Summer Wine

by Barbara Winkes

  Rebecca had to laugh at the way Mona was summarizing her life. It was mostly true, now, at least.

  “Wow, I sounded really ungrateful there, didn’t I? I wasn’t talking about me.”

  “I know. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you. Andy, that’s a whole different story. Let’s face it, you and I had become a little lazy at some point, going with what everyone expected of us, or maybe we just thought they did…A few years later down the line, you don’t question these things anymore, and you don’t realize you’re living with all those stereotypes—until you do.”

  “Yeah, so? Andy could do that too,” Rebecca said.

  “Maybe, but when you’ve been brainwashed over generations, it takes a lot more time to get out. A few kind words won’t do.”

  Rebecca pondered her words for a moment, how Andy had seemed completely immune to Maggie’s pain, as long as it fit her agenda.

  “I’m afraid you’re right. Does that mean she’s not responsible?”

  “It doesn’t mean she gets a free pass, just to let you know where she’s coming from. To immerse yourself into a conversation like that can be draining,” Mona reminded her.

  “I got that impression, yes.”

  “Hey, girls.” They both jumped guiltily when Amber addressed them. “Did you want to move group outside tonight?”

  “I’m sorry,” Rebecca said. “Actually…I have to go. I promise I won’t cause any disruptions next time.”

  Mona chuckled. “It’s nice of you to take the blame. I’m coming in.”

  * * * *

  On her way home, Rebecca stopped at the grocery store to buy pasta, tomatoes and red wine. They usually didn’t cook on Mondays, mostly ordered in or went for takeout after the group, but tonight, she wanted the comfort of a homemade meal. Mona was right. She had to ask herself carefully if she wanted to occupy herself any more with Andy’s problems. Maybe their stories weren’t as similar as she had thought before. No matter what Andy had done, Rebecca felt sorry for her, but she was starting to realize how little effect her attempts at helping her had to begin with.

  Andy thought Rebecca was the one who needed help, which wasn’t true. Rebecca was the happiest person in the world.

  Callie sat at her computer, wearing jeans and a plaid shirt, her reading glasses dangerously low on the tip of her nose.

  “You’re early,” she said.

  “Yeah. I thought you might be hungry. You’re working on something?”

  “Yes, but—” Callie stopped when Rebecca leaned over to start unbuttoning her shirt, gently sliding her hand underneath the fabric. “Whoa. You missed me?”

  “So much,” Rebecca confirmed. “Maggie is still at her friend’s?”

  “That’s right. You said she should be back at seven, remember?”

  “Then we have a little time before I start dinner.”

  Callie let herself be pulled up from her chair, looking pleased with the course of events. “I take it tonight’s meeting was inspiring—if short.”

  “You are inspiring.” Rebecca pulled her close, brushing her hair aside to kiss her neck. “I can’t wait to go on this trip with you, leave all the drama behind for a bit.”

  “Me too. July can’t come soon enough.”

  In the bedroom, Rebecca stopped only to pull the curtains before she directed her attention back to Callie who was leaning against the wall, watching her, in her gaze affection and desire.

  “Although, I’m not complaining. I like right now.” Callie’s voice sounded dreamy as Rebecca slid the shirt from her shoulders, opening her jeans. Her breath caught at the intimate touch, fingers gently exploring.

  “Yeah,” Rebecca whispered. “Me too.” Then she got to her knees, demonstrating to Callie just how happy and sane she made her.

  * * * *

  David called. Callie wasn’t too surprised, because he seemed to make it a point to come up with some inquiry when he knew Rebecca would be at the group in Marin County. Except tonight, Rebecca was home, setting the glass of wine on the nightstand as she answered the phone.

  “Hey. David. What can I do for you?”

  Callie wondered if he could tell from the low, sexy tone of her voice that she was wearing nothing but the sheet wrapped around her, hoping he wouldn’t. She couldn’t deny that sometimes, David’s presence in their lives still made her feel defensive and insecure. This wasn’t one of those moments. There was no doubt where Rebecca belonged, and with whom.

  “Yes, I’m pretty sure we can do that. No problem. I’m sorry, but I’m…kind of busy at the moment. Tell Dina it’s fine, and one of us will get her on Friday.”

