Wellesley Wives (New England Trilogy) (49 page)

“You like her?”

“Me? No, not in that way. She wouldn’t be my type, but I think she looked quite happy to see that doctor last night. They might do well together.” Shane took a ham and cheese sandwich.

“Tell me now,” he said as he chewed, “Popsy is an unusual name. Is it short for something?”

She smiled. “I was christened ‘Poppy,’ but my nickname was always Popsy, which is just as well because then I started to date Peter, that’s my late husband . . .” It was still hard to talk about him in the past tense. “Well, if I’d stayed Poppy, I would have ended up being ‘Poppy Power.’ That would have sounded dreadful, so I stuck with my nickname all these years. I called my girls Rose and Lily so we would all have that in common—names that are flowers. But my eldest calls herself Rosie. She hated Rose.” Popsy shook her head.

“Did you know from the first time you met him that he was the one—Peter, you say?”

She nodded. It was good to talk about him. “Yep, I knew straight away.”

“He must have been something.”

“What about you?” Popsy asked, comfortable in the knowledge he knew she wasn’t looking for a man. “Tell me about your wife.”

Shane gave her a sideways glance. “Mary was small and blonde, a bit like you,” he mumbled as he examined the various sandwiches.

Popsy was out of practice talking to men about such things, and there was the added complication that Shane kind of spoke in riddles, with him being Irish. American men were much easier to read. But she thought he was saying that she was his type. She had to make sure he understood where she was coming from.

“I lost my husband just four months ago, Shane. It’s going to take some time to get used to that.”

This time he looked straight into her eyes. “I understand. I lost my Mary seventeen years ago, two years before I found this place. Lord, I can’t believe it’s been that long, but I have to tell you, there are days I still believe she’ll walk in the door. I think there’s a part of you that never gets over it. But one thing you should know is that it does get easier to live with.”

“Does it? Because the pain in my heart . . .” Popsy began to cry, and Shane leaned over and hugged her. There was no awkwardness in it. He was like a big brother. He understood her pain because he’d been through the same thing.

“I know, girl. I know. Let it out. It does you good.”

And that was the beginning of their friendship. Popsy’s tears didn’t last too long and afterward, they enjoyed the rest of their lunch. She sat with him and the other lads at tea that night, too, because Sandra was with Sven, and Popsy was happy she’d found a new “friend.”

On Friday, she made another picnic lunch and spent it with Shane. She heard all about Mary and how she’d lost her battle with cancer. He spoke freely about getting over the death, how he’d never found another woman to replace her, and that he’d never really wanted to.

But he was also very firm with Popsy about the need to live and enjoy life. If he’d learned anything, it was that the years went by so fast and she needed to focus on the good things. Popsy swore she would. She also told him about the loss of most of her money. Her house would be repossessed soon, and she had no idea where she would live. There was enough money left to start over, but she had no idea where she would go or what she would do.

“Well, I daresay there would always be a bed for you here if you’re willing to muck out in the bar or do a spot of gardening.”

Popsy smiled. If somebody had told her even a month ago that she would be grateful for a job in a little country pub deep in the heart of Ireland, she would have laughed at them, and yet, so much changed that the idea had appeal.

It was at tea time on Friday night when Mrs. Miller was able to confirm the volcano had, at last, gone back to sleep. News services were saying the ash was clearing fast and planes would be back in the air the next day. Sven went online and got them reservations to fly out on Saturday evening. Sandra cried, saying she didn’t want to leave him, and he didn’t want her to go.

Popsy was sorry to say good-bye to Shane, too. He was the first person she’d met since Peter’s death who really understood what she was going through.

“You’ve become a good friend, Shane. Can I call you?” she asked, when they were leaving on Saturday morning.

“Anytime.” He smiled and hugged her. It was remarkable the change she’d witnessed in him since he’d saved her life—twice. He’d been distant and avoided eye contact when they first met, but now he was warm and so very friendly. Shane admitted he didn’t do well meeting new people, but she wasn’t new anymore. She was part of The Boathouse family. Popsy liked the idea, but she also had a family back in Boston. Her two daughters needed her, and she had to figure out her future. She had to head back home.

