Evening Stars

by Susan Mallery

  She thought about Averil asking Boston and Deanna for help. The request made sense. They were smart, successful women who knew a lot. With a bit of distance and some wine tasting to mellow her mood, she wondered why she’d jumped all over Averil. They were both adults now. Averil wasn’t going to take her place or suddenly become the “fun” friend.

  “Where’d you go?” he asked.

  “Sorry. I had a fight with Averil this morning. It was stupid. That’s one of the tough things about having her home. I regress. Actually we both do. I become bossy and she acts like she’s twelve. I should mention that to her. She could use it in an article for her magazine.”

  “That’s one way to deal with it. I remember she used to hang around a lot. She wanted to be like you.”

  “No, she didn’t. She was always complaining about the rules.” Bonnie would have let Averil do whatever she wanted. It had been up to Nina to give her sister structure.

  Dylan shook his head. “She used to watch you and dress like you.”

  “I don’t remember any of that.” Most of her memories were of trying to be a parent when she was still a kid herself. Except she’d thought the same thing herself, earlier that morning. She’d seen it as trying to steal her life, but maybe Dylan was right. Maybe it was about wanting to be closer.

  “You were too busy raising her to see it. I like your mom a lot, but she didn’t make it easy on you.” He picked up his glass. “Come on, we’re supposed to be having fun, not talking about subjects that make you uncomfortable. Let’s go figure out the difference between a Syrah and a Cab.”

  Chapter Eleven

  IT WAS NEARLY three when Dylan drove her home. Nina leaned back in the seat, enjoying the wind in her hair and the sun on her face. Of course what she might have been enjoying was all the wine tasting, but that was okay, too.

  “I had a good time,” she told him as he turned onto her street. “We should—” She saw the big white van parked in the driveway and started to laugh. “They’re back, so if you want to drop me off on the corner, I’m okay with that.”

  “Are you kidding? I can’t wait to see what treasures they found.”

  “You are using the word treasure in the loosest sense of the meaning, right?”

  “Have a little faith. What if they found something great?”

  “You have obviously never been here to unload from one of their trips.”

  He pulled up in front of the house. Bonnie, Bertie and Averil turned toward them. Nina paused to take in the family resemblance of the Wentworth women. They were all tall, with blond hair. Averil’s was curly, while Bonnie’s hung straight down her back. Their blue eyes were the same color. Only Bertie was dark-haired and petite, with delicate features.

  All three women wore jeans and sweaters. Bertie had tied a bright red scarf around her neck.

  Nina found herself smiling as she hurried out of the car. “You’re back!”

  “We are!” Her mother hurried toward her, arms outstretched. They hugged, then Bertie joined them.

  “We missed you,” Bertie said, kissing her cheek. “We had a wonderful time, but it’s nice to be home.”

  “We have so many wonderful things to show you,” Bonnie said, glancing over Nina’s shoulder. “But first, who’s your young man?”

  “Mom, you know Dylan.”

  “Do I?” Bonnie’s tone was almost flirtatious. “I remember a gangly boy. This is a handsome man.”

  She moved toward Dylan. He surprised Nina by hugging her mother. Bertie watched with raised eyebrows.

  “The infamous doctor who broke your heart?” she asked, her voice low.

  “That’s the one,” Nina told her. “He’s back to go into business with his dad.”

  “You’re dating?”

  “No, we’re friends. We’ve been hanging out a little, but it’s not romantic.” She thought about Kyle. “But I do have fun news in the man department.” She glanced at Dylan, then at her sister. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

  Bertie squeezed her. “Good. I can’t wait.”

  Averil was speaking to Dylan. “I didn’t know you were back.” She shot Nina an accusing glance. “It’s great to see you.”

  “You, too. You’re all grown up.”

  Nina pressed her lips together. If Averil really was an adult, she would be back with her job and her husband instead of hiding out up here. But she didn’t say that. There would be plenty of fighting later. She didn’t have to go looking for trouble.

