Beach Rental (11 page)

“But he isn’t concerned about you turning him in?”

Juli didn’t mistake his implication. “Hardworking and respectable aren’t the same things. They won’t listen to me. What would I say? Somebody told me they saw something? Frankie’s not clever, but he’s not stupid either.” Juli was flat out of patience. “Look, I want him to go away until Ben is…until we no longer have to worry about Ben. After that, I’ll deal with him, probably by ignoring him. By then, it won’t matter.”

“Are you afraid Ben will cancel the deal you two made?”

She wanted to spit. “Let me know what you decide.” Juli paused in the doorway with her hand on the knob. “If you think talking to Frankie will help, and you’re willing to try, let me know. I’ll call you when he comes around again.”

“Give me his address. Maybe I’ll drop by.”

His words dashed her like cold water. This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? Juli went to his desk, grabbed a pen and scribbled the address of the apartment house on a sticky note. Luke left it lying there on his desk, conspicuously not touching it.

She wanted to discourage Frankie, but not for Luke to delve more closely into her life. Luke, going to where Frankie lived, to where she had so recently lived, made her uncomfortable. Frankie could say anything, true or not. Luke would be a receptive audience.

If that was the price Juli had to pay for his help, then so be it.

Frankie liked to fly low, below the radar, to avoid police attention. A few words from someone like Luke would keep him away.

Juli left his office without goodbye or thanks. Maia was nearby tidying a shelf. The customer had gone. Had Maia overheard them? Her plea for Luke’s help? His insulting remarks?

It was obvious Maia had heard enough to make her uncomfortable because her smile was without its dimples and her eyes looked dull.

“I’ve got to run, Maia. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Okay.” Maia averted her eyes. “Rain check?”

“Sure.” She walked past.

Maia called out, “Juli?”

Juli stopped. “Yes?”

“I’ll call you later this week?”

“Sure.” Juli left the gallery. Out the door and halfway down the steps, she turned back and saw Maia entering Luke’s office.

It saddened her, but Maia was as temporary in her life as the rest of them.

Chapter Twelve

“So, it’s clear you understand perspective.” Anna drew in the air, her fingers tracing imaginary lines meeting at a point. In this case, the point was the end of the dock as it stretched out into the sound. Juli had drawn her lines on sketch paper.

Anna put her thumbs together as if framing the real-life scene before them. “Where you have the dock beginning, where it crosses the shoreline, uses overlap to reinforce the perception of perspective, of having three dimensions.”

Today, the classroom was Anna’s backyard. About twenty feet from where the water met the shore, they’d spread an old cotton blanket on the ground and put the chairs on top of it. The blanket discouraged the insects in the grass from biting their ankles. The grass beneath it, made the blanket look fluffy.

“I remember those lessons from middle school. We used rulers, though.”

“Well, it’s no good making the lines too perfect, unless maybe you’re drawing a machine. In the case of this dock, you want to show its personality, its vagaries.”

“You mean its flaws, like where it’s old and falling apart?”

“Yes, that’s exactly right.” She touched her face. “If you were to draw me, you’d catch the wrinkles and gray hair to give character and distinctiveness.”

Heat flooded Juli’s face. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I meant the dock looked like it needed some work. I didn’t mean, well, I wasn’t talking about—you know, age.”

“No harm done. Age is a fact whether it’s docks or people.” Anna settled back into her lawn chair and stretched her long, narrow bare feet out in front of her. “Folks are funny. They search for beauty. They try to find it, make it if they can’t find it, and then try to preserve it to keep it. But perfection is boring.” She laid her head back against the metal frame of the chair. “Look at the Old Masters. Look at paintings that have withstood time and changing tastes. You’ll see ideas of beauty, but you won’t see perfection of features.”

Juli shifted the sketchbook on her knees and stared at the dock.

Anna waved in that direction. “Look at the individual boards. Notice how the nail heads are pounded in at varying angles and how the shape of the shadows around each are different. Forget for the moment that you’re sketching the dock and draw one of the boards.”

Juli dropped the pad of paper onto the blanket. She walked the few steps to where the dock began and knelt to look at the boards. She touched the weather-smoothed crevices and the worn edges at the cut ends of the planks.

“It’s almost a pattern.”

“It is definitely a pattern. A unique pattern because each piece of wood will weather according to its grain.”

The lawn chair sighed as Juli took her seat again and reclaimed the sketchbook. “This sounds more like a philosophical discussion than an art lesson.”

“It’s all a part of life, Juli. It’s just life.”

