Wrong Side of Forty

by DeLeon, Jana

  “Yeah, well, he just added insult to injury. He’s taking Marina as his date.”

  Dottie’s eyes widened. “You’re lying.”

  “I’m a lot of things, but a liar isn’t one of them.”

  Dottie covered her mouth with her hand. “Good. God.”

  “I told you I had a reason.”

  “Christ returning would have been easier to manage. What in the world is he thinking?”

  “Maybe he’s thinking that Marina is pretty and the LeDoux suck.”

  “Well, what is she thinking?”

  “That Luke is hot and Harold never was?”

  Dottie wrinkled her nose. “He’s your family and at least twenty years your junior. You can’t go around calling him hot. It’s unseemly.”

  Adelaide shrugged. “I got eyes, don’t I? Him being younger just means he looks better cause he’s still got his teeth and hair. And he’s like a fifth cousin or even further down the line. I probably share more blood with you.”

  “I don’t know why I bother.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “Well, you have to tell him that he can’t do this.”

  “Already did. He said pissing the LeDoux off was just a bonus.”

  Dottie threw her hands in the air. “Then we have to talk to Marina. Explain to her what a horrible idea this is.”

  “Did that too. She told me she had her reasons and nothing I said would change her mind.”

  “What in the name of all that is holy is going on in this town? When sane, low-key women like Marina Trahan start acting this far out of character, I have to wonder what’s in the water supply.”

  “Maybe she’s on drugs, or maybe she’s following in her mother’s footsteps, or maybe she’s just reached that state of not giving a damn that I was born with. Regardless of the reason, she’s going to that party and I’ll bet money there will be trouble.”

  “And you think by being there you’ll prevent it?”

  “Not a chance. But if things go south, Marina will need help.”

  Dottie blew out a breath. “Okay. Because this is a real emergency, I’m going to do something I never do and not only go to that party but bring you as my date. But I expect you to wear something appropriate. And you’re not bringing that shovel. I’m also patting you down beforehand.”

  “There’s so much trust in this room, it’s overwhelming.”

  “What’s overwhelming you is all the reality.”

  Dottie rose from her chair and motioned to Adelaide. “You need to go. I have things to do to get ready.”

  “Like what? It’s not even midmorning.”

  “For starters, I’m going to church to pray.”

  * * *

  With half of the morning and most of the afternoon stretching in front of her, Marina decided to try a different tactic and search for the ring by computer. Halcyon had some appointments that would eat up most of her day, so Marina was on her own. With Stalker Boy probably lurking somewhere nearby, she didn’t feel like sticking to her cabin, so she grabbed her laptop and headed into town. The café had free Wi-Fi and excellent breakfast, so she figured she’d spend a couple hours there, then decide what to do next.

  The early breakfast crowd had cleared out and gone to work and the seniors were usually long gone by midmorning as well, so only one other table was occupied. Marina headed to a booth in the corner that sat in front of the big picture windows that faced Main Street. That way, if Stalker Boy was lurking somewhere, she might be able to get a good look at him.

  A girl Avery had gone to high school with popped over, chewing gum and smiling at the same time. “Morning, Mrs. Trahan. What can I get you?”

  “Coffee and the breakfast special, please.”

  “Do you want pancakes or waffles? Oh, and chef made some vanilla croissants this morning. You can have that instead.”

  “That sounds great.”

  She nodded. “I had one myself. How’s Avery doing at school?”

  “She’s getting settled in and likes it so far. Classes start next week.”

  “I heard about her problem with Chastity. That girl is nothing but trouble. Chastity, I mean. Not Avery. I’m really sorry she had to deal with that. You too.”

  A wave of embarrassment rushed through Marina and she struggled to shove it down. Would she ever be able to accept these expressions of sympathy without feeling awful all over again?

  “Thank you,” Marina said. “What are you planning to do now that you’re done with high school?”

  “Oh, I start nursing school in January. I’m working here until then, putting together some spending money, you know?”

  “That’s great. Well, good luck.”

  “Thank you, and tell Avery hi next time you talk to her.”

  “I will.”

  Marina looked up and down the street but didn’t see anyone she didn’t recognize. If Stalker Boy was around, he was out of sight, but he couldn’t stand in the bushes forever without someone having a problem with it. If she kept checking, she might get a peek.

  The server brought her coffee and Marina opened her laptop and googled Aphrodite. Might as well start with the source, right? If the ring held Aphrodite’s blood then maybe it was attracted to other things that she liked as well as to the Seeker. Maybe she had a penchant for vanilla croissants and the ring was right here in the café in the lost-and-found box. It was just as reasonable a theory as anything else. She scanned several sites that offered up information on the goddess but ultimately, it was all legend and speculation.

  She picked up her coffee and took a sip. Of course it was all speculation. What else could it be? Humans didn’t believe that those gods actually existed. Plenty believed in a god, but probably not a lot worshipped at the altar of Zeus. These were legends. The stuff tall tales and sometimes interesting movies were made of.

  But the other Seekers were real.

