Chapter 15
Erica placed the roasted golden beet, avocado and watercress salad on the table, along with the crispy French rolls. The cheese-stuffed shells were still in the oven. Killion was pouring the bottle of what she assumed was very expensive French wine for the three adults.
Summer waited until he was seated before passing him the beet salad. “We’re having a childproofing party. A couple of my girlfriends are coming over and we’re going to crawl through the house, figuring out what’s at Jackson’s level.”
She grinned as she spoke, obviously delighted by the prospect.
After receiving Allison’s text, Erica had informed Summer and Mara that they would have new roommates. The three of them had come up with a plan. Killion had come through, as always, recommending a moving consultant to coordinate everything. One phone call later, the woman had been hired and had promised to take care of it all.
“Summer and I went online,” Mara said, winking at her daughter. “Childproofing equipment is more sophisticated than it used to be. We’ll remove all the breakables and lock the cabinets. Our handyman is coming by on Friday to secure the big pieces of furniture to protect Jackson if he climbs.”
“Kids really climb furniture?” Summer asked.
“You were more monkey than little girl,” Erica said with a laugh. “Once we found you at the top of a bookcase and we had no idea how you got there.”
“I don’t remember that at all.”
“You were having fun. I, on the other hand, nearly had a heart attack.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “I kept talking calmly while I hurried to get a chair so I could lift you down. I was terrified you’d jump.”
“You should have tried gymnastics,” Killion said, his voice teasing.
“I guess.” Summer shook her head. “I don’t think we have to worry. So far Jackson likes to run but I’ve never seen him climb anything.”
“How are you going to like having a toddler and soon a newborn in the house?” Killion asked.
Summer grinned. “I’m excited! Jackson’s so great. We always have a good time.”
“You still have school and softball,” Mara pointed out. “Jackson could be a complication.”
“I’ll make it work.”
“The plan is for Allison to quit her job,” Erica told Killion. “She’ll be with him full-time until the baby comes.”
“How will you deal with little kids underfoot?”
“I’ll be fine.” She picked up her wine and smiled at him. “I’m actually very good with children.”
“It’s true,” Mara said. “If there’s a crying baby at the salon, Erica’s the one to calm him. Babies and toddlers adore her.”
“Yes, it’s not until they turn into teenagers that I get into trouble.” Erica was mostly kidding, but she watched her daughter as she spoke.
Summer looked at her. “Oh, Mom.”
“A secret skill,” Killion teased. “You’re a constant surprise.”
“But only in a good way, right?”
“Of course.”
She laughed. “I do enjoy babies. Not that I advertise that. I like to keep my softer side hidden.”
She was joking, and yet telling the truth at the same time. She always had felt the need to protect herself. When she’d been growing up, she’d been different. A fifteen-year-old with a career plan. She’d been more interested in learning about business than trying out for cheerleading. Later, there had been the whole problem of finding a man who could be happy for her success rather than frightened of it or resentful.
After the divorce, she’d put up all kinds of barriers to keep men at bay. Peter had hurt her. She didn’t want to take any more emotional risks, which was why her relationship with Killion worked so well. They were friends who slept together and were each other’s plus-one. There wasn’t any expectation of love or commitment. She liked him and respected him, but she didn’t need him. He couldn’t touch her heart.
“How are you doing?” Killion asked Summer.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been through a lot. You’re coming up with plans for keeping Allison safe. You’re worried about her and Jackson, you have school and it’s softball season and your dad’s sitting in jail. You must be scared and worried. So I’m asking, how are you doing?”
Summer stared at him blankly. “I’m fine.”
Killion didn’t say anything, obviously waiting out the teen. Unfortunately that gave Erica plenty of time to think about her own behavior...or rather lack of behavior. She’d been so quick to call out Allison for leaning too hard on her stepdaughter, but she’d never once sat down with Summer and asked if she was all right. She’d never thought to go into detail about what was happening with her father. Summer was so confident, so sure of what she was supposed to do next, that it was easy to forget, as she’d told Allison, she was still a child.
