by Nancy Thayer
“I hid behind the sofa in the den,” Alice said.
“So you all played inside the house, right?” Poppy asked.
The three children nodded.
Poppy said, “And no one went outside, right?”
“I don’t think so,” Daphne said in a small voice.
“Jane, where were you?” Poppy demanded. “You were here at the house, right?”
“Right. I sat outside on the deck with Patrick. We were just hanging out, but also we were keeping an eye on the path to the beach to be sure no one went down to the water.”
Felicity’s breath froze. “Down to the water.”
“Are you sure, Jane?” Alison pushed herself up to a standing position. “You’re absolutely one hundred percent sure you didn’t see anyone go to the water?”
Jane glanced at Patrick. “We didn’t see anyone, did we?”
“I’m sure we didn’t,” Patrick agreed.
Ethan said in a no-nonsense tone, “I’m going down to the beach anyway, just to check.”
“All right, then.” David took charge. “Let’s search the house slowly and thoroughly. We’ll look in every closet, beneath every sofa or bed, any place where a five-year-old could squeeze himself. Alison, you and I and Jane will do this floor. The rest of you do the second floor.”
“What about the attic?” Jane asked.
“Nothing’s up there. It can be accessed only by a pull-down door. Luke couldn’t possibly reach it.”
“Children, go into the den and watch television,” Poppy ordered. “Now.”
“Yay!” yelled Hunter.
“No. I want to help search,” Daphne protested.
“Me, too,” echoed Alice.
Poppy began, “I said—”
Ignoring them, Felicity raced up the stairs, calling her son’s name. Jane came close behind her, with Patrick, Alison, and the little girls close behind.
“Luke? Luke!” Felicity called and the others echoed her.
They searched the bedrooms and the bathrooms, looking behind the shower curtain and inside the bathroom cupboards. Nothing. Felicity began to cry quietly. Jane put an arm around her.
“It will be all right. We’ll find him. Luke,” Jane continued in a soft, gentle tone, “wherever you are, please come out. Your mommy is crying because she misses you.”
Suddenly, soundlessly, the cushioned window seat at the end of the hall began to rise up. Luke’s sweet little face appeared, flushed with heat and damp with sweat and tears.
“Oh, Luke!” Felicity ran to her son, pulled him out of the hollow space, and held him tight. For a moment she just examined her child from head to toe to be sure he was okay. Then, as the others looked on, relieved, Felicity asked, “Honey, why didn’t you come out before, when we were all searching for you?”
Luke squirmed in his mother’s arms. “Daphne said I couldn’t.”
“NO, I did not!” Daphne yelled.
Luke began to cry. “Daphne said to scare you.”
“MOM!” Daphne protested. “I did NOT say that!”
“Daphne said I would get a prize if I didn’t come out.” Luke stared at Daphne, confused and frightened.
“You little liar!” Daphne cried, stamping her foot.
Poppy bent to soothe her daughter. “Luke’s only five. He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”
Alice put her hands on her hips, looking like an indignant schoolteacher. “Yes, Luke does too know what he’s saying!”
“Alice,” Poppy said in syrupy tones, “let’s all be friendly, okay?”
Don’t you dare tell my child what to do! Felicity thought, but clamped her lips together. Clearly this was a moment. Felicity had been here before, when children fought and the parents had to sort it out without hurting anyone’s feelings. Felicity wanted to defuse the possible grenade of the situation, but she also wanted Luke to know she believed him.
Alice glared at her mother. Felicity stroked Luke’s hair. The little boy was calming down, but Daphne stood with her fist clenched, nearly vibrating with anger. Patrick looked at Felicity, waiting for her to say something. In spite of her sweet words, Poppy was glaring at Felicity as if she wanted to set her on fire with her eyes.
“Yes,” Felicity said calmly, “Poppy is right. We should all be friendly. No one got hurt, everyone’s fine, and I’ll bet we’re all hungry for dinner. I’m going to take Luke into the bathroom and wash his face. Alice, want to come help? Poppy, maybe you can go downstairs and tell the others that Luke is okay.”
