Long Way Home (13 page)

“So what’s the deal with you two? People have spotted you all over the island together. You’re a hot topic.”

“Slow news week?” One thing Alexis didn’t miss about her hometown was the rumor mill. Somebody always in your business. She figured that was a big reason she kept private matters to herself; she hated the scrutiny.

“Nobody said anything bad,” Betsy clarified. “They mostly seem thrilled to see Tyler happy with someone. He’s such a catch.”

Alexis shook her head. “He’s not with me. We’re just friends.”

“Sure thing,” said Betsy in a way that suggested otherwise. “It’s nice karma for him, though. Watching him pine over you in school was awful.” She clucked her tongue in dismay. “Let’s just say I’m glad Joe and I were very open with our feelings for each other.”

“Yep, I remember you being very open in the front seat of his golf cart.”

“We were hot for each other,” she said simply. “Nothing wrong with that.”

For the first time in thirty-five years, Alexis envied the beautiful simplicity of her sister’s life. She had a loving husband, three children, her own business and she managed it all. Alexis wondered why she’d overlooked her sister’s good qualities for so long.

“Ta da,” Betsy said, giving her sister’s head a quick spray to keep the stray hairs in place. “What do you think?”

Alexis examined the result in the oversized mirror. Her long, brown hair was swept up in a lush, chocolate swirl that made Alexis feel both sexy and elegant. “It’s perfect.”

“Tyler will die,” Betsy said, without noticing the wince that followed.

“Thank you,” Alexis said softly. “I’ll see you on Thursday, if not before.”

Chilled by the winter breeze, Tilly wandered down the hall into Alexis’s bedroom to retrieve a blanket from the bottom drawer of the dresser. She knocked out of habit, even though she knew that Alexis wasn’t there. When she opened the drawer and moved the blanket, unfamiliar items caught her eye. A velvet box and a flash of red. Tilly eyed the box more closely. Her maternal instinct kicked in and she opened it. A beautiful wedding band sparkled inside. Had she left him? Tilly wondered. Maybe he cheated. She watched a few reality programs and she knew how slimy those husbands of successful wives could be. All those hours Alexis worked at the firm, any man would feel like a second-class citizen.

Her attention moved to the red item underneath. Curious, she unfolded it on the floor and gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth. An infant Santa suit. Tilly smoothed out the wrinkles of the suit.

“Oh, Alexis,” she said sadly.

In that moment, all of Tilly’s anger and resentment toward her younger daughter dissipated. She’d been so busy justifying her own hostile feelings that she hadn’t been willing to consider her daughter’s, not even after her earlier tirade. Tilly was ashamed of her behavior. She should’ve known how difficult it was for Alexis to return home after all these years, not to mention how desperate she must have felt. No one could argue they had a close relationship so for Alexis to take time from her important job to travel across an ocean…Tilly shook her head woefully and carefully placed the items back where she found them. She remained on the floor of the bedroom, clutching the blanket and feeling like the worst kind of failure. Her daughter had seen fit to exclude her own mother from her life, to experience major life events without her family. Maybe it was high time that Tilly took a good, hard look in the mirror. She’d never considered herself a bad mother before, but she was beginning to see herself from Alexis’s point of view and, she had to admit, it wasn’t a pretty picture.

Chapter Eleven

Alexis dressed for the party, hoping to make a good impression but with seemingly little effort. She chose a dark green dress with a flattering draped cowl neckline that she’d bought from Liberty, her favorite store in London. It fell to just above the knee, short enough to show off her legs, yet long enough to maintain a modest appearance. The bodice hugged her curves. Sexy and graceful. She wore diamond stud earrings and painted her lips a deep red. It was actually pleasant to dress up for a change, to spend time on her appearance. The last time she dressed up was for a work function and, quite frankly, she didn’t make as much of an effort. Alexis guessed that Tyler would be more appreciative of her labors than a room full of corporate hacks.

She fervently hoped the party would lift her spirits. The argument with her mother was still rattling around in her brain, not to mention the added stress of seeing people from high school. She anticipated the questions that would likely arise. Questions like ‘what in the hell have you been doing for the past seventeen years?’ ‘Why have you never visited before now?’ ‘Doesn’t your family miss you?’ Caught up in her own emotional turmoil, she hadn’t considered how normal conversation might put her on the spot.

