She had been working hard. She had a lot of new clients and had started training her helpers from the high school. She was also preparing for Emily’s party and had just seen Jessica at the bank yesterday, where she had applied for a small-business loan.
She was worn out from work and all the excitement. But she still didn’t feel right just goofing off.
“I can’t. I have too much to do. It does sound like fun, though.” She picked up her apron from the back of a chair.
Phil reached over and snatched it out of her hands. “You won’t be needing that today. They do make you wear something called an apron, but it’s a part of the boat that keeps you dry.”
“Mom’s going with us? Great!” Jill walked into the room, beaming at Molly.
“Mom in a kayak?” Lauren rolled her eyes again. “This I’ve got to see.”
“Why, don’t you think I could do it?” Molly challenged her. “I would probably be great with a paddle. All this baking builds up arm muscles, you know.” Molly flexed her biceps, and the girls started laughing.
“Not bad,” Phil nodded, looking impressed. “I think you ought to have Lauren in your boat. She’s the heavier freight.”
“Thanks a lot, Dad!” Lauren gave her father a playful nudge.
“Oops. Guess I said something wrong.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Molly said dryly. She sighed and glanced around the kitchen, her work pulling her in one direction and Jill tugging her arm in the other.
“Come on, you’re going with us,” her younger daughter insisted. “You need some fresh air and exercise.”
“Besides, our vacation is almost over and you haven’t done anything fun with us all week, Mom,” Lauren added.
Molly glanced at Lauren, then back at Phil. The girls were right. She needed to take a break and be with them. Even if it meant spending the day with her ex-husband.
ALTHOUGH MOLLY WAS APPREHENSIVE AT FIRST, SHE FOUND THE HARDEST part was getting herself into the boat. Once they were out on the water, a smooth quiet inlet near the Essex River, Molly felt an extraordinary sense of peace. They paddled out across the smooth blue surface that showed barely a ripple in the morning light. Except for the slap of water against the hull and the dip of the paddle, it was silent. Birds balanced gracefully on long stalks of marsh grass, and fish wriggled past under the boat, their slick silver bodies darting through the clear water. The two kayaks glided across the calm inlet, and Molly fell into a smooth rhythm both with her own breath and heartbeat and with Jill, who sat in front of her, also paddling.
At one point they got their signals crossed and the boat started to tip to one side. “Jill, watch out!” Molly cried. She tried to reach forward to her daughter, which only made it worse. Then somehow she managed to get them righted despite Jill’s screeching. Phil paddled over to check out the fuss, and the two boats bumped together, making the girls laugh out loud.
“Aren’t there any brakes on this thing?” Molly called out as her boat collided with Phil’s.
“Dad, for goodness’ sake. You’re such a bad driver. You need to let me steer on the way back,” Lauren told her father.
“Great. I’ll just rest. My arms are getting tired already,” Phil complained in a good-natured tone.
Molly glanced at him. His muscular arms were bared by a T-shirt under his life vest, and he didn’t look the least bit tired. Attractive, yes. Tired, no. She looked away, surprised that she had even noticed him that way. Well, he always was a handsome guy. There was never any question about that.
Finally, they paddled up to a beach that appeared to be a sandbar. The sand was nearly white, covered with shells, and Molly felt as if she were paddling up to a deserted island. They pushed their boats up to the shoreline and hopped out.
It wasn’t really warm enough to swim, but the girls were so hot from paddling in the strong sun, they jumped into the water with their shorts and T-shirts on and splashed around wildly.
“Now you see why you need all the extra clothes,” Phil said.
Molly stood on the edge of the water, watching with a smile. “They have the right idea. It gets pretty hot out there.” She tipped her head back and took a long drink from a water bottle.
Phil thoughtfully waited until she was done, then gave her a hard shove, pushing her in with her daughters. “I was hoping you’d say something like that.”
“Phil . . . you’re horrible.” Molly couldn’t help laughing at him. She climbed out of the water, soaked to the skin. She came after him, but he was too quick and dashed away, laughing.
