No Ordinary Summer

by Linda Barrett

  “So, tell me about the kids,” said Carl. “You know I think you’re a wonderful mother, but are you really going through with the crazy beach-house idea?” He smiled with warmth and his eyes twinkled. She couldn’t take offense.

  “Actually,” she said, “it’s a wonderful idea. The children have already made some friends. Josh is signed up for a summer baseball league. And Emily has two pails of seashells in her collection already.”

  “You’ll make sure they don’t get burned and that there’s a lifeguard on duty at all times?” The concern in his voice was genuine. The concern of a loving father.

  Shelley relaxed and nodded. “Of course I’ll take care of them. And you’re invited to visit at any time, Carl. Just call first. I can spare you a hamburger.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. And Shelley saw the side of him that she’d once loved. Between his good looks, charm and intelligence, he had the charisma that most people only read about. And tonight, her little joke had made him laugh.

  “We’re still very good together, Shel,” said Carl, lifting his can of soda in a toast to her.

  She nodded in acknowledgment, then added, “But not good enough.”

  Carl became quiet. She felt him studying her before he glanced at his soda. His thumb traced around the rim over and over. Then he focused on her again, his eyes never leaving her face. “The party wants me to run for the congressional seat in our district, Shelley. A substitute candidate for John Reilly, who passed away from a heart attack last week. You know he was up for reelection.”

  Shelley nodded.

  “Because of circumstances,” continued Carl, “I don’t have to go through a primary. I am the candidate. I’ve been in deep talks with the leaders, and I’m going to do it.”

  Shelley’s eyes widened. “You weren’t kidding when you said ‘big news,’ were you?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve been aiming for a political career all along. You know that.”

  She did know. He’d always been a political animal, but his career hadn’t been on her mind lately. She’d been more concerned about her own.

  “I’ve taken on a number of cases in the public interest over the years,” said Carl, “but this last one—the water pollution one—has made me almost a household name.”

  Shelley sat back and examined this man she was once married to. He was on his way up. “Well, congratulations and good luck.” She paused a moment, her thoughts whirling. “Oh, my. Your parents must be thrilled. They’ve always had big dreams for you. First a congressman, then a senator. Maybe the White House next?”

  He shrugged. “Can’t know the future. But my parents are excited, pulling out all the stops with their connections. And I was hoping,” he said in a quiet voice, “that you’d be excited, too.”

  All she really wanted to know was how his decision would affect their kids. “I wish you only the best, Carl. And I am excited for you. But the truth is, I think you care about water pollution about as much as I care about football.”

  Good grief! He looked as though she’d really hurt his feelings. “Am I wrong, Carl? I’ll apologize if I am.”

  He reached for her hand and pressed it gently. “Every issue is important on this campaign. It’s going to be a big campaign, Shel, and I’m going to need the kids with me part of the time.”

  She tilted her head in question while his fingers clasped hers in his palm. So familiar a touch. “I can understand that.”

  “I knew you would,” he replied with a smile. The sweet kind. “We had a lot of good years together, and I was hoping to count on your support.”

  “With the children? Of course. The kids are yours, too. And neither of us wants to air our dirty linen in public.”

  “Thank you.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her palm.

  She disengaged. “That wasn’t necessary.”

  “But safer than if I kissed your beautiful mouth.”

  Stunned by the unexpected remark, Shelley stared at her ex-husband. “What’s going on, Carl? I don’t need your compliments or personal attention.”

  His eyes darkened with a sexual heat. “Don’t you?” he asked softly. “We had ten good years, Shelley. Very good years. We could have more.”

  She rose to leave.

  “Hang on a moment, Shel,” said Carl. “Hear me out.”

  Her mind ran at warp speed. For the second time in two days, she reminded herself that she needed to know everything if she was going to plan a defense. She sat down again.

  “I made a mistake in our marriage,” said Carl. “And I admit that.” His voice was sincere, his eyes imploring. “I want you to know how sorry I am. And if you’d consider a reconciliation…I swear you’ll never have reason to complain again.”

