The Guest Cottage (23 page)

You anorexic long-haired lying vegetarian, you can’t manipulate me,
thought Sophie. Shocked at her hostile reaction, she said nothing.

“It’s as if fate meant for us to meet,” Candace continued in her sweet voice. “After all, Cassidy doesn’t have a father anymore and Leo doesn’t have a mother. The children love each other. They are best friends. Trevor and I could meld into a family and everyone would be so happy.”

“I hope it works out for you,” Sophie replied, nearly gagging on her words.

“Thank you so much,” Candace cooed. “I knew you would understand since you’re so much older and all. What are you, forty?”

All right, that does it,
thought Sophie. “I’m thirty-six,” she answered in a perfectly modulated tone. “Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s my time to play the piano.”

In the music room, she began with a soft Chopin sonata so that she wouldn’t wake any sleeping children. After a few moments, she lost all sense of other people in the house, emotions she was trying to hide from, and fears about her future. She entered the world of her music with all its order and beauty. Each time she played the piano, she had the sense that this was what life had intended for her all along. Not to be the best, not to be a concert pianist, not to make her parents happy, but simply to play. As if music were a loyal, luminous creature that had been waiting patiently for her to return to it.

Next, a dreamy Debussy fell from her fingertips onto the keyboard. Her entire body surrendered to the music. Everything else fell away—the room, the house full of people, the beautiful island, the complicated, heartbreaking, mysterious world.

“Sophie,” a small sweet voice said at her side. “Can I play now?”

Sophie came out of her dream to discover Leo standing there in his baseball pajamas. At some point, Jeanette had come into the room and was sitting on the rose sofa with Lacey snuggled close to her. Cassidy and Candace hovered in the doorway. Cassidy looked curious. Candace looked murderous. Trevor sat with a cup of coffee in an armchair.

“Of course you can, Leo.” Sophie lifted Leo onto her lap and they began.

But Candace wasn’t the type to be driven away by something as incidental as piano music. She stayed all that day and the next. The weather was so wonderful, she gushed, she wanted to take her daughter to the beach again. Sophie knew it would be ridiculous to hang around the house being irritated, because after all, she
was
six years older than Trevor and it truly would be nice for Leo to have Cassidy in the same house. And why was she even thinking about Trevor and Candace anyway?

“Jeanette? How would you like to go out on a yacht?” she asked.

They didn’t go out on Hristo’s yacht. Instead, they met him at the yacht club, where he had chosen a sailboat small enough to go through the shoals blocking the inner harbor and large enough for all of them to sit comfortably. No crew was aboard, but Hristo had prepared a lavish picnic lunch that was stowed in the cabin.

The day was warm and sparkling, with a steady gentle breeze. Hristo handled the sailboat with competence—of course he did—and he won over Jonah’s reluctant favor by asking him to crew and pointing out parts of the boat offhandedly, flattering Jonah by assuming the boy knew it all. Jeanette and Sophie settled in the stern while Lacey and Desi lay on the bow looking like mythological goddesses as the boat skipped over the waves, sending a fine spray up over their bare legs and arms, making them squeal and laugh.

They dropped anchor in Polpis Harbor. They swam to shore, not needing life vests because the water was shallow here and full of long shoals. After swimming in the cool, clear water, Hristo led them on a hike through a wild and shady forest populated with huge ancient maples that seemed like gentle elephants and silent giants only pretending to be stationary. The path ended on the edge of Coskata Pond, a small pond open to the harbor by a narrow channel. Here on the beach grass, in the serenity of a world without human beings and their buildings, white herons stood on one leg surveying their domain. Hristo studied the water a moment and informed them that the tide was going out.

“Come with me, and we’ll lie down in the water and let it carry us along the channel and all the way back to the boat.”

Jonah, Desi, and Lacey were up for such an unusual adventure, but Jeanette and Sophie opted to walk back through the forest and around to the beach facing Polpis Harbor. By the time they got there, the others had already been floated back out into the deeper water. Hristo and Jonah swam out to the boat, climbed up the ladder, lifted the hampers of food and drink above their heads, and waded in chin, and then chest, and then waist high through the water to the beach.

