Driftwood Lane (10 page)

“Meridith.”

The sound of Jake’s voice startled her, made her heart jump into the next gear. Why was he always sneaking up on her? She turned, glaring.

“Sorry, I—” He stopped a car’s length from her.

She realized belatedly how she must look. Her eyes still burned, were no doubt red. She faced the shore, cleared the knot from her throat.

“I—checked out the smoke detectors,” he said. “Batteries are old.”

The wind whistled through the budding trees, stirred the wind chimes on the front porch. “Great. Thanks.” She rubbed her arms.

“The ones upstairs are working.” His voice was closer. “Need to run to the store and get more nine-volts and some other things.”

“Okay.” She wished he’d leave, go get the stupid batteries. She drew in a deep cleansing breath. Salt, grass, and Jake’s woodsy scent filled her nostrils.

“Sorry if I was out of line in there,” he said. “I get testy sometimes—was having trouble with the porch spindles, shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

He thought she was teary-eyed because he’d snapped at her. If she were that sensitive, Noelle would have her in tears on a daily basis.

She waved away his apology. “Don’t worry about it.”

The muted ring of the phone saved her from an explanation. “Excuse me.”

She hurried to the phone, catching it on the fourth ring.

“Meridith, hi. It’s Rita.”

Meridith greeted the woman and thanked her again for staying with the children while she ran Ben to the ER.

“I know it’s late notice,” Rita said, “but it’s turning into a nice day, and I wondered if you’d want to have a picnic lunch at Brant Point. You probably haven’t had much chance to see the island.”

“No, I haven’t.” She could go. She trusted Jake alone at the house now, but she also preferred to keep to herself, especially where this island and friends of her father and Eva were concerned.

The back door closed as Jake entered. She heard his heavy footfalls across the kitchen floor. He was going to get batteries, but that wouldn’t take long. Suddenly she longed to get out of the house, away from Jake and the memories she’d long since thought dead and buried.

“Actually, lunch sounds great,” she said.

Thirteen

The wind flipped the blanket’s corner, and Meridith anchored it with the basket. “You should’ve let me bring something.” Beside her, the solid white structure of Brant Point Lighthouse squatted, guarding the harbor. Out on the sound, a lone sailboat drifted by.

“You have enough on your plate.” Rita set her can of Diet Coke in the sand and brushed the crumbs from her hands. “How are the kids doing? Noelle seemed distracted Friday, but she was probably worried about Ben.”

“I think they’re okay, all things considered. Noelle’s a little sassy, but that’s typical teenager behavior, right?”

Rita chuckled. “If mine are anything to go by.”

Meridith finished the chicken salad sandwich, washed it down with a sip of Diet Coke, and leaned back on her elbows. “The sun feels heavenly.” She’d spent too many hours cooped up in that house.

With Jake.

“Wait until summer. It’s a different island come July.”

Meridith didn’t mention that she wouldn’t be around then. Rita might not understand her reasons for returning, and she didn’t want to spoil the day with conflict.

“Tell me about your life in—St. Louis, is it?”

Meridith nodded. “I’m a health inspector for restaurants and hotels. Well, I was. My boss wasn’t happy about my leave of absence, so I’ll be looking for another job when I return.”

Three seagulls flew overhead, their cries piercing the air.

“You’d think he’d be more sympathetic. Any family back home?”

She remembered the last time she’d seen her mom. Buzzing around the bedroom on a cleaning spree, her auburn hair awry.

Meridith shook away the thought. “No, there was just my mom, and she passed away a couple years ago.”

“I’m so sorry. You’re awful young to lose both parents. But you have your siblings.”

“That I do, though I’d never met them until now.”

“Wow. This must’ve been quite a shock. I can’t help but notice you have a man in your life.” Rita tapped Meridith’s ring with the pad of her index finger. “That is some ring.”

“Stephen’s an accountant. We met four years ago at one of the restaurants I was inspecting.”

A seagull set down at the shoreline.

“Love at first sight? Oh, I love a good story.”

Meridith smiled. “Not really. We sort of—grew into love. He proposed on Christmas Day.”

“What a great present! When’s the big day? Getting custody of the kids must’ve thrown a real kink into the works.”

