The Husband Hour(63)

Stephanie brushed past her without another word.

Lauren looked at Matt. “What was that all about?”

“I’m busy enough trying to figure out your late husband. I can’t begin to decode your sister,” he said.

Lauren didn’t know how to respond except to say, “Yeah. That makes two of us.” And then, “So how’s the film going?”

“It’s going.” He held up his empty mason jar. “I need a refill. Care to join me?”

As they weaved their way through the crowd to the kitchen, Lauren had a faint, shimmering memory of a house party years ago. She was following Rory, feeling like she would lose him, but then he had reached a hand behind his back and found hers without even looking.

A few people recognized her from the restaurant and greeted her with intoxicated smiles. She felt a sudden urge to be very drunk, an impulse she rarely gave in to. The temporary high was not worth the crash that always followed. But it was a holiday, and she felt an unusually strong desire to share in the feelings of revelry around her. She wanted, just for an hour, to be like everyone else.

In the kitchen, five-gallon glass dispensers were filled with red or white sangria.

“Restaurateurs really know how to throw parties,” Matt said. “Pick your poison.” She pointed to the red, and he filled two large plastic cups.

Someone behind her touched her arm.

“Hey there, stranger.”

Neil Hanes smiled, standing a little too close to her for comfort. He looked at her with an intimacy that suggested much more than their innocent evening of dinner with her parents and conversation justified.

“Oh, hi. What are you doing here?” She hadn’t meant for it to sound ungracious, but she really couldn’t imagine how he ended up at Nora’s house.

“Your mother invited me,” he said.

Matt moved closer, passing her a cup. “Hey,” Matt said, holding out a hand to Neil. “Matt Brio.”

“Neil Hanes,” he said with a flicker of recognition. “Have we met?”

“I saw you at Robert’s.”

“Right!” Neil said. Lauren looked between them, confused. “You a summer guy, Matt? Or year-round?”

“Neither,” Matt said. “I’m just passing through.”

“So, how do you two know each other?” Neil said.

“You ask a lot of questions,” Matt said. Lauren looked at him gratefully.

“Blame it on the sangria.” Neil smiled, raising his glass. He turned to Lauren, his back to Matt. “Are your parents here? I didn’t see them. I want to say hi.”

“Um, my mother is here. Somewhere.” She looked around, not seeing her. “Somewhere,” she repeated with a shrug. Neil touched her arm, and she recoiled.

Matt, not one to miss a thing, moved between the two of them. “Neil, when you find her mother, just let her know that Lauren headed over to the fireworks early. Nice seeing you again.”

Lauren looked at him in surprise. He took her gently by the arm and led her through the kitchen and out the back door. They threaded their way through the people on the deck and down the flight of wooden stairs to the driveway.

“What was that about?” Lauren said, smiling.

“I don’t like that guy.”

“You don’t even know him.”

“I think you feel the same way I do.”

“Oh, he’s fine. He’s a family friend.”

“You can do better.”

Lauren stopped walking. “There’s nothing going on between us.”

Matt shrugged. “I’m just saying.”

“I should go back to the party,” she said.

“Why?”

She realized she couldn’t think of one good reason.





Chapter Thirty-Three



How many years had Beth walked to the boardwalk with the kids at dusk on the Fourth of July for the fireworks? A dozen? More? And when had Howard ever not been at her side? Never. Not until tonight.

Walking down the boardwalk, looking for a perfect spot to view the fireworks, she resolved to try to enjoy the time with her family. She held on to Ethan’s hand, remembering when it had been his mother’s hand so small in her own. Beth glanced back at Stephanie, lagging a few steps behind, deep in conversation with Neil Hanes.

Beth sighed. It wasn’t the way she’d planned for the night to go. Where had Lauren run off to?

Last week’s dinner had seemed so promising! Sure, Lauren had called it a night early and gone up to her room. But still, it had been a start.

Had Neil called her since then? Beth didn’t know but suspected that even if he had called, Lauren would have made an excuse not to go out. So Beth had thought, Why not give things a little nudge by inviting him to the party? It was a group setting, no pressure.

Ethan tugged on her hand.

“Gran, is Aunt Lauren coming to the fireworks?”

“What? Oh, I’m not sure, hon.”

“Doesn’t she like them?”

“She does, but maybe she’s tired.”

The truth was that until age eight, Lauren had been terrified of fireworks. She would cover her ears and stare up at the sky with her big brown eyes, her lower lip trembling. It broke Beth’s heart; she always wanted to run and take her home, but Howard said she would outgrow it if they helped her to stick it out. And sure enough, one year, the hands slowly lowered from her ears; her eyes were just as wide, but this time she had a big smile on her face.