Driftwood Lane

by Denise Hunter

  “Can we come live with you?”

  Meridith’s heart cracked in two.

  “But I miss you and I don’t want to move to St. Louis. Noelle said there’s no ocean there or nothing, and Mom and Dad are here. They wouldn’t want us to leave them all alone.” His voice cracked.

  Meridith turned from the door and tiptoed to her room. It was true—you heard nothing good when you eavesdropped. She closed the door quietly behind her.

  The children didn’t want her. She’d come here because they’d needed her, because she wanted them cared for until their uncle returned.

  Well, he’d returned all right. And he was nothing like she’d thought. She was so confused. Maybe she should call Rita. But she was too drained to review it all. Anyway, God knew what she was dealing with, no explanations required.

  She fell onto the bed and stared at the white ceiling. “What am I supposed to do?”

  She wasn’t sure what she expected. A burning bush would’ve been nice. She’d settle for an audible voice or a vision or anything except the silence that rang through her room.

  She thought back to the phone call she’d received in the middle of Delmonico’s kitchen, to the shock that her father was gone, that he’d left her custody of his kids. So much had changed, but one thing remained the same: she still wanted what was best for the children. She’d initially thought that was their uncle, then she’d become convinced it was her.

  But maybe she was wrong. Maybe Jake was the better guardian for them. The kids thought so. Jake must think so too. He’d gone to great lengths to stay near them. He could keep them here on the island, if not in Summer Place, provide them with stability. That was her goal all along, wasn’t it?

  She forced the words out. “Are they better off with Jake, God?”

  But if that were true, why had she been her father’s first choice?

  She was glad he’d left them to her. No matter what came of this mess, she was better for having come, for knowing her siblings. Her father had left her the precious gift of his children. Was she now supposed to relinquish them, after she’d grown so attached to them?

  But maybe the children weren’t the gift after all. Maybe the changes they’d caused in her were the real gift. Her breath stopped on the threshold of her lungs.

  That’s it, isn’t it? The children aren’t mine to keep. They were only mine for a season. They belong to their Uncle Jake, and he belongs to them.

  The influx of air stretched her lungs, pressed against the hollow spot. Meridith set her fist on her stomach. A knot swelled in her throat, aching and burning. She didn’t realize how much she’d come to love the children until just now, when she thought of giving them up, of leaving them, and she wondered how she could bear to lose them when they’d only just become a family.

  Forty-six

  Jake trudged up the apartment stairs and fumbled in the darkness for his key. When he opened the door, the stale smell of warm air greeted him. He flipped on the air-conditioning and pulled off his work boots.

  Wyatt was right, Comfort Heating and Plumbing was busy, and Jake was never more glad for it. He’d worked from sunup until bedtime right through the weekend. It helped keep his mind occupied, kept him from dwelling on where Meridith was, what she was doing, what she was thinking, if she’d listened to his messages. It was enough to drive a man insane.

  The message light flashed on his phone, and despite all reason, his hopes bobbed upward like a sunken buoy. He pushed the button and waited for the machine’s recording to give way to the caller’s voice.

  “Hi, this is Meridith.” The formal tone of her voice tempered his hope.

  “After reflecting on the situation, I believe it’s in the children’s best interest to grant you guardianship. I’ve contacted the attorney who handled my father’s will, and a hearing at the probate court on Broad Street has been scheduled for this Wednesday at three o’clock to transfer the guardianship and sign the documents.”

  What?

  “Unfortunately, the contracts for Summer Place have been signed, but the proceeds, what little there is, will go to the children. The closing is set for the end of June, so I imagine you’ll want to stay here until then. My flight to St. Louis is scheduled for Wednesday after the hearing, so I’ll bring the children with me and you can—you can take them from there.” She cleared her throat, and the tremor he’d thought he heard in her voice disappeared. “I guess that’s all. If you have any questions, they can be directed to the attorney . . .” She left his name and number, then hung up.

