Breakwater Bay

by Shelley Noble

  “That’s fine. You know all you have to do is call me. I’ll come get you.”

  “Thanks. Actually, Dad, there is something . . .”

  Alden waited.

  “When we were up in Boston, I met this guy who was staying at our hotel.”

  “What kind of guy?”

  “He was about my age. He and his parents were on their way to visit this high school. And get this. It specializes in the sciences.”

  “Sounds interesting,” Alden said.

  “It really does. I mean, it seriously specializes in science. I thought maybe this summer we could check it out? I mean, it might be too expensive, but could we just go see?”

  “Sure, but what about summer camp?”

  “Lame; I’d rather be home with you.”

  Home. Hell. What had he been thinking. “So tell me about this school.”

  He could hear the enthusiasm in his son’s voice. Something he hadn’t heard in a long time. Something he intended hearing for a long time to come. Whatever it took.

  “Sounds like a plan. Would you have to board?”

  “Yeah. It’s not exactly a commute from New Haven or even Little Compton.”

  “And you’d be all right with that?”

  “Yeah. Besides, I thought I could come to your house on the weekends . . . if that’s okay.”

  “More than okay.”

  “So we could go see it?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Alden heard a car honk in the background.

  “I gotta go. Love you, Dad.”

  “Love you, too. Call me and let me know how your project is going.”

  “Okay, Dad, thanks.”

  Now as he waited for his train, Alden was tempted to call his son again, but he didn’t want either of his children to think he was going behind Mark’s and Jennifer’s backs.

  He wasn’t about to start anything with Jennifer. He looked up at the clock—still a few minutes. He called Mark.

  He picked up immediately. “Alden?”

  “Mark. I’ve been thinking and I wanted to talk to you first about having Nora finish the school year with me. I thought it would be better if Nora was with her mother, but I was wrong, obviously. Lucas seems fine but I want Nora back. Lucas, too, if he wants that. I’ll take you to court if necessary.”

  “That won’t be necessary, Alden. Jennifer is overwhelmed. She’s taking it out on Nora. I think you’re absolutely right. I’ll ask Lucas what he wants to do, unless you want to talk to him yourself.”

  “We’ve talked a bit, but I’ll touch base with him again later; now how do you want to arrange this?” The tinny announcement of Alden’s train departure blared through the station.

  “Just tell Nora I’m sorry things have gotten so out of hand and I’ll send her some clothes and things and you guys can pick up the rest later.”

  “Why don’t you tell her yourself? I’m sure she’d feel better knowing someone there was sympathetic.”

  “You’re right. Put her on.”

  A cold sliver of fear shot up Alden’s spine. “What do you mean, put her on?”

  “Isn’t Nora with you?”

  “God no, I’m in Manhattan.” Alden began walking toward the stairs to the train. “Where is she?”

  “Oh Lord. She ran away; I thought that was why you were calling.”

  “No, what the hell? How long?”

  The phone connection began to drop out.

  “She didn’t come home on the bus. When I called the school, they said she hadn’t been there since lunch. There’s some money missing out of Jennifer’s purse. She was pretty upset.”

  “Is Lucas with her?”

  “What? I can’t hear you?”

  “Is Lucas there, or is he with Nora?”

  Alden began running down the stairs and another announcement drowned out Mark’s answer. Then the call was dropped.

  For a second he considered running back upstairs and calling again, but he would miss the train and he was pretty sure she would go home, and not to Manhattan. Had he even mentioned where he was staying?

  So he found a seat and waited impatiently for the train to leave the station.

  What had Mark said? She’d taken some money. Hopefully enough to take a train to Providence. Then what? A bus to Newport or—God, she wouldn’t try to hitchhike home, would she?

  Finally the doors shut and the train jerked forward. It seemed to take hours until the train finally slid aboveground.

  All around him people reached for their cell phones and Alden did, too.

  “Sorry, I was in the tunnel,” he said when Mark answered on the first ring. “Where is Lucas?”

