Blueberry Hill, #1

by Cynthia Luhrs

  “That’s a great idea.” Tara handed Emily a pitcher of Sunshine which was half lemonade and half iced tea, otherwise known as an Arnold Palmer, but since she put mint and honey in hers, Tara had named it Sunshine.

  They had hamburgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, watermelon, corn on the cob, key lime pie, and chocolate cake. It was a ton of food.

  The evening passed as they ate and talked, enjoying each other’s company as voices of families on the lake drifted to them when the wind blew. Evan held up a slice of watermelon, frowning.

  “What is wrong with this watermelon? There aren’t any seeds.”

  Christina wrinkled her nose.

  “Nobody wants seeds in their watermelon, everyone likes it seedless.”

  “But then you can’t spit the seeds. I always used to win when we were kids.”

  Evan looked crestfallen as his sisters laughed at him.

  “Remember when you told Christina a watermelon would grow in her stomach if she swallowed a seed?” Ally grinned.

  “I didn’t eat watermelon for years.”

  Christina glared at her brother before turning to Emily.

  “He only said that because he wanted all the watermelon for himself.”

  Instead of eating her watermelon as a slice, Emily cut hers into pieces and put pickles on top, much to the disgust of everyone. The odd cravings made Tara remember back to when she was pregnant with her kids.

  With Evan she’d eaten so much ice cream she couldn’t even think about ice cream until he turned three.

  When she was pregnant with Ally, Tara had craved pizza and raspberries, but not together.

  And with Christina, she’d craved oranges and toast, and inhaled the scent of sunscreen. Maybe that’s why her youngest was so attached to the beach?

  They watched the sunset over the lake; the sky changing from red to orange, to coral, and then to pink and purple. In the distance, they could see bonfires and lights coming on in the other houses.

  “Who wants to roast marshmallows?”

  Will had built the firepit so they could roast marshmallows and sit outside as the weather turned cold. He’d given her a plaid wool blanket so she could sit outside by the fire, and look at the lake without freezing.

  “I do.” Christina ran inside to get the bag of marshmallows and skewers.

  When she came back out, she had a grocery bag in hand.

  “I know how much Ally and Emily like s’mores so I brought the makings for them as well.”

  Tara looked at her daughter-in-law.

  “How are you feeling about s’mores?”

  Emily wrinkled her nose.

  “I think they’ll be fine, but I won’t know for sure until I smell them.”

  It had been a perfect day. Tara sat next to Will, listening to him talk to her daughters. She liked the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, the laugh lines deep.

  They’d eaten s’mores and roasted marshmallows, and simply enjoyed each other’s company without any drama. He was so easy to be around, and her kids genuinely liked him. A couple of times their hands brushed, making her feel giddy. Guess it was never too late to try again.

  While she’d only been divorced for five months, Tara realized she and Harry had separated from each other years ago, even though they’d still lived in the same house, ghosts passing by each other but rarely interacting. The love she thought she felt for him the last few years of their marriage had been nothing more than an illusion, a habit, complacency rather than happiness.

  She had worked hard to let go of old feelings and thoughts, to embrace an alternative way of looking at life. Moving to a new state had helped her change.

  Thank you, Aunt Frida. Now Tara wanted nothing more than to see her children happy and settled in their lives.

  “I love it here. Blueberry Hill would be a great place to raise a family.” Emily had tried a s’more, but it made her feel sick so instead she’d been roasting marshmallows until they were a dark, crispy brown. She’d pull off the skin, eat it and roast the marshmallow again, repeating the process.

  Unaware of the tension between Emily and Evan, Christina pointed across the lake.

  “There are two houses for sale across the lake. Will took Evan to see them when we made our trivets.”

  “We drove by them, we didn’t go inside.” Evan corrected his sister.

  “You did?” Emily looked at him, a question on her face. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  He huffed out a breath, clearly annoyed.

  “Once I get promoted to Vice President, then maybe we can think about a vacation home here.”

  “Or a forever home.” Emily retorted.

  Oh dear. Tara caught the look between the two of them, hoping the subject wasn’t causing a rift between them. Emily had mentioned several times how much she liked it here, and without thinking, Christina had blurted out that there were houses for sale.

  A new baby could challenge a marriage, Tara hoped they’d work things out. Emily told them about the shooting at the supermarket, the one by the house, where she regularly shopped. It had caused a shift within her.

  Tara thought between the pregnancy and the change in Emily, Evan was going to have to find a way to compromise. He wasn’t single, so he couldn’t think only of himself anymore.

  Tuesday came much too soon and was bittersweet. Tara said goodbye to Christina and Evan and Emily. They had early flights and had to leave after breakfast, but promised to text when they arrived home.

  Before they left, she gave them a bag full of canned peaches, peach jam, fig jam, and blueberry syrup and jam she and Ally had made.

  Ally had gone with Mrs. Collier out to one of the blueberry patches to paint, and Will was spending the day working on a new hutch he was building.