  Jake played the message again, catching the details this time. She was leaving the kids to him? Leaving them here? He swiped the phone off the table, and it hit the wall with a thump.

  This wasn’t what he wanted. Yes, he wanted the kids, but not at Meridith’s expense; they needed her. He needed her. Hadn’t she listened to his messages? Didn’t she know he loved her? If only he could make her believe it.

  How had his resolve to get the kids ended in such disaster? With him losing Meridith, with her losing the kids and going back to her lonely life clear across the country.

  Or would it be lonely? Now that the kids were out of the picture, was she planning to reunite with Stephen? That thought set him on a disturbing path that winded and curved its way to an ugly dead end.

  Would Meridith go back to that after what they’d shared? It seemed inconceivable.

  He had to do something. Something to make Meridith see how sorry he was. To see that he loved her, that they belonged together, all of them.

  The phone rang, and Jake retrieved it from behind the TV, surprised it still worked. Maybe it was Meridith. She wouldn’t get voice mail this time.

  “Hello.”

  “Uncle J, it’s Noelle, guess what?”

  He stuffed down the disappointment. “I know, I heard.”

  “We get to live with you! I’m so happy! I mean, I know we’ll still lose Summer Place, but at least we’ll be together, and we’ll get to stay on the island, that’s the important thing.”

  He thought of Meridith telling the children, how happy they must’ve been at the news, how hurt Meridith must’ve felt at their reaction. Didn’t the kids have a single heart among them? Didn’t they see how much Meridith had done for them, how much she’d sacrificed for them—was sacrificing even now to give them what they thought they wanted?

  “Uncle J, isn’t it great?” Noelle was saying. “We can be together now!”

  He tempered his frustration. “I need to talk to you kids. Not over the phone, in person, and someplace we can be alone.”

  “Why? What’s wrong?”

  The kids were out of school now, and Meridith kept such a close eye on them. “Where can we meet before Wednesday? What are your plans tomorrow?”

  “We’re going to Rita’s to swim in the afternoon.”

  “Is Meridith going?”

  “She has an appointment with the attorney. That’s why we’re going to Rita’s.”

  Maybe it would work. “All right. Don’t say anything to the boys.

  I’ll try to be there.”

  “All right . . .” He could hear the shrug in her voice.

  Jake retrieved the phone from the floor and set it back on the table, feeling more hopeful than he’d felt in days.

  Forty-seven

  Meridith knew Wednesday would arrive, but she’d no more than blinked and she was walking into the courtroom with the children in tow. Her eyes scanned the rows of empty seats, the tables up front. Jake wasn’t there yet. Instead of calming her, his absence produced more adrenaline.

  Over the past weeks she’d become accustomed to his presence, and the recent days had been like withdrawal. Maybe she didn’t recognize him for who he was while he’d been with her, but she recognized the changes his presence had brought about. Changes in her.

  She went forward and took a seat behind one of the tables, and the children seated themselves behind her. She could hardly look them in the eye. Could hardly b
ear their excitement.

  They’d been quiet. Their anger seemed to have drained away in the wake of her announcement two days prior. That was something. At least, that’s what she tried to tell herself as she smoothed her blouse and checked the buttons on her jacket.

  She laced her fidgety hands on the wood table, then checked her watch. She was a couple minutes early. Eager to get this over with, and yet . . .

  She heard Max behind her, swinging his feet under the bench, his shoestrings tapping against his shoes. An ache swelled inside so great it felt as if it would consume her. She would miss them so much.

  “Where’s Jake?” Ben whispered.

  “Shhhh,” Noelle said.

  Their voices echoed through the big empty room.

  What was she going to do without them? Without Max’s dimpled grin, Benny’s hugs? She’d even miss Noelle’s sassy comebacks. She’d never see them after today. They would go on living separate lives. How could she bear it?

  Meridith tightened her clasped fingers. She had to stop thinking about it. Come six o’clock she’d be on a plane bound for home and she could cry her eyes out if she wanted. But for now, she wouldn’t think ahead to what awaited her in St. Louis. Or rather, what didn’t await her.

