Snowed In (16 page)

We went through the back of the kitchen into a sunroom.

“Like the hat,” he said.

“Oh, shoot, I forgot all about it.” I snatched it off. “It’s not really me, but Nathalie insisted. You know how she can be.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“I don’t suppose there’s someplace around here where I can lose it until Monday when I have to return it.”

“Sure there is.” He took it and tossed it onto a nearby chair. “Perfect for the décor.” I chuckled. “I don’t know about that.” But I wasn’t in any hurry to retrieve it.

He showed me into the library. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the walls. I’d never seen so many books in my life, except at a public or school library.

“Wow, does anyone read this much?” I asked.

195

“My grandparents did.”

On one of the shelves was a pewter-framed black-and-white photograph. “Is this them?” The guy sorta looked like Josh.

“Yeah,” Josh said. “Shortly after they got married.”

“I don’t know if I’ve ever known anyone who grew up in the house his grandparents lived in. I mean, my parents don’t even live in the same city as my grandparents.”

“Makes you appreciate family history, I guess.

Or at least it did for me.”

He showed me the other rooms. On the second floor were the bedrooms. The door to one of the rooms was closed—and locked.

“Didn’t want to clean it,” he said.

“You’ve seen my bedroom,” I teased.

“You want to see mine?” he asked, his eyes darkening.

I wondered if we were slipping into that dangerous flirting territory again.

I felt my face warm. As a matter of fact, I got so hot that I was close to shedding my coat. “Uh, no, actually that’s okay. I’ve taken enough of your time and Tara is waiting—”

“I want to show you one more thing, something not on the tour.” He pointed to a stairway 196

with a rope across it, indicating no trespassing.

“An attic filled with bats?”

He gave me one of those we-have-a-private-joke grins. Then he looked past me to the far stairs where we could hear people.

“Come on.” He grabbed my hand. “We need to hurry before people get up here and I have to show everyone.”

He slipped beneath the rope, tugging me after him. I wasn’t nearly as limber in my parka and Victorian dress.

It wasn’t obvious from the hallway, but it was a spiral staircase. I’d always had a thing for spiral staircases. Maybe because in fairy tales it always seemed like the heroine had a room or a prison or bedchamber at the top of a spiral staircase. Plus, it was always a mystery. As you rounded each turn, you never knew what you were going to see.

The staircase opened up into a circular room.

One of the turrets. It had windows all around it with the curtains pulled back. Moonlight and streetlights filtered in.

I could make out the shadows of furniture: a couch, some chairs.

“It was my grandmother’s reading room,” Josh said. “When I was a kid, though, she’d let me play up here. I’d pretend it was my castle.” 197

Taking my hand, he led me over to the window. I could see the lighted bridge. Even at night this room had a spectacular view.

“Oh, wow.” I didn’t have any words to do it justice.

“During the summer, it’s really awesome. I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve stood up here and thought about leaving this island for good.” I shifted my gaze over to him. “Getting off this rock?”

Okay, I was showing off. Knowing the lingo, I felt like a true islander.

“Yeah. Strange thing is, I haven’t been thinking about it so much lately.”

His voice had gotten really low, really serious, and I had a feeling that I knew where he was going with this, and it was someplace I didn’t want to go.

“Thanks for sharing this room with me,” I said quickly. “Now whenever I walk by, I’ll know exactly what’s up here, but gosh, look at the time.” I looked at the imaginary watch on my wrist, which I wouldn’t have been able to see in the shadows even if it had been real. “Tara’s probably going crazy wondering where I am.”

“All I’ve been thinking about is you,” he said, as though I hadn’t spoken, hadn’t interrupted him.

“Don’t you get it?” I backed away quickly. “A 198

new girl moves to town and suddenly you’re thinking greener pastures.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Sure, it is. You were perfectly happy with Nathalie before I moved here.”

“Was I?”

“Well, you’ve been together since you were twelve, so yeah. I mean, it’s just . . .” I didn’t know what it was.

“I’ve gotta go.”

I hurried down the steps, nearly tripping twice over the long skirt. I was suddenly hating the Victorians. Jeans were so much better for a hasty getaway.

I slipped under the rope. A couple of people in the hallway stopped and stared at me.

