Authors: Barbara Bretton
Someone Like You (15 page)
“It is what it is,” Cat said. “It only hurts if you expect anything else.”
“But why him?” Joely persisted. “The son of a bitch walked out on us before I was out of diapers. He walked out on
her
. Why should he be the first one she thinks about?”
her
. Why should he be the first one she thinks about?”
Cat pulled out her car keys, and a second later her car beeped hello from the other side of the small lot. “What do you want me to say? I was there, too, Joely. She didn’t do handsprings when she saw me either.”
And I’m the one who’s been here year after endless year
.
And I’m the one who’s been here year after endless year
.
“Yes, but you’re used to it.” Joely seemed to hear what she had said, and the tips of her ears reddened. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
“The hell you didn’t,” Cat said as she swung open the driver’s side door. “And in case you’re wondering, yes I am used to it, but that doesn’t mean I like it.”
Joely slid into the seat next to her and closed the door. “She’s crazy, isn’t she? I mean, why else would she still be carrying a torch for a guy who split over twenty-five years ago.”
“She thinks he’ll be back one day,” Cat said.
“That’s nuts.”
“No argument here.” Cat started the engine and checked her mirrors. “And why the surprise? You grew up with it. Remember the way she used to leave the door unlocked for him until Grandma Fran threatened to make her live in the VW? She was like a kid leaving cookies out for Santa, except she was forty years old, and it was a bottle of Johnny Walker on the kitchen table instead of chocolate chips.”
Cat pulled in a breath, but the words kept on coming. “Why would you think anything had changed? I really want to know, because it doesn’t make any sense. You’re the logical one in the family, aren’t you? You’re the scientist. What did you see that I didn’t that would make you believe there was a chance in hell that Mimi was going to change?”
Joely said nothing. She turned her head away and feigned interest in the Toyota Highlander parked next to them.
“Sorry,” Cat said, resting her forehead against the steering wheel. “It’s hormones.”
“You’re pulling the premenstrual card on me?” Her words were as perfectly articulated as always, but Cat could hear the emotion behind them. “I think I deserve better than that.”
“I’m not premenstrual, honey; I’m pregnant.”
“Not funny.” Joely spun around in her seat and aimed her anger right between her eyes. “I can’t tell you how not funny that is.”
“I’m pregnant,” Cat said again. “I was seeing an ob-gyn in New York when Mimi had the accident, and if you don’t think I’m feeling like a guilty shit right now, then you don’t know me half as well as I thought you did.”
Joely continued to stare at her, eyes wide, mouth open in shock.
Cat had the feeling she would be seeing that look a lot over the next few weeks as the news spread.
“I’m due the end of January, in case you’re wondering.”
“You’re really pregnant?”
“So you
can
talk,” Cat joked, aware of the little twitch in the corner of her right eye. “I thought maybe I’d struck you dumb with my news flash.”
can
talk,” Cat joked, aware of the little twitch in the corner of her right eye. “I thought maybe I’d struck you dumb with my news flash.”
“Who?” Joely asked. “I never thought—I mean, you’re the last person I—” She stopped cold, cheeks a bright fire-engine red. “You never said you wanted children. I mean, I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone.”
“You never asked.”
“Would you have told me if I had?”
“I don’t know.”
Joely’s expression shifted slightly. “I’ll give you points for honesty.”
“I’m not trying to hurt you, honey. We’re not as close as we used to be. I’m sure there’s a lot about you and William that I don’t know.” How could she tell her sister that one of the best parts of being with Michael was the fact that those hours with him happened beneath the radar of family and friends?
“It’s Zach Porter, isn’t it,” Joely said. “You said he was back in town. I always thought you’d end up with Zach.”
“No, it’s not Zach. His name is Michael Yanovsky,” Cat said.
“Don’t tell me he’s some new guy who lives in one of those condos they put up near the lighthouse.”
“He lives in Manhattan,” she said. “I met him at HBO two years ago. He’s a screenwriter.”
“So that’s why you go down there so often. I knew it had to be more than business.”
“No, I go down there for business,” she said quickly. “He just happens to be a very nice fringe benefit while I’m there.”
“Does Mimi know you’re pregnant?”
