by Jan Moran
Looking over Leo’s shoulder toward the stairs, Jack saw Vanessa sitting on the first stair, with tears of joy streaming down her face as well.
Later, Jack figured Leo would want details, but for now, this was enough.
Chapter 23
Leaning against the counter in the kitchen, Marina consulted her menu and recipes for her first pop-up dinner. Denise and John had scheduled this evening and included Vanessa and Jack, along with two other couples in technology and entertainment from Los Angeles.
Marina was just beginning her prep work for another recipe when a familiar voice rang out.
“Mom, are you around?” The screen door banged shut.
When Ethan rounded the corner, Marina met him with a hug. “Darling, I’m so happy you’re here. What a surprise, though I wish I’d known you were coming.”
Marina was thrilled to see her son. Ethan had grown taller since she’d last seen him over the holidays. Though slender, he’d filled out with more muscles and looked more like Stan every day. But to her, he was still an overgrown boy on the inside.
“Sorry I didn’t call,” Ethan said. “I got a last-minute flight.” Then, waggling his eyebrows, he added, “Smells good. Anything to eat?”
Marina hugged him again. “This is for my first dinner reservation tonight, but I’ve got a leftover quiche in the fridge or fresh oatmeal raisin cookies in the cookie jar.”
“Heard about that.” Ethan grabbed a couple of cookies. “Wow, that’s an amazing deck out there,” he said, peering outside. “I saw Aunt Kai’s social media posts about that. Pretty cool.” He eased his lanky figure into a chair. “How’re you doing, Mom?”
“Much better,” she said, rushing to put on her mitts to take her loaves of bread from the oven. “I’m hosting my first dinner here tonight.”
“Oh, yeah? Your website is pretty cool, by the way.”
“Glad you think so. Kai designed it.” Marina thought of her conversation with Heather. “Have you spoke to your sister lately?”
Ethan looked miserable. “Heather won’t take my calls, and she ignores my texts. She acts like I abandoned her in North Carolina.”
“Do you think you did?”
“Mom, come on. I have a life to live, too. And college just isn’t my thing.”
Marina placed the hot pans on a cooling rack. “But it’s important to Heather. She followed you there.”
“She didn’t have to,” Ethan said, looking slightly guilty. “Hey, could I have a glass of milk?”
“It’s in the fridge,” Marina said lightly. He was old enough to take care of himself. “Heather thought you would need help with your studies. She spent a lot of time helping you, didn’t she? More than you’d probably like to admit. Which kept her from making many friends.”
With a heavy sigh, Ethan got up and poured a glass of milk for himself. “You have no idea how bad I felt about leaving her there, but she’ll ace her final exams. I couldn’t do that, Mom. Everything gets scrambled up in my brain when I’m staring at a book or an exam. But when I’m on the golf course, all that falls away. Out on the greens, I’m like anyone else.” He grinned. “Only better than most. I told you that some of the top golfers have dyslexia, too.”
“I understand that,” Marina said, trying to keep her patience in check. “You have my support to give a pro career a chance. But I’d also like to see you apologize to your sister. She’d always got your back, more than you can imagine.”
Ethan studied a cookie. “I try to support her, too.”
Marina shut the oven and took off her mitts. “It’s mutual, honey. Try to reach out to her another way. But wait until her last exam is over. She’s pretty focused right now.”
“Yeah, I know how she gets during final exams.” Ethan dipped a cookie in his milk and took a big bite. “I think she’d like to come back to California to go to school with her friends. She was talking about that.”
Marina nodded. “We’ll go over that this summer.”
Ethan wolfed down the last cookie and drained his milk. “I’m on my way to see friends in San Diego and might have a job there. But could I crash here a few days?”
“Brooke’s old room is available. Be sure to check with Ginger.”
“I’ll get my stuff and throw it in there.”
“I said, ask Ginger first,” Marina called out as he left the room. Boys. Were they all like that? Ethan was a good kid overall, but she was concerned about his infatuation with golf. She hoped it would offer him the satisfaction he craved.
