“It’s probably best you didn’t,” Trey said. “Lisa said her mom’s a tad territorial. She’s planning a big dinner for the wedding party tonight at the house.”
Lisa’s mother—Lois Perry. She’d talked to her several times since Rafael and Lisa’s engagement. With the little interaction they’d had over the phone, Mama was happy she was in California and Lois was in Iowa.
As they drove by the Emerson Pass city sign and headed left up a mountain road, she caught a glimpse of the town, all sparkly with Christmas lights.
Her ears popped as they climbed the slushy road to the mountain house where they would spend the long wedding weekend. A sparkling snow covered the thick forest of trees. Brilliant blue sky peeked between the snow-laden branches.
A trio of deer stood together a hundred yards off the road in a field. Ria let out an excited squeal. “Do you see, Rosa?” Ria asked, sounding as breathless and excited as a child.
“Yes, aren’t they adorable?” Mama Soto already had her phone out of her bag and was snapping photos as fast as she could.
A few minutes later, Trey turned the car into a paved driveway. They passed a sign that read The Lake House. They’d learned from Pepper and Stone that its name came from the family’s last name, not a geological element.
The boys escorted them up the icy steps to the front patio of the enormous ski chalet–style home, promising to bring their bags up once they were safely inside. When Pepper and Stone had come in October to scope out the wedding venue for Lisa, they’d found Mr. Lake, the owner of the house, by the woodshed. He’d fallen and broken his leg. If they hadn’t come upon him when they did, he might have frozen to death in the unexpected snowstorm. Pepper had shared with Mama Soto an uncertainty about renting the house for the wedding party, worried about getting trapped on the mountain again and missing the wedding. However, Stone had convinced Pepper it made the most sense financially for Lisa and Rafael’s families. The lodge was expensive, whereas they could stay here for much less, plus save money on meals.
Trey punched the doorbell. Chimes went off from inside to the tune of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Soon thereafter, a middle-aged woman who looked a lot like their Lisa opened the door.
“Hello, hello. Come in.” She introduced herself as Lois Perry and gestured for them to come inside. Lois, unlike her daughter, was sharp-edged and skinny, with a hard, pinched look around her mouth, like someone who’d sucked on a sour lemon for thirty years.
Introductions were made all around as a man who must be Lisa’s father drifted into the foyer as quietly as the deer they’d seen on the way.
“I’m Warren Perry.” Warren’s soft voice, slouchy clothes, and tentative smile were like your favorite armchair, a little worn but still your favorite place to relax with a good book. “Nice to meet you all.” Tall and slender with a slight slope to his shoulders, he wore a sweater that matched the hue of his walnut-colored eyes. Lisa had told her he was a retired high school principal. She couldn’t imagine him in that role. As a former lunch lady, she’d known more than her share.
The boys excused themselves to grab the bags from the car while she and Ria shrugged out of their coats. Warren took them from the ladies and busied himself hanging them in the closet.
Lois looked from her to Ria. “I would’ve picked Ria here as Rafael’s mother, not you. You’re so…so tiny.”
“Yes, my boy got his height from his father.” Ria was tall and slender, whereas Rosa was petite and barely reached five two.
“His father? You know who he was?” Lois asked as they walked out of the foyer and into the massive front room.
“Yes, I was married to him.” She didn’t know if she should be offended or amused. “We divorced before Rafael was born.” She pretended the question wasn’t rude and took a second to look around the stunning room. Floor-to-ceiling windows looked out to a clearing covered with snow and an iced-over pond. Several ducks sunned themselves in a clump of frozen reeds.
“I see. Well, that’s not at all the impression I had,” Lois said.
That did it. Now she was offended.
Clearly Ria was as well. “What exactly was your impression?” Ria asked.
Lois Perry didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed. “I was told Rafael didn’t have a father. That isn’t unusual in your…neighborhood, right?”