Poppy’s eyes narrowed. She was, after all, a vice president of a major company. She was used to giving the orders. She aimed a last dart at Felicity, unwilling to go away with the matter unsettled. “I guess we’ll never know the truth—”
“Mommy!” Daphne cried.
“—but we’re all so glad Luke is okay, right? That’s the important thing.”
* * *
—
In the bathroom, Jane held Luke while Alice, Daphne, and Hunter crowded in the doorway, watching. Felicity gently washed Luke’s tears away with a cool cloth.
Or tried to. Luke’s tears kept rolling down his cheeks and his entire small body shook with his effort to swallow his sobs.
“I want to go home, Mommy,” Luke cried. “Please. I want Fuzzy. I want my bed. I want Daddy.”
Oh, give me the wisdom of Solomon, Felicity prayed. She’d like to go home, too, right now, escape back to the house she knew and loved, back to Noah’s consolation and warm embrace. But she knew she couldn’t leave now. It would make the episode with Luke in the window seat into a more significant matter than it really was. She couldn’t let this shadow her mother’s wedding or the long relationship Felicity and her family would have with their future extended family. And no one had been hurt.
“We are going home, sweetie,” Felicity said. “But first Ethan and I are going to cook a delicious dinner! After we eat, we’re getting on the ferry to Hyannis. Daddy will be waiting for us, to drive us home.”
“And we can watch a DVD during the drive,” Alice added helpfully. “Maybe Mary Poppins.”
“Mary Poopins!” Luke yelled, laughing hysterically at his joke.
“Mary Poopins!” Hunter echoed, falling on the floor with laughter.
“Honestly.” Daphne rolled her eyes.
Disaster averted, Felicity thought. But she kind of hated Poppy.
* * *
—
Felicity and Ethan prepared the aromatic eggplant parmesan for the adults and corkscrew pasta with tomato sauce for the children. With warm garlic bread and a salad, it would be a soothing meal to end a complicated day. The red wine would help, too.
Felicity was amused and a little bit smug about all the times Jane came into the kitchen, saying she needed to fill the ice bucket, and maybe she’d prepare a tray of nuts and olives to nibble on with their drinks on the deck. Ethan was focused on cooking, though, so Felicity didn’t think Jane would be jealous, and anyway, what was she even thinking! Felicity was married and Jane was married and she and Jane were finally becoming good friends. It was absolutely adolescent to want Ethan to flirt with her in front of Jane!
In any case, no one flirted with anyone, and quickly the meal was over and Felicity had to round up her children and get them ready for the ferry ride back to Hyannis. Poppy and Patrick organized their family for the airport.
Before Felicity left, she found Jane in the kitchen and gave her a good long hug.
“See you soon, I hope.”
“Soon,” Jane answered.
* * *
—
David drove Felicity and her children to the ferry. Alison drove Poppy and her family to the airport in Jane’s rental car and returned it so Jane wouldn’t have to rush at the airport. David picked Alison up and brought her home.
&n
bsp; Jane and Ethan were alone in the big house, clearing the table and cleaning the kitchen. For a while they worked in silence. Jane brought the dishes in and handed them to Ethan to rinse and put in the dishwasher. Such an ordinary, boring thing to do, but when their hands touched, her pulse skyrocketed. The atmosphere grew thick with unacknowledged lust. Jane slid open the door to the deck to let cool air into the room. She stood, looking out at the sea and sky, and after a moment, Ethan came to stand behind her. He didn’t touch her, but she could feel his breath.
“It turned into a clear night,” Ethan said.
“It did.” She didn’t turn around to face him.
“Jane.” Ethan put his hand on her waist.
For one long moment, she allowed herself to soak in the sensual pleasure of his touch. The devil on one shoulder whispered: Go ahead, no one else will ever know. But the angel on her other shoulder stamped her foot. You’ll know. And it will only lead to trouble.
