by Leanne Banks
Vivian glanced down at Jet and the dead fish at her feet and sighed. “I don’t know. It seemed like Corinne wanted to downsize the wedding this time.”
“Well, it is Olive’s third time down the aisle, isn’t it?” Temple asked.
“Still,” Vivian said, her stomach sinking. “I hope I didn’t blow it.”
“You didn’t blow it,” Benjamin said with a shrug. “I thought you handled the dead fish very well.”
His encouragement eased some of her anxiety. At the same time, Vivian felt uncomfortable with the idea of counting on Benjamin. Booking this wedding was on her shoulders, not his. “Thanks. Now, what to do about Jet’s odor?”
“I’ll take care of it,” Jillian said. “I’ve been thinking about this, and now is the time. I’m going to give Jet a bath. Inside.”
Vivian winced. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? We don’t want him tearing up a bathroom.”
“It will be fine,” she said. “I’m going to give Jet a spa experience. You know, I once worked at a spa,” she said.
“I didn’t know that, but I’m not really surprised because you seem to have become a jack-of-all-trades,” Vivian said. “Do you want some help?”
“Nope,” Jillian said. “I figure three or four hamburgers should distract him enough to get the job done. I’ll go fix them right now.”
Vivian, Temple and Benjamin watched as Jillian headed to the kitchen, her shoulders squared with determination.
“She’s brave,” Vivian said.
“Yes, she is. I’ll get back to painting,” Temple said and walked away.
“I’d better help her,” Vivian said.
“Meet me on the dock later?” Benjamin asked.
Vivian shook her head. She clearly needed to get control of herself. “Not tonight.”
Ignoring the terrible longing to escape with Benjamin, she joined Jilly in the kitchen, where her sister was putting frozen burgers in the microwave. “I can do this by myself,” Jilly said. “And the great thing about Jet is that he won’t care that I microwaved the burgers. Why don’t you spend some time with Benjamin? You could use it.”
“What do you mean, I could use it?” Vivian asked.
Jilly shrugged. “You just seem a little less tense after you’ve been with Benjamin. Otherwise, you’re kinda...” Jilly broke off as she peeked at the progress of the burgers.
“I’m kinda what?” Vivian said.
“I don’t know. Tense, a little cranky,” Jilly said and slid a sideways glance at her. “Don’t get mad at me.”
“I’m not mad,” Vivian said. “I guess I just didn’t realize it was showing that much.”
“Well, we’re together 24/7, so the real you is going to leak out sometimes.”
“Nice to know the real me is so disagreeable,” Vivian muttered.
Jilly shook her head as the microwave dinged. “You’re not disagreeable all the time. But you have to admit you’re worried. You feel responsible for everything, more than you should.”
Vivian sighed.
“My offer for morning yoga is still open,” Jilly said.
“I have a hard time concentrating during yoga. My mind wanders,” Vivian said.
“See Benjamin, then. He’s the reason why your mind is wandering,” Jilly said. “Time for Jet’s bath.”
Vivian didn’t call Benjamin, but she kept thinking about him. Jilly set the spa mood in the bathroom with soothing Zen music and dimmed lights for the dog. Despite Jilly’s best efforts, when they corralled Jet into the bathroom and hoisted him into the tub, he howled and whined as if they were killing him.
Jilly and Vivian kept encouraging him and giving him bites of burger as they scrubbed away his dirt and stink. After a few minutes, he became distracted by the bites of burger and let Jilly have her way with him.
By the end of the ordeal, he still smelled like a wet dog, but a cleaner wet dog. Drenched and exhausted, Vivian looked at Jilly. “There’s got to be an easier way. Next time we’ll pay the vet to do it.”
Jilly shook her head. “Jet is so difficult that I’m not sure even the vet would be willing to do it,” she said. “But we can tell everyone in this house not to let him outside, and maybe that will help.”
“And a little powder,” Vivian said. “Remember how Dad said a little powder could make everything better?”
Jilly chuckled. “We can hope. I’m turning in early tonight. What about you?”
Vivian nodded and thought again of Benjamin. She reined in her unwelcome longing for him. “Me, too.”
Chapter Nine
“Pizza delivery,” Benjamin called as he knocked on the door of his sister’s townhome.
Seconds passed and the door flung open. Eliza laughed up at him. “What a nice surprise. Why are you here? I’ve been okay lately.”
“Surprise pizza is not dependent on your health. In fact, we all need pizza.”
“Well, I’ll take it,” she said, grabbing the box from him. “But what did I do to deserve this visit?”
“Nothing,” Benjamin said with a shrug. “I just wanted to visit my sister. How’s everything going?” he asked, glancing at the kitchen table, where she had been creating jewelry.
“Good,” she said. “I’m doing shows the next few weeks. But what’s going on with you?” she asked.
“Nothing. Just taking some time off and fishing,” he said.
“Hmm. Why don’t I believe you?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “Why don’t you?”
“I think you’re under the spell of one of those Jackson girls,” she said.
“I’m not under the spell of anyone or anything,” he said, even though he felt Vivian’s presence in his brain. “I keep a clear head. I have to.”