  She caught Callie’s gaze on her. Her smile was affectionate and a tad indulgent, as if she knew where Callie’s thoughts were going. After spending the better part of the day trying to recover ten pages lost somewhere in the depth of her laptop, Callie had been ready to throw the towel in. At the last moment, she found them and immediately saved copies in six different places. That’s when Rebecca had come home early, and Callie’s day started looking up. Her knees were still weak.

  She pointed at the clock, and Rebecca rolled her eyes a little. Ten minutes at the most until Maggie would be home. The only step they had taken towards getting dinner on the table was opening that bottle.

  “You’re welcome. Bye.” Hanging up, she studied Callie for a moment. “You’re hungry? No. Wait. I’m talking about food.”

  “I wasn’t going to say anything else.”

  “Okay,” Rebecca said while putting her underwear back on. “Peppers. Tomatoes…if you could start cutting? I’ll throw together something quick and easy.”

  “I’m okay with quick and easy,” Callie said.

  Rebecca laughed. “Stop it. I’m trying to concentrate here for a bit.” She was back in her clothes the moment the doorbell rang. “Here we go.”

  “You did just fine earlier,” Callie called after her.

  Chapter Two

  The closer they got to their European adventure, the less interested Dina seemed to be in the riches of Italian culture, art and architecture, and more in seeing her boyfriend Tomaso again. These days, it was Maggie busy reading up on the places they would go. Rebecca was relieved she didn’t have more questions about Andy’s disappearance. Then again, after Andy’s scare and blame game, Maggie was probably glad she was out of their lives for the time being.

  On Friday morning, she saw Eric in Roz’s café, taking down the leaflets, from the looks of it. Rebecca waited in her car until he left, and then crossed the street to Roz’s Cupcake Delights. With four girls in the house over the weekend, there’d better be chocolate.

  She was curious, and anxious to hear any news that Eric wouldn’t deign tell her.

  “Hey there. He found her, I suppose?”

  Roz shrugged. “She came back. Get this—apparently it was all a big misunderstanding. She went to a retreat in order to rid herself of,” with her fingers, she made quotation marks in the air, “impure thoughts, which was so urgent and intense that she forgot to tell her husband. That is if we are inclined to believe that.”

  It was nothing Rebecca would put past Andy from what she had learned about her.

  “Maybe it’s true? I believe they know people who offer that kind of retreat.”

  “Brainwashing,” Roz scoffed. “Probably Father Reynolds was in on it. He thinks I’m going to hell too, for serving unrepentant sinners like you.”

  “What? Did he say that?”

  Roz put a plate with a mini cupcake in front of her. “Here—since I know you’ll be buying. Seriously, you wouldn’t believe some of the stuff Betty overhears when they meet to plan for the fundraisers. Mind you, that’s not the majority, but some of it is ugly.” She gave Rebecca a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry about that, but I’m sure it’s not news to you.”

  “No.” Rebecca sighed, feeling irrationally cheated. She didn’t want to take a guess whom Andy held responsible for having those impure thoughts.

  “None of
our business anyway,” Roz concluded. “So, how many can I pack up for you?”

  “That’s a dangerous question to ask. Wait.” At the last moment, she remembered that Maggie had invited Stella as well. “Why don’t you give me a dozen? I think I know who I have to blame for impure thoughts about food.”

  Roz laughed as she picked up a box from behind the counter. “I like the way you think.”

  * * * *

  “If we can get there a few days earlier, why don’t we go to Siena right away? It’s not like we’re there for the sightseeing in the first place.” Dina didn’t waste a moment once she sat in the car.

  “Well, it’s part of the plan,” Rebecca reminded her, taking a quick look at Sara who sat in the backseat, silent and brooding. Since she and Dina had become friends, Sara had become more open and relaxed, but she didn’t look happy today. Rebecca wondered if it had to do with her aunt. Providing a roof over Sara’s head was the one good thing she’d done—other than that, she didn’t show much interest in her niece who had the threat of a foster home hanging over her head. “Those extra days are also my birthday present.”

  Dina made a face, but didn’t say anything. It was hard to argue with that fact. Rebecca smiled to herself, thinking that forty was good for something at least. She didn’t want to chide Dina though, or stress how much of a good time they’d have in front of Sara.

