Driftwood Lane (Nantucket #4)(80)

Maybe she’d be relieved. He wasn’t set to take the kids from her anymore. He wanted all of them together, and he’d move to Timbuktu if he had to, to be with them.

Jake lifted a spoonful of soup and slid it into his mouth, swallowing, not tasting. He just had to tell her the truth, then everything would be okay. And maybe if he repeated it to himself enough he’d believe it.

The phone rang, and Meridith froze. Her eyes swung to Jake’s, and then she gave him a trembling smile. “I’ll get that.” She set her napkin on the table and went to the kitchen, breaking her own rule of voice mail during mealtime.

With Meridith’s back turned, the kids shot him looks of panic. Do something!

He held out his hands, palms down. Relax, I’ve got it covered.

“Summer Place.” Meridith’s voice filtered in. There was a pause while she listened, then, “No, I’m sorry we’re booked for the Fourth of July.”

He heard her offering another date, then ending the phone call. She smiled when she entered the room.

“A customer,” she said, her relief palpable.

Dinner dragged on as the kids pushed their food around their plates. Jake wanted to spoon-feed them and rush them off so he could talk to Meridith.

When she finally took her empty plate to the kitchen, the kids followed, trashing the paper plates and bowls and dropping their silver in the sink. He gestured them toward the living room, then approached Meridith in the kitchen.

“Can we talk?” he asked. “The porch?”

She opened the dishwasher. “Be right out. Just let me wash the silverware first.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to say it was Noelle’s turn, but then she’d be in the kitchen, and they’d have no privacy.

“All right.” He had no idea how Meridith would react. Jake stepped onto the porch, wishing evening had fallen, wishing for the cover of darkness. He crossed the porch, unable to settle his anxious mind, and by the time he turned to pace back, Meridith was slipping through the door, walking into his arms.





Forty-three

Meridith stepped into Jake’s embrace and drew a deep breath, letting the familiar smell of him calm her. It was going to be okay. It was. Surely Uncle Jay wouldn’t want custody, not with his vagrant lifestyle. But despite her attempts at self-comfort, her fears surfaced.

“What if he wants them?” she said. “What if he fights for them and wins?” She buried her face in the softness of his T-shirt, tightened her arms around his waist.

“Meridith—”

“Shhhh. I just want to stay like this a few minutes.” In the security of his embrace, the strength of his arms wrapped protectively around her. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes.

At the moment she didn’t care if the children walked out and found them together. She was in love with him and didn’t care who knew it.

Had she even told him? She pulled in another breath and whispered the words. “I love you, Jake.”

“What?” His voice rumbled through his chest into her ears.

She pulled back and looked into his bewildered eyes. “I’ve been fighting it a long time, and I just wanted you to know.”

Something flickered in his eyes. “Oh, Meridith—”

A scream pierced the air, shattering their privacy.

It was clearly Noelle, though she’d never heard that sound from the girl.

“What in the world.” Meridith darted toward the door. Please, not another broken bone.

She raced through the kitchen, through the dining room, into the living room, Jake on her heels.

Noelle stood by the check-in desk, her face set, her cheeks red. Fire spit from her eyes.

“What? What’s wrong?” Meridith surveyed Max and Ben, standing by the fireplace, staring at her, apparently unharmed.

“You’re selling Summer Place!”

Noelle clutched a fistful of papers. The sale documents. She’d left them out. Meridith felt the foundation shift under her.

“Don’t try and deny it. I’m not an imbecile, I can read!”

Okay, okay. Deep breaths. Meridith held out her hand. “I was going to tell you this week, Noelle. I was going to tell you all.”

“Liar!” Her frantic eyes swung to Ben and Max. “She’s selling it to the Goldmans, it’s all right here!”

“Yes, that’s true, but calm down. We can talk about this. I’ve done a lot of thinking, and there’s no way we can afford to stay here. We can’t afford the mortgage, Noelle. But you’ll love St. Louis, I promise.”

“St. Louis! I’m not moving! We’re not moving, are we?” Noelle went to stand with her brothers. Three against one.

Max and Ben eyed her, confusion ebbing out as the tide of anger rose.

“We can’t afford to stay here, honey.”

“Don’t call me that. You were just going to sell our home and take us away and not even give Uncle Jay a chance!”

“I know you’re upset, but I was going to tell you this week, Noelle. Boys, I—we can’t stay. I wish we could. But you’ll like St. Louis once we get settled there—”

“What about Uncle Jay?” Max asked, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, what about Uncle Jay?” Ben’s chin quivered.