Breakwater Bay

by Shelley Noble

  Lucas was a scientist, but that in itself was a kind of art, to see, to understand, to feel the inner workings of everything.

  Alden remembered one night a few summers ago, they were out watching the stars. Nora had gone inside to read a magazine. Alden stood in the yard next to his son, both looking up at the sky. Alden was thinking of an illustration: a princess whose hair was made of the Milky Way that wove and lifted and trailed up into the universe.

  And as the two of them stood there, Lucas told him the distance to Orion’s belt.

  Alden was floored and asked him if he’d memorized it. And Lucas said, “No, Dad, I calculated it using triangulation. It was easy. It just makes sense, like it all just talks to me in a language I understand.” The kid was ten years old.

  What Lucas understood might as well have been Greek to Alden, though Alden did know a smidgeon of Greek. But he understood one thing. Science spoke to Lucas the same way line and color and movement spoke to Alden.

  Lucas seemed perfectly content with his new life. He liked his new school, one of those satellite schools that emphasized the sciences. That was something he wouldn’t get out here at the county school. But Alden knew that having the ability to withdraw into your own world didn’t mean you were happy or even content.

  He’d tried to ask Nora about him without prying. But she just said he was a world unto himself and it was anybody’s guess. In her own way, Nora was just as precocious as her brother.

  Meri heard them as soon as she stepped back inside. Her pensive mood turned to delight and she hurried down the hall to join in. She got to the open door of the kitchen just as Nora and Carlyn pantomimed Signed, Sealed, Delivered as they sang. And Joe crooned Oh, Baby, in a falsetto that would rival Tiny Tim, which he ended with a tight turn and a body wave.

  Meri watched him, awestruck.

  Then Carlyn motioned her over and they sang backup for Joe’s rendition of Stevie Wonder’s upbeat song. Nora didn’t know all the words, but she jumped right in on the chorus. Doug came in as they were taking their bow and shimmying.

  “Where have you been?” Carlyn asked, shedding the remnant of her laughter.

  Meri introduced him to Nora. Then added her question to Carlyn’s.

  “Beating a dead horse. I haven’t been able to get on anyone’s agenda for the next several months. We’ll have to try a different approach.”

  “What kind of different approach?” Carlyn asked.

  “Hold a fund-raiser here.”

  “Here? Where here?”

  “The foyer, the parlor, the front porch if we do a little reconstruction work. Hell, we can pitch one of those big tents in the backyard.”

  “Doug, we’ll figure out a way to keep this project going, but this is not the most efficient way to do it.” Carlyn smiled, trying to soften the blow.

  But Doug deflated. “Anybody got a better idea?”

  No one did. It was a crazy idea. They weren’t ready to show . . . anything.

  “Well, everybody go home, and start thinking.” Doug wandered out of the kitchen.

  “I’m going home to think.” Joe saluted them and left.

  “Well,” Carlyn said. “Does that sound like desperation to you?”

  “Pretty much. But we’ll figure out something. Is anyone but me starving?” Meri asked.

  “Yes, count me in,” Carlyn said, brightening. “Where shall we go?”

  “Someplace where they’ll check my ID,” suggested Nora.

  “Only Virgin Marys for you.”

  “I have a fake ID, you know.”

  “I’m sure you do. And I’m sure you drink. But I’m not going to call your dad and tell him you got busted and to come get you out of jail.”

  Instead of balking, Nora burst out laughing. “I swear he said exactly the same thing. ‘Don’t make Meri have to call me to get you out of jail.’”

  “Great minds.”

  “He’s so old-fashioned.”

  “He’s also right.”

  Nora made a face. “I know, I really do. And I won’t do anything to . . .” She lowered her voice and intoned, “Jeopardize his trust.”

  Meri laughed. “Did he really say that?”

  “No. He said to be cool and have fun. He isn’t half as obnoxious as mother and Ma-a-a-rk are. They’re absolutely Gothic—and not in a chains-and-nose-pierced way.” She grew serious. “Did Dad take you out to give you the talk?”

