***
I walked to the coffee shop from the Carpenters’ house. It was only a few blocks and helped to expel some of the nervous energy I’d accumulated since last night. I had zero desire to do this, but I was grateful she’d suggested a public place. It would force me to maintain my composure. I hadn’t realized until I saw Gwendolyn just how much pent-up aggression I harbored for her. Somehow, I’d convinced myself over the years that I was as aloof as she was. I’d allowed myself to believe she wasn’t capable of anything different. That’s what my dad had told me all my life, so I didn’t think it was me she avoided. Clearly, that wasn’t the case—she was capable of loving someone besides my grandfather…just not me.
When she joined me promptly at nine, I had a cup of coffee in my hand. I waited to order breakfast in case I had to make a quick exit. I had enough cash for what was on the table and a tip, and if I ordered food, I’d have to use a card to pay. This seemed like the most logical plan, or irrational, I hadn’t decided which.
“Thanks for coming. I’m sorry it’s taken us so long to find time to talk.”
The waitress welcomed her, and she ordered her own coffee before setting a napkin in her lap.
“Why didn’t you tell me you moved?” I didn’t give her a chance to lead into whatever she hoped to discuss, and I had no idea why that one tidbit was so important.
She sighed. “I tried, Cora. You haven’t exactly been receptive to communication.”
“So it’s my fault?”
“No, it’s not.” She poured cream and sugar into the mug the waitress set in front of her. “I made a lot of mistakes along the way, especially when you were younger, but I’ve tried to stay in touch with you since you went to college.”
“With monthly e-mails and bi-weekly calls?” My question was snotty and disrespectful.
“How else would you have had me reach you? If it hadn’t been for occasional withdrawals from your trust fund, I wouldn’t have had a clue what city you were in.”
“You could have found a way,” I spat my self-righteous opinion her direction.
“I suppose I could have. But I didn’t know what else to do, Cora. I tried all through your childhood to reach out, to get your parents to visit or let me and your grandfather come see you. I mailed cards and presents, all of which were refused. Every attempt I made was turned down or returned to sender.”
“I don’t believe you. My dad never would have kept me from you.” I didn’t recognize my own voice it was so sinister and unforgiving. This was not who I was as a person and not someone I cared to become. Somehow, my mind justified my snarly disposition with years of hurt by the woman seated across from me.
“There’s a lot you weren’t privy to. Things I’d like to share with you. But you have to be in a place to open your eyes to the truth, and it might not be what you’re expecting.”
“If the version paints you as a saint and my dad as a sinner, you’re right, it won’t be what I’m expecting nor anything I’m interested in.”
“I’m no saint, but your father wasn’t, either. We both made mistakes—some I regret and others I cherish.”
“Just tell me why you sold the house.” I wasn’t ready for a frontal attack on my father. It was the last thing I’d expected, and I couldn’t defend against it. This was a safe place to start, one where I might begin to understand her better.
She stirred her coffee with a spoon and let out a long sigh. “The house was never important to me. Your grandfather was driven by image and how we were viewed, in this community and the business world as well. Everything always had to appear a certain way. How we dressed, the cars we drove, the house we lived in—in his mind, they all said something about our success. He worked hard to maintain that picture, and as his wife, I did my best to help him—that was my role. But when he passed away, it wasn’t who I wanted to be or how I chose to live.”
“Would you guys like to order anything for breakfast?” The waitress smiled, completely unaware she’d interrupted anything.
“I’d like a bowl of fruit. Cora, would you like anything?”
I shook my head. “Coffee’s fine for now, thank you.”
When she retreated, Gwendolyn returned to her story without skipping a beat. “The house was too much for one person, and I wasn’t interested in managing a staff. When I sold it, I bought the cottage I live in now. I downsized just about everything in my life. The only traveling I did was in support of the Huntington Foundation and their fundraisers.”
“Is that how you met Chelsea and her mom?”
“It’s how I got to know them.” Her eyes smiled at the memory, even if her lips didn’t. “I dropped the designer suits in favor of more comfortable clothing I could breathe in and stopped wearing my hair so tight that it looked like I’d had a facelift. All in all, I just relaxed and began to enjoy the slower pace of life in Geneva Key.”
“I didn’t even know you’d moved, Gwendolyn.”
“Please, call me Dottie. Maybe if I had been invited to your wedding, I could have told you then.”
“Would you have come?”
“Of course. But in fairness, you didn’t know that. Which is one of many things I regret. There was little I could do when your father refused to let me see you, then when you came here, after he passed away, I should have done something to bridge that gap.”
“You could have started by not taking off the day after I got here,” I muttered under my breath, although I didn’t try to keep her from hearing what I’d said.
“Yes, that would have been a good place to start. I wish I could go back and change those days, Cora. I truly do. At this point, all I can do is move forward and learn from them. And that’s what I’ve tried to do. I hope you’ll find it in your heart to hear the whole story and find a way to forgive me.”
“We’re basically strangers, Gwe—Dottie. I’m not sure there’s need.”
