Changes (29 page)

“You'd better.” He held her close and kissed her one last time before boarding the plane with a wave, and as he left, Mel felt as though he had taken her heart with him.

It was a long lonely trip back to Martha's Vineyard that night and she didn't arrive at the house in Chilmark until after midnight, and everyone was asleep. She was relieved that they were. She didn't want to talk to a soul in the world except Peter Hallam, and he was still on a plane heading west to Los Angeles.

Mel sat for a long time on the porch of the house that night, listening to the sound of the ocean, and feeling the gentle breeze on her face. There was a wonderful, peaceful feeling just being there, and she was sorry he hadn't been able to be there with her. But for now, it was just as well. They had needed to be alone. And being in Aspen with his children and hers was going to be enough of a challenge. She still hadn't decided when or how to tell the girls, but she decided the next morning at breakfast that it would be best to give them all the time she could to get used to the idea. They had never left the Vineyard in the middle of the summer before, and she knew they would find it strange. More than that, they would find it suspicious.

“Aspen?” Jessica stared at her in amazement. “Why would we be going to Aspen?”

Mel attempted to look nonchalant, but she could feel her heart beating faster. Partly because they were putting her on the spot, and partly because she was about to tell a lie. “Because it's a very exciting invitation, and we've never been there.” Raquel snorted as she went back to the kitchen for the maple syrup, and Val looked at her mother in horror.

“But we can't leave. Everything's happening here, and we don't know anybody in Aspen.”

Mel looked at the youngest twin calmly. She would be easier to convince than her sister. “Relax, Val, they have boys in Aspen too.”

“But that's different. And we know everyone here!” She looked as though she were going to cry, but Mel held firm.

“I just think it's an opportunity we shouldn't miss.” Or did she mean “I”? She felt guilty for what they didn't know.

“Why?” Jessica was watching her every move. “What's in Aspen?”

“Nothing … I mean … oh, for chrissake, Jess, stop acting like the official investigative team. It's a fabulous place, the mountains are wonderful, there are loads of kids and things to do, pack trips, horses, hiking, fishing …”

“Blyearghk!” Valerie interrupted with disgust. “I hate all that stuff.”

“It'll do you good.”

But this time Jessica intervened, ever practical. “But that means we'll miss part of the summer here. And we rented the house for both months.”

“We'll only be gone for two weeks. You'll still have six weeks here.”

“I just don't understand it.” Jessica left the table in obvious annoyance and Val burst into tears and hurried to her room.

“I won't go! It's the best summer I've ever had, and you're trying to wreck it!”

“I am not trying to—” But the door slammed before she could finish, and she looked at Raquel in obvious irritation as she cleared the table.

“It must be serious.” She shook her head wisely and Mel got up with a groan of aggravation.

“Oh, for chrissake, Raquel.”

“All right, all right. Don't tell me. But wait and see, six months from now you gonna get married. I never seen you leave the Vineyard before.”

“This will be a fabulous trip.” She was trying to convince them all, including herself, and wishing it were a little bit easier.

“I know. And what about me? Do I have to go too?” She didn't look any more thrilled than the girls.

“Why don't you take your vacation then instead of waiting until the end of the summer?”

“Sounds good to me.”

At least that was one worry behind her. Val didn't come out of her room for two hours, and then emerged, red-eyed and red-nosed, to meet her friends on the beach, and she was obviously not speaking to her mother. Jessica came to find Mel alone on the porch half an hour later, answering some letters. She sat down on the steps near Mel's feet, and waited until her mother looked up from what she was writing.

“How come we're going to Aspen, Mom?” She looked Mel straight in the eyes and it was difficult not to tell her the truth … because I've fallen in love with this man and he goes there in the summer.

“I thought it might be a nice change for us, Jess.” But she didn't quite look Jessica in the eyes, and didn't see how carefully she was watching her mother.

“Is there another reason?”

“Like what?” She was stalling for time, her pen poised over her paper.

“I don't know. I just don't understand why you'd want to go to Aspen.”

“We were invited by friends.” At least it was a half-truth, but this was turning out to be as difficult as Mel had feared, and if Peter thought his group was going to be any easier, he was crazy.