Ria did one of her haughty laughs that sounded like an exotic birdcall and had made more than a few grown men cringe. “Our neighborhood is the same as any other. It takes one sperm and an egg to make a baby. I believe they call it biology.”
Lois was not one easily cowed. She fixed her ice-blue eyes on Ria. “I’m aware of what makes a baby. I taught health for many years.”
Warren shuffled into the room with his hands shoved into his pockets. All color had drained from his face, making him appear older and more fatigued. If Lois had sucked a lemon for thirty years, her husband had been there to throw away the rinds.
“Would either of you care for something to drink?” Warren asked as he threw another log into the stone fireplace. “I could use a cocktail.” When the ladies all declined, he headed toward the bar area and poured himself a drink. There were trays of charcuterie on the coffee table, as well as bottles of champagne on ice.
The happy noises of the boys’ boisterous laughter and the double doors slamming sounded faintly in the background, as if from another world.
“Shall I show you to your room?” Lois asked.
“That won’t be necessary,” Ria said. “Pepper told us we’re in bedroom four.”
“She gave us all copies of the floor plan,” Rosa said. “She takes her maid of honor duties very seriously.”
“That Pepper has always been like a wrecking ball. I should know. The girls have been friends since they were eighteen years old.” Lois spoke in a tone that was supposed to put Rosa and Ria in their place. I’ve known Pepper longer than you.
As though it was a contest.
She and Ria weren’t likely to be put into any place they didn’t want to go.
Nico and Trey appeared with their bags. Already the chilly air had pinkened their cheeks. Lois, as if in charge, instructed them to take the bags to bedroom four. She pointed one of her skeleton-like fingers toward the hallway to the right. “Down there.”
“Not a problem,” Trey said with a wink in Rosa’s direction. Lisa had warned them about her mother. She hadn’t been exaggerating. Lois Perry was a witch.
“I’ll take our stuff up to the loft,” Nico said.
Rosa couldn’t help but smile, thinking of Nico and Trey in the loft area. Pepper had described it as summer camp for adults, with a pool table, big-screen television, and full bar. She might never get these boys home.
Lois turned back to Rosa and Ria, probably to ask more probing questions about Rafael’s father, when a door to the left opened, giving Rosa a glimpse into a kitchen with shiny chrome appliances and dark cabinets. A robust man with thick silver hair and the air of someone important, like a judge or king, sauntered into the living room.
If she’d known that morning that today would be the end of Mama and the rise of Rosa the Seductress, she might have made more of an effort with her hair. She could have layered her lips with the expensive lipstick Lisa had gotten her as a gift last month for her birthday. Instead, she’d used her drugstore brand in the same shade of peony pink she’d worn for twenty years. As with the honeysuckle-scented candle and bubble bath Rafael had given her, she wanted to save the good tube for special occasions.
“Who do we have here?” The man’s voice was like thunder, deep and unexpected. “You didn’t tell me the movie stars had arrived.” He grinned at Rosa, then Ria. “Are these friends of Lisa and Pepper’s from Hollywood?”
Lois mumbled something under her breath and wandered off to stand near the fire.
Rosa laughed, charmed. “I’m the mother of the groom, Rosa Soto. And this is my dear friend, Ria. We are invited to the opening of Lisa and Pepp
er’s movie with Genevieve Banks, but other than that, we’re about as far away from Hollywood as two could be.”
The man stuck out a large, tanned hand. “I’m Dominic Perry. Lisa’s uncle. Warren’s my brother.”
She observed him closely. The brothers shared the same dark hazel eyes and silver hair. However, Dominic was more of a grand piano than slouchy armchair.
“Warren, I believe it’s cocktail time.” Dominic arched one dark eyebrow at his brother. Those dark eyebrows in contrast to his white hair were a little disconcerting. Did he glue them on?
“On it,” Warren said, sounding lighter than a moment ago.
