My sister narrowed her eyes. “I feel like there’s another but in there somewhere.”
I exhaled a long breath and then said, “She acts a little strange sometimes. It’s not very often but when it happens it’s kind of disturbing. It’s like she’s checked out mentally—gone far away somewhere.”
“You did say she had been diagnosed with a mental illness,” my sister stated. “Do you think that has something to do with it?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t think so. I feel like there’s something she’s not telling me. Something important.”
“And you have no idea what it is?” my sister probed.
I shook my head. “It may have something to do with children. It seemed to happen when we were around kids.”
“Maybe she doesn’t like kids,” Marney suggested. “She wouldn’t be the only one on the planet.”
“Based on your tone, I’m going to guess that you don’t care for children yourself,” I guessed.
“Anyone who hates children and animals can’t be all bad.” Marney tried to say the line doing an impression—a very bad impression.
“That’s the worst W.C. Fields impression I’ve ever heard,” I scoffed.
Marney gave me the stink eyes. “At least you knew it was W.C. Fields.”
“Not because of your impression; I knew he said the line.”
“Okay, you two,” my sister butted in. “That’s enough. The two of you bicker like you’re the siblings.” Then Olivia turned to me. “Do you think it’s possible that something happened to Ella when she was little and that’s what she’s thinking about.”
“I guess it’s possible,” I said. “But I’m not sure that’s quite right. I just can’t put my finger on it.”
My sister put her hand on my forearm. “If the two of you are as tight as you say, she’ll tell you. You just have to give her time.”
I sighed. “You’re right.” It still bothered me though. I wanted to know everything about Ella and it bothered me that she was so hesitant about something that was obviously very important.
After the server brought our food, my sister asked, “Did you get an invite to Rainy’s housewarming party?”
I nodded. “Have you heard from Rainy since they got back from their honeymoon?”
Olivia shook her head. “No and Rainy has been very tight-lipped. Not like her. She usually tells me everything. Something is definitely up.”
“I guess we’ll find out on Saturday,” I stated.
“We definitely will.” My sister stuck her fork in her twenty dollar salad. “Now let’s eat.”
***
The week flew by. I went from Ella’s house to work and then back to her house. I didn’t spend more than a few minutes stopping by my place just to pick up some clothes and personal hygiene items. By the end of the week, I had moved half of my wardrobe to Ella’s place.
We made love every night—and every morning—and sometimes when I walked in the door after work we fell into bed for a little exercise before dinner. I felt insatiable when I was around Ella. I needed to be close to her, to feel her body next to mine, to feel myself inside her.
When Ella found out I had six weeks of vacation time saved, she talked me into planning a trip with her. I always wanted to visit Ireland and it just happened to be one of the few countries she had not yet visited.
We talked about the trip all the way out to Rainy and Aaron’s new place.
“I want to stay the night in a castle,” Ella said excitedly. “And I want to see the Hunt Museum in Limerick. It’s supposed to be Ireland's greatest private collection of art.”
“And we have to kiss the Blarney stone,” I added.
Ella looked at the invitation. “Do you have any idea where we’re going?”
“No,” I admitted. “I’ve never been in this area before.”
We were in a new area being developed outside of the city. The houses were all huge, the smallest of the houses looked like they were at least 6000 square feet, three times the size of the house I grew up in.
“Are you sure we’re in the right area?” I asked. It seemed an unlikely place for Rainy and Aaron to have their first house.
Ella flipped the invitation over and inspected the map. “We’re definitely in the right place.” She gave me the address again.
We pulled up to a palatial residence, obviously a new build. I couldn’t believe how extravagant it was, from the elaborate stone paved driveway to the immaculate landscaping, and we hadn’t even been inside yet.
“The sculpture should have already been delivered,” Ella whispered as we knocked on the front door.
“That’s good,” I whispered back.
It took a few moments before Rainy answered the door. She looked stunning in sunflower print dress. She was absolutely glowing. Aaron came up behind her and slipped his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.
“Glad you could make it,” Aaron said as he put out a hand to shake.
I shook Aaron’s hand then leaned in and gave Rainy a quick peck on the cheek.
“It’s great to see you again, Ella.” Rainy placed a hand on Ella’s upper arm and they both smiled warmly at each other.
As we entered, my breath was nearly taken away by the enormity of the place. I felt like I was in a Hollywood movie, the place was that grand in architecture and so elaborately decorated.
“My mom hired a decorator to work with Rainy on the interior,” Aaron said as Ella and I took in the details of the interior design and spectacular artwork. Ella was definitely right about the sculpture; the level of décor in the house was pricey.
I was struck by the fact that Aaron said his mom had arranged a decorator for Rainy. Aaron’s mom hated Rainy for a long time and, as far as I knew, had moved to only barely tolerating her. I wondered what had changed.
“The food and drinks are over there,” Aaron said pointing to an exquisite arrangement of finger foods and a punch fountain. “I think someone else is at the door.”
He pulled Rainy with him toward the front door and I motioned toward the punch fountain. “Would you like something to drink?” I asked Ella.
“Sure,” she agreed. “As long as it’s not spiked.”
