But it was a far cry from home. Outside, Wendell’s place was beautiful, and of course, there was Raddy, but she missed her view of the fields and the knowledge that her parents’ bedroom was just down the hall, even if they were not in it. Even after they got used to staying at the farmhouse, they couldn’t shake the feeling that they were houseguests.
Most of all, Julia missed the security of knowing what the future held in store for her. The hearing at the probate court couldn’t come soon enough. Julia needed to know what was next for them.
Now, back at White Pines, Julia wanted nothing but to run down to the lake and meet Sam. There was so much to tell him. Like how Candace had welcomed them back politely that morning. If her aunt was mad or felt betrayed, she did not show it. She was too busy with the family lawyer and was already on the phone. Candace’s attention was on the buyer she’d apparently secured. A heartbreaking fact that Julia had to tell Sam right away. “I’m going out for a walk,” she told her aunt, who barely looked up from her laptop at the kitchen island.
“Very well. But be back at noon.” She didn’t elaborate, and Julia didn’t ask. All she wanted was to go find Sam.
She’d hoped to see him standing near their favorite tree by the egret nest. Or waiting by the edge of the woods, at the mouth of the path. After all, he knew that she was coming home that morning. To her disappointment, he was in neither place. Julia walked along the edge of the lake, scanning the sand for a sign. There was nothing.
“I’m back,” she texted him, wondering if he was home and could come meet her. But she already knew: they had no reception by the water, and that was part of the thrill. Sometimes their meeting up was left to chance.
She sat on their rock, scanning the ground for a sign. There was no message on the beach. Nothing written in the sand; no treasure left on the shore.
But then she saw it. There, at the base of the rock right next to her foot, was a small pile of stones stacked just-so. Julia hopped down. They were perfectly smooth, flat on each side. Perfect for skipping. She looked up, half-expecting to see Sam watching her from some hidden spot. “You remembered,” she said aloud. She scooped one up and held it in her palm, enjoying the cool weight of it. Then, the way her father had shown her, she skipped it. The rock bounced once, twice, then plunked beneath the surface. “Damn,” she muttered. She tried another. This one sank immediately. For no reason at all, tears pricked at her eyes.
She’d been good at this. She’d told Sam so. Was everything her parents had taught her or done for her fading already? Julia grasped the last rock and let her gaze rest on a spot in the distance. Then, with the flick of her wrist, she released it. The stone flew parallel to the lake’s surface, hitting the surface once, twice, three times. Then another. “Five. Six!” she shouted as it skimmed across the surface before sinking with an audible plunk. With just the birds for spectators, Julia did a quick bow. “Thank you!” she shouted across the lake.
Back at the house, at noon, Pippa and Candace were in the kitchen. With them was a young woman with short curly hair and an ugly striped brown skirt. Candace had on her “company face” but was wringing her hands. This was interesting.
“Here she is!” Candace said, motioning her in. “Julia, this is Miss Blake, and she is here to talk to you and Pippa about some things.”
Julia glanced between the two women and put her hand on Pippa’s shoulder. “Things?”
Miss Blake was not about to have Candace speak for her, and she stepped forward, extending her hand with a huge smile. “Hello, you must be Julia. You can call me Katy. I was asked to come here by Judge Bartlett, remember him?”
Julia nodded warily.
“He’s asked me to come and speak to you girls today. I was hoping we could sit down together and get to know one another.” She glanced at Candace. “Just the three of us.”
Instantly, Julia forgave her for the bad skirt.
* * *
Katy invited them to sit with her in the living room, and Julia liked her take-charge attitude straightaway. She was soft-spoken but direct. “I was sorry to hear about your mom and dad,” she began once Candace stopped hovering and finally left them alone. “It must be a very sad time for you girls.”
Pippa nodded. “I miss Mommy. And Daddy.”
“I’m sure you do. There is no one better to take care of you.” Katy paused. “It’s very nice your aunt Candace is here to help care for you now. Family is very important. But sometimes there are other people we know and like who might help take care of us.”