She could imagine that Dominic’s strong, determined jaw moved easily between stern and amused, as did his full, expressive mouth. He was dressed impeccably in dark jeans and a black cashmere sweater that stretched over his broad shoulders, and his eyes sparked with energy and intelligence.
Eyes that were currently fixed on her, as if there were no one else in the room. She flushed and looked away. Men didn’t often look at her as if they enjoyed what they saw. Especially not a man like Dominic Perry.
Warren handed his brother a tumbler of amber liquid. Probably scotch. The boys drank it sometimes when they were looking for trouble.
“And why exactly are you as far away from Hollywood as you can get?” Dominic asked.
“I’m a former lunch lady,” Rosa said.
“And I worked at the same furniture factory for most of my adult life,” Ria said.
“Is that right?” Warren asked, sounding hopeful that he’d found a friend. “Woodworking is my hobby.”
“He rarely comes out of his workshop,” Lois said from over by the fireplace. “Would anyone like some cheese?”
They all declined, politely.
“I worked in the upholstery department.” Ria held up her hands. “These have stretched more fabric than you can imagine.”
“She was the best in the entire factory,” Rosa said. “They threw her a huge party when she retired a few months back.”
“Are you retired, Rosa?” Dominic asked.
“Yes. There was no reason to retire. I’m only fifty-three. But my son bought an apartment building and insisted we move to Cliffside Bay.”
“Forcing our retirement. Not that we went kicking and screaming, mind you,” Ria said. “He was worried about us living alone in the old neighborhood.”
“True. Now we’re happily living the good life by the beach,” Rosa said.
“Together?” Dominic raised his eyebrows and looked slightly amused.
“No. We have separate apartments,” Ria said with one of her imperious expressions planted across her face. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
Dominic and Warren laughed. “Well, you never know these days, do you?” Warren asked.
“I take it you ladies are both single then?” Dominic asked, looking at Rosa.
She made eye contact with Ria, fighting a nervous giggle.
“We are single,” Ria said. “Rosa here is especially single.”
Why was she any more single than Ria? Neither of them had gone out with a man since before they had children.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Dominic said. “Because there’s going to be endless opportunities for dancing and making merry over the weekend, and I happen to be especially single too.”
Rosa’s heart rate had accelerated to the speed of the popcorn machine at her old school. She rubbed her left thumb where she’d once burned herself with hot oil. This man was as hot and dangerous as that oil.
“Do you like to dance, Rosa?” Dominic asked.
Dance? Women like her didn’t dance. They collapsed at the end of the day to watch a favorite sitcom on television and hoped they’d stay awake long enough to eat their frozen dinner. “I used to.” This man’s behavior was vaguely familiar. She could almost recall it from another lifetime. It was the way he peered at her as though he wanted to…to what? Eat her for dinner? Or take her to bed. God, yes. That was the look. A man wanted her, even with her plump bottom and slightly squishy middle? She resisted the urge to fan herself.
“When was the last time you danced?” Dominic’s gaze remained on her face.
She really should have worn her good lipstick. “I haven’t danced since high school.”
“That’s a shame,” Dominic said. “A woman as pretty as you should always have a full dance card.”
She blinked several times, then squinted, wondering if this was the beginning stage of dementia. Did the others see him? He appeared real. Or was this how the mental decline started? Handsome men appeared out of nowhere, flirtatious and interested in little old ladies? This had to be an illusion. Men like Dominic Perry drove sports cars and dated women half their age.
They were interrupted when the doorbell rang. Lois, as if she were queen of the mansion, stalked by them to answer it. For the next hour, it was a flurry of introductions and greetings. David Perry arrived with his two little ones, Laine and Ollie, as did Maggie and Jackson Waller, who were also staying at the house with their toddler, Lily, and a young nanny. Stone and Pepper arrived, after spending several hours with Lisa and Rafael off at the lodge.
