by Terri DuLong
“To the Golden Lion in Flagler Beach,” I said. “Chadwick is picking us up at six.”
“Oh, good choice.” Mavis Anne nodded. “Such a pretty spot with the deck overlooking the ocean.”
The phone rang, and Chloe jumped up again to answer it while we continued talking.
A few minutes later she returned to the table. A huge smile lit her face. “That was Treva. She had her OB checkup this morning and everything is fine. Right on schedule for a June delivery.”
“Do you plan to go up to Jacksonville when she’s in labor?” Maddie asked.
“Gee, I hadn’t really thought about that. But I guess I could. I’d love to be right there when my grandchild is born. I’ll see what Eli and Treva think.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’d love to have you there. Treva doesn’t bother with her stepmother or her father, does she?” Mavis Anne asked.
Chloe shook her head. “No. I’m really it for family. Well, me and Eli and Henry.”
“Right,” Mavis Anne said and nodded. “A girl always needs a mother figure in her life. No matter her age.”
The glance she shot in my direction didn’t escape me.
* * *
Chadwick rang the doorbell at precisely six. Haley reached the door first. I got up from the sofa and found I was nervous to be introducing my best friend to a man who might be in my life forever or possibly drift away.
Chadwick stepped inside as butterflies fluttered in my stomach.
“Chadwick,” I said, and grabbed Petra’s hand as she came to stand beside me. “I’d like you to meet Petra Garfield.”
“Hi,” she said, not the least bit nervous, reaching out to shake his hand. “She just neglected to say that I’m her best friend like for a million years.”
Chadwick laughed and returned her handshake. “Very important information,” he confirmed, kidding with her.
And there—right in front of my best friend and my daughter—he leaned over to place a brief kiss on my lips. “You’re looking as beautiful as always,” he said without one ounce of shyness.
“Thanks,” I said and smiled. All of a sudden my nervousness evaporated, and the scene felt natural and right. “Okay. I think we’re ready.”
“I thought you had a little dog,” Chadwick said. “I’d like to meet him.”
That was it. No matter what, I knew Petra would always be Chadwick’s staunchest supporter and defend anything he said or did.
“Oh, I do,” she gushed. “But it’s a she. Lotte. And she’s staying with Mavis Anne this evening until we get back. You can meet her when we pick her up later.”
“That would be great,” he said. And once again I was surprised by his sincerity.
* * *
We were seated at a table near the railing with an unobstructed view of the ocean, and the conversation hadn’t lagged once in the hour we’d been at the restaurant.
I only made comments when necessary, allowing Chadwick and Petra time to get to know each other. He asked Petra about her line of work, growing up in Pennsylvania, and of course lots of questions about Lotte. He then moved on to Haley, asking about school, Tina, and various teen subjects. A couple of times I caught him sending me a wink across the table and my heart melted.
It struck me that Chadwick Price was what guys referred to as a man’s man. He was sociable and knew how to work a group. But the thing was, it wasn’t fake or being done for some ulterior purpose. He was genuinely interested in other people and what they had to say. A rare quality in today’s world.
“Yeah, so we went shopping yesterday,” I heard Petra say.
“Ah, a woman’s love,” Chadwick said. “Did you find something specific or just browsing?”
“Oh, no, we found—”
I kicked Petra under the table to prevent her from saying any more. “Yes,” I interrupted. “We found a few nice things. But mostly, we just browsed and then I took Petra to lunch at the North Turn.”
Chadwick looked from me to Petra and back again as a smile crossed his face. Maybe this man was a bit too astute for his own good.
“Nice choice,” he said and moved on to another subject, but I didn’t miss his smirk.
By the time we headed back to Koi House, I had no doubt it had been a very good evening and Chadwick and Petra liked each other. For some reason, that meant a lot to me.
Haley went into the house but Chadwick came with us to get Lotte. After much patting and telling Petra how sweet Lotte was, he said, “It’s been a very enjoyable evening. It was really great meeting you, Petra, and I hope we’ll see each other again.”