  A what? Shocked into silence, Shelley couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, couldn’t think. Carl seemed to take her silence as encouragement.

  “Think of the kids, Shelley. They’d be so happy if we got back together. And your parents would be overjoyed.”

  She had to give him credit for that one. Her parents had remained loyal to her on the surface, but in their hearts, they’d never believed the divorce was Carl’s fault. They’d blamed her for his dissatisfaction. If her husband was looking elsewhere, she should have done something about it. Yes, her parents would be thrilled, right along with the children.

  “And, Shelley, if I get elected, you’d have a voice in state education programs. Influence priorities and reform.”

  “What?”

  “You sure would,” said Carl, nodding his head for emphasis. “Teaching in the public schools would give you tremendous credibility. Here you are, working with the youngest, most vulnerable children. People will listen to your ideas. You’re not some ivory-tower theorist. You’re in the trenches with the kids.” He reached for both her hands. “You’ve always been crazy about children, Shelley. And now, you can make a difference.”

  It was too much to absorb. “I need time to think,” she said, getting up from her seat.

  “Of course you do,” said Carl, rising also. “Think hard, Shelley. Think what’s best for Josh and Emily. We can become a family again. Give the kids what we both know they really want.”

  What about what I want? “I’ll be in touch,” she said, walking toward the door on shaky legs.

  “Good. But don’t take too long.” He was only a step behind her. “Basically, I’m a family man, Shelley. You know that.” He tapped her shoulder and she turned around. “My life’s been crazy lately, and I hate missing my dates with the kids. I want them with me.”

  MAYBE SHE SHOULD HAVE taken a taxi after all. Her hands shook so hard, her ignition key wouldn’t go into its slot. She grasped the steering wheel and took a few breaths until she felt a measure of control returning.

  Carl knew her well. Knew how to push every one of her buttons. Her yearning for family, her concern for children, her parents’ happiness at seeing their daughter secure once more and, most important of all, the happiness of her children.

  She pulled out of the parking spot and merged with traffic, heading toward the outskirts of the city. She couldn’t wait to get home.

  Pilgrim Cove popped into her head. That’s where she wanted to be. Her new summer home, at least for this summer. She could walk Pilgrim Beach for miles and just allow her thoughts to flow. An image of Daniel Stone superimposed itself over the imaginary sand and water in her mind. And suddenly, she smiled. Daniel was a nice guy. His dark eyes held steady, his demeanor calm when he looked at her. He was a solid, nonthreatening presence in her world. Her heart returned to a normal beat.

  Just what was best for the children? Carl loved them. That wasn’t an issue. And they wanted him in their lives every day. No question that Carl had his good points. An excellent provider, he was a partner in one of Boston’s most prestigious law firms. He was intelligent, interesting and very attractive. And he’d loved her once, the way any woman in the world wanted to be loved.

  When she final
ly pulled into her driveway and garage, she could hardly remember making the trip. She shuddered at the implications. It was scary to know she’d been traveling on automatic pilot at night.

  Sleep was a long time coming. Carl’s words “I want them with me” kept going around in her head. Were they simply expressing a yearning, or were they a threat to fight for full custody if she didn’t go along with his plan?

  Don’t borrow trouble. She tossed on her pillow, then glanced at the bedside clock and groaned— 1:00 a.m. How would she ever get up in the morning and arrive at work on time? It was a rhetorical question. She’d just do it. Push herself out of bed and start the day whether she felt like it or not. That’s what working moms did. And if she and Carl were a couple, what would happen? His career would definitely come first.

  Shelley jumped out of bed and paced. She was avoiding the crux of the issue. Careers counted. Children counted. Family counted. All that was true.

  But what really counted in a marriage was the trust between a husband and wife. Could she trust Carl again? Or was she being naive? As naive as the inexperienced college girl he’d called “his Madonna” years ago, when he’d spotted her working at the campus bookstore?