Both girls nodded. Julia watched as Katy pulled a pad of paper and a pen from her bag. She also pulled out a sketchbook and a box of Crayola crayons. Irritation rose within her. Julia was tired of therapists and court systems. She knew all their tricks. Katy was probably going to ask Pippa to draw a stupid picture of her family and analyze it. But she put aside the art supplies and set the pad of paper on her lap.
“I hear you have a lot of good people like that. I wanted to ask you about one of them. Can you tell me about Mr. Combs?”
To Julia’s surprise, Pippa piped up. “Oh, you mean Wendell. He’s our friend. He lives here a lot, but he also has his own house. He takes care of Raddy.”
Katy glanced curiously at Julia. “Is that the horse?”
She had really done her homework. “Yes,” Julia said. “He rescued him for us.”
“I see.” Katy made some notes on her pad. “How much time have you spent with Wendell?”
Pippa shrugged. “Some. A lot. But not every day.”
Clearly, Julia needed to chime in. “He works here, so he’s here every day. Actually, he’s known us since we were really little. Since Pippa was born.” At that, Pippa started nodding exuberantly. She liked when the conversation turned to her. “But we never really spent a lot of time with him, just us. Until recently. Until our folks died and our aunt came.” She paused. “He’s the only adult I like spending time with these days.”
Katy looked up at her. “That’s very helpful.” She turned to Pippa. “So what about Wendell do you like?”
The meeting continued another hour, and then Katy did give Pippa the art supplies. “Pippa, can you draw me a picture of you and Aunt Candace?”
“Why?” Pippa asked. “I’m really good at butterflies.” Julia had to hide her smile.
“I would love a butterfly!” Katy said. “But right now I need two pictures. They don’t have to be fancy or big. They can be simple. But they need to be on a different page.” Julia watched as she pulled two sheets off the sketchbook and labeled one “Pippa and Wendell” and another “Pippa and Aunt Candace.”
While Pippa worked, Katy motioned Julia aside. “I’m a little thirsty. Maybe we could get a drink of water in the kitchen?”
Again a trick, but Julia followed. She liked Katy and wanted to trust her, but she was not going to lay any more hopes in any basket the state of Connecticut was holding. “What do you want to talk about?” she asked, cutting to the chase.
Katy took it with no offense. “Mr. Combs has petitioned the court for temporary custody. I assume you know that?”
So he had gone through with it. Julia nodded, ignoring the flutter in her chest. She would not let herself go there. Not yet.
“It’s procedure for me to come out and meet with children and get a sense of what they want. At Pippa’s age, of course we want to talk with her and hear about her feelings. They’re important. But she is also very young, and we typically give more weight to older children, like yourself. You have more experience.”
“And more say?” Julia interrupted.
Katy smiled tightly. “No one has all the say. That’s why I’m here, to listen to everyone and then combine everyone’s wants with what is best for their needs. Is there anything you’d like me to add to your thoughts today that perhaps you’d feel more comfortable sharing alone?”
Julia did have more to share, but since her experience in the courthouse during the hearing, she didn’t trust Katy or a
nyone else to take her seriously. She glanced back at Pippa in the living room. As she did, her eyes fell on the family portrait above the fireplace. Painted just two years ago, from a photo taken at her mother’s forty-fifth birthday celebration. It was the four of them posing at the edge of the yard, with the orchard in the background. Each one connected by a hand here, an arm there.
“Anything at all,” Katy urged her. “Speak from your heart.”
And Julia began.
Thirty-Three Wendell
Wendell had not liked being in court the first time, just a few weeks ago. He liked being there even less that morning. But he wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
Judge Bartlett got right down to business. “Good morning, everyone. I have a full docket today, so let’s get started.” He looked up. “Since our last meeting in the petition for emancipation for Ms. Julia Lancaster, the girls have split their time between the home of Mr. Combs and their family home with their aunt, Ms. Lancaster. I want to hear how that has gone. Ms. Blake has been assigned by the court to report on the children’s behalf.” He looked up at the GAL and removed his glasses. “Ms. Blake, would you please share your findings with the court?”
