Here's to Friends
Page 26
Caroline laughed. “There’s no way you can do that, Marley. Go for it. What’s your announcement? And I’d like to be the first one to wager you’ve sold some more paintings.” She pointed to the one on her wall. “And thank you again for that one. I refuse to part with it, ever!”
Marley giggled in a way that sounded totally unlike her. “No, no more painting sales, not yet anyway. But, trust me, girls, this is even more exciting.” She paused, looking around the table. “Besides Ashton, who already knows my news, I wanted to tell my three best friends.” She held her left hand in front of them, fluttering her fingers as if to show off an interesting-looking ring—on her wedding finger.
“What?” Janie demanded.
“Jack proposed!” Marley was beaming.
Congratulations were shared all around.
“Jack had planned to ask me at Christmas,” Marley explained. “But all the craziness with Hunter was a distraction. And then there was Sylvia, and, of course, like a big chicken, I ran off to avoid everything. Jack thought maybe I wasn’t as in love with him as he’d hoped. Anyway, he decided to hold his horses. Then we had some good talks, and he simply waited for the right moment. So last night he took me to dinner, and just before dessert, he got down on his one good knee—”
“What about his bad leg?” Caroline asked with concern.
Marley laughed. “He told me he’d been practicing.” She let them have a closer look at the ring. “Jack had it made for me. See the wavy lines of the platinum setting? They represent the sea, and the pale blue stone is aquamarine, which is my birthstone, and the blue zircon is Jack’s birthstone, and the diamond, well, that’s for both of us.”
“That’s exquisite,” Caroline told her. “So artistic and perfect for you.”
“When’s the date?” Janie asked.
“I know it’ll sound awfully soon,” Marley told them. “But Jack and I, well, we’re not getting any younger. To be honest, the date was Hunter’s idea. She’s over the moon with excitement. It’s something she’s been hinting at for ages. Naturally, she’ll be in the wedding and—”
“When is the date?” Abby demanded. Then she looked embarrassed. “It’s just that I might want to help with it, Marley, I mean if you don’t mind. I just love weddings!”
“Actually, I was going to ask about having the wedding at your B and B,” Marley told her. “Do you think—”
“Tell us—when is the big day?” Janie commanded.
“Valentine’s Day!” Marley giggled again. “Is that corny or what?”
“That’s absolutely perfect,” Caroline said with enthusiasm. “Your anniversary will always be special and memorable.”
“I’m going to have all my bridesmaids wear red.” Marley grinned at the three of them. “You all look good in red, don’t you?”
“Meaning?” Janie tipped her head to an angle.
“Meaning, I want you all in my wedding. I figure if I’m going for corny, why not just do it up right and force my best friends to join me? My first wedding was a bit of a disaster. For that matter, so was my marriage.” She sighed. “I’d like to do things differently this time.”
“I’d be proud to wear red for you,” Caroline proclaimed.
“That’s easy for you to say.” Abby made a face. “You look good in everything.”
“Maybe we could wear various shades of red,” Janie suggested. “With my auburn hair, there are only a few reds that don’t look frightening on me.”
“That’s a great idea,” Marley told her. “And don’t worry, I won’t make you wear ruffles or anything too bizarre. Although I like the idea of something a bit offbeat or slightly Bohemian.”
Caroline lifted her glass. “Here’s to Marley and Jack,” she declared.
They all toasted the newly engaged couple, and soon they were vying for who was going to do what. Janie said that she and Victor would host an engagement party, Caroline offered do a shower, and Abby wanted to cater the wedding. “I figure if the B and B doesn’t take off right away, I can always do some catering on the side. Maybe I could host events there too.” She grinned at Marley. “Like weddings!”
“Are you sure you’ll still have the inn by mid-February?” Marley looked concerned. “I mean, I’ll understand if you don’t.”
Abby glanced at Janie.
“It’s looking more and more like a possibility,” Janie informed them. “I had some phone conversations with the accountant and lawyer yesterday. We’re going to try really hard to keep the old house.”
“And here’s an amazing little news flash,” Abby announced. “Paul actually hopes we can keep the old house too. I just about fell over when he said that. Last night he told me he’d missed the old place nearly as much as I had, but he’d been too proud to admit it, since the new house had been his idea from the get-go. He even confessed that he sometimes feels isolated living out there on the beach all by our little lonesome. He said it was even worse when I was gone on the cruise for a week.” She chuckled. “I think he might’ve actually missed me.”
Caroline lifted her glass again. “Well, here’s to you and Paul surviving your latest challenges.” After they’d all toasted to this, Caroline turned to Janie. “Now, you don’t have to go into all the details, but I’ve really been praying for Lisa, so just give me a little update, okay? Like, is she still home?”
Janie set her glass down. “Thanks to Victor, she is still here in Clifden.”
“Thanks to Victor?”
