Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CORINNE WILDE - PRESENT DAY
Taylor appears at the end of the hallway again, a bright smile on her face. “I’m going with you,” she announces. “Can we stop by the Apple Store?”
Lewis holds up a hand to her. “Now, hang on. Your mom and I were just talking—”
“You aren’t going anywhere,” I tell her. “You’re staying with me just like we agreed you would.”
“I never agreed,” she says firmly. “Neither of you asked me.”
“We asked you so many times,” I argue. “How can you say that? We made sure this was all right with you.”
“You said we were going to stay in a cabin you owned. You didn’t tell me it was a shack with no internet.”
“That’ll be fixed later today,” I offer.
She sighs, her shoulders dropping in defeat. “I hate it here, Mom. It’s dusty and old. And none of my friends are here. There’s nothing to do.”
“That’s not true. There’s so much to explore here, you’ll see.
Once the house is unpacked, I’ll show you.
You’re going to love it here, honey. I know it isn’t what you’re used to, and I know it’s not your home, but Foxglove is so special.
” When I can see she’s not buying into it, I add, “And if you want people to hang out with, you could always go into town. Make more friends there.”
She scrunches up her nose, her glare burning me.
“Gross. I’m not, like, a child. I already have friends.
This is so stupid. I don’t want to live in the forest like a woodland creature.
I thought this would be, like, a cute little lake house moment, not…
this.” Her gaze meets Lewis’s, and she steps forward, begging.
“Come on, Dad. I was supposed to spend the summer with my real friends. The ones I already have. Just because you guys hate each other now, you don’t have to ruin my whole life. ”
“We don’t hate each other,” I say quickly.
At the same time, Lewis says, “Well, let’s not be dramatic.”
We exchange a glance, and, finally, I add, “I know this is tough on you, Tay, but what if your friends came here for a weekend or something? You could camp out in the woods, build a fire in the yard. I’d even let you invite some boys over for a few hours, if their parents say it’s okay.”
Lewis gives me a look, but I ignore him, too preoccupied by the horrified expression on Taylor’s face.
“I don’t want to invite people here, Mom.
I don’t want anyone to know I’m here, living like freaking Laura Ingalls or something.
It’s not a good look. This is not a vacation spot, okay?
None of my friends want to come, like, build a fire and roast s’mores. We aren’t seven.”
I huff out a breath. This would’ve been a lot easier if she were seven.
Lewis steps in, a hand raised to calm her down. “Bug, listen, as much as I would love for you to come with me, your mom’s right. You need to stay here and get settled in. Help unpack. I’ll order you a new computer tonight and have it sent to you this week, okay?”
I want to argue. To say I’ll take care of the computer, but we both know I can’t afford to, so I don’t say anything at all. I just watch my daughter stand there, hating us both.
A knock on the door interrupts our conversation and we look around, confused.
“Expecting someone?” Lewis asks.
“The internet company, but they were supposed to text first.” I check my phone before hurrying across the room to open the door, grateful for the interruption.
Conrad stands at the door, a casserole dish in his hands. He looks almost shocked that I answered.
“Um. Sorry if I’m interrupting. I just… Here.
” He shoves the casserole dish at me awkwardly.
“They aren’t homemade, but I’m not supposed to tell you that.
” He scratches the back of his neck. “I, uh, I wanted to make sure everything was okay after yesterday. The police came by to check on, er, well, you know. Everything.”
“Thank you,” I tell him, glancing into the side of the clear casserole dish to see a pile of assorted cookies. “You really didn’t have to do this.”
“Think of it as our welcome, um, back to the neighborhood gift.”
“Our?” I ask him. “You’re…married?”
“I am.” He smiles and twirls the simple, silver ring around his finger. “Ten years in a few months.” His eyes dart toward Taylor, then Lewis, waiting for an introduction.
“Sorry. This is Lewis, my hus—ex-husband.” Fire burns my insides at the slip-up. “And this is Taylor. Our daughter. Guys, this is Conrad. He lives nearby and has been keeping an eye on the house for Mom.”
