Driftwood Lane (Nantucket #4)(16)

“Uncle J!”

Noelle slapped her hand over Ben’s mouth.

The boy’s eyes rounded. He stopped on the spot.

Noelle froze. So did Max, his eyes widening. Silence filled the loft.

Not a sound came from downstairs. Only the muted pings of the wind chimes stirring on the porch.

Was Meridith still on the phone? Why was she so quiet? Was she on her way upstairs?

Noelle pulled her hand from Ben’s mouth.

“Moron!” Max whispered.

Ben looked ready to cry. Jake set a hand on his shoulder.

Then the muffled sound of Meridith’s voice drifted up the stairs. “I understand. Let me check those dates.” Pages rustled.

Jake released a breath he didn’t realize he’d held.

The kids sagged. Then they threw themselves at him, making Jake stagger backward.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Noelle whispered.

“Shhh.” He pulled them down the hall toward their own cluster of rooms, farther from Meridith’s ears.

“I’m sorry,” Ben said.

“No damage done. But you’re all going to have to watch it.”

“I won’t do it again.”

“Did you find out anything?” Max asked.

“He’s only been here a day,” Noelle said.

“Your sister’s right, this is going to take time.” Though he’d been here long enough to see Meridith was a control freak. Clearly caution was her default.

He could still hear her on the phone, but couldn’t make out the words.

“She’s making Benny ride in a car seat!” Noelle said.

“What?” Ben might be a little guy, but he was too big for that.

“For safety.” Max rolled his eyes.

“Anything else?”

“She took away my iPod.”

“Only during dinner,” Ben said.

“Well, she took your ropes away,” Noelle said.

“Yeah, she did.” Ben frowned.

“You know how he loves his ropes.”

Benny loved practicing knots and rigging up hauling devices for his bike.

“Why’d she take them?”

“Because they’re too dangerous, of course. He might hang himself, you know.”

“Shhhh.” The woman obviously had issues, if not mental illness. Still there was nothing that seemed cruel or dangerous. Nothing helpful. He’d have to— “Children,” Meridith called.

The kids scrambled for the stairs. “What?”

That’s not obvious. Jake sighed.

“Homework time.”

“Great,” Noelle whispered.

Max cast one last persecuted look before they trampled down to meet their fate.

Their guests arrived just after dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Brown were a lovely couple from Maine taking a trip down the coastline to celebrate his retirement. Mrs. Brown had vacationed on the island as a child and couldn’t resist the chance to reminisce.

By the time the children and the Browns were tucked away for the night, Meridith was ready for bed herself. She closed her bedroom door and changed into her nightshirt. It wasn’t until she slipped under the covers that the full weight of her exhaustion hit. The clock only read twenty-five past ten, but her body said it was much later.

She flipped off the lamp and let her body sink into the mattress.

Between readying the rooms, dealing with her failed cinnamon roll recipe, getting the kids through homework and dinner just in time to plaster on a fake smile for the Browns, she was ready to pull the covers over her head and greet oblivion.

Only to do it all again tomorrow.

But it was the weekend, so at least she wouldn’t have to deal with Mr. Fix-it. She could be thankful for that.

The first strains of Vivaldi’s “Spring” filled the room. She felt for her cell phone on the nightstand, then read the screen. She fell back against the pillows and tried to conjure some enthusiasm as she flipped it open.

“Stephen. Hi.” He didn’t usually call so late, but it was an hour earlier there.

“I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No, no, I was just settling in for the night.” Meridith pulled the covers to her chin and closed her eyes.

“Sorry I haven’t called in a few days.”

“That’s okay. I know you’re busy.”

“How are things there? Are the kids behaving any better?”

She felt a strange urge to defend them but pushed it aside. “They’re as good as can be expected. The repairs are underway, and we have guests for the weekend, a nice couple.”

“I drove by your house today and checked on things after I grabbed a quick lunch. Your neighbor has been watering your plants and collecting your mail as she promised.”

She’d told him Mrs. Winters was taking care of everything; why couldn’t he just leave it at that? Meridith sighed. She must be tired to be so irritable. “Thanks for checking.”

“You’re welcome. You say you’ve hired the contractors? I hope you got reasonable bids.”

“I did. I ended up hiring one contractor to do all the work.” Jake’s dark eyes and cocky grin sprang to mind. She shook the image away. “He seems competent.”

“Is he licensed for all that work? You have to be careful about contractors. They’re not the most ethical creatures.”