  They hadn’t been successful, but maybe there was a common thread among them that would give her a hint. Cleopatra, Lady Godiva, and Marilyn Monroe. She started searching again and stopped ten minutes later when her breakfast came out.

  Well, they were all women. And all were considered beauties of their time. All had power of some sort. Cleopatra was married twice with many lovers. Lady Godiva married once and had no known lovers. Marilyn Monroe married three times and the lovers part was sketchy as hell. Cleopatra had four kids. Lady Godiva had nine. Marilyn never had any, although she’d tried. One lived in Egypt. One in England and one in the United States. All lived in opulence.

  Marina was never considered a great beauty and certainly not “of her time.” The only power she consistently displayed was over Snooze and since she fed him, that wasn’t really anything to brag about. She’d been married once and her husband had a lover, but that probably didn’t count. She had one child, who might be destined for prison if she couldn’t straighten things out, and she currently lived in a shack on a mosquito-infested bayou where her only bathroom sink desperately needed a plumber.

  Her life and theirs couldn’t have been more different.

  Unless you counted Lady Godiva riding naked on a horse to get lower taxes. Marina had never ridden a horse sans clothing, but there was that one jaunt on a four-wheeler. Unfortunately, it hadn’t been a financial boon to anyone except the doctor who’d treated the grass burns she’d gotten when she wrecked. She’d be willing to do it again if someone would lower her taxes, although she suspected that the government would be more inclined to give her a break if she agreed to always ride clothed.

  “Here you go.” The server slid her breakfast on the table and Marina smiled at the eggs and bacon and practically salivated over the vanilla croissant.

  “This looks great,” she said. “Thanks!”

  “I’ll be back with more coffee in a sec.”

  Marina mulled over what she knew about the ring while tackling her eggs and bacon. Since she had more breakfast than facts, mulling took her about four bites in. She held in a sigh. W
hen she’d agreed to do this, she hadn’t thought it would be so difficult. She’d thought it would be more like hide-and-seek for adults.

  And she hadn’t really bought into the whole end-of-the world scenario. She’d thought Alexios was just being dramatic. And in all fairness, he did strike her as someone who Avery would label “extra.” But now, with communication cut off from his world and the way he looked yesterday, Marina was convinced that Alexios had been telling her the truth. It wasn’t just a story to get her to move faster. Things were really dire.

  How in the world was she supposed to accomplish in a matter of days what others hadn’t managed over the course of their lifetimes?

  But somehow, she had to do it. Because in few days—give or take—the world as she knew it might end. No more Avery, Halcyon, or Snooze. No more breakfasts at the café. No more opportunities to ride naked on a four-wheeler. Granted, there would also be no more Harold, her mother, Chastity, Patricia, or Preston, but that wasn’t the way she wanted to rid her life of those people. The price was too steep.

  “Are you out celebrating your newfound insanity?” Adelaide’s voice cut into her thoughts.

  “Maybe,” Marina said, and motioned for her to sit.

  Adelaide slid into the booth and snagged a piece of her croissant before she could protest.

  “If you’re going to try to talk me out of going to that charity thing with Luke, don’t waste your breath,” Marina said. “My mind is made up and nothing short of death is going to change it.”

  Adelaide nodded. “I figured as much. I don’t pretend to understand why you want to walk into the lion’s den, but if it’s something you’ve got to do then I can respect that. You’re not a woman who does things by the seat of her pants. You said you’ve got reasons. That’s good enough for me.”

  Marina studied Adelaide for a bit. “Why are things so easy for you to accept? I almost never see you flustered, unless it’s over your cats.”

  Adelaide shrugged. “No point in making a fuss over things I can’t change.”

  “You can’t change cats.”

  “God, isn’t that the truth. My one weakness, I suppose.”

  “I wish I could do it. Stop worrying so much, that is. It’s exhausting.”

  “It’s easy enough to do.”

  “Is it really that easy for you? How?”

  “Because I don’t care what people think of me and I don’t have to consider anyone else when I make decisions.”

  “I guess that is a big advantage of never marrying or having kids.”

  “Among others. I know what most people think—that I’m the lonely, crazy cat lady who should be pitied. They couldn’t be more wrong. I love my life. Have loved every day of it, even the crappy ones. And I’ve had my share. But every single minute—good or bad—I only had myself to congratulate or blame. It’s easier to compromise with yourself than with others.”

  “You’ve never wanted a relationship? Someone special to share your life with?”

  “Maybe once, as a young girl. But that dream passed and reality set in.”

  “Trust me, I’m full on reality at the moment and being alone is looking better than ever. But still, there’s times when it would be nice to have someone help you pull the weight.”

  Adelaide raised one eyebrow. “What weight, exactly, did Harold help you pull? You took care of the house and did a good job trying to remodel that tacky hunk of lumber. You cooked the meals and tended the garden. You raised that girl. And you did it all while still contributing to the household finances.”

  Marina stared down at the table. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately.”

  “And you know I’m right. That’s no slam against you. Good Lord, I’d bet that’s life for 90 percent of women with a family.”

  Marina looked at Adelaide. “Being overworked, taken for granted, and marginalized?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, it’s crap.”