  She didn’t know. But now, she was able to fall asleep. She’d identified the root of her unease.

  “T.G.I.F.,” SAID SHELLEY to her co-worker the next afternoon as they hurried to their cars in the school’s parking lot.

  “You can say that again. I’m ready for summer! And so are my third-graders.”

  “And so am I,” added Shelley as the other teacher slipped into her own car. Shelley’s statement was half-true. Although she was mentally ready for summer break, she certainly wasn’t physically ready and was eager to use the weekend for chores. Lots to do before she and the kids left for Sea View House. And only one week to accomplish everything.

  They’d leave the following Saturday morning, the day after school officially closed, and still have three weeks of June, all of July and at least half of August. Her parents would join them on Saturday afternoon, making the two-hour trip in their own vehicle. Shelley wasn’t quite certain, but she thought she was possibly even more excited than Josh and Emily.

  She waved her friend off and was about to open her own car door, when a shiny silver Lexus pulled into the vacant spot left by the third-grade teacher.

  Good God! She knew that car. It seemed Carl hadn’t waited long to send in reinforcements. Shelley watched until her former mother-in-law stood outside the luxury vehicle. Barbara Anderson looked as elegant as ever, her blond hair stylishly cut and in place. Her beige linen suit was paired with low-heeled pumps and gold jewelry.

  She looked like a woman who understood and was comfortable with her station in life. While Shelley knew that to be true, she also knew that Barbara Anderson possessed as sharp a brain as her husband’s and son’s, and had established a successful marketing consulting business on her own. She was the perfect parent to foster a campaign for an ambitious politician. On the domestic side, she was also the grandmother of Shelley’s children.

  Barbara smiled in greeting and extended a hand and a brief hug. “You’re looking wonderful, Shelley. As pretty as ever. And I love the short hair. Very smart.”

  Shelley chuckled. “Very easy to take care of, Barbara. The secret of my success.” She said nothing more, just waited for the older woman to speak. Barbara, however, seemed to have a hard time getting started. She clasped and unclasped her fingers, a very uncharacteristic gesture for the self-assured woman.

  Finally, Shelley reached for Barbara’s hands and smiled. “Are you the entire cavalry, or has Carl also sent some backup?”

  To her surprise, Barbara pulled away and stood very straight, not meeting Shelley’s eye. “Carl doesn’t know I’ve come to see you. But of course, I do know that you had dinner together last night.”

  “That’s right. We did.” Shelley’s voice held no inflection. What passed between her and Carl was no one else’s business. Her own parents didn’t know about the meeting.

  But now Barbara seemed to have found her strength. Her gaze held Shelley’s. “I know you met Carl for dinner,” she repeated, “and I know what you discussed. I’m here to ask you…even beg you…to remarry my son.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  BARBARA’S REQUEST completed the one-two punch to Shelley’s stomach that Carl had begun the night before. Beg? Her former mother-in-law was definitely not the begging type. Tiny drops of perspiration broke out all over Shelley’s body, and she took a deep breath, girding herself for confrontation—something she’d thought was a thing of the past.

  “I don’t like feeling railroaded, Barbara. If you’ve spoken with Carl, then you know I told him I needed time to think.”

  “And that’s just why I’m here. To help you think.” Barbara’s expression was eager, her eyes bright.

  “Excuse me?” replied Shelley, trying to maintain her composure, yet lighten the tone of the conversation. “I haven’t donated my brain to science yet.”

  A fleeting smile crossed the other woman’s face. “I should have added the word ‘clearly.’ You’re young, Shelley, still relatively inexperienced. I just want to make sure you’re thinking clearly.”

  Shelley opened the car door and threw her purse inside, wishing she could drive off right then. “I haven’t made any decisions yet, and I’m certainly not rushing this one.” If she had come to a conclusion, she would have informed Carl first. Not Barbara. She was no longer the impressionable undergrad in awe of Carl’s wealthy, ambitious family. In the past two years, she’d worked hard to develop her own identity.

