Chapter 31
“I met Michelle for coffee earlier today,” Spencer casually said to his grandmother.
They were all sitting outside at Aunt Maddie’s house for her cookout. Joy had brought a big bowl of her macaroni salad, which looked delicious. Ben was sitting in a padded chair with his leg propped up on a stool and his crutches by his side. Hannah and Sara were sitting nearby, and Tom and the kids were on the beach. Lady and Tramp were lying in the shade and keeping an eye on everyone.
“What did she want?” Joy asked. She didn’t seem thrilled at the mention of Michelle and Hannah knew that she hadn’t been a big fan of Spencer’s ex.
“Basically to tell me that George dumped her, she made a huge mistake, and wants to know if I can ever forgive her and can we try again.” Spencer cracked open a can of Sam Adams IPA and took a sip.
“Well, what did you tell her?” Joy asked.
Spencer smiled. “What do you think? No, of course. She asked if I would at least think about it, sleep on it, and I said I would, just to be nice. But the answer is no. I don’t think there’s any going back when something like that happens.”
“No, I wouldn’t think so,” Joy agreed. “I have to admit, I’m glad. I never liked her for you.”
Spencer laughed. “I know. You knew.”
Hannah wondered if Spencer might feel differently after he did what Michelle had suggested and slept on the idea. He’d wanted to propose to her, after all. Were those feelings gone completely?
“Okay, food’s ready, everyone head to the grill and help yourselves,” Aunt Maddie said.
Uncle Richie manned the grill and had steak tips and hot dogs ready as well as some chicken breasts.
Tom walked up but the kids weren’t with him. Sara raised her eyebrows and before she could ask, he said, “They went into the basement to get the cornhole game. They’ll be here in a minute.”
“I love that game,” Spencer said.
It was a fun game where players tossed small beanbags into open holes on a game board. People often brought it to the beach or it turned up at cookouts like this.
“I bet you’re good at it,” Hannah said.
He grinned. “Not too bad. We should play later.”
“Somehow I think I’ll regret that, but sure.”
Spencer made a plate for his grandfather. He knew just how he liked his hot dogs: mustard, relish, and extra ketchup. He made two of them, piled on the pasta salad and chips, and brought it to his grandfather, who gave him a thumbs-up. “Just the way I like it. Thank you.”
Hannah and Spencer helped themselves to the food and sat by his grandparents. There were several oval tables on the deck and plenty of chairs so there was room for everyone.
“How did your signing go yesterday?” Spencer asked.
“It was fun. We had a good turnout. Nothing like Niall’s, of course, but I think Alison was happy. She said that we almost sold out of the books.”
“That’s great, honey,” Joy said.
“Yeah, that’s really good. Did you see any sharks on your excursion?” Spencer said.
“We did actually.” She told him all about the boat and the seals, whales, and Heath Ledger.
“Who the heck is Heath Ledger?” Ben asked.
“He was a movie star,” Joy said.
“And now he’s a shark.” Hannah explained about the tags.
Joy shook her head. “More importantly, what did you think of Niall? Will you go out with him again?” she asked.
Hannah hesitated a moment before answering. “I think so. He came to the signing yesterday and took me for a drink after. We went right up the street to the Beach House at Chatham Bars Inn.”
“Oh, that’s lovely. Nicest outdoor dining in Chatham.”
“It is pretty. We didn’t eat though. It was around three thirty, so we just had a quick drink. He was going golfing after that. His parents are members of the club.”
“Really? That place is swanky. I’ve never been but I’ve heard it’s outrageously expensive. Like over a million dollars just to join.”
Ben laughed. “I’ll stick to woodworking.”
“He definitely lives in a different world than mine,” Hannah agreed. “He told me that his parents never have cookouts. The closest they come is going to the club and eating and drinking there.”
“Spencer, come play with us!” Two of Sara’s boys called for him to join the game. They’d already eaten and were setting up the cornhole game on the back lawn.
Spencer looked at Hannah. She was done eating, too. “I’ll play if you will?”
She laughed. “Sure, let’s go.”