  “He’s right here; I’ll put him on.”

  “Did you find her?” Lucas asked.

  “Not yet. But I’m on the train back home. Did she tell you anything about what she was doing?”

  “No. I swear, I didn’t know anything about it. You’ve gotta find her.”

  “I will. Make sure Mark calls me if she comes back. I have to hang up now. I’m going to call Therese and Meri and tell them to watch out for her.”

  The first thing he did was call his hotel to tell them if his daughter showed up to keep her there.

  It began raining, the heavy drops making slashing marks across the windows. Alden had been wrestling with the idea of renting a car when the train changed over at New Haven and driving the rest of the way. But rain invariably led to traffic jams and accidents. It could take hours to get home.

  Nora might already be there, if she got there at all. He couldn’t help but imagine all the horrible things that could happen to a teenage girl out in the world alone.

  And here he was stuck on the train.

  Meri bustled the shivering girl into her apartment and straight to the bathroom. “You get out of those wet clothes. I’ll see if I have something for you to wear.”

  “I have clothes in my backpack.”

  “Then put them on. Or take a hot shower if you want. I’m calling your father.”

  “Wait.”

  Meri stopped at the door, her cell phone in her hand as another rainy night not so long ago rose in her mind. The night she had showed up at Alden’s door and he’d thrust her in the shower and left dry clothes on his bed.

  “Are you angry?”

  Meri took a calming breath, while thousands of horror stories rushed through her mind. “I’m not angry. I’m freaked out that you actually ran away. Why did you do it?”

  The girl’s bottom lip quivered. Her words were barely audible. “I wanted to come home.”

  And Meri’s heart melted. She knew just how Nora felt. The peninsula would always be her home, too. “It’s okay,” Meri said. “But you have to promise not to do that again.”

  “I won’t go back.”

  Meri glanced at her phone. Alden had called her at least five times and she’d been at the pub and not heard the ring. She needed to call him and let him know Nora was okay. But Nora needed to be okay before she talked to him.

  “Get dressed. I’ll heat up my leftover hamburger for you. It’s the best I can do at the moment. You’re lucky that Mike’s serves the largest burgers in Newport.”

  Nora closed the bathroom door and Meri went to the kitchen, deliberating on whether to call Alden right away or wait until she had found out from Nora what was really wrong.

  She decided on a compromise. She redialed Alden’s number.

  He picked it up on the first ring. “Meri?” His voice sounded so strained that it frightened her.

  “She’s here at my apartment. Everything is fine.”

  “It’s not fine. What the hell was she—Let me talk to her.”

  “She’s in the shower. When she gets out—What’s that noise? Where are you?”

  “On the train. We just changed over at New Haven. I should be there in an hour and a half.”

  “Fine. I’d better order takeout.”

  “Meri.”

  “Have you eaten?”

&n
bsp; “No.”

  “Neither has Nora, and I’m quickly working up a new appetite. And while you’re on the train, can you work on being calm and not panic-stricken when you get here?”

  “Is she . . . ?”

  “She said she wanted to come home. I’m going to attempt a little girl talk while we wait. You just stay calm.”

  “Goddammit.”

  “See? Not helpful. I’ve got to go. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her.” Just like you’ve always taken care of me. She hung up, astonished at her realization. Maybe Alden had always taken care of her because he wanted to, not just because he’d promised.

  Because he cared about her, like she cared about Nora—and him.

  She stuck her burger in the microwave and reached for her folder of take-out menus.

  “Did you call Dad?” Nora stood in her bedroom doorway looking apprehensive. She’d changed into dry clothes and towel-dried her hair, which now stuck up in black spikes.

  “Yes, just to let him know you’re safe.”

  “What did he say? Is he coming to get me?”

  “Yes. He was already on his way. He should be here in a little over an hour.”

  “Was he pissed?”

  “No, Nora. He was frightened.”

  “I am so fucked.”