“Believe it or not, Victor had been keeping tabs on Lisa while I was gone—from a safe distance, since you know how she feels about him. Then, on the morning we were coming home, Victor got worried after he went by and wasn’t accosted by Lisa out on the sidewalk.” She explained how Lisa had this uncanny sense of knowing every time he was in the vicinity. “Anyway, Victor decided to check on her. He went up to the house and knocked on the door, and when no one answered, he thought she’d probably taken off. So he used the key I’d given him and let himself inside.” Janie sighed and shook her head. “Unfortunately, he was a bit shocked with what he found.”
“What?” Caroline gasped. “Hurry, tell us.”
“Lisa was out cold. And she’d left a … a note.”
“But don’t worry, she’s okay now,” Abby quickly assured them as if she’d been in the loop.
“Was it a suicide attempt?” Marley asked quietly.
Janie just nodded, but her eyes were filled with tears.
“Why didn’t you call me?” Caroline demanded. She was trying not to feel hurt for being left out.
“I—I told Abby,” Janie admitted.
“But only because I called her,” Abby clarified. “We were expecting her to come out to the house to discuss business. Otherwise, I would’ve been in the dark too.”
“I honestly thought Abby would fill you girls in,” Janie said contritely. “I’m so sorry. But there was so much to deal with that first day—I was overwhelmed with details. Victor was so involved already, I had to let him continue helping. He’d gotten Lisa to the hospital, and stood by while they pumped her stomach, and waited until she came to. We were already on our flight by then. He didn’t call until after we landed. Anyway, by the time I got there, she was stabilized, and most of the next day I just tried to be available to her and the doctors and everything.”
“It’s so great that Victor was there to help,” Caroline told her.
Janie nodded. “I have to give it to him … he was a rock. And when I thought about calling in my girlfriends for backup support yesterday, well, I knew it would make him feel replaced or unnecessary. Besides, I knew you girls were busy getting back to your own lives. And Victor seemed so happy to be helping out. I couldn’t take that away from him, you know?”
They all nodded, agreeing that was wise.
“The real
ly amazing thing is how Lisa has changed her attitude toward Victor. But even more amazing is that she’s willing to try rehab again.” Janie let out a weary sigh. “Actually, the psychiatrist working with her refused to release her from the hospital unless she agreed to rehab.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Marley told her.
“Yes,” Janie agreed. “It seems like a good thing came out of a bad thing. I spent hours trying to locate a good rehab facility. I wanted a place that Lisa could relate to and respond to.”
“And in the midst of all that, she was still helping Paul and me,” Abby reminded them. “So don’t feel bad for being out of the loop. Our little Janie has had her hands full.”
“Anyway, the good news is I decided on a place up in Washington, near Seattle. And Lisa really likes the sound of it. They have an outdoor program with hiking and rock climbing and everything. They said they can take her two weeks from now.”
“Two weeks?” Caroline frowned. “How are you going to deal with everything for two long weeks?”
“One day at a time,” Janie told her. “Because, really, it’s up to Lisa. She has to choose it and want it and participate in her own recovery.” She explained about her recent decision to give up trying to control everything. “I think having Lisa around will be part of my training.”
“Well, don’t forget you have friends,” Caroline reminded her. “We’re here to help too.” As Caroline said this, she realized how often her friends had helped her when she felt helpless. It would be good to be on the other end of things for a change.
Chapter 30
Marley
If anyone had told Marley, just one year ago, that she would be where she was today, she would’ve told them they were nuts. Marley remembered exactly how she’d felt on the previous Valentine’s Day. Nearly suicidal. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. But she’d felt depressed and lonely and completely hopeless regarding her future. Giving up hadn’t sounded half bad.
But here she was, just one year later, up in the master suite of Abby’s inn, wearing a vintage lace wedding dress in a sophisticated shade of ecru along with her favorite red cowgirl boots. The retro boots has started out as a joke. Marley happened to have been wearing them when she modeled her delightful gown for the Lindas. She and Caroline had found the dress on a quick shopping trip to Portland. The boots and the gown made for an interesting ensemble, which her friends insisted looked quite stylish. “And you wanted Bohemian,” Caroline had reminded her. Then Marley remembered how much Jack loved her red cowgirl boots and decided, Why not? Even now, she thought they looked perfect—in a quirky Clifden sort of way.
Caroline, already wearing a coral-red silk dress, had arrived early to help Marley with her hair today. Not that there was much to do with hair as short as Marley’s, but as usual, Caroline was working her magic. Right now, she was using some kind of goo to make Marley’s bangs do things Marley thought her hair was incapable of doing.
“You are a magician,” Marley told her as she watched Caroline working.
Caroline laughed. “It’s the hair product that’s magic, Marley.”
“Well, I do appreciate your expertise.”
“I used to consider going to some sort of beauty school.” Caroline was starting to work on Marley’s makeup. “I thought I could learn to do hair or maybe cosmetology,” she continued absently. “Even now, I sometimes wonder if I could do something like that or if I’m too old.”
“Never too old,” Marley declared. Of course, she selfishly hoped that Caroline wasn’t really considering such a thing. She had been such a lifesaver at the art gallery, stepping in to work after Sylvia quit. Caroline turned out to be such a natural with the customers, warm and friendly, making everyone feel comfortable whether they knew a thing about art or not. Sylvia had given Jack no notice and simply didn’t show up for work one day. Later, she claimed to have found another job, although her timing was right on the heels of the announcement of Jack and Marley’s engagement.