Marina was thrilled to have Ethan here for a few days, and if he found work in San Diego, he’d be close enough to visit often. She went back to her prep work for the appetizers, which included her luau spareribs and pear pancetta crisps with goat cheese and honey. A mixed green salad with spring vegetables was chilling in the refrigerator. And Denise and John were bringing wine.
Consulting her menu for the evening, she moved on to prep the next course. Limoncello langostinos—sort of a cross between lobsters and shrimp—with vegetables over brown and wild rice. And for dessert she’d baked palmiers, French puff pastries sprinkled with coarse sugar, topped with homemade vanilla bean ice cream and poached berries, with a warm strawberry sauce drizzled over everything.
Hearing footsteps across the deck, Marina looked up. Jack was making his way toward the kitchen with an armload of citrus she’d asked him to pick from Ginger’s orchard. She would slice the lemons to use as garnishes and squeeze the sweet blood oranges for the coolers.
“Am I too late with these?” Jack asked.
“Just in time. Could you wash them for me?”
Moving to the deep sink, he washed the fruit and put it aside to dry. “You should have a chef jacket to wear,” he said, teasing her. “And a tall, toque blanche.”
“No chef hats for me,” she said, laughing. “And T-shirts suit me just fine.” However, that was a fun thought. “Maybe someday I’ll have the Coral Cafe emblazoned on a chef’s jacket.” She held up a sliced, sweet yellow pepper. “Want a taste?”
“Sure do,” he said, leaning over as she lifted it to his mouth. “Hmm, crunchy.” He brushed his lips across her cheek in a swift motion, surprising her with a little kiss.
Marina giggled, enjoying the attention. They hadn’t talked about that kiss at the beach.
Ethan’s voice rang out. “Who’s this?”
Whirling around, Marina felt her face flush with embarrassment. “This is Jack. He’s a writer, and he’s staying in the guest cottage.”
Jack extended his hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“Yeah. Likewise.” Ethan tilted his chin. “You guys dating?”
“What? No, Ethan, it’s not like that,” Marina said. “We’re just friends.”
“I saw him kiss you, Mom. Geez, be honest. And you just got rid of that creep Grady. Are you that desperate for attention since Heather and I left?”
“Ethan William Moore, I’m ashamed of your manners.”
“Whatever.” Shaking his head, Ethan bounded out the door.
Raising his brow, Jack rubbed a hand across his neck. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even see him.”
“Ethan just arrived. Surprise visit.” Marina glanced out the window at a car that was pulling up to the cottage. She recognized the kid behind the wheel. “Looks like Ethan called one of his summer buddies he knows here, so he was going out anyway.” Still, Marina felt uncomfortable that her son had seen that little kiss and inferred a lot more from it.
“Guess that wasn’t the best way to start meeting your children,” Jack said, sounding apologetic.
Marina stared at him, not quite grasping what he meant by that, so she let it go. She still had a lot of work to do, and she was feeling anxious about the dinner. “He’ll be here a few days, so maybe you two can start over.” She put her hands on her hips. “And you’re distracting me, so get out of here.”
“Is Kai going to help you?”
Marina washed her hands and picked up a han
d towel. “She’s going to meet and greet, serve the welcome Coral Cottage Coolers, open the wine, and serve the courses. And the kids?”
“Leo and Samantha are going to hang out in the guest cottage,” Jack said. “Denise is giving them an early dinner, and I’m providing unlimited games on the computer and streaming movies. They’ll be close enough to check on during dinner. I’ll make sure they lock the door, so Scout won’t go out gallivanting across the beach with the kids in hot pursuit.”
During a walk on the beach, Jack had told her that Leo knew he was his father now. Marina was glad that had worked out and that the two of them were growing closer. Maybe Vanessa’s health would improve, too, although she knew the woman was having a difficult time. For tonight, Marina had also prepared a beef broth with julienned vegetables that Vanessa could sip if she weren’t feeling hungry.
“Guess I’d better go finish my work,” Jack said. “And figure out what to wear for dinner to this fancy restaurant.”
Marina smiled. “I’m sure your finest T-shirt and best flip-flops will suffice.”
“Are you feeling nervous about tonight?”
