by Terri DuLong
I was beginning to feel more grateful each day. “Oh, you have to meet Mavis Anne. You’ll just love her. Well, let’s take our wine inside. That lasagna should be about ready.”
* * *
The girls and Brenda helped me clean up after dinner. We had just finished loading the dishwasher and I looked around the kitchen.
“I think that’s it,” I said. “Thanks for your help.”
“That was delicious,” Brenda said. “I can’t thank you enough for having Tina and me to dinner. I’m not sure if she told you, but we just have an efficiency apartment on the beach. So my ability to cook is very limited.”
For somebody who loved to cook that must be difficult. I recalled some of the run-down motels along the beach and assumed that was where they lived.
“Do you want me to go check on Mavis Anne?” Haley asked.
I glanced at the clock and saw it was just past seven thirty. “No, that’s okay. There are cupcakes for dessert if you girls would like some. I’m going to make coffee for Brenda and me and then I thought I’d take her over to meet Mavis Anne.”
“Oh, okay. Tell her I’ll be over by nine thirty to spend the night with her. We’re going to go watch a video.”
I saw a smile cross Brenda’s face. “I’m very happy that Tina met such a nice girl as Haley. It’s so scary today with kids.”
“I feel the same way. Haley had a bad experience with bullying at school before we moved here, so I was hoping she’d meet some nice kids. She’s made a good circle of friends, but it’s obvious that Tina is her favorite.”
Brenda nodded. “Yeah, Tina feels the same way. Having a close female friend is good. I’ve never had one.”
I was surprised to hear this. “Really?” I said, thinking of Petra and was not able to picture my life without her in it.
She shook her head. “Oh, as a kid in Mexico I did, but when we came to America, I lost touch with them. I had a few friends at school in Texas but I didn’t have a lot of free time, helping my mother at the restaurant after school and on weekends. So it made it difficult to be part of a group. And then I went to college for nursing and I guess I was more focused on my studies than socializing.”
I found this to be sad. Every girl or woman should have that one special person she could depend on, no matter what. But Brenda had never experienced that kind of friendship.
She accepted the mug of coffee that I passed her and waved her other hand in the air. “Oh, I’m not complaining. Not at all. I’m very grateful to be here, to have my job and to see my daughter so happy.”
I liked Brenda Sanchez. I’d only known her a few hours but I could tell she was a special person and we were developing a connection.
“Come on,” I said. “Take your coffee and let’s go check on Mavis Anne.”
We walked out the French doors and Brenda said, “Oh, is that the yarn shop over there?”
“Yes. Do you knit or crochet?”
“I love to knit. My mother taught me when I was a child. She was an expert knitter. But I haven’t knitted in quite a while. I had to fill the car only with essentials when we came here, so I didn’t bring any of my yarn stash.”
Leaving a yarn stash behind? Yes, Brenda was special and made me realize she was the type of person who not only wasn’t selfish but also didn’t seem resentful of the hand life had dealt her.
“Well, you should stop by the shop sometime. We have loads of yarn and needles and all kinds of fun stuff.”
“Yeah, maybe,” was all she said, and I could have kicked myself. It was pretty obvious that money for yarn wasn’t an option right now.
* * *
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Mavis Anne said after I made the introductions. “And I simply adore your daughter. She and Haley are my two favorite girls.”
Brenda smiled as she sat down. “Thank you. She’s a good girl. I’m not sure what I would have done without her these past few years.”
“And Isabelle told me you’re a nurse at the hospital. So you like our community?”
“Oh, I do. Very much. Koi House is your childhood home?”
“Yes, I grew up there with my sister and brother. But I won’t lie, I love living here with David and Clive. Not that they spoil me or anything, but I’m happy Koi House has the energy of Isabelle and Haley living there.”
If Brenda thought it odd that a house could have energy she didn’t say anything. I saw her glance at the sweater that Mavis Anne was working on.
“That’s a beautiful sweater. I love doing cables.”
“Oh, you’re a knitter? How nice. You’ll have to join us for a knit-along or one of the knitting groups.”
“Thank you, but we’ll see. I work a lot of hours . . . and right now my time is limited.”
“Well, you drop by whenever you want. You’ll be very welcome.”
After about thirty minutes, Brenda looked at her watch and said she needed to get Tina and head home.
“I’m working day shift tomorrow for some overtime, in addition to my normal night shift,” she explained.
I walked back to the house with her and we hugged before Brenda thanked me again for dinner and a wonderful evening.
I watched her pull out of the driveway in an older model car and knew she was one of so many single parents trying to get along in life. For the first time, I felt a twinge of guilt. I had thought I’d had hard times, but I had a feeling they were probably nothing in comparison to what Brenda had endured since she was a child.
Chapter 19
We had just returned from Mavis Anne’s hair appointment. “Can you stay and have coffee with me?” she asked.
It wasn’t quite four and I had two hours before Chadwick was picking me up. “Yes, that would be nice. Have you heard from David?”
“I have,” she said as she prepared the coffeemaker. “They’re having a wonderful time. He said the weather is perfect. They’re shopping, enjoying the Italian food and wine, and also relaxing. So it sounds like the perfect getaway.”