“The laundry!” Jane said, relieved to think of it. “I want to get some laundry started, I don’t want my mother to have to deal with all of it.”
Ethan stepped back to let Jane pass. In the laundry room, bath and beach towels rose in a soggy heap on the floor. Jane put a few of the bath towels into the washing machine.
“Maybe,” she said brightly to Ethan, “you could take those beach towels out and give them a good shake over the deck railing. Get rid of the sand before they go in the wash.”
Ethan smiled. “At your service, madam.”
Once he had gathered up the striped beach towels, Jane continued putting the softer, plusher bath towels in the wash. Had she ever felt such soft fabric? It was like hugging a stuffed animal. She buried her face in the thick white bath sheet and moaned very quietly. It wasn’t the towel that was ringing her chimes. Obviously, she was going mad, acting like a repressed spinster.
Ethan came back into the room. “I think I got them all. Do you want to add them in with the bath towels or do a separate load?”
“Um, separate load, I think.” She knew he’d seen her with her face in the towel and forced a laugh. “These bath towels are so heavenly. I need to get some.”
Ethan grinned. “Jane, I think you’re suffering from sensory deprivation.”
“Of course not!” she argued. “How could I? I mean, I can see and hear the ocean, I can smell the wild roses, I’ve just eaten your delicious eggplant parmesan—” She went silent. What was the fifth sense?
“Touch,” Ethan said, as if he’d read her mind and he continued, with a smile and a joking lilt in his voice. “You’re molesting that towel because you need to be touched.”
“Oh, that’s silly,” Jane said. Turning away from him, she stuffed the towel into the machine.
“Maybe.” Ethan handed her more towels. “Maybe not.”
Jane busily put in the detergent and pushed all the buttons. And then there she was, alone in the room with Ethan and nothing else needing to be done.
He stepped closer to her and put his hand along her cheek. “You’re so beautiful.”
She couldn’t move. She was melting.
Keeping his hand on her cheek, he bent down and kissed her neck, his warm breath stirring her hair. He moved so that only an inch existed between their bodies as he kissed the hollow of her throat and her cheek, his mouth hovering teasingly just above her mouth.
“We’re back!” David strode in the front door and down the hall.
Jane tore herself away from Ethan. “We’re in here starting the laundry.”
“Thanks for doing that,” David called. “I want to catch the end of the Red Sox game.”
“I’ve got to finish packing and get to the airport,” Jane said, not meeting Ethan’s eyes.
She hurried up the stairs to her bedroom and quickly tossed her belongings into her suitcase.
When she came down, her mother and Ethan were in the front hall.
“Felicity and Poppy are off. I returned your rental car. I’ll drive you and Ethan to the airport.” Alison checked her watch. “If we go now, I can get back in time for Masterpiece Theatre.” She beckoned to Jane and Ethan.
“Come along, children,” she said teasingly.
If you only knew how R-rated we’ve been acting this evening, Jane thought. She was glad to let Ethan, with his long legs, sit in the front of the Jeep while she sat in the back, too far away for him to touch. At this point in her life, she wasn’t sure she could resist him. She wasn’t sure she wanted to.
eleven
By eight o’clock Sunday evening, they had all gone.
The house was peaceful.
“I’m beat,” David confessed. “Why is running a company easier than spending time with one’s family?”
“You can’t fire your family,” Alison joked. “You were wonderful today, David, and it was a three-ring circus. Watch Masterpiece Theatre with me.”
They settled side by side on the sofa. Alison loved that she and David were so comfortable with each other that they could admit they needed the zombie-mind that television provided. They needed to discuss this first gathering of their individual tribes, but they needed some downtime before they talked.
After the show was over, Alison went up to shower while David watched the news. She was in her lavender nightgown when David came up. Usually she slept in a T-shirt, but David seemed to appreciate seeing her in lace and silk, and she enjoyed every moment of his appreciation.
