Nineteen
The next day, Nico found Valerie on the dock wearing an exasperated expression. “I’ve looked everywhere for David,” she said. “His car is here, but he’s not.”
“You looking for the big D?” asked Brayden, making them jump. He’d come out of the water with a Navy SEAL level of stealth.
“Have you seen him?” asked Valerie. Nico hated himself for watching to see if she would check out Brayden, who stood posing in a pair of tight black Euro-briefs.
“He went out in a kayak about an hour ago. You want some protein toast?”
“What’s in it?” asked Nico.
Brayden slicked his hair back in a way Nico suspected was primarily to flex his lats. “Protein. Toast. That’s all you need to know. I can’t give you my secrets, man.”
“It sounds delicious but I ate,” Valerie said.
“Did you reach your prot-min?”
“My what?”
“Prot-min. Minimum amount of protein per day. The prot is for protein.”
“Is the min for minimum?” she asked.
Brayden looked impressed. “Nice. I was worried people wouldn’t get it. It’s a calculation I created based on your body measurements and fitness goals. I’m going to patent it. Come by my boathouse and I’ll do you for free.”
“Thanks?”
“I know this stuff because I’m top of the bell curve. Protein is the building block of muscle, you know? Without muscle, we’d be bone.” Brayden said the last reverently, as if he’d been privy to some secret universal truth before he left for the boathouse.
“Prot-min. I like it. Zingy,” said Valerie, looking after him thoughtfully. “Apropos of nothing, did you know Australians call Speedos budgie-smugglers?”
Her tone ate up any residual jealousy. “I did.”
She squinted at the water. “Looks like Brayden was right. There’s David coming in. Keep an eye on him and I’ll be right back. Let’s show him the photo we found yesterday to see how he reacts.”
“Roger might want to be here for that,” Nico reminded her.
“You said he was stuck in meetings all day. We can report back.”
She ran up to the house, leaving Nico to wait for David, who started complaining the second he got within yelling distance of the dock.
“You would not believe the nerve of some of these summer people,” he said, glaring at his paddle as if it had failed him. “I nearly got swamped by some weekender jackass in a knockoff Sea-Doo.”
David was still telling Nico about how he’d brilliantly outmaneuvered the guy’s wake when Valerie returned with an exquisite snack tray and a cooler of drinks, the perfect lure for a man who had come in from an hour on a gorgeous lake on a spectacular day and, somehow, remained cranky.
“Roger said you were the best paddler in the family,” Valerie said as she put the tray down. “I heard you bet about who could canoe around the lake fastest and you were almost done before he got halfway.”
Nico had wondered why Valerie had been pressing Roger for old family stories. David nodded contently at this reminder of his previous glory. “Roger hated that.”
She handed him a cold can of sparkling water, which David accepted without thanks.
It was like watching an expert craftsperson at a forge as she slowly led David, through various rants, on a conversational journey that finally landed on the Lakeview.
She passed him a bowl of cut fruit with whipped cream-cheese dip, and he took a strawberry.
“The Lakeview doesn’t have to try,” he said, talking around a mouthful as he dipped it again. “It has a captive audience. Have you heard that term before? Captive audience.”
“It must have been the big hangout when you were younger,” she said. “We found a photo of all of you there.”
He barely glanced at the photo from the album. “That place used to have character. Now it has no ambiance. You know that word, ambiance?”
Nico wondered how Valerie was going to get this on track asking about Yvette, but he shouldn’t have worried. “Oh my goodness,” she said as if just noticing. “Is that Yvette?”
David didn’t look until she shoved the photo back under his nose.
“It might be. She wasn’t my type, so I didn’t bother with her.
I remember that day. There were two boats about to collide in the marina and I was the only one who noticed.
” He pointed to a spot at the back of the photo, near Yvette’s position, sounding aggrieved. “Roger was too busy talking to Penny.”
“What a party!” Penny strolled up, adjusting her hat. “What are we all doing?”
David hauled himself up from the chair. “I’ve got to get back to work,” he said. “Not all of us spend our time staring at doodles.”
“Busy, busy bee,” said Penny dismissively. David ignored her and pulled out his phone to start barking orders at some poor admin assistant stuck sweating at their desk in the stifling Toronto heat. Penny sighed and rested on the back of the chair he’d vacated.
“Poor Davey. It’s like he has youngest son syndrome although he’s only the middle. Jenn’s a saint for putting up with him. I suppose she has to.” She looked at the photo they’d shown David. “What’s that you have there?”
