Driftwood Lane (30 page)

She hadn’t told the children about them yet, and he seemed to be on the same page. Meridith didn’t know if she was trying to protect them or wanting to keep their relationship private awhile.

They’d have to tell them soon. It was too hard hiding it, restraining herself. Her thoughts flashed back to earlier this morning, when he’d pulled her into the darkness of the back staircase and kissed her socks off. Even now her heart fluttered like butterfly wings.

Meridith turned up the heat and gave the soup another stir. The fragrant herbs wafted upward. She heard Jake greeting Noelle, heard a bag rattle as he set it on the island, felt his breath on her neck.

“Hello, beautiful.”

“Shhhh.”

He kissed her neck, then turned to empty the contents of his bag just in time for Noelle’s entry.

Meridith unwrapped the salad. “Did they have everything you need?” she asked Jake.

He caught her eye. “Almost,” he said, winking.

Meridith’s gaze swung to Noelle, but she was busy pulling silverware from the drawer.

She shot Jake a look as the phone pealed. The extension was missing from its base.

“Noelle, would you mind grabbing the other phone?”

The silver clattered as the girl set it down. “Turn down the heat, set the table, answer the phone . . .” she grumbled playfully.

As soon as Noelle left the room, Jake pulled Meridith close. “You just wanted to be alone with me.”

She thought of denying it, but then she looked into his eyes. Oh, who was she kidding?

He brushed his lips across hers. Heaven.

She heard Noelle’s muted answer from the other room. “Summer Place, may I help you?”

Jake deepened the kiss and Meridith slid her arms around his waist.

“Hi, Rita,” Noelle continued. “Yeah, she’s here. Just a minute.”

Meridith forced herself to push Jake away. “Naughty boy,” she whispered.

She dragged her eyes from his and retrieved the salad dressing, trying to gather her wits before Noelle entered.

“It’s Rita,” Noelle said.

Meridith took the phone. “Hey, Rita.” She watched Jake return to his hardware goodies.

“Hey, Meridith. Sorry to call at dinnertime, but this is important.”

“What is it?”

Jake looked up at her tone.

“I ran into Dee Whittier in town awhile ago.”

“Who?”

“She owns a sporting shop and is on the chamber of commerce with me. She’s also Max and Ben’s soccer coach.”

“Okay . . .”

“Well, she called and told me she saw the kids’ uncle in town this afternoon.”

“What?” Meridith caught Jake’s eye, then flickered a look toward Noelle.

“She recognized him because he goes to the boys’ games sometimes and, well, according to her he’s a total stud, and she’s single, so . . . you haven’t heard from him yet?”

“No.”

“I thought you’d want to know.”

“Yes, I—thanks, Rita. Forewarned is forearmed, right?”

A scream pierced the line. “Brandon, leave your sister alone!” Rita yelled. “Listen, I gotta run.”

“Thanks for calling,” Meridith said absently.

“What’s wrong?” Jake asked.

He would be coming soon. Surely it wouldn’t take long for him to discover his sister had passed away. She felt a moment’s pity at the thought, then remembered he’d gone over three months without checking in.

“You okay?” Jake asked again.

Noelle entered the room and grabbed a stack of napkins from the island drawer.

“Noelle, your uncle hasn’t called or e-mailed, has he?”

Noelle’s hand froze, a stack of napkins clutched in her fist. Her lips parted. Her eyes darted to Jake, then back to Meridith. “Why?”

“Rita said someone named Dee saw him in town today.”

Noelle closed the drawer slowly. “Oh. Uh . . . no.”

Meridith turned to the soup. Thick broth bubbles popped and spewed. She turned down the heat again and stirred. “Well, I guess he’s back. You’ll be seeing him soon.” She tried to inject enthusiasm in her voice, tried to be happy for the children. A piece of familiarity, a renewed bond, a living reminder of their mother. It would be good for them.

And yet.

What if he wanted them once he found out what had happened to Eva and T. J.? What if he fought her for them and won? Her stomach bottomed out. She loved the children now. They were her siblings. Her family.

She remembered coming to the island with every intention of handing them over like unwanted baggage. What she’d once wanted most was now a potential reality. Only now she didn’t want it at all.