  “Any news I should know about?”

  “I’m sure Dad would have told you.”

  “Yes, I’m sure. Did you think about what you wanted to do over the weekend? We could rent a movie?”

  “There’s nothing good we can watch. They’re all not okay for Maggie.”

  It was troubling to think Dina was now into movies that weren’t suitable for her younger sister. Rebecca suppressed a sigh. Last year, they had watched Toy Story 3 together. The days when she’d known every little thing about Dina’s life were gone. This had nothing to do with her own “impure thoughts” or subsequent actions. Dina was a teenager. There was still a residue of guilty conscience, sometimes, that even time couldn’t chase away. That’s why she was more invested in Andy’s story than she should have been, probably more than Andy deserved.

  “Okay then. Think about it. Maggie’s having a friend over, too, and I’d love us to do some of that pesky family stuff.” At least, she teased a smile from Dina.

  “Yeah, right. Can we go shopping tomorrow?”

  Sara stayed silent, but she perked up at the suggestion. Rebecca imagined Maggie and Stella would like that idea as well. She’d send Callie into the bookstores with the younger girls and have the credit card ready for Dina. Sara’s penchant for all black didn’t have an impact on her—Dina loved fashion in all its colors.

  “I don’t see why we couldn’t.”

  “Hey, awesome, Mom! I’d really love to—sorry, I have to get that,” Dina interrupted herself when her cell phone rang. “Oh hi, it’s you.”

  In the backseat, Sara didn’t roll her eyes, but Rebecca was fairly certain that she wanted to.

  “No, I haven’t asked yet. I will. I promise. I love you. Later!”

  Uh-oh.

  “What?” Dina asked after she had ended the call.

  “Nothing,” Rebecca and Sara said in unison. The Italy trip was going to be challenging in many ways, no doubt about it.

  * * * *

  When Rebecca sent a text to let her know Andy had returned from wherever she’d been hiding, Callie was on the phone with her friend and editor Asha Malik. Asha didn’t mince words.

  “You keep saying you’re working on the new book. Where’s my sample? Would it hurt you to go a little faster?”

  Callie sat back and waited, amused.

  “Okay, honey, I’m really sorry.” Asha, as usually busy and under-caffeinated, apologized like Callie knew she would. That was part of their pattern. Another part, they had given up since Callie had found love in the most unexpected place, and Asha…Callie still couldn’t believe it. Her main reason to call hadn’t been to hound Callie for new material, though she hardly let a conversation go by without it. “It’s a madhouse here, as usual. While I should put it more nicely, I do want that sample yesterday. A new Callie Bryan book means stability. I like stability.”

  “Well, that’s new to me.”

  Asha was getting married, to Maggie’s favorite teacher Gracie Romano who had followed her to New York earlier. Up until the last year, the idea of marriage hadn’t been in the realm of Callie’s reality, for many reasons. Aside from the legal issues, and Autumn Leaves still missing the sign of the times, she hadn’t considered herself to be a good candidate. Meeting Rebecca had changed everything and nothing. Callie wanted to spend the rest of her life with her. She wasn’t sure if Rebecca cared for saying “I do” publicly once more after her difficult divorce.

  “That’s low. I’m getting married, after all.”

  “I’m happy for you…”

  “—but you wanted to be first. I know. Sorry about that.”

  “That’s not true. Well, maybe it’s a little true,” Callie admitted. “You know it’s not possible, at least at the moment.”

  “Is that why the book is giving you trouble?” Callie considered that question, given the fact that Asha had asked for a splendid wedding for the characters of her Heart Fever series. However, there was more that had been distracting her lately, good and bad. Father Reynolds kicking them out of church, a place that held many cherished memories for Rebecca. Andy’s disappearance. Meeting Rebecca’s parents at her upcoming birthday party, and Tomaso’s family a few weeks after that.

  “Now you’re fishing. It’s not giving me trouble. We have guests on the weekend, but I’ll send you something over next week. I promise.”

  “Don’t forget it,” Asha said. “I can put you and Rebecca on the list then? You’ll be back from Italy.”

  “Yes, sure. I’ll just write faster.”

  Asha laughed. “That’s what I like to hear.”

