Summer People by Brian Groh

artist Gustave Doré. So much of great art is great patience, Nathan thought, optimistically. But staring down at the most famous drawing—of the Don being knocked off his horse by a windmill—Nathan felt a familiar pang of doubt about his talent and abruptly returned the tome to its shelf.
    Once back in the hallway, he stepped through the laundry room and out into the backyard. After a moment’s hesitation, staring out at the empty back lawn that rolled down for a hundred yards or so to the shore, he heard children’s voices floating from somewhere to the east and behind him. Plunging his hands into his pockets, then letting them hang loose at his sides, then plunging them into his pockets again, Nathan walked around the east corner of the house. There Eldwin’s children and their nanny were standing on the immaculate lawn amid a course of croquet wickets and stakes. Wearing a tan sleeveless dress, Leah waved at Nathan as Eliot struck a ball that rolled to the far side of a stake. The boy’s shoulders sagged, but his face lit up as he said, “Meghan hit her ball twice, so don’t I get to go again, too?”
    â€œNo, hers went under the hoop, remember? That’s why she got to go again,” Leah explained.
    As he approached, Nathan said, “Looks like a heated match.”
    â€œI think they’re tired,” Leah said. “I had to break up a fight a few minutes ago.”
    â€œI’m not tired,” Eliot said. He was standing on the head of his mallet, attempting to keep his balance.
    â€œIt’s your turn,” Meghan wailed.
    â€œOh!” Leah said, and stepped forward toward her red ball. “Okay, it’smy turn.” She smiled at Nathan with feigned embarrassment. She whacked the ball in the direction of the intended wicket, but it wobbled past Nathan and Eliot into the mulched flower bed beside the house.
    â€œTough break,” Nathan said.
    â€œI hate this game,” Leah muttered, humor infiltrating her pout.
    As they watched Eliot practice his swing, Nathan asked, “So, how was sailing yesterday?”
    â€œIt was a gorgeous boat. But I had to keep these two from throwing each other overboard, so it wasn’t really that fun. I think I did get a tan, though,” she said, peering down at her shoulder. Her skin was an un-freckled ripe golden brown. When she looked up, she said, “Eldwin said you were supposed to come with us, but Kendra wouldn’t let you?”
    Nathan smiled weakly. As he told her the story, Leah took her turns in the match, sometimes acting as referee between the children, but always glancing back expectantly, waiting for him to continue.
    â€œI can’t believe she would do that,” Leah said. “It’s so tacky. I mean, she knew you were working for Ellen?”
    Nathan shrugged. “Yeah.”
    â€œThat’s crazy.”
    â€œWell, I didn’t let it ruin my day,” Nathan said. “After I found out you were busy, I went back to the house and popped some popcorn, and Ellen and I watched four hours of television, including an old Jerry Lewis movie.”
    Leah hesitated, but said, encouragingly, “Oh, well, that’s good.”
    â€œThat was kind of a joke. I mean, we did watch four hours of television. It just wasn’t that…fun.”
    Leah smiled at Nathan with puzzled amusement before positioning herself over the ball. Her legs spread as she leaned over, and Nathan averted his eyes to glance out at the bay. She struck the ball hard enough that it rolled halfway up the sloping lawn, then back down, finally resting almost where she was standing. Her shoulders collapsed and she hung her head in a comic expression of defeat.
    The croquet match eventually degenerated into a game wherein eachchild tried to see who could hit the ball the farthest, and as Nathan and Leah watched, she asked, “Why do you think I’m here?”
    â€œI’m not sure. You