“Yes, he owns his own business, carpentry and general household projects.”
“He’s like Spencer in that respect,” Kendall remarked. “He came to this area with a plan to work for himself.”
Vicky looked at Kendall curiously. “How do you feel about him being a blue-collar man?”
“It’s fine with me. You know I’m not like that, Vicky. It’s not like I’ve only dated plastic surgeons or something.”
“Not that dating a plastic surgeon would be a bad thing,” Kendall said. “After all, you wouldn’t want to be a snob just because a man has a few bucks and the ability to do away with your love handles.”
“Kendall said he mentioned going up to Augusta for Christmas. Is that where he’s from?” Vicky asked.
“I don’t know, Vicky,” Ava replied shortly. Instantly she realized how she sounded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off.”
Vicky and Kendall exchanged glances. “It’s all right, Ava,” Vicky said. “We know you’re frustrated because you don’t know yourself.”
Ava couldn’t argue. “I can’t explain it. I barely know the man, and yet I find myself wanting to know all about him.” Especially one thing…
“Don’t worry, you will,” Kendall said. “I’ve always hated it when people tell you all about themselves the first time you meet them. Where they were born, where they went to school, what their favorite color is and of course their astrological sign. Hilton’s cool; he’s taking his time. Of course, if Vicky and I hadn’t been here, the two of you probably would’ve settled in for a nice chat.” She wiped the corners of her mouth daintily with a napkin, then leaned back with a triumphant smile. “I knew this was going to happen.”
Ava stared at her friend, confused. “Knew what was going to happen, Kendall?”
“I knew you were going to meet someone special. The love bug has been going around lately, or haven’t you noticed? I met Spencer, Vicky’s back with Danny and now it’s your turn. Wake up and smell the MSG, girl,” she said before taking another forkful of egg foo yung.
“I’m surprised you forgot about him coming by,” Vicky said.
Ava’s shrug indicated she was clueless, but she knew precisely why. Each year the days before Christmas were filled with thoughts of the children she couldn’t have…and this year, with one particular troubled child who was going down the wrong path.
*****
That child was on Ava’s mind the next day. She had decided not to reopen Beginnings until Friday, the day after Christmas. She wouldn’t be able to work that day herself because of Vicky’s wedding that evening, and Woody wanted time off to be with her family, but Ava’s sister Maria, whose dentist’s office was closed for the weekend, had agreed to open up for a half day, during which all dresses would be discounted by fifteen percent in a special promotion.
Ava drove up and down Main Street in the rental vehicle her car insurance provided while her car was being repaired, as slowly as she could without holding up traffic, her head turning from side to side in search of a boy wearing a navy jacket and an Orlando Magic baseball cap, but she saw no sign of Marcus.
On what she vowed would be her last go-round she considered that perhaps he wasn’t out today, but quickly dismissed that as silly. Main Street was teeming with last minute shoppers looking for that perfect gift in the numerous specialty shops that lined the avenue. Thieves didn’t take days off any more than death did.
She pulled into the closest available space to Beginnings, but it was Vanessa next door who she wanted to see. Chances were this was a slow day for Vanessa as well. Perhaps she could squeeze in a quick wash and set. Ava hated waiting for the last minute for anything, and she knew that on Friday Vanessa would be busy doing Vicky’s hair and Kendall’s hair, as well as that of Vicky’s mother and daughter.
Vanessa was working alone with one customer, a middle-aged woman who, judging from the dark gook on the fingers of Vanessa’s gloves, was getting her gray covered.
“Oh, good; you’re not crowded,” Ava said after greetings were exchanged.
“I’m glad you think so! Another week like this and I’ll be out of business.”
“Oh, you know that’s not what I meant. I was hoping you could do my hair.”
Vanessa’s deft fingers continued working the dye as she talked. “Aren’t you coming in Friday morning?”
Ava shrugged. “Friday’s going to be so busy. Remember, I’m not only in the wedding, I’m running it, and I’ve got things to do. Besides, it’ll hold ‘til then.”