On her way out, she debated whether to bypass the kitchen. She hadn’t seen or spoken to her mother since their blowout and she wasn’t sure if her mother was still upset. In the end, she decided to put on her big girl pants and say goodbye. As she stepped into the kitchen, her mother gave her an appraising look from behind the refrigerator door.

“That’s a special dress,” Tilly said, unable to keep the admiration out of her voice.

“It’s for a festive occasion.”

“I should hope so.” Tilly closed the fridge door. “Would you like a snack before you go?”

“I’m sure they’ll have food.”

“Yes, but you’ll probably be too busy talking to eat,” Tilly commented.

“I’ll eat, I promise.”

“You did a wonderful job on the cake,” her mother said. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to help you.”

“Thanks, but I didn’t need help.” Alexis reddened, wishing she could snatch back that last remark. She knew her mother hadn’t mentioned help as a way of undermining her. It would be a long road before they could reach an accord, she realized.

“Did Betsy do your hair?” Tilly asked.

“She did. It’s nice, don’t you think?”

“Beautiful. I have two talented and beautiful daughters.” She pretended to examine her nails. “I’m sorry you feel that we let you down. That wasn’t our intention.”

“I didn’t come here to live in the past,” Alexis said truthfully. “I’m willing to work on our relationship if you are.”

“You’re my daughter. Of course, I am.”

Softening, Alexis gave her mother an impromptu kiss on the cheek which neither expected. “Don’t wait up.”

“Have a nice time, dear.”

Alexis popped her head into the family room to say goodbye to her father, but he was snoring away in his chair. She placed her wrap around her shoulders and headed out the door.

Alexis had rejected Tyler’s offer to pick her up so she could arrive a bit later. In part, she wanted to give him time alone with his friends, but, more than that, she felt that arriving together implied they were a couple.

She drove her mother’s golf cart to the Flamingo Key neighborhood on the south side of the island. The house was closer than Gatsby’s and she found it easily. Navigating Mangrove Island wasn’t difficult at the worst of times. It was a far cry from the higgledy piggledy streets of London. Sometimes she wondered how she managed to find anywhere in that sprawling metropolis. Initially, she’d found it exciting to explore the forgotten side streets and cobblestone alleyways. Over time, it became a nuisance to live in a city without a grid system where, even after years of living there, she continued to carry a city map with her at all times. She appreciated Mangrove Island’s simplicity now in a way that she hadn’t before.

The Keeler house was obvious as soon as she turned the corner onto White Oak Lane. It was the house with about twenty golf carts parked in front of it, some on the neatly manicured lawn. Alexis hoped that Tyler wasn’t one of the thoughtless guests to damage those lovely blades of grass. Somehow, she knew that he wasn’t. She heard noise from the backyard but couldn’t see over the tall fence.

On the way to the front door, she stopped to smooth her dress and unpeel a few stray hairs from her cheek. Then she took a deep breath and forged ahead.

The party was crowded, spilling out into the backyard where lights blazed and various outdoor games were set up. No one seemed to recognize Alexis so she maneuvered her way through the house with a smile plastered on her face but no actual conversation. She spied Tyler immediately, a beer in one hand and a horseshoe in the other. He was mid-throw when he saw her through the sliding glass door and he nearly clocked the guy next to him with the end of the horseshoe.

Seeing Tyler’s reaction, Alexis allowed herself the tiny thrill of knowing that she was still desirable. She’d spent the last year and a half feeling more like a ghost than a person and Tyler’s rapt attention somehow made her feel corporeal again.

She heard the grumbles of dismay when Tyler abandoned his game to join Alexis in the house.

“I’m so glad you came,” Tyler said, giving her a peck on the cheek. He desperately wanted to slide a hand around her waist, but he kept himself in check.

“Me too,” she said with a genuine smile.

That smile took his breath away. He spotted Peyton in the kitchen, setting out a tray of brownies, and waved. Peyton set down the tray and worked her way through the throng of guests to greet Alexis.

Alexis recognized her instantly. Peyton looked surprisingly similar to her high school self, her tall frame still willowy and her blonde hair flowing around her shoulders in soft waves. She wore a red maxi dress with a halter style neckline that highlighted her toned shoulders and arms.