“Same here,” she said. “Oh, you will. I’ll always be in Isabelle’s life.”
Somehow the way she said that made it sound like Chadwick would also be in my life forever.
“Thanks so much for dinner,” she said, before heading toward Koi House with Lotte in her arms.
“I like her,” he said, as we stood near the gate. “You were right. She’s a no-nonsense person and tells it like it is. That’s a good trait to have.”
“Hmm, sometimes,” I said, and laughed.
I felt his arms go around my waist and I looked up into his handsome face. As his lips touched mine, my arms circled around his neck. His kisses only continued to get better, and at that moment I recalled the sexy lingerie wrapped in tissue paper stashed away in my bedroom drawer. Would I ever be wearing that for Chadwick?
After a few more kisses, I pulled away. “I guess I should go inside,” I said.
“Hmm,” he mumbled, but kept his arms around me.
“Okay,” he said after a few seconds. “I guess I have to let you go. Does Petra leave on Sunday?”
I nodded.
“Can we get together on Monday evening? I have to leave Tuesday for Miami and some business meetings until Friday.”
I had no idea what I had going on Monday evening but whatever it might be, it didn’t take priority over Chadwick.
“Absolutely,” I told him.
He brushed his lips with mine again. “I’ll call you,” he said before walking to his car.
I walked into the house to find Petra curled up on the sofa, two wineglasses on the table. She picked one up and held it in the air.
“Here’s to Chadwick Price,” she said. “He’s definitely a keeper.”
I laughed and sat down beside her as I reached for the other glass. “Thanks. Then I guess you approve?”
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? What’s not to like?”
“Yeah. I agree. I mean, nobody’s perfect, but I’ve yet to find his flaws.”
“Oh, you will, but I have a feeling they’ll be pretty minor ones. I do like him a lot, Isabelle, and it’s plain to see, he’s crazy about you. Haley adores him too and they seem to have a nice rapport between them.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I never gave that much thought because I never dated anybody after Roger and I broke up. But having them like each other is a nice bonus.”
“Oh, trust me. If the kid doesn’t like the boyfriend or vice versa, it can be a game changer. So yes, you lucked out in that department.”
“I’m glad you like him, Petra. That means a lot to me.”
“Hmm,” she said, a grin covering her face. “If it means that much—this might be headed in a pretty serious direction.”
Chapter 28
One thing I had to admit: my mother had taught me the basic manners in childhood. In retrospect, I knew she hadn’t been a bad mother. She had just been an absent mother. For thirty years.
So early Saturday morning I headed to Maddie’s florist shop and purchased a houseplant to take to dinner that evening.
I came in the back door of Koi House to find Petra sitting at the counter sipping coffee.
“Nice touch,” she said. “For your mother?”
Leave it to Petra to know me.
“Yup,” I said, nonchalantly going to pour myself a mug of coffee. “I’d do the same for a stranger. Haley still sleeping?”
�
��I think so. Haven’t seen her yet. What’s up for today? Are we due at your mother’s at six?”
“Yeah,” I said, and thought about my call to her the day before. It was difficult not to hear the happiness in her voice when I said we accepted her dinner invitation. “Well, you can’t go back to Jacksonville without our visiting Angell and Phelps chocolate shop. So we can go down there and then have lunch out.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She took a sip of her coffee and placed the empty mug in the dishwasher. “Well, I’m headed to the shower. See you in a bit.”
I sat there lost in my thoughts when she left the kitchen. Over the past few days I had been getting flashbacks of various incidents from my childhood, when my mother was still in my life. How she was always there for school events, even when my father was working and couldn’t make it. Her worry and concern the time I had chicken pox at age nine. My eighth grade graduation when I insisted I wanted a perm for the ceremony—and proceeded to do it myself at home, resulting in me looking like a French poodle. I then insisted I wasn’t going but my mother took me to her hair stylist and had my hair straightened, cut, and styled. Little things—but things that a loving mother does for her daughter. And yet—she was able to just walk away as if she never cared at all. All these years later, I still found it difficult to understand.