“Don’t you need a touch up?” Vanessa’s practiced eye studied Ava’s roots.
Ava knew Vanessa would have fingered the strands of her new growth if she didn’t have dye on her gloves. After a brief moment of consideration, she decided she didn’t feel like spending half a day in the chair. “I probably could use one, but for now I think a wash and set will hold me for another couple of weeks. Can you do it today?”
“Sure, but you’ll have to wait a bit. I have a color application to complete, then the rinse, shampoo and set.”
“I don’t mind. Tell you what—I’ll take a walk to kill some time. But don’t take anybody in front of me, eh?”
“Just make sure you’re back here when I’m ready for you.”
Ava smiled at her friend’s directness. It was just like Vanessa not to miss a beat.
Outside, she saw exhaustion on the faces of the shoppers on Main Street. They moved slowly, and few held more than one or two small bags. Every year it was the same scenario; the stress of last-minute shopping had become a heavy burden detracting from the joy of the holiday.
Main Street had become a chic boulevard of upscale specialty shops, many of which had awnings in the council-approved colors of solid brown, green, yellow or either color with white stripes. Ava still remembered the uproar when the exotic pet shop put up an awning in orange and pink. When the owners ignored notices from the town hall to remove it, their business license was promptly revoked. The owners quickly replaced the offending awning with one of solid yellow. Palmdale leaders declared victory, adding that Main Street would not become a hodgepodge of multicolored awnings. No one since had tried to break the rules.
Ava scanned both sides of the street as she walked. Many shoppers had children with them. No doubt the little ones’ gifts were safely hidden away at home and they were out shopping for Grandma or another family member. Many of the boys wore baseball caps, so she found herself doing repeated double-takes as she searched for Marcus. It was frustrating.
She glanced across the street as she approached the next corner. Marcus stood slightly behind a bench marking a bus stop, looking dead at her.
There was no need to wave; obviously he’d seen her. Instead Ava stepped tentatively into the street, but oncoming traffic prevented her from crossing.
Impatient, she walked toward the curb. A bus pulled into the stop where Marcus waited, blocking her view of him.
She tapped the back of her fingers against her thigh in a frantic rhythm. She now stood at the corner, but the traffic had not let up. She wanted to take Marcus out of downtown, where he didn’t have to worry about police or that shady-looking man she suspected he was working for. Somehow she had to make him understand that his entire life was at stake by his reckless behavior, and try and convince him to cut it out.
Finally the light changed and the traffic stopped. The bus began to move forward when the light turned yellow, and Ava nearly tripped over her own feet when her view was clear.
Marcus was gone.
After a moment’s hesitation, she hurried across the street. He had to be around somewhere. She knew he’d seen her. Surely he knew he had nothing to fear from her, that she only wanted to help him…
She checked the side street and the stores by the bus stop and in the first part of the next block. She saw no sign of Marcus. “Shoot,” she muttered under her breath. She couldn’t imagine why he’d run off.
As she walked toward the corner, the man she h
ad seen Marcus with on Saturday appeared from the side street. He stood at the curb, and even though he still wore dark glasses she knew his gaze was fixed on her. With courage she didn’t know she had, she refused to alter her course. She continued to cross the street, and as she approached the man she stared right back at him.
Still, the prospect of standing with her back toward him while waiting to cross back to the other side of the street made her uncomfortable, so she continued walking until she was in the middle of the block, directly across from Vanessa’s salon. When she looked both ways to check the traffic, the man was still standing in place, his head turned to her direction.
She was shaking when she got back to Vanessa’s. Instinctively she knew Marcus had hidden from her so the man would not see them together. She had to find him, before he was caught for stealing and sent away. If that happened he’d be lost forever.
“That was quick,” Vanessa remarked from the sink, where she was rinsing her client’s hair.
