by Susan Wiggs
The daughter entered the house first, and one look at her dashed all Beth’s hopes. She might be twelve but she looked much older. The ends of her hair were green and everything else was black, including her lips and her fingernails. She had on a black T-shirt, black jeans and a black backpack.
“Who are you?” the girl demanded, glaring at Beth.
The man who stepped in after her looked tired and irritated.
Beth forced herself to smile and stepped forward to offer her hand. “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”
Two
Mary Jane: I’ve always believed that things happen for a reason. God doesn’t close a door without opening a window.
Beth: Unfortunately a seagull just flew in that open window and pooped right on the carpet.
“Just exactly who are you?” Nikki snapped, narrowing her eyes at the woman and the boy as if she worked for the FBI.
“Nikki,” John muttered, “I’ll ask the questions.” This wasn’t his day. Or his month. Or his year, for that matter. He looked at the woman and asked, “Just exactly who are you?”
“I’m Beth Graham and this is my son, Paul.” Her voice shook with nerves, but she met his gaze squarely. “We’re friends of the Reynolds family.”
“Ah.”
“Who?” Nikki frowned, glancing up at him.
“Perhaps I could put on a pot of coffee and we could talk this out,” Beth suggested, pushing her bangs away from her forehead. “We just arrived ourselves and…oh, dear, this is something of a mess.”
“You were planning to share the house with Dave Reynolds and his family?” John asked, thinking the situation was becoming far too complicated. He’d gotten a call around eight the night before from the company president, who’d asked him to fill in on this assignment. John had agreed, but really, what choice did he have when it was coming from Schumacher himself?
Then there was Nikki, who made spending a month away from her friends sound as if he was dragging her off to boot camp.
Now this.
“They aren’t staying here, are they, Dad?” If it was up to his daughter, she’d throw them out on their ear without giving the matter a second thought. He found himself annoyed with her lack of patience, her lack of compassion. Then again, if he was going to complain about Nikki’s failings, he should look to his own. He’d been a rotten husband, and now it seemed he wasn’t much of a father.
“Yes, why don’t we all sit down and talk this out,” John said, wondering just how uncomfortable this was likely to get. Dave’s accident was unfortunate, but it wasn’t John’s fault the man had taken a tumble from his roof. Frankly he wasn’t interested in playing host to a couple of strangers just because Dave had decided to play handyman by repairing a broken skylight.
The four of them moved into the kitchen, and Nikki threw herself into a seat at the breakfast nook as if sitting down in a civilized manner required too much effort. Paul slipped in across from her and the two eyed each other warily.
Beth and her son might have arrived only a few minutes ahead of him, but John was impressed with how quickly she located everything they needed for coffee.
With her back to him, she explained the situation. “Mary Jane and I are friends from high school.”
“Mary Jane is Dave’s wife?” he asked. “I think I met her at the company Christmas party.”
Beth nodded. “When Mary Jane learned Dave would be spending a month in Seattle, she researched rental houses and found this one. It was cheaper to rent Rainshadow Lodge than for Dave to stay alone in a hotel room for the month. Seeing that there are five bedrooms—”
“And a huge TV room,” Paul inserted.
“—she asked Paul and me to join them.”
“We’ve been planning it since last March,” Paul added, his voice betraying his disappointment. “It’s the first time we’ve gotten away since my dad died.”
John watched as Beth gave her son a gentle look that said she’d do the explaining.
“But, Mom, he needs to know how much we’ve been looking forward to this! I must’ve read five books about Seattle and the San Juans and—”
“Paul, please.”
“It’s a really big house,” her son said. “They wouldn’t even know we were here.” He turned to John. “We’ve got trips planned for practically every day, and Mom signed us up for kayaking lessons this week, and then there’s the Sol Duk Hot Springs and a trip to Victoria, British Columbia—I’ve never been to Canada. And…and we’re gonna visit the Seattle Aquarium and the Pike Place Market and ride the ferry. We were even going to take a drive up to Hurricane Ridge. Did you know there are mountains in Washington State that have never even been explored?”
John watched as Beth’s cheeks flushed pink. Clearly her son’s outburst had embarrassed her. She was around his own age, he guessed, and attractive. The realization caught him by surprise. It’d been a long while since he thought of a woman in those terms. For the past three years he’d done his best to ignore the opposite sex altogether. His own wife had left him for a man she’d met on the Internet. Even now, just thinking about Lorraine and her cyberspace boyfriend tightened his jaw. The fact that she’d actually divorce him for a man she’d never met face-to-face had deeply scored his pride. But apparently it was a match made in cyberheaven, because the two of them appeared blissfully content. Within a month of exchanging their first e-mail messages, Lorraine had left her husband and daughter—lover boy didn’t like kids—and moved to Philadelphia. Once the divorce was final, Lorraine had remarried within a week.
“My mom’s a really wonderful cook and she could fix all the meals.”
“Paul!” She cast John an apologetic look. The color in her cheeks had splotched her neck now. “I’m sorry. Paul’s disappointed and, well, I can see it’d be best if we found other accommodations.”