She heard him brushing his teeth, stripping down to his boxers, tossing his clothes in the laundry basket, all familiar sounds that gave her a sense of contentment, of being at home. When he slipped under the covers next to her, she turned to him, putting her hand on his chest.
“Who won the Red Sox game today?” she asked.
“The Sox. Like they always do, they came from behind to pull it out with a couple of home runs in the ninth inning.”
“Do you think they’ll make it to the World Series this year?”
“Too soon to say.”
Alison shifted positions, moving closer. To her surprise, David sat up, adjusting the pillows behind him.
“Ally, we need to talk about something.”
“I know.” She sat up, too, slanting to face him. “I think the weekend went well, don’t you? I know there were some difficult moments, but you know how it is with children, they’ll fight one minute and play with each other the next.”
David took Alison’s hand in hers and held it, tracing the lines of her palm. “The thing is, the video you sent Poppy of the bridesmaids’ gowns. Or whatever your attendants are called. Poppy doesn’t like them.”
Alison drew back in surprise. “Go on.”
“Well, you know, Poppy’s baby is due in November. She’ll be seven months pregnant in early September. She said this pregnancy, her third, is giving her terrible varicose veins. She’s embarrassed by them and doesn’t want to wear a short skirt like you and your girls want to wear. She wants to wear a long gown.” David paused. “That means all of you have to wear long gowns.”
“But, but—” Alison sputtered. She wanted to announce in no uncertain terms: Your daughter can’t dictate what kind of wedding dress I wear! She took a deep breath. “But, David, I’ve already chosen my dress. It’s been fitted and altered. And as soon as my girls agreed on their dresses, we emailed the links to Poppy. And Poppy has said nothing to me about this.” Alison tried to sound unruffled, but her blood pressure was spiking.
“Okay. That’s because only now, when she’s finishing her fourth month, is she noticing how the veins are sticking out on her legs. Did you spot them when she was here?”
Alison took a deep breath. This was only a wedding, not a world peace summit. “No, I can’t say I did. She looked lovely, and scarcely pregnant.”
“Well, she said the veins aren’t so bad now, but by the date o
f our wedding, they’ll look like worms crawling up her legs—that’s Poppy’s image, not mine. So you can see why she would want a floor-length gown.”
Alison sat very quietly. Thoughts crowded her mind, many of them not very complimentary. “I guess I assumed that you would talk with Ethan and Poppy about what to wear, since they’re your attendants.”
“Of course. But Ethan and I are wearing tuxes. I can’t ask my daughter to wear a tux.”
“Of course not. But I’ve looked at wedding magazines. I’m sure I’ve seen wedding photos with the attendants wearing various lengths of dresses. Why don’t I talk to the consultant in New York. Then I’ll call Poppy, or maybe we can Skype and talk it out.”
David went silent. After a minute, he said, “I hope, and I know you hope, that our children can become, if not friends, at least friendly.”
“Good grief, David, of course I do. I thought our families got along really well this weekend.”
“So changing the gowns to long isn’t a deal-breaker then.”
“A deal-breaker? Do you mean you’ll call off the wedding if I don’t accede to your daughter’s wishes about what I should wear to my wedding?” Alison couldn’t prevent an emotional quiver from lacing her voice.
“No, no, of course not. I misspoke. I shouldn’t have said deal-breaker. I just meant…well, Poppy suggested we put our wedding off until after her baby is born. If I’d known she was pregnant, I would have incorporated her due date into our larger schedule. It’s not as if you and I are in a hurry, right?”
“True. But we have booked the hotel and sent out Save the Date cards. In September the weather will be perfect for our wedding and for guests coming to and going from the island. Your assistant has done a lot of work already, and we need to consider all the family. I’m sure we’ll be able to find a solution to the gown problem.”
“Right.” David nodded. “You’re right.”
“And if we wait until after Poppy has her baby…well, the Wauwinet closes in the winter. We’re looking at next spring.”