“I feel guilty,” Marley had confessed to Jack.
“Don’t,” Jack told her. Then he told her a bit more. It seemed obvious that Sylvia really had set her sights on him. He’d felt blindsided by this, thinking her helpfulness had been just that—helpfulness. But after that phone conversation with Marley, when she’d confessed her concerns, he had managed to put two and two together. Unfortunately, or perhaps not, Leah seemed to have been part of the mother-daughter package deal. Consequently, Marley had returned to grandmother mode (and more) and helped with caring for Hunter.
“Jasmine isn’t coming to the wedding,” Jack had informed Marley last week.
“You heard from her?” Marley was surprised.
“I emailed her shortly after we got engaged,” he told her. “For some reason I thought she might be interested.” He let out a sad laugh. “Right now the only thing that interests Jasmine is Jasmine.”
“Maybe it’s for the best,” Marley assured him. “For Hunter. And us.”
He had smiled then, kissing her. “See, this is why you are so perfect.”
“Okay,” Caroline announced, bringing Marley back to the moment. “How about that?”
“Oh Caroline.” Marley smiled at her image in the mirror. “I feel pretty.”
“You are pretty!”
“That’s for sure,” Janie said as she came in carrying a garment bag. She leaned over and gently kissed Marley’s cheek. “A beautiful bride!”
Marley laughed. “Who’d’ve thunk? At my age?”
“And your usher is downstairs,” Janie informed her, “looking quite handsome in his retro tux.”
“Ashton is here?” Marley stood.
“Do you want him to come up?”
Marley looked at Janie, who had partially disrobed as she prepared to put on her dress. “No, I can wait. I’m just happy he’s here.”
“He looks well, Marley.” Janie smiled. “He and Jack are visiting, and I can tell Ashton is happy for you.”
Marley sighed, then looked around. “So where are Abby and Hunter?”
“Abby is taking care of some last-minute things in the kitchen. And Hunter is already all dressed and adorable. She’s working on a surprise for you. She told me not to tell you anything more.”
Marley just nodded.
Janie slipped her dress, a rusty shade of red, over her head. “The reason I’m running late is because Lisa called right before I left.”
“How is she?” Caroline asked eagerly.
“Oh, she sounds so good,” Janie told them. “I know you can’t tell much from a phone call. But her voice, the tone of it, it’s just so alive. It reminds me of when she was a girl. She used to have so much energy and enthusiasm.” She turned around to have Caroline help with the zipper. “Am I a fool to believe that she could become that girl again?”
“No, of course not,” Marley told her. “We have to believe in our children no matter what, Janie. That’s just part of being a mom, right?”
Janie nodded. “Yes, I think so.”
Abby burst into the room. “Sorry to be late, Marley. I’ll hurry and dress.”
Marley sat on the bed, just watching as Caroline and Janie helped Abby to get ready. Abby’s dress was a faded rose red. She was surprised to see that those three shades of red together, in three different dress styles, looked so perfect together. Now she wouldn’t say this to them, because she knew they’d just laugh, but she really did think they could wear those dresses again.
Abby was talking about the food she’d been working on in the kitchen—the seafood feast that Jack had requested. “I’ve got clam chowder and crab cakes and shrimp skewers and baked salmon. The works.” She also told them about how things were starting to pick up for the B and B. “Those great reviews I got from my mystery guests might’ve helped.” She chuckled.
&n
bsp; “Hey, I wrote nothing but the truth,” Caroline told her.
“Me, too,” Marley chimed in.
“I frequent the inn quite a bit too,” Janie admitted.
“Well, anyway, summer is getting fairly booked up.” Abby sighed. “I told Paul that he and I might need to consider living somewhere else in order to rent out this room.”
“Where would you live?” Caroline asked.
“Paul thinks he might be able to turn the garage into a guesthouse that we could use as our private space.”
“That’s a great idea.” Marley had to marvel at how much Paul seemed to have evolved in the past couple of weeks. Not only was he helping Abby with the inn, he seemed to be enjoying socializing with her friends more. He seemed happier. More relaxed.
Marley continued watching her friends as they did their final primping, joking and chatting and just being themselves. She knew they were all in their fifties—which in all reality was beyond middle age—and yet it felt as if they were still girls or young women. The lilting sounds of their voices, their enthusiasm, their love and loyalty to one another—it all seemed timeless and wonderful.
Finally they were done, and Marley knew that the wedding would be starting any minute. “I have something for each of you.” Marley went over to her purse, which was on the bed, and removed four small boxes. She’d gone to the same jeweler that Jack had commissioned to make her ring and asked him to make silver necklaces for the Four Lindas. She’d drawn the pendant design—a curly L set in a heart with their four birthstones set into it. “Something to remind us that we are, and will always be, the Four Lindas,” she explained as they opened the boxes. One by one, they expressed their delight and exchanged hugs. Then Caroline popped open a bottle of chilled champagne and handed out glasses.