  Despite her promise, Callie checked her cell phone first, reading the short message Rebecca had sent earlier.

  “Whatever,” she said to herself. Unlike Rebecca, Callie couldn’t bring herself to take much pity on the woman, given all the hurt she had caused. There was a limit as to how many second chances someone deserved, in her opinion. That she had kissed Rebecca in a restroom, then insulted her, had done nothing to improve Callie’s opinion of her. She hoped that from now on, Andy would stay away.

  * * * *

  Regardless of the fact that Stella and Maggie had retreated to Maggie’s room, and Dina was on the phone with Tomaso once more, Rebecca felt elated, as usual when she could spend a weekend with Callie and both her daughters. Everyone would gather around the dinner table in time. She loved those rituals, especially since she could now let go of some of her more irrational worries regarding Andy. It was none of their business.

  “It looks like we’re going to New York in the fall,” Callie informed her. “I hope Asha books me a couple of events. That should be the rest of our travel budget.”

  “We’ll be okay. Roz still wants some promo materials, and so does Amber. I just have to get a couple of new contracts. Hey, we’ll be fine!” She pulled Callie close to her, disregarding four hungry girls waiting for dinner for the moment. Callie let herself be embraced, leaning into her.

  “I know. I’m still stunned. Asha and marriage.”

  Given the fact that Callie and Asha’s friendship had once come with benefits, Rebecca didn’t want to get too deep into the subject. She was perfectly okay with the idea of her getting married.

  “I know. I wonder if David and Susan are planning something as well. It’s a big year for everyone…” She halted when the door opened, and a subdued Sara stepped inside.

  “Oh. Hey. I’m sorry. I can come back in a few minutes,” she offered.

  “No problem. Are you hungry? This is going to be ready in a few. Dina is still on the phone?”

  “Yeah.” Sara half-sighed. “Re
becca, I have to talk to you about something.”

  “I’ll leave you alone for a bit,” Callie offered. “No problem.”

  “No…You can stay. It’s not about me. Well, it is, a little.”

  Rebecca shared a look with Callie who seemed as clueless as she was. “Let’s sit down.” Listening to a teenager’s secret could be tricky, especially when it concerned something their parents should be aware of. Sara’s parents had claimed that she was dead to them, and her aunt didn’t care. They would work it out somehow, Rebecca hoped.

  “I think it doesn’t really matter to most people, but you should know. I sometimes go to the Lavender Lounge on the weekend.”

  Rebecca could tell from Callie’s expression that she knew a little more than Rebecca did.

  “It’s a club outside of Autumn Leaves,” Callie explained. “A club for an adult audience, as far as I’m aware of…”

  Sara blushed. “Yeah, about that. I don’t drink, okay? They know that. I just had a really hard time after my parents kicked me out, and I wanted to be among people who are like us, who wouldn’t try to hammer it in that it’s a terrible sin. Anyway, now you know. I went last weekend, and…I saw Andy.”

  “Wow,” Callie said while Rebecca was still trying to understand what Sara had revealed to them.

  “Well, maybe she wanted to be among people who don’t judge her?”

  “She went there to hook up with someone,” Sara said. “Before you say anything, I don’t do that either, okay? I just hang out, and I met a few other girls my age…”

  “You’re going to get that place closed down, you know that right?” Callie asked half worried, half-amused at Sara’s matter-of-fact delivery. “In any case, thanks for telling us. I think you’re right. After everything she’s done, we kind of deserve to know. No wonder she didn’t tell her husband about her ‘retreat’.”

  “What if she just wanted to hang out, have a drink in peace?” Sometimes, Rebecca could still feel uncomfortable at the drop of a hat, with the realization of everything she didn’t know, hadn’t experienced. That emotion made her a bit defensive.

  Sara shook her head, her unease even more obvious. “I followed her, okay? It’s none of my business really, but she’s such a—” She circumvented the expletive at the last moment. “She’s so high and haughty, judging everyone, but after a couple of drinks, she goes to a hotel across the street with that girl. It’s not a super cheap neighborhood. I can’t really go around and tell everyone, because I don’t want the girls at the Lavender Lounge to get in trouble for letting me in. It looks like this wasn’t the first time.”