Mrs. Miller was obviously very sad to see them go. “The place won’t be the same without you. Come back soon, please.”

Popsy and Sandra packed up their enormous cases and wedged them into their tiny car, then headed out of Banagher with heavy hearts. Sandra said she had made Sven leave an hour before they did. Long good-byes were terrible. Mrs. Miller and Shane were there to see them off, and that was hard enough. They were emotional as they hugged their new friends good-bye.

“I’ll phone you when I get home,” Popsy said to Shane.

“And remember, life is for the living; keep smiling,” he said.

“I will, and I’ll be sure not to get into any more dangerous situations because I won’t have you around to save me.” She meant it as a joke, but when she said it, she realized just how sad she’d be not to have Shane nearby.

“You were a fool to let her get away,” Mrs. Miller said as they waved the car off.

“Her husband has only just died. She’s not ready. I’ll grant you, she is an amazing woman, but she needs more time,” Shane said, still waving at the back of their car.

“Fine. Give her time but not too much. She’s the one, I’m telling you.”

He finally stopped waving when the car turned around a bend and was out of sight. “You know something, Mrs. Miller? You may be right, but tell me now, is it just me or do you think she looks a little like Goldie Hawn?”

~
*~

“Out of all the Broader Horizons vacations I’ve been on, this has been the best,” Sam said on Saturday morning when they met in the lobby. Rosie was standing next to the suitcases while Marcus took care of the final bill. It was remarkable how fast the time had flown by. After all her worries and panic, she’d managed to get through the week sane and she also had a wonderful time with Sam.

The catamaran would be something she’d never forget. His friendship was a gift, too. They’d joked about going on future swinging vacations together so their partners could do what they wanted, while Rosie and Sam explored. They’d even swapped numbers, but Rosie doubted they’d ever use them. Whatever they had, needed to stop here. It was unspoken but understood between them.

“Thank you for everything, Sam. You’ve been a true friend. I loved our time together, especially all those liquid lunches and the snorkeling.”

“I never did manage to get you deep-sea diving.” He smiled.

“Some other time,” she suggested, knowing it would never happen.

“Some other time.” He took her hand and squeezed it. They looked at each other honestly and openly. If it had been another time or place, they would have kissed, but they were both married and came from a school of thought that marriage meant loyalty to that partner. Sam was the first to laugh.

“Funny, we could have done anything we wanted to all week, and now that it’s time to go, I’m really beginning to regret that.”

“I know what you mean,” she whispered but pulled her hand back at the same time. Marcus was near.

“Babe, all done. Ready to go?” He came up to her and eyed Sam up and down. He must have sensed something. “Everything okay?”

Rosie swung around. “Everything’s fine. Shall we head out?” she asked a little too brightly. Marcus looked even more suspicious.

“Yeah, let’s go.” He glared at Sam as he took Rosie’s suitcase.

“Who was that guy?” Marcus asked when they were alone in the taxi.

“Oh, just a guy I met.”

“Does he have a name?”

“I thought we agreed—no names.”

When they were checking in at the airport, Rosie went to the restroom while Marcus waited with their luggage. He was still in a dark mood, convinced there was something going on between that man and Rosie. Usually, he would have ignored it when her phone beeped to announce a new message, but because of the paranoia, he had a look.

UR HUSBAND DIDN’T LOOK HAPPY TO SEE ME.

HOPE U DIDN’T GET GRIEF. IF YES, REMEMBER TO MAKE LIKE AN OSTRICH! XX SAM

Marcus couldn’t believe what he was seeing. There was definitely something going on.

“So who is Sam?” he asked when Rosie got back.

Guilt washed over her face.

“Who?”

“Sam? Your little friend back at Broader Horizons.”

“How do you know his name? What happened to ‘ask no questions, tell no lies?’ ”

He held up her phone.

“Are you going through my text messages now?”

“It beeped. I thought it could have been from Lily about Natasha.”

