A Nantucket Affair (Nantucket Beach Plum Cove #4)(30)

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. Is he okay?”

“He will be. It sounds like it’s a nice place. He seemed to think it will help. He went through a similar program once.”

“How long will he be there?” Angela asked.

“Almost a month, I guess. They have visiting hours on the weekends, so I’ll head over and see how he’s doing on Saturday.”

“What caused him to relapse? Do you know?” Lisa knew his mother’s death had hit him hard. Her heart went out to him. She worried for Kristen, too. She knew that she would be want to be there to support Tyler. But what if this wasn’t a one-time thing?

“He’s been really struggling with losing his mother. I think the stress of that on top of moving here and starting over after his divorce. His wife couldn’t take it anymore.”

“A friend of mine dated an alcoholic. They were engaged, actually, but she ended up calling it off. It got to her after a while. Her fiancé was always struggling. Falling off the wagon, then promising it would never happen again. And then it did.”

Kristen looked horrified before getting up for more coffee. Angela caught a glimpse of her expression and seemed to realize she’d said the wrong thing.

“I’m sure it’s very different with Tyler. Forget I even said that.”

Kristen sat back down with a full-to-the-rim mug of steaming coffee.

“No, don’t worry about it. To be honest, I have wondered about that. It’s my biggest fear. Will this keep happening? And can I handle it if it does?”

“I’m sure it will be fine. If it happens again, you’ll see the signs and be able to help.”

“I hope so. I want to be able to support him. I hope he likes it at this place and that it helps him.”

“Have you looked into joining an Al-Anon group?” Lisa suggested. “That might help, and you will need the support, too, especially when he first comes home.” This was what Lisa had worried about when she first met Tyler and realized he and Kristen were getting serious. She liked him quite a bit, but she worried for both of them.

“I did visit a local group a while back, just to learn more. Looks like I may need to start going more often. I think you may be right about the support. I’ve read about this, but I haven’t experienced it before.”

“I think that should help. And, of course, I’ll do whatever I can. Just let me know how I can help,” Lisa said.

Kristen smiled and her eyes looked suspiciously damp. Lisa couldn’t help noticing the dark circles under her daughter’s eyes. She recognized stress when she saw it.

“Thanks. Just listening is the best thing you can do.”

“I can do better than that. Come for Sunday dinner. I’ll make your favorite comfort food—homemade gnocchi with gorgonzola cream sauce and prosciutto.” Lisa hadn’t made it in ages because it was so rich, but Kristen didn’t have to worry about calories. She could use more of them. Unlike Lisa, who was a stress eater, Kristen tended to avoid eating when she was highly stressed. So, Lisa would make a big batch and send Kristen home with a big container full of leftover gnocchi.

Her eyes lit up. “Oh, yum. That would be wonderful.”

Lisa invited Angela to join them as well. “You and Philippe are welcome, too. There will be plenty of food.”

But Angela regretfully declined. “That sounds amazing, but we have another commitment. Some friends of Philippe’s invited us over.”

Kristen stood and picked up her plate to bring to the kitchen. “I have to run, but thank you for breakfast and I will see you tomorrow. I’ll bring some wine.”

Lisa stood and gave her a hug. “Take care of yourself, honey. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”





Chapter 18





“Where are you off to now?” Sue smiled as her daughter Stephanie, who lived in Monterey, California, told her that she was calling to let her know she’d be out of the country for the next week. Stephanie was a traveling nurse and fell in love with the West Coast on one of her assignments. She was thirty-five, single, and loved to travel.

“I’m doing a ten-day tour through Italy and France. It’s a cooking tour, so we’ll be making pasta and drinking wine in Tuscany.”

“That sounds fabulous.” Sue had never been to Italy.

“Do you and Dad have any trips planned? It’s been ages since you went anywhere.” She had a good point. It had been a very long time since she and Curt had gone away together for more than a night or two.

“No, nothing planned. But you’re right. It has been too long. Maybe I will investigate one of these tours. I’ll wait to get the full report from you when you return.”

“Okay, sounds good. I’ll call you when I’m back. Give my love to Dad, too.”

Sue hung up the phone and thought about what her daughter had said. Eating her way through Italy did sound wonderful. And she and Curt were long overdue for a trip. He’d suggested a vacation several times over the past year or two, and each time, she’d put it off. They were always so busy with work, it seemed.

Curt was off at work in the morning and then off to another committee meeting this afternoon. She’d reminded him that Lisa and Curt were coming for dinner and to be sure to be home by six.