Two Weeks in August (23 page)

The small building was deserted but the sound of voices drew her to an open window set in the north wall. From her vantage point, Nina could see Mama New and Heather seated at a weathered picnic table on the far side of the dock.

The two were working earnestly, fashioning clothing for several naked dolls lined up side by side on the tabletop. Mama New was wielding the needle while Heather fitted the clothing on the dolls.

“Mama, this one just won’t go on Polly,” Heather said thoughtfully. “Did you sew it right?”

Mama New retreated with a hurt expression. “See here, little bit, I’ve been sewin’ doll clothes since before you were a thought in someone’s head. You try that one on her again. Polly’s probably been eatin’ too much spaghetti this week.”

Nina was about to make her presence known when Heather spoke again.

“Mama? Will your dress look like this one when you and Mema go to the church?” She held up a festive creation of frothy white lace.

“Lord gull, no,” Mama New answered with a deep chuckle. “There’s no way your Mama could wear something like that. My shape couldna handle anything with all that lace and ruffles. It would make it hard for me to fit through the door of the church, now wouldn’t it?”

Heather giggled, but Nina did not wait to hear her response. Silently she left the office and walked to her car.

Chapter 33

“Nina, I just don’t understand the change in you,” Martha said as she lifted the cherry from atop her mixed drink. “A month ago, you were a bubbly, talkative person. These days you’re an out-and-out bore. What
is
the matter?” She delicately devoured the cherry and watched Nina expectantly.

 
Nina fiddled with the paper napkin beneath her own drink and wondered how best to explain her dilemma to Martha. The two had been close friends for many years and she knew deep inside she could tell Martha anything, yet this thing with Hazy was embarrassing. She found it hard to admit being swept away by such an obvious rogue.

“I don’t know if I can talk about it,” she finally admitted.

Martha took Nina’s slim hand and clasped it between her own.

“Please, Nina, I am your friend. Talk to me, maybe I can help you feel better. Sometimes just talking your problems over can help you put them into proper perspective and even makes solutions more obvious.”
 
Nina did not reply and Martha frowned as if pondering what could be so bad.

“You’re not, like, pregnant, are you?” Martha whispered urgently. “I mean, being gay and all…”

 
Nina smiled, for only the second time that day, and squeezed her friend’s hand affectionately. “No, I’m not pregnant. You know better than that.”

Martha sat back and sighed. “Well, that’s a relief, isn’t it? Is it Rhonda? Didn’t the two of you get things worked out?”

“Not exactly,” Nina began. Then she concluded. “We won’t be seeing each other again.”

“I thought so,” Martha said with a nod. “She asked me to give her a ride over to the shore so she could catch a ride in with her friend, Sean. I thought it was pretty weird she didn’t want to wait and leave with me tomorrow.”

She paused and examined Nina. “Well, if Rhonda isn’t the problem, what is?”

They were dining in the same restaurant they had enjoyed the day before and Nina took a moment to look at the people surrounding them before speaking in a low voice. “I’ve fallen in love with a woman who’s married. Well, not really married but she’s going to be soon. She’s definitely involved.”

Martha leaned forward, as if eager for the intrigue. “Who is it?”

 
Nina glanced sideways at her friend before answering. “Hazy. You know, the one I’m renting from.”

Martha clasped her hands together, suddenly looking much younger than her forty-five years. “I thought there was something going on between you two. I think she’s wonderful and she has such a sexy British accent.”

 
Nina shook her head impatiently. “But she’s with a woman named Mama New. It doesn’t matter about her sexy accent.”

“Ahh, I beg to disagree. If she’s in love with you then you still have a chance,” Martha said with conviction.

“You don’t understand. Mama New’s husband was killed and he was Hazy’s friend, and Hazy’s parents were killed in this crash. They...they really need each other. And they have this whole family of children together and there’s this one little girl who I suspect is Hazy’s by birth because they both have that blond hair and blue eyes. Mama New has darker hair and eyes…I mean, what am I supposed to do? I’m no homewrecker.”

Martha leaned back and crossed her long, trouser-clad legs. “I see there’s complications, but tell me, what do you want?”

Nina thought carefully for a few moments. “That’s the hard thing. A few nights ago, I would have said Hazy, unconditionally, but in the clearer light of day, as they say, I have to reconsider. How could I live with myself if Hazy left Mama New, who is just so precious, for me? I could certainly love helping care for a child like Heather but I could not bear dealing with Mama New’s pain. Three parents might be okay in a perfect world but not when there’s betrayal and pain involved. I guess now I just want to be alone. I’m thinking I might write a book. Maybe a book about the ocean. Forget all this relationship craziness.”

