One Perfect Summer

by Brenda Novak

  Lorelei would have to plan some activities for when she was alone, so she wouldn’t feel forlorn, she decided. Or now that she was working, it was possible she’d welcome a few days off.

  She covered a yawn and was just considering getting out of bed to make breakfast when her phone buzzed. She assumed it was Mark, calling to tell her how Lucy had fared during her first night away, but it was Mercedes.

  She hesitated before answering. She was going through such a difficult time right now; she wasn’t sure she had anything to offer Mercedes. And it often felt awkward, trying to dodge her many conversion attempts.

  In the end, however, she couldn’t ignore the call. What if Mercedes needed her? Maybe they’d wound up being very different people, in very different situations, but they’d both started in that lonely foster home. She would always be there for Mercedes, no matter what. “Hello?”

  “Hey, where are you?” Mercedes asked. “I’ve driven over to your house three days in a row, and no one’s ever home. Are you guys on vacation or something?”

  A wave of sadness washed over her. She and Mark would never be on vacation together again. “No. I’m in Tahoe. So is Mark, but he’ll be back after the Fourth.”

  “You’re staying? What for?”

  “Thanks to DNA testing, I’ve found two sisters in my family tree.”

  “No kidding? You always talked about finding your parents.”

  “I’m still working on that,” she said. “But at least I’ve found some family.”

  “These sisters can’t tell you more about your mom and dad?”

  “Unfortunately not. They were shocked I even existed. But we’re trying to figure it out.”

  “When will you be back in Florida?”

  “At the end of August.”

  “But Mark’s coming back before then?”

  Lorelei sat up taller. “We’re breaking up, Mercedes.”

  She gasped. “Are you serious?”

  Lorelei could hardly believe it herself. She would never have dreamed their marriage would crumble the way it had. “I am.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  She considered lying to try to cover for Mark. No matter how angry she felt, he was Lucy’s father. And he and Mercedes had never really liked each other. She didn’t want Mercedes to be glad that their marriage had failed. But with Francine pregnant, there would be no hiding the truth, not for long. Lorelei figured she might as well get used to telling everyone the same thing. “Because Francine is going to have Mark’s baby.”

  “Francine, your best friend? That Francine?”

  “Yes.”

  “No way! Oh, honey! I’m so sorry! When did you find out?”

  Her sympathy brought a lump to Lorelei’s throat. She’d never felt like crying as often as she had in the past two months. “The beginning of May.”

  “Why didn’t you call me?”

  She couldn’t call Mercedes or Osha. Neither one of them could do anything to help. “You’ve been pretty busy with the church, so...I didn’t want to bother you,” she finished lamely.

  “But that’s the thing! Oh, my gosh! You and Lucy should come and live here. You would love it. That’s why I was calling—to invite you to visit the compound. It’ll be friends and family day a week from Saturday, so you could see for yourself how wonderful it is, how peaceful and loving.”

  Lorelei wasn’t even tempted. She’d seen how much Mercedes had changed, and she didn’t think it was for the better. These days Mercedes insisted that aliens were going to come and kill everyone except those who belonged to her church. They, of course, would be saved and repopulate the Earth.

  “I’m afraid I won’t be home in time,” she said.

  “That’s okay. You can always come when you get back. I’ll talk to the head disciple and set up a tour for you whenever you want. If you’d just give Brother William a chance, I know he’d be able to help you.”

  “That’s okay, Mercedes, I’m going to be fine on my own,” Lorelei insisted and when they hung up, she was more determined than ever to make it true.

  * * *

  finn

  “Can we talk?”

  Finn looked up from his easel to find Davis standing in the doorway of the room he’d turned into his studio. Since he was no longer spending his mornings with Lorelei, most days he started work right when he woke up. “About what?”

  “You’ve been so quiet lately. What’s wrong?”

  “With me?” Finn said. “You’re the one who’s always in a bad mood, bro.”

  Davis lifted his stump. “I have a reason. You don’t.”

  This was partially true. Finn had it pretty good. At least he hadn’t lost an arm. But he hadn’t been himself since the rift with Lorelei, and he couldn’t figure out why. He’d known from the beginning that she wasn’t the best fit for him, and yet he’d let what he felt move beyond friendship.

  Last night hearing what she had to say only made it worse.

  Davis came into the room and dropped onto the bed Finn had pushed against one wall to give him more space. “You still mooning over our next-door neighbor?”

  “I can’t believe you’d say a word about her. You’re the one who screwed things up for me.”

  Davis grimaced. “I feel terrible about that. But I apologized. What more can I do?”

  Finn stood back to scrutinize the shade of blue he’d chosen for the lake. Although it had taken him several weeks, he finally knew what he wanted to paint. Although he wasn’t quite finished, he’d set his other project aside so he could create this nature scene while he was actually here to view it in person. “Nothing. What’s done is done.”

  “Anyway, I couldn’t have screwed anything up. She’s married, so it’s not like you could have her anyway.”