  “You and Carl were a wonderful couple,” said Barbara, totally animated now. “I always thought you’d be a twosome forever.”

  Shelley had thought the same, but didn’t want to go down that road at the moment. “Sometimes, life doesn’t work out the way you plan.”

  “But yours can! Don’t you see it, Shelley? With Carl in office, you’d have a life much better than you’d ever dreamed. The children would have two parents every day, and you’d never have to work again. Think of all the advantages. The prestige, the security, the influence.

  “Look, darling,” continued Barbara in a hushed voice, stepping closer to Shelley as if to share a confidence. “Look at my life. I’m lacking for nothing. Walter has been more than a good provider. And if he…has a wandering eye every so often…so be it.”

  Nausea hit Shelley with a vengeance, and she had to swallow hard. She swayed toward the car and grasped the open door for support. “I don’t need to know this, Barbara. Your marriage is your business.”

  “Don’t be dense, Shelley. It’s your business now, too. You grew up in a blue-collar family, just like I did. But I went from blue-collar to blue blood. You were almost there, and you can still have it.”

  The woman paused for breath. Her eyes shone with conviction. “Come on, Shelley. Do you really want to be a schoolteacher all your life? Walt and I have a good marriage. I love him and he loves me. But he’s not perfect. There’s not a man alive who is. So I pretend not to know. Who cares in the end?”

  Shelley sank into the driver’s seat and concentrated on her breathing before replying to Carl’s mother. She finally looked up. “I guess we’re different people, Barbara, because…to answer your question…it seems that I care. I care very much.”

  “Then you’re still a naive little girl.” With her tone noticeably cooler, Barbara’s pale complexion turned paper-white. “And Carl? What about Carl? What about his congressional race?”

  An important question, but Carl’s decision to run for office was not Shelley’s responsibility. “Trust is hard to rebuild,” she said gently. “Your son has a way to go yet.”

  “Shelley! Please! Please think about all the good you’ve had together. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for him. And you know he’s worked damn hard for it. We all did. He didn’t inherit a legacy like the Kennedy kids or the Bush children.”

  “
I do know that,” replied Shelley. “But this situation isn’t simply a career decision for me. It’s a personal one.”

  Barbara’s expression softened a fraction. “Sometimes the two come together. And sometimes you have to seize the opportunity. You and Carl could have a second chance. The children would be so happy. A fabulous life.”

  Shelley looked pointedly at her watch. “I’m running late to get those very children. Why don’t you come home with me for a visit with them?”

  But the other woman shook her head. “Sorry. Too much to do. I really stole a piece of my day to see you. I hope it wasn’t wasted.” A question lingered in her voice, as she waited for a reply.

  Shelley stared at Carl’s mother, trying to choose her words carefully. “Let’s say our conversation was very enlightening, but I’m making no promises. I don’t know the ending of the Carl-and-Shelley story yet, but I do know this—you are my children’s grandmother, and my door is always open to you regardless of Carl’s and my situation.”

  Barbara didn’t twitch a muscle, and Shelley pressed on. “Being Grandma is also an opportunity of a lifetime. I sincerely hope you don’t waste it.”

  First, Barbara looked shocked, then she shook her head slightly, a tiny smile on her face. “The lioness roars. Good for you. Maybe my son didn’t appreciate what he had during his years with you—but he will….”

  Talk about enlightenment. Shelley waved to Carl’s mother and backed out of her spot. Couldn’t leave the place fast enough. She felt a web beginning to tighten around her, all the strands emanating from Carl and his family. It would only get worse. Now, they’d see her as the one who got away, and Carl would pursue her to satisfy his need to win on all fronts.

  Too much to think about. She couldn’t wait to get back to Pilgrim Cove.

  FOREVER AND A DAY. That’s how long it had seemed for the next Saturday to come around. The closer it came, the more Shelley had wanted to be back at Sea View House. Now, she glanced at the dashboard clock. With any luck, she’d be pulling up in front of the house in about fifteen minutes.