Lighthouse Beach

by Shelley Noble

  Lillo laughed. She couldn’t help herself. Because boy, could she relate. She may have been the tough one when they were kids. The resilient one. The one with a plan for the future. But she had failed just as miserably as Jess and she had no one to blame but herself.

  “It isn’t funny.”

  “No. It isn’t. I’m sorry.”

  “I know this is hard to believe, but I’m good at what I do. I’m smart and effective in finance and organization. I know how to get things done. I’m not greedy and hard-hearted like my father, but I know how to manage, and the best part is, I care about people. Most of the friends I’ve made and my work associates don’t know that I’m a bullied, humiliated mess. Because I’m not. Really, not anymore. Just to my family, and I can’t seem to break truly free from them.”

  “Well, you may have burned that bridge, and quite frankly, good for you. You always said you were going to do something good one day.”

  Jess sniffed. “So maybe now is my one day.”

  “Do you have a plan?”

  “I—”

  The door to the deck slid open. “Holy shit, it’s cold out there.” Diana stood dripping just inside the door. “Light a fire, make coffee. Wrap me in a blanket.”

  Allie, laughing, pushed her farther inside. “Such a wuss. This is nothing compared to the Pacific. That’s cold. I claim the shower first.” And she took off down the hall.

  Lillo and Jess watched them drip across the floor and disappear. Fortunately, the mood of intimacy had been broken and it didn’t return when the bathroom door closed behind them. Lillo didn’t think either of them wanted to do any more soul-searching tonight.

  Ned didn’t leave the clinic until almost five. He’d worked nonstop today and he knew tomorrow would be just as hectic. The days after that would be calmer as the acute patients were replaced by the yearly physicals and the chronic sufferers. He sure as hell hoped Clancy made an appearance soon.

  There was no sign of Ian when he reached the house. Ned raided the fridge for something to eat and a beer, even though they would be eating at Mac’s in a couple of hours. He found a beer, but the fridge was pretty empty. He did find a box of crackers in the pantry. They were stale, but at that point Ned would have picked mold off them; stale was a godsend.

  He went upstairs to shower and change; when he came back down, he found Ian sitting at the kitchen table nursing a beer. He was still wearing his work clothes and the smell of the stables.

  “Hey, shake it. We’re due at Mac’s in a half hour and I’m starving.”

  “You go on ahead.”

  “But you’re coming to Mac’s, right?”

  “Not tonight.”

  “Man, your cupboard is bare.”

  Ian shrugged. “I’ll make do. I’m just not in the mood for people tonight.”

  “You never are.”

  “I’m tired of it—the anger, the violence, the ignorance …”

  Ned sat down across from him. “Rough day?”

  “Yeah. Had to put down Frank Duffy’s horse. He wasn’t happy. He tried to stop me. I warned him time after time that he was abusing the animal. Cheap feed, overwork, untreated sores. But he just railed and blamed everybody but himself.

  “I tell you, holding that syringe … well, forget that. I put the horse down, then he yelled at me for not carting the carcass away. I called Animal Control. I don’t trust him not to just dump him in the woods somewhere.”

  Ned listened. He couldn’t know the depth of Ian’s feelings. They’d been pushed to the max. These days he pretty much held himself in check. But it took its toll.

  “I don’t think you’ll run into any of that at Mac’s. And she’s making lobster stew.”

  “Thanks, but I wouldn’t be very good company. I’ll send over a bottle of wine for dinner by way of apology.”

  “Mac’s stew calls for good beer.”

  “From what you’ve said about Lillo’s friends, they’re not beer drinkers.”

  “You haven’t even seen them.”

  “It’s the way you described them.”

  “Dismissive?”

  Ian shrugged.

  “Well, I got to know them better today.”

  Ian looked up.

  “They came into the clinic. It turns out the runaway bride was the one that went after me with the lug wrench. She sprained her wrist in the fall.”

  “Lillo brought her into the clinic?”

  “Nope. Lillo dropped off the other three. She didn’t come in.”

  Ian shook his head.

  “Pot and kettle, my friend. Pot and kettle.”