Dinner was a silent affair. Jake did all he could to keep the conversation casual, but it wasn’t easy when he knew what was coming. The kids, obviously apprehensive, alternated between staring at their plates and shooting him panicked glances.

Watching Meridith was even harder. She wore a brave smile, trying to convince the kids she was happy they’d see their uncle soon.

Her fake smile fooled no one, least of all him.

He recognized fear when he saw it. It settled in the furrow of her brows, crouched in the shadows of her eyes. She felt threatened by the uncle—by
him
. He had to tell her after dinner. Couldn’t stand to see her suffer any more.

Maybe she’d be relieved. He wasn’t set to take the kids from her anymore. He wanted all of them together, and he’d move to Timbuktu if he had to, to be with them.

Jake lifted a spoonful of soup and slid it into his mouth, swallowing, not tasting. He just had to tell her the truth, then everything would be okay. And maybe if he repeated it to himself enough he’d believe it.

The phone rang, and Meridith froze. Her eyes swung to Jake’s, and then she gave him a trembling smile. “I’ll get that.” She set her napkin on the table and went to the kitchen, breaking her own rule of voice mail during mealtime.

With Meridith’s back turned, the kids shot him looks of panic.
Do something!

He held out his hands, palms down.
Relax, I’ve got it covered
.

“Summer Place.” Meridith’s voice filtered in. There was a pause while she listened, then, “No, I’m sorry we’re booked for the Fourth of July.”

He heard her offering another date, then ending the phone call. She smiled when she entered the room.

“A customer,” she said, her relief palpable.

Dinner dragged on as the kids pushed their food around their plates. Jake wanted to spoon-feed them and rush them off so he could talk to Meridith.

When she finally took her empty plate to the kitchen, the kids followed, trashing the paper plates and bowls and dropping their silver in the sink. He gestured them toward the living room, then approached Meridith in the kitchen.

“Can we talk?” he asked. “The porch?”

She opened the dishwasher. “Be right out. Just let me wash the silverware first.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to say it was Noelle’s turn, but then she’d be in the kitchen, and they’d have no privacy.

“All right.” He had no idea how Meridith would react. Jake stepped onto the porch, wishing evening had fallen, wishing for the cover of darkness. He crossed the porch, unable to settle his anxious mind, and by the time he turned to pace back, Meridith was slipping through the door, walking into his arms.

Forty-three

Meridith stepped into Jake’s embrace and drew a deep breath, letting the familiar smell of him calm her. It was going to be okay. It was. Surely Uncle Jay wouldn’t want custody, not with his vagrant lifestyle. But despite her attempts at self-comfort, her fears surfaced.

“What if he wants them?” she said. “What if he fights for them and wins?” She buried her face in the softness of his T-shirt, tightened her arms around his waist.

“Meridith—”

“Shhhh. I just want to stay like this a few minutes.” In the security of his embrace, the strength of his arms wrapped protectively around her. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes.

At the moment she didn’t care if the children walked out and found them together. She was in love with him and didn’t care who knew it.

Had she even told him? She pulled in another breath and whispered the words. “I love you, Jake.”

“What?” His voice rumbled through his chest into her ears.

She pulled back and looked into his bewildered eyes. “I’ve been fighting it a long time, and I just wanted you to know.”

Something flickered in his eyes. “Oh, Meridith—”

A scream pierced the air, shattering their privacy.

It was clearly Noelle, though she’d never heard that sound from the girl.

“What in the world.” Meridith darted toward the door.
Please, not another broken bone
.

She raced through the kitchen, through the dining room, into the living room, Jake on her heels.

Noelle stood by the check-in desk, her face set, her cheeks red. Fire spit from her eyes.

“What? What’s wrong?” Meridith surveyed Max and Ben, standing by the fireplace, staring at her, apparently unharmed.

“You’re selling Summer Place!”

Noelle clutched a fistful of papers. The sale documents. She’d left them out. Meridith felt the foundation shift under her.

“Don’t try and deny it. I’m not an imbecile, I can read!”

Okay, okay. Deep breaths
. Meridith held out her hand. “I was going to tell you this week, Noelle. I was going to tell you all.”

“Liar!” Her frantic eyes swung to Ben and Max. “She’s selling it to the Goldmans, it’s all right here!”