“It’s early days,” she reminded her sister. “I wasn’t planning to tell anyone for at least another month.” Now she wasn’t sure how much Mimi would even understand when, or if, the time came to share the good news.
“Does Karen know?”
“I told her yesterday.”
“How did she take it?”
“She burst into tears.”
“Karen?” Joely looked skeptical. “She was the only girl in biology who could dissect a frog and eat a candy bar at the same time.”
“Karen’s really a softie,” Cat said, “but don’t tell her I said so. She has a reputation to protect.”
It was meant to be a joke, but Joely wasn’t laughing.
“I’m sorry,” Cat said. “If I’d known you were on your way, I would have waited so I could tell you first.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Joely said, but once again Cat was surprised by the depth of emotion hidden away inside such a logical heart. “It’s no big deal.”
“You’re going to be an aunt.”
“That should shock the hell out of Idle Point.”
“You know what? The whole town will just have to get over it.” Cat started to back out of her parking spot. “Now come on, Auntie Joely, let’s get those hot fudge sundaes while we can.”
THERE WASN’T ENOUGH chocolate in the world to prepare either Joely or Cat for the sight of Grandma Fran’s house.
“Oh God,” Cat breathed as she parked at the curb. “This is so much worse than I expected.”
“She’s lucky she’s alive,” Joely said.
Yellow tape crisscrossed the front door, courtesy of the police department. Not to be outdone, the firefighters had boarded up the shattered windows. Grandma Fran’s favorite chair, an old orange La-Z-Boy, lay sodden and abandoned in the front yard next to three torn sofa cushions and what remained of an old pine coffee table.
A middle-aged man with a paunch and receding hairline rounded the corner of the house as they made their way up the walk.
“Sorry we’re late, Frank,” Cat called out. “We were at the hospital.”
The man gave Cat a kiss on the cheek. “Chocolate,” he said with a wink as he pointed to the corner of her mouth. “Can’t say I blame you.”
“Frank, you remember my sister Joely.”
She extended her hand politely, but he leaned forward and placed a dry peck on her right cheek. “You won the New England Young Scientists award three years running. You were the toast of I.P. High.”
“I’d forgotten all about that,” Joely said, amazed.
“You beat my kid brother Adam. My father ended up sinking two thou into self-esteem therapy for him. Believe me, my family hasn’t forgotten.”
She flipped through her mental file cabinet and pulled out a tall red-haired boy who blushed even more than she did. “So how’s Adam doing these days?”
“Heading a research team at Stanford.” He waited for the obligatory nod of respectful approval. “How about you? Rumor has it you’re some big muckety-muck doing big stuff in England.”
“Scotland,” Cat jumped in, “and yes, Joely’s doing very important work in bioengineering research.”
That was a big sister for you. Cat couldn’t help protecting her from troubles both real and imagined and, in true younger sister fashion, Joely found herself letting her do it. There was no sense bringing up the fact that she hadn’t actually done any bioengineering research in almost a year.
“How long are you here for?”
“Not very,” she said, wishing she had stayed in the car. “I’ll be heading home as soon as Mimi’s situation has stabilized.”
He gave her an odd look, but Cat, bless her, stepped in again.
“You’ve probably had a long day already, Frank. We don’t want to keep you any longer than necessary.” Offered up with a wide and friendly smile. “Anything we need to know before we go inside?”
“Only that someone was watching over your mother. It could’ve been a whole lot worse.”
Which didn’t prepare either of them for just how bad it was.
The police had given them permission to do a walk-through as long as they didn’t disturb anything. The fire marshals had already done a preliminary investigation and confirmed there were no signs of arson, but they hadn’t signed off officially on it yet.
Frank pulled down the yellow tape that ran across the doorway while Cat fumbled in her pocket for Mimi’s keys.
“They forgot to lock up,” she said as the door swung open at her touch. “I’m going to give Henry a piece of my mind for this.”
Joely understood why he hadn’t bothered when she stepped inside.
“Oh, God,” Cat breathed, leaning against the wall for support. “I had no idea.”
Joely touched her arm. “Are you okay? Why don’t you wait outside.”
The place stank of smoke, chemicals, and charred wood. Their mother’s chairs were turned upside down. The water-soaked cushions leaned up against the outside wall. Broken glass littered the floor. And that was only the front room.
