Castles in the Sand (25 page)

“No, not at all. We’ve exchanged opinions and disagreed. Fine. But now as head of this household it’s my duty to decide how we’re going to act. As a respectful wife, you’ll see the wisdom in following my lead.”

Feeling returned to her muscles and she straightened, her spine stiff as a ramrod. “
If
you don’t expect me to do something that goes against God’s Word.”

He blinked rapidly.

“My favorite preacher taught me that.”

“I’m not expecting you to go against God’s Word!”

“‘Parents, do not exasperate your children. Do not drive them to resentment.’”

“‘But correct them in the Lord.’”

“She’s been—Oh, Drake. I am not going to argue Scripture with you. The point is, I will not turn my back on her.”

“I’m not asking you to turn your back on her.”

Lord, talk about exasperation! Why can’t he let go?

“Susan, please.”

His voice carried the pouting tone she could now recognize immediately. His shoulders and face sagged.

And she saw him as a little boy. Like a kid threatened by a normally compliant buddy suddenly transmuted into nasty bully.

She leaned forward again. Halfway. “Drake, I love you. Please believe that.”

“Then let’s present a united front. Let’s—”

The doorbell rang. They exchanged a glance. The time was very late, but Drake was on call twenty-four/seven/three hundred sixty-five. There was no question of what to do.

But he hesitated getting out of his chair. Susan knew they both looked bedraggled, not quite presentable for company. Their minds were a million miles from being able to listen to another’s woes. It was the last thing they needed.

On the other hand, it provided the opportunity for Susan to quit talking.

She led the way to the front door and breathed a prayer of thanks.

Ringing the doorbell at the house where she’d lived much of her childhood epitomized Kenzie’s relationship with her parents: locked out.

Lights glowed through curtains, so Kenzie knew someone was awake. She used to have a key, but it had gotten lost and hints had not prompted either her mom or dad to replace it.

As she stood in the dark, comparisons jumped to mind. They always did. The Carluccis were so off the charts when it came to hospitality. The entire family defined the word.

She shook the meandering thought from her head and glanced over her shoulder. Aidan sat in the van parked at the curb, watching her. He gave her a thumb’s-up. He had tried to talk her out of this, but in the end simply hugged her and said he’d be there for her no matter what, her own SWAT team in the wings.

Okay. She had to focus on what she had come to do and not whine that she was actually related by blood to the Starrs.

The porch lights flicked on and her mother opened the door, an instantaneous grin cracking her face. Her dad appeared, slower, somber.

“Hi, Mom. Dad.” Kenzie’s smile wasn’t as forthcoming as her mom’s. She felt it tuck in and out of her cheeks quick as a rabbit. Dread paralyzed her limbs.
Oh, God
. The prayer worked. Her smile stuck and she spread her arms. “The prodigal kid returns.”

Susan grabbed her in a bear hug. “Welcome, sweetheart. Come inside.” She shut the door behind her.

Pugsy yipped and raced into view, down the hall from the kitchen as fast as his short legs could pump. Kenzie knelt and caught him up in her arms. No time for dog talk. If she didn’t speak the rehearsed words, dread would close up her throat and she’d die on the spot. She propped Pugsy on her soft pudgy tummy and nuzzled him briefly. Then she turned to her father.

Drake stared back at her, no response on his face.

Kenzie’s courage drained.

“Well,” Susan said, “as soon as you two hug and make peace, I’ll order up the fatted calf.”

Kenzie blinked first. “Dad, I’m sorry.” The words burst from her. “What I did was wrong. I know that. Even if there weren’t a baby, Aidan and I should have waited. I’m asking you both to forgive me.”

Susan kissed her cheek. “Of course we forgive you.”

“Susan, she’s not quite finished.”

“Dad, what more is there? I really want your forgiveness. We goofed up. I admit that. God had a better way in mind, but we didn’t take it.”

“What about marriage?”

“We’re not there yet.”