****

More than a week had passed since she’d asked for Luke’s help. He hadn’t contacted her and she didn’t know what that meant, but then Ben said, “Maia called while you were out. She said you owed her a lunch. She suggested tomorrow, if that works for you.”

“I’ll call her back.”

“No need. Maia said to tell you she’ll be there tomorrow anyway and to come at noon if you want to do lunch.”

“Do you mind? Would you like to come along?” Juli kept her fingers mentally crossed.

Ben shook his head. “Thanks, but no. I’ll let you ladies have your fun.”

She felt like deception was scrawled in lurid letters across her forehead. Ben leaned over and gently planted a kiss right where the letters should have been written.

Maia had called. Had Luke enlisted her help? Was he using Maia as cover? After the way Maia had looked at her when she was leaving the gallery, she wouldn’t have called on her own.

Juli took the groceries from the paper bag as Ben climbed the stairs, headed toward a nap.

Ben’s naps were more frequent. Sometimes he had
discomfort
—Ben’s word. He said it wasn’t pain. The doctor had prescribed some pills for him to take as needed. Ben said they made him drowsy.

Juli didn’t ask him how he felt because he didn’t like the question.

Was she deceiving him? Technically, yes. She wouldn’t lie to herself about that, but Ben shouldn’t have to worry about her past. Her previous life didn’t mesh well with her new one. Juli would stop the mashup before it got messier, she hoped—with a little help from Luke.

****

Maia wasn’t at the gallery when Juli arrived. There was a young man with thick black hair behind the counter. His hair looked disordered on purpose, probably plastered with stiff hair gel. “Is Maia here?”

“Are you Juli?”

He was wearing a dress shirt that was at odds with his frame. Maybe his father’s or brother’s shirt. Clearly, he hadn’t asked his mama or anyone else to iron it for him. It looked clean, though.

“I am.”

He held out his hand. “I’m Brendan. I’m new. Maia’s at the bank. She’ll be back soon.”

Juli shook his hand. She’d been co-workers with enough kids his age to know he was trying hard to be courteous. “I’ll hang out here until she gets back.”

“Why don’t you come in the office and we’ll chat ‘til Maia returns.”

Juli spun around. Luke stood in the office doorway.

His voice sounded relaxed, reasonable. For Brendan’s benefit, no doubt. Juli walked into the office. “What did he say?”

She was surprised by her breathlessness, her taut nerves. When Luke walked toward her, she nearly jumped.

Luke went to the office door and closed it. The latch clicked softly. He walked back to his desk. “He said he’ll stay away.”

“And?”

Luke stood in front of his desk with his arms crossed. “And what?”

Maddening. He wanted to punish her—whether for marrying Ben or for asking him to help her resolve the problem with Frankie. Juli resisted the urge to meet him stance for stance, stare for stare. She pretended there was no need, that no electricity was passing between them, snapping and twisting like a loose livewire, threatening to burn.

“I’d like to know what you said to him and what he said back to you. I’ll probably have to deal with him sooner or later.”

“You’d do better to avoid people like him.”

“
People like him?
I should find a better quality of friends, is that right?” Was it hypocritical of her to resent him for saying what she’d already been thinking?

Luke walked to the window. “I told him exactly what you suggested.”

“That you’d call the police about the theft at the Hammond’s house?”

“He wasn’t happy about it, but he seemed to believe me. I’m not confident we can trust him to stay away.”

“Why wouldn’t he? It’s not like he had any solid reason to think he could benefit from my relationship with Ben.”

Luke turned back to face her. “I think there
was
something more on his mind. I didn’t probe. He looked like the type who’d consider any uncertainty an opening.”

Juli nodded. Frankie would stay away, at least for a while. She hoped he’d move on to something else and forget her entirely. “Thank you, Luke.”

“I did it for Ben.”

“I didn’t think otherwise.” Dignity was a handy mask for humiliation. Juli reminded herself that Luke’s opinion did not define her and stood straighter. They reached the door at the same time, their hands and bodies in close contact. Juli’s capacity for masking her emotion had reached its limit.

Luke was helping Ben, not her. He despised her, and she, him.

Whoever said it was a thin line between love and hate was right. In a flash of insight, Juli realized that despite whatever else she felt, she was attracted to Luke.

She was disgusted with herself for not being a better person. She had money and comfort and a husband, if in name only, who respected and cared about her. Luke was nothing more than an annoyance—a bully who constantly put her down. She would remember that; it should be easy.