As Katy Blake stood before them, sharing the details of her interviews with everyone involved, Wendell’s ears burned. He listened with an intensity that belied the calm look he knew he wore. And as he listened, memories pulled at the corners of his mind. Wendell thought about the kind of parents his own had been. About his childhood with Wesley and how much had changed at the loss of their mother. How Alder, a man of such physical fortitude and moral direction, had been reduced in both size and capacity. As a first selectman to Saybrook. As a father to Wendell and Wesley. And later, to just Wendell. He watched the blond back of Julia’s head as she sat listening in the seat just in front of him, beside her attorney. He noted the erectness of her posture. The rigidity of her gaze when she turned to whisper to Jamie or glance at Candace, several seats over. Wendell wondered how she could sit there knowing that everything said in this room on this summer morning would make up the next few years of her young life. It was these thoughts that kept him glued to his seat when every other fiber in his being told him to run. Wendell cared too much, he realized. He was here not just out of duty to a man who’d taken him under his wing and hired him. Nor out of a sense of longing for the family he had lost. He was here because of what the girls meant to him. For the first time in years, Wendell was doing something for himself.
“Will you please show the court?” the judge asked.
Wendell watched as Katy Blake stood before the room holding two pieces of paper, one in each hand. He squinted. They were drawings.
“I asked Pippa to illustrate two pictures: one of her and Wendell Combs, and one of her with her aunt, Candace Lancaster. This is the result.”
In one picture were two stick figures, standing apart. The larger one’s arms draped by its sides. The smaller one held a flower. There was a blue sky.
In the second picture were the same two stick figures, large and small. There was also a third figure, medium-sized. And what looked like a big brown dog but Wendell realized was a horse. A rainbow streaked overhead. The hands of all three stick figures were linked.
As Katy Blake sat down and Jamie Aldeen stood to speak, Wendell found himself unable to hear. He was too busy trying to swallow the hot tears that were spilling down his cheeks. He swiped at them, trying to focus. Jamie was saying something about the wishes of the children. Wendell already knew those wishes as if they were his own.
When Candace was questioned, Wendell felt his insides simmer as they did before an episode. He cleared his throat and made two strong fists. He had to keep the panic at bay.
At some point, Wendell heard his name. By then, sweat was seeping through his button-down shirt, drenching his underarms. He shook his head, collecting himself. “Excuse me, Your Honor?”
Judge Bartlett was staring at him. Candace and Jamie Aldeen had turned to look at him, too. Julia did not.
“I asked, Mr. Combs, if you have anything you’d like to add.”
“To add, Your Honor?”
“Yes. Is there anything you’d like to tell the court about the custody arrangement this past week?”
Wendell cleared his throat. “Yes, Your Honor.” He looked at the back of Julia’s head, then at Judge Bartlett. “Both Julia and her little sister did very well at my house, I thought. The first night was a little bumpy, as Pippa felt homesick. But each day was easier. We set up a bedroom for them, and they decorated it nicely. They slept and ate well, as far as I could tell. They seemed comfortable, and we spent a good deal of time together.”
“Very good. How was your time spent?”
Wendell thought of all they’d done. “During my days off, the girls spent time outside, hiking the property with me. We went to the county fair. As you know, Julia’s horse is on the property. We finished building an enclosure and stall for him, and the girls seemed happy to participate in that.” As the words tumbled from his dry mouth, Wendell realized how clinical this all sounded. A list of things done. Nowhere in there was how he or the girls felt.
“Thank you, Mr. Combs. The court appreciates your investment of time and energy in helping to decide the best course of action.” Judge Bartlett riffled through papers, and Wendell caught his breath. It seemed his role was done. At that point, Julia turned around. “Thank you,” she whispered. Wendell nodded. For the first time, his breathing steadied.