  “Maybe, but I’m still not going.”

  Chapter 7

  Diana was the first to emerge from her room, showered and changed into slacks and a shirt that Lillo thought belonged more at the yacht club than at Mac’s kitchen table. It made her wrinkled khakis and dirty tee, which she realized for the first time that day she’d never changed out of, look like skid row.

  She was such a social moron. She pushed out of her chair. At least she could change into clean khakis and a T-shirt and take some clothes out of her bedroom since it looked like she’d be sleeping on the couch until further notice.

  She hesitated, surprised that she hadn’t even flinched at the thought. In fact, she was beginning to warm to the idea of a few days of hanging out. It wasn’t like she had a job.

  “Don’t get up,” Diana said, scrubbing her short hair into place. “What are you guys drinking?”

  “Tea,” Jess said.

  Diana scowled at them. “And crumpets? Teatime is over—we have almost an hour before Mac expects us. How about a little preprandial champagne to celebrate the ‘Flight from Kennebunkport.’”

  Jess laughed. Actually laughed. “You sound like one of the old movies we used to watch. Remember, Lillo?”

  Lillo nodded as she watched Jess scan the room.

  “I don’t even see a television. Don’t tell me you aren’t into the oldies anymore.”

  Lillo shrugged. “Not so much.”

  “You don’t have a television?”

  “Somewhere.” She pointed to the window. “This is my TV.”

  Diana continued to the kitchen. Took the champagne out of the fridge. Looked out to Lillo and screwed up her face. “I don’t suppose you have champagne flutes?”

  Lillo started to shake her head. Then realized she did. Her heart started pounding. Just say no. Don’t be stupid. Just say no. “Maybe.”

  She walked to the hall. Hesitated outside the storage room door. Why was she keeping all that old junk? She wasn’t going to use it. Stupid question. She knew exactly why. Maybe this weekend wasn’t just about fleeing Kennebunkport, but about “The Unmasking of Lillo Gray.” As a movie title, it had a certain ring to it.

  She took a breath, grasped the doorknob, slipped through the narrowest possible opening, and shut the door behind her. She knew right where they were. She could name everything and its location without thinking. She grabbed a box of flutes and another of wineglasses.

  Her heart was pushing up through her throat. She was afraid she was going to be sick. But she managed to get the door opened and closed without anyone seeing her. When she went back to the sitting room, Diana was still in the kitchen and Jess was on the couch, just as she’d left them, just as if an eternity hadn’t passed.

  “Here, they probably need rinsing.”

  Diana took the boxes, and though Lillo was expecting her to make a sarcastic remark about them, she didn’t say a word.

  “I’ll wash. You dry.” Diana tossed a dishcloth to Lillo.

  Allie came out just as Lillo and Diana were carrying the champagne and glasses to the couch. She took a seat next to Jess and Diana popped the cork. Seconds later they were all raising their glasses in a toast.

  “To friends, adventures, and road trips!” Diana exclaimed. They clinked glasses, and as Lillo raised hers to her lips, her cell phone rang.

  “It’s probably Mac,” she said, and put her
glass down.

  She didn’t recognize the number, but she knew who it was. She let it ring while the others grew quiet and watched her.

  “It must be your parents.”

  Jess put down her glass, the energy seeping out of her like water through a sieve. “I’ll take it.” She reluctantly reached for Lillo’s phone.

  Lillo pulled it back from her reach. Looked at the others. “I’ll handle it.” She pressed accept.

  “Hello.”

  “Lillo Gray?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let me speak to Jessica right now.”

  “Who is this?”

  “You know damn well who this is. I know she’s with you, so if you don’t want trouble, you’ll—”

  Jess lurched off the couch. Allie pulled her back.

  “Mr. Parker. You’ve obviously been drinking. I have no idea what you’re talking about and I resent being bothered. You told me I wasn’t invited to the wedding. You threatened to have me thrown out of the hotel. I realized my presence upset Jess, so I left.”

  “The hell you did. You took her with you and you can bring her right back. You tell her she has just one hour to get back here and at the rehearsal dinner or there will be hell to pay. I’ll bring charges against you for kidnapping.”