His sister frowned. “Now I feel guilty because I know you have to keep a clear head because of me.”
“Don’t feel guilty. I have to keep a clear head for everything in my life. It’s not a bad thing,” he said. “Now, let’s eat some pizza and you show me your new jewelry.”
“You’re dodging me,” Eliza said. “But I’m hungry.”
While they gobbled down the pizza, Eliza showed him the bracelets, necklaces and earrings she’d created with multicolored stones and hammered metal. Her enthusiasm and intensity about her art had always warmed his heart. Even when she was a little girl, Eliza had always loved art. One of the first signs that she was on a downward turn was a lack of interest in art.
At the moment, though, she seemed to be doing well.
“You sleeping?” he asked.
“Some,” she said. “Are you diagnosing me? Because I don’t want it right now.”
“Just asking,” he said with a shrug, but he wondered.
“Don’t worry. I have a lot to get done for these shows, but I’m sleeping. Really.”
“Good,” he said, although he still worried.
“Good,” she said. “I think one of those Jackson girls is on your mind. Don’t lie to me. Is she trying to rope you into marriage?”
He laughed. “That couldn’t be further from the truth.” He hesitated a half beat. “She wants to hide our relationship.”
“Whoa.” She stared at him in surprise. “That’s new. Don’t most of your girls want you to marry them?”
He shot her a sideways glance.
“Well, maybe except for that one from college who didn’t like the idea of settling down in a small town.” She shrugged. “I hope it works out how you want it to. I doubt I’ll ever marry. I’m still learning how to deal with all my ups and downs. It’s hard enough on my brother and me.”
“Don’t say that,” he said. “You’ve got a lot going for you. I just wish you felt like you could be a little more open with people.”
�
�So they’ll think I’m sick? No, thank you. I’m not ready for that. I don’t want to be pitied.”
Benjamin sighed. “Pity and sympathy and empathy are different. I know for a fact that you’re not the only person who struggles.”
“How do you know that?” she challenged him.
“I own a bar,” he said. “You wouldn’t believe all the stories I’ve heard.”
“And just like a therapist or a priest, you never tell,” she said.
“I’ve never liked to gossip,” he said and knew the reason. People had gossiped about his father for years. As a trucker, his father had spent most of his time away from home. There’d been talk that he had cheated on his mother. Benjamin didn’t like the thought of it but knew it was a possibility. Since his father had died in his teens, there were a lot of unanswered questions. Not the kind of questions he would have wanted to ask his mother, especially given her fragile health.
“Saint Benjamin,” she teased.
“You know that’s not true. If I were a saint, I wouldn’t take the last piece of pizza,” he said as he snatched the slice and smiled before he took a big bite.
* * *
Benjamin almost didn’t go back to the lake, but something drew him. It was a cloudy night, but he spotted Vivian perched on the end of the dock, swinging her legs like a little girl. He could almost swear, however, that he saw the weight of the world on those slim but deceptively strong shoulders. Something about the sight of her made his gut tighten. His response to her still caught him off guard.
As he walked toward her, she turned to look at him. “Hi,” she said in a soft voice.
“Hi to you,” he said, but didn’t sit down to join her on the dock.
“I should apologize for acting so cranky with you,” she said.
He swallowed a chuckle. “Does that mean you are apologizing? Or just that you think should?”
“I apologize. I freaked and took it out on you. I’m sorry,” she said.
“Apology accepted,” he said and sat down beside her. “You’re still worried,” he added, glancing at the lake, then back at her.
She nodded. “I haven’t heard from Corinne Whitman Jergenson.” She paused. “But I did hear from my mother.”
“Not a sparkling experience?” he asked.
She gave a wry chuckle. “Not,” she said. “I can usually dodge her questions by steering the conversation back to her and my stepfather. But it didn’t work this time. I think she senses that both Temple and I have been avoiding her. Neither of us wanted to tell her that we were at Honeymoon Mountain, trying to repair it and make it profitable.”
“It’s not like you’ve formed a crime ring. What’s so wrong with the three of you pulling together and making this a successful joint effort?”
“Just everything. My mother has very specific ideas and plans for the people in her life. The best way to describe it is, her life is an engine and we are parts of that engine and must play our roles. Trust me, none of her plans include having her daughters bring a hunting lodge back to life.”
“Is that why none of you live near her?” he asked.
“That’s one reason,” she said and shook her head. “She’s still not over the fact that I divorced my husband. She told me I should look the other way and give it another try after he got another woman pregnant.”
“You’re joking,” he said.
“No. She said she didn’t know if she would survive the scandal among her friends.” She sighed. “It seems like she changed after she left my father and got remarried. Everything was about appearances. I went to a private girls’ school. I had a lisp, so the other kids made fun of me. My mother was determined that I make friends with the right people, so I saw a speech therapist. It took a while, but I finally lost the lisp. She was so thrilled when it was gone.” Vivian glanced down, then up again. “Of course, I was glad, too, and relieved. I was very fortunate that she had the determination and resources to help me.”
