Chapter 13 #2
“You did not. I would have sent the kids baby blankets.” Her mom’s confidence made her second-guess herself, and she thought back over the last year, when the twins were born.
She’d just discovered Grant’s infidelity, and though she’d returned to Florida after catching him, she’d gone directly to the tennis courts and hadn’t left for what felt like days.
Things had changed, and tennis was the only thing she had to hold on to, gripping it more tightly than ever before.
“I’m sorry,” she said, feeling guilt wash through her. She was finally coming up for air, and it didn’t feel good to see the people she’d left behind.
She used to tell her mom these things. They’d eat dinner together most nights of the week unless she was away on tour, and they’d trade thrillers back and forth and discuss whether they’d guessed the ending before finishing the book.
The Thatchers and the Kings had never become friends outside of Hallie and Sydney’s love for one another, but that was mostly by virtue of Hallie’s parents’ constant work at the inn.
On the weekends, they’d deposit Sydney at The Stone’s Throw, and in retrospect, she assumed the Thatchers were grateful to have someone to keep their precocious daughter occupied.
Even if they tended to pay for it later.
“They’re only a year old. I’m sure they still use blankets,” Sydney said, joking to lessen the tightness that had taken up residence in her chest.
Now it was her mom’s turn to roll her eyes. “That’s not the point, and you know it.”
“Well, I’ll get their address from Hallie and make sure that you can send them along as soon as possible .” This was good; they were navigating into safer territory on multiple fronts, giving Sydney time to polish off her banana and place the peel on the counter.
Her mom immediately scooped it up and threw it into the trash can at the end of the island. “So, what’s happening with the inn? Seems like a big change for Hallie. Is she doing okay?”
Sydney rolled her shoulders, like she was readying herself for battle. Still, it was sweet that her mom was so concerned about Hallie. She’d had similar thoughts herself.
“The sale went through earlier this month. Luckily it’s not a chain or something. Hallie seems happy to stay on for a while before figuring out what she wants to do next.”
“That girl has always been so go with the flow. A teacher’s dream, except for the?—”
“Inability to sit still?” Sydney supplied with a laugh.
“Do you remember when you’d hit tennis balls on their court and she’d just run back and forth for hours picking them all up for you?” Her mom had a fondness in her voice that brought back so many good childhood memories.
“I haven’t thought about that in years.” Sydney watched as her mom turned back around to stir the pot of… “So, what are you actually making?”
She could see her mom’s ears lifting, knowing that she was smiling. “It’s a gumbo, but no alligator. I promise. ”
“I know New England has some dangerous animals, but none that will crawl out of the water and try to drag you back in.”
Sydney wasn’t exactly outdoorsy, but she knew enough to stay safe from bears on any hiking paths she’d found herself on. Alligators were a whole other story. She should have never read their Wikipedia article. They got points for their positive ecological impact, but other than that, no, thank you.
She made a mental note to text Reese about her opinions on alligators later, and a smile formed as she wondered what her response would be. Her fingers itched with the desire to pull her cell phone out, but she resisted the urge.
They’d texted sporadically over the past few days, with Sydney sending a few photos from her day-to-day life.
A shot of the outside of the house in Florida.
Her favorite orange tree in the backyard, which wouldn’t bear fruit until later in the season.
One of her lounging by their pool, which was maybe meant to make Reese miss her.
Sydney’s legs were on display in the photo, her toes dipping into the pristine blue water.
She hadn’t expected how, even surrounded by a gorgeous view, she was still thinking about Stoneport, with its rocky shores and lush foliage, less muggy than the heat that permeated her neighborhood now.
“We may need to take a trip back to Stoneport soon,” her mom mused, still stirring. “I’m curious about the changes the new owner has made to the inn. Have you met them?”
Sydney had never been a good liar, especially with her mom. Her skin prickled; that feeling like she was being led into a trap was back in full force.
But she also hadn’t planned for her parents coming back for an impromptu visit.
“So… small world,” she said, her breath catching in her throat. “Reese Devereux, Grant’s older sister, bought the property.” There. She’d said it, and the world hadn’t fallen down around her. She was making too much out of nothing, and hopefully they could leave it there .