Lewis steps closer to me, almost too close, holding out a hand to shake Conrad’s. “Nice of you to drop by with these.”
“Oh, it’s no problem. Especially since Corinne let me borrow some apples yesterday.”
“Apples?” Lewis asks, looking at me.
“Hedge apples,” I correct. “For the spiders. It’s a long story. Anyway, thank you again, Conrad. For these and for stopping by. It’s kind of you to check on us.”
“Well, force of habit, I guess. I used to walk over here every morning, just to check on things. Get my steps in.” He pats his stomach, the slight pudge there.
“I’m glad you’re both okay.” His eyes shift between us again, and when he lands on Lewis, they dash uncomfortably back to me.
“I won’t keep ya. But you let me know if you need anything, okay?
My number’s written down there.” He gestures toward the casserole dish, and I notice a name—Mulligan—and a phone number.
With that, he steps backward and walks off the porch.
Once the door is shut, I move past Lewis and place the cookies on the counter.
Lewis follows behind me. “Who was that?”
“You heard him. It’s the neighbor.”
“I don’t like the two of you out here alone, and certainly not with a strange man lurking around.”
“Lurking?” I scoff, staring at him. “You don’t get to tell me what to do anymore, remember? It’s what you wanted.”
“Oh my god, you guys,” Taylor groans, disappearing back down the hall. A few moments later, her door slams shut.
Lewis’s eyes narrow at me, hurt. We can’t be together for more than five minutes without screwing something up.
Without fighting. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do.
” He takes a step closer slowly, and I feel my breath deep in my stomach as our eyes lock.
“And I don’t care what any divorce decree says, I still care about you. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
I shouldn’t care what he says. I shouldn’t believe him.
“Taylor needs us both,” he clarifies, dropping eye contact, and just like that, the moment is over.
Gently, I reach out and touch his arm. It lasts only seconds, but a bolt of lightning dashes through my muscles regardless. “I will take care of her. You know that.”
“I know. Of course I do. I just…I really hate this.” He doesn’t have to clarify which part of this he means for me to agree.
“We’re going to be okay. All of us.” I desperately want to believe that.
He puffs out a sigh, eyes squeezed shut. When he opens them, he’s going to ask me something, I can read it on his face. “Can I just…could I stay here for another night or two? Please. It would make me feel a lot better. Just to make sure the two of you are safe.”
I press my lips together, ready to fight it every way I can. The longer he stays, the more it hurts.
“Please,” he begs, seeing he’s got a foot in the door.
“Corinne, listen, I promise I’ll go when you ask me to, but I’m asking you…
not to ask. Just for another night. Let me stay.
Let me see her. I’ll…I could take her to the Apple Store today, replace her laptop, and give you time to work on the house, have a moment to yourself.
I swear I’ll bring her back by dinnertime, and we can have dinner together as a family. Like old times.”
I sigh. I was always the one who had to set the boundaries. The one who had to be the bad guy, even in this divorce apparently. “It isn’t like old times anymore.”
“Yeah, but we get to make our own rules,” he says.
“Please, Mom.” Taylor appears in the hallway again, not trying to hide that she’s been listening. She walks toward the island, hands clasped together. “Please. I need a new laptop. Please, I promise it’ll be fine.”
“The closest Apple Store is going to be a few hours away,” I tell them both. “And the storm’s supposed to get really bad tonight. You shouldn’t be out in it.”
“That gives you several hours to work on the house. I promise we’ll be home before the storm hits. And hey, when we get back, I can help if you want,” Lewis offers.
I bite the inside of my lip, staring at them both. I’m outnumbered here, like usual. Besides, I do trust Lewis when he says he’ll bring her home. I just hope it isn’t a mistake.
“I want her back by dinner. Well before the storm.”
“Promise.” Taylor squeals, bouncing up on her toes before she disappears to her room. “Oh my god, thank you!”
Lewis smiles at me, and it’s familiar and painful. A knife to the heart. Like old times.