Live to Tell (Live to Tell #1)(13)

Chauncey goes over to sniff the toy with interest.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Nick appears genuinely bewildered.

“That’s…not… Fre-ed,” Sadie sobs.

“It’s not?”

“No,” Lauren says succinctly. “It’s not.”

There’s a long pause.

“I thought it was.”

“Really? Because that’s a dog. Fred is a rabbit. I told you that. Remember?”

“You told me Fred was a dog, Lauren.”

“Why would I do that when he’s a rabbit?” she bites out through clenched teeth, barely containing a tide of fury.

Conscious of Trilby taking in the scene, Lauren isn’t sure whether to wish her friend weren’t here, or be glad she is. Without her presence, the floodgates would surely burst.

Nick tries to hug Sadie, who stiffens and weeps inconsolably.

Resisting the urge to shove him out of the way, Lauren kneels at her daughter’s side, brushing her hair back from her face. “You need to go back to Grand Central and find Fred for her,” she tells Nick over Sadie’s head.

“Now?”

“Now would be good. Five minutes ago would be even better.”

“You’re insane if you think I’m going all the way back to Manhattan for a toy. I’m sorry Sadie, sweetie, but Daddy will look tomorrow, and if Fred isn’t there, Daddy will get you a new Fred.”

Kind of like Daddy got himself a new me, Lauren thinks grimly.

Judging by the look on Trilby’s face, she’s reading the thought loud and clear.

Fed up, Lauren gets to her feet and faces Nick.

Over Sadie’s wailing, she tells him, “Just go. I’ll handle it.”

Some hopeful, delusional, idiotic part of her expects him to protest. To sweep Sadie into his arms—and maybe herself, as well—and apologize for being such a jerk. To promise them both that he’ll move heaven and earth to find Fred. To tell them that everything is going to be okay.

Old Familiar Nick would have done that.

Midlife Crisis Stranger Nick just looks at her for a moment, and then he does just as she asked.

He goes.





CHAPTER THREE




More than three weeks later, Lauren dangles her feet in the town pool, frowning behind her sunglasses. She hates the muggy heat, hates the lazy quiet, hates that she practically has the place all to herself.

In the old days, those were the very reasons late August was her favorite time to visit the recreation complex adjacent to the town park. Most local families go on vacation during this two-week window between summer camp and Labor Day. So at this time of year, even on hot, sunny days, there’s no need to get here precisely at noon when it opens to ensure availability of chairs and umbrellas, no wait for the lap lanes, no line at the snack bar.

Nice, right?

Not today.

Today, Lauren finds the pool depressingly lonely.

At least she can be sure that she’s not going to run into the Other Woman, who has reportedly spent a good part of her summer here, sunning and swimming.

She’s currently in an expensive rented beach house on Martha’s Vineyard with Nick, having conveniently shipped her own two college-age kids off to Europe with her ex-husband. That detail was provided by Trilby, who is far more plugged into the local gossip than Lauren is. Or cares to be.

When it comes to details about Beth, Lauren can’t decide whether she wants to know or not. The details might be painful, but ignorance is far from bliss.

In the deep end, a trio of adolescent boys, including Ryan, practice their dives.

Watching her son bounce somewhat recklessly off the high board, Lauren tells herself there’s no need to worry. He’ll be fine. Of course he will.

When you’ve lived through a nightmare, there’s nothing left to fear.

True, the end of her marriage wasn’t the absolute worst that could happen…but it was pretty damned close.

Ryan splashes safely into the pool.

Relieved, Lauren waves as he emerges and climbs up the ladder. Either he doesn’t see her, or he purposely ignores her.

She’ll bet on the latter. Ryan made it clear when they arrived that he isn’t thrilled she’s here. His friends were all dropped off by parents who have better things to do on a summer Friday afternoon. Probably pack for—or unpack from—their fabulous family vacations.

Trilby, too, has abandoned Glenhaven Park, having gone down the Jersey Shore with her family.

I really need to make some new friends.

The women with whom Lauren socialized before Nick left were part of their circle as a couple—mostly the parents of Lucy and Ryan’s friends.

Now that she’s emerging from her cocoon, she has no desire to rebuild those fractured friendships. Maybe she should make an effort to reach out to the moms of children Sadie’s age, something she never bothered—or needed—to do before.

They’re all so much younger, though; many of them still on their first child, or nursing newborns, or pregnant. Those days are long behind Lauren.

That doesn’t mean you can’t find something in common with them, she reminds herself.

Anyway, Sadie could use some friends, too, after a summer hanging around in the house with just miserable mom for company.

She looks around. A smattering of stay-at-home moms lounge in the adjacent grassy shade. There’s a cliquish air about them; Lauren can’t imagine going over and introducing herself.