His words made her smile with pride. Her big brother had been through adversity, but was working to get back on track. He was a hard worker, determined to make his own way.
A Bible verse jumped into her mind. “Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.” This described Jeremy, to a tee. A humble man working hard, not expecting any handouts. And she couldn’t wait until the Lord lifted him up in His glory.
Jeremy gave her an odd look. “What, sis?”
She gave her head a swift shake, momentarily speechless with the advent of tears pricking her eyes. “Nothing. Just proud of you.”
He frowned, his forehead creased with confusion. “Why on earth would you be proud of me?”
She took a few steps closer to him and brushed his elbow with her hand. Then she gestured to the open space around them. “This. This is a huge step, an investment in your business, your future success. You’re making all your dreams come true. You’re putting your talents to work to support yourself. You’re working hard and doing all the right things.”
He blinked, dipped his head. “It never ceases to amaze me how generous you are, sis. Your faith in me is largely unfounded; you do realize that, don’t you?”
“That’s not true.”
“It is. I’ve given you no reason to have such great faith in me. I’m a screw-up and caused major problems for my family, including you. And I don’t know exactly how to handle your praise and support.”
“That’s ridic …” Her cell phone rang and she stopped to dig it out of her purse. “Oh, it’s Tom. Hold on.”
Jeremy turned away.
“Hey honey. I’m on my way to the store …”
“Yes, I wasn’t sure when you’d be back, but I had an idea while on the beach this morning. How about a night out, just the two of us?”
“Two? What about Stella?”
“She’ll be fine without us for a few hours. We’ll take her over to Hank and Leslie’s. How about it?”
Being separated from Stella for any reason was unappetizing these days. But it would be nice for her to spend time with her grandparents. Her dad and Leslie would enjoy it as well. And how often did her husband, as much as she loved him, get his mind off the business and onto her? That kind of thoughtfulness was something she should encourage, not discourage.
“Well, okay, sure. I’ll get dressed up and we’ll enjoy some alone time.”
“That’s my girl. Great. I’ll see you when you get back.”
She hung up, smiling despite her anxieties. It would be good for them to focus on their relationship for a change. Life, with all its responsibilities, consumed them both and they rarely put intentional focus on each other.
When she turned back to Jeremy, he’d moved over to a long farm-style kitchen table, and was running his fingers over the surface. “By the way, there was a reason I came over here today. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for several days.”
“Oh, really?” he mumbled.
“Didn’t you get my messages? I left you at least two voicemails, if not three. Did you change phones?”
He stopped his movement, then turned to face her. “No. I didn’t change my phone, and I did get your messages. I’m sorry I didn’t call you back.”
She waited for a further explanation but didn’t get one. “Well, okay. But I thought it was odd that when I invited you to Stella’s rescue celebration party at the Inn, you said you and Emma had something you couldn’t easily change, but when I saw Emma that very night, she knew nothing of the party.”
His eyebrows slowly raised and his lips pursed.
“What gives, Jeremy?”
His blinking increased in pace. “I’m sorr-…”
“Stop apologizing and explain.”
He went motionless, his eyes locked on hers. His tongue slid over his lips, as if his mouth had suddenly gone dry. “Okay, let’s sit.”
They found the chairs to the kitchen table and sat facing each other. He ran a hand through his hair, leaving strands of it ruffled. “I’m out of my element here, Marianne. I don’t want to cause trouble. But the last thing I want to do is lie to you.”
She shook her head. “Why would you need to lie to me?” A chill slipped down her spine and she shivered.
“I didn’t want to cause any problems at the party, so I …”
“Problems? You found her, Jeremy! You rescued her. If it weren’t for you, she would’ve spent more hours out there. You’re our hero! How could that be a problem?”
“You’re sweet, and I love you.” He reached out and grabbed her arm. “But there’s also the camp that thinks that Stella’s abduction was my fault. Well, my indirect fault, anyway.”