They walked down the back steps of the deck onto the rolling lawn that led down to the ocean. The boys had the cornhole game all set up.
“You two can play the winners,” Cody, the oldest, said.
“Sounds good,” Spencer agreed.
They watched as the boys tossed the soft palm-sized beanbags and tried to get them through the holes on the board that stood at a slant about twenty or thirty feet away. It looked easy, but looks could be deceiving.
Hannah tossed her first beanbag and didn’t even hit the playing board. She laughed and looked at Spencer. “So Michelle does want you back. How do you feel about that?” Hannah hadn’t wanted to ask earlier in front of his grandparents.
“Annoyed. Confused. Flattered. Mostly annoyed.”
“So that’s it then?”
“Pretty much. As I said, she insisted that I think about it and we’ll talk again in a week or two.”
“Ugh.”
He laughed. “Exactly. What do you really think of that Niall guy? Do you like him?”
“I do like him. Your grandmother gave me good advice actually. She told me to be more open. To just have fun and not make any decisions too soon. Take the time to really get to know someone and see where it goes.”
He nodded. “My grandmother is pretty smart.”
Hannah felt for Spencer. He talked like he was definitely not going back to Michelle but she sensed that it wasn’t easy for him. It had to be confusing for him to hear that she wanted him back. Hannah didn’t see how he could ever trust her again and was pretty sure he felt the same. But Michelle was smart to ask him to think about it. Maybe he would feel differently once he’d thought it over.
She played one round of cornhole, then excused herself to go chat with Sara. Spencer was clearly having a blast, so she encouraged him to stay and play with the boys. Tom was chatting with Uncle Richie by the grill and Sara and Aunt Maddie looked deep in discussion about something. They both looked up when Hannah walked over.
“How was cornhole?” Sara asked.
Hannah laughed. “It’s fun, but the boys love it. All of them.” Spencer hollered and high-fived Cody as they won a round.
“I was just filling Sara in on how things are going with your uncle,” Aunt Maddie said.
“I’m so glad you two worked it out,” Sara said.
“Me, too,” Hannah agreed.
“How is it going with you, Sara? How are Tom and the boys adjusting to you working? How are you adjusting?” Aunt Maddie asked.
“The boys haven’t noticed anything different. I’m still there to pick them up. Well, except for the first week when I almost forgot to collect Dylan.” She smiled. “It’s a bit more of an adjustment for Tom. He’s used to doing nothing and me doing everything.”
“Is he getting better about it?” Hannah asked.
Sara looked stressed just thinking about it. “Not really. I stayed late one day last week, so he had to get the kids and dinner was made—all he had to do was put the lasagna in the oven to cook an hour before I got home. And he couldn’t be bothered. He said he forgot. But the reality is that he’s just used to me doing everything. It didn’t even occur to him to remember. It’s not a priority.” Her frustration was evident.
“And don’t even get me started on the last-minute client dinners. We almost never go out, just the two of us. I’m tired of it.”
Aunt Maddie frowned. “You need to talk to him.”
“I’ve tried. I really have, but he just yeses me. I don’t think he’s really listening.”
Aunt Maddie glanced at the ocean for a moment and seemed deep in thought for a moment before speaking. “It sounds like he takes you for granted. If he won’t listen, maybe you need to show him?” Her tone was calm and measured but there was a mischievous gleam in her eye. Hannah wondered what she was thinking.
“What do you mean?” Sara asked.
“Take a week off from being a mom and a wife. Stay with me and Hannah. We have plenty of room. There’s another guest bedroom right next to Hannah’s. You can still go to work, but come home here every day.”
“Oh, I could never do that,” Sara protested.
“Why not? Tom has the ability to work from home, right?” Aunt Maddie asked. “And his schedule is flexible? There’s no reason why he can’t pick up his own kids for a week and feed them.”
“She’s right. It would really show Tom all that you do,” Hannah said.
Sara bit her lower lip and glanced at Tom, who was helping himself to a second beer. “It’s tempting, but I don’t know. I’ll have to think about that.”
“Well, the offer’s always out there. You’re always welcome,” Aunt Maddie said.