“I was looking for the bathroom.” I jerked my thumb toward the stairs. “It’s not up there. There’s nothing up there. It was totally boring.” I hurried past them, figuring I was going to become known as that crazy girl from Texas.

I found Tara and Shaun in the kitchen, exactly as I’d left them.

“Okay, I’m ready to go.” I smiled at Mr.

Wynter. “You have a beautiful house. I can see why Mom hired you. Thanks.”

He looked confused, like maybe he didn’t 199

know what I was thanking him for. I didn’t know either, but it just seemed like the thing to say.

Of course the worst part was leaving through the front door. Nathalie smiled brightly. “What did you think? Doesn’t my boyfriend have the coolest house?”

“Absolutely.”

“Where’s your hat?”

“Lost it. See you later.”

“Okay. We’ll be heading over to the hotel soon.

You can dance with my boyfriend if you want.” I so didn’t want.

200

17

“What was going on back there?” Tara asked when I finally slowed down.

“Oh, nothing. I was just tired of touring Victorian houses. Like you said, seen one, seen ’em all.” Tara grabbed my arm and spun me around.

“Ash, this is me.
What
is going on?” I took a deep breath. “He says he can’t stop thinking about me.”

“I could have told you that,” Tara said. “It was pretty obvious when we walked in that he was glad to see you.”

I pressed my hands to the sides of my head.

“What if Nathalie figures it out? I should probably move back home.”

That thought caused an unexpected ache in my chest. I was growing fond of the island. But I’d be the island slut if anyone found out what had happened between Josh and me.

201

“You’re not going to move back home,” Tara said.

I glowered at her. “You can order the fudge online.”

“You’re not going to move back home,” she repeated.

I nodded. She was right. I wasn’t going to leave Mom. I wasn’t going to leave the island. “He’s thinking about me because I’m a novelty, that’s all.”

“I don’t think that’s the reason,” Shaun said.

I glared at him. “Trust me, Shaun, a lot is going on here that you don’t know about.”

“Tara told me he kissed you.”

I frowned at Tara. “You told him?”

“Well, yeah, I tell Shaun everything. He’s my boyfriend.”

“I’m starting to hate that term. ‘My boyfriend.’”

“Well, he is. But he’s not going to tell anyone.” She turned to Shaun. “So since you know more than Ash thinks you do, what do you think is the reason he’s thinking about her?”

“Wait,” I ordered.

Some people walked past. We all exchanged hellos. When they were far enough away that they couldn’t hear us, I said, “Okay. Spill it.”

“Uh, actually I can’t. I mean, it’s a guy code.” 202

“A. Guy. Code?” I asked.

“Yeah, you know, two guys talking guy stuff.

Our unwritten code is that we don’t talk to babes about it.”

“How about your girlfriend? If she tells you stuff, shouldn’t you tell her stuff?” He looked guiltily at Tara. He did have emotions. I felt a little mean about putting him on the spot.

“Never mind,” I said. “So what if he’s thinking about me? He’s not going to break up with Nathalie just to go on a date with me.”

“
A
date?” Tara repeated. “You wouldn’t make an exception to your no-boyfriend rule for him?”

“A rule doesn’t allow for exceptions.”

“I so don’t get you sometimes.”

I almost looked between her and Shaun and said, “Ditto.” But no way did I want to hurt either of their feelings. It wasn’t worth it to make my point.

“Come on. Let’s just go to the dance.” I was numb, physically and emotionally, by the time we reached the hotel. It was a huge place. A front porch ran the length of it. Horse-drawn sleighs were lined up one after another. I guess to provide transport home afterward.

Tara, of course, sighed and snuggled in closer 203

to Shaun. “I want to go for a ride in one of those.” A lot of people were milling around on the porch. No kids our age. And the music drifting outside was definitely not the kind we usually listened to.

“Do we want to do the dance?” I asked.

“I’m kinda wiped out,” Tara said. “And I’m more interested in the sleigh ride. Dances I can go to at home. But a sleigh ride . . .”

“Okay, go do the sleigh ride.”

“
Go do?
You’re coming with us.”

“I’m really in the mood to walk.”

“Then we’ll walk with you.”

“Tara, don’t be silly. You’re right. You may never get a chance to do this again. So do it now.

