by Ann McMan
David shrugged. “It would make sense, wouldn’t it? I mean, especially if he knew how determined your dad was to hide the truth from you.”
“God.” Maddie pulled her hand free and rubbed her forehead. “I don’t know what to think about any of this.”
“Maybe you need to talk with Art. I mean, now that you know.”
She nodded. “That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking.”
They were silent for a while.
“Maddoe, I hope you understand why I never said anything to you,” David said, sounding tentative. “I never had more than a vague suspicion, and that was only fleeting on one or two occasions. If I had really known something, I would have told you. I never would have let you suffer the way you did all those years after your parents split up. Especially once you figured out that you were gay.” He shrugged. “That we both were gay.”
She gave him a small smile. “I know that, Davey. I believe you.”
He sat back. “So, when are you gonna go to Charlottesville?”
She took another swallow of the wine. “You know, I’m not sure. I may just live with this a little while before going to see him.”
“I can understand that.”
“I mean, I remember how devastated he was after Dad’s death. Now I understand that in a whole new light.” She sighed. “I understand lots of things differently now.” She looked at David. “I’m not angry at him—any more than I am at Dad—or Celine. I’m really just sorry. Sorry for all three of them—Dad, Mom, Art.” She slowly shook her head. “It’s amazing to me that three such highly functioning professionals couldn’t find a better way to resolve a painful relationship dilemma.”
David expelled a long, slow breath. “Well, at the risk of pissing you off, I think you need to admit that having a string of degrees as long as one of your glorious legs is no guarantee that you’ll be able to manage the nitty-gritty of life any better than some poor schmoe on a loading dock. They’re just human, and they fucked up. They made bad choices. Just like we have—numerous times. Remember my first five relationships? And Gina? Wanna talk about her for a while?”
She sighed. “Yeah, yeah. I get your point. But they all had one important thing in common that we didn’t have. At least, I’d like to think it was important.”
“What was that?”
She felt the sting of tears and blinked to hold them back. “Me.”
He took hold of her hand again. “Hard to argue with that.”
The front door to the Inn opened and closed, and they could hear the voices of several guests as they made their way up the wide stairs to the second floor.
Maddie took advantage of the diversion to regain her composure. “So, I’m thinking I may just write him a letter. Give him the space he may need to respond. Maybe I can go up and see him later on—over Easter, or something. Syd wanted to go back to Charlottesville in the spring, anyway. It might be a chance for us to get away for a night or two.”
“I can understand that. How are you two going to manage your relationship now?”
Maddie smiled at him slyly. “You mean, since we didn’t take you up on the U-Haul offer?”
He laughed. “That’s an open-ended offer. You can redeem it any old time.”
“If I had my druthers, we’d have it parked in my driveway tomorrow.”
“Now, why doesn’t that surprise me?” He chuckled and finished his glass of wine. “So who’s sandbagging? I know it ain’t you.”
She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Oh, that’s mature. I wish the Penn Board of Governors could see you now. They’d be so proud of their brainiac poster child.”
“Bite me.”
“Ex-cuse me?” He pointed a finger at his chest. “Do I look like a pygmy blonde?”
“Nuh uh. And à propos of her,” she drained her own glass, “I need to hit the trail. We’re having a late supper together.”
“And an early breakfast?”
She winked at him. “If I play my cards right.”
He laughed. “Lemme walk you out.” He stood up and grabbed his jacket, before pulling another bottle of wine out of a case.
They made their way to the front porch. Maddie turned around on the top step to hug him warmly and kiss his cheek. “Thanks, David.”
“What for?”
“For always telling me the truth. It would have been easier for you just to lie, and I’d never have known the difference.”
He smiled. “You should know by now that I don’t do easy.”
She looked at him thoughtfully. “No. You never have. That’s why I love you so much.”
“Really? And here I thought it was for my fashion sense.” He handed her the bottle. “Enjoy this with your dinner—on the house.”