“If you’re there enough to have a baby…” He nodded toward her midsection. “And it’s obvious that’s going to happen—then you’re there enough to take responsibility.” His breath came in funny spurts, disrupting his speech. “As married parents.” His volume increased and his voice bounced, echoing off the high walls of the open staircase in the entryway.

Kenzie had never seen him in such a state. Now that she noticed, they both looked as though they’d been out in the rain too long. Their clothes were uncharacteristically rumpled. Their faces had accumulated years, making them appear as old as Aidan’s great-great-aunt.

Her mother touched Drake’s arm. “Let’s take this one step at a time. Why don’t we go sit in the family room? Kenzie, would you like some tea?”

Much as she wanted to just hug her mom, she focused on her dad. Way too much baggage lay in his direction, stuff that had to be dealt with before she could move on or even further into the house.

“Dad, getting married isn’t going to right things.”

“It will right what you’re doing now, living in sin with that man.”

“His name is Aidan, and I am not going to guilt him into marrying me. He’d resent me for the rest of my life and probably our baby too!”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Dad, why don’t you ever listen to me? Why don’t you ever try to understand my side?”

He didn’t reply with words, but his breathing sounded like it came from a runner about ready to keel over.

Her mother leaned toward him, her hand still on his forearm, her knuckles prominent as if she clutched tightly. The chipper expression on her face was gone. “Do you resent me?”

Though her voice was scarcely above a whisper, Kenzie heard.

“What?” Drake said. “Why would I?”

Susan’s eyes got big.

Her dad’s mouth did its funny pucker thing. It was not a good sign.

“Drake,” her mother said, “I forgive you. But it won’t continue.”

Kenzie felt as though she’d walked into the middle of a conversation. What were they talking about?

Her dad slouched and not just with his shoulders. It was like his whole body and personality wilted. He seemed smaller somehow.

What was going on?

Susan let go of his arm and smiled at Kenzie. “So. The prodigal returns, asking for forgiveness. Let’s embrace this moment. It’ll have to be with scrambled eggs, though. Last I checked, there was no calf out in the yard.”

Her dad said, “I can’t go back on my word.” His voice was a hoarse monotone. “No marriage, no welcome.”

Kenzie couldn’t believe her ears. “And no forgiveness?”

“You know what I said. I’ve taught it for years. What is there to forgive if you don’t change your sinful ways?”

“Drake!”

“Susan, the prodigal has not returned.”

Kenzie recognized his tone. It was the one he used to wrap up sermons. It meant he had no more to say on the subject. Throughout her teen years it signaled her exit.

She stepped toward the door. “Oh, well. I didn’t really expect a fatted calf. Maybe a bone. That would have been nice.” She set Pugsy on the floor. He lifted a forlorn muzzle to her. She missed him a lot. She didn’t think she missed her dad at all.

“Hold it!” Susan said.

Kenzie spun back around. What
was
going on? Her parents never argued in front of her. She really didn’t believe they ever argued, not even in private. And what had her mom meant,
it won’t continue?
What wouldn’t continue?

Her mom stood straight, hands on her hips. “We are not leaving things like we did in January. Drake, our daughter is welcome in our home.”

“I can’t agree to that.”

“Then I will spend time with her elsewhere. I will see my grandchild.”

“I forbid that. Your place is beside me, enforcing consequences.”

“She’ll be living out the consequences for the rest of her life. What is my not seeing her a consequence of? What did I do to deserve that?”

His face reddened. “The prodigal needs to—”

“You’re forcing me to choose between you and Kenzie.”

“There’s no choice involved. Susan, we’ve discussed this.”

“We have. Ad nauseam. And all that matters is I want to be free to have a relationship with Kenzie. If you feel you have the right to deny that, I think…” She inhaled a shaky breath and trembled.

“I don’t have that right. But you know how I feel.”

“I think then that…that I have to get away. Again. For a while.” Her voice trailed to a whisper. “The beach house is still available.”