Silence stretched between them. “But?” he prompted.
She stretched her neck from side to side to relieve tension. “It’s going to sound weird, but I remember visiting my father after I’d finally lost the lisp. He said, ‘Your little girl voice is gone.’ I nodded. He said, ‘I’ll miss that, but good job. Good for you.’” She bit her lip. “They were such opposites. She was all about appearances. He couldn’t give a rip what people thought.”
“And you’ve got the best of both,” he said.
Vivian laughed. “They were both extreme, so I’m not sure what is the best of both. My biggest fear is that my mom will show up here.”
“Why?” he asked. “It’s not like she has supernatural evil powers.”
Vivian winced. “Sometimes it seems like she does. She can make you feel like the worst thing in the world. Or, on very, very rare occasions, she can make you feel like the best.”
He shrugged. “If you let her.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s all about power. If you don’t give her the power, then she doesn’t have it. She can’t tell you if you’re the worst or the best if you don’t let her. I’ve had coaches who tried to manipulate me in good ways and bad ways. You have to choose who you let influence you.”
“You sound so smart and sage,” she said.
He laughed. “Sports are about power.”
“Sometimes it’s still hard for me to believe you left it behind,” she said.
“I had something more important to do,” he said.
“Maybe you should teach me more about sports,” she said seductively.
“I can do that,” he said and leaned toward her. She lifted her head toward him.
He took her mouth with his.
At the same time, there was a commotion behind them on the dock.
Vivian drew back. “Oh, my.”
Benjamin heard a scream and a splash and instinctively rose. “What—”
“It’s Temple. She fell into the lake. She doesn’t swim that well,” Vivian said, running down the dock. “Temple!” she yelled.
Benjamin raced toward the splash and jumped into the lake. He grabbed Temple and dragged her to shore.
“What were you doing?” Vivian yelled to her sister.
“What were you doing?” Temple yelled in return.
“I didn’t dive into the lake at night!” Vivian said.
“I wasn’t making out on the dock,” Temple countered.
“A vapor was involved, but I’m not in charge of this discussion,” Benjamin said.
“You’re smoking?” Vivian exclaimed. “What in the world are you thinking? You know better than that. I can’t believe you, of all people, are smoking.”
“Mom called and grilled me today,” Temple said.
“Oh,” Vivian said. “I understand.” She sighed and turned to Benjamin winced. “I’m sorry you got wet. We can talk another time? Thank you. Temple and I need to go in now.”
“By all means,” he said, because he truly didn’t want to get involved in a sister battle.
“You’re shivering,” Vivian said to Temple. “We need to get you back to the lodge.” She urged her sister up the path to the main building. “I’m sorry Mom called you today. She called me, too. I have been putting her off, but I wasn’t as successful today.”
“Neither was I,” Temple said, her teeth chattering. “My biggest fear is that she’ll show up here unannounced.”
“I’ve been worried about the same thing,” Vivian confessed, guiding her sister down the hallway. “I was hoping her social activities would keep her too busy.”
“If she’s calling both you and me, she’s clearly not busy enough. I just hope she won’t try to call Jilly. Jilly is so fragile after being rejected by Mom.”
Vivian grabbed a
towel as they trudged into Temple’s room. “The great thing about Jilly is that she has changed her contact numbers so many times.”
“Yes, but Mom can be a pain when it comes to finding people.”
Vivian scrubbed her sister with a towel. “I think you need to get into a hot shower.”
“I think you’re right,” Temple said and went to the bathroom.
Vivian heard her sister turn on the spray. Seconds later, Temple called out, “I haven’t forgotten that you were making out with Benjamin.”
“I was hoping you had,” Vivian whispered under her breath. “Get warm,” she called.
A few moments later, Temple emerged wearing a towel on her head and a robe. She shot Vivian a questioning brow. “So, what’s up with Benjamin?”
“It’s supposed to be a secret,” Vivian confessed.
“So, this isn’t the first time you had a rendezvous on the dock?” Temple asked.
Vivian frowned. “I really don’t like discussing this.”
“As I don’t like discussing my e-cigarette.”
Vivian took a deep breath. “Okay. We’re kinda involved.”
“How involved?”
“Deep, but not forever,” Vivian said.
“How do you know it’s not forever?” Temple asked.
“Because I’m too busy for forever. I have to make things happen for the lodge,” Vivian said.
“Hmm. I’m not sure it will work that way,” Temple said.
“Should we discuss your e-cig?” Vivian asked.
“No. I smoked a little when I was in college. You know I finished my degree in three years. I was tempted when I was getting my advanced degrees, but I resisted. It’s just since Dad died,” Temple said.
“Is this my fault? I shouldn’t have pressured you into helping with the lodge,” Vivian said.
“No. I want to do this. I just have to manage my partnership and...”
“Do you need to go back to Charlotte? Go back. Go—”
“And there’s Mom,” Temple interrupted.
“Oh. Sorry,” Vivian said.
Temple took a deep breath. “It’s okay. Better now that we both know she’s after us. Whatever we do, we need to protect Jilly from her.”