“Cara!” Lisa said, recognizing her. “How are you?” There was something triumphant in her greeting, with Dan sneering at her while his hand was resting possessively on his wife’s back.
“Let’s not interrupt, okay?” Dan said, guiding Lisa away while she smiled at Cara, giving a condescending wave.
Unable to control herself, Cara got up and started to follow them. “Don’t leave. Come back and sit. We need to talk.”
Eager to hear what she had to say, Lisa was ready to follow her back, but Dan was adamant.
“Let’s not make a scene. Keep walking.”
There were police around the park, and Cara didn’t want a scene, either.
“Who’s that?” Megan asked.
Not able to hear his answer, Cara went back to her blanket and gathered her things, the day ruined. First, she texted Dan. You do not know how lucky you are. Relieved she didn’t attack him or tell Lisa the news, it was a matter of time before she’d demand he acknowledge her.
That night, after she sent him one threatening text message after another, he finally came to her townhouse.
“If you think you’re going to intimidate me into doing something I don’t want to do, rethink it, Cara. I’m not leaving my wife. She’ll know the truth about your baby when you’ve proven it’s mine. If you ever try to contact her again or approach us in public like you did today, I’ll file a restraining order against you. It would be a matter of public record and not very good for your image, ya think?”
Wanting to fly at him and claw his eyes, instead Cara started to close the door, forcing him to move back out to the porch. Monday morning, he didn’t show up. It had become a habit, stopping by her house every morning before work. Rather than texting, she called instead, which he hated.
“Are you coming by?” she asked.
“After yesterday? No. We need to lay low until this thing is over.”
“What does that mean, Dan? I’ll be living this thing alone while you play house with your child bride? I don’t think so. You’re not getting away with leaving me.”
The temptation to end the call was strong, but he was afraid she’d call Lisa. The manipulating began that day, Cara demanding his time and attention, or else. But it didn’t last long. Each day that week she’d figure out something new, and by Friday, she was threatening him with Lisa’s life. He had to tell Lisa the truth.
The limousine had just left when Cara arrived at the house, wielding a cast-iron pan to clunk Dan on the head. After she did it and he dropped to the floor, her three-month fog lifted.
“Oh my God, Dan,” she screamed, making sure he was alive before she ran off.
Looking at the ceiling, it took a second to reorient himself. Cara! Afraid that she’d go to Pam’s house, he reached for his phone, aware that something warm was running down the back of his neck, and dialed 9-1-1.
The chaos at the beach was slowing down when Andy Andretti finally knocked on the door.
“What do you want?” Pam frowned. “I called to report my daughter being threatened and you’re the only cop available? Honestly, what do our taxes get used for in this town?”
“I’m sorry, Pam. It’s just a coincidence that I get the calls for your house. Can I come in? I’ll take your report, but I also have something to tell you.”
Stepping aside so he could pass, she thought, Relax, how bad could it be? Lisa’s here, safe. “What is it?”
“Your son-in-law was attacked, and he feared the attacker might come after Lisa.”
“I guess since he’s afraid for Lisa, the attacker didn’t kill him.”
Andy turned to her, surprised at her sarcasm. “No, he’s not dead. A minor head wound from being struck with a pan.”
Pam involuntarily laughed and then regained her composure. The visual of Cara hitting Dan over the head with a frying pan brought her great joy. “Wait, and I’ll get Lisa so you can tell her yourself.” She left the room before he could argue.
Going to the veranda while he waited, the peaceful beach was a reminder that this serene view was a smokescreen for the most dramatic house in Babylon. He met Pam in the early weeks after Jack died, when his brother, Bill, broke into the beach house and tried to kill Nelda. Pam shot him right in the elbow. Andy came to the house that day to question her, and the attraction was immediate. He broke every department rule about getting involved with a victim/defendant. They’d enjoyed a brief, romantic fling until she dropped the bomb that she had AIDS. Shamed, he remembered the speed he used getting away from her that day, the number of ill-matched dates he had trying to fill her shoes. He was still unattached and filled with regrets when he saw Jason squire Pam around town. It looked like she was in love at last.