  With the children out of the picture, Stephen would no doubt come knocking on her door. But as quickly as the thought formed, she dismissed the notion. How could she settle for the backyard when she’d experienced the world?

  And yet, how could she embrace the world when it was so big, so scary, so dangerous? One day at a time, Meridith. All she needed was a secure foundation, and she had that. Everything else was a bonus.

  A door creaked behind her, and she heard the children rustle in their seats. She wouldn’t turn. Couldn’t look.

  God, help me.

  Her heart lodged in her throat, a huge throbbing mass. She heard Jake’s familiar footsteps echo through the room, getting closer. Would he stop at her table?

  The footsteps drew closer, closer, and Meridith thought she’d stop breathing. But then his steps faded and a chair nearby squawked as he settled into it. She tried to tell herself she wasn’t disappointed, but that didn’t explain the profound emptiness that welled up inside her.

  Another door opened, this one at the front of the courtroom. The judge appeared, a bailiff. The black robe swooped over the judge’s rotund form. He took a seat, then called the court to order, his jowls shaking.

  This was it. It was really happening. It was the right thing for the kids. They were staying here with their uncle where they could visit their parents’ graves and keep their friends and have the stability she was unable to provide.

  In her peripheral vision, she saw Jake shift in his chair, and she could swear she smelled the familiar woodsy scent of him. She stopped midbreath and waited a few seconds, hoping the air would clear.

  Was he looking her way? But why would he? He was getting what he wanted. Meridith had only been a means to an end. She had to pull the plug on these silly feelings. They were unreciprocated. Would she ever get that through her head?

  The bailiff was saying something, and Meridith blinked away the thoughts. She had to pay attention, or she was going to make a bigger fool of herself than she already had.

  When she was called to the stand, she stood and approached on shaky legs. The bailiff swore her in, then she took a seat on the hard bench. She curled her fingers around the bench’s ledge and hung on for dear life.

  “Ms. Meridith Ward,” the judge began in his gravelly voice. “You are currently the legal guardian of Noelle, Maxwell, and Benjamin Ward?” He eyed her over bifocals.

  “Yes, Your Honor.”

  “And you wish to decline guardianship?”

  No! her mind refuted. Where was her courage? She cleared her throat. “Yes, Your Honor.”

  “As stated in the will of Terrance James Ward, if you decline guardianship of your siblings, the children’s uncle, Mr. Jacob Walker, is to be offered guardianship. Is that your intention here today?”

  Her eyes flickered toward Jake. He was breathtakingly handsome in a dark suit and tie. His eyes caught hers, deep and shadowed, a look of gravity in them she hadn’t seen before. It took all her resolve to tear her gaze away.

  “Yes.” The word shook, a tiny tremor from the earthquake inside.

  “You’re declining guardianship of your own free will, under no duress from Mr. Walker or anyone else?”

  “Yes, Your Honor.”

  “Very well, you may take your seat.”

  Meridith returned to her place behind the table. Do not look at the children. Do not look at Jake. She was going to lose it if she did.

  She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She was going to bust soon. Breathe. In. Out.

  Almost over. It was almost over.

  Jake was called to the stand. He stood and walked past, and she realized belatedly that her seat put her directly in front of the witness stand. How was she going to avoid eye contact now?

  Her eyes found a scratch on the table, a pale sliver in the honey-stained wood.

  The bailiff moved toward Jake. “In the testimony you’re about to give, do you solemnly swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

  “I do.” Jake’s rich voice rang out loud and clear.

  The bailiff retreated.

  The scar on the table seemed to stretch longer. Meridith traced the line. The edges of the groove dug into the pad of her finger.

  “Mr. Jacob Walker,” the judge began. “You’re the uncle of the children present here in the courtroom today . . .” Papers shuffled. “. . . Noelle, Maxwell, and Benjamin Ward?”

  “Yes, Your Honor.”