“Now you’re worried about Nat? When we’re going home? All week you haven’t given her two thoughts because you were so busy getting it on, and now you care about your daughter? “

“I care about Natasha just as much as you. I heard the phone beep, and I wanted to make sure everything was okay. But it was your
friend
, Sam. And he knows about our ostrich plan. Rosie, what the hell is going on? You and this guy, are you more than friends?”

“Well, I’ll tell you something. We weren’t lovers. We didn’t screw. We didn’t want to.”

“Ha!”

“This may come as a shock to you, but I didn’t want to have sex with a club full of strangers. I just wanted to get away and have some time with my husband. It was you who wanted to do this, you who pushed it through. I just went along with it to keep you happy, to give you what you wanted. You knew that I didn’t want this kind of vacation. Don’t deny it. So don’t you dare try to lay some sort of guilt trip on me!”

By now they were getting an audience.

“No woman I was with knew my real name. They never knew anything private about me. I certainly didn’t give them my phone number. He has your real name, your real number, and you even told him intimate details of our life—like the ostrich thing.”

“Nobody knows you? Well, good for you. So you just screwed them and left them. Are you trying to say that’s better? What planet are you living on? I gave you a hall pass to do whatever the heck you wanted while I did nothing, and yet somehow I’m the one who’s being accused here. What more do you want?”

“Honesty. I was completely honest. You knew what I was doing, and you knew it meant nothing. You, on the other hand, did something much more dangerous than have sex. You became intimate with this guy. You became friends.”

“Friends? Is that a crime now? I don’t believe this!”

Airport Security approached them at this point. “Excuse me, ma’am, sir. You’ll have to calm down.”

“Calm down?” Rosie said. “Calm down? He’s been shagging half of Mexico, and what did I do? One little boat ride. One day on a catamaran, and I’m the crook.”

“You went on the catamaran with him?” Marcus couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You’ve been
boating
together?”

“Yes, boating—not boinking—boating!” Rosie screeched. “You know what, Marcus? Screw you. I deserve better and so does our daughter. I’ve had it! Do what you want. Go where you want, because I’m done with this bullshit. Catch another flight. I’m not flying home with you.”

“Ah, finally something we agree on!” he roared and marched away.

~
*~

Lily and Natasha spent Saturday morning at the Boston Aquarium. They got to see sharks and some incredible-looking tropical fish up-close. Lily was determined to enjoy the last full day with her niece as much as possible. She hadn’t spoken to Jack on Thursday or Friday. She really thought he would call, or perhaps even come over with flowers to apologize, but she’d heard nothing. Today was decision time. Sandra was coming home. It meant that Jack would have to move back in with her. She was sure that Sandra would be livid when she discovered he’d lived in her apartment while she was in Ireland. Lily even thought about calling her mom to tell her, but she figured she should stay away from that particular situation.

Natasha was so exhausted by the time they got back from the aquarium that she fell asleep in front of the television. Lily’s heart warmed to see her with her beautiful eyes closed. She looked even more adorable when she was asleep.

How can I live without having babies? she wondered.

Gently, Lily carried Natasha into the spare bedroom and laid her on the bed. She would sleep better there, and it also meant that she’d be well-rested for her parents when they got home later.

Jack let himself into the apartment at lunchtime, which for some reason caught her off guard. Of course, she should have been expecting him. He would want to move out of Sandra’s place well before she arrived home.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hello, Jack.”

“Is the child still here?”

“She is, and her name is still Natasha. She’s napping in the spare bedroom.”

“I thought she might be gone by now,” he mumbled.

“No,” Lily said, keeping it cool. He was being very difficult about this. There should be some sort of compromise in a relationship, but Jack wasn’t willing to give an inch. Still, she’d done a huge amount of soul-searching during their time apart, particularly since her talk with Emily, and she’d reached her decision.

She would stay with Jack.

She was in too deep, and she couldn’t back out now, even if it meant she couldn’t have children. That was the price she’d pay. True, she hadn’t realized it at the time, but she was a big girl and had to stand by her responsibilities.