Frantic voices and footsteps on marble announced Pam was back with Lisa in tow.
“Is he in the hospital?” Lisa asked.
“Just to check out his head wound. It appears to be a superficial scalp wound, but even minor ones always bleed profusely.”
Pleadingly, Lisa looked at Pam, remembering not being there at the hospital for Ed when he was dying. “Mother, what do you think?”
Turning her back, Pam busied herself with imaginary items on the counter. Wanting to say, He can rot in hell, for Andy’s sake, she played the concerned mother-in-law role.
“Why don’t you call him? He’ll let you know if you need to go.”
Lisa left the kitchen to retrieve her phone.
“Do they know who attacked him?” Pam asked, sure it was Cara Ellison.
“Yes, he gave information to the Smithtown officers. Since the woman is from Babylon, we’ll keep a car parked here in front of the house as a precaution until she’s picked up.”
Pam didn’t answer, thinking that the whole town knew who Cara Ellison was, cheering her on in the ’90s during her reign as Miss New York, supporting her, and now she’d be humiliated beyond belief, and it of her own making.
Chapter 25
Natalie would’ve found the city unbearable after Ted moved out if Deborah, who worked from his office downtown, wasn’t staying at the apartment with her. Then Zach asked if he could move in, too. Zach decided to take over managing Ashton’s real estate staging business when Ted offered it to him. Although Natalie was delighted her daughter and future son-in-law would be there, she needed to move on. So she bit her tongue and asked Ted for yet another favor: could she move into the cabin upstate for the summer.
He immediately said, “Of course!”
She was there a week when she ran into Ben Lawson. “I’m so sorry about my backwoods behavior last year,” he begged. “I was jealous of Ashton, and it was easier to be hateful than address my own inadequacies.”
Thinking, Wow, this guy has done some work, she readily accepted his apology. “We never have to mention his name again,” she said, leaving out how she’d avoided talking to Ashton, refusing his calls, and him taking his life. “He’s gone now.”
“I heard,” Ben said sadly. “But I’m glad you’re here. Will you be my date for dinner tonight?”
So they’d spent the summer together, and their lovemaking became real love, not just sex, although Ben claimed it was always more than just sex to him.
“I’m crushed! You were just using me,” he teased.
“Only the first time,” she pleaded. “Forgive me?”
With Natalie occupied and Deborah and Zach taking over a big part of the headaches of business for Ted, he had the time and energy to pursue a relationship with Jeff Babcock. A week after retrieving Jack Smith’s pornographic video tapes, Jeff had taken a leap of faith and called Ted.
“I was hoping you’d be free this weekend,” Jeff said.
“You beat me to the punch!” Ted exclaimed. “I was just going to call you. Am I ever free this weekend!” His heart was pounding. He was hoping for a coffee date, and the guy was asking for a weekend of his time. But what did he have to be afraid of? What could he lose? “Yes, I’m free. What did you have in mind?”
“You kno
w about my place upstate. In Rhinebeck. There are a couple of gallery openings this weekend. Very relaxed, nothing fancy.”
Ted thought of Ashton; he’d jump at a chance to do something like this. It couldn’t hurt Ted to try it. “Okay, I can use a relaxed, unfancy weekend.”
They laughed heartily.
“I’ll pick you up. It will be right on my way,” Jeff said.
After they hung up, it unexpectedly occurred to Jeff that Pam might take offense if he was seeing the partner of an old flame of Jack’s. Jason had just arrived for the weekend and was heading to her house when Jeff stopped him.
“Let me talk to her before you go, okay? I need to clear something up first.”
Jason agreed to wait while Jeff walked over to Pam’s.
“Do you have a second? I know you’re waiting for Jason,” Jeff said. They hugged, and he gave her a peck on the cheek. “You know you’re my best friend,” Jeff started off saying.
“Oh no, what now?” Pam said, frightened.
“I want to date Ted Dale.”
