by Emily Duvall
“Personally, I’d like to get my hands on some black opals, sapphires, or maybe a red diamond.” He looked to the ceiling and pressed his lips together. “Definitely a red diamond.”
“I think my expectations have been too low.” Melanie smiled. “I think I’ll demand a red diamond when the time comes for me to get engaged.”
Luke lifted an eyebrow. “Are you suddenly in a relationship?”
“I’m talking about at the end of the summer, once I go home. I’ll start dating again.” Her answer clearly exacerbated Luke’s mood. Melanie sank her shoulders and back into the couch and her smile slipped away like the sinking sun. The attraction she felt for Luke followed her everywhere. She couldn’t even get away with sitting on a couch with a table between them. What she wouldn’t give to go back and un-spool the thread of time, back to when they had first unraveled and lost their grip on each other. Would she have seen him as a liar? Would she think him capable of harming her brother? She saw a quick tread of softness in Luke’s eyes as he looked at her and she felt a switch flip in her stomach.
What if I’m wrong about you?
The thought brought Melanie to her feet with abruptness. She reached for her binder and refused to make eye contact with Luke. “All of this talk about precious stones is very romantic. Thank you for teaching me,” she said to Brent. “However, I’m afraid those topics have nothing to do with Vivian and I do have to ask Luke a few questions. I have to get on with my work.”
“Oh, sure,” he responded with a hitch of disappointment. “I’ve got to check my messages anyway. I’ll see you both later.” Brent made a quick exit up the stairs without looking back.
Luke sat down across from Melanie. “What do you want to know?” he said, sliding his hands over his legs.
Melanie sat back down and hid behind a face of indifference. Diamonds, thoughts of an engagement ring, all brought shame to Melanie. She gave the past a solid kick and refocused on the present. “I’ve had a look at the forms filled out for the pediatrician at Vivian’s eighteen month check-up. Did Stevie fill these out?”
“Yes.”
“She indicated that Vivian speaks more than fifty words.”
“Vivian does speak.”
“Really? What words does she say?” Melanie got the pen ready to write this down, already knowing he wouldn’t be able to give her the answers.
Luke sat stumped. “I’ve heard Vivian say Da-da along with some other sounds.”
“You should know the sounds a child makes are important. I want to know Vivian associates the word Da-da with you.” Melanie moved her fingers around the pen. “I’m not sure she does.”
“I don’t see your point.”
No, he wouldn’t. Melanie asked a more personal question. “Would Stevie have any reason to lie to you about these questionnaires?”
Luke’s gaze turned cold. “I trust Stevie’s judgment entirely where Vivian is concerned. She’s been around Vivian since her birth.”
“I know Stevie loves Vivian like a daughter and I’m not trying to get her in trouble. The problem is Stevie answered the questionnaire wrong. Lots of parents fib. Nobody wants their child to need help. Has the pediatrician contacted you at all? It’s just odd that a doctor would examine Vivian’s physical and mental development at her check-up and not recommend services like speech for Vivian.” Melanie paused and let Luke take in her words. He couldn’t get out of this one.
“Vivian will talk because I’ve hired you to help her learn. You’re supposed to be good at your job.”
“I am good at my job. But you didn’t seek out a speech therapist.”
“You have no idea about the demands of my work.” Luke spoke with such unprecedented arrogance that Melanie’s jaw dropped.
She wasn’t going to back down. Melanie put down her pen with force. “I don’t care about your job. She’s your daughter. Look her in the eye when you talk to her for God’s sake. Make your words count. When you say ‘Da-da,’ point to your chest. Make her understand, because she’s having trouble understanding. There’s a good amount of adults in this house talking over her.” Heat pulsed through her veins and up to her cheeks. “You’re in; you’re out, you bend down and pat her on the head and then you’re gone.”
“I bet you’re enjoying this. You get to throw my faults in my face.”
Melanie diffused the moment with a quick, “According to you, you have no faults.”
Luke laughed. “I’m not used to someone being so blunt about Vivian.”