The evening, which included a buffet-style dinner of pasta and meatballs made by Lois, sped by. After the men did the dishes, they all went upstairs to the loft area to drink, play pool, and watch football. Rosa offered to put Laine and Ollie to bed for David, but Lois insisted that it was her job as the grandmother. She disappeared with them and didn’t come back. Maggie, after putting Lily down, returned to the living room and huddled with Pepper and Ria on the couch to watch a romantic comedy. Normally Rosa would have joined them, but she was restless. Dominic Perry had shaken her. His attention hadn’t lessened at dinner. Several times she caught him staring at her.
She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror that hung over the bar area. Still the same round face and brown eyes stared back at her. She wondered what on earth did he see when he looked at her? Her skin was still relatively smooth, especially when she didn’t smile. Although smiling was one of her favorite things to do, so that didn’t do her much good. No chest to speak of, so it couldn’t be that. And she had these skinny arms and legs. Now that she thought about it, she looked rather like a plum with sticks for legs and arms. Her round head was like an abnormal growth from too many pesticides.
To boost herself, she thought about her mama. She’d always said Rosa had beautiful eyes, the kind that drew a person in and made them feel as if they were wrapped in a warm blanket. “A pretty mouth, made prettier because you’re always laughing.” That had been before Javier broke her heart. After Rafael was born, her laugh returned. She’d been surprised to find that after surviving loss, laughter was even sweeter. From then on, laughing was like a perpetual first taste of cherry pie. Perhaps when joy goes dormant, it returns with a great roar.
How strange that a man’s attention had made her remember what her mother had said to her.
She wandered into the kitchen and found a teakettle in the pantry. After filling it, she rummaged through a basket of tea bags until she found chamomile. She’d just filled her cup when the door to the kitchen swung open and Dominic appeared.
“I hoped I’d find you here,” he said. “May I join you?”
She flushed with warmth but kept it together enough to ask him if she could make him a cup of tea.
“I’m not really a tea kind of guy,” Dominic said. “But for you, I’d make an exception.”
She smiled and pointed to the refrigerator. “There’s beer in there.”
“Now you’re talking.” He grabbed a bottle and sat on one of the stools that lined the island.
“Why aren’t you upstairs with the rest of the men?” she asked.
He shrugged and ran a hand through that glorious head of hair. “I’d rather get to know you.”
“Why?”
He laughed. “There’s something about you that’s so alive. It’s intriguing and makes me want
to be around you.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be having a midlife crisis and chasing after young women?”
For the first time since she’d met him, the sparkle faded from his eyes. “I’m not interested in dating a child. I was married to a wonderful woman for thirty years. She passed away a few years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. She had cancer, and boy did she fight, but it finally took her. Since I lost her, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. We were supposed to grow old together.”
“Ah, yes. The supposed-tos. We all have those, don’t we?”
“What about you? Warren says you’re divorced?”
“Were you asking about me?” She blew on her tea. The steam danced above her cup.
“Guilty.” He grinned.
“We were only married a short time before I got pregnant. He left before Rafael was born.”
“And there’s never been anyone else?”
“No. When I was still young and pretty, I didn’t have time. Rafael was my priority. After he grew up and left, I was already past my prime. Men aren’t interested in women my age.” She played with the silver cross she wore around her neck.
“You’re still young and pretty,” he said.
She tapped the side of her head. “In here, yes.”
“I’ll be fifty-eight next year. I’d been planning on retiring. That was my promise to my wife. But now, without her, I don’t know what I would do without work.”
“May I ask what you do?”
“I’m the CEO of a company that makes radiology equipment for hospitals.”
“How interesting.”
He laughed. “Not really.”
“More interesting than being Rosa the Lunch Lady.”
“Sounds like the title of a children’s book.”
“Lisa mentioned you never had any children.” She said it nonchalantly, as if she were just making conversation.
“Were you asking about me?” He took a sip from his bottle, smiling at her with his eyes.
She lifted her cup to her mouth and let herself smile right back at him with her own eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. She told me about you before we came out here.” Who was this sassy woman who felt twenty years old again?
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