She took the wine and gave him an affectionate smile. “Thanks. We will.” She turned and descended the steps, waving her free hand back over her shoulder as she walked to her Jeep.
SYD SMILED BROADLY when she opened the door to her apartment and saw Maddie leaning casually against the opposite wall. She held out the bottle of Shelton wine like an offering. “From David. I think he wants me to get you drunk.”
Syd took the bottle and examined the label. “Really? And why’s that?”
“I guess he thinks it might make it easier for me to have my way with you.”
“Hmmm. It never occurred to me that holding out might result in such lavish treatment. Maybe I should rethink all of this.”
Maddie stepped forward and bent over her so that their lips were close together but not touching. “Really?”
Syd closed her eyes and leaned against her. “No. Not really.” Maddie kissed her, and they stood together in the doorway for so long that, finally, the wind sweeping up the stairs made Syd realize how cold it was in the hallway. She drew back from her reluctantly. “Come inside? I have something hot and spicy all ready for you.”
Maddie waggled her eyebrows. “I’ll just bet you do.” Laughing, she followed Syd inside and closed the door. She stopped and moaned at the intriguing mixture of smells that wafted from the stove. “What are you cooking? It smells fabulous.”
“Chicken and bean stuffed sopaipillas with Spanish rice.”
“My god. When do we eat? I’m famished?”
Syd set the bottle of wine down on her small kitchen table and smiled at her. “When are you ever not famished?”
Maddie stepped forward and pulled her back into her arms. “I seem to have acquired a hunger for all kinds of things recently.”
“I noticed. Lucky me.” They kissed again and remained preoccupied until Syd’s oven timer went off. Groaning, she pulled herself away. “Wanna open the wine while I fix our plates?”
“Sure. Where do you wanna sit?”
“You pick. Either here or the couch?”
Maddie headed for the small living room. “Couch. That way, I can sit beside you and pick at your goodies.”
“Are we still talking about food?”
Maddie laughed. “I’ll never tell.”
“How did it go with David?”
“Fine. He was nearly as shocked as I was when Celine told me. He said that there were a few times he thought about the possibility, but that he never took the idea seriously.” She paused. “I believe him.”
Syd went to hand her the wine glasses and some utensils. “Of course you do. Why wouldn’t you?”
Maddie shrugged. “Maybe I’m not as trusting as you are?”
“That could be true. But still, I’m glad you believe him. He’s your best friend. I don’t think he’d ever lie to you—even to protect you.”
“I don’t either.”
“So what happens now?” She returned, carrying two steaming plates of food.
Maddie took one from her and sat next to her on the sagging couch. “I told him that I wanted to live with it all for a bit. Then I might write to Uncle Art—give him some time and distance to decide how he wants to reply. I thought maybe we could head up to Charlottesvill
e later in the spring. See him, and have a nice weekend away. How would you feel about that?”
“Are you kidding? I’d love that.” She gave Maddie a sidelong glance. “Would we fly?”
“Do you want to?”
“Absolutely.”
Maddie grinned. “It’s a date, then.” They clinked glasses. “Now let’s eat this wonderful meal before it gets cold. Then we can go straight to dessert.”
Syd looked at her sadly. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t plan on anything for dessert.”
Maddie leered at her as she lifted a forkful of rice. “I did.”
Syd rolled her eyes. “Thank god this is a high-protein recipe.”
LATER, THEY DOZED in Syd’s small bed until it got so late that Maddie knew if she didn’t get up and head for home, she’d never make it. Fortunately, she’d already stopped by the farm and fed Pete on her way back to town from the Inn.
She turned her head on the pillow. “I need to go. It’s nearly eleven.”
Syd sighed dejectedly. “I know. I hate this.”
“You’d hate it a lot more if Mrs. Halsey came in to open the upholstery shop at the crack of seven, and my car was still in the parking lot.”
“I know.” She sighed again. “How are we going to make this work? I don’t want to have to sneak around like a horny teenager.”