Pam frowned, the name meaning nothing to her.
“Ashton Hageman’s widower.”
“Oh, right. Okay, that’s fine,” Pam said. “I’m happy you are interested. It will keep things in the family, so to speak.” They laughed and hugged again.
“I’m happy you’re dating my brother-in-law, by the way. My ex isn’t thrilled, but she’ll get over it.”
“Why would she care?” Pam asked, confused. “His wife has been gone for years.”
“She swore you and I were involved,” he said, smiling.
“If only,” Pam said wistfully.
“Yes,” Jeff answered. “I feel the same way. But at least she’s finally convinced I’m gay.”
Leaving Pam’s to prepare for the weekend, Jeff hadn’t been this excited in a long while. He liked everything about Ted, his dapper good looks, the elegant way he walked. He was a gentleman.
Ted, however, was a nervous wreck. He called Natalie when he hung up with Jeff. “I know things are still strained between us,” he said. “But I have a date and need to talk, and you’re the only person I want to talk to.”
“Oh my dear, I am so happy for you. Truly. You never need to hesitate calling me. You’re the father of my daughter. I’ll always love you.”
“Nats, I’ll always love you, too. I’m sorry again about everything.”
“Stop, Ted. Now tell me what’s happening.”
He gave her all the details, and she was elated.
“Oh my God! We need someone with a beach house, Ted. Promise me if it gets serious, you’ll invite me for the weekend. I’ll cook and clean, garden, whatever you need.”
“Jeff’s a gourmet chef,” Ted replied. “And his yard has been in the Sunday House and Garden section of the New York Times for the past ten years running.” They laughed, thinking about Natalie’s tiny two-bedroom in the Village. “But I’ll get an invitation for you if it works out with Jeff. His ex-wife’s brother is dating Pam Smith, by the way.”
“Is that our six-degrees of separation?”
“Maybe,” Ted said. “I keep thinking how much Ashton would love Jeff’s life. He’s a foodie and an art aficionado, just like Ashton fancied himself to be when he wasn’t pining away for Jack.”
They were silent, thinking about what Ted had just said. Ashton wasted his life wanting someone who didn’t want him completely. It was a good lesson for them both.
“Anyway, have a wonderful time. You deserve a great weekend. Keep an eye out for a piece of artwork. You’ll have it as a reminder of your first date if things work out for the two of you,” she said. They said good-bye and hung up.
When Ted walked by the hallway mirror, he realized he was smiling. Natalie didn’t need a mirror to know she was smiling, because she had never felt so much love in her heart. Ted was like a brother, someone she would always have in her life. Everything would be okay.
Ted took extra care packing for the weekend. He couldn’t help thinking what Ashton would’ve chosen for him. With that eye, he was careful to leave behind anything stained or tattered or from last season. Well, the season before Ashton died. Ted didn’t shop, and he hadn’t shopped for himself in the past year. Watching from the dining room window, he saw a car pull up and handsome Jeff get out and signal to the doorman. The buzzer rang out as Jeff was announced. Taking his suitcase down in the elevator, Ted felt a little like a teenaged girl going on an overnighter without her mother’s permission.
When he stepped out of the building, Jeff quickly came forward to help put the suitcase in the car. It was absurd that the men had seen each other once for sixty seconds at Pam’s house weeks ago and then a short visit when Jeff came to collect the videos. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
“It’s not too late to back out,” Jeff said.
“We’re not going to an orgy, correct? A weekend of art sounds great. And I haven’t had a decent meal in over a month.” He flushed, thinking how Jeff might interpret it.
“No orgy unless you want one,” Jeff replied, winking at him. “And I have a great meal or two planned for you.”
They talked easily during the tip, Jeff surprised Ted had a place upstate, too. “My daughter’s mother is spending the summer there, so I didn’t have to worry about renting it out.”
“Oh, I never would allow strangers to stay at my place,” Jeff said. “You’ll see why when we arrive.”
“How often do you come up here?” Ted thought of that gorgeous beach and wondered how a place in Rhinebeck could compare.