“The court would like to take a short recess while I confer with the guardian ad litem. I ask everyone to remain close by.”
Unlike the others, Wendell remained in his seat. Jamie ushered a very worried-looking Julia out, assuring her this was all normal. Candace and Geoffrey stood and conferred quietly in the corner. Despite the air-conditioning, the room was suffocating, but Wendell feared if he got up to leave, his legs would be jelly. He stayed put until the judge returned and everyone was called back.
“All right,” Judge Bartlett began when everyone had been seated. “The court has heard a number of compelling accounts regarding the emancipation case for Julia Lancaster.” He looked directly at Julia, and Wendell felt his heart rate increase, as he was sure hers had. “You are a remarkable young woman who has proved herself to be bright, determined, and capable, despite a shattering hardship that has fallen on you this year.
“That hardship is what I believe has propelled you to file for emancipation. A serious decision with serious consequences. That said, you are a unique young woman with a unique set of circumstances that afford you the financial security to care for yourself.”
Wendell felt the air in the courtroom shift. Why couldn’t the judge just announce his verdict?
“While I empathize deeply with your plight, and while I understand your wishes to emancipate yourself, I cannot discount the nature of your situation. You have just lost your parents. A difficult loss for any adult, let alone a child. And for the intent of this proceeding, you are still recognized by the state of Connecticut as a child.
“You are grieving, Ms. Lancaster. As you have every right to do. That is a healthy course of things. But given your recent loss and the depth of what I imagine your grief to be, this court cannot in good conscience saddle you with the responsibilities of adulthood at the tender age of fifteen and especially during this difficult time. Nor can it consider your further request to take on the additional responsibility of raising your sibling, who is significantly younger and will, as a result, require significantly more care.”
Wendell’s eyes flashed from the judge to Julia’s back. She remained in her seat, but he could see the shaking of her shoulders. “With that in mind, unless another opportunity for guardianship is presented to the court, it is my recommendation that you return to your family home with your sister and reside with your aunt. While your trust will remain as deemed by your parents’ estate to both you and your sister, your custody will remain, as they set forth, with your aun
t.”
The judge drew a deep breath, looking pained. “Please know the court sympathizes with your situation. Deeply. But as such, I’m afraid the petition for emancipation of Julia Lancaster is denied.”
Wendell did not hear what was said next. Nor could he have recalled, if asked. There was the whoosh of air moving around him. The rising of Julia in front of him. All eyes turned as she leaped up, her skirt billowing. And then there was silence. What Wendell would remember was that nothing came from her mouth. She simply sank to her knees.
And then there were hands. Jamie Aldeen’s, reaching down to her. Candace, who came to stand beside her, speaking with her hands. Geoffrey Banks, who jammed his hands in his pockets, looking as if he would rather be anywhere else. And Wendell’s. His hands reached for Julia, past all the others who’d come to stand around her. And when he made contact, she spun around and fell into his arms.
* * *
It had been years since he’d pulled in at the Spigot. Since the night Alan had sought him out and sat down on the stool beside him. Wendell was not an alcoholic so much as he was turning to drinking to numb himself. He could handle a beer, as long as he was in therapy and managing his PTSD. That was what he told himself as he parked the truck and pushed the door open.
Nothing had changed. Not the darkness or the stale murky air. In the corner, three guys stood around a pool table. An old jukebox blinked uncertainly in the corner, the music flickering on and off, though no one seemed to mind. He sat down on a spare stool, not far from the ones where he and Alan had talked, and ordered a beer. It would be just one. He needed to think about the hearing.
Down the bar, someone raised a hand. “Combs. Where you been?” Wendell looked over. It was Ronny Perkowski, whom he’d grown up with; Ronny now did caretaking for the Dunhams. Wendell raised a hand in greeting and kept his head down. He wasn’t here to socialize.
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