  “She’s getting divorced.”

  “She told you that?”

  He studied the photograph he had pinned to his easel. “She did.”

  “When?”

  “Last night.”

  “You saw her?”

  He dabbed his brush into the paint again. “Briefly.”

  “Damn. I’m sorry I was such a dick when she worked here.”

  Finn didn’t say anything. He was glad that Davis was acting more like himself, but things had been going well with Lorelei until he threw that lamp.

  “What about Michelle Radkin?” Davis asked. “I always figured you two would get married. I think she sort of figures that, too.”

  Because Finn kept going back to her, even though they weren’t quite right for each other. On the face of it, they should’ve made the perfect couple. She was a nice girl, they lived in the same area and they’d dated—on and off—since they were in high school. Even he’d thought he’d probably marry her.

  But he hadn’t missed her at all since he’d met Lorelei. “I’m over Michelle.”

  His brother suddenly looked uncomfortable. “You don’t mean that.”

  “I do.”

  “You two have broken up plenty of times before.”

  “I know, but this time I’m not going back to her.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  Finn stopped painting. “What is it?”

  A sheepish expression descended on Davis’s face. “I invited her to the cabin, dude, hoping it would cheer you up. She’s coming to surprise you for the Fourth. She’ll be here tomorrow.”

  * * *

  reagan

  Even though Serenity was gone, Reagan sat out on the deck like she did almost every morning. She had to keep up with Serenity’s social media. She put up a new post and did some commenting. Then, while Lorelei was inside making breakfast—thank goodness she liked to cook because Reagan certainly didn’t—she clicked over to a book site and bought What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

  She was in over her head. She needed a m
anual.

  She felt nervous as she checked out online. This made the pregnancy so real. She was preparing for a baby, her baby.

  And Drew’s—which wasn’t such a pleasant thought.

  I just bought “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” she wrote to Rally. I think I’m starting to wrap my mind around this. Or at least I’m starting to accept that this is my new reality, and I’m getting prepared.

  He didn’t respond right away. He was at work and might not have seen her text, so she interacted with people on Serenity’s Facebook page until she heard her phone ding.

  Good for you! You know what I have to say about the pregnancy—you’ll love being a mother, and you’ll be a great one.

  She smiled. Even if they never dated, she’d be grateful to him. He was coaching her through a very difficult time, and she’d grown to like and respect him a great deal.

  I’m trying to take your word for it.

  You’ll see. Once he or she arrives, you’ll never love anyone else as much.

  Her phone rang while she was reading his text. She was surprised to see that the call was coming from Edison & Curry. Assuming it was Flo Cook, the office manager, asking when she was going to come in and pick up her stuff so they could clear out the storage room, she answered. “Hello?”

  “Reagan?”

  She stiffened. It wasn’t Flo; it was Drew. “What do you want?”

  “Gary just hired your replacement.”

  Did he have to twist the knife? “What am I supposed to say to that?” She could say, What the hell took him so long? It had been weeks. But she didn’t bother.

  “Nothing. I only hope you’re missing us as badly as we’re missing you. It’s so hard to pass your office and see someone else in there. I can’t believe you’re not coming back.”

  “It’s been over a month since we last talked, Drew. And you’re just now missing me?”

  “I’ve been trying to get over you, but it’s not easy. This new girl—she could never replace you, not in a million years.”

  Reagan didn’t know how to take that. The “new girl” couldn’t serve as a replacement for Drew’s extracurricular affairs? Or she couldn’t cut it in advertising? “Why? Because she’s too old or unattractive?” Reagan asked dryly.

  “Ouch! I’m wounded that you’d accuse me of being so shallow. Especially since I really cared about you.”

  She nearly laughed aloud when he used the past tense. To her mind, that gave him away. “You couldn’t have cared too much if you got over me in a matter of weeks. But that’s fine. I realized I’d been taken for a fool almost as soon as it happened. And I have a completely different perspective on you these days, too.”

  “I didn’t mean for what happened to happen, Reagan.” He’d lowered his voice in an obvious attempt to sound distraught and sincere, but she couldn’t buy it. He’d pursued her for months, and she’d been stupid enough to fall for the flattery and attention.

  “That’s easy for you to say,” she responded. “You still have your wife and kids—and your job. You’ve been able to go on as if it never happened.”

  “You didn’t have to quit. I told you not to!”

  “I was trying to do the right thing—to be sure we didn’t wreck your family.” She hadn’t known at the time that she was more concerned about his family than he was.

  He didn’t respond to her comment about his wife and kids. “Why don’t you come back?” he asked instead. “I can talk Gary into it.”

  She got up and walked over to the railing. Considering how resolute and angry Gary had been in his response to her resignation, this came as a surprise. She wished she could believe Drew missed her and wanted her back for that reason, but she knew it was her pride and vanity speaking. It was much more likely Gary had hired someone else who’d lasted only a few weeks, and Drew had realized that not just anyone could replace her. “Sorry, I’m happy where I am.”