“What friends?” Jessica looked at her more intently, and Mel took a deep breath. There was no point lying to her, she'd find out soon enough.

“A man named Peter Hallam and his family.”

Jessica looked shocked. “The doctor you interviewed in California?” Mel nodded. “Why would he invite us to Aspen?”

“Because we're both alone with our children, and he was very nice to interview and we got to be friends. He has three children more or less your ages.”

“So what?” Jessica sounded even more suspicious now.

“So it might be fun.”

“For whom?” Touché. She was outraged now, and Mel felt suddenly exhausted. Maybe it was stupid to push to go to Aspen.

“Look, Jess, I just don't want to argue about this with you. We're going and that's it!”

“What is this?” She stood up with her hands on her hips, glaring at her mother. “A dictatorship or a democracy?”

“Call it what you like. We're going to Aspen in three weeks. I hope you'll enjoy it, if not, call it two lost weeks out of a very long, pleasant summer. I might remind you that you're going to have one hell of a nice time here, get to do everything you want for almost two months, and you and Val are having quite an elaborate birthday party next week. I don't think you have much to complain about.” But apparently Jessica did, as she stomped off in a huff without saying another word to her mother.

And things didn't improve much in the next two weeks despite the clambake on the beach for seventy-five kids for Jessie and Val's sixteenth birthday. It was a wonderful party and everyone had a great time, which made them even more resentful that they had to leave the following week. And by then, Mel was sick to death of hearing them complain about it.

“What about you, love?” She lay on her bed talking to Peter one night. They were still talking to each other twice a day, and dying to see each other, in spite of the children.

“I haven't told them yet. There's time.”

“Are you kidding? We're meeting you next week.” She sounded aghast. She had taken two weeks of abuse from the twins, and he hadn't even started dealing with it at his end.

“You have to be casual about these things.” He sounded extremely nonchalant and Mel thought he was crazy.

“Peter, you've got to give them time to adjust to the idea that we're meeting you there, or else they're going to be awfully surprised and probably very angry.”

“They'll be fine. Now tell me about you.” She told him about what she'd been doing, and he reported on the technique he had tried in surgery that morning. Marie was doing extremely well, despite a minor setback and she was due to leave the hospital in a few days, later than expected but in high spirits.

“I can't wait to see you, love.”

“Me too.” He smiled at the thought, and they chatted on for a little while. But he wasn't smiling when he faced Pam four days later.

“What do you mean we've invited friends to Aspen this year?” She looked livid as she faced him across the dinner table. He had told Mark the night before, just casually, as he was going out, and Mark had looked surprised but he hadn't had time to discuss it. And he was going to tell Matthew after he told Pam. But Pam looked as though she were about to go through the roof as she looked at her father. “What friends?”

“A family I thought you'd enjoy.” He could feel sweat drip slowly down his sides, and was annoyed with himself for it. Why did he let her make him so nervous? “There are two girls almost your age.” He was stalling, and they both knew it but he was terrified to tell her it was Mel. What if she went off the deep end again?

“How old?”

“Sixteen.” He looked hopeful, but his hopes were quickly dashed.

“They're probably creeps and they'll snub me because I'm younger than they are.”

“I doubt that.”

“I won't go.”

“Pam … for heaven's sake …”

“I'll stay here with Mrs. Hahn.” She seemed as movable as granite.

“She's taking her vacation.”

“Then I'll go with her. I won't go to Aspen with you unless you get rid of these people. Who are they anyway?”

“Mel Adams and her twins.” It had to be said, and Pain's eyes opened wide.

“Her?
I won't go!” Something about the way she said it finally got to him, and before he could stop himself, he slammed a fist into the dining table.

“You'll do what I tell you, do you understand? And if I say you're going to Aspen, that's exactly what you'll do! Is that clear?” But she said not a single word in answer; she took her empty plate and threw it against the wall, and it shattered in a dozen pieces on the floor, while she flew from the room and he watched her. If Anne had been alive, she would have forced her to come back and clean up the mess, but he didn't have the heart to do that to her. She was a child without a mother. Instead, he sat in the dining room, staring at his plate, and then a few moments later, he left the room and closed himself in his den. It took him half an hour to get up the courage to call Mel. He just needed to hear her voice, but he didn't tell her anything of what had happened.

