Driftwood Lane (Nantucket #4)(11)

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.