  “No, even though you are the center of his universe, we were actually talking about something else.”

  She’d said it in jest, but Nora frowned.

  “Am I?”

  “Are you what?”

  “Do I mean that much to him?”

  “Of course you do, but he’ll survive a couple of days without you. Gran is going to feed him.” Meri said it trying to keep the conversation light. But she should have thought first. Because Nora’s face lightened, then turned a little sly. And too late Meri remembered her determination to stay after spring break was over and the fact that Gran had been teaching her to cook.

  Chapter 19

  Alden twisted the corkscrew into the bottle of wine he’d brought over for dinner, which was smelling delicious. There was no better comfort food than Therese’s chicken and dumplings, thick and creamy. Bound to make you feel at home. Make you relax, feel easy, not worried, not old, not fed up.

  “Alden, sweetheart, are you going to open that bottle or just stand there hugging it like it was a lady friend?” Therese shot him a knowing smile. “She’ll be fine with Meri. And Meri will be fine, too, though I wish she had consulted me about searching for her birth father.”

  “I do, too, but she seemed okay.” He smiled. “She was pretty angry, which is much better than feeling rejected. But I wonder if he will leave it at that? Should we intercede?”

  “No.” Therese shook her wooden spoon at him. “Let’s just wait and pray he doesn’t want to rock the boat. Now open that wine and sit down and eat.”

  He pulled the cork out, poured two glasses, and set them by their places at the kitchen table.

  Therese put two shallow bowls of chicken down then drew a pan of homemade biscuits from the oven. She folded them into a cloth-covered basket, and he pulled out her chair.

  She smiled up at him as she sat. “You should think about getting married again.”

  He stopped. “Is that a proposal?”

  “You better hope it isn’t. You’re a catch, Alden Corrigan.”

  “Yeah, well, I was caught once before. That didn’t work out so well.” He sat down across from her.

  “You have two wonderful children.”

  “That I hardly ever see.”

  “Whose fault is that?”

  He stared at her. “What was I supposed to do? Take her to court, where she threatened to accuse me of everything from physical and emotional violence to child abuse? Where she would have made sure Nora and Lucas would have to testify? I couldn’t do that to them. I didn’t even want them hearing things like that even if it wasn’t true.

  “I’m not a violent man. I have a temper just like anyone else. But I swear, Therese, she was right. I would have gladly killed her at that point.”

  “Nora and Lucas both need to know your side of the story. I’m sure they’ve heard her side more than enough.”

  “I don’t want to keep that part of the past alive by talking about it. Nora’s okay, I think, but I don’t know about Lucas. He seems so . . . so . . . detached.”

  “Lucas is the peacekeeper. Nora is the activist. She acts out when she’s upset and when she’s happy. You pretty much know where you stand with her. Lucas is more like you. ‘Deep’ as my father would say. But you’re going to have to deal with them both sooner or later.

  “Now I didn’t want to put you off your food. Eat. And just know that Meri and I are here to help.”

  Alden ate. He didn’t want to bring up all those hateful feelings. He’d managed to bury them over the last few years.

  They ate in s
ilence for a few minutes, then he said, “What should I do about Nora? Do you think she really wants to move back here? Or is it just a passing whim?”

  “Did you ask her?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve avoided doing that, because we were having such a good time. I didn’t want to wreck it. But I know I should talk to her.”

  “Don’t you think you should at least take her seriously and hear her out? That’s more than she gets at her other home, I’m sure.”

  “Yes. They’re both old enough, I guess, to deal with whatever Jennifer wants to say about me. I think they can ferret out the truth. But . . .”

  “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

  “I just wanted my kids to have a mother.”

  Therese shook her head at him. He knew what she was thinking. He knew he was being less than rational. After all, he’d done without a mother and come out all right. He was lucky in that he had Therese and Laura as surrogates.