“Yes, that’s true, but calm down. We can talk about this. I’ve done a lot of thinking, and there’s no way we can afford to stay here. We can’t afford the mortgage, Noelle. But you’ll love St. Louis, I promise.”

“St. Louis! I’m not moving!
We’re
not moving, are we?” Noelle went to stand with her brothers. Three against one.

Max and Ben eyed her, confusion ebbing out as the tide of anger rose.

“We can’t afford to stay here, honey.”

“Don’t
call
me that. You were just going to sell our home and take us away and not even give Uncle Jay a chance!”

“I know you’re upset, but I was going to tell you this week, Noelle. Boys, I—we
can’t
stay. I wish we could. But you’ll like St. Louis once we get settled there—”

“What about Uncle Jay?” Max asked, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, what about Uncle Jay?” Ben’s chin quivered.

She’d forgotten Jake was there until he touched her shoulder. “Meridith—”

“You said you’d give him a chance!” Noelle screamed. Tears leaked from her eyes. “You’ve been planning this all along and lying to us! You’re a liar!”

She hated that word. Meridith tamped down her own anger. “I didn’t lie, Noelle. I just hadn’t told you yet.”

“You were never planning to give Uncle Jay a chance! You were planning to sell our home and take us away from day one.”

“No, I wasn’t—”

“Uncle Jay would never take us away, he’d never sell Summer Place, and he’d never
lie
to us like you have!”

“Well, your Uncle Jay wasn’t here to make those decisions, and if he’d be such a wonderful guardian, why isn’t he here now?”

“He
is
here!” Noelle’s eyes went past Meridith’s shoulders. “He’s been here all along, right beside us, and we want him to be our guardian, not you!”

The words sank in slowly. Noelle’s eyes, darting toward Jake. His hand tightening on her shoulder. The boys staring wide-eyed at him.

He’s been here all along, right beside us
.

“Meridith, I—”

Meridith jerked away from him.
Think
. She needed to think. Scenes from the past three months raced through her mind. Jake arriving on her doorstep.

The low bid.

Jake carrying Ben to his truck.

Jake teaching her to dance.

“Meridith.”

Jake asking to stay here.

Her chiding him for being alone with Noelle. Hysteria bubbled in her throat. His
niece
.

Jake saving her from Sean.

The day of the parade.

The kiss in the dark. His declaration of love. She choked back a laugh. Her
own
declaration of love.

“Meridith—” He set his hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t talk to me.” She pushed his hand off, backed away.

It made sense now, all of it. The way the kids had bonded to him so quickly. They’d been keeping a secret from her. Jake, the children. Everyone in the house knew but her. She felt like such a fool!

But . . . the tender moments between her and Jake, his words . . . Was it just a show, some horrible pretense to get access to the kids, to get custody of the kids? She’d let herself trust him, let herself love him—
told him she loved him
—and it was all . . .

“Get out.”

He held out his hands, palms down. “Meridith, just let me—”

Meridith put her hands over her ears. “I don’t want to hear it!” Her thoughts spun in so many directions, making her dizzy.

Max and Ben were crying. She couldn’t process the chaos, didn’t want to.

“Get out, Jake. I mean it.”

“All right.” His hands dropped. “All right.” He moved toward the door.

“No!” Ben ran to Jake, wrapped his arms around his leg.

“You’re the meanest person ever!” Noelle screamed.

“Let go, Benny.” Jake pried his hands off. He set the boy aside. “I’ll be back.” His gaze flickered to Max, then to Noelle, and back to Meridith.

No, he wouldn’t. She was never letting him in her house, in her heart again.

Meridith walked around Jake, opened the front door.

“Don’t go, Uncle Jay!” Noelle said.

Jake motioned her to settle down. He paused beside Meridith.

She wouldn’t look at him. Couldn’t. Could barely contain everything that was building inside. His shoes blurred. She would not cry.

“I’ll call you,” he whispered.

“Don’t bother.”

He stood there a second that lasted a lifetime. She held her breath. She would not take one last whiff of his cologne. She wouldn’t.

And then he was gone.

She shut the door and turned. Red blotches covered Max’s cheeks. Ben was crying. He darted toward the door and pulled at the handle.

Meridith leaned against it. “No, Ben.”

Noelle’s fists clenched at her sides, her nose flaring.