“That’s wonderful. Any mention of your yarn yet?”
Mavis Anne laughed. “Not yet, but he assured me they’re going to focus on that tomorrow.”
A few minutes later we were settled with our coffee, and Mavis Anne asked about my mother.
“Isn’t she arriving next week?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I haven’t heard from her, but Haley told me she flies down here a week from today.”
“Are you feeling any better about her coming?”
“I can’t do anything about it, so it really doesn’t matter,” I said, and heard that sulky tone in my voice again.
“Well, I hope you won’t think I’m disloyal . . . but I’d really like to meet her.”
I wasn’t surprised to hear this. Mavis Anne Overby was a people person. She welcomed meeting new people; my mother would be no exception.
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll meet her. My mother is a knitter. Or at least she used to be when I was a kid. I don’t know that much about her now. But I’m sure Haley will convince her to stop by the yarn shop after she gets settled in.”
“That would be nice,” was all Mavis Anne said on the subject. “So Chadwick is having you to dinner this evening. I’m sure you’ll enjoy that. In case you haven’t gathered, he’s one of my favorite people.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I sort of thought so.”
“Chadwick is such a wonderful addition to the community. He’s quite the philanthropist and hosts fund-raisers for various causes. We really appreciate all that he does.”
I recalled that Chloe had mentioned this to me.
“He does seem to be a very giving person and that’s a good trait to have.”
“Oh, he is. Wait until you see the Fourth of July gala that he’ll be hosting. He has it at his home every year and the proceeds go to the local hospital.”
That was still five months away; I didn’t know if Chadwick would continue to be in my life then. After the breakup of my marriage and the reason
behind it, I still wasn’t feeling all that confident when it came to romance.
“Well,” I said after finishing my coffee, “I need to get home. Chadwick is picking me up at six.”
“You be sure to tell that handsome man I said hello, and you have a wonderful evening,” Mavis told me.
* * *
Chadwick arrived just before six. I opened the door to see a huge smile on his face.
“Hey,” he said. “Ready to dine at Chez Chadwick?”
I laughed. “I am. Just let me grab a sweater.”
“Your daughter isn’t home?” he asked when I walked back to the living room.
“No, she’s having dinner with Mavis Anne tonight. Which reminds me, Mavis Anne said to be sure to say hello to you.” I left out the part about him being handsome.
“She’s a character,” he said and laughed. “All set?”
“I am.”
We drove the short distance down Beach Avenue and pulled into a circular driveway on the right. Not ostentatious but certainly a lovely brick home that sat back from the sidewalk and was surrounded by a black wrought iron fence.
As I walked in the front door, my gaze went straight back to the open living room and patio area, which overlooked the Halifax River.
“This is just beautiful,” I said.
“Come on in the kitchen. We’ll have a glass of wine before I start grilling the steaks.”
“Sounds good,” I told him as I followed behind.
Chadwick uncorked a bottle of red, filled two glasses and passed one to me.
“Cheers,” he said.
I nodded and took a sip. “Oh, this is very good.”
“I hoped you’d enjoy it. I brought it back from Italy last year.”
I noticed a stainless steel built-in wine cooler and realized this man certainly knew his wines.
“Do you travel a lot?” I asked.
He reached into the fridge and removed a platter of various cheeses before filling a bowl with crackers.
“Let’s sit on the patio,” he said, and I followed him out to the screened area. “I don’t really travel a lot,” he explained. “But I do enjoy visiting Europe. The food, the wine . . . I love all of it. Have you been to Italy?”
I was almost ashamed to admit that I’d never been to Europe. I didn’t even own a passport. My college dream of traveling the world never materialized after I met Roger.
I shook my head. “No, I’m afraid not. I always wanted to travel, especially to Europe. Of course, Paris, and I wanted to visit Prague and Vienna. But, well . . . life kind of intervened and that never happened.”
“Oh, that’s a shame,” he said, and he looked sincerely sorry. “Everybody should visit those places at least once.”
Call me silly, but I had the strangest feeling that Chadwick Price was determined to make that happen for me.
“Well, if this wine is any example of the great wines in Italy, I’d say it was well worth the trip.” I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d visited there solo or had a female companion with him.
“So how did your dinner with Tina and her mother go?” he asked.
I was surprised that he showed interest in the little things going on in my life.
“Very well. I like Brenda a lot. She’s another single mom, but she’s really struggling. Working full-time and finding it difficult, I’m sure. But she’s not a complainer. She seemed really happy to just be living here. I’m not sure what kind of situation she left back in Texas, but it’s obvious she’s happy to be away from it. It makes me feel extra grateful that Roger has been generous financially to Haley and me.”
He nodded. “Yeah, some women go through very difficult times. I sponsor various fund-raisers for the domestic abuse center in town and I’m always amazed at the strength and resilience of some of those women.” He took a sip of wine. “Have you heard from your mother? Doesn’t she arrive soon?”
“Yeah, a week from today. I haven’t heard from her, but she’s been in touch with Haley. She’ll be staying at a hotel for one night and the movers arrive the next day.”