With Shaun. I’m just going to walk.”

“If you’re sure . . .”

I could see how badly she wanted to do it. And I couldn’t blame her.

“A hundred percent,” I said.

Shaun paid the driver—I guess with his reserved money—at the front of the line. Then he and Tara climbed into the sleigh. The driver tucked a thick blanket over their laps.

Tara looked so happy. When it came to revealing his emotions, Shaun might be a flatliner, but he’d obviously managed to win Tara over big-time.

204

The driver slapped the reins over the backs of the horses and they took off, little bells attached to the reins jingling as they disappeared around the corner. I thought I saw Shaun lean in to kiss Tara—

or maybe she leaned in to kiss him. But either way, I knew romantic-at-heart Tara was going to get a sleigh ride she’d never forget.

By the time I got home I was coooold!

I could smell something spicy coming from the kitchen. When I walked in, Mom was sitting at the table, making notes in a binder. She was wearing velour lounging pants and a tank top. Her fuzzy socked feet were on a chair.

“Hi, sweetie,” she said. “I made some tension-reducing tea. It has chamomile. No caffeine. It’ll warm you and help you sleep.”

How had she known that I’d be so tense I was close to snapping in two?

“Why would I need help sleeping?” I mumbled as I poured myself a cup. I sat down across from Mom. “Are you tense?”

She laughed lightly. “No, but I don’t believe a person can ever be too relaxed.”

I took off my gloves and wrapped my hands around the mug.

“I made some spice cake, too,” she said.

205

“You’ve been busy. I thought you were going on the Victorian Walk.”

“I did. I have lots of ideas now for decorating. I wanted to write them all down while they were fresh in my mind.”

“You didn’t go to the dance?”

She took a sip of tea and shook her head. “No, maybe next year. What did you think of the houses?”

“I think they’re officially called cottages.”

“I think you’re right. Did you see the Wynters’?” she asked.

“Yeah, it was pretty awesome.”

“I thought so, too.”

She went back to scribbling in her binder.

“Mom, can I ask you a question?”

She looked up at me and smiled. “Of course, sweetie.”

I was starting to get warm and thought about taking off my parka, but I felt a little silly talking to my mom about a serious subject when I was wearing a Victorian costume. It wasn’t me. My parka was. And what I wanted to ask . . . well, I wanted honesty.

“Is Marsha the reason you and Dad got a divorce?”

Her mouth dropped open slightly. Then she 206

reached across the table and took my hand. “Oh, honey, no.”

“Then why?”

“Oh, Ashleigh, your dad and I were barely eighteen when we got married. We had so much growing up and changing to do, and we didn’t realize then that we’d change in different direc-tions. Your dad likes the big corporate world and travel and schmoozing and entertaining people.

Me”—she shrugged—“I like the simple, small-town life. Your dad and I still love each other, and we want each other to be happy. And we admitted that the best way to be happy was not to be together.”

“So you just gave up?”

“We recognized that we wanted—needed—different things to be happy. Your dad needed someone who loves the glamorous world he lives in.

And I needed something else. I’m not exactly sure what it is yet. I’m still trying to figure that out.

Most girls figure it out in their twenties. But I was busy being a mommy and a wife.”

“Are you saying you don’t know who you are?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

I slumped back in my chair. I hardly knew what to say. You don’t expect your mom to have 207

an identity crisis. She’s the adult. She’s . . . well, she’s your
mom
! If she didn’t know who she was, how would you ever know?

I leaned forward. “Do you like Mr. Wynter?”

“Of course I do.” Her eyes widened. “Oh, no, not like what you’re thinking. He’s just a friend. I’m in no hurry for romance, but if I were, well . . .” Her cheeks turned red, and she began drawing hearts on a page in her binder. Hearts, like I did whenever I started crushing on a guy and wondering what going on a date with him would be like.

That was just too weird to even think about.

It was a little after midnight when Tara crept into my room. I’d been sitting on the window seat, looking out onto the street so I’d seen the sleigh arrive. I’d heard her laugh as the driver helped her get out. I’d watched as Shaun put his arms around her and rubbed his nose against hers while the sleigh went up the street. I had looked away when he’d kissed her.