Driftwood Lane (5 page)

Finally he saw Noelle in a pack of giggling girls. He put his fingers between his lips and blew. The piercing whistle all but disappeared on the wind, but Noelle stopped, scanning the yard, the pack of girls leaving her behind.

He knew the instant she saw him. She went still, her face broke into a smile. And then she was running.

She was in his arms ten heartbeats later, squeezing, crying, “Uncle J!” Her sobs caught him in the gut.

He wrapped his arms around her little blonde head. “I’m here, baby. I’m here.”

When she finished crying, she leaned back, and he wiped her tears with the tail of his T-shirt. “We don’t have much time. Where’re Ben and Max?”

She scanned the mob of students rushing from the building.

“Max, Ben!” she called, waving.

Jake stepped behind the tree to wait.

Noelle walked into his embrace again. “Why didn’t you answer my e-mails? I waited and waited, and now
Meridith
has taken over.”

“Uncle J!” Max threw himself into Jake’s arms, followed closely by Ben. They clung to him like he was their life preserver on an open sea.

He clenched his jaw. Maybe that’s what he was.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here, guys. It’s gonna be okay. I promise.”

“You have to come home with us and make Meridith leave,” Noelle said.

“Yeah!” said Max. “Come live with us!”

“It doesn’t work that way, guys. Meridith has legal custody.”

“We don’t want her!” Noelle said.

“I know, I know.” The mob of kids had thinned. The buses wouldn’t stay much longer, and the kids had to arrive home like normal.

Jake crouched down. “We don’t have much time, and I have a lot to say, so listen, okay?”

They nodded.

“I’m going to try and get custody, but it’ll be tricky. You’re not old enough to decide for yourselves. I don’t want Meridith to know I’m back, understand? You can’t tell her.”

“But how can—”

Jake held up a finger. “You know Meridith’s getting bids on projects around the house, right?”

“Right . . .” Noelle said.

“I’m bidding on the job. I need time there to see what I’m dealing with.” He wouldn’t tell the kids about the mental illness. Didn’t want to scare them. “If she’s doing things that are . . . inappropriate, I’ll see firsthand, and we’ll have evidence against her. That’s the only way I’ll be able to get custody of you munchkins. We have to show that Meridith’s not suitable, get it?”

“But that’ll take too long!” Noelle said.

“Maybe not. And in the meantime, I’ll be there with you guys a lot.”

“Cool!” Max said.

“
But—
you all have to listen close here. You
cannot
call me Uncle J. You have to pretend you don’t know me—like I’m just some guy there working on the house, understand?”

“That’ll be hard,” Ben said.

“Very hard,” Jake said.

“What if we slip up?” Max hitched his book bag higher.

“You won’t if you’re careful. When Meridith’s not around, you don’t have to pretend. And don’t tell anyone else I’m back either, understand? It might get back to her.” Jake felt a prick of guilt. Was he doing the right thing, asking the kids to take part in deception? It went against everything he stood for. But what other option did he have? Surrender the kids to a crazy woman? He had to play by the system’s rules whether he liked it or not.

Ben tugged on Jake’s sleeve.

“Yeah, Benny?”

“Are Mom and Dad really in heaven now?”

Jake swore he felt a crack splinter through the middle of his heart. They needed him now more than ever. He gripped the boy’s shoulder. “Yes, they are. God promised, and you can always believe God’s promises, ’kay?”

Ben nodded.

There were only a few stragglers walking toward the buses now.

“You guys have to run, you’re going to miss your bus. Noelle, review this with them on the way home, okay? Make sure they understand.”

“But Meridith’s getting tons of bids. She, like, overdoes
everything
!” Noelle rolled her eyes. “What if you don’t even get the job?”

Jake straightened from his crouch. “Oh, I’ll get the job, don’t you worry. Now, go on. Scoot!”

They gave him one last hug before scurrying toward their bus, their heavy book bags bouncing on their shoulders.

Seven

“Summer Place, may I help you?” Meridith shouldered the phone, nudging Benny to her other side.

“Hello, I’d like to make a reservation, please.”

^“
Certainly.” The brown leather reservation tablet was on the counter where she’d placed it. “What dates are you looking for?”