The teenager wasn’t the only one who felt disappointed, John suspected. Beth’s shoulders sagged slightly and the luster was gone from her eyes. This was one hell of a predicament.
“Is there someplace else you can stay?” he asked, and immediately wanted to grab back the question. He already knew the answer. He’d been told that the island’s population doubled in the summer months. A drive through town hadn’t revealed a single vacancy sign.
“I’m sure there is,” she said bravely, reassuring him with a smile. “We’ll call for a taxi and be out of your hair within the hour.”
It would have helped if she wasn’t so damned gallant about it. Only moments earlier he’d been irritated with Nikki for her lack of understanding, and now he found himself behaving without charity. A widow and her kid, no less.
“Hold on,” John said. Sighing, he buried his hands in his pants pockets. There was only one decent thing to do, not that he liked it. He didn’t, no way, but he couldn’t see any other alternative.
Paul’s eyes widened with gratitude. “You mean we can stay?”
“Ah…” John hesitated. All he’d intended to offer was the night.
“You won’t be sorry,” the boy insisted. “We can earn our keep. Mom can cook and I’ll clean up around the place, mow the lawn and—”
“Paul,” Beth said, raising her voice slightly. “I think it’d be best if Dr. Livingstone and I discussed this privately.”
Her son accepted her words with good grace, turned to Nikki and said, “You wanna see the upstairs?”
“Sure,” Nikki replied, showing the first signs of life since they’d arrived.
The two kids left the room, and Beth waited until they were out of earshot. “I am so sorry,” she murmured, handing him a mug of freshly brewed coffee.
“Sorry?” He didn’t understand why she felt the need to apologize.
“Paul makes it sound like we’re…”
He watched her as she searched for the right word.
“…desperate,” she said finally.
“You cook?” He walked to the table and claimed a chair, and she sat down on the bench.
“I’
m a caterer, or I was until two years ago. I quit work after my husband was killed, but I have a job now, or I will starting in September.”
John took a restorative sip of coffee while he mulled things over. It boded well that Nikki and Paul seemed to get along, although it was too early to know for sure. He’d never been comfortable with the idea of leaving his daughter alone every day while he went to work. He’d be taking the new direct-to-Seattle ferry, which meant an hour’s commute each way. Then there was all the time he’d actually be spending in the city.
“Listen,” Beth said, smiling brightly, “this has been a shock, but once Paul and I get our bearings, we’ll be out of your hair. I apologize for any inconvenience we might have caused you.”
John stared into the dark rich coffee before he spoke. “Let’s not be hasty. Perhaps we can work something out, after all.”
The phone pealed like a fire alarm at nine o’clock, just before Beth was ready to head upstairs. The west coast was two hours behind St. Louis, but she didn’t feel two hours younger or two hours more refreshed.
“It’s for you,” Nikki announced, then handed her the telephone and walked out the front door. The kitchen had the latest in modern conveniences, but as far as Beth could tell, there was only one phone in the entire house.
“Me?” It had taken Beth a moment to realize the twelve-year-old was speaking to her. Other than that first direct question, Nikki Livingstone hadn’t said a word to her, almost as if she thought that ignoring Beth would make her disappear. It was clear to Beth, if not to John, that his daughter wasn’t the least bit pleased with this unexpected turn of events.
“Hello, Mary Jane,” Beth said.
“How’d you know it was me?”
“Who else could it be?”
“I’ve decided to forgive you for not calling me back right away. I’m going to tell you what I learned about John Livingstone and his daughter. I take it you two worked out some kind of living arrangement?”
“Yes, but—”
“Then listen up, because this is important. Like I said, he’s divorced, but from what I understand, it wasn’t a friendly divorce.”
“Is there such a thing as a friendly divorce?” Beth asked. She’d witnessed the emotional agony her friends had endured during the breakup of their marriages. It might start out friendly, but then declined to merely civil, followed by out-and-out anger and bitterness. Divorce ravaged lives.
“His wife left him and the girl high and dry,” Mary Jane continued. “Apparently the daughter’s a handful. Age twelve with attitude.”
Beth had already noticed.
“Also, John’s got a reputation as something of a curmudgeon.”
Seeing how generous he’d been to her and Paul, Beth had trouble believing it. “Curmudgeon or not, he’s been very kind. We were able to come up with a compromise.”
“I told you it’d work out.” Mary Jane sounded downright gleeful. “Details! I want details.”
“I’m staying at the house in exchange for cooking meals and entertaining Nikki.” Provided she could find a way to communicate with the kid.
“This is ideal.”
“Ideal?” Beth echoed. “I’m glad you think so.”
“Sure. Throw together two lonely people, raising their children alone. It’s perfect! You’ll be in love before you know what hit you.”
“Mary Jane!” In high school MJ had been the world’s most incorrigible—and least successful—matchmaker. Now it seemed she was up to her old tricks.
“Mark my words!”
Beth groaned and glanced over her shoulder, making sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. “Shouldn’t you be sitting by Dave’s bedside holding his hand?”