“I can tell you the only reason that matters, and what you do with it is up to you.”
“What’s that?”
“Legend.”
“He’ll adjust to New York just like I was forced to adjust here.”
“If I had it to do over again, I would have let you stay with Faith. But if I had, you never would have met your husband, and your life would be totally different. I hope you’ll remember what it was like to be ripped away from the only person you felt safe with when your parents died as you and James consider taking Legend away from Geneva Key.”
“You’re not going to guilt me into staying here. This isn’t my home. It never has been.”
“No, but it is his. And when you start thinking like a mother, your stance will change.”
“Oh, is that what you’re doing? Thinking like a mother? I must have missed the part where mothers leave their kids with paid staff instead of holding and hugging them through their grief. It doesn’t matter where he is as long as he’s loved and has attention.”
I threw my cash down on the table, thankful I hadn’t bothered ordering more. Grabbing my purse, I slid from the booth and glared in Dottie’s direction. “Make no mistake, you can’t atone for your sins by living through someone else.”
Her eyes brimmed with tears, and I ignored them as I stormed out of the diner and into the warm, Florida air.
17
Cora
I walked until my feet hurt. Geneva Key wasn’t huge, yet by the time I’d made it from the diner to the edge of the island, I felt like I’d climbed Mt. Everest in sandals. She infuriated me; everything about her just rubbed me the wrong way. I should have figured she’d try to paint my dad out to be the villain when he wasn’t here to defend himself.
When I finally removed my sandals and started to make my way back to the Carpenters’ house—via the sand instead of the sidewalks—each step lessened the frustration I felt toward my grandmother and brought me a tad bit closer to understanding. She was my only option for answers. There was no one left who knew anything about my parents. I either gained wh
at information I could from her, or when she passed away, it would be lost forever.
I tried to believe I’d be able to discern the truth from lies, but it had been a lot of years since I’d heard my father’s voice or held my mother’s hand. I wasn’t sure I’d recognize the difference between her story and theirs, and no matter what happened, I didn’t want to lose what my parents had given me. I clung to their memories like a safety net that would prevent me from ever falling.
Without sunscreen on, I feared my fair skin would cook in the Florida heat. I’d already been outside too long in nothing other than a strapless dress, so when I got to the Carpenters’, I went inside hoping no one was home. To my dismay, not only did I find James in the kitchen when I thought he’d be with Legend, but his parents were there as well.
“Where’s Legend?” I asked as I rinsed the sand off my shoes in the kitchen sink.
“He’s upstairs taking a nap.”
I glanced at my watch and gathered it was almost three in the afternoon. “I didn’t realize how late it was. He must have been really tired.”
“He fell asleep in the car after we went to the playground and had lunch. I’m glad you’re home, though. I was hoping we could all talk about our options.” James was apprehensive. I wasn’t sure if it was because he and I hadn’t discussed this or because he worried about what his parents would think.
“Okay.” I set my shoes on the rug near the door and took a seat at the bar with him and his parents. “What’s on your mind?”
“We need to figure out what we’re doing. How long are we staying in Geneva Key? What are we doing with Legend? How does Dottie fit into that picture? How do my parents fit into it? This is different than us having a baby, and I can’t figure out which way is up. Right now, it’s all new and fun, but at some point, life has to resume.”
“What do you want to do?” I shouldn’t feel like I was being hit upside the head with this. We’d both known it was coming; James had just been the first one to say it out loud.
“I think what I’d prefer and what Legend needs are vastly different scenarios.”
“Son, Legend needs to be with his dad. The rest will work itself out.” His father believed it was all cut and dry. I knew that wasn’t true.
“Brock, don’t make things so simplistic. There’s more to consider than James’s presence in the boy’s life. His home is here, the only family he’s had his whole life is here, we’re here. The thing missing is his mother who won’t be back. If James and Cora take him away right now, that could be detrimental to his well-being and forever alter his personality.”
“Cora?” The way James said my name told my input was far more valuable than anyone else’s in this kitchen. “You’re the only one who’s been where Legend is. I need you to tell me what to do.”
People always thought there was only one answer to every problem. Yet the truth was, I could see good and bad in what my grandparents had done with me. “I wished my grandparents had left me in New York after my parents died. That was where my friends were, my school, Faith—my life. I didn’t know my grandparents, and Geneva Key was a lifetime away from the things that mattered.”
“So you think Legend needs to stay here?”
I shook my head. “James, if my grandparents hadn’t made the choices they did, I never would have met you. So looking back, I can’t say their decision was wrong; it just hurt at the time they made it. I also think they could have been more involved and helped make the transition easier, which they didn’t do.”
“So you think we should go back to New York?” Confusion marred his face.
“No, I think we have to consider both sides, make the best decision we can, and hope we don’t screw him up in the process.” It wasn’t any more of an answer than he’d had before he asked the question.
James pulled on his hair in frustration, and his blue eyes looked weary. I’d never seen him this way; decisions had always come easily for my husband. As long as I’d been by his side, he never hesitated.
