something back there. Weren’t you two in a club together or something in high school?”

  The screen door squealed when Kate yanked it open. “Debate Club.”

  “Oh, right. That.” Her sister wrinkled her nose. After all, Debate Club wasn’t exactly cheerleading. It was more like Na
tional Honor Society. Not enough popular kids in that group for Mercedes.

  Chapter 14

  Memorial Day and the sun beat down, warmer every day. When Kate was growing up, this day held excitement and promise. Today, it only held questions. What would summer bring?

  “Bratwurst, hot dog, or hamburger?” A blush stained Will Applegate’s cheeks. The administrator was seriously cute standing over that barbecue grill.

  But “cute” had never done it for Kate. “Bratwurst, of course.”

  “Of course?” Brandishing a fork, Will plucked one from the grill.

  “Summer days call for bratwurst loaded with ketchup and onions.”

  Her sister gasped behind her. “Onions? Really?”

  “Lots of them. Load it up, Will. So you’re chef for the day?”

  His flush deepened as Will plopped a bratwurst into her open bun.

  She held up the other plate. “And a burger for my mother, please.”

  “No bun?”

  “Something about sensible eating and a diet.”

  “She certainly doesn’t need it. And that runs in the family.”

  Now it was Kate’s turn to blush. The ridge of Mercedes’ plastic plate dug into her back.

  “Like your sweater. Very patriotic.” He nodded to her red-and-white striped sweater with blue stars spangling the lower right hip.

  “Thank you.” Another nudge from Mercedes, who wasn’t used to being upstaged. “You’ve met my older sister?”

  All through high school, Mercedes had liked being called the older sister. Apparently, those days were over. After darting a sharp glance at Kate, Mercedes turned her full attention to Will. “Of course we’ve met while I was visiting Mom. What a lovely picnic. Such a great idea for the families.”

  Grab a shovel. Mercedes could really pile it on. While she jabbered with the administrator who seemed dazzled by her blonde beauty, Kate squirted ketchup on the brat and burger. Then she heaped mustard potato salad on both plates.

  “So what's the deal with Will Applegate?” Mercedes asked as they walked toward the gazebo where their mother sat waiting.

  “What do you mean?” Kate worked at keeping both plates balanced.

  “Just asking.” Mercedes gave a casual shake that made her blonde hair shimmer in the sunlight. Kate’s own dye job still looked and felt like straw. Maybe her box from the drugstore was the difference. She’d have to set up an appointment with Phoebe.

  Once while she was visiting her sister in New York, Mercedes had dragged Kate to her hair salon. Kate quickly realized she could only afford a manicure. Of course, Mercedes had offered to pay. No way was Kate accepting her sister’s charity.

  Was Gull Harbor working its magic on Mercedes? Kate hadn’t seen her sister this relaxed in a long time. She hadn’t checked her phone for at least ten minutes.

  “Kate, wake up. What’s the deal with the administrator?”

  “Will? Nice guy.”

  “Married?”

  “I don’t see a ring. Interested?” Kate wheeled around. Will hardly seemed like her sister’s type.

  “Just asking.”

  “Seems sincerely interested in the residents.” Kate's tone was objective, as if they were critiquing a teacher. When Mercedes raised her eyebrows, she chuckled. “And okay, he's looking good today.”

  Goody-two-shoes hot. But she kept that to herself. Brian had exuded confidence when Kate met him. Cole had some of those same traits and she guessed Will was probably a bit meek for her own taste.

  Giggling together, they could have been back in study hall under the watchful eyes of Mrs. Werner, who handed out detentions like they were birthday treats. Even though Mercedes had been two years ahead of Kate, Gull Harbor High School was small. A study hall pulled from all grades. Some of the clubs, like Debate Club with Cole, had the same kind of mix.

  Debate Club. Where it had all started and ended. But Kate wouldn’t let that spoil this day.

  Clouds scudded overhead. Red, white, and blue banners fluttered from the eaves of the gazebo. The day felt perfect, the first day of a summer of possibilities. Mercedes was home. The weight of responsibility for their mother felt lighter on Kate’s shoulders. Their disagreement about the property? Mercedes could be difficult, but she’d never been totally unreasonable.

  “One hamburger straight from the grill.” Kate set her mother's plate in front of her.

  “I could've gotten it myself.”

  Of course, no way could her mother manage her walker and the plate. Kate exchanged a look with her sister.

  “Like your red sweater, Mom. Is it new?” Mercedes asked.

  Their mother shook her left hand. “The Internet is a wonderful thing. Click, click. Only three monthly payments.”

  Mercedes’ jaw dropped.

  “Internet shopping,” Kate murmured, setting the plates down. “I told you about it.”

  “Right.” They shared a smile and for a second Mercedes was the sister who’d taught Kate how to pluck her eyebrows. How Kate had looked up to her big sister then, so beautiful, so popular.