The next morning, Pam did not come down to breakfast and Matthew quizzed him with a look of interest. He had returned from his grandmother's house the night before after dinner.

“Who's coming to Aspen with us, Dad?”

With a belligerent air, Peter looked him straight in the eye. “Miss Adams. The lady who had dinner with us here one night, and her two daughters.” He sat braced for war since that was what he'd met in the first round, but Matthew's face exploded with joy at the news.

“She is! Wow! When is she coming?”

Peter relaxed in his chair with a smile and looked at his youngest child in relief. Thank God one of them was decent about it. He still hadn't heard from Mark, but maybe he would behave as strangely as Pam, although that was unlikely. Mark was too involved in his own life these days to be much trouble. “She's meeting us in Aspen, Matt. All three of them are.”

“Wow! Why doesn't she come here and we can fly there together?”

“Fly where?” Mark entered the room with a sleepy scowl. He had been out late the night before and had to get to work in a hurry now, but he was starving. He had already asked Mrs. Hahn for fried eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice, and coffee.

“We were talking about Aspen.” Peter looked defensively at Mark, and waited for the now-expected explosion. “He was thinking that Mel Adams and her daughters should meet us here.” There was no immediate reaction and he turned back to Matt. “But they're coming from the East and it's easier for them to fly to Denver and then Aspen.”

“Are they cute?”

“Who?” Peter looked blank. He couldn't keep up with them all these days and he was still unnerved by Pam's reaction the night before. She had yet to emerge from her room, and the door had been locked when he tried it the night before and there had been no answer when he called her name. He decided to leave her alone to cool off for a day. He'd talk to her tonight after he came home from the office.

“Are her daughters cute?” Mark looked at his father as though he were extremely stupid, and Peter sat back in his chair and laughed, just as Mark's gargantuan repast arrived.

“Good God, who's all that for?”

“Me. Well, are they?”

“Are they what? Oh … oh … sorry … I don't know. I assume so. She's a good-looking woman, her daughters must be too.”

“Hmmm …” Mark was torn between attending to his breakfast and discussing the prospects of Mel's daughters. “I hope they're not dogs.”

“You're a jerk.” Matt looked at him in disgust. “They're probably gorgeous.”

And with that, Peter stood up with a grin. “And on that note, gentlemen, I bid you good morning. If you see your sister, give her my love. I'll see you all tonight. Mark, will you be home?”

He nodded, gobbling half a piece of toast, one eye on the clock, worried about being even later for work. “I think so, Dad.”

“Don't forget to tell Mrs. Hahn your plans.”

“I won't.” With that, Peter left them and went to the hospital to do rounds. They weren't doing any surgeries that morning. Another special meeting had been called to discuss techniques, among them Peter's newest which he explained in great detail to Mel later that afternoon when he called her. And when he had finished, he decided to be honest with her about Pam's reaction.

“She'll be all right. I think it's just very threatening to her.”

“Do you still want us to come?”

“Are you kidding?” He sounded horrified that she would even ask. “I wouldn't even consider going without you. What about your brood? Are they adjusting?”

“Grudgingly.”

The “casual” reception he had hoped for had vanished into thin air. Mel had been right, about Pam at least. “Matt is thrilled. And I'm afraid that Mark is already contemplating the twins with a somewhat eager eye. But he's harmless.”

“Don't tell me that!” Mel laughed. “Wait till you see Val!”

“She can't be as exotic as all that.” Mel was always talking about the girl's voluptuous figure and sex-kitten allure. But she was probably viewing the child with a far-from-objective eye, as the girl's mother.

“Peter.” Mel's voice was firm. “Valerie is not exotic. She's just downright sexy. You'd better start putting saltpeter in Mark's food right now.”

“Poor kid. I think he's still a virgin, and working his ass off to change his status. He turns eighteen next month, starts college in September, and the last thing he wants is to be a virgin.”