Chapter 9
Later that evening, Bonnie realized that once again, she needed to thank Jack for his help. This time, instead of helping her out of the wilderness, he’d helped her step back from the brink of financial ruin. She wasn’t sure yet what she would do about Peter’s business debts, but there was probably some sort of bankruptcy situation she could look into for that.
But her personal financial woes were on the brink of being solved. Jack’s suggestion to sell the house was good advice. She owned the lake house outright, and she loved it there. It had always been used for summer vacations and weekend getaways, but there was no reason it couldn’t be her home year-round. Bonnie and Peter had taken a few trips up there in the wintertime, and it had been gorgeous in the snow.
Bonnie could do this, she was sure of it.
Like the night before, she put on a nice dress so she’d be presentable before going over to Jack’s place. This time, however, she skipped the bottle of wine in favor of a charcuterie board. She’d picked up some nice cheeses, crackers, and some fresh fruit from a local market and arranged it all nicely on one of her favorite platters. She gave Kitty another dish of shredded chicken and picked up the tray to head across the driveway to Jack’s.
But Kitty wasn’t distracted by the chicken. Bonnie took three steps toward the front door, and Kitty ran in front of her, meowing. The cat sat in front of the door, blocking Bonnie from opening it.
“Kitty, my hands are full. I can’t move you and open the door at the same time. Step aside please.”
Kitty mewed at her but didn’t move. Bonnie sighed and set the charcuterie board down, then picked up Kitty and set her on a chair. By the time Bonnie had the tray in her hands again, the cat had jumped down to block the door.
“I’m not staying in the house forever. You need to eat your chicken and let me go visit the neighbors.”
Kitty mewed mournfully. It was so cute Bonnie almost laughed. An idea struck her. She lifted the plastic wrap off the corner of the tray and snagged a tiny piece of aged white cheddar.
“Did you want a little cheese, Kitty?”
She tossed the cheese onto the chicken dish. Kitty went running for it, and Bonnie used the opportunity to slip out the front door. The crickets were already chirping as she crossed the driveway and headed toward Jack’s house. It was another pleasant evening, and this time, Bonnie was determined to avoid any embarrassing interactions. This was purely a gracious act of appreciation to a friend who had gone out of his way to help her lately.
Bonnie knocked on the door and smiled while she waited for Jack to answer. Then the door swung wide, but instead of Jack, she was face to face with Sharon.
“Bonnie!” Sharon’s fake voice and put-on smile were enough to make Bonnie cringe. “Well, aren’t you a surprise!”
She could say the same for Sharon. Jack had said they were divorced, and Bonnie assumed that meant Sharon wouldn’t be in Lake Placid anytime soon. Amicable or not, her presence here was unexpected.
However, she tried her best to play nice. “Hi, Sharon. It’s so good to see you. I didn’t realize you were here.”
“Yep, spending some time on the lake.” She didn’t make any move to let Bonnie into the house, though her eyes kept flicking to the charcuterie tray in Bonnie’s hands.
Then, much to Bonnie’s relief, Jack appeared over Sharon’s shoulder. He saw Bonnie and smiled warmly. “Hey, Bonnie, come on in. We were just sitting down to some wine and snacks. Your timing is perfect.”
Sharon’s expression immediately darkened. Reluctantly, she stepped back, leaving just enough space for Bonnie to squeeze by and get into the house. Sharon and Jack exchanged a cryptic look that made Bonnie’s stomach drop.
She and Peter used to exchange looks like that; it was a silent argument in which one partner wanted to say yes while the other wanted to say no. It was abundantly clear to Bonnie that Sharon didn’t want her in the house, but Jack had put his foot down. She wondered if it would be better to leave, and then she thought again about her conversation with her daughter.
Jackie wouldn’t turn tail and run. If she wanted to be somewhere, she’d stay.
Bonnie had the strangest urge to tell Jack about the conversation and talk about the realization she’d had about her differences with her daughter and how, despite being a little hurt by the conversation, Bonnie was inspired by it, too. But she could still feel Sharon’s eyes on her, and she decided to keep it to herself.
“Let’s all catch up,” Jack said, gesturing toward the dining room.
A bottle of wine, open and breathing, was on the table, along with a few bowls of trail mix. Jack grabbed a third glass, and the three of them sat down.
“Wine, Bonnie?” Jack asked.
“Oh, yes, please.” The purpose of bringing the tray of meats and cheeses was to avoid drinking. But after arriving and seeing Sharon was here, plans changed.
Given Sharon’s unexpected presence, the goal of not embarrassing herself was pretty thoroughly shot already, so she might as well have a little liquid courage. She set out her charcuterie board and was pleased when Sharon eyed the cheeses hungrily. Maybe the good brie would smooth things out between them a little.