As they enjoyed their gourmet lunch, Hristo entertained them with tales of the Native American ghost, Mudturtle, who roamed this area, mourning his Indian princess lover. It was a Romeo and Juliet story that captured everyone’s imagination. As long gray clouds gathered in the afternoon sky, shadowing their small group, Lacey shivered and moved closer to her mother.

A storm drifted toward them from the west, making the trees sway and whisper. The group was glad to return to the boat and sail back to the normalcy of yachts and launches and buildings.

Hristo invited Jeanette and Sophie to dinner, but Sophie could tell her children were tired after the long, adventurous day, and she didn’t want to leave them to the dubious mercies of Candace and Trevor. She declined regretfully, and said goodbye.

“I’m sorry you and I had no time for our own conversation,” Hristo said, adding
diplomatically,
“but I have enjoyed meeting Jeanette and it was a pleasure to see the children having such fun.”

He walked them to their car, where he kissed Jeanette’s hand and favored Sophie with a formal, chaste, European kiss on each cheek.

Sophie was in no mood to deal with Candace and her vegetarian mandate, so she drove her damp and sandy family to Sayle’s Seafood, where they ordered fish and chips, coleslaw, and corn on the cob and sat on the porch eating in the fresh air while they watched boats come and go at the end of the harbor. As they drove back to the guest cottage, they were all stuffed and sandblasted, eager to shower and collapse in front of the television or with a book.

They arrived at the house to find Trevor’s VW Passat gone. Apparently, Sophie hoped, he had taken his guests out for dinner. After ordering Jonah and Lacey to rinse off in the outdoor shower before entering the house, Sophie and Jeanette went inside.

Sophie stood for a moment in the front hall, gawking at the living room and the steps to the second floor. Was this the same house she’d just left? Candace had clearly taken possession of it, marking her territory in no uncertain terms. Her sandals, beach bag, and sun hat rested in the front hall, while her books and a couple of Cassidy’s early readers were scattered on the floor and coffee table. A soft pink sweater was thrown over the back of a chair. On the fireplace mantel, flowers picked from the side garden were prettily ensconced in a vase. A few water glasses and some of Candace’s costume jewelry littered the side tables. Cassidy’s sparkling pink sneakers were under the coffee table. Candace had done everything but hang a banner announcing “Candace’s Room.”

Each step to the second floor held an item that needed to be dealt with—wet, sandy bathing suits and beach towels, a plastic bowl filled with seashells, containers of sunblock, more sandals—how many sandals did Candace wear in one day?

“She’s a bit messy, isn’t she?” said Jeanette in a low voice, as if someone would overhear her.

“That’s not the word I’d use,” Sophie answered. “But she’s Trevor’s
responsibility.”
A low anxiety hummed beneath her words: had Trevor invited Candace to stay longer? Had Candace been right—
was
there a relationship between Trevor and her? She really was lovely, and Cassidy’s presence made Leo so happy…

Sophie and Jeanette went to the second floor and hurriedly took warm showers. Outside the sky was turning an ominous shade of gray and while the temperature was still warm, an unsettling sense in the air made Sophie choose to wear her loose gray slacks and a long-sleeved shirt.

The children had showered and collapsed in front of the television set. Sophie and Jeanette agreed to enjoy a glass of wine on the patio as they watched the storm front roll in. When she poured the wine, Sophie tried to ignore the state of the kitchen. It was chaotic. Several different cheeses had been left out as well as a carton of milk, which she compulsively returned to the refrigerator. Dishes were piled everywhere except in the dishwasher. The jar of peanut butter was open with a knife sticking out of it. This was not Trevor’s style, but Sophie told herself to walk away.

On the patio, Jeanette asked, “How long are Candace and her daughter staying?”

“I don’t know. We’ve never discussed it.”

“I’ve always gone by the advice that both fish and guests begin to stink after three days.”

Sophie laughed. “Present company excepted.”

Jeanette changed the subject. “This was an amazing day, Sophie. Hristo is an elegant and fascinating man. I can see why you want to spend time with him.”

“He is fascinating, and I enjoy his company. But remember, I met him only because his daughter Desi and Lacey became friends on the beach.”