She managed to speak evenly in spite of the uneasiness she felt. “Yeah, there really wasn’t anything out there I wanted to see.”
*****
Ava decided to do her holiday shopping a day earlier than usual, to reduce the stress of the constant activity that would be in effect until after Vicky’s wedding. The day before Christmas Eve Ava headed for the mall early. A no-nonsense shopper, she made her purchases quickly, humming Christmas carols as she stood in line. By one o’clock she was driving home. With her purchases safely locked in the trunk, she decided to get some lunch.
She headed for Main Street. If she could find Marcus, perhaps he’d want to come with her.
Again she drove as slowly as she could down the busy avenue, but she didn’t see Marcus. She ordered lunch from Soul Food to Go, but since it was a little warmer outside today, instead of bringing her food home she sat at one of the Roman-style stone benches and matching tables on the restaurant’s property, keeping an eye on the people walking past but not seeing the face she was looking for. She wished she knew Marcus’s whereabouts. She had picked up something for him while doing her holiday shopping, and she hoped to be able to give it to him before Christmas Day.
Ava was scheduled to meet Kendall and Vicky at Robinson’s at five for drinks. They would all be at Kendall’s the next evening for the tree-trimming, but this would be their last private get-together before Vicky’s wedding Friday night.
At four-forty-five she checked her makeup and hair in the bathroom mirror. She was reaching in the coat closet for her jacket when the doorbell rang. A quick peer out the front window revealed Hilton’s Pathfinder parked by the curb. “Hi,” she said, her surprise evident in her tone.
He smiled at her, his hands pushed in his front pockets in an almost bashful stance she found charming. “I went by the shop, but it was closed. I had planned on seeing if you wanted to go to lunch, but the day got away from me, and now it’s time to have dinner. How about some seafood?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Sure. I was just going out to get something.” She didn’t mention she’d been about to meet her friends. She glanced at his attire and saw that he wore jeans, as did she, so obviously they were going somewhere informal. But although she didn’t have to change, there still was something she had to do. “Can you give me just a minute?”
“Of course. Take your time; I’ll wait in the truck.”
The minute the door was closed Ava ran to the phone. Kendall would never stop razzing her for canceling another engagement, but with knowing Hilton was going away she just couldn’t say no.
“All set,” she said as she climbed in the truck beside him.
He headed toward Nile Beach. “I hope you like Frank’s Fish Box.”
“I love it.”
“Good. I’m glad you agreed to have dinner with me, Ava. I’m sorry I didn’t give you more notice, but I really did want to see you again before I leave.”
She kept her voice even despite of a sudden stab of panic. “You are coming back, aren’t you?”
“Oh, sure. This is just a quick visit. I’ve lived in Palmdale for four months and don’t know many people here, so it would be silly to spend Christmas here.”
“You don’t sound too enthusiastic about going home for the holiday.”
“I’m not. To tell you the truth, it’s my least favorite time of year. But it shouldn’t be too bad. I’m going to spend Christmas with my son, and I’ll see the rest of my family as well.”
She had wanted to ask why it was his least favorite type of year, but his additional remark caught her off guard, and she blinked in surprise. “Your son? How old is he?”
“Six. I feel bad enough about not doing better by him, and Christmas just drives it home.”
Ava knew all about the holidays driving home life’s disappointments. Now she felt a kinship with Hilton. “Of course, I don’t know anything about the situation, but I’m sure you’re devoted to him.”
“I’m crazy about him. I just wanted him to have a home with two parents, but it didn’t work out. Now all I can do is hope his mother and I can manage to at least be civil to each other while I’m there.” He muttered something unintelligible.
Ava took that to be a few choice words for the boy’s mother. “I gather you and your ex-wife don’t get along too well.”
“No, we don’t. And she’s not my ex-wife. I tried to get her to marry me when she got pregnant, but she refused. I didn’t realize at the time that—well, that’s another story. In the six years since our son was born I’ve come to realize that she did me a tremendous favor by refusing to marry me, but I’ll always regret that my son is growing up with the two of us at odds.”