“I know. I can imagine having her has been tough. I’m on your side with this Luke.” She ran her hand over her hair. “Look, there’s no real incentive for her to feel like she gets anything out of communication. She fusses and someone picks her up. A crying fit happens and she gets treats or a drink. Approach this like you do your business. Be aggressive about getting her to form words. I’ll help you. I care about her too.”
Luke’s gaze softened at this admission. “I know you do.”
“I’m wrapping up my evaluation with Vivian and I’ll have the results soon, tomorrow. The testing has taken longer with leaving town abruptly.” Melanie searched his eyes for an opening. She saw one and took a chance, using a softer voice. “Connect with her. Make silly sounds. Vivian doesn’t care if you get the details right. She loves the sound of your voice. Don’t run away from your daughter or else you’ll never catch up to her.” She collected the binder and left Luke to his brooding. “I don’t know what else to say, except you should try more than you are.”
A little shaken by her conversation with Luke, Melanie walked into the kitchen. The place to get answers started with Latonya, and last night she hadn’t been able to talk to her because of the incident at the pool.
“I’m glad you’re awake,” she said to the house chef. The kitchen smelled like an oven burning off sugar. “I thought we could have a chat.”
The heavy-set woman didn’t break eye contact from the recipe card in front of her. The bowl on her right held flour and the one on her left, a mix of apple and pear slices. “My asking price is one hundred dollars.”
“I’ll grace you with my company, instead.”
Latonya didn’t look amused. “Sit down.”
Bricks of butter stacked up next to a bowl of sugar at the end of the counter dazzled Melanie’s eyes. Butter and sugar: a perfect, timeless pair. “What are you making?”
“I’m using a recipe from my grandmother’s recipe box. She was the equivalent of a ghost-writer back in the forties for the wife of a Hollywood movie producer. In my grandmother’s will, she left the royalties to me. Each time the publisher puts out a new edition or some writer uses one of her recipes in an article, I get paid.”
“No kidding.” Melanie pulled up a stool and admired the bottles of cinnamon, nutmeg, and heap of almonds in front of her. “I always wished I had a cool family secret.”
“Your brother’s in prison. I’m not going to state the obvious.”
“I said cool, not disgraceful.” The interest in this pastry outweighed Melanie’s questions at the moment and she asked, “Do you need a taste-tester?”
“You’re too skinny to taste-test. You think I got this big by denying myself real food?” Latonya broke from her concentration and eyed up Melanie. “You aren’t going to leave, are you?”
“Do you mean am I going to stick out the summer? Yes, I am.” She posed the next sentence carefully. “I want to know about Luke and Ava.”
“Oh Lord.” Latonya rolled her eyes. “Why do you want to know about them?”
“I don’t hear Luke say much about her.” The unease in her bones began to spread. Answered questions could either be a blessing or a curse. “I’m less interested in the details of Luke and Ava and more curious about how Vivian ended up living with him full-time.”
The oven beeped at them and a faint smell of smoke fizzled in the air. “What makes you think I know the answer?”
“I thought you knew everything around this place.”
Melanie laid on the charm thick. “If you’re not the right person, I’d be happy to ask Stevie.”
This seemed to agitate the chef. Latonya poured a bowl of beaten eggs in with the sugar and stirred steady and slow.
Melanie broke into a smile and batted her eyes. “I know you want to do this out of the kindness of your heart.”
“I’m serious about the money. I take cash only.”
“Deal, but I would have held out for more if I were you.”
Latonya pursed her lips. “Answer my question. What business do you have snooping around behind his back like some school-aged gossip?”
“I’ve been out of Luke’s life for some time.” The prospect of handing Latonya her reasons felt strange to Melanie, like a stranger telling you they’d been diagnosed with cancer. The eggs and sugar folded under Latonya’s careful blending. Melanie laughed without confidence. “I’m mad with envy when I think about how Ava Sullivan gave birth to his child. I’m frustrated about the whereabouts of those tourmalines, and I’m questioning everything I have ever thought about my brother. Do you know what it’s like to try to turnover a lie? It’s messy and exhausting. It causes all sorts of self-doubt and uncertainty and a huge pile of crap I don’t want to use energy sifting through. I feel like I’m standing in the middle of some big universe spinning around and around and I don’t know what to do.”