  “These are the children of your sister, Eva Ward, and your brother-in-law, Terrance James Ward, who left custody to Meridith Ward?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “As you’ve heard in Ms. Ward’s testimony, she is declining guardianship of these children. As per the stipulations in your sister’s will, you are to be offered the legal guardianship of the Ward children. Mr. Walker, do you accept the role of guardian for these children and all the responsibilities that accompany that role?”

  “No, Your Honor, I don’t.”

  Meridith’s eyes darted to Jake. He was staring straight at her. She’d misheard.

  The judge cleared his throat. “Mr. Walker, perhaps you misunderstood the question. Do you wish to be guardian of the children?”

  “No, Your Honor, I don’t,” Jake said clearly.

  She didn’t understand. What was he doing? The children— “Mr. Walker—”

  “Not unless . . .” Jake lowered his voice. “Not unless Meridith Ward agrees to stay.” His gaze beat a path to her heart. “In fact, not unless Ms. Ward agrees to marry me. Only then will I agree to share guardianship of the kids.”

  What? Meridith’s mind couldn’t assimilate the facts. But the love shining from Jake’s eyes said more than his words. Her eyes burned.

  “As it turns out,” Jake continued slowly, staring right into Meridith’s eyes, “I’m wildly, madly, and passionately in love with Ms. Ward, and I want us to be a real family.”

  “Me too!” Benny said loudly.

  “Me three,” Max called.

  “Ditto.”

  Noelle. Even Noelle. Had they known? She turned and looked at the children. Noelle’s eyes were teary. Benny and Max stared back, hope and worry lining their faces.

  She turned back to Jake, got caught in his eyes. He blurred in front of her. Her lip trembled, and she bit it still.

  The judge cleared his throat. “I see. This is most unusual. Well, I think a recess might be in order. Would you like to take a moment, Ms. Ward?”

  He loved her. Jake loved her and wanted to—

  Could she find the courage to love, to walk in uncertainty? To risk being hurt? She knew her foundation was stable. Everything else she had to take one day at a time, right?

  “Ms. Ward?�
��

  “Uh . . . yes. A recess, please.”

  The judge and bailiff exited, and Jake stood. She watched all six feet of him close the gap between them. Somewhere behind her, the children were as quiet as fireflies.

  Meridith stood, her legs trembling beneath her.

  And then Jake was there, standing in front of her, his solemn brown eyes shining. “I’m so sorry, Meri. I was a jerk. I’m sorry I hurt you, sorry for everything.”

  He took her chin in his hand. “And I do love you,” he whispered. “I want you to be my wife. Not for the kids, but because I want you with me every day for the rest of my life.”

  It was enough. More than enough. She swallowed hard. “I want that too. So much.”

  Jake drew her close, his lips brushing across hers, the softest of touches. She ran her fingers along his freshly shaven jaw and savored the feel of him, the smell of him, the taste of him.

  Feelings could be good. So good. The ones coursing through her at the moment were off the scale. He could stir her up, no doubt. Yet his love had a way of calming her fears, soothing her worries. It seemed illogical that he could do both.

  From the edge of consciousness, whispers intruded.

  “Are they fiancéd now?”

  “Engaged.”

  “Well, are they?”

  “What d’you think, runt?”

  Meridith pulled away, her lips curving into a smile that mirrored Jake’s.

  “Yeah, little man,” Jake said, not taking his eyes from Meridith.

  “We’re engaged.”

  Before he finished speaking, they were swallowed by the children’s arms.

  “I’m sorry,” Noelle whispered in Meridith’s ear. “I’m sorry I was so mean and that I lied to you.”

  “We’re all sorry,” Max said. “We acted like spoiled brats.”

  “It’s okay.” Everything was okay now. More than okay.

  “I love you, Meridith,” Max said.

  “Me too,” Ben said.

  “I love you guys too.” She wouldn’t have to leave them. Would get to see them tomorrow and every day afterward.

  Even while happiness flooded her soul, a lone thought dampened her spirits. “Summer Place,” she said. “After all this, we’re going to lose their home.”