Susan chimed in softly, “Where do you think Legend needs to be, James?”
I already knew this answer, but my husband had to come to it on his own. Working out the logistics afterward was just a matter of phone calls and paperwork. James’s hesitation didn’t come from what he believed was best for Legend—he worried about me.
“Geneva Key.” His eyes cast down to the counter, and when he blinked, a tear slid down his cheek. He was afraid I’d leave him if he chose to stay.
I looked at Susan and Brock. “Can you guys give us a few minutes?”
I waited for them to leave before lifting his chin. “Why are you crying?”
“I know you hate it here. I just don’t think we can move him…not right now.”
My thumb stroked his cheek, and I got lost in my love for the man he’d grown in to. We’d come so far since we lived in this town, and nothing would ever hold us back. James was my world, and it wouldn’t be long before Legend sat in the number one seat. I’d do whatever I had to in order to keep them both happy. And if that meant Geneva Key, then we were moving to Florida for the foreseeable future. I wasn’t keen on selling our house in New York and had no clue what James would do about the business, but if we wanted it to, it would work itself out.
“If this is where we need to be, then this is where we stay.” The words came out with more conviction than I felt, yet they were still true.
“God, I love you. I’m so sorry you’re going through all this. It must be like reliving your own personal hell.” His lips pressed against mine in an intimate apology that wasn’t necessary, although, it felt good just the same.
“I love you, too. Maybe this is how my own demons will be laid to rest. You never know what’s in store for us or what we might learn by putting someone else first. We both have to be open to whatever life throws our way in the next few months.”
“You going to extend that same attitude toward Dottie?”
“Don’t get crazy.” I giggled and hugged his neck.
“Maybe you should hear her out. I get the impression by the blisters on your heels that you didn’t spend much time talking to her this morning. It looks like you spent more of it pounding your aggression out on the pavement. How many miles did you run?”
“No running, just a lot of walking. And I will, in my time. I’m just not ready, yet.”
“Don’t wait too long, Cora.”
“When did you go all carpe diem on me?”
“The day I gained a son and realized what all I stood to lose.”
I couldn’t handle much more of this; I needed levity but couldn’t find one smartass thing to say or one snarky comment to make.
We sat in silence for several minutes before I finally asked, “Do you think your parents will let us stay here while we figure things out?”
“The better question is, do you want to stay here while we figure things out. It feels weird sleeping in the same bed with you under their roof, and I’m not sure how long I can go without having sex.”
“Why can’t we have sex?”
“What if they hear you? You’re not exactly quiet when you scream my name.”
“Last I recall, it was you begging me to bring you release, not the other way around.”
“Just because you get off easier than I do doesn’t mean you’re not loud. My mother will get scared when she hears you wailing like a banshee. Even worse, what if she calls the cops because she thinks I’m hurting you?”
“You’re far too full of your sexual abilities, Mr. Carpenter. I think I’ll take my chances staying here. If you get the heebie-jeebies frolicking in your parents’ house, then I guess we’ll just have to get creative.” I moved to stand between his legs and pulled him close.
He was so easy to arouse and fun to play with. There was no doubt in my mind that if I tried to get him to play right here and now, James Carpenter wouldn’t turn me down. Testing the theory, I cupped his balls in my hand and made love to his lips. And just
as I thought, being in his parents’ home, in their kitchen with them only feet away, had done nothing to his drive—he’d hardened in my hand and been as responsive as he always was.
I pulled away, breathless, only to find he had pitched a tent for all the world to see. Through my giggles I told him, “Put that thing away. You don’t want your parents to see it.”
“I’m pretty sure they assume I’m attracted to my wife. I’d be willing to guess they even think we have sex.”
“No need for them to see the evidence.” I winked and went to find his parents.
They hadn’t gone far—just around the corner. There was little doubt remaining that they’d heard everything we said. Brock couldn’t stifle his laughter, and Susan was seven shades of pink—all of which looked good on her.
***
It had taken a few days to iron out details with Neil about the business. Most of what he did was by phone and computer anyhow, so the clients weren’t aware of the difference. The one who picked up the slack was Neil, although he hadn’t hesitated to do what was needed. There were only a few weeks left before Legend started school, which also meant, we only had about a month to decide whether we were staying in Geneva Key or going back to New York. Neil couldn’t manage the business this way forever.
“Hey, baby,” my husband cooed into my ear just before he wrapped his solid arms around my waist and pulled me in close. “What are you looking at?”
I pointed at his mother and Dottie down on the beach with Legend. Never in a million years did I imagine I’d be standing on the island watching James’s son play in the surf, much less with Susan and my grandmother. “Just thinking how ironic it is that she was never able to be a grandparent to me, yet she’s so amazing with him.”
“Maybe our being here is the universe’s way of giving the two of you a second chance,” he spoke with his mouth tucked next to my ear as we continued to watch from the kitchen.
“Then I guess the universe is a sadistic bitch because I don’t see that happening before hell freezes over.”
Unexpected Arrivals Page 24