  Lillo ran her tongue over suddenly dry lips. Just like years ago, when he lashed out at Jess with stupid threats. Jess quaking and apologizing, Lillo angry and impotent. But not today. “Mr. Parker. I took time out of my busy life to come to the wedding of a friend I hadn’t seen in ten years only to be insulted by you. I left like you ordered me to do. I don’t take kindly to these empty threats. Don’t call me again.”

  “Where is Jessica?”

  Lillo closed her eyes and turned her back to the room. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that. And I’ve already wasted more than enough time with you and your family. Don’t bother me again.” She ended the call. Opened her eyes.

  Jess, Diana, and Allie were all staring at her. No one moved. Lillo was afraid if she tried to get back to her chair her legs would betray her.

  “He must have talked to the parking attendants,” Diana said.

  “I’m sorry,” Jess said. “I didn’t want you to have to lie for me.”

  “Lie?” Lillo said. “I didn’t lie. He told me to leave. I did. I told him I couldn’t tell him, and I didn’t. And I don’t even know anyone named Jessica. Do any of you?”

  Diana broke into a wide smile. Handed Lillo her glass and raised hers. “To Lillo. You were fierce, girl.”

  Lillo made it to her chair and sank into it. “I can’t believe I did that.”

  “Do you think he believed you?” Allie asked.

  “No, but it felt good.”

  “And it may have bought us some beach time,” Diana said, and poured more champagne.

  Lillo met her eyes over her glass and saw the glimmer of something as Diana topped off her champagne. As if there was an understanding between them. To fight on Jess’s behalf? To stand strong against Jess’s parents?

  She should warn Diana now, before it went further. Lillo was the last person she should depend on.

  “But what if he brings charges against you?” Jess asked, her voice tight with anxiety.

  Diana snorted. “For giving a friend a ride? It would just make him look like an even bigger ass than he already is. I wouldn’t worry. Besides, we couldn’t get you back within an hour even if you wanted to go … You don’t, do you?”

  Jess bit her lip.

  Lillo felt the all-too-familiar dull pain of disappointment.

  Jess shook her head. “Too late. I’m on my own. This time for good.”

  Allie put her glass down on the table. “I think before we go much further, we should discuss what exactly we’re doing here.”

  “We’re on the lam,” Diana said.

  “No, really. We’ve descended on Lillo’s home. Even though she said it was fine, I don’t think you’re really comfortable with us being here?” Allie looked the question at Lillo.

  Lillo shook her head, shrugged, sent mixed signals. What the hell. She didn’t know. At first she hadn’t wanted them here. But now that they were here, she sort of liked the company. Which was crazy. She had a life. Of sorts.

  “Lillo?”

  “I think we need to give Jess time to figure out how she wants to handle the situation.”

  Jess opened her mouth to answer, but Diana plowed on. “You’re not going to figure it out when we’re all still feeding off adrenaline from last night, and now the phone call.” She poured more champagne and began telling a story of an app test gone bad.

  It made them all laugh, and after a few more minutes and the second bottle of champagne, they were chatting like they really were on vacation.

  Then, in the middle of a story, Diana stood, glanced at her watch, and lifted her glass. “It’s six fifteen and all is well,” she intoned. “We have officially missed Jess’s rehearsal dinner—a fait accompli.”

  “Hear, hear,” Allie said, a little dubiously, and shot a look at Jess.

  Jess and Lillo lifted their glasses. “Hear, hear.”

  They had saved their friend from a wedding she didn’t want, stuck it to the Parkers for trying to force her into a loveless marriage, and possibly saved her from a lifetime of unhappiness. But there would be repercussions, Lillo had no doubt about that.

  “I wonder what made Jess’s father think we could even get there in an hour. Where does he think we are?”

  No one seemed to have an answer.

  Jess put down her glass. “He’ll figure it out. And then there will be hell to pay. Which is okay,” she added hurriedly. “I’m up for it. But I do kind of feel bad about all those wedding guests.”