Her mom turned around. She clocked Sydney with obvious interest, mingled with a hint of disapproval that made Sydney’s breathing pick up.
“And were you two… friendly, when you and Grant were together? That must be a strange situation for you,” her mom hedged.
“I’d only met her a few times before now. She lived in California until she purchased the inn.”
“Isn’t that what the Devereux family does, owns hotels? Is Reese—Is that her name?—not working with them?”
Sydney shook her head forcefully, feeling the need to defend Reese. “No, they have nothing to do with it. Reese isn’t exactly close with them.”
Her mom lifted an eyebrow. “You know, I heard the most interesting thing the other week.”
Now Sydney’s stomach really did bottom out as she looked at her mom with confusion, wondering what would come next. “And what’s that?”
“Your cousin Cade has been doing some work this summer. He got a catering job.” Which didn’t clarify the situation at all, but Sydney knew her mom had a point. She always had a point.
Sydney stayed the path, giving nothing away. “Good for him. He’s going to college in the fall, right?”
Her mom was the oldest of four sisters, who all lived within an hour’s drive of Stoneport.
Sydney, content to wallow upon her arrival back in town, hadn’t sought any of them out.
Her aunt Beth, her mom’s youngest sister, was Cade’s mom, so he was a good decade younger than Sydney.
She hadn’t seen him in at least five years at this point.
Didn’t know if she’d recognize him if she did.
“He is,” her mom said, beaming a smile before adding, offhandedly, “but he told Beth the most interesting thing a few weeks ago.”
Sydney’s body went cold as she started to connect the dots.
Her mom, with incredible forethought, had been circling around her for the last twenty minutes, moving in closer and closer until Sydney was a sitting duck.
It would have been impressive, honestly, if Sydney didn’t feel like she was going to have a nervous breakdown.
“Hmmm,” she answered, not trusting her own words and, more importantly, refusing to participate in her own execution.
“He could have sworn he saw you at a party at the Devereux house, at some type of party to celebrate Grant’s upcoming wedding.” Her mom gave her a look that said, ‘Can you believe that?’
“Crazy.” Sydney felt like she couldn’t catch her breath. Why was it so hot in here?
“But I told Beth that he must be mistaken. I mean, what would my daughter want at a party to celebrate her ex-boyfriend’s impending marriage?
” Her mom said the words so casually, in the way she’d always done when she wanted Sydney to admit something.
The reality was, she knew that her mom already knew the answer.
“He should have said hi then, if he really thought it was me.” Heat was rolling off Sydney now, like she was moving closer to the point of combustion.
Rachel clicked her tongue. “Well, you know, that’s the thing. He said you looked pretty cozy with a woman there, and he didn’t want to interrupt.”
Sydney’s stomach bottomed out, but her mom pressed on. “So now I’m thinking maybe that woman was Reese Devereux? I never had the pleasure of meeting her, so I wouldn’t be able to know for certain.”
“Interesting,” was all that Sydney could come up with, the next in her line of one-word statements. Any lies or hedging were gone from her vocabulary with the irrefutable look her mom was leveling in her direction.
“Isn’t it?” Rachel’s voice was chipper as she busied herself cleaning off the island and placing the cutting board she’d used in the kitchen sink.
“So then my daughter shows up here with a spring in her step but is surprisingly unforthcoming about the reasons for it. So I think to myself, it’s been over a year since she and Grant split.
Dating someone else wouldn’t be strange.
I’d be excited for her, that she’s finding someone else to spend her time with, who will treat her the way she deserves. ”
“That is a good thing to want for your only child, whom you love dearly,” Sydney agreed quickly, wishing she could melt into a puddle and escape onto the floor.
Regardless of how this conversation went, she was not admitting to her mom the harebrained scheme that she’d gotten herself into.
Not in a million years. It was worse than any zany plan she and Hallie had dreamt up in childhood by a wide mile.
She’d just spent minutes trying to convince her mom that she was doing okay, and confessing to her what she’d done would not give her mom confidence in her mental state.
But then her mom’s stare softened, and she looked at Sydney like she could see all of her secrets, and, somehow, they only made her mom love her more.
Unconditional support was the thing that had kept her grounded this past year, even if she’d eschewed her parents’ well-meaning attempts to get her to open up, but now…
God, she was such a pushover.