“I’m sure he’ll be all right. The important thing is for him to know each of his parents loves him very much.”
“You do have a point. Have you ever been married, Ava?”
“Oh, years and years ago,” she said lightly.
“You don’t have children, I suppose.”
“No.”
Her voice cracked a little on the monosyllable, but fortunately Hilton didn’t seem to notice.
“Do you like kids?” he was asking.
“Oh, I love them.” She added softly, “My biggest regret in life is not getting to be a mother.”
“Well, don’t give up, Ava. You never know what life’s going to bring you.”
“No, I guess you don’t.” Her words had a carefree tone, but in a display of skepticism Hilton couldn’t see she raised her right eyebrow. I may not know what life is going to bring me, but I know what it isn’t going to bring me. It was time to change the subject. “I’m curious, Hilton. What made you come to Palmdale?”
“I was ready for a change. I had put in twenty years with the police force in Augusta and was eligible for a pension. The situation with my son’s mother was becoming intolerable. I came down to Nile Beach for a vacation last year and explored the area. Palmdale looked like a good place to start the kind of business I wanted to run, especially with all the new construction and the restoration of those old houses in the historic district. Besides, it wasn’t too far from Augusta.”
“Oh, you were a policeman.”
“Yes. Believe it or not, I liked the idea of helping people.”
“But you said you studied architecture.”
“After high school my dad insisted I do something to stay out of trouble until I was twenty-one and old enough to join the force. I majored in criminal justice, but I took up carpentry as a hobby later and found I was pretty good at it.”
*****
Frank’s Fish Box was a popular informal seafood restaurant on Ocean Avenue in Nile Beach. The two-story restaurant was large and square, actually shaped like a box. Like every other building in the area it was lit with Christmas lights. Because of its boxy shape, the overall effect was that of an oversize Christmas gift.
It was also full, but only four people were waiting to be seated in the reception and bar area in the front. The hostess took their
name and assured them a table would be available within the next fifteen minutes.
“Let’s have a drink,” Hilton suggested. They sat at the bar, and Ava ordered a Chardonnay, Hilton a seven and seven.
“Ava, hi!”
“Linda! What a surprise! I thought you were living in West Palm.” Ava warmly hugged the attractive fortyish woman who’d been passing by with a companion.
“I am, but we came to spend the holiday at my father’s. It was here that we met two years ago. I guess we’re just sentimental.” She took the arm of the bespectacled man standing to her left, whose black hair contained a smattering of gray. “Honey, this is Ava Maxwell, an old friend of mine. Ava, this is my husband, Neil Carson.”
Ava shook hands with Linda’s husband, then introduced Hilton to both of them. “Tell me, will you be here for the entire holiday season?” she asked, beaming. She was so happy for her friend, whose face just glowed.
“Until January second.”
“Then you must come to my open house New Year’s Day. Take down my address.”
The bartender placed their drinks in front of them just as Linda completed writing down Ava’s address. Neil held up his hand. “I’ll take care of that, bartender,” he said.
“Oh, that’s all—” Hilton began.
“No, I insist,” Neil said. He squeezed Linda’s shoulders affectionately. “We’re celebrating. Linda’s pregnant.”
Ava placed her hand palm down on the surface of the bar and swallowed hard. Pregnant? Linda? If it were anyone else…but Linda? How could that be?
The answer came to her just as quickly.
It couldn’t be.
Hilton was pumping Neil’s hand. “Hey, that’s wonderful. Congratulations.”
“Um…will you excuse me?” Ava asked. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She knew Hilton and Neil would think her behavior odd, but she had to compose herself, quickly, and in private.
“I think I’ll go along,” Linda said. She hurried off behind Ava.
In the privacy of the lounge area inside the powder room, Linda said, “Thanks for not giving me away. I know Neil’s announcement came as a shock.”
A Love of Her Own Page 6