  But he hadn’t forgotten the nights of wishing he’d had a mother of his own. And then came Meri. Another motherless child taken in by the Calders. Always room in the Calder clan for another soul.

  He looked over at Therese. Beautiful still after all the hard work and the tragedies of life. But she was getting on. Would she be strong enough to help Nora through the hard patches ahead, the times when a mother, not a father, was needed?

  Of course, there was Meri, not old enough to be Nora’s mother, but maybe a confidante. She would never play favorites like Jennifer did. But Meri wouldn’t be here; she would most likely marry Peter when he returned from California and be starting her own family.

  “I’ll talk to her.”

  “And do you know what you’re going to say about her staying?”

  “No.”

  “Is that no you don’t know or no she can’t stay?”

  “I don’t know.”

  This place is great,” Nora said, her eyes on the cute young waiter who had just delivered their burgers, fries, onion rings, two glasses of wine, and a soda for Nora.

  Carlyn had suggested the pub near the wharf. It was loud and busy with college students who hadn’t left for spring break.

  Meri lifted her glass. “Here’s to a fun weekend.” They toasted.

  They stuffed themselves, and Nora and Carlyn flirted outrageously with the waiters and a table of college students.

  It was only seven thirty when they finished dinner and were walking down the cobbled streets and peering into shop windows. But soon the wind off the bay had them hurrying back to their cars.

  Carlyn hugged them both. “Since we don’t have to work tomorrow, I’m expecting you two to meet me for a cliff walk and waffles in the morning.” She frowned at Meri. “Are you okay with that hand?”

  “Yep. You game, Nora?”

  “Depends how good the waffles are.”

  “Ha. I’ll see you at nine sharp.” Carlyn grinned at her.

  “That good, huh?”

  “You haven’t tasted waffles yet. So don’t stay out too late,” Carlyn said.

  “Oh, we won’t,” Nora said. “I want to go see Meri’s apartment.”

  They drove the short distance across town. Nora spotted a parking place just a half block from Meri’s apartment.

  “Wow. You must be my good luck parking charm. Sometimes I have to park blocks away.”

  “Another good reason to keep me around.”

  Meri made a noncommittal answer. She had thought Nora might forget her intention to stay in Little Compton as the week went on. Meri always started missing home about halfway through a vacation or the times she spent away at school and she came back to Little Compton as often as she could. Little Compton was her home. Maybe it was Nora’s home, too.

  “This is so cool,” Nora said as they stopped in front of Meri’s apartment building while Meri unlocked the downstairs door.

  “It is.” It was nice to look at her little building through someone else’s eyes. She spent so much time looking at other people’s architecture and fixtures that she sometimes took hers for granted.

  She loved her apartment, on one of the quieter streets, at least in the off-season. And she didn’t mind the crowds during the season. She could always escape to Gran’s on the weekends.

  They walked upstairs, and Meri unlocked the door and pushed it open. Nora followed her in.

  “This is so cute.”

  Meri laughed. “If you mean small. Yeah, it is.”

  “I think it’s perfect.” Nora turned in a full three-sixty. “Cozy.”

  “That, too. But remember that when you wake up after having slept on the pull-out couch all night.”

  Meri gave her a “tour,” which lasted about a half minute. In her minuscule bedroom, the queen-size bed covered by Moroccan spreads and pillows took up most of the space. There was just enough room for a bedside table. Her dresser was shoved into the closet that was large by apartment standards—and currently had an empty space like a missing tooth, where Peter had always left a change of clothes—until now.

  “And here’s the bathroom, also rather small.”

  Nora laughed. “Thumbelina-sized.”

  Meri smiled. The girl was an oddball, all teenager one minute and fanciful child the next. Or perhaps that was just because she was Alden’s daughter. He was anything but fanciful—he was sometimes terse, often standoffish—but once you’d seen his drawings you knew he had a whole universe living in his head.