Maddie kissed her on the forehead. “One day at a time, okay? That’s what we agreed.”
“I know, I know. But this is nuts. I don’t want you to leave.”
“Trust me. I don’t wanna leave, either. But you were right when you said we needed to take more time.”
Syd snorted. “Yeah. We’re doing great at maintaining some distance, aren’t we?”
“Well, I guess we could try and not see each other every night.”
Syd sat up and looked down at her in disbelief. “You’re kidding me, right?”
Maddie chuckled. “Yeah. I’m pretty much full of shit.”
“You are if you think there’s any way I’ll agree to that.”
Maddie pulled her back down so that her head rested on her shoulder. “Relax. The one thing you can rely on is that I will always have less self control than you have.”
“Thank god.”
“So. Tomorrow night . . . my place?”
“Nuh uh.”
“Nuh uh?”
“At least not for dinner. I have an extra orchestra practice tomorrow night. Phoebe wants to meet with all the principals. In fact, I’m picking Lizzy up, and we’re going to grab some dinner afterward.”
Maddie was intrigued. “Really?”
“Yep. Sorry, Stretch. We set this up last week.” She lazily ran her fingers back and forth across Maddie’s collarbone. “But I could stop by on the way back home. I mean, if you’re interested.”
Maddie sighed. “I don’t know. Can I get back to you?”
Syd punched her on the arm.
“Okay, okay. I was joking. Of course I want you to stop by. How late do you think you’ll be?”
“I dunno. Maybe eight-thirty?”
“I’ll be waiting with bells on.”
“Oh, no need to dress up on my behalf.”
Maddie thought about that. “Okay, then. I’ll be waiting in the nude.”
Syd smiled and began to kiss her way across her chest. “Make that seven-thirty.”
It was another hour before Maddie finally waved goodbye to her from the parking lot below her apartment.
AFTER REHEARSAL THE next night, Syd and Lizzy stood chatting with David in the parking lot of the high school while they waited on Phoebe to lock up the outside entrance to the auditorium. David was giving his mom a ride home before returning to the Inn, and he took advantage of their few minutes alone together to complain to the other two principals about how much of their spare time his mother’s orchestral fantasy was taking up.
He leaned against the back of his Range Rover and took another long drag on his cigarette before blowing out a stream of blue-tinged smoke. “She’s really making me insane with all of this. I mean,” he waved his hand toward the building, “one or two nights a month are fine, but this twice a week shit has simply got to stop. I’m getting seriously behind on my Project Runway viewing. I totally missed Nicole Richie’s hissy fit last week.” He shook his dark head. “You don’t get another shot at something like that.”
Lizzy laughed as she shifted her flute case from one hand to the other. “It’s not that bad, David. Besides, ever heard of TiVo?”
“TiVo? Up here in the sticks? Are you kidding me?”
“Well,” Syd chimed in. “I suppose you could always break out the old VHS recorder.”
“I could, if the damn thing wasn’t gathering dust on the esteemed Dr. Stevenson’s workbench.” David tossed his cigarette to the ground and twisted it beneath the toe of his shoe. “Good thing that tool-jockey has a day job.”
Syd and Lizzy laughed as Phoebe joined them. “I want to thank you all again for agreeing to put in this extra time. It’s really going to bear fruit for us in the actual performance. See you all again on Sunday at three?”
David groaned. Phoebe smacked him across the abdomen with her handbag, and he made an elaborate pantomime of doubling over.
“Jeez, Mama. What’ve you got in that thing? Barbells?” His grousing gained momentum. “The damn thing’s big enough to hold the whole Chuck Norris collection.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Oh, be quiet. You’re just bent out of shape because I beat you to it last week at T.J. Maxx.” She stroked the sides of her new handbag affectionately.
He rubbed his tummy and glowered at her. “I saw it before you did, and you know it.”
She sighed in resignation and turned to Syd and Lizzy. “As I was saying, see you on Sunday?”
They both nodded.