“I always said things happen for a purpose,” Mary Jane said. “Unfortunately Dave had to break his leg so you could finally meet a decent guy. Ah, well,” she finished good-naturedly, “he should never have gone up on that roof in the first place. I told him to call a repairman.”
Three
Beth: Mary Jane, the most incredible thing happened today! I saw an eagle.
Mary Jane: Did this one poop on your carpet, too?
This had to be the worst summer of her life, Nikki thought, sitting on the porch steps after dinner—which she’d barely touched. She was stuck here with Martha Stewart and the Boy Wonder because her dad was going to desert her every morning.
It hadn’t taken long, she thought darkly, for the intruder to sucker her dad into letting them stay.
Nikki couldn’t believe he’d actually agreed to this. What bothered her most was his saying this was for her benefit. Yeah, right! She didn’t want company, and the last thing she cared about was seeing the sights. As for kayaking classes, she had news for them. They could forget it. She wasn’t remotely interested in anything to do with water.
Nikki didn’t know what her father was thinking. The last thing she wanted—or needed—was a baby-sitter. As for Beth seeing to their meals, big deal. Up until now, her dad had been eating the dinners she made without complaining.
The screen door creaked behind her, but Nikki didn’t turn around to see who it was. She already knew.
Her dad sat down on the step next to her. “Tired?” he asked.
“No.”
“You don’t look very happy.”
“Give the man a prize,” she said with an exaggerated sigh.
“It isn’t my fault Dave Reynolds broke his leg.”
That wasn’t the point. “She manipulated you into letting her live here rent free and I’m supposed to be happy?” Nikki blurted. No use beating around the bush. The one thing she’d learned in the three years she’d been living exclusively with her dad was that he didn’t take hints. “You think I should have kicked her out?” He sounded incredulous.
“Damn straight I do. We don’t need her.”
Her dad didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes. “You’re right, we don’t need her.”
“Then why’d you let her stay?”
He took his own sweet time answering. “She needs us.”
“Oh, puh-leeze.”
“There’re no vacancies on the island.”
“How do you know that?” Nikki demanded. He hadn’t made any phone calls; neither had Beth. They hadn’t even tried.
“Don’t you remember what the ticket agent said when I mentioned Spruce Island?”
Nikki didn’t.
“He said it was one of the most popular of the San Juans. Spruce Island is a great summer escape. You didn’t notice any vacancy signs while we were driving in, did you?”
She shrugged. Truth be known, she hadn’t looked.
“I don’t need a baby-sitter.” Her vehemence surprised even her.
“Of course you don’t.”
“Then why—”
“I suggested Beth include you so she’d think she was earning her keep. People have their pride, you know.”
“Well, then, what about mine? You make it sound like she’s my baby-sitter.”
“She isn’t.”
“So I can do what I want, right?”
He hesitated. “Right, but—”
Nikki groaned. “There’s always a but!”
“You can do what you want,” he continued, “but it has to be within reason.”
“This is going to be a real fun month,” she said sarcastically. Nikki heard someone move up behind her. She twisted around and glared over her shoulder. Sure enough, Beth Graham stood on the other side of the screen door, watching them.
“What are you doing sneaking up on my dad and me?” Nikki shouted, vaulting to her feet. “Let’s get something straight right now. My dad said you could live here, but I don’t have to like it. Just because you—”
“I’m sorry, I—”
“That’s enough, Nikki.”
It was her dad’s tone of voice that stopped her. When he was annoyed, he raised his voice, but when he was angry, really angry with her, he kept it level. Only someone who kne
w him as well as she did would realize that.
“I apologize for intruding,” Beth said softly.
Nikki crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She’d just bet Beth was sorry. Yeah, sure.
“I wanted to tell you I was going up to bed and tell Nikki I’d see her in the morning.”
Nikki couldn’t contain a snicker. See her in the morning? Not if she had anything to say about it.
Tired though she was, Beth barely slept that first night. It wasn’t the bed or even the circumstances. Well, that was probably part of the problem, but what seemed strangest of all was the silence. She lay awake half the night straining to hear something, anything. She wasn’t accustomed to the lack of sound and found it downright…eerie.
She supposed that in time it would strike her as peaceful, rather than unsettling With her window open, the scent of the sea wafted lazily into her room. Once, in the early-morning hours, she heard the cry of a gull and smiled to herself, remembering her earlier exchange with Mary Jane. She felt relieved to know that life went on outside her bedroom window.
When the sun rose, it was so bright it woke her. She opened one eye and looked at the clock, shocked to discover it was only five-forty-five. The sun, however, refused to go away. Actually she had to admit this was a pleasant way to wake, and she sat up in the feather bed, stretched her arms and yawned.
A gull screeched once more, followed by a chorus of frantic cries. Beth slid out of bed and hurried to the window to see several birds in flight, along with a flock of crows excitedly beating their wings. Obviously they’d been disturbed by someone or something.
As she turned away from the window, Beth caught sight of an eagle. It soared elegantly in the distance, circling the beach. For once, the word “awesome” seemed apt. This was the first time she’d seen an eagle in the wild, and its beauty and grace were stunning. Hypnotic to watch.