The teen ducked her head. “Stop staring at me.”
“I will as soon as you answer my question.” His tone was soft and encouraging. “Do you need anything? You know I always have a guy who can help.”
That earned him a smile. She glanced from him to Erica and back. “It’s hard,” she admitted. “Like you said, scary. I don’t know what to think about what’s happening. About my dad. If he’s a criminal, what does that mean?” She shook her head. “I really don’t want to talk about it.”
Erica glanced at her mother, who nodded.
“Was that the timer?” Mara asked brightly. “Summer, be a dear and help me with the casserole. Sometimes your mother pushes it so far back, it’s hard for me to pull it out.”
Summer stood and reached for her plate and her mother’s. Mara took Killion’s and her own. When they’d both left, Erica turned to him.
“Thanks for getting into that with her,” she said quietly. “I haven’t been asking the right questions.”
“There’s been a lot going on.”
“None of it is more important than my daughter.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. She’s doing okay.”
“Because of who she is, not because of anything I did.” She held in a sigh. “I hate when I’m a bad mother.”
“That’s extreme and inaccurate.”
She waved away his comment. “You’re just saying that because you like me.”
“I’m saying it because it’s true.”
Later, when Killion had left and Mara had returned to the carriage house, Erica knocked on her daughter’s half-open door.
“Got a second?” she asked as she entered.
“Okay.” Summer sat up on her bed and set down her phone. “Avery’s having a tough time with math. First-semester precalculus was hard for her, but now she’s really struggling.”
Erica angled the desk chair toward the bed and sat down. “Has she talked to her parents? I’m sure they’d get her a tutor.”
“Her mom’s all for it, but her dad says she just needs to try harder.”
Erica couldn’t remember if she’d met the man or not, but he sounded like a jerk. “Avery is a hard worker. She always shows up early to practice and she’s the friend you study with the most.”
“I know, right? I don’t get it. Her dad expects all As from her but won’t give her the resources to succeed. Parents can be confusing.”
“We take a class,” Erica said lightly. “It’s part of the childbirth series. Fifty ways to confuse your child.”
Summer grinned. “I wonder if there’s one for kids. You know, to confuse their parents.”
“Oh, you don’t need a class for that. It’s a natural part of growing up.” She leaned forward a little. “Killion’s questions tonight made you uncomfortable, but he’s not wrong to ask.” She grimaced. “No, let me put that another way. I should have been the one asking if you’re all right. This has been a lot and you’ve been handling too much. You’ve been a rock for Allison and that speaks well of you, but as mature as you seem, you’re still just sixteen. We’ve all forgotten that. So now I’m asking, what do you want to know?”
Summer kept her head down. Her long brown ponytail fell over one shoulder. Even from several feet away, Erica could see the ragged ends from the hideous haircut her friend had given her and her fingers itched to make it right.
Not the point of the conversation, she reminded herself.
Her daughter looked up. “Is Dad a bad man?”
Ugh. Not the question Erica had been hoping for. She’d wanted something easy, maybe focusing on logistics or timelines.
“He’s done some bad things, but in his heart he loves you and Allison and Jackson. He would never hurt you on purpose.” Collateral damage was another issue, but why go there?
“You think he’s guilty? That he did those things? It’s not all a mistake?”
“Guilty or not guilty is a legal question. Your father’s been charged with several crimes including money laundering, wire fraud and threatening police with a gun.”
Her eyes widened. “Dad doesn’t own a gun.”
“He said he kept it at work in case of trouble. That’s where the police arrested him. I’m pretty sure about the money laundering.” Peter had admitted to that. “So at least some of the charges are going to stick. Right now he has a court-appointed attorney. He’s trying to find someone who specializes in what he’s done.”
“So he’s going to prison?”
“I don’t know. Once your dad has the right lawyer, they’ll talk about him cooperating with the government. Some of the charges might be dropped, but I would guess that yes, he’ll spend a little time in prison.”