“Get him, Mom! You can’t let him get away with that,” Lauren called out. Then Lauren and Jill joined in the chase, and Phil let himself be caught. With each girl tugging an arm, they pulled him into the water.
“Oh, man, that is cold!” He jumped out like a pop-up toy. “I can’t believe you guys did that to me. Three against one, no fair. Just for that, I’m going to hide your paddles. You’ll be stranded out here.”
“No way!” Jill shouted at him.
“Yes, way. Just try me,” he warned her. But the girls pounced on him as he hurried to get out of the water and pulled him down again.
Molly was laughing so hard, she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t remember the last time she had this much fun. For an instant, she felt as if they were a real family again. Sam’s words suddenly echoed in her mind. Maybe you guys will get back together again. She pulled out a towel from the pack and dried off. Was it even remotely possible?
They ended up at the Woodsman, an Essex landmark that offered no-frills seafood and a rustic ambiance. Everyone wanted the same lunch, a cup of chowder and a lobster roll. They carried their trays of food outside to the wooden tables set up under long awnings. Molly felt tired, and she ached in places she didn’t even know she had. But she was hungry, and the tasty food and view of the open meadow behind the restaurant took her mind off her pains.
The girls finished quickly and went for a walk in the meadow. “I can’t believe they have any energy left after all the paddling. I can barely chew,” Phil confessed.
“Me, either, but it was fun. Thanks for making me go with you. It’s been a great day.”
Phil smiled at her. “It would have been fun with Lauren and Jill. Having you with us made it really special. I’d forgotten how much fun you are, Molly.”
“So did I,” Molly said with a small smile. “Sorry you got dunked by my assistants.”
“That’s okay. I deserved it. I did it to you first.”
“So you did. I almost forgot about that.”
Phil was quiet for a moment. “I almost forgot how pretty you look when you’re smiling like that.”
Molly glanced up at him quickly, then looked out at the meadow. What was going on here? She didn’t like that look in his eyes.
“I’ve been thinking about you, Molly. I’ve missed you.”
“Oh? Really?” Molly coughed. She didn’t know what else to say. She picked up her soda and sipped from the straw.
Phil’s blue-eyed gaze became intent. “I know this probably sounds crazy, but I think we should get back together.”
Molly put the cup down abruptly. She started to speak, but he interrupted her before she could get any words out.
“I know we had some bad times. But we’re older now. We’re calmer. Well, I am,” he added. “We were happy together sometimes, Molly, really happy, like today. It wasn’t all bad times—”
“No, it wasn’t, Phil,” she cut in. “I would never say that. But that doesn’t mean we should get back together again.”
“The girls would love it. I’ve never seen them as happy as they were today. Well, not recently anyway.”
She couldn’t argue with that. Still, getting back together for the sake of the girls wasn’t a good reason, was it?
“Just think it over. I have a good job now. We could buy a house. You wouldn’t have to work so hard. A lot of our fights were about money. It wouldn’t be like that anymore.”
He me
t her eyes, trying to persuade her to see the reason in his unexpected proposal. Molly stared at him, stunned. He’s a born salesman, she reminded herself. A few minutes more of this and I’ll start to agree with him.
Well, almost.
She saw Lauren and Jill walking back toward them and breathed a little easier. He wouldn’t keep this up in front of the girls. He had better sense than that. She hoped so, anyway.
“Hi, guys. Ready to go?” Molly’s voice was bright.
Phil rubbed his chin, looking as if he realized he hadn’t gotten very far but wasn’t going to give up quite so easily. The look in his eyes made her nervous. She couldn’t quite believe this was happening.
MOLLY WAS RELIEVED WHEN SPRING BREAK ENDED AND THE GIRLS WENT back to school. As of tomorrow, she had two weeks left to prepare for Emily’s party, which wasn’t long at all. And she had cold feet again about applying for the small-business loan. Jessica was calling regularly, gently pressuring her for the paperwork. It just seemed like an awful lot to bite off, Molly thought, especially since Emily was her first and only client and could be her last if it didn’t go well.