“What, because of your relationship with Emma?”
He gave a sideways nod. “That, and back to why Mr. Slotky was so mad at me to begin with. The bankruptcy, the layoffs, you know.”
“Life happens, Jeremy. You didn’t do anything deliberately to put Stella in danger.”
“No. But all this is a consequence of my past mistakes.”
“Which you’ve served your sentence for.”
“Which I still have a lot of making up to do … for.”
“Which you’re doing, every day.”
He sighed, dropped his head. “I’m trying.”
She stood, then sat again. “Wait a minute. You said there’s a camp that thinks Stella’s abduction was your fault. Has someone actually told you that?”
He stood and took a few steps away. “I don’t want to …”
She followed him. “Someone did. Who was it? That’s terrible, Jeremy. Who was it?”
He turned swiftly toward her. “No. I’m not going to do this.”
She studied him. “One of the search and rescue volunteers?”
“No.” Jeremy picked up a clean cloth lying on one of his pieces and swiped it on the top of a chest.
“Wait. Someone told you it was your fault. And you said you didn’t want to cause trouble. Was it Tom? Did Tom tell you that Stella’s abduction was your fault? Because if he did, he didn’t mean it, Jeremy. It was probably in the emotion of the moment before you found her.”
Jeremy shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it, Marianne. Seriously. Subject closed.”
Marianne squinted as she stared at her brother. Although he’d always been a little uncomfortable about her favors — the place to stay, the meals, the help with marketing his business — he never avoided her. And he loved being with his family. Too much time had been lost. He would never have missed that party without a little convincing.
“Did Tom tell you not to come to Stella’s party?”
Jeremy dropped the cloth and stubbornly kept his gaze on the chest.
“That’s it, isn’t it? Tom told you you weren’t welcome. And that’s why you didn’t come, and that’s why you didn’t even tell Emma about it.” Her head was swimming and she headed for the door. Jeremy caught her arm as she breezed by.
“Sis, please, drop it. He’s doing what he thinks is right. I’m not going to stand in the way of a man taking care of his family. I’d rather back out than cause problems.”
She wringed her arm from his grasp and stuck an index finger in his nose. “No. We’re going to talk about this, he and I. This is just plain wrong.”
She stormed out the door. The items she needed at the store were the furthest thing from her mind now as she drove home. When she entered the Inn and saw Tom standing behind the guest desk, alone, her single-minded goal took highest priority.
She grabbed his arm and started pulling him to their private quarters.
“Hey, babe, whoa, whoa.” His voice contained amusement and a little laughter. Well, not for long.
“We need to talk.” She opened their apartment door and attempted to push him inside. Of course, his bulk didn’t allow her to push him around — physically — without his acquiescence. A sturdy six foot two, two hundred twenty pounds on a good day, no one was moving him if he didn’t want to
go. But the anger that had simmered in her during the short drive across the island formed a tiny shot of adrenaline, which was known to do wonders for strength.
“You told Jeremy not to come to Stella’s party. And you never told me.” Might as well get right to the point.
He didn’t flinch. Which told her that he wasn’t sorry. “You better believe I did. Stella’s abduction never would’ve happened if it weren’t for Jeremy.”
She gave her head an angry shake. “You mean if it weren’t for Gary Slotky. This wasn’t Jeremy’s fault.”
“Jeremy’s actions produced a domino effect, culminating in Stella’s abduction by his girlfriend’s father. Sure, Jeremy didn’t kidnap her himself. He didn’t intend for this to happen. But that doesn’t eliminate his guilt either.”
Marianne couldn’t help it. Her rage escaped her with a shriek of annoyance targeted at the man in front of her. “That’s ridiculous. Jeremy found her! Jeremy saved her and brought her home, safe and sound.”
Tom shook his head. “But he wouldn’t have needed to if he hadn’t caused the problem to begin with.”
