Driftwood Lane (Nantucket #4)(83)

“Not exactly. But when they do talk, it’s only to tell me they want to live with Uncle J, which apparently is J for Jake, not J-a-y like I thought.” Meridith wiped the corner of her eye. “Maybe I should let them go. But I love them. Isn’t that a trip? I came here wanting their uncle to take them, then I went and fell in love with them.”

“And him.”

Meridith shot a glare at Rita.

“Well, you did, honey. Denial won’t change it.”

But it wasn’t real. Maybe her feelings were, but his weren’t. He only wanted the children. All this time that she’d thought their uncle was irresponsible and incompetent, he was working a plan to get the kids.

“He used me.” Saying the words cut her to the core. “Do you know how that feels? I believed he cared for me; fell for it hook, line, and sinker. How lame can I be?”

Rita set her hand on Meridith’s arm. “Maybe he really does love you.”

The memories surfaced, unbidden. The feel of his palm cupping her cheek, the sweet taste of his mouth, the sound of her name on his lips.

But just as quickly, caution shut down the thoughts. Love was unsafe. It was unpredictable and cruel. She’d known it when she’d come here, but somehow the magic of the island lured her, made her forget. Jake made her forget.

“If only I’d realized who he was. If I’d known, it would’ve changed everything.”

“Maybe you should hear him out,” Rita said.

She shook her head. “No. I’m done with that. Done with Jake, done with love.” Except for the children, she added silently. They would be her focus. They would have a loving, stable home if it killed her.

Jake darted right. Wyatt followed. Jake plowed through him and put up the shot, scoring his tenth point of the game. The ball swished through the net and into his hands. He gulped in air, threw the ball to his friend.

“Dude,” Wyatt said. “This isn’t the Final Four.”

“Take the ball out.”

“Slow down.” Wyatt dribbled the ball, panting. “You’re killing me.”

“Sore loser. Come on.” Jake approached, smacked the ball from Wyatt, and drove it in for another basket.

“Congratulations.”

Jake shot the ball at Wyatt’s chest.

Wyatt caught it. “Why don’t you just wear yourself out. Or better yet, when you’re ready to face what’s really going on, come get me.” Wyatt shot the ball back at Jake and walked away.

Jake dragged the back of his hand across his forehead, then dribbled the ball, harder than necessary. He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch somebody.

But not his best friend. “Wait.”

Wyatt stopped on the porch, crossed his arms, turned.

Jake dribbled the ball toward the garage, threw it in the ball bin. It clanked against the sides, thudded against the other balls, and settled.

Wyatt was right. He was working out his frustration, but where was that getting him? Nowhere. “I’m losing her, man.” The words hurt his body as they left. “It’s killing me.”

Wyatt walked down the steps, sank onto the bottom one. He rubbed his jaw. “You talked to her?”

“She won’t take my calls.” He’d even tried calling when the kids were home, hoping they’d answer. “I really blew it, man. How could I have been so stupid?”

“Go over and talk to her face-to-face.”

“I tried. Three times. Never home.” It wasn’t like he couldn’t see her if he really wanted. She had to be there at night when the kids were sleeping, had to be there in the morning before they left for school. But it didn’t take a genius to know she’d only shut the door in his face. And it didn’t help matters to know he deserved it.

“She doesn’t want to see me, and can you blame her? She probably thinks everything was a lie, including my feelings for her. And how can I convince her I love her when she believes I’m a liar? She’ll think I’m only after the kids.”

“You have to talk to her somehow. Leave a message or something.”

“This isn’t the kind of thing you leave on voice mail.”

Wyatt shrugged and pierced him with a look. “It is if that’s the only way she’ll listen.”





Forty-five

Meridith stayed out until the children were due home from school. After leaving Rita’s, she took the real estate papers to the attorney’s office, picked up Max’s allergy prescription, and stopped for groceries.

When the kids returned, she greeted them at the door and got only a mumble from Ben and Max. Then they disappeared to their rooms until it was time to leave for the end-of-year spring concert.

After the show, Meridith praised their choirs on the ride home, telling them how proud she was of them and how darling they looked in their dress clothes, but it was a one-sided conversation that petered out before they hit the main road.

They needed to talk this out, but she was too exhausted tonight to take on one more thing. She glanced at the children in the rearview mirror. And they weren’t exactly receptive yet. Maybe after they had a good night’s sleep.

When they returned home, the kids took off for the stairs without so much as a good night. She’d given up on tucking them in after knocking futilely on their doors two nights in a row.