“Is he scared?”
Erica thought about her brief visit to the detention center. It had been a grim, terrifying place.
“I don’t think he’s very happy.”
“Allison isn’t, either. I’ve got you and Grandma, but she doesn’t have anyone. Plus what about Jackson and Bethany? I know she’s really frightened and worried right now, but at some point she’ll get mad. Do you think she’ll forgive him?”
“I don’t know.”
“Would you?”
Erica hesitated, not sure if she should lie or not, then decided avoiding the question was easiest. “Your dad and I aren’t together anymore. All we have in common is you, so forgiving him isn’t an issue. You’re my biggest concern. After that, I’m happy to help Allison. As for your father, what he did is on him. In life there are always consequences, especially if someone breaks the law.”
Summer nodded slowly. “I get that.” She looked at Erica. “Thank you for letting them live here. I know it’s going to be an adjustment and stuff, but I need them to be safe.”
“I know.”
“I don’t know how I feel about my dad.”
“You don’t have to decide today.” Erica smiled at her. “Whatever he does, he’s still your dad and it’s okay to love him.”
“I do. I just don’t know what to think of him.”
Erica rose and crossed to the bed. Summer reached for her and Erica wrapped her arms around her daughter.
“Maybe for now, you can remember how it used to be. The other stuff will still be here when you’re ready to deal with it.”
“That’s a good plan.”
Allison’s life had never felt so out of control. Since Peter’s arrest, she’d been reacting to events rather than driving them, and that situation only got worse. After accepting Erica’s offer—something she still couldn’t believe she’d done—they’d had a lengthy conversation working out the details of the move.
Given that she was nearly out of day care credits and paying for day care would take half her take-home pay, they’d decided to get her out of the house as quickly as possible. Allison had given notice at the grocery store and notified her landlord. He’d gladly agreed she wouldn’t have to pay the rent for the remainder of the lease, had refunded half of her current month’s rent and had given her the small bonus he’d promised. Fortunately she’d learned her lesson and had picked up the check rather than have him deposit it in her account.
The two days after her phone call with Erica, a nice woman had shown up to help her decide what to keep with her and what to store in Erica’s garage. The consultant had already been to the house to see Allison’s and Jackson’s rooms and had come armed with floor plans and measurements.
The following Saturday, Allison dropped Jackson off at day care. He would be there much of the day, which would use nearly all her remaining credits, but she couldn’t have him around for the move. She was back at her house by eight thirty. By nine the packers had arrived.
She’d never had packers before. She didn’t even know such a service existed. In her world, you packed the boxes yourself, then got friends to help you move them. But not today. The team brought in dozens of boxes along with huge stacks of packing paper.
She’d carefully separated the items she was taking from those being stored. Each box was marked and put into the appropriate pile.
They worked with frightening efficiency, reducing stuffed closets to a few boxes in what felt like minutes. In less than an hour, both Jackson’s room and hers and Peter’s were done. She stood by the stripped bed, remembering how excited she and Peter had been to rent the house. She’d only been a few months into her first pregnancy then, and they’d both been so happy to be starting their family.
They’d brought Jackson home from the hospital to this house and she had assumed they would do the same with Bethany. There were memories here, so many of them wonderful. And now it was all gone.
Her chest ached—some from all that had been lost and some from what would never be. She missed Peter so much. Doing this on her own was hard and she wanted to be able to lean on him. She missed his warm presence, his silly jokes, the way he was always there for her and Jackson.
She returned to the living room, which was now only furniture and boxes, and sat on the sofa.
She was going to be all right, she told herself. Staying with Erica would allow her to rest before the baby was born. Jackson would have lots of attention and room to run around. She hadn’t seen Erica’s place but Peter had described it as “huge and cold.” The latter wasn’t exciting, but she was sure there was a big backyard. It was April. The days were getting longer, so Jackson would be able to play outside.
As for missing Peter, there was nothing to be done about that. He was—
“Do you think they’re still here?”