Of course, if she didn’t get the loan, she might not have the means to do this right, so there was another dilemma.
She had also been putting off the visit to Lillian Warwick’s house to check the rooms and plan the setup. But on Friday she realized she had to face the inevitable. She called Emily, and they made a plan to meet there at two.
Molly was apprehensive enough about facing Lillian with Emily by her side, but just as Molly was about to leave the house her cell phone rang.
“Molly, it’s Emily. I’m stuck in a meeting. I’m not sure when this will be over. My mother is expecting us. Why don’t you go on over, and I’ll try to catch up?”
“Um, sure. I was just leaving to go there,” Molly told her. “See you later then.”
She hung up the phone, feeling her stomach twist into a knot. You’re a businesswoman now, she told herself. You have to be polite to the client’s mother. Even if it is Lillian Warwick.
Molly arrived at Lillian’s grand old house on Providence Street a few minutes later. She rang the doorbell and glanced around. The place looked deserted. Then again, it always looked like that. The curtain in the front window stirred. Still, no one came to the door.
Molly rang the bell again, then knocked. Finally, she turned around to go, and as she did, she heard the door open behind her.
She whirled around to see Lillian peering outside, her mouth set in a frown. “I thought my daughter was coming with you.”
“Emily got held up in a meeting. She told me to come ahead since you were expecting us.”
“I was expecting my daughter . . . but never mind, come in.”
Lillian pulled open the door and stood back, taking in Molly with an appraising glance. Molly felt as if she didn’t quite pass muster, even though she had pulled her wild, curly hair back into a neat upswept hairstyle and wore a dress and heels. She also carried a professional-looking black portfolio, hugging it in front of her now like a shield.
“Let’s see, where should we start?” Molly tried for a light yet professional tone.
“How should I know? I really don’t want this party here in the first place—strangers tramping through my house, breaking things. I wish they would have it in a restaurant or an inn. I’m not running a catering hall here, you know.”
“Of course not.” Molly struggled for a pleasant tone. “But house parties are so much more personal and comfortable than something in a restaurant.”
“How preposterous. Emily has no nostalgic feelings for this house, believe me. She was never happy one minute under this roof. It’s just for convenience’s sake. Her convenience . . . and my inconvenience.”
It was a wasted effort trying to be pleasant to Lillian Warwick, that was for sure. Molly decided it was best to just do what she’d come to do and get it over with.
“May I see the dining room?” Molly asked.
“You know where it is. You don’t need a tour guide.”
Molly thought Lillian would stay out of her way after that, but she followed her, walking carefully with the use of her cane. Lillian stood in the doorway while Molly surveyed the room. The heavy drapes were drawn, and the room was so dark Molly could hardly get a good idea of the size.
A long banquet-sized table took up most of the space. It was really too large for the room and must have been brought from Lilac Hall, the old family estate.
“Can this table be closed to a smaller size?” Molly tried to check to see if it could, but the table was covered by a lace cloth.
“Why ask me? I thought you were the expert. Though I don’t see how one can make such a leap, from cleaning girl to party planner or whatever it is you call yourself now.”
Molly felt stung. She held her breath, not permitting herself to react to Lillian’s barbs. She had done more for Lillian than clean house. She had also made meals for her, though Lillian never thought much of her cooking.
“I’m starting a catering business, Lillian. It’s not brain surgery.”
“I’ll say it’s not.” Lillian tugged on the edges of her cardigan sweater. “That’s my daughter for you, always doing people favors, even at her own expense. This party will humiliate her, mark my words. She hires a cleaning girl to stage an engagement party for a hundred guests. At her stage in life, mind you. I must say, I’m aghast.”
Molly had rarely heard that word used but didn’t need a dictionary to gather its meaning. She felt her face turn beet red, and she swallowed back an angry response.
The problem was, Lillian’s cruel taunts had hit a nerve. She was a cleaning girl trying to stage a formal party for the town’s mayor. She wasn’t fooling anybody in her stylish new clothes and upswept hairdo, least of all, Lillian.