“I told you it was bad,” Frank said as he scribbled notes.
“How about upstairs?”
“Depends which room. The staircase is shot, so you can’t check it out. The attic’s okay.”
“How did the attic escape damage?”
“Who the hell knows. Fires do what they do. We clean up after them.”
“Can you clean up after something like this?” Joely asked, glancing around at the wreckage of the house where she grew up. “It doesn’t look very promising.”
“It’s not. You want the truth?”
“I’m not sure,” Cat said.
“I think the best thing you can do is sell the place. The land is worth more than the structure, and frankly I’d be surprised if your mother can live alone after this.”
Cat looked pale and shaky. Joely stepped closer to her just in case. “I’ve already thought of that. I’m going to look into a live-in for her.”
“Look,” Frank said, “it’s not my business, but the three of us go back a long way. I’m no doctor, but I don’t think Mimi’s coming back here either way. I think you’re going to have to see about assisted living.”
“I know we’re probably facing a long period of rehabilitation, but I don’t think—”
“Nobody ever does,” he said kindly. “Amanda and I had to put her mother into assisted living last year, and she’s not even sixty yet.”
Cat’s right hand moved toward her belly, and Frank’s eyes followed the movement. She quickly tugged at the hem of her sweater, but he was already connecting the dots.
“Will you look at all this stuff?” Joely picked her way through the mess, trying not to focus on the artifacts of their mother’s life scattered across the floor. A vein in her right temple began to throb, but she ignored it. “How many
Gone with the Wind
plates does one woman need?” Perhaps the comment wasn’t in the best of taste, but if it took Frank’s mind off Cat’s belly, she would take the risk.
Gone with the Wind
plates does one woman need?” Perhaps the comment wasn’t in the best of taste, but if it took Frank’s mind off Cat’s belly, she would take the risk.
“You’re white as a sheet,” Frank said to Cat. “It stinks from smoke in here. Let’s go outside.”
“I’m fine,” Cat said. “Really.”
“I think you’d better go outside,” Joely whispered in her ear. “You look like you’re going to hit the floor.”
Cat nodded. They headed for the door and not a moment too soon. “Distract Frank,” Cat whispered. “I think I’m about to lose the hot fudge sundae.”
“I shouldn’t have let you two go in there,” Frank berated himself as Cat disappeared around the side of the house. “You grew up here. She’s your mother. I should’ve taken pictures instead and showed them to you.” A strangled sound drifted toward them. “Do you think you should go check on her? That doesn’t sound too good.”
“It’s all that smoke on an empty stomach,” Joely lied. “She’ll be fine.”
His left eyebrow twitched, but he didn’t argue with her. “Listen, about what I said in there. I mean, like I said, I’m not a doctor. Just because Amanda’s mother needed assisted living after her stroke doesn’t mean it’s going to work that way for Mimi.”
“I’m not sure it’s been confirmed that she had a stroke.”
“Well, whatever it was,” Frank amended, “you just need to figure out what you want to do with the house and let me know.”
They both turned as Cat approached.
“Jeez, Cat,” Frank began, “I’m sorry I—”
“No apologies.” Cat joined them, cutting him off mid- mea culpa. “It’s just—” She gestured in the direction of the house. “Her whole life is in there. I wouldn’t know where to start if she decides to sell. I guess I got overwhelmed.”
“One step at a time,” Frank said, flipping his notebook closed. “Go home. Take a nap. I’ll work up a report and put a rush on it with District. Then you two can figure out the next step.”
“He knows,” Cat said as they watched him drive away.
“You think?”
“Did you see the way he looked at me when I touched my stomach?”
“You might want to stop doing that until you’re ready to break the news.” She grinned at her older sister. “Not to mention the barfing.”
Cat feigned a quick left hook. “I feel like I’ve been run over by an eighteen-wheeler.”
“I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.”
Cat’s eyes, a grayer shade of blue than her own, swam with tears as she glanced around the yard. “She deserves better than this.”
“Her choice,” Joely said. “It didn’t have to be this way.”
“Everyone’s not as strong as you are, Joely. She did the best she could with what she had to work with.”
“Awfully forgiving of you.” She was almost thirty years old, yet the bitterness felt fresh and new.
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