Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Alexis Bennett opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling above her. She was still a little groggy from sleep, and at first, she felt confused, wondering why she wasn’t in her room at home. Her own bedroom that she shared with her husband Grayson—well, which she shared with her husband when he wasn’t out of town on business trips or sleeping in the den downstairs because of getting home from the office in the middle of the night—had a crystal beaded chandelier and ornate ceiling tiles. This ceiling was plain and white and had a faint water stain in one corner.
In the next instant, she remembered everything. She remembered that she’d returned to Rosewood Beach because of the tragedy, and she shut her eyes tightly, trying to ward off the grief of losing her father. She lay perfectly still in bed, listening to the sound of raindrops pattering against the windowpane, and the faint whooshing sound of a car passing on the street outside.
She was back. Back in Rosewood Beach, in her childhood hometown. Perhaps it would have felt even more strange to be back in her childhood room, but she wasn’t staying in her old home with her mother. She hadn’t wanted to give Vivian one more thing to deal with, and since she hadn’t spent any time with her sister Hazel or Hazel’s twelve-year-old daughter Samantha for a long while, she’d decided to stay in their house with them.
She opened her eyes again, looking at the ceiling. She stared at the water stain for a few moments, and then let out a sigh. Hazel’s house was cute—small, charming, whimsical, and decorated in a cottage-like style. Hazel and Samantha had clearly put a lot of effort into making their home a place they both loved, and it was a pleasant place to be in even for someone like Alexis, who was used to a very high-end style of living. But Hazel’s house was old and falling apart in places. A few of the doors needed new hinges—or they needed to be replaced entirely—and then there were things like that water stain. Alexis hadn’t seen any of her siblings very often because she lived so far away, in L.A. She was glad she had the time to bond with Samantha and catch up with Hazel, but she wished she’d known they needed some extra money the way they clearly did. She’d known that things must have been difficult for Hazel, raising a daughter all on her own, but she wished she’d thought to ask her if she needed help or money. She could easily spare the money it would take to fix up Hazel’s house.
No, she wouldn’t accept It anyway, Alexis thought, smiling a little to herself. She’s always been so independent. The wild child.
Although Hazel wasn’t so wild anymore, now that she had a daughter to raise. She clearly took her role as a parent seriously, and Alexis was proud of how well Hazel was taking care of Samantha. She’d worked hard to build a good life for the two of them, and Alexis almost felt jealous that Hazel had gotten to put so much effort into her personal life. She herself was beginning to feel like a hamster, running around in circles in a gilded cage.
She rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes again. She missed modeling work, although she still got to do it now and again, but that wasn’t what had been making her feel so uncomfortable in her personal life. On the surface, her life was picture perfect. She had an incredible house and a handsome husband whose job allowed them to be very well off. In theory, she could relax and let herself enjoy her comfortable life, spending time with friends and experiencing luxurious living in L.A. But she wasn’t comfortable being idle, especially since Grayson had become more and more preoccupied with work. She could feel him drifting away from their relationship, and without work of her own to focus on, the problems in her marriage weighed more heavily on her mind than they should. She’d taken up jewelry design as a hobby, and she enjoyed it very much, but a hobby didn’t use up enough of her restless energy the way a job would have.
The truth was, she didn’t know what to do. She’d tried to put a spark back Into her marriage, but Grayson had remained distant. She’d already been feeling lost and troubled, unsure of how to tell anyone that her reality was so different from how her life looked on paper, when the news of her father’s death had arrived.
She took a deep breath, blinking back the tears that were filling her eyes. Her already emotionally fragile state, combined with her grief about her father, had made returning to Rosewood Beach difficult for her. It had been a long time since she’d visited, and she was having a hard time being in a place that felt both very strange and very familiar at the same time. She got the impression that people in her hometown found her a little too aloof, or even stuck-up, but she was used to talking and acting the way people in L.A. did, and the small-town ways of Rosewood Beach seemed strangely laid-back to her now.
At least Julia is here , she thought, smiling a little to herself as she thought about her other sister’s arrival.