Phoebe smiled and walked around to the passenger side of the Rover.
David sighed, then shrugged and waved goodbye. “Tell that ole sawbones I said hello.”
“I will,” they said, before looking at one another in surprise.
Syd felt herself blushing, but Lizzy just shrugged and smiled at her. In silence, they climbed into Syd’s Volvo and followed David out of the parking lot.
Syd stole a surreptitious look at her watch. It was seven-fifteen. “So, whatcha feel like eating?”
Lizzy looked at her. “You know, I was over at my sister’s yesterday, and she sent me home with a big pot of veggie soup. Would you like to just duck into my place and eat a bowl of that with me? She’s a great cook—it’s pretty tasty.”
Syd smiled. “You don’t have to ask me twice. I’ll take home cooking over fast food any day. Are you sure you’re up for that? I promise not to stay very late. I’ve got a big Baker and Taylor shipment coming in tomorrow, and I need to be at the library earlier than usual.”
“No worries. I’ll enjoy the company. And you haven’t really seen the bungalow since I moved in. I’m anxious to show it off.”
“I hear you’re doing great things with it.”
“I don’t know about that. I’m mostly just consolidating piles of kindling. David’s aunt had enough wood split to see her through until the millennium.”
Syd laughed. “Don’t you get lonely being out there all by yourself, with no neighbors in sight?”
Lizzy shook her head. “Nope. I love it. After so many years being crammed into a noisy apartment complex in Nashville and listening to kids screaming half the night and smelling everyone else’s dinner, it’s like heaven. And I love lying in the dark, listening to the sound of the river. It lulls me right to sleep.”
“You certainly have seemed to fit right in. I’m amazed at how quickly you’ve made this transition.”
“Why? Nashville was a big enough city, but you forget that I’m really a redneck at heart. Jericho isn’t much of a departure for me from the town I grew up in.”
“You’re far from a redneck. Maddie says that you have about the best nursing credentials she’s ever
seen.”
Lizzy clucked her tongue. “She exaggerates. You should know by now that you can’t trust those tall, smoldering Ingrid Bergman types.”
Syd looked at her. “Smoldering?”
Lizzy smiled. “Okay, maybe not smoldering. How about mysterious? That certainly applies.”
Syd nodded and gave her a small smile. “I’d have to give you that one.”
Lizzy plucked at the bangs of her wavy red hair. “I confess that I don’t know her very well yet, but one thing I have learned about her is that she will always exaggerate someone’s else’s good qualities while downplaying her own.”
“That sounds like a pretty apt description.”
“I hear she comes by that honestly. Peggy says that her daddy was the same way.”
Syd was beginning to feel uncomfortable discussing Maddie in this offhand way. It felt vaguely like gossiping—although she was certain that Lizzy was simply being open and honest in conveying her impressions of her new employer. There didn’t seem to be any subterfuge or inappropriate curiosity lurking behind her observations.
She sighed. What was really making her feel uncomfortable was the fact that she felt forced to conceal the true nature of her relationship with Maddie. It was hard to act interested and curious about Lizzy’s perceptions while maintaining the appearance of an indifference she didn’t feel. It was a balancing act she wasn’t eager to perfect.
They turned onto the long lane that led down toward the river and Lizzy’s small bungalow. Even in the dark, signs of improvement were obvious. Ladders, tarps, and cans of paint were tidily stashed at one end of the big front porch, and a brown construction waste dumpster was positioned just in front of the small detached garage. Lizzy hadn’t exaggerated. There were stacked piles of wood in various sizes everyplace. It was already dark, but several lamps were on inside the bungalow, giving it a warm and welcome appearance.
Syd parked her Volvo behind Lizzy’s old Subaru wagon, and shut the engine off. Lizzy unclipped her seatbelt and opened her passenger door. “Come on inside. I’ll have the soup hotted up for us in no time. You can give me your opinion about some new countertop colors for the kitchen.”
Syd smiled and followed her up the steps and into the small house.