Meridith perched on the bed’s edge and shook his shoulders. “Max!”
He moaned and jerked his head.
She shook harder. “Max! Wake up.”
His eyes opened. They were glassy, staring sightlessly into the corner.
“Max, you were having a nightmare.”
The poor kid. It might’ve been kinder to let the nightmare continue. At least then he wouldn’t wake to the reality that his parents were indeed gone.
Max blinked, looked around the room, trying to find his bearings. His gaze lost the foggy look, then settled on Meridith.
“You were having a nightmare,” she said again, not knowing what else to say. His eyes teared up, then overflowed.
Meridith swallowed against the lump in her own throat. “It’s okay.”
She wished she had words that would erase the pain on his face.
He drew in a shuddery breath and closed his eyes. A fat tear clung to his long eyelashes.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He shook his head. Poor dear. She wished she knew what to do. Wished she were more like Rita and could just envelop him in a tight hug, but her hands lay in her lap, uncertain.
“Okay. Well. Try to get some sleep.” She eased off the mattress.
“Don’t go!” His fear-filled eyes popped open. His chubby fists clenched the quilt, then loosened, opening and closing compulsively.
“It’s okay. I’m right across the hall.”
He bolted upright, his head narrowly missing the top bunk. “Please!”
Meridith looked at the tiny twin bed. No room there, but there was a large rug beside the bed. If she grabbed her covers, she could make a pallet.
“Okay. I’ll be right back.” She went to her room, dragged the covers from the bed, and grabbed her pillow and clock. When she returned, Max was still upright, waiting.
She spread the blanket on the rug, lay down, then folded it over. Only when she was settled did Max lie back.
She listened to Ben’s soft breathing and wondered how long it would take poor Max to fall back asleep.
“Meridith?” he whispered.
“Yeah?”
“What’s heaven like?”
His quiet question echoed through her mind, searching for an answer that would put his mind at ease. “There are golden streets. And gates of pearl. It’s beautiful there.”
“And God’s there.”
“Yes. God’s there.”
He was quiet so long she thought he might have drifted off. But then he spoke. “They loved God a lot, so they’re happy to be with him, right?”
Meridith couldn’t imagine any parent being happy absent their children. Still. “Heaven is a happy place. No tears or anything . . . only joy.”
The words seemed to soothe his worries, and he fell quiet, his breaths gradually growing deeper.
She wondered about Max’s nightmare. Did he have them often? Was it normal for a child who suffered a trauma?
What did she know about kids? Normal kids, much less those who’d recently suffered a tragedy? How was she equipped to handle this? What if she did everything wrong and they ended up with a childhood as warped as her own? The anxiety knotted her insides, tensing her muscles.
She started her progressive relaxation technique, beginning with her facial muscles and working down into her torso, legs, then feet. Five minutes later her muscles were more relaxed, but her mind still fretted.
She hated this. Hated the lack of peace she’d had since coming here. She wanted life back the way it was, back to orderliness and structure. Back to her quiet world.
Beside her a deep snore erupted from Max. At least he was sleeping. Now if only she could quiet her own nightmare. After taking a few calming breaths, she began counting backward from one thousand in multiples of twenty-three.
Ten
Meridith tugged the sheet and tucked it tightly under the mattress. In the doorway, Ben ran his fingers up the painted doorframe, humming. He’d hardly left her side since he’d rolled out of bed.
The Browns’ room was tidy, the bed hardly slept in. The room still bore the lingering remnants of old lady perfume. Meridith pulled up the quilt and fluffed the pillows.
After gathering the dirty towels, she went to the laundry room to retrieve a fresh stack, Ben following. The leftover smells of cinnamon and bacon filled the house, and Meridith felt a swell of pride that breakfast had turned out so well. The Browns had raved over the cinnamon rolls and quiche Lorraine, making her efforts worthwhile. Of course, Noelle had taken one bite of her roll and pronounced it subpar to her mother’s. Meridith wasn’t about to admit it had taken her two tries to get them right.
Still, she was glad it was Saturday and she could spend the day bonding with the kids. And best of all—no Jake.
“When are we leaving?” Max stuck his head into the laundry room. He seemed to have recovered from the nightmare, especially when she’d mentioned the idea of golf lessons after breakfast. “As soon as I’m finished with the Browns’ room. Give me fifteen minutes, and would you tell Noelle to be ready?”
The girl had been in the shower half an hour, and their lessons were in thirty minutes.
None of the children had golfed before, but they seemed eager to learn. Or maybe they were eager for a distraction. Staying busy was a wonderful coping strategy.
Meridith was delivering the towels when a knock sounded at the front door. It was too early for the Browns’ return. Besides, they had a key.
Ben followed her down the steps. Max was nearly to the door.
“I’ll get it,” Meridith said. Didn’t the children have any sense of safety? He couldn’t even reach the peephole.
She leaned into the door and peeked through the hole. Jake smiled at her with that cocky grin of his.
She huffed, pulling the door. “What are you doing here?” And with tools, she thought, her gaze running over his leather tool belt.
“I work here.”
“It’s Saturday.”