Even though she hadn’t seen Julia for quite some time, she was glad she wasn’t the only city girl in the family. It made her feel less like some kind of black sheep. She and Julia both led lives that were a far cry from the ways of Rosewood Beach, and she felt sure that would make it easy for the two of them to get on common ground and support each other during the days ahead.
Feeling somewhat better, she sat up, wiping the last stray tears off her cheeks. She slid out of bed and went into the bathroom to wash her face and apply a variety of face creams. Once she’d gotten dressed into chic and expensive athleticwear, she stepped out of her room, feeling strangely shy.
She smelled something wonderful coming from the kitchen downstairs, and she inhaled, noting that she definitely smelled bacon and some kind of baked good. Smiling, she made her way down the staircase and to the kitchen, where Samantha and Hazel were bustling around, laughing together about something.
Alexis smiled. It felt good to see her family members smile in the middle of what they were all going through. And it was clear that Hazel and Samantha had a good life, helping each other out and enjoying a cheerful home life together. That warmed her heart, and she felt another surge of pride for her sister.
“Good morning,” she said, stepping into the cozy kitchen, which was filled with the sound of sizzling food and the clink of dishes.
“Good morning!” Samantha said, immediately throwing her arms around her aunt and giving her a hug. “I was thinking last night, and I have a question for you—I was wondering if you would help me pick out an outfit for a party that we’re having at school? It’s not like a big dance or anything, so I don’t have to wear a dress, although I could wear a dress. It would just be a kind of nice dress, instead of a really nice dress. Mom’s good about clothes and stuff but I know you must really know a lot about fashion because you live in L.A. And I was wondering if you would help me decorate my room a little bit? I have all these posters but I’m having trouble deciding where to put them.”
“Easy, tiger.” Hazel laughed, turning around from where she was cooking bacon at the stove. “There will be plenty of time for all that. Let your aunt get settled in.”
“Okay.” Samantha smiled, looking as though she might be holding back some wiggles of enthusiasm.
“What’s on the menu?” Alexis asked, smiling. “It smells incredible in here.”
“Oh, just wait,” Samantha said, her brown eyes shining. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a French braid, which was so messy it looked as though she’d slept in it. She had a streak of flour on her cheek, but she looked as proud as the owner of a gourmet restaurant. Hazel had told Alexis that Samantha was very excited that both of her aunts were back in town, and Alexis had the feeling she was eager to make a good impression. “We have bacon, as you can see, frittatas, apple turnovers, and orange juice. Freshly squeezed orange juice, I might add.”
“Wow.” Alexis smiled, genuinely impressed. “Good job. Do you guys normally make this much food for breakfast?”
“We do.” Hazel grinned, looking proud of that. “Although we’re not usually quite this gourmet—the apple turnovers and the frittatas at once was an endeavor.”
“Which we succeeded in.” Samantha nodded her head triumphantly.
Alexis laughed. “Can I help with anything?”
“No, we should be good, but thanks for asking. The table’s all set, and this bacon should be done in another minute or so. Oh, I guess you could take the apple turnovers off the cooling rack and put them in that bowl.”
A few minutes later, they were sitting down to eat the delicious meal together. Alexis’s stomach grumbled, and she smiled in satisfaction as she brought her glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice to her lips.
“Thank you so much for letting me stay here,” she said, reaching out and hugging Hazel around the shoulders. “You’re being so hospitable. You’ll have to let me return the favor somehow.”
“Well, you can help Samantha out with all her projects if you want.” Hazel smiled as the hug broke and they went back to their meals. “She is very excited about your L.A. expertise. And I think it would be fun for the two of you to bond.”
“I agree.” Alexis smiled at Samantha, who grinned back at her.
For a few minutes, they ate their breakfast in silence. All of the food was delicious, and Alexis remarked that she’d never had apple turnovers that good. Hazel laughed as though she hadn’t meant it sincerely, but she had. The frittatas were filled with mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes, and they practically melted in her mouth. She felt new energy fill her as she ate the nourishing food.
“So what about you, Alexis?” Hazel’s blue-green eyes lit with interest, and she brushed back a strand of her long, wavy dark blonde hair. She smiled, revealing the dimples in her cheeks. “How’s your life back in the fabulous city of Los Angeles?”