  “If you use that kind of language around your dad, you will be.” Meri smiled slightly. “He once threatened to wash my mouth out with soap. I don’t know where he gets some of his antiquated notions. Gran never even threatened me with that.”

  “He uses those words . . . sometimes.”

  “He’s the grown-up. He’s allowed lapses.”

  “If he sends me back, I’ll just run away again.”

  The microwave dinged. “Save it for your dad. Eat this and we’ll order real food when Alden gets here.” Meri slid the foam container to the breakfast bar.

  Nora finally came into the room, pulled out a stool, and sat down. Meri got out two bottles of water and let her eat.

  When she’d polished off everything but a slice of dill pickle, Meri motioned her over to the couch.

  “Where’s your phone?”

  “She took it away.”

  “Your mother?”

  Nora nodded.

  Meri handed Nora hers. “Call and tell them you’re fine.”

  Nora shook her head.

  “I’m not fine.”

  Meri’s heart began to race. “You’re not pregnant, are you?”

  Nora grimaced. “Of course not; I’m not stupid.”

  “Stupidity doesn’t cause pregnancy. Unprotected sex does.”

  “Ewww. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Fine. Neither do I. Just checking. Now call.” Meri shoved her cell phone at her.

  “I’ll call Lucas.”

  “Fine, just call somebody and let them know you’re okay.”

  Nora made the call. Her brother had plenty to say, but Nora put him off. “I’m okay. Tell Mom and Mark and tell them . . . tell them I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. Bye.” She hung up. Handed the phone back to Meri.

  “So what did bring you back?”

  “I told you. I wanted to come home.”

  Meri was out of her element. Usually Alden was in the mentor place and she was in Nora’s. She suddenly realized how hard it was.

  While she was wondering how to shape the conversation, Nora did it for her. “Why didn’t he fight for us more? He was the one who always stayed home. When Lucas and I were little, she was always going off to Manhattan or Boston with her friends.

  “Even when she was home, she was always shopping, or playing tennis, or getting her hair or her nails done. She never stayed home with us. Daddy drove us to school and lessons and sports and concerts; he gave us baths, and he read the bedtime stories.”

  Probably because he saw the writing on the wall, even then. Jennifer had not been the soul mate people like Alden needed. She was demanding, his children needed him, and God forgive her, Meri had made her own demands.

  And he’d done it all. Why hadn’t he sent Jennifer packing—and Meri, too?

  “Why did he let us go?”

  Why had he? Meri thought she knew. “Remember once you told me he was overprotective because his mother left him when he was a boy?”

  Nora nodded; there was a smear of ketchup at the corner of her mouth that made her look much younger than sixteen.

  Meri waited for Nora to make the connection. It didn’t take long.

  “He didn’t want us to grow up without a mother.” Nora’s eyes rounded. “I didn’t think about that. And I’ve been so mean to him.”

  Meri tossed her a napkin. “He’s a smart man. I think he knows how much you really love him.”

  “Will you talk to him, tell him not to send me back? I won’t be any trouble. I’ll make good grades and I can cook—a little—but I can learn, and I can clean. I do know how to do that.”

  Meri smiled.

  “It’s too bad he didn’t marry you. At least you get him.”

  The smile froze on Meri’s face then gradually slid away. “Nora, I was thirteen when your dad married Jennifer.”

  Nora flopped back on the couch. “But you aren’t now. I know he needs to find . . . somebody. But what if he finds the wrong one and it happens all over again?”

  “Is that why you ran away?” Was Alden thinking about marrying again? He’d never mentioned anyone he was seeing. Meri didn’t even think he was seeing someone. But surely he must be on all those trips to Manhattan. She didn’t for a minute think he’d been celibate all these years. But she really didn’t want to think about him not being celibate. And there was that music playing in the background of her call earlier that day.

  “I’m sure he won’t make any sudden changes.” Like out of the blue announcing he was selling Corrigan House? Like moving to Manhattan? Music playing in the background?