  She had the day to herself, so Tara decided to swim in the pool and read all day. As she was changing into her swimsuit, Will texted asking if she was free for dinner tonight. With a smile stretching across her face, she replied, yes. Tonight, she’d tell him she was ready. Though as much time as they’d been spending together, it was like they’d already been dating. Still. She was excited and decided to sew up the top she’d been designing. It had long sleeves and tied at the waist, perfect for dinner on the town.

  Chapter 20

  Until she stepped off the plane in Miami, Christina hadn’t realized how much she’d missed her family. It had been good to see everyone, and after seeing how much happier her mom was, Christina wondered if maybe the version of what happened according to her dad hadn’t exactly been the truth.

  The first week she was back home, Christina worked and passed the time. She walked her clients’ dogs on the beach, and looked for a job, doing what she didn’t know, only that it was time for a change.

  At the end of the second week, the weather had cooled down slightly, and she’d been on two interviews. Nothing had worked out, but she was confident she’d find something soon.

  When her dad reached out, asking if she was free for lunch, Christina hoped he and Mandy had worked things out, and that he was going to apologize for what he’d said to her before.

  The outdoor cafe he’d picked was on the beach. The salty air filled her nose, mixing with the smell of suntan lotion, and the scent of food cooking. Her dad was already seated at a table facing the ocean.

  “Are Mandy and the baby coming?”

  Her dad frowned.

  “They’re at her mother’s today. I thought we could talk, just the two of us.”

  A server stopped by their table to take their drink orders, telling them she’d be back for the rest of their order in a few minutes. Christina had been eating salad for a week, so she decided to splurge with a burger and fries.

  Her dad talked about work, and when she asked, said his legal troubles were almost sorted.

  By the time the food arrived, she wanted to scream. He hadn’t asked Christina anything about her trip or her life. It was all about him. No matter how much money he
made, it would never be enough, with some people it never was. Talk about a stark contrast between her parents.

  While she’d always been closer to her dad growing up, the visit to see her mom made Christina view her parents through the eyes of an adult rather than a child. It had been eye-opening.

  By the time the server cleared their plates, she had enough of him talking about himself. When he took a sip of his cocktail, she said her piece.

  “You haven’t asked me anything about going to see mom. Or about my interview. Or anything at all about me. It’s all been you, you, you. You haven’t even mentioned Mandy or my new brother.”

  Her dad looked around the cafe, then lowered his voice.

  “Don’t make a scene and embarrass me.”

  He signaled the server for another drink.

  “I haven’t asked about you because nothing ever changes. You’re in limbo.”

  She blinked at him. “What do you mean?”

  The server brought their drinks. Her dad asked for the check before turning his attention back to her.

  “Look at Mandy. You’re the same age, yet she has a baby, and has her life together. I look at you and see someone who is still fooling around, not sure of what she wants to be if, not when she grows up. Look at yourself, you walk other people’s dogs, cobble together these little side jobs instead of looking for a secure job with benefits. What are you going to do when you hit retirement age? I won’t be leaving you or your brother and sister any money. I’m going to spend it all.”

  He snorted.

  “And you better not expect any financial help from your mom, she’ll never have much money.”

  Stunned, she sat there as he went on.

  “Don’t you think it’s time to be an adult and stand on your own two feet? You can’t keep waiting around for a man to take care of you. I expect my grown children to have their own lives and not pester me all the time.”

  “Pester you?”

  Christina narrowed her eyes at him.

  “Don’t you want a relationship with me? With Evan and Ally?”

  Instead of answering, he looked out at the beach, watching a group of women saunter by.

  “Dad.”

  He turned his head to meet her gaze.

  “What’s going on with you and Mandy? I want to see my baby brother.”

  But he shook his head, his lips pressed into a thin line.

  “Mandy is busy, as am I. Anyway, he’s only your half brother.”

  She felt like he’d slapped her.

  “Did you ever love mom?” She picked at the seam of the cloth napkin.

  “Where did that come from?”

  “I thought mom was happy when I was a kid. But after seeing her at the lake I realized she wasn’t.”

  “So she’s happy now?” Her dad sneered.

  “Very much so. Did you love her?”

  The man across the table from her seemed like a stranger.

  “When we first met, she was the prettiest woman on campus.”

  His shoulders slumped.

  “People change. Grow apart.”

  Christina was perplexed.

  “Then why didn’t you divorce her a long time ago? Why stay together?”

  He shrugged. “I wanted someone to come home to. Someone who would have dinner ready, and take care of my life. We had you kids, and I thought it would be better if all of you had my influence on your lives. Your mother was too much of a free spirit back then.”

  He snorted. “Look how well that turned out. Evan is the only one who made something of himself.”

  But after Enrique, she knew better.

  “No.”

  She shook her head.

  “That isn’t it. You were afraid to be alone.”

  Her dad frowned.

  “I wouldn’t say that. You’re too young to understand.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  Christina was tired, done with her dad and his half-truths. It had taken seeing her mom as a person of her own, not just as a mother, for her to see the truth.