The question came from just outside the open front door. Allison walked out to find a young couple standing by the porch stairs. They were in their mid-to late twenties, casually dressed and holding hands. A small SUV was parked behind the moving truck.
“Can I help you?”
They both looked at her, then at each other. The man gave her a tentative smile. “Hi. Are you the renter? We’re sorry to bother you. Our broker said you’d already moved out and it was okay to come by and look at the house.” His smile turned genuine. “We’re the new buyers. I’m Matt and this is Greta.”
Greta tugged on her husband’s hand. “We’ll come back another time.”
Allison hesitated, not wanting to deal with them, but unable to turn them away. Because of the terms of the lease, the buyers had been unable to actually come into the house. Instead the landlord had taken several videos and posted them online. Buying a house sight unseen would be a little scary, so of course they wanted to see where they were going to live.
“There’s a team of guys packing up everything,” she said, waving toward the open door. “It’s a mess and loud and crowded, but if you’d like to walk through, that would be okay.”
Greta and Matt exchanged a brief glance.
“Are you sure?” Matt asked.
“I am.”
She stepped back, waiting for them to go first. Greta led the way inside.
“Oh, look how big that front window is,” she said happily. “It’s much bigger than it looked in the video. I love the casing. The paint looks fresh.”
“It’s only two years old,” Allison told them. She walked over to the sofa. “I’ll stay here while you look around.”
“Thank you.”
The young couple explored the house. She heard cupboards being opened and closed and parts of their conversation.
“I love this closet.”
“Look at the light fixture. It’s perfect.”
A few minutes later Greta returned to the living room. “Matt’s measuring the deck,” she said. “We’re going to get a little grill, and my parents want to give us some patio furniture as a housewarming present.”
“That will be fun,” Allison said, trying not to be envious of their lives. They were in love and together, buying their first house. It was a good time for them.
Greta moved closer. “You were using the second bedroom as a nursery?”
“Yes. My son is twenty months old. It was perfect for him.”
Greta sank down next to her and lowered her voice. “I’m eight weeks pregnant. No one knows but Matt. We’re waiting until twelve weeks to tell everyone.” Her gaze drifted to Allison’s huge belly. “So this is your second? Do you know what you’re having?”
“A little girl. Bethany.”
“Oh, one of each. That’s perfect.” Greta smiled. “We’re going to be so happy here.”
“I know you are. My husband and I enjoyed living here.”
“Are you moving somewhere bigger?”
“Yes,” Allison said, knowing she was, in some ways, telling the truth. From all she’d heard, Erica’s house certainly qualified as “bigger.”
“We’ll do that, too, but this is a great starter home.”
Matt returned then. “I have the measurements.”
Greta rose. “We’ll get out of your way now. Thanks for letting us see the house.”
“Of course. Good luck with everything.”
“You, too.”
When they were gone, Allison told herself she was happy for them. They weren’t responsible for all she was going through. They should enjoy the house.
One of the guys walked into the living room.
“Everything’s packed except for the kitchen, and he’ll be done in about half an hour. We’ll start loading now.”
“Great.”
His gaze dropped to her belly. “We’ll leave one of the kitchen chairs in the house until the very end.”
“I appreciate that.”
Faster than she would have thought, everything she owned in the world was loaded on the truck. She walked through the empty house one more time to make sure nothing had been missed. Without furniture and rugs, the rooms echoed. She stood in the middle of the living room, trying to imagine how it had been, but the memories were already fading. That or she simply couldn’t face them.
Outside the truck rumbled to life. She carefully locked the door, then left the key under the mat, as she’d promised the landlord. She got in her car, then pulled out after the truck. She would follow it to Erica’s house.
When she reached the corner, she glanced back over her shoulder, at the life she was leaving behind. She’d moved into that house with Peter and a lot of hope. She was leaving it without her husband and no clear view of the future. She was dependent on the charity of her husband’s first wife and the whims of fate. And she had absolutely no idea how she’d gotten here.