I looked up as Haley walked into the kitchen and came to place a kiss on my cheek.
“Good morning,” she said, and I knew that although I might have lost my mother, the gods had shined down on me when I had Haley.
“Good morning,” I told her. “Sleep well?”
“Yeah. And Mom, I’m really glad you agreed to go to Nana’s tonight. She’s excited about us coming for dinner.”
No doubt, I thought, and once again the old resentment returned.
* * *
A little before six I was driving down Granada to The Trails and wondering whether I should have left well enough alone and refused the dinner invitation. Too late now.
I pulled into the cul-de-sac and my mother’s driveway. Before we even got out of the car, my mother had the front door open to welcome us.
Hugs were exchanged and she waved a hand toward the family room.
“Come on in,” she said. “I’m so glad you came.”
I passed her the plant. “For you,” I said.
“Thank you so much, Isabelle. It’s lovely.”
She placed it on the counter and shot us a huge smile.
“Okay. Dinner will be ready shortly. How about a drink? Wine for you gals and a soda for you, Haley?”
“Thanks, Nana.”
“Sounds good, doesn’t it, Izzy?” Petra said, when I mumbled sure.
She only called me Izzy when she was irritated with me. I had a feeling she thought I wasn’t being friendly enough.
I walked into the family room and glanced around. Beautifully furnished, just like our home had been when I was growing up. My gaze caught framed photos on a credenza and I walked over. I was surprised to see one of me with Buster, my childhood dog. I had begged and begged for a dog, and on my fifth birthday my parents took me out to the country to choose a pup from a litter of cocker spaniels. Buster lived to be ten years old, but we lost him to cancer a few months after my mother left, making his loss doubly hard.
I picked up another frame that was a collage of photos of me. On family vacations, dance recitals, and my eighth grade graduation. The other frames were the few photos of Haley that I’d sent to my mother over the years.
“Here you go,” she said, passing me a glass of wine.
“Something smells delicious,” Petra said.
“I made roast pork with cheese potatoes and fresh green beans.”
“Sounds yummy, Nana. And my favorite ice cream for dessert?”
My mother laughed and nodded. “Yes, I got Rocky Road.”
“You have a beautiful place, Iris,” Petra said.
“I love it here. Come on, I’ll show you around.”
I followed them as she pointed out the two bedrooms, a room she called her knitting room filled with shelves of yarn and a day bed, and then the kitchen/dining area.
I noticed that the French doors in the family room led to an enclosed patio outside.
“This is really ideal for you,” Petra said. “And you like the area? You’re keeping busy?”
My mother laughed. It was then I noticed that she was sipping ice water and not wine.
“Probably too busy,” she said. “I joined a salsa class and I’m starting a yoga class next week. And the first week in May I’ll be helping out at the yarn shop while Mavis Anne and Chloe are gone. In addition to my meetings, yes, I seem to have plenty to do. And I do love the area. I’ve made a few new friends and I love that the beach is so close.”
“Sounds like it was a good choice moving here,” Petra said, and I caught the glare she sent in my direction.
I knew she felt I’d been too quiet and was making no attempt to join the conversation.
I took a sip of wine. “Well, it certainly sounds like you’re the social butterfly.”
I had to acknowledge that I’d been secretly hoping my mother would feel her relocation here was a mistake. But apparently, that wasn’t happening.
Dinner was cooked to perfection. We were enjoying coffee while Haley savored her bowl of ice cream.
“Haley tells me you have a special man in your life,” my mother said. “I’d love to meet him some time.”
“Why?” I blurted out before I realized how hurtful the question was.
But she had never met any of the fellows I had dated in high school or college. And she hadn’t even met Roger until long after we had gotten married.