“We haven’t set a date yet. I never was one for a big wedding, but Stephen and his family want one. And now we—need time to sort things out.” She needed to change the subject. “Are you a stay-at-home mom?”

“Oh, heavens no, our mortgage doesn’t allow that. I own the Broad Street Gallery.”

“You’re an artist?”

She laughed. “Uh, no. I just appreciate fine art and buy the pieces I like, mostly from local artists. In fact, that’s how I met your father.”

“He was an artist?”

“You didn’t know?”

“We weren’t very close. In fact, I hadn’t seen him in years.”

“Hmm. Well, boat repair work kept him busy during the warm months, but in the winter he created driftwood sculptures. He was good, one of my more popular artists.”

“The sculptures at the house must be his, then. They’re very unusual.”

“I asked him once what inspired him to take up such a unique craft. He said he enjoyed taking something so carelessly uprooted and making it into a thing of beauty. That really stuck with me.”

“Hmm.”

“He must’ve trusted you a great deal to leave the kiddos in your care. Has Eva’s brother been reached yet? I know they were close.”

“We haven’t heard from him. Do you know him?”

“Our paths haven’t crossed, but Eva talked about him a lot.” The wind caught Rita’s hair, and she shook it from her face.

“I was surprised he wasn’t their first choice for guardian, frankly,” Meridith said.

“Well, they must’ve had their reasons. He seems to travel a lot and, well, he’s a bachelor. If he hasn’t called home in all these weeks, that tells you a lot. I’m sure T. J. and Eva knew what was best for the kids.”

“Most days I don’t feel like I have a clue.”

Rita chortled. “Welcome to parenthood.”

Meridith returned her smile. Maybe that’s just the way it was. The thought was liberating and daunting at the same time. Would things never settle down? Would she always feel powerless to help Ben and Max, unable to handle Noelle?

No, her life would calm down when she was back in St. Louis where she belonged. The children would settle in and make friends. It would be fine. Meridith tilted her head back and closed her eyes and let the sun warm her face. The sounds of the rippling water disquieted her. The wind tugged her hair this way, then that. Was it ever quiet and still here?

“Things will be easier once you and the kids get familiar,” Rita said, echoing her thoughts. “Plus you’re learning to run a new business, honey. And Noelle said you were having work done on the house?”

Meridith opened her eyes, watched the seagull hop down the shoreline into the foamy water’s edge. “I hired a guy to fix a few things, trying to get the place up to code.”

An image of Jake formed. Jake on the ladder, thick arms stretched overhead. Jake on the kitchen floor fixing the leak, his long legs extended. Jake carrying Ben into the hospital, cradling him against his chest.

What was wrong with her?

“He, uh, seems competent.”

Rita eyed her strangely. “Well. That’s good.”

“He fixed the dishwasher leak, and the gutters are back where they’re supposed to be, and he’s going to replace the boiler and fix the fireplace. I made the mistake of starting a fire this morning and filled the house with smoke. I don’t know what’s wrong with it, but Jake will figure it out. It’s a shame to have a nice stone fireplace and not be able to use it.” She clamped her lips closed. Why was she running off at the mouth?

“Jake, huh?”

“Mm-hmm.” Meridith drew her knees up and dug her toes in the cool sand.

“Is he good-looking?”

Meridith’s laugh wobbled. “I don’t know.” She pictured Jake’s crooked smile, his strong jawline with that perpetual stubble. “I suppose, if you like the—the rugged mountain man kind of thing.” She turned tables on Rita. “Why do you ask?”

“I have a single sister. I’ve introduced her to every man at church, and none of them are cute enough or funny enough or Christian enough.”

Cute
was the wrong word for Jake, and he was
funny
only if you counted sarcasm. He had mentioned going to church though. She considered having Rita and her sister over one day when he was there. Maybe they’d hit it off. It was the heavy thump in the center of her stomach that made her hold her tongue.

“He’s kind of arrogant,” Meridith said. “And stubborn.” But the picture that formed in her mind was the one of Jake lifting Ben into his bed, of the look on his face when he’d come outside earlier and caught her on the verge of tears. “I don’t think your sister would like him.”

“Hmm. Well.” Rita let the word hang.

The seagulls screeched, filling the silence, and Meridith dug her toes deeper until her feet were buried in the cool packed sand.