“I’ll test it for you,” I whispered in her ear.
“You take good care of me, Lucas.”
As I was pouring cups of punch for me and Ella, I heard a whistle behind me. I turned to see my sister and Marney taking in the house. Both of them were wide-eyed as they glanced around. “This place is crazy,” my sister remarked. “When Rainy mentioned her in-laws bought them a house, I was expecting a starter home not a mansion.”
“To some people, this is a starter home,” Ella said.
Marney looked at her like she was crazy. “You’re shitting me.”
Ella shook her head. “No, Aaron’s parents live in a place that’s at least three times this size. To them, this is small.”
My sister looked around again. “I’m sorry but I can’t even fathom a place that’s three times this size. This place is enormous.”
Ella just shrugged. “You should see my parent’s place.”
“I always knew your family and Aaron’s family were wealthy,” Marney said. “I guess I never really thought about exactly what wealthy looked like.”
“What do you think a house like this cost?” Marney asked in a surprisingly low voice. Her tone was usually loud and booming.
“Two point five million,” Ella said matter-of-factly. Olivia, Marney and I all went wide-eyed. “That’s just the house. The furnishings and interior decorating, add another half million or so.”
“That’s some gift.” Marney was still shaking her head in disbelief.
“I wonder why Aaron’s parents had such a sudden change of heart,” I said. “They seem to have done a complete reversal in their feelings about Rainy.”
Olivia and Marney gave each a knowing glance. I narrowed my eyes and looked at each one of them. “What do the two of
you know that I don’t?”
Olivia moved in close as if she were going to tell me something top secret. The four of us followed and we all looked like we were in a huddle. “Did you happen to notice that Rainy looks like she’s packed on a few pounds?”
It hadn’t immediately occurred to me but in retrospect, she did look a bit fuller than she had in the past.
“I don’t think that’s all honeymoon weight,” my sister added.
My sister and Marney both stared at me as if I was supposed to draw some conclusion from her observations. “And?” I asked.
My sister gave me a frown which indicated I was the most dense person on the planet, maybe even more dense than a rock. “Do I have to spell it out for you?” My sister sounded annoyed.
I could feel a tug on my shirt sleeve. I turned to face Ella. She looked strange, not happy like when we first arrive, kind of like a cloud of sadness was setting in. “I think your sister is trying to say that Rainy is pregnant.”
The pieces all fell into place. “That explains why she looks like she’s glowing,” I added.
My sister shook her head. “I can’t believe that you’re the smart one in the family.”
When I looked over at Ella again, I couldn’t help but feel like I was losing her—like she was going to that faraway place again, just like when we were at the museum and at the zoo. I wasn’t sure what to do. The middle of Rainy and Aaron’s housewarming party wasn’t exactly the time or place to have a conversation about it but I was really worried.
Then I heard a booming male voice behind us. “I can’t believe my eyes,” the male voice said.
We all turned to see Evan and Keira had joined us. “My sister has actually stayed in town more than a few days,” Evan sneered. “It’s a miracle.”
“I bought a house,” Ella snapped in response.
Evan gave a hard laugh. “Buying a house and actually living in it are two completely different things.”
I had never seen Evan and Ella interact with each other but there was obviously a lot of tension there. I grabbed Ella’s hand in an attempt to calm her down. I also had an overwhelming desire to protect her. Then I thought about how crazy that sounded. No one should need protection from her own sibling.
Then, to my surprise and horror, Evan placed his massive mitt on my back and slapped it. “You must be some kind of magic man, Luke, if you can get my sister to stay in one place. I’m impressed.”
Ella glared at her brother. “His name is Lucas.”
“We’d better say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Donovan,” Keira said as she grabbed Evan’s hand. “I think they just arrived.”
“Yeah, sure,” Evan said. Before they left, Evan pointed his giant finger at me and said again for emphasis, “A real magic man.” Then he laughed again and he and Keira walked away.
“That guy always gave me the creeps,” my sister said without thinking. Then she looked over at Ella and said, “No offense.”
“He and that bitch Keira are perfect for each other,” Marney added.
I could feel Ella shaking next to me. I put my arm around her and pulled her close. If that’s the way her brother treated her, it made me wonder what her parents were like.
“I’m starving,” Marney said as she eyed the food. I was surprised to see that she was actually wearing something other than black. She had on a blue button-down shirt and blue dress pants.
“You look nice, Marney,” I commented.
She put her arm around Olivia. “I didn’t want your sister to feel completely out of place at this swanky party.”
“Oh, yeah,” my sister laughed. “I totally fit in here.” In a fake snobby voice she said, “Now where’s the cavier and champagne?”
That made us all laugh.
A few moments later, Rainy and Aaron joined us.
“Your home is exquisite,” Ella commented.
“Thank you,” Rainy replied. “And thank you and Lucas for the beautiful sculpture. We have it in the study. I’d love to show you later.”
When Rainy carefully rested her hand on her abdomen, we all stared at it. There wasn’t a baby bump there yet but I imagined what it would look like in a few months. I had a feeling Rainy would be radiating by then.