  Dylan walked to the back of the van. “May I?” he asked, reaching for the handle.

  “Be my guest,” Bonnie told him. “As long as you’re prepared to be amazed.”

  “I am.”

  He opened the door, locking it in place before unlatching the second door. Nina and Averil moved in behind him. Nina stared at the jammed contents and wondered, as she did after every trip, what on earth they’d been thinking.

  There were boxes, a few chairs, a couple of small tables, stacks of clothes and several paintings. The end of what could have been a coatrack was balanced on a stack of old dishes. A hat hung on the edge of a frame. It was as if the store had given birth to a smaller, less organized version of itself.

  “Impressive,” Dylan said. “Is there a method to any of this?”

  “It should all go to the store,” Nina said firmly, aware she was fighting a losing battle. But she had to at least try.

  Bonnie and Bertie exchanged a glance. Nina didn’t know what the silent communication meant, but was sure it wasn’t flattering to her. She sighed.

  “We don’t have a lot of room in the house,” she added. “There isn’t any space on shelves or tabletops.” She turned to Bertie. “You’re the one who always says a cluttered environment isn’t healthy.”

  “Then you’re a little late with the advice,” Averil told her.

  “I know, but we have to start somewhere,” Nina murmured.

  Bonnie’s expression turned wistful. “It would be nice to have a few things here.” She shook her head. “No, Nina is right. Oh, but Dylan, you must see the ugly painting we bought.”

  Dylan winked at Nina. “You bought an ugly painting on purpose?”

  “Of course not,” Bonnie said as she patted his cheek. “We bought a container and it was inside. Trust me, it’s spectacularly awful, but I adore the frame. It’s there.” She pointed.

  He reached for the painting. Nina moved in to help, holding the end of the coatrack, while he tugged on the frame. A couple of boxes tumbled out, along with a stack of books.

  “Haven’t you heard of e-readers?” Averil asked, catching several of the books before they hit the driveway.

  “Some people like the smell and feel of paper,” Bonnie said with a sniff.

  Bertie reached for the hat. “This one is mine.” She perched the lace-and-straw hat on her head.

  “I love it,” Nina told her. Bertie was pretty, in a pixie kind of way. The old-fashioned hat made her look like a heroine from an E. M. Forster novel.

  Dylan continued to pull at the frame, and it eventually cleared the back of the van. He turned it toward them. Nina stared at what she assumed was a portrait of a very weird-looking person from a planet not in this solar system.

  The picture was mostly done in reds and blacks. She was pretty sure the subject was a woman. Her face was a series of boxes with too many ears and eyes. She had claw hands, and the background was a swirl of colors. The body part looked normal enough, but it was really tough to get past her box face. Nina couldn’t read the artist’s name. She caught a few letters. The first name started with an E and the last name was S-t...something.

  Averil started to laugh. “Mom, what were you thinking?”

  “That it’s a beautiful frame. It’s wood, and the carving is lovely. You have to admit it’s stunning.”

  Nina pulled her attention away from the picture itself to study the frame. It was elegant and obviously expensive. Wood, hand carved. There was a sheen to the wood, as if it had
been hand polished for hours.

  “I give you a thumbs-up for the frame,” Averil said. “But that painting...”

  Her mother laughed. “I know.”

  “Where do you want it?” Dylan asked.

  “Back in the van,” Bonnie said, putting down the box she’d rescued. “I’m going to take the picture out of the frame. I have no idea what to do with the canvas. I hate to throw it out, but seriously, who’s going to buy it?”

  “You did,” Nina murmured.

  Bertie grinned. “Actually we bought a numbered lot of undetermined contents. It was one of those storage unit auctions.”

  Where people who hadn’t paid and couldn’t be contacted lost their stuff. The contents were sold in lots, often sight unseen.

  “What else did you get?” Nina asked.

  “Nothing good. There were a couple of mirrors. We sold those to a dealer in the town. Your mom kept a few books and a couple of other things. You just never know with those auctions. Sometimes we do well. This time, it was kind of a mess.”