“I work Saturdays.” His eyes went over her shoulder, and she heard Max shuffling his feet behind her.
“I’m sorry, I should’ve clarified the hours. Monday through Friday will do.”
“Thought you’d want that partition finished at least.”
Her mind raced back to the scare the night before when she’d heard Max scream. She did want that thing finished, but she couldn’t leave the man here without supervision. What if he robbed them blind? Robbed the Browns blind?
And staying was out of the question. The children were excited about the golf lessons, and they had to come first. Besides, she was sure the Browns were harmless.
“I’m sorry, but the children and I have plans today, so I’m afraid—”
“That’s okay!” Max said in a peculiar rush. “I mean, we can have lessons another time, right, Ben?”
“Uh, right.” Ben nodded thoughtfully, looking more grown-up than his seven years.
Strange, she’d thought they’d be disappointed.
“It’s settled then.” Jake stepped in, nudging her aside.
“Now wait a minute, I made reservations,” she said, and then addressed Ben and Max. “And boys, I think Noelle was looking forward to this.”
“I’d rather stay,” Noelle said from the stairs. Her hair had been carefully styled into a fashionable ponytail. “I mean, lessons are cool, but I’d rather just hang around here today anyway.”
Meridith eyed the kids one by one. Maybe there was a strange virus going around. Or maybe they were secretly eager to get that partition up too. Maybe after losing their parents they needed security.
Jake tossed her a smug grin and started up the stairs. So much for a peaceful day.
Meridith spent the morning doing laundry and prep work for the next day’s breakfast. She checked on Jake a few times, but couldn’t bring herself to hover as she had the day before. Even so, just having him in the house ruined her sense of serenity. She needed to make sure he wasn’t
coming the next day. Surely he didn’t work Sundays.
She made the children a simple lunch, then they disappeared upstairs again, even her tagalong. At least they were together. Their muffled laughter seeped through the ceiling as she stuffed the towels in the dryer and started the cycle.
That done, she went out back to enjoy the unseasonably warm day for a few minutes.
The grass had greened up after the rain a couple days before, and the sun shone brightly in a sky so blue it hurt her eyes. She sank into one of the Adirondack chairs on the beach and closed her eyes.
A breeze ruffled her hair and pebbled the skin on her arms. She should coax the children outside to enjoy the fresh sunshine and soak up some vitamin D. She was surprised they weren’t outside enjoying the reprieve from winter.
The waves lapped onto the shore in quiet, relentless ripples. A seagull screeched from somewhere down the shoreline, and another bird replied. She missed home, the comfort of her padded swing, her tall shade trees and scented lilac bushes. If she closed her eyes and blocked out the sound of the waves, she could almost imagine that she was back home in her garden, dozing on her swing under the tall oak—
“Hey, Meri!”
Jake’s voice shattered the illusion. She craned her head around, following the sound of his voice to an upstairs window. His elbows perched lazily on the ledge.
She glared up at him. “Meridith.”
“Wanna come take a look?”
She’d rather beat the smug grin off his face. “Be right there.”
Her bones ached as she climbed the main stairway, a repercussion of her night on the hard floor.
Just beyond the guest loft, Jake stood in front of the doorway, making some final adjustment to the latch. It looked different with the area closed off from the hall. The smell of wood and some kind of chemical hung in the air.
“What do you think?”
He’d already hung the drywall, and the patching was drying, which explained the smell.
He swung the door open, showing her the thumb-turn on the other side, then closed the door and demonstrated the lock with the key.
Thank you, Vanna. “Are both doors keyed the same?”
“Yep.” He threw her the new set of keys, and she caught it clumsily. She’d keep one set in her room and find a hiding spot in the kitchen for the other.
He gathered his tools and supplies.
Now that he was finished, maybe she could take the kids to the driving range. She could teach them how to tee off.
Jake capped the drywall compound, then walked through the new doorway toward the family suite.
“Where are you going?” Meridith followed him down the hall.
“Patching up the other partition.”
“I thought you were done.”
“If I get them both patched, they’ll be ready to sand and paint on Monday. You got any more of this green?”
“What? I don’t know.”
He trotted down the back stairway and unlocked the new door’s thumb-turn.
Meridith stopped at the top of the steps, sighing. The sooner he finished, the sooner he’d be out of her life. Out of the house, she corrected herself. That man was not in her life. From the base of the stairs she heard the scraping sound of the putty knife against the wall.
Feeling eyes on her, she turned to see the children standing in the doorway of Noelle’s room. Jake flattened the knife against the wall, filling the crevice. It was all he could do to smother a grin. He didn’t know which he’d enjoyed more, spending a couple hours alone with the kids or finding new ways to provoke Meridith. And to think he was getting paid.
Maybe once she went back outside, the kids would come down and pretend to play a game at the kitchen bar while they talked.
He could hear Meridith talking to them now, asking them about the game they’d supposedly been playing, acting all interested in their activities. If she really cared about them, she wouldn’t be ripping the kids from Summer Place just so she could go back and live happily ever after with her fiancé. And he was pretty sure that’s what she was planning.
Their voices grew louder, then Jake saw them all descending the steps. Noelle led the pack, carrying her Uno cards, followed by the boys, then Meridith.