She couldn’t let Lillian see that she had rattled her. Determined, Molly strode into the living room and started a quick sketch, noting the arrangement of the heavy old pieces of furniture. Later she would figure out how they might be rearranged to make more room for the guests and extra tables.
Lillian peered at her sketch. “Don’t tell me you’re going to redecorate in here as well. Or is that another sideline for you?”
The place could use a little freshening up, Molly thought. It looked as if Lillian had hired Teddy Roosevelt to do her decorating.
The doorbell rang, and Lillian glanced at Molly. “That must be Emily, late as usual. She’ll be late for her own funeral,” she complained as she started toward the foyer.
Molly sighed with relief. She never imagined she would be so happy to see Emily Warwick enter a room. She had been a heartbeat away from losing it and congratulated herself now for keeping her temper.
“Hi, Molly, sorry I’m late.” Emily walked into the room and bent to kiss Lillian’s cheek. “Hello, Mother.”
“Since you’re finally here, I’ll let you handle things,” Lillian said with a last disparaging glance at Molly. “I’m going upstairs. I find this all very tiresome, Emily.”
Emily ignored that and turned back to Molly. “So, what are you up to? Any questions so far?”
Just one. How have you survived with such a mother? Molly wanted to ask her. Of course, she didn’t.
“I was just doing a sketch of this room to figure out how we’ll set up the tables. Isn’t there a patio outside?”
“Yes, the patio is right off the kitchen. Would you like to see it?”
“Let’s take a look. If the warm weather keeps up, we can set up cocktails and hors d’oeuvres out there.”
“That’s a great idea.” Emily led the way through the kitchen to a back door. Molly followed, grateful that Lillian had retreated for now. Still, Molly couldn’t help feeling a little battered by Lillian’s cutting words, in part because of her own doubts. What if she couldn’t pull this off? What if Lillian was right?
MOLLY LEFT LILLIAN’S HOUSE FEELING WEARY AND STRESSED BUT ALSO encouraged. Emily had seemed pleased
with her ideas for the setup and decorating.
Checking her watch, Molly realized she needed to rush over to the middle school to pick up Lauren, who had stayed late for lacrosse practice. Her mother had already picked up Jill and brought her to her own house.
Molly pulled into the parking lot by the athletic fields and soon spotted her daughter, standing in a cluster of other girls. Amanda Harding was there as well. Lauren ran over to the car and bent down to talk to Molly.
“Can Amanda come home with us? She’s not feeling well.”
“Um, sure. Of course she can. Where’s her dad?”
“We don’t know. She tried to reach him on his cell phone, but he hasn’t gotten back to her yet.”
“No problem. Go get her.” Molly wondered about Matthew. It wasn’t like him not to answer his cell phone. She knew he’d been working long hours the last few weeks. She had seen a lot of Amanda lately. During the vacation, Amanda had hardly been home at all, shuttling between Molly’s and her aunt’s in Newburyport.
She hadn’t seen much of Matthew since their talk. She told him they would still be friends, but it was too hard for her. She still had feelings for him—deep feelings that wouldn’t go away that easily.
The two girls jumped into the back seat. Molly stopped at her mother’s house and picked up Jill, then took everyone home.
Amanda seemed subdued during the car ride. When Molly asked if she was all right, she just nodded.
There seemed to be something else going on; Molly knew that look on Lauren’s face by now. She would get to the bottom of this sooner or later.
Once they got home, Molly suggested that Amanda call her father again. Amanda got a machine this time and left a message that she was at Molly’s house. Jill ran off to watch TV in the living room, pleased to have the remote all to herself. The two older girls started toward Lauren’s room, but Molly stopped them.
“Dinner will be awhile. How about a snack—some popcorn?”
Lauren and Amanda glanced at each other. “Okay,” Lauren said.
Molly slipped a bag of popcorn in the microwave and took out a big bowl. “Eat in here, okay? I don’t want a lot of crumbs in your room.”
A New Leaf Page 32