  Dylan looked at the van. “Are you going over to the store now? I could come with you and help unpack it all.”

  “You’re sweet,” Bonnie said and hugged him. “I’ve missed you so much. Why did we stop seeing you?”

  “He dumped Nina, Mom,” Averil said.

  Dylan winced. “Not how I would have put it.” He held out his hands, palm up. “I was young and foolish.”

  “As long as you regret what you did,” Bonnie told him.

  “I do.” He winked at Nina.

  She told herself that with the joy, family came with a very particular hell, and this was hers. She had to give Dylan credit, though. He was being a sport. Especially considering he’d made it clear he blamed a lot of the breakup on her.

  “Okay, then,” she said, moving toward him. “Time for Dylan to go.”

  “What about all the stuff?” he asked.

  “We’ll deal with it. The two of them managed to load the van. The four of us can unload it.” She lowered her voice. “Seriously, we’re talking about my mother. Imagine what else she’s going to say.”

  “You have a point.” He bent down and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you.”

  She nodded and watched him leave. When he’d gotten in his car and driven away, she turned to find all three of them watching her.

  “What?” she demanded.

  “He kissed you,” Bonnie said with a sigh.

  “On the cheek. We’re friends. Nothing more.”

  Any sparkage was firmly in the Kyle column, she thought, wishing she could run off and spend another hour or seven in his bed. That was the healing magic she needed.

  Bonnie walked toward her. She put her arm around Averil and Nina. “My girls,” she said with a sigh. “It’s so good to be home and with you.”

  Nina held out her arm to Bertie and the other woman joined them. Together they walked into the house.

  * * *

  The afternoon passed in a flurry of helping Bonnie and Bertie settle in. Then the three of them took the van over to the store, while Bertie stayed behind to start dinner.

  Nina was curious as to how Cindy would react to her mother. Just as important, she wanted Bonnie to like Cindy. The woman had worked miracles in the store.

  Cindy came out when they pulled up and hurried toward the van.

  “Hello,” she said, clapping her hands together. “Nina told me all about your trips around the country. They sound amazing. I’m Cindy, by the way.” She paused, then smiled. “Bonnie, you look just like your beautiful daughters. You could be the older sister.”

  Averil sidled close to Nina. “A side of Cindy I haven’t seen before.”

  Nina nodded. “I know. She was a paralegal. My guess is she’s used to working with crazy clients.”

  “Then she’s gonna love Mom.”

  Averil was right. In a matter of minutes, Cindy and Bonnie had linked arms, and Cindy was showing her the changes she’d made to the store. That left Averil and Nina to unload the van.

  They carried in boxes and small tables. They argued briefly over who had to drag in the ugly painting. Averil finally agreed, and Nina went to find an old easel to put it on.

  “What do you think?” Bonnie asked Cindy, then told her the story of how she came to own it. She pointed to the tiny writing on the frame. “Evening Stars. That’s the title of the painting. Which is ridiculous. There aren’t any stars.”

  Cindy frowned. “I agree it’s not my taste, but there’s something familiar about it. I should do some research.” She peered at the signature. “Hmm, I wonder who did this.”

  “Someone famous would be nice,” Averil told her. “Please find out it’s worth more than a dollar.”

  Cindy smiled. “I’ll do my best.”

  They finished unloading the van. Just before they climbed in to head home, Nina grabbed Averil’s arm.

  “I’m sorry about before. Snapping at you. Sometimes with my friends...” She felt herself flushing. “It’s just you’re so fun and I have a lot of rules.”

  Averil studied her. “They’re your friends. They’re not going to like me more.”

  “You can’t know that.”

  “You’re a nut.”

  “Yeah, well, speaking of that, thanks for the brownies.”

  Averil smiled. “Later you can tell me the details of your hot monkey-sex night.”