Since Marina knew half of the party, the pressure wasn’t too bad, although she knew that Denise and John had excellent taste. “Only a little. The dishes are coming together, and the weather looks clear. What could go wrong?”
“Don’t tempt the gods.” Jack stepped forward and squeezed her shoulder. “You’ve got this. I can’t wait to see you in action.”
Just after Jack left, a text message from Denise floated across Marina’s phone as she was squeezing the blood oranges for the Champagne coolers. Is there enough for one more hungry diner? A Summer Beach VIP. Happy to pay extra! A string of happy-face emojis followed.
Marina froze. She had the precise number of langoustines and not enough time to buy more—even if the market had any. She’d placed a special order for them several days ago.
Just one more person. She didn’t know how, but somehow, she would make it work. She texted back. That’s fine, looking forward to serving you all.
Because of the children, Denise had planned an early dinner. Marina expected the party about five-thirty, with wine and appetizers first. By nine o’clock, they would probably be on their way home with the children. The other two couples were staying at the Seabreeze Inn.
A little while later, Kai sauntered in dressed in a blush-pink sundress and espadrilles. Her hair was brushed back in a ponytail with loose tendrils around her face. She had a little pink lip gloss and blush on, but she didn’t need any more makeup.
Marina looked up and smiled. “You look especially nice, Kai.”
“Do you think? I just didn’t have the energy to go to very much trouble.”
Ever since Axe’s lack of response, Kai had been moping around, humming wistful tunes like “Memory” from Cats.
Marina opened the refrigerator to take out her chilled ingredients. “Any word from Dmitri?”
“He’s giving me the silent treatment again. But before that happened, he was talking about coming here for a visit.”
“Better to know what you’re dealing with now,” Marina said, arching an eyebrow. While she was supportive of Kai, she didn’t think this relationship had much of a chance. “Still, it would be good for him to meet everyone.”
“He’d have to pass the Ginger test,” Kai said, frowning. “But for tonight, I’m not going to think about Dmitri or Axe. This is your night, your debut, and we’re going to have a good time.” She hummed a sad little tune.
“Just one request. Can you change the soundtrack? ‘Send in the Clowns’ is a little downbeat.”
Kai lifted a corner of her mouth. “I’ll put on jazz in the background.” Axe had left wires so they could have music on the deck, and Chip had hung speakers for them.
When Kai returned, she said, “Smells wonderful in here. You might have to teach me how to do some of this.”
Marina glanced up and grinned. “I’d be happy to.”
Easing onto a stool, Kai swept a finger through the air, indicating Marina’s outfit. “You still need to change, though.”
“I’m fine. This is the beach.” Marina brushed stray hairs back from her face and glanced at the clock. As she did, she saw two cars pull in front of the house. Tamping down the anxiety that welled in her chest, she said, “They’re here.”
“And we’re ready to rock.” Kai slid off the stool.
As Kai hurried to greet them, Ginger entered the kitchen carrying an open bottle of wine and two antique wine glasses she’d found at a Paris flea market decades ago. She stored wine in an alcove near the dining room outfitted with racks, a special refrigerator, and all the accoutrements.
“For the chef,” Ginger said, putting down the glasses. “It’s an old tradition to sip a little while you cook.” She poured a generous splash of rich, golden wine into the glasses and slid one toward Marina.
“Oh, I don’t think I can.” Marina had to stay sharp this evening.
“Nonsense. Julia Child often had a glass of wine while she cooked.” Ginger smiled at her memories. “And this was one of her favorite wines—the first one she introduced me to. A white Burgundy. I remember that Julia used to sip wine on the show while she cooked.”
Ginger held up her glass in a toast to her beloved friend, motioning to her well-used copy of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking on a kitchen bookshelf in a place of honor. “Always marvelous, my dear. And her Bouillabaisse, superb.” She swirled her glass, aerating the wine. “Julia once said, ‘I enjoy cooking with wine. Sometimes, I even put it in the food.’” She touched her glass to Marina’s. “A few sips will make you less anxious.”
“How could you tell?”
“You’re running the risk of a permanent frown between your eyebrows.” Ginger ran her thumb over Marina’s forehead, smoothing her frown. “Break a leg, dear.”