  “Which is...”

  “Lake Tahoe.”

  “Still? When will you be coming back to New York?”

  “Not until the first of September.”

  “You’re staying all summer? What are you doing for work?”

  She thought of the social media and blog she was doing for Serenity. “Nothing much. Just some volunteer stuff here and there.”

  “You can’t live off volunteer work, Reagan. Come back in the fall. We’ll take you on whenever you get here.”

  He was acting as if he was trying to do her a favor, but she suspected Edison & Curry needed her more than they’d realized. She’d worked so hard, done so much for the firm.

  Feeling slightly vindicated that they were feeling her absence, after all, she stiffened her spine. “That’s okay. I’ll find something that suits me better.”

  “Like what? Where will you go?”

  “I haven’t decided yet.” She wouldn’t tell him, anyway. He was well-connected in the advertising community; she wouldn’t put it past him to submarine her, if he could.

  “Gary takes that non-compete pretty seriously.”

  She couldn’t help bristling at the threat. “Fine. He can spend a lot of money trying to sue me for getting another job if he wants to, but I’m not convinced that non-compete will hold up in a court of law—not unless I’m doing something that directly threatens his business.”

  “We taught you everything you know. Just working for someone else will reveal our trade secrets.”

  “That’s bull.”

  “I’m just telling you how he’ll see it.”

  No, Drew would be on Gary’s side. She needed to come across as strong as possible, put them both on notice that she wouldn’t be that easy to bully. “Then I guess it’ll be up to a judge to decide, won’t it?”

  She was gambling, hoping if she did start with one of their competitors, Gary would decide it wasn’t worth the money to try to screw things up for her. The non-compete was more of a scare tactic than anything else. Whether or not it had any teeth would depend on the outcome of any litigation that ensued. She couldn’t believe they could really stop her from earning a living at the only profession she knew.

  “I never thought it would end like this,” he said when she didn’t back down.

  She put a hand to her stomach. “I didn’t, either. But we’re a little premature in worrying about the non-compete. I have to decide what to do about this baby before I can work anywhere.”

  Dead silence. “What baby?”

  Gripping her phone more tightly, she said, “I’m pregnant, Drew.”

  There was another long pause in which she could easily sense his panic. “You’re not saying the baby is mine...”

  “I’m not saying that, no—not if you don’t want to hear it,” she added.

  “What do you mean? What kind of answer is that?”

  “An open-ended one. Why don’t I send you an agreement where you can waive your parental rights? Then no one will have to know, it won’t cost you a cent and you’ll never have to hear from me again.”

  She hadn’t yet committed herself to telling Drew, wasn’t sure why she’d gone ahead with it, but she guessed it was because she didn’t want to be blamed for her child’s lack of a father. As long as she gave him the opportunity to stand up and accept responsibility, she’d be able to live with herself and look her child in the eye.

  She held her breath as she awaited his response.

  “How’d it happen?” he finally asked.

  “Oh, come on,” she said. “You know how it happened.”

  “But...we only did it once!”

  “Unfortunately for me, once was all it took.”

  He seemed to be at a loss for words, and she could understand why. It had taken some time for her to recover from the news, too. “It’s easy enough for you to fix,” she went on. “I’m the only one who’s really stuck.
All you have to do is sign the form I send you. Will you do that?”

  Once again, he lowered his voice. “You sound eager for me to sign it.”

  She was. If she didn’t have Drew in her life, she could raise her child whichever way she felt was best, and he would have no say. Her mother preached about how difficult it was to be a single parent, but in this case, Reagan felt doing it alone would be better than the alternative. “I’m trying to save you from having to tell your wife.” She felt it was safe to spin it in that direction, since he’d spun everything he’d said so far to fit his purposes.

  “I can’t believe this,” he muttered.

  “Should I send it, just in case?” she asked.

  Nothing.

  “Drew?”

  “Yeah. Send it. But can I have a few days to think it over?”

  “I guess. I’ll give you my address so you can send it back after you’ve had it notarized. I’ll need the hard copy.”

  “Fine, I will—if I decide to go that way,” he clarified.

  “Breakfast is ready!” Lorelei emerged onto the deck using a cookie sheet as a tray. “I invited Finn and his brothers over. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Reagan put up a hand to let her know she couldn’t respond until she got off the phone. “I’ve got to go,” she said into her cell.

  Drew didn’t even answer.

  30

  serenity

  HER PARENTS WERE there to pick her up. Serenity hated that things felt different. But how could they be normal? She was harboring two half sisters in Tahoe—two women they probably didn’t even know existed.

  At the very minimum, they didn’t know she knew they existed.

  “There you are!” her mother cried when Serenity emerged from Baggage Claim.

  Charlotte pulled her into a tight embrace, and Serenity buried her face in her mother’s neck, breathing in the familiar scent of Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue. She was so torn. She owed this woman her utmost loyalty. And yet she had her father to consider—and Lorelei and Reagan. Somehow, she needed to be fair to all of them.