10. Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
N adine was alone in her mother’s house. Emma had gone off with her cousin Ashley to the beach, and Louise had gone grocery shopping. Nadine had been busy in the kitchen, and the house smelled of freshly baked Watergate cake. Currently, Herman stood in the front window, barking at something outside.
She sat in the living room, talking on the phone to Richard.
“Hello? Richard? Are you still there?” Had he hung up on her?
“Yes.”
“Did you hear what I said?” she asked. She’d signed an agreement to purchase the old Hadley place from Edna Knickerbocker a few days ago. The house was being evaluated by a realtor, and she’d already consulted her mother’s attorney .
“I heard every word.” His voice was low and quiet.
“And?” she pushed. This conversation needed to be had. Over the phone wasn’t ideal, but there was nothing she could do about that. She’d be returning soon enough to pack up her things and move permanently to Lavender Bay.
Herman moved from the front window to a side window and barked again.
“How could you make such a purchase without consulting me first?” he asked.
She almost shot back, How could you have a child with another woman? but she refrained, thinking at some point, she was going to have to move on from his transgression. She didn’t want that negative energy leaking into her new life. She wanted a clean slate.
Purchasing the house on Pearl Street had been an impulsive move. She’d paid a cash deposit for it, moving some funds from their joint accounts to a brand-new bank account in Lavender Bay without giving it a second thought. The remainder of the funds needed for the purchase remained in her new bank account. In the past, she would never have done anything like that or made a big purchase without consulting her husband. But not this time. Besides, Richard had their marital home, which at over five thousand square feet was worth almost three times the cost of the old boarding house. He could keep the house; she had no intention of returning to it except to gather her belongings.
“Nadine?”
“I’m going to need somewhere to live,” she pointed out.
“You have a home! Right here, with me,” he said, exasperated.
“But you live there.”
“That’s the idea. Two people who are married usually live together.”
Nadine sighed. She hadn’t thought he’d cling. He’d never been the clingy type. She’d been convinced he’d take off to live with that other woman and their son.
When she didn’t say anything, he spoke again. “Come home, we’ll go through intensive marriage counseling and get our marriage back on track.”
“Like we did before? Before you cheated again?” she asked. To say those words out loud, that plain truth, seared through her.
His exasperated sigh traveled down the phone line.
Nadine laughed although there was nothing funny about their situation. “Come on, Richard, what did you expect? Did you think I’d be good old Nadine? Always ready to take the high road and forgive?”
“Yes.”
There it was, simple. She wasn’t going to be anyone’s doormat. Not anymore.
“I forgave you once, but you’ve made a fool of me. ”
“No one has to know,” he pleaded.
She snorted. “It’s going to be a little hard to hide Sam. Where would you keep him? How would you explain that?”
“Don’t be like that.”
“Tell me, how should I be?”
“Come home, give me another chance,” he said.
“No.”
“What about Emma? Don’t you care how this will affect her?”
Anger coursed through Nadine. “How dare you bring Emma into it? How did you think having an affair and a child with another woman would affect her? Let’s be honest, when you were playing around, you never gave Emma or me a single thought. So cut it out.”
“Nadine—”
“There’s nothing more to say. I bought this house because I need a place to live. Get over it.” She paused and added, “And please don’t contact me anymore unless it has something to do with Emma or the divorce.”
Nadine was still fuming ten minutes later when her mother walked in the door with Maureen. She was sitting on the edge of the sofa, taking some deep breaths and trying to calm down. It had worked until she saw her sister. She’d been home almost a week, and this was the first time she’d seen Maureen.
“Nadine!” Maureen said, coming toward her with her arms outstretched.
Not a strand of Maureen’s glossy chestnut hair was out of place, and her makeup was flawless. Not a blemish to be found, and hardly a line anywhere. Her put-together look appeared effortless, and her subtle perfume smelled expensive. Nadine was envious. She knew she had purple circles beneath her own eyes and although she’d washed her hair the previous day, she’d done nothing with it and now it hung flat and limp around her face.
She stepped into her sister’s embrace. She’d been back in Lavender Bay for a week, and her sister hadn’t even stopped by to say hello. Too busy with her perfect life. But she was ashamed to admit that she hadn’t called her sister either.
When they pulled apart, Maureen studied her, a frown forming on her perfect complexion.
“Mom told me about Richard. I’m sorry to hear this,” Maureen said.
Nadine pulled away, muttering, “That’s life.” It wasn’t fair to take out her frustration with Richard on her sister, especially since Maureen had nothing to do with it.
The three of them headed to the kitchen and pulled out chairs from the farmhouse table that took up a big portion of the room .
“Mom said you bought the old Hadley place,” Maureen said, taking the chair across from Nadine.
“I did,” Nadine said.
“It’ll be great to have you back in Lavender Bay.”
Nadine hoped so, too. Maybe she could get back on track with her sisters.
She rolled her shoulders and twisted her neck, trying to relax.
“I still can’t believe you bought the house!” Louise said. “You’re not my impulsive child.”
“No, Deedee is,” Maureen said with a laugh.
“I’m thinking of turning it into a bed-and-breakfast,” Nadine said.
Louise and Maureen stared at her. “Are you serious?” Louise asked.
“I am. How hard could it be? You serve breakfast and make sure the rooms are clean.” Even as Nadine said these things, she realized how lame they sounded and that it probably involved a lot more than that. Nothing in life was easy.
Louise’s expression was one of concern as she frowned. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I don’t think you can simply hang out a shingle and call it a B & B. I’m sure the state has all sorts of rules and regulations.”
Nadine hadn’t thought about that, but she covered up and said, “I know. I’m already looking into that.” Switching subjects, she asked Maureen, “How are Allan and the kids?”
Maureen waved a hand breezily. “Great. Busy with work and school. You know how it is.”
“I do,” Nadine said. Although she’d only had Emma, she’d longed for more children. But many failed attempts at IVF had left her raw, and she’d decided to focus her attention on the child she did have. Richard had been disappointed as he’d wanted another child as well.
Maureen left with a promise to get together soon.
Nadine watched her sister leave, wistful, and mumbled, “Maureen’s so lucky.”
Her mother had her back to her, but she said over her shoulder, “Don’t be so sure your sister’s life is so perfect.”