“Every weekend I can,” Jeff said. “I could come during the week, but I got into the habit of staying in Babylon because of work, and now that I’m retired, I like my routine. Why are you still working, if I may ask?”
“Force of habit, I think. I didn’t want to miss out on making the money, especially now that the market is better. My daughter just graduated from Rutgers and has a knack for sales, so I’m letting her acclimate before I dump the whole thing on her.”
“Do you travel?”
“No. Well, I used to when Ashton was alive. I like it here enough that I’m reluctant to leave.”
“I know just what you mean!”
They pulled off the freeway into Rhinebeck, a quaint little borough. Ted wasn’t impressed, but kept his mouth shut. Assuming when Jeff pulled into a driveway that the tiny house at the back of the lot belonged to him, Ted wasn’t sure both men would fit inside.
“Wow, is this your place?” he asked stupidly. No, asshole, we’re going to break in.
“It sure is,” Jeff said proudly. “Wait until you see inside.”
Ted was alarmed at the timber exterior; it looked like a firetrap. But the good thing was that if he had to jump for it, it was so tiny the second-story windows were not that far from the ground. After getting their bags out of the trunk, Ted followed Jeff up the slate pathway. The door was arched and barely tall enough for the men to get through without stooping down. Once inside, Ted was further shocked. The front door opened onto a tiny living space jam-packed with modern furniture. There was a beautiful stone fireplace with an unwieldy flat-screen television over the mantel.
“Do you like sports?” Ted asked, hopeful.
“Oh God, yes, I follow all the teams. As a matter of fact, I could be talked into season tickets for any team, no matter how far away.” Retirement was looking better to Ted. “Do you like sports?”
“Yes,” Ted said shortly. “Is there anything else?”
Jeff laughed, a loud guffaw. “Food. I like to buy it, cook it and eat it. I’ve been told I’m a bore about it.”
“Bore me, then! I’ll learn.”
“Wine. I like wine, too.” Ted hadn’t heard about Jeff’s snobbery yet. “I’m a huge supporter of the local vintners. Come with me.”
They put their bags in a pile by a narrow, steep staircase with a low roof; Ted’s claustrophobia surged through him. “I’m not sure about that staircase,” he ad
mitted.
“A glass or two of Pinot noir and you won’t care about the stairs.”
Going down another narrow steep staircase to the basement, Ted was afraid he’d be trapped down there, breathing deeply.
Jeff heard and turned around, grabbing his arm. “I promise you, you’re safe, okay? There are Bilco doors in back leading to the alley if we have a fire, and we aren’t going to have a fire. This house is two hundred years old, and it hasn’t burned yet.” A very narrow hallway led to a doorway made from a round barrel top.
“Well, this is cool,” Ted said, relaxing. “You have a wine cellar?”
“I do.” He pushed the door open to a well-stocked room with a barrel table surrounded by four bar stools in the middle.
“This is great!” Ted exclaimed, not put off by the tacky barrel set, although he knew Ashton would be appalled.
“Thank you,” Jeff replied, remembering another visitor, Pam’s sister Marie, who was ready to camp out down there among the wine bottles. “We can choose a bottle to open now if you’d like.”
“I’m ready,” Ted answered. Suitcases still heaped on the floor, the men sat in the basement of Jeff’s old house and drank the first of many bottles of wine together. He’d later tell Natalie he felt like a teenager, being with Jeff was so much fun.
Later that evening, Ted managed to get up the stairs without killing himself, and Jeff showed him his room, the very same one Marie had stayed in years before. They dressed for dinner, and Jeff called a car to take them to the best restaurant in town, where they had a fabulous meal.
By the end of the weekend, Ted knew he was in love. Jeff was smart and witty, handsome and charming. He seemed proud to be with Ted when they went out in public, and when they were home, he was attentive and considerate. They didn’t have sex the first night, but they talked about it and decided they were old enough to wait until they were sure it meant something to the both of them.
In Memoriam Page 21