“Lies aren’t messy, my dear. The truth is.” Latonya squinted and cocked her head at Melanie. “Have you told Luke any of this?”
“How could I?”
She put down the whisk, wiped her hands on her apron, and came around the counter to pull up a seat aside Melanie. “You’re going to have to try.”
They each faced forward, staring at the line of appliances on the opposite wall. A creak in the oven sounded louder in the stillness of their thoughts. “You think I’m crazy,” Melanie said.
“Doesn’t matter what I think. Problems are often solved by going back to the starting line. Why did you come to Maui in the first place?”
“I came as a favor to my brother.”
“Try again.”
“I wanted to work with Vivian.”
“No. You’re going to have to do better.”
“I felt betrayed by Luke and I wanted to show how well I’ve done without him.”
“You’re getting warmer. Keep going.”
“When Luke and I were together, I thought the world of him: the adventure, the gemstones, and the ruggedness. Like he just didn’t care about what anyone thought him. I was young and in college, and he was…something unique; someone no one else had. In his personal life, he shined; in the business world, he made a name for himself. He’s got the sort of confidence that makes him stand out in a crowd. I’ve been trying my whole life to get the certainty he feels about his existence each day.” Melanie shrugged and talked more to herself than to Latonya. “Luke hasn’t thought about me since the day he ended our relationship. I always felt he used the trial as an excuse. I always thought I came up short in his eyes, like I was someone he tolerated. I wanted to make something of myself so if he ever came looking for me, I could show him I’d done great on my own.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong,” Luke said, causing Melanie and Latonya to jump.
Melanie spun around on the stool. Tightness spread through her middle. Judging from the look on his face, he’d heard more than she’d like.
“Don’t sneak up on me.” Latonya breathed fast, holding her hand over her heart. Quickly, she got off the stool and returned to her baking. She began fluffing the eggs with the whisk and without glancing up she commented under her breath, “Go on you two. Take this outside.”
The skin on Melanie’s cheeks burned and embarrassment shot down to her toes. She went outside first with Luke on her heels. She picked one of the lounge chairs and took a seat. “Tell me you didn’t hear everything.”
“I heard everything.” He pulled up a chair and sat across from her and added thoughtfully, “I also saw the way you said it.” Their knees touched; their gazes unavoidable.
“I should begin by telling you I’d dated Ava for less than a year when she got pregnant. She thought a baby would land her a future husband and she couldn’t have been more wrong. I didn’t propose and marriage to her didn’t cross my mind after I had decided we weren’t right together. I speak to her because of Vivian and our conversations are focused on our daughter. I don’t entertain the idea of having her be anything else in my life other than Vivian’s mother.”
“Where does she live?”
“She lives in Los Angeles, off family money. The only job she has is to keep up a lifestyle that doesn’t include motherhood. She’s the most selfish, spoiled woman I’ve ever known. Soon after Vivian was born, I grew concerned about the stories I’d heard from Stevie regarding Ava’s late nights, new boyfriends, use of prescription pills. My ex-girlfriend runs in a tough crowd and I didn’t trust her to raise Vivian. I took swift action and won full custody.”
Melanie finally understood about how unprepared he’d been for his daughter to invade his life. She regarded him with warm respect. “You weren’t anticipating Vivian would ever live with you.”
“No, I did not.”
“About the other things I said…” Melanie said, picking up her bravery off the ground.
“How could you think I haven’t thought of you? I have thought about you. I do think about you.” Luke put his hands on either side of her knees. “I’ve wondered how you’re doing and what you’re doing.”
“Why didn’t you reach out, after the trial? I’m not talking about the break-up either. I’m talking long after, once Mark had gone to prison.”