“You’re talking about ancient history, Tom. Jeremy made mistakes that had horrible consequences. But he was indicted and he went to jail. He gave a decade of his life, serving his sentence. Now, he’s got his life back. You’re trying him again. That’s not fair. And I won’t put up with it.”
Tom shut his mouth tight, his lips pursing, like he was trying to keep words in. He stared at her for several moments, then turned his back. He walked slowly to the couch and dropped himself into it. “Sweetheart, I love you, I always have. One of the things I love most about you is your fierce loyalty to family. But I gotta tell you, honey, I think you’ve got your priorities backward right now.”
Marianne took a few swift steps and landed in front of him. “What are you talking about?” she asked, the fierceness in her voice surprising even herself.
“Now, now. Take a breath. Calm down. Listen to me. I know you’re almost always right, and you’re used to assuming that you’re right. But you gotta open your mind to the possibility that you aren’t quite there on this one.”
“What, you think you’re right and I’m wrong? In supporting my brother? I don’t think so.”
“See, there you go. You got your shackles up and not listening to reason.”
“Because what you’re suggesting is wrong. Jeremy has worked hard and he deserves our support. And if he’s not going to get yours, then for darn sure, he’s going to get mine.”
Tom sighed and looked up at her. “You need to put your own family first, before your extended family.”
“Meaning?”
“Your priorities should be me and Stella. Not Jeremy.”
A line of rage rose through her esophagus and Marianne strode to the far side of the room. “I’ve always made you and Stella my priorities. I’m insulted that you’d suggest otherwise. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t make Jeremy a priority too. And my dad. And Leslie. There’s room in here,” she pounded her chest with a fist, “for everyone, Tom. That’s just who I am. I’m shocked that you don’t know that about me.”
“You’ve got a big heart,” he said quietly.
“You had no right to tell Jeremy not to come to the party — his party, in a way. And you deceived me by not telling me. You let me think he didn’t come because he didn’t want to come.”
Tom nodded. “Okay, I could’ve handled that better. But I didn’t tell you because I knew you didn’t agree with me. And I know we’ll never see eye to eye on this topic.”
Marianne scoffed. “Good to know that when we have disagreements, you do whatever you want and then lie to me about it.”
“I did it to protect Stella. I won’t apologize for that.”
“There’s no need to protect Stella from Jeremy!”
“And I think there is.” He rose wearily to his feet and approached her. “I don’t want Jeremy around Stella, Marianne. For her own safety.”
Marianne shrugged angrily. “And I want Stella to have a relationship with her Uncle Jeremy. So, where does that leave us?”
Tom dropped his head. “I’m not changing my mind on this.”
“Neither am I.”
The urge to stomp out of the room and slam the door was tempting. But a moment of satisfaction would lead to hours of regret for handling this situation childishly. Despite herself, she faced him. “So, what do we do?” They so rarely fought. They were almost always on the same page, or at least close enough to compromise. She could never remember an issue in their entire relationship when they were on such opposite ground.
He took a deep breath and let it out. “Let’s try to get some distance from this. Feel like that dressy night out?”
“No.” The word popped out of her mouth before she even thought about it. But instincts usually served her well. The last thing she wanted to do was get dressed up, go out with Tom and either talk more about this, or avoid talking about this. “Not tonight.”
He reached out and brushed a hand over her elbow. She kept herself from flinching at his touch. “Come on, baby. I think we need a night out. Together.”
At that moment, she detested him. Sure, he was the love of her life, the one she’d devoted her present and future to, the one she’d shared her dreams with. But right now, he was the enemy. This issue was important. This disagreement held weight. It couldn’t just be swept away with a pricey dinner and high heels.
He didn’t understand how important this was to her, or he wouldn’t be suggesting that they sweep it under the rug with a fun evening out. That was the furthest possibility from her mind. But she couldn’t put her thoughts into words for him to understand. So, retreat was the best solution.