Noelle winked on her way past.
Little imp. The kids perched at the bar, and he heard the cards being shuffled. Dipping his knife into the mud, Jake sneaked a peek. Meridith was opening the dishwasher. Great.
Ben kept turning to look at him, and Jake discreetly shook his head. Even though Meridith faced the other way, no need to be careless.
“Noelle, you haven’t said anything about your uncle lately. He hasn’t e-mailed yet?”
He felt three pairs of eyes on his back. He hoped Meridith was shelving something. Jake smoothed the mud and turned to gather more, an excuse to appraise the scene.
Meridith’s back was turned. He gave the kids a look.
“Uh, no, he hasn’t e-mailed.”
“Or called or nothing,” Max added.
Noelle silently nudged him, and Max gave an exaggerated shrug. What?
“Well, let me know when he does. I don’t want to keep pestering you.”
“Sure thing,” Noelle said, dealing the cards. Her eyes flickered toward him.
“I was thinking we might go for a bike ride this evening,” Meridith said. “Maybe go up to ’Sconset or into town. You all have bikes, right?”
“I forgot to tell you,” Noelle said. “I’m going to Lexi’s tonight. I’m spending the night.”
“Who’s Lexi?”
“A friend from church. You met her mom last week.”
A glass clinked as she placed it in the cupboard. “Noelle, I’m not sure how things were . . . before . . . but you have to ask permission for things like this. I don’t even know Lexi, much less her family.”
“I know them.”
“Have you spent the night before?”
“No, but I’ve been to her house tons of times.”
He heard a dishwasher rack rolling in, another rolling out, the dishes rattling.
“Why don’t we have her family over for dinner one night this week? I could get to know them, and then we’ll see about overnight plans.”
“This is ridiculous. They go to our church, and her mom and my mom were friends!” Noelle cast him a look. See? she said with her eyes.
Did Meridith think Eva would jeopardize her daughter’s safety? The woman was neurotic. Jake clamped his teeth together before something slipped out.
“Just because they go to church doesn’t necessarily make them safe, Noelle. It wouldn’t be responsible to let you spend the night with people I don’t know. You never know what goes on behind closed doors.”
“My mom would let me.”
The air seemed to vibrate with tension. Jake realized his knife was still, flattened against the wall, and he reached for more mud. Noelle was glaring at Meridith, who’d turned, wielding a spatula. Was she going to blow it?
To her credit, the woman drew a deep breath, holding her temper. “Maybe Lexi could stay all night with you instead.”
“Well, wouldn’t that pose a problem for her family, since they don’t know you?”
Despite his irritation with Meridith, Jake’s lips twitched. Score one for Noelle.
“I suppose that would be up to her family.”
He heard Noelle’s cards hit the table, her chair screech across the floor as she stood. “Never mind.” She cast Meridith one final glare, then exited through the back door, closing it with a hearty slam.
Eleven
A week later Meridith ran her hand over the new door trim and surveyed the paint job. The sunny yellow matched the rest of the kitchen, and the finished wall was smooth as glass.
Ben touched the wall too. He hadn’t left her side since he finished his homework.
“It’s a beautiful day outside, Ben. Why don’t you go enjoy the fresh air?”
He shrugged.
�
��Max is outside. Maybe he’ll play Frisbee with you.”
Silently Ben ambled toward the door and slipped through it.
Meridith turned her attention to the new partition, stepping back. You couldn’t tell it was new. The trim had been painted white to match the old trim, and hard as she tried, she couldn’t find a paint run anywhere. Not bad.
“Everything okay?” Jake appeared at her side.
“Would you stop sneaking up on me?” she said, unwilling to admit that the insanely loud washing machine may have disguised his entrance.
He nodded toward the partition.
She forced her eyes from his. “It’s fine.” She wasn’t about to admit she’d been admiring his handiwork. He might raise his price. “How’s the gutter coming?”
It was falling off the back of the house, its angle leaving a small pond off the back porch steps when it rained.
“All done. Have to run to the store for a few things.” He placed his hands on his hips, just above his tool belt.
She checked her watch. “You might as well call it quits for the day.” She was ready to have the house back, at least until her guests arrived.
He nodded once. “Just let me gather my—”
A sharp cry split the air, then was silenced by a thud. Meridith was out the door the next second.
She crossed the porch and found Ben near the puddle on his side. He pulled his knees into his belly, bawling.
“Ben!” Meridith pushed Piper aside and squatted beside the boy, carefully rolling him over. “What happened?”
“He fell off the ladder!” Max dropped to his knees beside his brother.
“You left the ladder up?” Meridith glared at Jake, but he was running his hand over Ben’s head.
“Don’t feel any bumps.”
“My arm!” Ben wailed.
Jake reached toward it.
“Don’t touch it!” Meridith said. “Can you move it, Ben?” She touched his arm lightly.
“Nooooo . . .”
“What happened?” Noelle appeared at her side.
“He fell,” Meridith said. “I need to get him to the ER.” Then she remembered. “The guests . . .” How were they going to get in? Someone needed to greet them. She couldn’t think with Ben howling.
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