“That’s my line,” Kai said as she came into the kitchen. “And where’s my wine?”
Marina raised her glass. “This is on chef’s orders. Is everyone here?”
Kai nodded. “Almost. I seated them, and Jack is taking the kids to his cottage. Still one more guest coming. I’ll save my wine until later.” Kai lifted a carafe of Coral Cottage Coolers and whisked outside.
Marina took a sip and fluttered her eyelids. “Exquisite.”
Ginger pulled an apron from a hook. “I’m ready to back you up, my dear. Consider me your sous chef for the evening.”
“Where were you a few hours ago?” Marina asked, only half-kidding.
“In a lovely lavender bath listening to Tchaikovsky. Had to do something to drown out Kai’s sad songs.”
Marina laughed, but she was relieved to know that Ginger was here with her. Not that she couldn’t manage this by herself, but having Ginger here was more fun. Like old times, when her grandmother had taught her how to cook.
Marina borrowed a clean apron from Ginger’s stash and went outside onto the deck to greet the guests. The new outdoor space looked sunny and cheerful, with lush green plants and colorful cushions in a coral-and-turquoise floral print. A light breeze, just enough to cool the deck, wafted across, carrying the fresh, salty scent of the sea, which she loved. Jazz played softly in the background, and everyone looked relaxed. Marina couldn’t have been happier with the effect on the deck. The Coral Cottage was officially open for business.
“Welcome to the inaugural dinner at the Coral Cottage,” Marina said as Kai stood by beaming. She glanced around the table. Denise and John, Vanessa and Jack, the two new couples. “Do we still have one missing?”
John leaned back in his chair and waved at a guy in a truck who was just pulling in. “Here’s Axe now. We met with him and an architect today about building a new home here. We made the decision today, so we’re celebrating tonight.”
Axe walked along the new brick path, admiring it. “You did a nice job finishing the deck and firepit area,” he said to Marina as he greeted everyone.
“Couldn’t have done it without my family,” Marina said. Then she noticed Kai had shifted behind her. “And Kai, of course,” she added, stepping to one side.
Axe’s face registered pleasant surprise. “Kai, it’s good to see you again.”
“Hi,” Kai said with a little wave. “Let’s pour the wine.” She pressed a corkscrew into Marina’s hand and whispered, “Can you do this?”
With a hint of disappointment on his face, Axe watched Kai leave. “I’ll open the wine bottles.”
“Thanks,” Marina said, passing the corkscrew to him. With his large hands and muscular build, Axe made opening the wine bottles look effortless.
“That’s not all we have to celebrate,” Vanessa said, glancing at Jack with a sweet smile. She reached for Jack’s hand. “Jack got a call today. He has a special announcement.”
Marina’s hand flew to her throat, and she tried to hide her trepidation. Were Jack and Vanessa…? She couldn’t bear to finish the thought, although it wasn’t as if Marina and Jack were dating. And then she thought of Leo, and immediately chastised herself. This wasn’t any of her business. Kai wasn’t the only one who needed to go to the kitchen.
“I really can’t talk about it yet,” Jack said, shaking his head.
Denise laughed. “You told Vanessa. Now tell us.”
Vanessa was certainly proud of Jack, but Marina couldn’t help but wonder what kind of secret he would share with Vanessa, but not others.
“Jack got a book deal,” Vanessa blurted out. “And tell them who you’re going to write about.” Her eyes sparkled. “Marina, I think you’re going to like this.”
Marina nodded as she poured the wine, striving to remain calm.
“Vanessa, I can’t say.” Jack looked uncomfortable.
“Ginger Delavie,” Vanessa said. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
Shocked, Marina splashed a little wine onto the table cloth. Hurriedly, she wiped it up with the edge of her apron.
Since everyone was staring at her, Marina asked, “How did you decide on that?” And have you asked Ginger, and what are you writing about? She had so many questions, but most of all, she was dismayed that she was finding out this way. He could have had the decency to tell her. She couldn’t fault Vanessa though, who probably didn’t realize Jack had overstepped the boundary of family.