“I actually think we need some time apart. I’m going to take Stella over to my dad’s. You stay here.”
He studied her for a moment. “I don’t feel comfortable about you badmouthing me to your dad and Leslie.”
Her eyes widened. “Then maybe you ought to rethink this ultimatum you’re handing me.”
“I never gave you an ultimatum.”
“Oh yes, you did. You told my brother he wasn’t welcome in my house, without my knowledge. That’s an ultimatum in my book. Him or you.” At long last, the sting of tears hit her eyes and she sniffed. “Honestly, Tom, my choice is not clear to me.”
She knew by his reaction that her words had stung him. She hadn’t really intended to cause him pain, but wasn’t sorry that she had. If he thought she would willingly disown her brother just because Tom asked her to, well, he had no idea who she was. And what kind of marriage was that?
Chapter Nine
Marianne pulled her car into the sanded driveway in front of The Old Gray Barn, the big beach house on stilts where her dad and his new bride lived. Stella unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out of her booster seat, then disappeared out of the passenger side door. Marianne headed toward the stairs that led to the wooden front porch and realized her daughter wasn’t following her. She looked back and smiled. Stella was on her knees in the sand beside the car, letting it sift through her fingers.
Marianne headed over. “Have you found anything worth saving?”
“Yes!” Stella held up a tiny conch shell, perfectly formed, but miniature. Like, less than a centimeter. The entire driveway was filled with them, mixed in with the sand. Leslie had told Stella that when she was a little girl and had come right here to this very house on vacation, she’d spend an hour with a colander from the kitchen, sifting and sifting the sand through, ending with a treasure trove of baby conch shells, which she’d present to her Barbie doll collection as gifts. Stella was so enchanted by her description, she did the same thing each time she came here.
“Perfect. Come show Grandma Leslie. She’ll love it.”
They walked up the wooden stairs to the porch, across the deck and after a quick knock, inside. The house was as plain and utilitarian as it was magical. Rugged wooden slats made up the floor o
f the entire level — the great room, an eating room, the kitchen and three bedrooms. Upstairs were two dormitory style rooms capable of holding an army of kids on vacation. And in the house’s past life as a vacation rental, Marianne was sure it had, on many occasions. But now, it belonged to her dad and Leslie, who treasured it as their dream home.
Stella spotted Leslie first. She ran, holding up the mini-conch between her forefinger and thumb. “Grandma Leslie, look!”
Leslie grinned. “Good girl! Do you have a Barbie who might like that?”
“Yeah.” In her excitement, her southern accent converted the word to two syllables: yay-uh. “But I need more.”
“I thought you’d say that, so look what I got ready for you.” She gestured to the big table. On it sat a colander from the kitchen.
Stella squealed as she grabbed it and headed for the front door.
“You want to sift by yourself, or wait for me to sift with you when your mama leaves?”
“Both!” the little girl shouted right before the door slammed after her.
Leslie beamed. The woman loved kids, and the feeling was mutual. All those years of teaching showed.
“I’m not leaving,” Marianne said flatly.
“You’re not? Tom called …”
“Yes, I know. Plans have changed.”
Leslie studied her for a moment, then said, “Oh my. Let’s get us some drinks and go out to the back porch.”
Marianne nodded and followed Leslie to the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe. Leslie reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a jug of iced tea and a bottle of wine, lifting both of them, a question. Marianne took a deep breath and pointed to the wine.
A minute later, they sat on the back porch, a spacious screened in structure that faced the ocean. It reminded Marianne of the Seaside Inn’s back porch, but it was smaller, more intimate. The beach was smaller too. But still gorgeous. The sound of the calm waves moving slowly in and out was balm to her itchy soul.
“Where’s Dad?”
“Taking a shower.”
“Oh.” Funny how she’d only known Leslie about nine months, but when she needed a woman’s ear, a shoulder to cry on or common-sense advice, this was the first person she thought to seek out.
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