  “I’m sure they’ll have a gay old time even without a bride to toast.”

  “All three hundred of them,” Jess said, suddenly deflating.

  “I can’t believe you were having three hundred guests,” Lillo said incredulously.

  “All friends or business associates of her parents,” said Diana. “It was more like a trade show than a wedding.”

  “Diana …” Allie admonished.

  Diana plowed on. “How many of your friends were actually invited?”

  Jess looked around. “Three?”

  “That’s pitiful,” Lillo said. “You have more friends than that.”

  Allie rummaged in her purse and handed Jess a tissue.

  Jess blew her nose. “I do. They weren’t invited. A few were, but just because they owned successful businesses or their parents were somebody my parents knew or needed to know. Oh my God, they’re so shallow.”

  Diana flopped back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. “Now she figures it out.”

  Allie gave her a look.

  If Jess’s predicament wasn’t so tragic, Lillo would have enjoyed the trio. Diana and Allie as Dutch uncles to Jess’s ambivalence.

  “I shouldn’t have waited so long. I just—until I saw all of you, I thought I could go through with it.”

  Diana snapped her head back to eye level. “Thank God you didn’t. People make mistakes. God knows I’ve made mistakes in that field twice, but at least they were my mistakes. You didn’t have a say in any of this, did you?”

  “I never have, about anything. But I’ve tried. Remember, Lillo? I used to try.”

  “You did.” But by fourteen, Jess had pretty much given up.

  “They’ll be so embarrassed. Humiliated.”

  “Small price to pay for a daughter’s happiness,” Diana said.

  “The worst thing that could ever happen to them as far as they’re concerned.”

  “It will be one of life’s little lessons.” Diana smiled sweetly but the devil was in her eyes. “Embarrassment fades, and it wouldn’t hurt them to dine on crow for a few meals.”

  Lillo breathed out a laugh she knew was inappropriate, but she couldn’t help it. “Talk about me being fierce? You’re downright scary.”

  “Th
ank you. I work at it.” Diana crossed her arms and smiled at the other three. “So where do we go from here?”

  When no one answered immediately, she went on. “What if we spend a whole week here?”

  “Diana!” Allie exclaimed. “Stop strong-arming Lillo. Already a couple of days has turned into a long weekend; now you’re talking a whole week.”

  “Why not?”

  “Lillo has her own life, responsibilities; maybe us being here is inconvenient.”

  “Lillo? Is it inconvenient?”

  “Uh, no.” What was she saying? Of course it would be inconvenient. What had Diana said in the liquor store? A few days to straighten Jess out.

  “Because if you need us out, we can drive to the nearest car rental place tomorrow, but …”

  They all waited for Diana to continue.

  “But?” Lillo finally asked.

  “But Jess was right. This is the perfect place to regroup and start again.” Diana directed the last part of her statement at Lillo. And Lillo had the oddest sensation that she wasn’t just talking about Jess.

  She took a sip of champagne and tried to envision waking up to three other women for seven days in a row. Or would one week turn into two? They’d start moving her stuff and making themselves at home. She was surprised at how unimportant that seemed at the moment.

  But she did have responsibilities of sorts. Taking care of local gardens, helping Sada out at the community center, minding the lighthouse gift store when Mac was busy, even sometimes mucking out the stables when Ian was away or having a bad spell. She loved and hated that job. Too many memories, too many …

  And what was wrong with hanging out on the beach drinking champagne with friends for a few days? Not a few. Seven. Seven whole days.

  “Lillo?” Allie said. “Just say the word and we’ll leave.”

  “No. I’d … Please stay.”

  “You’re sure?”

  Lillo nodded. She wasn’t sure at all.

  The sun was setting behind them as the four women made their slightly tipsy way across the parking lot to Mac’s for dinner.

  The front of the gift shop was dark, but the aroma of cooking wafted around the corners and a lantern at the end of the garden path beckoned them onward. They had to walk single file, with Lillo leading the way, and the other three duck-waddling behind her so as not to domino into the person in front of them. By the time they reached the back door, they were laughing uncontrollably.