  He never listened to music, said it drowned out the sound of the waves. He wouldn’t be hearing any waves in Manhattan.

  She risked a look at Nora. Nora was looking back at her, and it was pretty clear they were both thinking the same thing.

  But not for the same reasons.

  It was closer to two hours before Alden showed up. There had been an accident on I-95. When he hadn’t arrived after an hour and a half, Meri ordered food, checked to make sure she had ice cubes, and got out the bottle of Glenlivet she kept for him in the cabinet.

  When the buzzer sounded the first time, Meri and Nora both jumped, even though they knew it was the delivery boy. The second buzzer went off just minutes later.

  Meri and Nora stood while they waited for Alden to come up the stairs. Still they jumped again when he knocked on the door. They exchanged a look and the tension suddenly broke. They started to laugh, so that when the door opened, Alden was greeted by two women struggling to keep their composure.

  Until he stepped over the threshold—one look at his face sobered them immediately.

  “Daddy? I’m sorry.” Nora fell into his arms.

  Meri went to pour him a drink.

  She came back with a tumbler of ice and scotch and handed it to Alden. “Dinner will be served on the coffee table.” She went back to the kitchen to take the containers out of the warming oven.

  “But I can stay?”

  “Yes. I’ve talked to Mark. He agrees that you should finish the school year here—with me.”

  “Yes!” Nora exclaimed.

  “But don’t think acting out like this is going to get you anything but grounded. Which by the way you are.”

  She shook her head. “I just didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

  “Okay, it’s done. But you’re still grounded.”

  “Fine. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

  “So am I; go help Meri with the food. I’m sitting down while I book us a hotel suite and try to recover the ten years I just lost worrying about where the hell you were.”

  “We could stay with Mer
i.”

  Alden caught Meri’s eye. “I think it would be a case of overkill.” He pulled out his phone.

  The three of them polished off all the food in record time, but it was one o’clock before Alden pulled a weary Nora to her feet. “Go get your stuff.”

  Nora yawned and wandered into the bedroom.

  Alden turned to Meri. “I’ll come by in the morning to talk to Doug. Then we’ll probably drive out to the house to see what condition it’s in and I’ll pick up whatever supplies and equipment I’ll need to work at the site.”

  “You’re still doing the project?”

  “Of course. Would I let you down?”

  “No, never, but I thought maybe with Nora here . . .”

  “When are you going to learn?”

  “Alden, I—”

  “You can put me to work, too,” Nora said as she dragged her backpack through the doorway.

  Alden slipped it over her shoulders and nudged her into the hall. “You’re going to school. Somewhere.” He looked at Meri.

  She shrugged. “Tiverton?” She lowered her voice. “Or are you going to take her to Manhattan?”

  He shook his head.

  Resigned to staying, Meri thought. She was glad, but it wasn’t fair. “You have to do what’s good for you, too.”

  He gave her a tired half smile. “Thanks, thanks for being here for Nora—and for me.” He pulled her close, and Meri gave into his hug: the comfort of it, the strength, the familiarity. And she wondered if maybe they had all been right, that Peter wasn’t the right man for her.

  Alden pulled away but held on to her shoulders. “Get some sleep. See you in the morning. When do you start?”

  “Around nine, usually, but you don’t have to be there that early,” she said, trying to clear the fog that had descended on her brain.

  “See you then.”

  Meri nodded. She suddenly felt very tired. “Night. Night, Nora.

  “Ni-ight,” Nora returned in a singsong voice and a smug smile.

  Meri waited while father and daughter walked down the stairs to the street, then she closed the door. Between work and Nora, she was tired. And confused. After Carlyn’s talk about being simpatico, Meri felt it, too. Had always felt it. Hadn’t known exactly what it was. Wasn’t sure she knew now.

  But she did know one thing. She wanted Alden to love her for herself and not because she was an obligation. She wanted Alden . . . And Peter? What did she want from him?