“We both picked our sides. I thought better to leave you alone. You’ve always seen me as the bad guy.”
The backs of her arms prickled and her cheeks flushed. Luke slid his hands off of her legs. She looked in his eyes and the troublesome thought returned to her mind for the second time within the hour: How could he ever have hurt your brother? How could he hurt anyone? He loved you too much to take away someone important to your life. Try as she may, Melanie couldn’t answer those questions.
A slight incline of her hand and she ran her fingers over his knee. For a second, she thought he’d return the gesture, but he did not. He withdrew and got up from the chair. “I’d appreciate if you’d stop wasting my employees’ time with questions you can ask me directly.”
“Luke, I didn’t mean to—”
“Good-night, Melanie.”
He walked away, leaving her alone on the lounge chair.
Chapter 19
“They’re early,” Kendra said, and simultaneously tripped over her own feet and knocked down a plate of bananas and mangos. One of her hands caught the corner of the counter and the other sent her tablet flying across the air. It flipped like a pancake and landed on the floor. The entire scene brought Latonya, Stevie, and Melanie to a halt.
“My fruit!” Latonya bellowed, running to the scattered victims of fruit and a broken plate on the tile. Steadily, she pinched up a mango triangle. “You ruined the platter.”
Vivian laughed from her chair. “Oh-oh-oh.”
“What’s wrong with Kendra?” Melanie uttered to Stevie from behind her coffee mug. “I haven’t seen her like this.”
“Some people live for the stress of the surprise. Kendra is one of those people. She wouldn’t know what to do with a vacation day except organize her chaos.”
“I gathered as much.” Melanie had to admit, she got a little gratification of watching Kendra act so human.
“Please come back to me, please come back to me.” Kendra grabbed her tablet and hastily opened the case and began touching the screen with her finger. “You’re okay,” she purred, as if holding an infant. “My phone fell into the swimming pool two days ago. I haven’t had a chance to get a new one. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”
Stevie leaned into Melanie. “It’s no wonder she’s single. The woman
is in love with her computer.”
Latonya picked up the broken plate and began tossing the fruit in the trash. “I do have other meals to prepare for besides this breakfast club. Now tell me who’s coming early.”
Kendra set down her computer and helped Latonya clean up the mess, except Latonya shooed her away.
“Damon and Felicity are flying in today,” Kendra said. “They are arriving early. The house isn’t ready. Damon’s room is full of boxes since Luke didn’t use the space last year and I can’t find Brent.”
“Did you misplace him?” Melanie laughed, despite her mood, and despite the emotionally-charged conversation with Luke the night before. He’d left her outside by the pool, shortly after she’d begun to ask herself all those questions about him, as if he’d known she needed time to think. The thoughts did her little good, and she found herself awake most of the night with her stomach in a bunch.
Stevie laughed. “You should give him the GPS Sippy cups you bought for Vivian.”
“This isn’t funny. Brent hasn’t been fitted for his tuxedo.” Kendra ran her hands through her hair, over her chin, and stared at her tablet in the desperate sort of way a drug addict looks for the next fix. She shook out her hand. “I swear he better be on this island. Never mind him. The cleaning crew won’t come until Friday. Mr. Harrison is expected in Kauai tomorrow. I’ve got my regular job to do, plus arrange his flight with the pilot, plus make his hotel reservations, and figure out my list of wedding details to go over with Felicity.”
Latonya smacked her plastic spatula on the counter. “Get a grip.”
“Didn’t you try his bedroom?” Melanie stated the obvious. “I saw him last night. Luke and Brent had come back from a day of golfing.”
“Well, Brent’s not in his room now. I checked.” She drummed her hands on the counter. “I’m losing it, aren’t I?”
Vivian pounded the table with her spoon, as if she too, agreed with this observation. Stevie shook her head at Vivian. Melanie could see the stress on Kendra’s face. She didn’t look she’d gotten much sleep and the word “haggard” came to mind.