Valerie passed it over. “I’m sure that’s Yvette in the back,” she said.
“I’d forgotten what she looked like. Yvette didn’t have a memorable face like Sloane does.”
Valerie ignored this although Nico bristled at the backhanded insult. “She’s wearing a pretty bracelet.”
Penny didn’t bother looking. “Friendship bracelets were all the rage that year. Tracey Jefferies gave them to everyone.”
“I’d love to meet her,” said Valerie.
“Tracey?” Penny raised her eyebrows. “She’s the biggest gossip I know, and you’ll recall what I said about keeping this in the family?”
“Did you have one?” asked Nico, to confirm. “A bracelet like that?”
Penny laughed. “I probably had dozens. We were a little old for it, but Tracey thought they were cute. I wouldn’t be surprised if Yvette picked one up off the ground for herself.
Now, Valerie, I’ve been thinking. I’m sure your parents miss you.
We should invite them up for a weekend so we can all get to know each other. ”
Valerie managed an open smile at odds with the rock that formed in Nico’s gut. “I appreciate the offer but my parents are no longer together, and it’s a sensitive situation.”
“That’s why we need everyone here,” said Penny, looking at Valerie intently. “We can get everything out in the open, and there’s plenty of room for both families.”
“Perhaps when we’re back in Toronto.” Nico admired Valerie’s deft parry. How had they not anticipated this?
“Summer is surely better, when your mother has time off from school?” asked Penny. “Although the planning for your stepsister’s wedding must be keeping her busy.”
“Weddings are always high-stress,” said Valerie, maintaining her cheer. “Did I tell you about the time a bride wanted to be escorted down the aisle with two tigers? They were her favorite animals.”
The distraction didn’t take. “Why don’t you give me her number and I’ll call to invite them,” said Penny. She tilted her head. “I know how difficult this transition must be for you,” she said gently. “Let me help make it easier.”
“Mom!” The shout came from the upper floor of the boathouse. “What does it mean to combine ingredients?”
“That boy.” Penny gave an indulgent laugh as she stood up. “Valerie, I’ll expect that number.” She leaned in to whisper but Nico heard. “And the signed letter, of course. Roger has his thoughts, but you and I know it’s the right thing to do.”
She left to rescue her offspring from the tyranny of looking up instructions online, and Valerie began to gather up the leftovers from the snack tray.
“It’s sweet that she’s looking out for me but I never mentioned Erica’s wedding,” Valerie said.
“Penny’s checking into you.” Nico considered what he knew of Penny. “I bet she hired her own PI.”
“That would explain the call to Ruth.” Valerie groaned. “It also reduces the sweetness of her wanting to help me. Should I give my parents a warning?”
“Maybe tell them you’re potentially dealing with a scam artist, so they don’t give away information.” Nico took the tray from her to carry back. “I’ll update Roger.”
“Good idea.” Valerie shook her head. “It’s my firm belief that a big old family meeting would be an extraordinarily bad idea.”
He didn’t answer, watching her bite into one of the strawberries. The red stained her lip and he tried to bring his attention back to the problem at hand instead of how the color matched her cheeks.
Because if Penny’s PI found out about Valerie, he had to agree it would not be good at all.
* * *
Later that evening, he found Valerie and Roger happily insulting each other’s strategic abilities over the chessboard. Valerie was the first to see him and she jumped up to give him a hug even though he’d only left her an hour ago.
To her, the hug was no doubt a minor friendly gesture that she didn’t think twice about.
He’d seen her hug a tree, for God’s sake.
He shouldn’t read anything too deep into it, but he couldn’t help it.
It had been a long time since he’d been touched this way.
Her hands slid over his back firmly enough for him to feel each fingertip.
Instead of bending forward so their bodies barely touched, she pressed into him.
Then, she leaned her head against the front of his shoulder. Nico was helpless to do anything except stand there and feel complete. She went back to the game as Nico wandered the room, restless now that Valerie was no longer touching him.
“Since you’re both here, I talked to Penny about what happened earlier.” Roger sighed. “She’s always had this idea that being a Badgerton is like this private club and she’s the membership director.”
“What about the investigator?” asked Nico.
Roger looked grim. “She admitted to hiring one and we had a fight. That’s done now. She called him off.”
“Does she suspect I’m fake?” asked Valerie, looking troubled.
“She said that she likes you very much, and this was only for her own peace of mind.”
Valerie’s expression softened in what seemed like relief.