“Oh, things are all right.” Alexis forced a smile. She was determined to be honest with her sister, but she also didn’t feel much like talking about all of the things that had been weighing on her mind lately.
A few seconds of silence elapsed, and then Hazel pressed her sister for more information. “What do you mean ‘all right’? Is something wrong? I thought you and Grayson were out there living the dream. All of your pictures make your house seem like some kind of castle, and make you seem like some kind of princess.”
Alexis laughed, feeling an ache at her sister’s words. “Well, thank you. But there aren’t any red-headed princesses.”
“Oh, yes there are!” Samantha protested. “And Mom’s right, you look really beautiful in all those pictures.”
Alexis’s heart warmed. It was a long time since she’d felt beautiful, and their words were a pleasant reminder that she was still attractive. Her long reddish-brown hair was complemented by a few freckles on her nose and her vibrant green eyes. Her figure was tall and willowy, and her features were beautiful enough while still being unique enough to have gotten her some great modeling jobs during the height of her career.
“Well, thank you both. That’s sweet of you to say.” She smiled, hoping the conversation would drift naturally to other things.
Hazel seemed to be determined to know more about Alexis’s life, however. “Is something the matter? You looked really down when you said that things were just ‘all right.’”
Alexis sighed, shaking her head. “Things—well, I think everything feels weighty now, because of Dad.”
Hazel nodded, blinking back some tears. “I understand what you mean. Grief isn’t like what I expected. I thought I’d be crying all the time. But it’s more like there’s this constant ache underneath everything, and then sometimes the pain gets really sharp.”
Alexis nodded, knowing just what her sister meant. She’d still had moments of happiness even after hearing about their father’s death, but underneath it all had been the deep sadness of knowing that he was gone.
“But I do want to hear more about your life,” Hazel insisted, forcing a brave smile. “What are you up to these days?”
“Oh, not much.” Alexis sighed, looking out the window and noticing how lovely Hazel and Samantha’s garden looked in the sunlight. “I don’t do as much modeling work anymore, since I’ve mostly aged out of it. That makes me feel as though I’ve lost some of my identity. I want something to do with myself, but there’s nothing to do, really. Grayson works very long hours—sometimes I don’t see him at all, because he comes home late, goes to sleep downstairs, and then leaves in the morning before I wake up.”
Hazel nodded, looking sympathetic and troubled. Alexis’s stomach flopped as she wondered what Hazel was thinking about her marriage. It didn’t sound very romantic, that was for sure.
“It’s been hard.” Alexis took another sip of the orange juice, feeling a little cheered by how good it tasted. “As much as I wish the reason why I came back was different, it is kind of nice to be away from my regular life. I needed a breather from it. And it’s good to be back in our hometown.”
Hazel smiled and nodded. “I understand. Marriage is such a complicated thing. And it’s always nice to come back home.”
Alexis smiled back sympathetically, knowing Hazel was probably thinking about her short marriage to Simon, the boy she’d become engaged to at the end of high school. They’d moved out of Rosewood Beach together, but Hazel had returned after her marriage had fallen apart. “I know you understand. And I’m glad you’ve been able to make a home here in Rosewood Beach.”
As she took another bite of her frittata, her heart thumped with worry. She could only hope that her own marriage wasn’t going to end in divorce. Hazel seemed to suspect that her relationship with Grayson was getting rocky, but Alexis wasn’t ready to admit out loud to her sister that she was having relationship issues. She felt embarrassed about it, and she didn’t want to dwell on a painful subject, especially when the painful subject of their father’s death couldn’t be avoided.
Almost as if she’d read Alexis’s thoughts, Hazel cleared her throat gently. Alexis knew from her sister’s suddenly hesitant manner that she was about to bring up something related to the funeral.
“So, I told Mom I would make arrangements with the florist today,” Hazel said. “I’m worried I’m going to start crying in the woman’s office and be a total mess. Would you come along with me?”
“I’d be happy to,” Alexis said, smiling at her. She reached over and squeezed her sister’s hand. “That sounds like something we should do together.”