  They returned home to find the house smelling of roast and baking potatoes—a traditional Wentworth celebration dinner. There would also be glazed carrots, homemade rolls and, since Bertie had joined the family, German Chocolate Cake.

  “I’m going to weigh five pounds more in the morning,” Averil said with a sigh. “But it will so be worth it.”

  Nina had to agree. She quickly changed into clean jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt, then went into the kitchen.

  Bertie and Bonnie stood next to each other, Bonnie’s hand on her lover’s shoulder. They looked like what they were—a happy couple spending an evening together. Nina supposed there were some who would be uncomfortable with a lesbian mother, but Nina was pleased with Bonnie’s choice. Bertie added a level of stability to their family that had been missing. Her only regret was that Bertie hadn’t shown up sooner.

  “We bought wine,” Bonnie said, holding up an open bottle. “We’re all going to get a little tipsy tonight.”

  “I like it when we party,” Averil said as she walked into the kitchen. “I’ll pour.”

  When everyone had a glass, they toasted each other.

  “We have about a half hour before everything is ready,” Bertie said. “Let’s go in the living room and talk.”

  They did as she suggested, each taking their proscribed places. Bertie and Bonnie next to each other on the sofa, Nina in the overstuffed chair and Averil on the ottoman. These had been their places for years, Nina thought. Like most family traditions, these were well-worn and difficult to escape.

  Bonnie tucked her feet under her. Nina studied her mother. Bonnie was young—forty-six. She’d gotten pregnant while still in high school. Babies having babies, Nina thought. She supposed it wasn’t Bonnie’s fault she hadn’t been ready to be a parent. Of course she’d never bothered growing into the role, either.

  Nina recognized that she was at the other end of the spectrum. Thirty and still not married. Not even close to finding someone. While Kyle was the answer to every spinster’s dreams, he wasn’t exactly a long-term proposition. His stay was temporary, and when he moved on, she wasn’t going with him. Not that he’d asked, but her life was here. And even if it wasn’t... Not a subject for tonight, she thought.

  But if not Kyle, then who? Dylan? He was swoon-worthy, in his own way. Successful, dependable. Not that he was begging to sweep her off her feet, either. No, a man wasn’t the way out. She had to find her own happiness.

  She sipped on her wine and wondered where she’d gone wrong. If she’d been asked ten years ago, she would have said that of course by now she woul
d have the career of her dreams. That she would get married and have kids. She would never have believed that she would be in exactly the same place. How had that happened?

  “When did you get here?” Bonnie asked, patting the cushion next to her so that Penny jumped up and joined her. “And where did this beautiful little girl come from?”

  Penny gazed lovingly into Bonnie’s eyes.

  Averil told the story of finding Penny at the rest stop and rescuing her.

  “You poor thing,” Bonnie told the dog. “What horrible person would have done that? Bertie, do we know anyone who does curses? Whoever abandoned her should be cursed.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Bertie said calmly. “You never said why you came for a visit.” Bertie directed that comment to Averil. “Is everything all right?”

  “Ask Kevin,” Nina murmured, which earned her a glare from her sister.

  “I needed some time to think.”

  Bonnie continued to stroke Penny. “Without your husband? Is there a problem at home?”

  Averil deliberately turned away from Nina. “Everything is fine,” she said brightly. “He’s okay with me being here. I just need to figure some things out.”

  “Like what?” Nina asked, not sure why she was bugging her sister, but finding pleasure in the act.

  Averil sighed heavily. “Just things, Nina. You wouldn’t understand, what with not being married or even in a relationship.”

  “At least I’m not running away.”

  Averil turned toward her. “No, you’re not. But that would require you leaving the island. Something you seem unable to do.”

  Bonnie looked at Bertie. “Help,” she said. “They’re fighting.”

  Bertie sipped her wine. “Girls, is this necessary on our first night back?”

  “Of course not,” Nina said, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. She didn’t know why she felt compelled to needle Averil. It never accomplished anything. Yet the urge was often powerful.