Martha eyed Nina with a skeptical gaze. “I think you are one very confused lady and I’m sorry. I wish I could help but my advice would be to go after Hazy if your feelings are returned. Life’s too short, Nina, I’ve found that out the hard way.”

She paused as if in indecision, and then apparently decided to confide in her friend. “I let a dear love get away once and he was later killed in this freak accident while he was working in Germany. I’ve never quite gotten over it. If I had let myself love and trust him more I might have even had his child so at least a part of him could have lived on.”

“Oh, Martha, I didn’t know,” Nina said, aching with sympathy. She reached and took Martha’s hand.

Martha took a large gulp of her drink and nodded. She squeezed Nina’s hand and sat back as the waitress brought their plates of food.

“Few people do, Nina,” she said after the waitress had left. “But most people have a story like this and that’s what I’m trying to tell you. If you really love this woman, work out something. Love is not that easy to find. It’s not waiting on every street corner. False love is, but not the real thing.”

“So you think I should maybe be her…her
 
mistress or something?” Nina said as she picked at her baked potato.

“I don’t know. How do you feel about that?”

“Well, I think the chemistry is certainly there, but no, I don’t think it’s something I could do. I like Mama New too much and I just, well, I’m not made that way. I couldn’t handle the secrecy, and the uncertainty.”

“Then I have different advice. Get on with your life but please don’t spend it alone. Find someone new to love. It may not be as wonderful but you can find satisfaction. I did.”

Nina nodded her agreement as she chewed absently on a piece of shrimp. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” She paused. “Are you and Arnie close?” she finally asked. “Do you spend a lot of time together?”

Martha shook her head. “We spend very little time together, actually. He’s always off with his computers and I’m always busy keeping the company afloat. You know—” A smile of realization lit her features. “We really don’t see one another much, at all. Perhaps that’s why we have such a good relationship. The time we do have together is sacred.”

Nina laughed, feeling marginally better. “That could be, Martha, that could be.” She focused on her dinner.

“I hope I can be best friends with whoever I’m with,” she continued after a few minutes. “Since Rhonda was such a jerk, it’s given me ample opportunity to re-evaluate what I want in a relationship. I suppose it was a good thing it happened.”

Martha stopped with a forkful of food halfway to her mouth and eyed Nina in surprise. “You mean her walking out on you?”

“Yes, I think it will be good for both of us in the long run. Besides, I remembered the other day how angry I always made her just by doing simple things that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. I would have been on pins and needles the whole time we were together.”

Martha nodded her understanding, but pointed an accusing fork at Nina. “You’re right. You should have realized that sooner. That’s no way to live with someone. But what are you going to do about this Hazy thing? Does she know how you feel? Have you talked to her about it?”

Nina shook her head sadly. “No, but I need to. I went by to talk to her this morning but she wasn’t there. Mama New and Heather were there though, and they were talking about what they’ll wear when Mama New and Hazy make vows to one another in a church. I couldn’t bear it and just had to leave.”

“Ouch!” Martha replied. She looked at Nina and sighed.

Chapter 34

Much later that evening, Nina sat at her kitchen table working on the latest novel review.

Darkness had fallen and her world had gotten strangely quiet, as if the whole circle of rental cottages had become deserted. So spying a flash of white startled her and she leaned into the screened window for a closer look.

When her eyes finally adjusted to the gloom outside, Nina saw that Hazy had come onto the boat rental dock, across the drive from her cottage. She was wearing a white T-shirt that periodically caught the lighthouse gleam.

Listening intently, Nina heard Hazy’s strong voice carrying a lilting song in another tongue. She listened, trying to discern the words or even the language but it was impossible from this distance.

Nina watched Hazy a long time, aware that she should go out and talk to her but stalling. It was so easy to watch her from a safe distance. Going out and talking to her meant—well, who knew what would happen then?

 
The singing broke off abruptly and Nina lurched in alarm as Hazy’s feet slid from under her and she fell from the upper deck onto the lower one. After a few moments, in which she didn’t reappear, Nina slammed her computer closed and raced from the cottage.

Hazy was lying in the shallow level of seawater that covered the boat dock. At first Nina thought she was unconscious, but as she jumped down to rouse her, she heard the slurred refrain of a song and realized she was drunk.

Rethinking her rescue attempt, Nina turned to leave. It would serve her right if she stayed out here all night and caught a chill. But what if she turned face downward and drowned? How high would the tide go? Would it cover her face?

Reluctantly, she grabbed Hazy under the arms and heaved her limp form to the side. Worry beset her as she wondered how she was going to lift her onto the higher deck; the muscular woman was easily twice her own body weight. Hazy saved the situation by rallying and pulling away from her. “Let me be, harridan,” she said, her voice slurring. “Don’t bother pretendin’ what you dona feel.”