“Jack. A word in the kitchen, please.” Sharon turned her back on the room, expecting her ex-husband to follow like a trained dog.
Okay, so much for the cheese smoothing things over , Bonnie thought.
“I think we’re all fine out here.” He kept his voice even and cool, dismissing Sharon’s icy body language. “Those cheeses look great by the way, Bonnie. I think they’ll go excellent with this cabernet.”
Sharon stopped mid-stride and spun around, her mouth twisted in dismay. But rather than show herself, she took a few steps back to the table and picked up a piece of aged cheddar from the platter.
“So, Bonnie, what brings you up to the lake?” she asked, playing nice—or, acting nice.
Jack looked at Bonnie with round, apologetic eyes, but she didn’t mind the question.
“I needed a change of scenery. After Peter passed—”
“Oh, that’s right. Heavens, I forgot!” Sharon interrupted with a put-on display of shock and sympathy. “My condolences. You look like you’re holding up well. How are the kids doing?”
“They’re coping, I suppose. Neither of them could stay in Albany long. James is busy in Atlanta with his architecture firm and Jackie—”
“Oh, did Jack tell you Emily’s engaged?” Sharon interrupted again, not bothering to act the least bit sorry for interjecting with her own news. “She has the most gorgeous ring. Of course the wedding won’t be until next spring. She’s trying to make partner at her law firm, so she wants to take the summer to put in the hours to make it happen.”
Bonnie swallowed her wine and smiled. She felt a twinge of jealousy at that, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. “That’s so lovely. Congratulations to Emily and her fiancé. And to you two! What an exciting time!”
“Thank you, Bonnie.” Jack cut in, clearly embarrassed over his ex-wife’s behavior. “You were saying something about Jackie, though?”
“Right. She’s a sales rep at a computer software company and she just—”
“Did Jack tell you Daniel’s news?” Sharon interrupted. Again.
“No, he didn’t,” Bonnie said somewhat stiffly. “What’s Daniel’s news?”
Sharon beamed at her from across the table. Something frightening was in her smile like she was showing her teeth as a threat. It made Bonnie feel like a scared gazelle running from a lion.
“Is he up for a promotion, too?” Bonnie asked with a forced smile, doing her best to control her attitude. “He’s in finance, isn’t he? Like Jack?”
“Oh, it isn’t work news. There’s so much more to life than working, Bonnie. No, he and his wife are expecting a baby! Jack and I are going to be grandparents this fall, to a little baby girl.”
Jack’s smile was genuine and wide. He looked as happy as Bonnie would be if she were the one about to become a grandparent. Sharon’s joy was no less powerful and no less real. This time, it wasn’t a twinge of jealousy. It wasn’t a hint or a taste—it was a flood.
Bonnie wanted to be a grandmother as badly as she had wanted to be a mother. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized how much she wanted it. Now, with Jackie determined not to date, and James making no inroads on that frontier either, Bonnie realized it might not happen for her. Even if it did, those grandchildren wouldn’t have a grandfather, since Peter was gone. The rest of Bonnie’s life would be so different from how she’d always imagined, and there was nothing she could do about it.
“Well, double the congratulations are in order.” Bonnie had to push the words past a lump in her throat.
“So, what’s new with you?” Sharon asked as if she had any intention of letting anyone else speak about anything other than her.
Bonnie didn’t answer right away because she assumed Sharon would just interrupt her again.
Sure enough, a moment later, Sharon kept talking. “I’ve been terribly busy lately. The house in the city takes a lot of upkeep, so that fills a lot of my days. Of course, there’s also tennis in the mornings and my monthly book club. It’s important to keep busy at our age, you know. But pardon me, Bonnie, I’m monopolizing the conversation!”
Bonnie wasn’t sure she’d ever get the opportunity to say a full sentence without Sharon interrupting. But she also wasn’t sure what else Sharon could have left to brag about in her life. So, Bonnie jumped in feet first to tell Jack what she’d come over to tell him in the first place. “Well, I’ve decided to sell the house in Albany and live in Lake Placid full-time.”
Sharon’s predatory smile was back in full force. “Oh, is that so? Trouble with the upkeep?”
Bonnie swallowed the need to groan. “No, now that Peter’s gone, I’ve decided to downsize.”
Jack perked up, excitement shining in his blue eyes. “You’re going to be in Lake Placid full-time? That’s great news. We’ll be year-round neighbors.”
To Bonnie’s immense relief, he seemed genuinely happy. Even though Sharon did her best to reignite the competition between the two families, Bonnie was confident that she’d made the right choice. Sharon could keep her tennis and book club and bragging about being a grandmother. Bonnie’s future would be different, and she’d make the most of it.