“Susan, if you go there again, don’t bother to come back. That goes for your Martha Maven friends as well, after their blatant show of disrespect this morning. And Kenzie.” He paused. “Grow up.” With that he went to the staircase and climbed out of sight.

Kenzie stood beside her mom. Neither of them spoke or moved. It was as if time suspended itself. Or that oxygen had been sucked right out of the place. A sense of déjà vu struck her. She had cruised this route before, more than a few times.

Why had she even bothered? It was always going to be her against them.

“Kenzie, honey, I am so sorry you witnessed that.” Susan blew out a noisy breath and walked to the coat closet.

Kenzie watched her put on a jacket and lift a tote bag and Pugsy’s leash from the hall tree. Then she picked up a small handbag from the table and took keys from it. They slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor.

This was not in the script. Susan was supposed to offer some lame excuse for him and then trot on up the steps after him.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“Going to my new home away from home.” She retrieved the keys and stood. “Maybe the third time will be a charm. Come here, Pugs.”

“But he just said—”

“I can’t stay here. It will only continue.”

“What will continue?”

Susan knelt to hook the leash onto Pugsy’s collar. “This preposterous version of submission—Oh!” The leash clanked against the floor.

Kenzie went down on a knee and looked in her face. Tears glistened on her mother’s cheeks. “Mom!”

“I’m all right. Can you hook this—No, I am not all right. Natalie would tell me to admit it. Okay, I admit it. I need help. I can’t stay here and I am in no condition to drive.”

Her own hands shaking now, Kenzie fastened the leash.

“And I can’t bother Natalie again. I’ll call a cab—”

“We can give you a ride.”

Susan stood with her. “‘We?’”

“Aidan’s waiting.”

“Like before.”

“My knight.”

“Oh, honey, I want to meet him. Later. Thank you for offering to help, but I can’t drag you two into the middle of this. It’s between your dad and me.”

She wanted to plop down onto the tile floor and bawl her eyes out in her mother’s arms.
Kenzie, grow up
. Her dad’s harsh words replayed, startling her like a splash of cold water. She was responsible for this mess. It was time to stop passing the ball and dribble it herself.

“Mom, you wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t for me. We will give you a ride.”

Susan stopped rummaging in her purse and stared.

“Do you need to bring anything else?”

Her mother hiccupped and swiped her fingers under her eyes. “Hair goop and facial creams are still in this tote. What else is there?” Her smile wobbled. “I’ve learned how to travel light. My daughter taught me that.”

“Okay, then. Let’s go. I’ve got Pugs.” She opened the front door. “You want to leave Dad a note?”

“I don’t think so. He’s got my number.”

Kenzie’s energizing rush of responsibility fizzled halfway to the street. By the time they reached the van, she felt like a zombie. She pulled open the back door. The overhead light went on and she caught Aidan’s questioning stare. She gave him one in return. She had no clue what was going on.

Before Kenzie could climb in, her mother did. There were no backseats in the van; they’d been removed in order to make space for the band’s equipment. She watched now, nearly stupefied, as her fragile, prim and proper mother contorted herself around and between large amplifiers. At least she wore slacks and not her usual skirt. She sat on the floor, a silly grin on her face, and thrust her hand between the front seats.

“Hi, Aidan. I’m Susan, your semi-mother-in-law.”

He smiled and shook her hand. “You’ve been talking to my mom.”

“Yes, I have.”

Instant rapport? Her mother was definitely not following the script tonight.

Kenzie said, “Let me sit here. There’s no seatbelt.”

“I’m fine.”

“Mrs. Starr, I’ll sit back there. Kenzie can drive—”

“Call me Susan, please, and neither Kenzie nor I are in any shape to drive. Believe me.”

Aidan’s glance to Kenzie registered alarm. She slid the door shut; he reached across and opened the front passenger door. Pugsy in hand, she hoisted herself up to the seat. The dog stood stiffly on her lap, eyeing Aidan warily.