Juli slipped past him as he opened the door. Brendan was speaking with a customer and Maia was waiting by the counter. Juli hesitated. Was the lunch invitation real? Brendan might wonder about her closeted meeting with Luke, especially if the lunch plans evaporated.

Maia stepped out from behind the counter. “Are you ready to go?”

“I am.” She crossed her arms to hide her shaking hands.

“I hope you don’t mind staying on Front Street. Something close and quick?” Maia lowered her voice as they exited the gallery. “I don’t want to leave Brendan for too long. Luke will be able to help him, but I want him to learn the job the way I like it done.”

Juli used the walk down Front Street to pull herself together. They stopped at the restaurant where she and Ben had brunched on that first morning. The memory was sweet and helped banish other thoughts.

The waitress led them to a corner table near the windows.

Maia said, “You looked a little pale. The short walk did you good. I’m so glad you could make it.”

So, Maia hadn’t invited her as a cover for Luke.

“I’m glad, too.” Juli spoke tentatively.

“I meant to call sooner. It’s been so busy. Eileen quit and left me short-handed. That’s two in a row. I have to keep Brendan.”

“No need to explain.”

“When Luke suggested I take a little time away during the day—said, in fact, I was overdue for our rain check, I knew he was right. You know how it is. You get so focused on the work it’s easy to lose sight of enjoying life.”

So Luke
did
suggest it. Juli let it simmer in her brain for a few minutes while the waitress took their orders.

“Their garden salad is great. You’ll like it.” Maia bubbled on, “And what about the art lessons? Are you enjoying them? Anna’s amazing, isn’t she?”

“Yes, to both.”

Maia leaned forward and spoke almost in a whisper, “She says you are very talented.”

“What? You’re exaggerating. I’ve barely started to learn.”

“No, indeed. Her exact words were that you have a lot of natural talent.”

“That means my work is amateurish.”

“Stop it, Juli. That’s not what it means. And, in the end, the fun and the experience is the goal, isn’t it? Satisfaction? No one can take that away from you.”

Another reminder of her temporary life. It was good to be reminded. It was foolish to forget it.

Maia continued, “When you’re ready, I want to display some of your art at the gallery.”

“What?” It shot through Juli like a cannon blast. “That’s crazy.”

“Not at all. Everyone starts somewhere don’t they? Why not the gallery? We spotlight a lot of local artists.”

Juli was grateful to receive her salad and rolls. Never did anyone more attentively butter their bread or inspect their salad. Maia was keeping her off-balance, as if continually yanking at an invisible rug beneath her feet. Juli opened her mouth to speak and was cut off once again.

“How is Ben these days?”

“He’s good.”

“I’m so glad. He was very sick when he went to the doctor. It was coincidental and had nothing to do with his current condition, but that’s how they found it. He was recovering when you met. It’s so romantic—meeting in the garden at the party.”

“I didn’t know he’d told you.”

“Oh, my, yes. He went on and on about this wonderful girl he’d met. Well, you should know I’m a romantic at heart. Unlucky in love, that’s me. I told him not to let love slip through his fingers. Not many chances come along. Oh, my, but Luke was angry.”

“I’m sure he was worried—”

“He was. But they were fussing over Ben as if he was already gone. They meant well, but it was their issue, not his, if you know what I mean? They have to deal with their grief and not burden him. Does that make any sense?”

“Yes, but it’s understandable.”

“Sure it is. I’ve been half in love with Ben since the day I met him, but he never got over his first true love.”

“You
are
a romantic.”

Maia laughed. “Isn’t that what I said?”

“Would you ladies like dessert?”

“No, thanks. Can we have the check?”

Juli was about to rise from the table when Maia reached over and put her hand on Juli’s arm. She sat back down.

“Juli, I know you and Luke aren’t getting along. I know you’re trying to hide it from Ben, not wanting to catch him up in the middle.”

“That’s true.”

“You’re both good people, Juli, and you’re doing the right thing by trying to work it out. I’m glad you were willing to speak with him today. It’s funny how people can have the same motivation, but still be at odds.”

“It’s human nature, I guess.” A catch-all response. It sparked something reckless within her. She was fed up with using good manners to mask the truth. “It’s all Luke’s fault, anyway.”

Maia sat back, startled. “Luke’s fault? What is?”

“That I met Ben. I was serving at the party and Luke—didn’t know his name then—looked through me like I wasn’t there. It hit me wrong. I don’t know how to explain it. I felt anonymous, but not by choice. Nameless. Pointless. I went outside because I needed air and that’s where I met Ben.”