“We’re coming for the Daffodil Festival, April twenty-third through the twenty-fifth. I hope you still have openings. I’m a little late calling this year. Is this Eva?”

“Uh, no, it’s not.” This wasn’t the first caller who’d asked, but Meridith found it best to move the conversation along, especially when Ben was nearby. He was stamping a stack of brochures. “It does look like we have a room available that weekend.”

“Wonderful. You can put us down for those two nights. We’re the Goldmans.” She gave her contact information and a credit card number. “We’re looking forward to it. We so enjoy Eva and T. J. and the children when we visit.”

Meridith marked them in the book. Mrs. Goldman seemed to know her father and Eva pretty well. An explanation was in order. She stepped away from the desk, walking toward the dining room, away from Ben’s ears, hoping he wouldn’t follow this once.

She lowered her voice. “I went ahead and booked the nights for you, Mrs. Goldman, but I’m afraid I have some sad news. Eva and T. J. were in an accident a few weeks ago. I’m afraid they didn’t make it.”

Meridith stared through the wavy glass window and saw Noelle slouched in one of the Adirondack chairs, facing the ocean. The cord of her iPod was like a constant spaghetti noodle dangling from her ear.

“Oh dear,” Mrs. Goldman was saying. “Oh my, those poor children. Are they all right?”

“They’re doing as well as can be expected. I’m their new guardian, their big sister from Missouri.” It always felt so strange, that word. Sister.

“Oh. I didn’t realize they had an older sister. I’m so glad they have you.”

Noelle changed positions, slumping sideways over the chair, laying her head back onto the arm. If only Noelle were glad. She seemed to make a hobby of avoiding Meridith. But maybe that was for the best. The encounters they had weren’t pleasant.

She felt Ben before she saw him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning into her hip.

“Yes, things are going fine. I have you down for the Daffodil Festival weekend. We’re looking forward to your visit.”

“That was Mrs. Goldman,” she told Ben after she hung up. “Do you remember her?”

He nodded against her hip. Meridith patted his head awkwardly. His blond cropped hair was baby fine and soft.

“She’s looking forward to seeing you.”

“She decorates the galaxy,” Ben said.

Decorates the galaxy? Was he into Star Wars and space? He’d never talked about science fiction before. She squatted down. “What do you mean, Ben?”

His green eyes were earnest, sad. “Dad’s old car in the garage. She helps us decorate it for the festival.”

Meridith breathed a laugh. “Oh, the
Galaxie
. I thought you meant—” She shook her head. “Never mind.”

Max tromped down the stairs, grabbed his jacket from the hook. “Done with my homework! Going outside.”

“Dinner will be ready in ten minutes,” she said as he blew past. The back door opened and slammed shut.

Meridith straightened. The casserole was in the oven, the vegetables steaming. “Would you like to set the table?”

Ben shrugged and headed toward the kitchen for the plates.

Now what had she been doing before the phone call? The mail. She set the phone in the cradle and sorted through the pile. Bills, credit card offer, mailers. Ah! Three more bids. She’d received the first one yesterday and still had sticker shock. Hopefully these were more reasonable.

She ripped open the first and gasped. And that was only the furnace and plumbing work.
In your dreams
. The other bid was for the carpentry. She sighed. It was like these people knew her account balance and conspired to take every last dime.

Well, there was still one bid coming. Two, if you counted Comfort, but she didn’t.

She opened the remaining mail, trashing the credit offers.

The phone rang, and she pulled the reservation book closer as she greeted the caller.

“This is Jake from Comfort Heating and Plumbing. I was out yesterday to bid on your projects.”

She recognized his voice before he identified himself. “Did you have questions?”
That’s why you take notes, Mr. Comfort
.

“Put some numbers together for you and have your bid.” He named a dollar figure that left Meridith skeptical. Clearly he’d forgotten something. Some
things
, judging by the quote.

“I prefer a written bid, if you don’t mind.” Not that she was signing anything with this Jake guy.

“You were in a hurry, so I thought I’d call. Be glad to drop off the papers.”

Then she could see everything that was missing. Whatever. “Sure, drop them by. There’s a slot on the front door.”

“Will do.”

Meridith ended the call and wiped her palms down her legs. What was it about that man? She could only imagine hiring him, having him here all day. Alone with him all day. The thought made her palms sweat. No. Not happening.