  “Of course it’s crap but…there’s that reality thing again. You can’t change the past, but you can damn sure choose your future. You’ve taken control of everything that has been flung your direction. Where was Harold when Avery was being arrested? When she was in jail? When she was in court? You’ve always been the strong one. You just bowed down to centuries of outdated thinking and deferred to the man of the house, when the truth is, there was no man in your house. There was only you.”

  Marina flushed a bit, both pleased and embarrassed by Adelaide’s words.

  “It wasn’t always that way,” Marina said. “Harold and I, I mean. We got together in high school probably because we were both too shy to force ourselves into situations where we might become the center of attention. Harold was sweet then. We both loved music and he took me to every concert we could scratch up the money for. On weekends, we’d pack a picnic basket and head out in his boat to fish but we usually ended up reading books or talking and napping.”

  Marina shook her head. “Even when we were first married, it was fun. I suppose, in the beginning, we were nothing more than two kids playing house but it was an adventure every time we scraped together the funds for something extra. The decision for Harold to open his own business was made jointly and we celebrated every new client with dinner and wine. I’ve never seen anyone more excited than Harold when I told him I was pregnant with Avery.”

  Marina sighed. “And then...”

  “Life has a way of taking the joy out of living if you let it,” Adelaide said. “I’ve seen so many couples just like you two get beaten down by responsibility and tragedy. And unfortunately, it’s usually only one of them that keeps it all together. Then the one who got off easy complains about the lack of attention while the one who’s been juggling all the balls resents having no help.”

  “I guess that pretty much sums it up. I hate that my life has been reduced to a cliché.”

  “Only a small piece of it. But the rest of it is what you choose to make it and my money’s on you having a better future than Harold. You can handle anything life tosses at you. Harold, not so much.”

  “I wish that were true. But at the moment, even plumbing is getting the best of me. I have a leak in my bathroom sink and can’t get Bucky to return a phone call.”

  Adelaide waved a hand in dismissal. “He’s paid his utility bill and has beer money for the next week. You won’t hear from him until he runs out.”

  “This town could really use another plumber.”

  Adelaide narrowed her eyes at Marina. “Maybe.”

  “What? You think I should fix it myself?”

  “Why not? In the time you spend waiting on Bucky to put down his beer and return a phone call, you could probably figure out how to do it yourself. You did plenty of home improvement stuff before. Besides, you young people have the YouTube. It’s probably on there.”

  Marina smiled. “You really don’t like depending on other people, do you?”

  “I passed introvert somewhere in my teens and moved straight to hermit when my parents died and I inherited their house and investments. After I quit my teaching job, I stocked up on groceries and didn’t leave my house for a month. It was a glorious thirty days.”

  “I can see that.”

  “But you and I are very different people. Humans drain me so I try to avoid them as much as possible. But you’re good with people and perhaps more importantly, good for people. That’s a calling that I’m afraid you’ll never be able to shake.”

  “So you’re saying I’m doomed to a life of socializing?”

  “You’re doomed to a life of being surrounded by people who care about you. There are worse things.”

  “Like being surrounded by buttholes?”

  “Ha. Yeah, you’ve had your share of that lately. Going to get another taste of it tonight. I know I can’t talk you out of going, but I want you to be careful. The LeDoux are smarting over Luke getting Avery out of jail, and the threat of pursuing a theft charge for their little angel has them more than a little
ruffled. They won’t tell you to leave. Not as Luke’s guest. But the passive-aggressive behavior will be full force.”

  “I’m not looking to make more trouble for Avery or for myself. But if my being there diminishes their joy, then there’s no place I’d rather be.”

  Adelaide snorted. “You and Luke share the same thoughts on that one. You like him, don’t you?”

  Marina struggled to keep her expression normal. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I, after what he did for Avery?”

  “Yes. He really came through on that one. Still, that’s not what I meant and you know it. But don’t worry. I won’t pry. The only advice I have concerning romantic entanglements is to avoid them, but that doesn’t work for everyone.”

  “We’re not entangled. I’m not even divorced.”

  “The heart doesn’t know anything about our legal system.”

  “But I—”

  Adelaide rose and reached over to pat her hand. “You’re a good woman. Better than you know. Stronger than you ever thought. You’ll figure out the rest. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “What? Tonight?”

  Adelaide just waved over her shoulder as she walked out of the café. Marina blew out a breath. Luke said Adelaide refused to be his plus-one, and she didn’t think he was lying. And there was absolutely no way the LeDoux had invited Adelaide to their house. Since she wasn’t financially indebted to him and didn’t care if everyone knew everything about her, Preston didn’t have anything he could use to keep her in her place. So who was she going with? And why?

  Her cell phone rang and she saw it was Bucky. About time.

  “You called about your sink, right?” he said. “I can probably get to it in a week or so. Can’t give you an exact day or time. Might not even be that week.”

  Marina stared out the window as Adelaide crossed the street, walking right in the middle of traffic and fully expecting they’d all stop.

  “You know what—don’t bother. I’ll fix it myself.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Marina stared at the tiny black garment Halcyon was holding, her feeble recollection of physics and geometry rolling through her mind.