“I imagine Haley is happy her grandmother will be living so close.”
I nodded. “I think she is. With so much distance between them, they never had a chance to develop a proper relationship. So I imagine they will now.”
“How do you feel about that?”
I shrugged. “Hey, it’s between them. I certainly would never stop Haley from seeing her. I just plan to keep my own distance.”
He took the last sip of his wine and stood up. “Well, let me get the grill fired up.”
“Can I do anything to help?”
“Sure. You can get the table set out here. I thought we’d eat on the patio.”
I followed Chadwick into the house, where he pointed to where the dishes and silverware were located.
I arranged the place mats and table settings and then stood gazing out at the river. Such a pretty spot—a beautiful terraced area with brick steps leading down to a brick patio, all of it surrounded by a black wrought iron fence. That was when I noticed a pontoon boat moored to the dock.
“Is that your boat?” I asked as Chadwick placed steaks on the grill.
“Yeah, it is. We’ll have to take it out sometime. Maybe Haley and Tina would also like to go for a ride.”
That was considerate of him. “Oh, I’m sure they’d love that.”
Following a delicious dinner of steak, salad, and rice pilaf we settled down on the patio sofa to finish off the wine.
“Are you sure you don’t want coffee?” he asked.
“No, the wine is fine. Thanks.”
“How are the wedding plans coming for Chloe?”
“Very well. We’re going shopping in a couple of weeks for our dresses. She’s asked Haley to stand up for her and, needless to say, Haley is thrilled.”
He laughed. “Yes, all young girls love a wedding. I’m really happy for Chloe—Henry seems like a great guy.”
“He is. Haley and I like him a lot. After losing my dad, Chloe deserved another chance at love. I’m just glad that my father met her and she came into my life. We’ve become very close these past few years.”
“That’s really nice. Yeah, I think everybody deserves another chance. Especially when it comes to love.”
He took my wineglass and placed it on the table before he leaned over to kiss me. My arms automatically went around his neck. This man definitely had kissing down to a science. Like the last time, when we pulled away we were both breathing heavily.
He nuzzled his face in my neck. “You’re a great kisser. Did you know that?” he said, and I detected huskiness in his tone.
“Hmm . . . no . . .” I began to say before he kissed me again.
“You are,” he whispered when he moved away and let out a deep breath. “Very much so.”
There was no doubt about it. His kissing turned me on. But it also confused me. I wasn’t at all sure where we were going from here. I wasn’t even sure exactly where I wanted to go.
I let out a deep sigh.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
He passed my wineglass back to me and took a sip of his own.
Reaching for my hand, he said, “Isabelle, I like you. A lot. I know you’re just coming out of a bad relationship. But I need you to know . . . I want you to know . . . you mean a lot to me. I enjoy being with you and I’d like us to continue seeing each other. I have no idea where we’ll end up . . . but for right now, I want to be with you. If that’s what you want.”
I knew that I did. “Yes,” I said, and smiled. “Yes. I’d like that very much.”
His smile matched mine. “Good.”
He leaned over and placed another kiss on my lips.
“So does that mean I can be your plus-one at Chloe’s wedding?” he asked.
I laughed. “Oh, so all of this was only to wangle a wedding invite?”
He pulled me into an embrace. “Not at all,�
�� he said. “Not at all.”
And I knew I was about to embark on a new chapter in my life.
Chapter 20
I was in the yarn shop the following Thursday afternoon knitting with the group and only half listening to the conversations going on around me. My mind kept wandering to Chadwick. I had seen him twice more since dinner at his house. We had gone to the movies one evening and out for Italian food and drinks the night before. Things were definitely heating up with us—and this had me both excited and apprehensive.
I looked up to see Haley walk in the door.
“Did you come to knit with us?” Yarrow asked.
Haley plopped down on the sofa and shook her head. “Not really,” she said. “Mom, do you think you could drive me over to the hotel so I could see Nana?”
I felt a table of women’s eyes staring at me. My mother had flown into Orlando that morning but I hadn’t thought Haley would want to see her immediately.
“You have homework, don’t you?” I said.
“Yeah, but I can do it after supper. Nana said I could have dinner with her at the hotel restaurant.”
For somebody who hadn’t been around for thirty years, my mother was wasting no time making arrangements with my daughter.
“Oh, that’s nice,” I heard Mavis Anne say.
“So can I, Mom?” Haley asked again.
I didn’t see any way I could refuse. “Yeah, okay. I’ll drive you over.” I got up and placed my knitting on the table. “I’ll be back,” was all I said to the group before walking out the door.
I had remained silent driving up Granada Boulevard with Haley. “So do I have to come back and get you?” I now asked.
“No. Nana said she’ll drive me back. She just doesn’t know the area yet but she said I can show her where we live and she’ll drive me back.”
How nice, I thought, but only said, “Okay. But I want you home by seven. You’ll still have to get your homework done.”
When I pulled up to the front door of the hotel to drop Haley off, she looked at me and said, “Oh. Don’t you want to come in to see her?”
“No. I really don’t. You go and visit with her and I’ll see you at home by seven.”