by J D Worth
“Audrey, I haven’t sent you anything.” My stomach drops while my heart rockets in panic. “Do you comprehend anything I am saying to you? This isn’t about you. They placed my brand new wife on complete bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy, or she’ll likely miscarry my child.”
“Perhaps if she ate properly things might be going better—”
“That’s enough, Audrey!” My father’s clipped tone echoes over the phone.
“That baby is my sibling too! She’s growing a baby. She’s supposed to gain weight. That’s what her body needs.” There’s a sharp breath on his end. “Oh, my goodness, you honestly didn’t know, did you? Then please get her help! This is not diet related. Anorexia is a mental health disorder that needs delicate handling.”
“No more on this subject again.” His voice bears an underlying threat as my uneasy stomach rolls over in surrender.
“As you wish, William.”
“Warren clapped me on the back when he dropped me off at Harvard and wished me the best of luck. I knew the expectations upon me, and I followed through. The next time I saw him was at his wake. I told you how this is going to unfold. You may have been born with the Aster name, but you must earn your place. Good luck, Audrey.”
I stare at the phone, replaying my father’s directive. Of course, he’d put me up at a fancy hotel during breaks. Georgina got her wish. A stabbing sensation runs down my spine, grasping how easily she booted me from their New York life.
I’m not worth a damn until I get my master’s degree. The tough love message rings in my ears like a bad thunderstorm. What does that mean for the next six years of my life? William is removing all obstacles that may interfere with my success and expects me to focus only on my studies. Am I supposed to stay in Boston the whole time? What about the summers interning at Aster Holdings and Trust? This is the first I’ve heard of my Grandfather Warren doing the same with my father. The path may be paid for, yet I still have to prove I’m worthy of being an Aster. Something I’ve had to do my entire life.
Still stuck with my feet in the sand, Mace comes up behind me and holds out the bottle of Jack. He’s already anticipating my needs before I’m aware of them myself. I grab the bottle, downing a few long pulls.
“Princess, everything good?”
I take a few more sips to make sure there’s a flickering fire in my belly, rooting me deep to the ground. “Yes, eventually. My stepmother’s on bed rest with her pregnancy. They don’t want me back. Not even at Lilith’s.” The corners of my mouth pull down. A moment passes before the rest of what my father said sinks in.
“What’s he making you do?”
My granted wish of staying here is almost too good to be true. I whisper, “I’m here for the summer. We have the rest of the summer together.” I hold back tears as mixed emotions rip through me. “We have until the last Monday in August. My father will send a car for me at nine in the morning. I’ll fly into Logan, and he’ll house me in a hotel until I can move into my dorm. He’s forbidding me from taking my car.” I bite back sorrow at the impending loss of my mother’s car. “He’s removing all obstacles as usual. I won’t be able to drive back down here.”
Mace grasps my face with his hands, gazing into my eyes. I sink my fingers into his waist, hoping to land somewhere safe once my head stops spinning. He kisses me hard. “I’ll come get you. Nothing changes between us while you’re here. You’re mine and belong on the back of my bike. I’m still in some serious shit because of my daddy, so our deal stands. We pick this discussion back up in the fall when the geography between us shifts. Got me, Princess?”
I nod at him, sharing a small tentative smile. This sudden shift doesn’t change my long-term plans that still don’t include Mace. We can enjoy each other’s company during my detour here for the summer. “Mace, William didn’t send that postcard.”
“Well, fuck.” He tilts his head. I shake off a shiver as he snatches my hand up, leading me back.
Everyone at the bonfire is watching me, expecting my farewell news. “I’m staying the summer.” I pull my shoulders in deep. Violet leaps out of her chair towards me. We land on our asses, laughing in the sand. Mace helps us up as we giggle and shake sand from our clothes. “My stepmother’s having a difficult pregnancy, so I’m here until the last week in August.”
Payton jumps up. “Oh, that’s perfect! Not about your stepmomma, but you staying. We head back to BCC on that Wednesday. We really get to keep you for the whole summer?”
“Yes.” I share a big smile.
“Come here, Baby Girl!” Her arms spring open, and we laugh as she hugs me.
Cal wraps the both of us up in a big hug. “Audrey, you gotta come to little brother’s birthday. The whole crew comes. We have a big ole celebration. Pop would love to see you again.”
Grinning, I say, “Can’t wait.”
“Good,” he says, patting my shoulder. “I’m glad you get to have Haven at least for the summer. Why the glum look?”
“My stepmother is basically banishing me to Boston. Seriously, she’s not allowing me back at the apartment. William is housing me in hotels in Boston—”
“Goof, wouldn’t you say this is a blessing in disguise? They can’t keep tabs on you in Boston like in New York. Just ’cause they book the hotel room doesn’t mean you actually have to stay there.”
Cal works up an infection smile that spreads to me. “You’re right! You’re going to make me cry, Cal.” I blink as a tear escapes the corner of my eye.
He swipes my lone tear away. “You’ll learn soon enough, I’ll always have your back, Goof!” Cal ruffles my hair, and we both let out a laugh. “Time to expand that bucket list!” And time for me to find the secret postcard sender. Welcome home, indeed.