“Alexis, how great to see you again.” Peyton greeted her with a warm hug and Alexis felt her stomach unclench. She hadn’t realized just how anxious she was.

“You too, Peyton. You look absolutely beautiful.”

“Forget me. You look stunning. Green is definitely your color.”

“I love your house,” Alexis said, glancing around the rooms again. “I wouldn’t have expected such a modern interior from the outside.”

“I know. I love that element of surprise. The house was a total mess when we bought it, so I couldn’t wait to change it up.”

“You did an incredible job.”

Alexis felt something brush past her leg and looked down in time to see a blonde blur disappear behind Peyton’s dress.

“Ariana, you’re supposed to be in bed, young lady,” Peyton said firmly.

Alexis saw the little girl’s fingers clasp her mother’s legs.

“It’s too dark,” Ariana complained. She peeked out from behind Peyton and gazed up at Alexis with wide, light eyes. Her hair was lighter than Peyton’s but with the same thick waves.

“Hello, I’m Alexis,” she said. “And you are most definitely your mother’s daughter.” She bent down to speak to the little girl at her own level. “I’m guessing you’re about five years old.”

Ariana nodded mutely.

“Good guess,” Tyler murmured.

She’d forgotten he was even standing there; she was so transfixed by the little girl. “Your nightgown is so lovely.”

The little girl wore a long-sleeved, white nightgown adorned with pink and purple butterflies.

“I got it for my birthday,” Ariana said.

“And when was that?” Alexis asked.

“October fifth.”

A strong pair of arms swooped in and lifted Ariana off the ground. She screeched with delight as she was turned upside down.

“Craig, don’t get her hyper now,” Peyton warned. “It’s bedtime.”

Alexis straightened up and took a good look at Craig Keeler. Nope, he didn’t seem familiar either. That made her feel a little better about not recognizing Tyler.

“Hi, Alexis,” said Craig. “Long time, no see.”

“Thank you for including me tonight,” she said.

“Are you kidding? Tyler would’ve dropped me on my head in the middle of Mangrove Pass.”

Tyler cleared his throat awkwardly. “Um, right here, Keeler.” He ran a nervous hand through his hair.

Craig patted his daughter’s back affectionately. “Let’s get this specimen back to the lab, Doctor.”

Ariana squealed as he flipped her the right way up. “Again, Daddy,” she cried.

“To bed,” Peyton said firmly.

“Goodnight, Ariana,” said Alexis. “It was really nice to meet you.”

“Goodnight, pretty lady,” said Ariana. “Uncle Tyler talks about you all the time now. It’s so boring.” She rolled her large eyes for effect.

As Alexis suppressed a coy smile, Tyler felt that familiar ache. Her body in that curve-hugging dress was wreaking havoc on his usual restraint. The hint of her breasts, the nape of her neck, those long legs. Every inch of her turned him on. He was going to struggle to stay sane in her presence tonight.

“Sorry about that, Tyler,” Peyton apologized for her daughter.

“No worries. It’s not like I hide it very well.” Tyler took a swig of beer.

“Well, when he mentioned he’d run into you,” said Peyton, “I’ll admit I was curious to see if he’d finally pluck up the courage to ask you out.”

“I bet him twenty bucks that he’d crash and burn,” Craig said, reappearing behind his wife.

“Spoken like a true friend,” Tyler said.

“Oh, Alexis, forgive my manners,” Peyton said. “Can I get you a drink or something to eat? Wine or beer?”

“I wouldn’t mind a glass of wine. Red, if you have it.”

“Is Pinot Noir okay?”

“Perfect.”

As Peyton moved back into the kitchen for the wine, Craig stepped forward to continue to mortify his friend.

“So has Tyler played you any of his songs?” asked Craig, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

“I heard him play at your place, actually,” said Alexis. “Congratulations on that, by the way, Gatsby’s is a great place.”

“Thanks, Peyton and I work our butts off, but we love it.” He gave Tyler a sidelong glance. “Did he play Mermaid’s Kiss?”

Tyler shot his friend a warning look that Alexis pretended not to see.

“Um, I don’t think so. The title doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Oh, maybe next time. You should request it. Or Goodbye Girl. Now that’s a classic.”

“Pinot noir for our special guest,” Peyton said, handing a long-stemmed glass to Alexis.