“I understand, but he seems quite taken with you. I watched him, the way he looked at you. You don’t have to tell me anything, of course, but it seems to me a romance is budding.”

Sophie stared at Jeanette. “Jeanette, you must be one of the most unusual mothers-in-law on the planet.”

Jeanette laughed. “I suppose I see your point of view, but remember, I want Zack to be happy because he’s my son. You’ve been part of my family for sixteen years now. No matter what happens with you and Zack, you will always be family because of Jonah and Lacey. I think my grandchildren will be happier if their mother is happy. Plus, I care for you, Sophie, and you are a young woman with your whole life ahead of you.”

Sophie pondered this as she sipped her wine. By now the sky was dark gray and an occasional raindrop plopped onto the wooden table. “I suppose we should go inside before we get caught in a deluge.”

“That’s fine with me,” Jeanette said. “In fact, I’d really like to stretch my weary old bones in bed and read the mystery I brought along.”

“What a good idea. It’s a perfect night to read a mystery.”

Jeanette said good night to her grandchildren and went upstairs. Sophie, inspired by the weather, settled herself at the piano to play a tempestuous Beethoven piece.

Trevor took Candace and the kids to dinner at the Jetties restaurant, where the kids could jump down onto the boardwalk and play on the beach when they were through with their meals. Because storm clouds were gathering and the wind was picking up, they decided to go into town to browse the local bookstores for some special tale to read to the children. Afterward, they stopped in at the Juice Bar for ice-cream cones. The sugar rush gave the children energy to walk along Main Street, listening to the street musicians playing Irish melodies on their fiddles.

The first time Candace reached over and took Trevor’s hand, he actually jumped in surprise. As they walked along the brick sidewalks, he took advantage of other families coming toward him to separate himself from Candace so they could pass by. When they stopped to listen to the street musicians, Candace would hold his hand in both of hers and lean against his shoulder.
Oh brother,
Trevor thought,
what’s going on?

Candace clarified that for him when she giggled and said, “Look. Those people think we’re a family. I bet they wonder whether Leo and Cassidy are our twins.”

Trevor attempted a kind of laugh that came out more like a choking noise, which was a fairly good representation of his feelings. He liked Candace, he admired her, and he knew she was a babe, but he’d never wanted to take her to bed, forget being a family with her. He thought:
Help.

Driving back to the guest cottage, Trevor put on an audiobook for the children and kept the volume loud enough to prevent conversation between Candace and him. His mind was working feverishly. He had not invited her here for any romantic reason, but he could understand how Candace would interpret his invitation to have a broader meaning.

Back at the house, no one from Sophie’s crew was downstairs. And it was late, not so late for summertime when everyone could sleep till noon, but late enough that Leo and Cassidy fell into their beds the moment their pajamas were on, not even asking for a story from their new books.

In the hallway, Candace moved close to Trevor. “Everyone is asleep,” she whispered. “What shall we do now?” Her eyes signaled an offer.

“I’ve got to go down and clean up the kitchen,” Trevor said. “It’s an arrangement I made with Sophie when we agreed to share this house. I want to keep my part of our informal contract.”

“Quite the little bossy boots, isn’t she?” Candace responded. She put her hand on Trevor’s shoulder. “I’m going to get ready for bed. Why don’t you come into the family room to say good night to me when you’re through in the kitchen?”

Trevor said, “Uh.” His brain had shut down, overloaded with a screaming mental alarm system.

Candace twinkled her fingers at him. “See you in a minute.”

In the kitchen, Trevor moved slowly, loading the dishwasher, putting away the bread, the peanut butter, the box of Cheerios. He wiped down the counters. He considered mopping the floor but he was too tired—or too
something.

When he finished, he stepped outside onto the patio to enjoy the rush of fresh air and wind preceding the oncoming storm. The breeze scattered over the patio, bringing hints of autumn and apple cider, back-to-school and pumpkins. He had only two weeks left on Nantucket, he realized, and the thought struck something like terror into his heart. It was as if the black wall of clouds passing in front of the moon were a dark magic that would obliterate this amazing summer. A sharp grief stabbed Trevor. It was not a grief for what he had lost but for what he might lose.