“Well?” my sister placed her hands on her hips. “I think there’s something you’re not telling us.”
Rainy laughed and rubbed her belly. “Is it that obvious?”
Aaron took Rainy into his arms again and placed his hands on her abdomen, too. “Sunshine is having my baby,” he said excitedly.
I don’t think I’d ever seen two happier people.
“I knew it!” Olivia actually jumped with excitement. She pulled Rainy away from Aaron and gave her a big hug. “I’m going to be an auntie!”
“It’s still very early in the pregnancy, so we’re being cautious.”
“I take it your parents are happy about the news,” Olivia said to Aaron.
“I barely said the word pregnant and my mother was already looking at baby clothes and nurseries.”
“She’s taking me shopping for a stylish maternity wardrobe,” Rainy said excitedly. I was happy to hear that Aaron’s parents finally accepted her as part of the family. It was a long road with a lot of heartache. “And guess what?”
We all waited anxiously to hear what else Rainy had to say. “Dr. Griffin gave me a graduate assistantship so I can stay at the university and attend the graduate program in art history. She knows about the baby and she’s going to help out if he or she is born before the spring term ends.”
“I’m glad you’re not giving up on your dreams, Rainy,” I added. “I know how much art history means to you.”
Rainy reached over and gave me a friendly hug. “Thanks, Lucas. That means a lot to me.” She continued, “And the final bit of news. My dad decided to take an early retirement package. He’s selling his house in Chicago and moving closer so he can help out with the baby. He’s saved enough money that he can do some consulting work on the side to get by.”
When my stomach started to rumble loudly, Aaron said, “You all must be starving. The food will be served in a few minutes. Please, dig in. We have enough for several armies.”
As Aaron and Rainy made their way over to mingle with some of the other guests, I could feel Ella’s body tense. “Is everything okay?” I whispered.
She nodded but when I looked into her eyes, I could see that she was anything but okay. She looked emotionally shattered. There were so many things that could have been bothering her, I didn’t know where to start. Her brother treating her so poorly was near the top of my list of possibilities but it didn’t seem quite right. It was obvious she and her brother had been at odds for a long time, even before we met and it didn’t seem to be that big of an issue. Could she be upset about something Rainy and Aaron said or did? It hardly seemed likely. Rainy and Aaron were so happy and everyone seemed to be so happy for them.
“Let’s get something to eat,” Ella suggested. “We don’t want to keep your stomach waiting too long. It might get cranky.”
The rest of the evening, Ella seemed to snap back a little bit. She wasn’t quite her zesty self but at least she no longer had the faraway look in her eyes. Rainy and Aaron gave tours of their new place and every room was amazing in its own right. Rainy had assigned each of the six bedrooms a theme which coincided with a particular art movement. Their home could not be called anything less than amazing.
“So when are you going to adopt me,” Olivia joked as we looked at the library which was already filled with Rainy’s art books.
“You know you and Marney are welcome to stay here any time,” Rainy offered. “We have plenty of room.”
I heaved a loud sigh and Rainy glanced over at me. “That goes for you, too, Lucas and Ella. Lucas, you know you’re like a brother to me. And Olivia, you’re like a sister.”
“How does next weekend sound?” Olivia added. “Just kidding.”
“Seriously, our house is always open. You g
uys mean the world to me.”
My sister gave Rainy a big hug. “And look at all the built-in babysitters you have.”
I stepped in and gave Rainy a hug. “I know you’ll make a great mom.”
“I have to admit, I’m a little nervous. Excited but scared.”
“I think that’s normal,” I assured her. “Not that I’m an expert or anything.”
“Having the support of our family and friends is going to be a big help. Thanks guys.”
Aaron grabbed his wife’s hand and pulled her close. “My mom wants to cut the cake, if you’re ready.”
Rainy smiled. It was heartwarming to see that she’d finally found a place with Aaron’s family.
***
On the drive back, Ella was very quiet, which was not like her at all. She usually had some obscure factoid or zany story to share with me. Once again, she seemed lost in her own thoughts.
“Tell me what’s bothering you, Ella,” I tried to diminish the pleading I could hear in my voice.
She heaved a small sigh. “I guess I’m just tired.”
“Are you sure that’s all?” I pushed.
She didn’t answer right away and I thought she might finally tell me what the problem was but then she said, “Yeah, that’s all.”
A shiver ran through me and I felt like something awful was going to happen. I just couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom. I wanted more than anything for Ella to tell me what was wrong but I couldn’t force her. I knew her well enough to know that she did things on her own terms. “You know if something is ever bothering you, we can work it out, not matter what it is.”
“I know,” she responded quickly but she didn’t sound convinced.
“Since you’re tired, do you want to stay at my place tonight?” I offered. “We’re really close.”
“I don’t have any of my stuff. I don’t even have a toothbrush at your place.”
“Not to worry. I have a full set of brand new hygiene products in the bathroom. I bought them in case I ever had a guest stay over. Now I get to put them to use!”
“Getting a new toothbrush is definitely an incentive,” she joked. “I’m in.”
Final Play (Matchplay Series) Page 13