25
A few days later, Cal shows up in the morning with Aiden in tow at my doorstep, looking frazzled.
He wipes his brow. “Thank goodness you’re home, Audrey.”
“Hey, Cal, what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry to do this, but I’ve run into a tight situation this morning. I’m supposed to meet a plumber up in Baker to fix a sewer overflow, so I can’t bring Aiden along. His caretaker had to rush her husband to the hospital this morning.”
“Do you need me to watch Aiden?” I ask. “I’m free, yet have no experience with children. None at all.”
“I know. I’m sorry. The summer’s hard ’cause there’s no one ’round. Boyce usually watches him when unexpected things come up, but he’s off visiting with Walt’s momma for a few days. Violet is at a theater workshop all week. Payton’s working, and Candace is sleeping for her night shift. Hal’s wife watches him on occasion, but she’s off to summer camp with her girls.”
“Okay, tell me what to do then.” I shrug while panic floods my insides.
“I do have a reinforcement coming later. Till then, Aiden has a preschooler story time at ten at the Harbor Bay Library for ’bout forty-five minutes that he never misses. With the heat, he sometimes takes a late morning nap and eats lunch when he wakes up. He’s a great kid. Really, he won’t give you any trouble. Everybody loves him. Here, I packed a few things. I’m gonna put his booster seat in your car since you’ve never strapped one in before.” Cal passes over a bag full of kid gear that I look at, mortified. I don’t have a clue what to do with a child, let alone know how to entertain one all day.
“What if we come with you? I’ll watch him on your job site in case anything comes up.” I plead.
Cal drops his large beefy hand on my shoulder and reassures me with a laugh. “Audrey, you’ve got this. You eat businessmen for breakfast. A preschooler is a piece of cake.”
“Food! I don’t even know what to feed him. Do I have permission to bribe him with cupcakes?” Aiden wanders around my cottage, exploring the new surroundings.
“He likes everything. Oh, and if he says ‘winkie’ he’s not asking for a Twinkie, so you’d better hit the head as quick as possible
.”
“Hit the head? Kids come with their own languages? Can I download an app for this?”
“Just means he’s gotta use the potty. Though, he usually goes outside on flowers if we’re on a job site. Blue and yellow flowers are his favorite targets.” Cal pats Aiden’s head while he chuckles. “Little brother here is still learning how to aim, so we do what we can. You got bleach, right?”
“Oh.” My head turns with all the new information.
“This one is for the books.” Cal pops off another steep chuckle. “He’s a great kid. He’ll do great.”
“What about me?” I reply while Aiden plays peek-a-boo with Cal behind my legs.
“We’ll have to see.” Cal winks as he ducks down. “Okay, Little Buddy, Audrey is gonna play with you today. She’s our fun new friend who gave you the kitties, so you be a good boy.” He ruffles his head, and we follow him out of the cottage. Cal makes quick work of installing the booster seat in my car, explaining how to fasten the straps before leaving. “Sorry, Goof, to lay this on you, but I gotta run. Thank you.”
In a panic, I blurt out, “In my world, children stay home with their nannies while their parents attend social functions in the city. I don’t even run into children by accident. They’re like mythical creatures.”
“No, that’s what happens when folks get frisky in life.” Cal chuckles as he scoops up Aiden and brings him back into my living room. “Think of this as practice. Maybe someday you’ll have your own children.” My face pales as Cal jets out the door. Aiden’s eyes bulge as he watches Cal’s truck leave my driveway from the living room window, grasping his brother’s not coming back for him.
“Okay. Hi, Aiden. Do you remember me? I’m Audrey. How are your kittens?” He looks at me with fat tears and a trembling lip. “What do you want to play?” I try distracting him by taking out his toys.
When he pushes them away, I look around the cottage for something interesting to catch his attention. I grab a colorful, iridescent shell off the shelf and offer him the distraction, which he drops to the floor. He wipes his crying eyes with balled fists.
“Bubba!”
I open his backpack, hoping to find his “bubba.” I end up offering him his juice cup. He refuses to take the drink and cries louder. It’s only been two minutes, so I can’t bother Cal yet by calling him. A room full of surly businessmen is easier to contend with compared to one unhappy child.
Time for that bribe. I grab a Twinkie and sit by him, but not too close. “Aiden, do you want a piece of this yummy treat?” His lip trembles. I hand him a small piece and his juice cup.
My pacing heart begins to calm when he scoots closer to me as I offer another chunk. “Let’s play with your trucks.” I make funny noises, driving the construction vehicles around. Once the Twinkie is all gone, he plays with me. My dramatic crashing of vehicles and rumbling noises incites giggles as he warms up and plays beside me.
“Wow. That two hours sped by fast. Guess we were having lots of fun, huh?” I glance at the oversized old world clock on the wall. “We have story time at the library now.”
“Wory at wibary?” Aiden says, but I can’t make much out of his gibberish. I pack his stuff and get him to follow me out to the car with another Twinkie. A few painful minutes pass while I figure out the booster seat straps, and we’re off to the library. Once there, I’m surprised he doesn’t want me to put him down, so I have to carry him.