  And he was always there in a pinch. Yeah, and now she knew why. He’d promised Riley Rochfort that he would take care of her. And he had. To the detriment of his own life, his own happiness? They really hadn’t had a chance to discuss it. Possibly intentionally on both sides. But they needed to and soon.

  “You’re so lucky,” Nora said.

  “I am,” Meri said. “But why do you think so?”

  “You have this great apartment.” Nora wandered past Meri and back into the living area. “Filled with things you like.”

  “Rent that I can’t always afford, a furnace that occasionally breaks down, and there aren’t enough washers and dryers, but yeah, I love this place.” And she’d hate to give it up, if that’s what she had to do to continue working on Gilbert House.

  “And you have Gran and your family.” Nora plopped on the couch and hugged one of the pillows. “Dad says you’re going to marry Peter.”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “But he left you for the summer.”

  “He left for the summer. We both have our work. It’s only for a few months.” Meri frowned. “Did your dad say something about me and Peter?”

  “Not really. I just got the feeling he wasn’t too happy about it.”

  “I know.”

  “He’ll be lonely if you go away.”

  Meri didn’t bother to say she’d been away for years, because she knew where this was going.

  All roads led to reasons for Nora to stay. And Meri gave her credit for subtlety.

  Resigned, she sat down in the chair. She should have guessed she wouldn’t get off that easily. Hadn’t Alden said that he thought Nora might talk about what was bothering her to Meri?

  And really she owed him that much, didn’t she? “Want some tea? Decaf?”

  “Sure.”

  Meri went to make tea, trying to postpone the inevitable. She wasn’t sure she had any good advice to give the teenager. Hell, she’d just made a mess of her own life. She was raw and off-kilter.

  The water seemed to boil in record time, and she was back with two mugs of tea, and a box of shortbread cookies.

  “I’ve been thinking.”

  Uh-oh, thought Meri and hunkered down to listen and try to help.

  “Gran is getting kinda old.”

  Meri nodded.

  “So I thought maybe if Dad didn’t want me, I could stay with Gran, help her out with things, you know?”

  “I know, but why on earth do you think Alden wouldn’t want you with him?”

  Nora shru
gged, pulled the pillow closer, her eyes glistening with tears that were about to overflow.

  Whew, lightning change. “I’m sure he would love to have you; that’s not exactly the issue.”

  “Then what is? My mother doesn’t have time for me, and he doesn’t have time for me. No, that’s not fair. He drops everything when I’m visiting, and he does for Lucas, too.

  “But then he has to work during the night to make up for the time he’s wasted on me. I found him asleep on the couch in the sunroom this morning. The work light on his drafting table was still on.”

  “I have a feeling that happens a lot,” Meri said. “So don’t think it’s just because he’s out having fun with you.”

  “Gran’s teaching me to cook and I could keep the place clean for him and do the laundry . . .”

  Nora’s anxiety was palpable. Maybe Alden was right and there was something else going on besides normal teenage angst. But how to approach it? Meri was so out of her element here. And just look how badly she’d botched her meeting this morning.

  “There’s only a couple of months left before school is out. Then maybe you could come stay for the summer. Like a trial to see if you’d really want to go to school in Tiverton. Wouldn’t you miss all your friends?”

  “No. I don’t hang with the right people. So I’m pretty much not hanging with anyone. I hate my school.” Nora sighed heavily. “You probably think I’m an ungrateful bitch.

  “’Cause Lucas and I both go to the best academic schools, private. I know Dad pays for it. I saw the invoice.” A lightning-quick smile. “I know a lot more than they think I do.”

  Oh great, Meri thought, a snoop.

  “It’s not that I’m not grateful, but we don’t even go to the same school. It’s fine for Lucas; he’s a brainiac and he’s kind of checked out all the time anyway.”

  That didn’t sound good, but Meri let it pass.

  “I’m not. There’s nothing normal there. And next year I have to change schools again. My calculus teacher told Mom and Mark that I have an aptitude for math, so they enrolled me in a satellite school where they concentrate on math.