  Her dad was selfish, only cared about himself. It would take time, but she’d repair her relationship with her mom.

  “I was wrong about you. You’re a coward. You only care about what someone can do for you, you don’t care about anyone else but yourself.”

  She pushed back from the table.

  “Goodbye, dad.”

  Then, unable to resist, she called out over her shoulder, “don’t call me, I’ll call if I want to talk to you.”

  Evan was exhausted. He’d been working fourteen-hour days for weeks, and Emily was not pleased.

  He walked into the kitchen to see she’d set the table for him. There was a covered dish in the refrigerator. Lasagna. Guilt filled him. She’d made his favorite meal. The garlic bread sat on a plate ready for the toaster oven. While the food heated, Evan went upstairs to change clothes.

  The bedroom was dark, Emily asleep on her side in the bed. Instead of turning on the light, Evan used his phone to light the way until he was inside the walk-in closet. He took his clothes and went to the guest bathroom to take a shower.

  Until they announced the final layoffs, Evan decided he’d put several changes of clothes in the guest room for nights like this.

  Downstairs, he sat on the sofa eating the lasagna and watched a program about the bees disappearing on TV.

  “I wondered when you’d get home.”

  He caught the fork before he dropped it on the sofa.

  “Sorry, it’s been one of those weeks. Thank you for making lasagna.”

  She sat in a chair across from him, yawning.

  “I could ask you how your day was, but I already know. Long and exhausting.”

  Emily crossed her arms, a frown on her face.

  “I don’t want to live here anymore. We need a change.”

  “Where do you propose we go?”

  She rubbed her hand up and down the fleece pants she loved.

  “I want to move to Blueberry Hill. The town is the perfect place to raise a family, and we’d have your mom and Ally there.”

  Evan was tired of this conversation, tired of discussing it ad nauseam since they’d returned from visiting his mom.

  “I wish we hadn’t even gone.”

  He put the empty plate on the table.

  “What exactly do you think I’ll do to make a living there? I won’t make anywhere near the same amount of money.”

  Most times Evan admired how stubborn Emily could be. Today was not one of those times.

  “We’ve already paid the house off. It will sell in days. With the proceeds, we can buy a lake house with money left over. We won’t need nearly as much money to live on there.”

  She arched a brow.

  “I want our daughter to grow up in a small town. It’s safer there than here.”

  Evan ran his hands through his hair.

  “Is this about the murder at the supermarket?” He rolled his eyes. “That could have happened anywhere.”

  “It could have. But it didn’t. It happened here. At the grocery store I shop at every week.”

  He took his plate to the kitchen, rinsed it off and put it in the dishwasher.

  “If you want to move so badly, why don’t you find a job there?”

  His wife pursed her lips.

  “Maybe I will.”

  With a snort, Evan walked out of the kitchen, pausing at the stairs.

  “I have to be up early for a meeting. I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight so I don’t wake you.”

  It would be the first time since they’d been married that they’d slept apart, other than when he was away on a business trip. Evan needed her to understand how foolish she was being, wanting to move to a tiny town. It was fine for his mom, but Evan was in his prime earning years.

  He had to make as much money as he could, and the best place to do that was here in Seattle where he would be the next Vice President at the company. Once he was promoted, Emily would apprecia
te the extra income, and she’d come around. When he got his first bonus as VP, he’d buy them a cottage on the lake.

  Surely that would satisfy her?

  Chapter 21

  A few days after the blowup with her dad, an odd text popped up on Christina’s phone from him.

  If the kid shows up, tell him to beat it.

  what kid?

  But there was no reply.

  On her way home from the beach, Christina stopped and picked up a few groceries. She was walking past the pool, grocery bags dangling from her arms, when she spotted a teenage boy leaning against her door.

  “Hey. This happens all the time. I’m guessing you want Luis.” She pointed at the floor above hers.

  “He’s one floor up.”

  The boy shook his head. He looked like he was fourteen or fifteen with dark shaggy hair and dark blue eyes. She did a double take. It was like looking at Evan when they were kids.

  “I’m looking for Ally Singleton.”

  “Ally? She doesn’t live here.” Please, let me be wrong. “Sorry, how do you know my sister?”

  He straightened up, a shy smile on his face.

  “I found her on the DNA site. When I emailed her, I might have said my dad was an old friend of hers.”

  He kicked the toe of his dirty sneaker against the stucco wall.

  “I’m Ryan.”

  “Christina.”

  Not wanting to have this conversation out in the open, she opened the door.

  “Come on in so I can put the groceries away before the popsicles melt.”

  The kid picked up a ratty backpack and followed her inside the apartment.

  “Why don’t you have a seat. Would you like something to drink?”

  Ryan’s stomach growled, and by the state of his clothes, she wondered if he’d been living on the streets?

  “Do you have any milk?”

  “Chocolate.”

  He looked at her through the hair covering half his face. “That’s my favorite.”

  “I’ve got a few slices of leftover pizza if you’re hungry?”

  He nodded.

  “Heated or cold?”