We pass a flower garden where a plaque shares the history of how the brick building was the town’s original schoolhouse a hundred years ago. I learn that not only had my Grandmother Beth started a town library, but she also preserved an important part of Bell Peninsula’s history. Several other young children play in a corner, so I convince Aiden to join them. He runs over and plays with a puppet theater.
The mothers begin rounding up their kids by sitting around a colorful alphabet rug, so I sit by Aiden. The librarian settles herself into an overstuffed chair as we all go around the circle, singing a song to introduce the kids. She follows with more animated songs. Aiden crawls into my lap, teaching me the cute finger songs. I’m overdramatic with my playful movements since he seems to like me acting goofy. The older librarian reads three stories followed by a farewell song. Aiden goes back to playing with the puppets with another little boy.
The librarian approaches me, welcoming me to the group. “I heard about Gertie and Phil. I’m Sally, so you must be filling-in?”
“Yes, kind of a last minute thing. I’m Audrey.”
“Oh, the accent! You aren’t from ’round here, are you now?” she asks with a light chuckle.
“No, I’m from New York and only staying in a cottage at Haven Cove for the summer.”
Sally dips her head in thought. “The only ones there are Kingfield’s.”
“Ah, no I’m at the Wakefield cottage.”
She looks me up and down and covers her heart. She says with a warm smile, “You must be the Wakefield kin?”
“Yes. Jonathan and Beth were my grandparents.”
“What a pleasure. Sorry to hear about your momma. I know she tried her best.” I nod at her. “Looks as if everything worked out with you enjoying Haven Cove. You know your grandmomma was the reason we have this place now.”
“I saw the plaque out front. That’s a very kind gesture.”
“Kind folks your kin were. Very kind. Your momma even swung by after Oswald swept through to make sure we survived the storm. Not much damage here except for our storage area. We threw out the old reference magazines that got wet. She donated to the children’s fund anyway. We updated the area with more books, toys, the puppet theater, and a new rug. Creating this library was one of your grandmomma’s passions here. She brought her kids in every week during the summers for story time. I’ve been the librarian here since way back.”
“How lovely.” I give her an appreciative smile. “I’m quite interested in history. Do you happen to have an old-fashioned typewriter here by chance?” I need to know who sent that mysterious postcard before I leave here. There are other secrets buried deep here, and I’ve decided I’m going to uncover them all.
“No, I’m sorry.” She touches my shoulder in farewell, leaving to answer a question from a young mother about a book.
I join Aiden as he plays. He grabs a book from the nearby cubbies and climbs into my lap, wanting me to read to him. He becomes more comfortable with me, so we continue reading for about twenty minutes.
When I finish the last story, he’s asleep in my lap. I have no idea what to do and don’t want to wake him. I shift him up so he’s a little more comfortable on my shoulder. He tightens his arms around me as he snuggles close to me. I can’t help but to cuddle him back. I nuzzle his silky curls, enjoying the alluring clean scent of baby shampoo while I softly rub his back. My heart expands as I swoon at this sweet child. Would having at least one child be so terrible?
Someone touches my shoulder from behind me. I expect to find the librarian, but meet amused green eyes instead. Mace kneels beside me, saying in a hushed tone, “Cal told me you may need a hand. I’m free for the rest of the day. I had to finish a last minute muffler job, or I’d been by sooner. Aiden fell asleep on you, huh?”
“You’re my reinforcement?” I share my own amused smile.
“Yeah, I’ve watched Aiden quite a bit. I’m like his uncle.” My swooning heart expands like a balloon.
“This is the first time I’ve ever had anything to do with a child before.”
“Looks like you’re doing pretty good. He curled up on your chest, deciding you were cozy enough for a nap. Can’t blame him one bit.”
“Umm, I bribed him three times this morning with Twinkies. It’s going great!” I snort at myself as Mace cracks a wide smile. “What’s his ‘bubba’? I felt terrible. He kept asking, and I didn’t know what he was referring to. I don’t speak preschooler, and there’s no app for that. I checked!”
Mace chuckles. “Cal ca
lls him ‘Little Buddy,’ so Aiden calls Cal ‘Bubba,’ or his version of buddy. Some of his words are hard to understand with his speech delay. Let’s grab some grub at the diner. Little sleepyhead can rest in the car on the way over.” Mace leans over and picks Aiden up. My smile grows as I shuffle behind him on the way out to my car. I can’t get enough of Mace cuddling Aiden in his large, gentle arms.
“No Darla?” I ask of Mace’s Jeep parked next to my Benz.
“I had to pick up a parts order. Aiden never misses story time, so I knew you’d still be here.” Mace slides Aiden into the booster seat without waking him up while I watch in amazement.
“You know where we’re going.” I smirk, handing him the keys.
“What’s that smirk for?” he asks with a grin.
“I wouldn’t have guessed.” I offer a sheepish smile. His caring nature has unleashed a flurry of butterflies swirling across my stomach.