The kitchen timer dinged, and she went to remove the casserole from the oven. After setting the food on the table, she called Max and Noelle—Noelle three times, compliments of the iPod.

“Didn’t Ben do a great job setting the table?” Meridith broke the silence five minutes later. After she’d made Noelle turn off her music, the only sounds were the scraping of forks on plates and the sound of Ben chewing with his mouth open.

The phone rang.

“Aren’t you going to get it?” Max asked two rings later.

“Not during dinner. That’s what voice mail is for.”

“Mom always answers,” Max said.

“Answer
ed
,” Noelle said.

“Shut up, Noelle.”

Meridith’s nerves rattled. “All right, you two, that’s enough. Did everyone finish their homework?”

“You already asked that.”

Why did everything out of Noelle’s mouth have to sound snide?
Patience, Meridith
. Maybe a happier topic. “What would you like to do this weekend? I saw there’s a whaling museum on the island. How about that?”

Noelle took a bite of broccoli and rolled her eyes.

“We’ve already been there,” Ben said.

“Field trips.” Max pushed his food around his plate. “We could go ice skating on Hummock Pond . . .”

“Yeah!” Ben said.

“Oh,” Meridith said. “I don’t know. That sounds a little dangerous. The temperatures haven’t been below freezing. And while we’re on the topic of safety, Ben, I got something for you today.” The injected enthusiasm sounded as fake as it was.

“What?”

“A booster seat for the van. Isn’t that great? You’ll be able to see up over the seat and have a great view.”

“A
booster
seat . . .” Noelle lowered her fork. “That’s retarded.”

“It will boost him higher.” She gave Noelle a pointed look.

“I don’t want a booster seat,” Ben said quietly, and Meridith wanted to wring Noelle’s neck for putting a nasty spin on the whole thing.

Meridith laid her hand on Ben’s arm. “The safety recommendations are to use a booster seat until you’re four foot nine. You still have several inches to go. I got a really cool one.”

“Yeah, his friends are going to think it’s really cool.” Noelle again.

Meridith pursed her lips.

“She’s right.” Max set his fork down. “It’s not cool.”

“Well, it may not be cool, but it’s safe.”

“It’s cruel, is what it is,” Noelle said. “They’ll make fun of him.”

“No one has to know.”

Noelle huffed. “May I be excused?”

Sarcasm was not pretty on a young girl. “You may. Max, you’ve hardly eaten a bite.”

“I’m not hungry. Can I be excused too?” His sad brown eyes melted her.

“Of course.”

The chairs scraped as they exited, and Meridith sighed as the two disappeared into the kitchen, then clomped up the back staircase.

After she and Ben finished, she washed dishes while the boy dried. He seemed happier when he was doing something. Maybe not happier, just . . . busier.

She knew about grief, but what did she know about children? Music blared from upstairs. Meridith sighed again. Apparently nothing.

She didn’t like Noelle shutting herself in her room. It didn’t seem healthy, though she understood the desire. More than once she’d wanted to close herself in her own room and pull the covers over her head. She hadn’t felt that way since she lived with her mom.

When the last dish was shelved, she turned to Ben. “Why don’t you ask Max and Noelle if they want to watch a movie. I saw your DVD collection in the library—surely we can agree on something.”

While Ben scampered up the stairs, Meridith went to check the voice mail. Before she reached the guest desk, a white envelope by the front door caught her eye.

The bid.

Well, he didn’t waste any time.
This should be good
. Comic relief, if nothing else. She slid her finger under the flap, pulled out the papers, and unfolded them. Her eyes found the back page, bottom figure. Just what he’d quoted on the phone.

Now to see what he’d forgotten to price.

She scanned the list of jobs and materials. It was detailed, the make and size of the furnace, the brand name of the door, even the brand name of the lock sets. She double-checked the list.

He hadn’t forgotten a thing. It was even more detailed than the other bids. How could he do it for so little? She read the fine print on the contract and warranty. All standard.

She flipped to the back page and stared at the project bid, her stomach sinking like a lead weight in a tub full of water as she realized the offer on this paper was too good to turn down.

Eight

“Come in,” Meridith said.