I saw the wounded expression that crossed her face and said, “Well, I mean . . . we’ve only been seeing each other a short time. Who knows where it will lead or if it will even continue?”
I knew this was probably a fib, but it was the best I could come up with.
My mother nodded. “Yes, true. Well, I just want you to know that I’d be happy to meet him. If you thought that I should.”
“You know, Iris,” Petra said, “it’s only a ninety-minute drive from here to where I am in Jacksonville. If you ever feel the need for a little getaway, just give me a call and come visit.”
A smile crossed my mother’s face. “Thanks, Petra. You’ve always been such a sweet girl.”
Unlike me, I thought.
“Nana,” Haley said, “show Mom what you’re knitting. Wait till you see this, Mom.”
My mother reached into a tote bag beside the sofa and brought out a gorgeous lace shawl. It was very intricate, done in a shade of ecru, which made it look vintage.
I had to admit it was stunning. I reached over to touch it. “It really is gorgeous,” I said. “Those stitches must be challenging.”
My mother nodded and I could tell she was pleased with my compliment. “Yes, they are. But anything worthwhile is always a challenge,” she said, and I wondered if that had a double meaning.
We made more small talk, and when I glanced at my watch I saw it was almost nine.
“Well,” I said, “we should get going. Thank you for the dinner, Mom. It really was excellent.”
“It was, Nana. Thanks. Mom, maybe Nana could come to our house next time for dinner.”
Leave it to my daughter to make me squirm.
“Yeah, maybe. We’ll see,” was all I said.
My mother hugged me good-bye and whispered in my ear, “Thank you for coming, Isabelle. I know it wasn’t easy, but it meant a lot to me.”
I nodded and followed Petra and Haley to the car. I resented the lump that had formed in my throat.
Chapter 29
Two weeks later I drove Haley to the Jacksonville airport for her flight to Atlanta to stay the week with Roger. Petra insisted I spend the night at her house after I dropped Haley off.
I pulled into her driveway and smiled. Even though we’d recently been together, I always looked fo
rward to spending time with my best friend.
“Hey,” she said, opening the door with Lotte in her arms. “I’m so glad you agreed to stay the night. I have lunch all ready.”
I followed her into the kitchen and perched on the stool while she uncorked a bottle of white.
“So what are your plans for the week with Haley gone?” she asked.
“Well,” I said, taking a deep breath, “I’ve been summoned to my mother’s house tomorrow evening for dinner.”
She passed me a wineglass. “And I’m thinking you’re not happy with this?”
“I just wonder what it’s all about. Why would she invite me alone without Haley?”
“Maybe because she’d like some private time to talk to you?”
I shook my head. “I doubt it. What could she possibly have to say that I don’t already know?”
“I guess you’ll find out tomorrow night. You are going, aren’t you?”
“I’ll probably be sorry, but yeah, I agreed to go. And Wednesday morning I’m going with Chadwick to spend the night in Atlanta at his parents’ home.”
Her head shot up as her eyebrows arched. “Oh, really? And what’s that all about?”
I waved a hand in the air. “Don’t get too excited. He has to go up there for business and asked me to go along. He’d like me to meet his parents, so we’ll be staying there for one night. That’s all.”
A smile crossed Petra’s face. “Hmm, that’s all? Sounds rather important to me. When a guy would like you to meet his parents, you’ve moved beyond the friendship stage. Trust me. I know these things.”
“Oh, right,” I said. “And that’s because you have somebody special in your life?”
“Hey, do as I say, not as I do. Are you nervous? About meeting them?”
“I haven’t given it much thought. Should I be?”
“Nah. Except for a woman’s wedding day, it’s only that other really major day in her life. Meeting people who could potentially turn out to be family by marriage.”
I held my palm in the air. “Hold on. First of all, I never realized what a hopeless romantic you are, and secondly, we’re simply spending the night there rather than doing the drive back the same day.” I took a sip of wine. “That’s all it is.” And I wondered which of us I was trying to convince more. Petra? Or myself?