Fourteen

“My goodness.” Meridith examined Ben’s cast. “There’s hardly room for another signature.”

The kids had just come through the doors, slinging book bags, shrugging out of jackets. Max and Noelle had gone upstairs as usual, but Ben was eager to show off his cast. Meridith felt refreshed after her picnic with Rita, more relaxed than she’d felt since her arrival.

“What’s this?” Meridith pointed to a flower in red ink.

He rolled his eyes. “Heather Taggart drew it. I’m gonna scribble it out. I can’t have a
flower
on my cast.”

Meridith laughed, but the sound was cut off by a scream from upstairs.
What in the world?
Meridith took the steps two at a time, then ran through the hall to the family wing.

Noelle stood at her parents’ bedroom door, her chest heaving, her expression something between horror and anger.

“What? What is it, Noelle?”

Max was in his parents’ room, pulling drawers. Ben appeared at her side, cradling his cast.

“What did you do?” Noelle yelled, her face turning red.

“Noelle, calm down. I just cleaned out your parents’ clothes. I thought—”

“Where are they?” She ran into the room, into the closet. “They’re all gone! What did you do with them?” She appeared at the closet door, tears coursing down her face.

A stone lodged in the pit of Meridith’s stomach, hard and heavy. “I—I gave the clothes away to people who need them. I kept the important things—”

“It’s all important! Where are they?”

Jake appeared beside her, frown lines pinching his brows. “Everything okay?”

“What did you do with their things?” Noelle said.

Meridith wished the boxes were still on the porch, but they’d been gone when she’d returned from the picnic. “I gave the clothing to the thrift shop. I saved a couple—”

“You had no right!” Noelle screamed. Her arms stiffened at her side, her hands fisted.

“Where is it?” Max mumbled, still rifling through the drawers.

It took Meridith a moment to hear his quiet question. “What are you looking for, Max?”

“Dad’s hat. His special fishing hat. Where is it?” His face was turning blotchy, his hands searching frantically.

What had she done? She’d only meant to help.

“You threw out their parents’ things?” Jake asked.

“No, not
threw out
—I gave them to the thrift shop. Not everything.” She stepped closer to Noelle. “There’s a whole box of things downstairs . . .”

“You had no right!” Noelle flew past Meridith, grazing her, running into her room. Her door slammed so loudly the glass pendants on the chandelier rattled. Prisms of light sliced across the walls.

The sounds of deep wrenching sobs carved a hole in Meridith’s middle. She stood immobile. Should she try to comfort Noelle, explain to Max that his search was futile, or put an arm around Ben, who stood like a frozen statue?

“You shouldn’t have done that.” A hard edge lined Jake’s calm words.

Ben darted two steps toward Jake, threw his arms around the man’s middle. His face disappeared into Jake’s tool belt somewhere between the hammer and caulk gun.

Meridith’s eyes flitted up to Jake’s. His eyes widened and his mouth slackened, then he curled his arm around Ben’s head.

The twinge of betrayal twisted into a hard knot.

A slamming drawer drew her eyes to Max. She stepped into the room. “Max, I’m sorry, but it’s not here. I only kept a couple items of clothing, and I didn’t keep the hat.”

She remembered it, though. It had been navy blue with a bird or waves or something. The bill was frayed and stained with dirt, and she’d nearly tossed it into the trash pile.

Max turned to her, his eyes brimming with tears. “It was his special hat.”

Meridith felt another slug to her middle. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Max. I was only—”

He rushed past her, fleeing into his own room. His door clicked shut. Noelle’s sobs could still be heard from across the hall.

“Maybe you should’ve asked them first.”

“Maybe you should mind your own business,” she said, still stung by the children’s reactions, still reeling with her own guilt. What right did he have to judge her? She’d had only the best intentions.

She thought of Max’s quiet, desperate search for the hat. Maybe she could get it back.

She looked at Ben, still in the protective cradle of Jake’s arms. That wasn’t good. Not healthy. The man was a virtual stranger, for goodness’ sake. She supposed the trip to the ER had bonded them, and the boy was no doubt missing his father. Still, Jake was a transient in Ben’s life. It would do him no good to get attached.

“Come on, Ben,” she said gently. “Let’s go downstairs and have a snack.” She pierced Jake with a look. “Jake has work to do.”