  Now they had to find more serious solutions together. The social worker had indicated her mom would be coming home soon. Her recovery had “plateaued.” That was Medicare language for “we aren’t going to cover any more treatments.”

  “Your mother, well, she might not be the same,” Marianne had told Kate. “You’ll have to accept that.”

  But Kate couldn’t. Alice Kennedy’s life had been defined by a flurry of activity. After their father left, Kate would wake up to the buzz of the lawn mower. Or she’d find her mother weeding the garden with a vengeance. Alice didn’t just clean. She did battle with the vacuum, that whined when it caught a throw rug until she ripped it free. When she canned, steam converted their kitchen into a sauna. The shelves of the basement larder groaned under the weight of her efforts.

  Now she’d “plateaued.” The lines had been drawn. Kate was ready to do battle. Mercedes might take off for New York but Kate was staying right here in the trenches.

  But there were complications. Breezy Point had no first floor bathroom and the stairs were sharp with a difficult turn. They couldn’t afford private duty nursing, and Alice Kennedy would never accept an aide. A crazy idea had formed in Kate's head.

  “Mom, I'm really busy at the vegetable stand right now.”

  “That’s wonderful, Kate.” Her mother struggled to open a bag of chips.

  Reaching for the bag, Kate ripped it open. “I've been thinking. Cole Campbell is looking for a companion for his daughter, Natalie.”

  Mercedes threw her a cautious glance.

  Her mother put her burger down. “What's that got to do with us, Kate?”

  “What would you say to having Natalie spend some time with you? Didn’t you always say the happiest years were when we were kids? Natalie loves to read. Our shelves are stuffed full of books.”

  “That's an interesting idea, Kate.” Mercedes sounded cautious, like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  Kate watched her mom process all this. “I didn't want to say anything to Cole until I spoke to you. What do you think?”

  Her mother’s faded hazel eyes focused and then gleamed. “Marie might not like this. I'd really hate to hurt her feelings.”

  Somehow, Kate doubted that. Excitement brought a rosy splash to her mother’s cheeks.

  “Marie probably won’t mind. She might be here for a while, and this is just for the summer. What is it with you two anyway?”

  Her mother fingered the star pattern on the plastic tablecloth. “Oh, we go way back. Silly, really.”

  Okay, so she was going to be mysterious.

  “Mind if we sit with you?” Cole’s voice made Kate jump.

  When Kate turned, her breath caught in her throat. The man could turn a blue chambray shirt and jeans into a fashion statement. Cole had charge of Marie’s wheelchair, with Prissy dancing at his side. Standing at her father's elbow in a bright red top that sparkled with s
equins, Natalie shot Kate a shy smile. That little girl was such a sweetie, although she certainly knew how to ride herd on her dad.

  “Have a seat.” Kate moved the chairs over.

  “My daughter’s here,” Mom chirped to Marie, a proud lift to her chin. “Mercedes.”

  Kate swallowed hard. Some things would never change.

  “Marie and I chatted a couple of times this weekend, Mom,” Mercedes said quietly. “During my visits?”

  “Right. Of course. Guess it just slipped my mind.” A slight frown wrinkled their mom's brow.

  Yes, it was good that Mercedes had come. Kate’s older sister had to see the situation for herself. Frustration followed on the heels of that relief. How would her mother ever be able to have a discussion about Breezy Point if her memory was so jumbled?

  “How's your reading coming, Natalie?” She patted the chair next to her, and Natalie sat down. Cole seated himself on the other side of his daughter.

  “Fine.” Natalie bobbed her head, and the sun caught the sparkles in her tortoiseshell headband. Behind her ears, the thick hair was a mass of tangles.

  “That hair needs a good brushing.” Marie threw Cole an incriminating look. “When we get back to the room, I’ll tend to it.”

  “No.” Natalie’s hands flew to her headband. “You always hurt me.”

  Marie fell back. The muscles worked in her throat, and Kate felt so bad for the older woman. Felt like there was baggage here, more the steamer trunk type than a duffle bag.

  “Conditioner might help.” Kate aimed the comment at Cole. The guy who’d had everything under control in high school, from a basketball to his prom date, seemed helpless in the face of an eight year-old’s hair.

  Everyone at the table became very involved with their food. Patriotic music blared from speakers, and the resilient brass eventually lifted the mood at the table. Sometimes mothers and grandmothers just said stupid things. No harm intended. But she could forgive Marie a lot easier than her own mother, who was gazing at Mercedes as if she were the second coming.

  Mercedes had brought Mom a red zipped hoodie with “I Love New York” scrawled across it in white. The new addition was draped over the walker. Kate was still trying to acclimate to this vibrant version of her mother whose wardrobe had mainly been denim and beige.