company?”
Drake’s voice froze Nick in place. He tamped the urge to make a quick exit, turned on his heel, and tried to look as though he wasn’t expecting to be verbally assaulted again.
Surprise shuddered through him. He hadn’t really taken in Drake’s appearance the night he’d last seen him, given the hour.
The man who’d once been like a father to him had aged considerably.
New lines creased his face. The thick moustache he’d taken such pride in was gone. His pajamas looked about two sizes too big and he seemed almost swallowed up in a ratty brown bathrobe. His long hair was streaked with gray and touched his shoulders. But his brown eyes held a familiar sparkle.
“Dad.” Lynette cast a nervous glance at Nick. “I thought you’d gone to bed. Were you watching television?”
“Well, I . . .” The old man scratched his head and chuckled. “I don’t rightly know. I may have been, but I dozed off.” He faced Nick with a blank stare. “Who are you, then? Don’t just stand there, boy, introduce yourself.”
Lynette cleared her throat and took her father by the arm. “This is Nick, Dad. You remember.”
Nick prepared to head for the door.
Drake’s face split into a smile, and he let out a deep laugh. “Of course, Nicholas. Gracious, are you home from college already? Studying architecture, is it? Doing very well too, I hear. How’s your mother?”
“Sir?” Nick caught Lynette’s eye in question, but she glared at him so fiercely that he slapped on a smile and nodded. “She’s just fine, sir, thank you.”
“Good, good. Tell her I’ll be calling her about my roses soon. Got that blasted black spot again. She’s got all the tricks, your mother.”
Nick scrambled for words, the vacant look in Drake’s eyes more than worrying. “Yes. She . . . uh . . . sure loves her roses.”
“Well, Gray isn’t home yet, if that’s why you’re here. That boy can never keep a curfew. Looks like I’m going to have to ground him again.” Drake gave an affable smile and turned to Lynette. “I can’t find the sugar. I want tea, but you know I can’t stand it unsweetened.”
“Mr. Carlisle!” Cecily rushed into the room and let out a disgruntled sigh. “I thought you were up in bed.”
“I want tea.” Drake’s exasperated expression matched Cecily’s, and they engaged in a stare down Nick might have found comical any other night.
“It’s all right, Dad,” Lynette said, nodding toward Cecily. “You go on back up to bed and we’ll bring you some tea. Okay?” Lynette smiled, but the tremor in her voice said the effort pushed her toward tears.
Drake shuffled away, Cecily following after him in a flurry. Nick and Lynette were left alone. He tried to process the last few minutes, and the weight of it sent him to a chair.
“Nick?”
“What?” He jerked up his head and found Lynette watching him.
She drew in a breath and folded her arms, recovering quicker than he did. “I’m going into the kitchen. To make the tea. Will you stay?”
Common sense told him he should go. Go before this place and all its memories sucked him in again. Go before it was too late. Go now, and never look back.
But Lynette’s anxious tone and the way she pulled her arms over her chest like she was trying to shut out the world made it impossible.
“Yeah. I’ll stay.” He thought he caught a flash of relief in her eyes.
“Good. Take the dogs out back for me, would you? I’ll put the kettle on.”
Nick did as she asked, grateful for the fresh air as he paced the lawn and thought about Gray, who might well be on his way back to Nantucket.
Maybe his coming home would be a good thing. Maybe they’d be able to talk.
Put the past where it belonged and start over.
Nick kicked at a rock and shook his head.
There was little chance of that, but it didn’t hurt to hope.
The sound of the ocean soothed him as the breeze blew through his hair. The moon slid out from behind the clouds and lit the old
Drake’s voice froze Nick in place. He tamped the urge to make a quick exit, turned on his heel, and tried to look as though he wasn’t expecting to be verbally assaulted again.
Surprise shuddered through him. He hadn’t really taken in Drake’s appearance the night he’d last seen him, given the hour.
The man who’d once been like a father to him had aged considerably.
New lines creased his face. The thick moustache he’d taken such pride in was gone. His pajamas looked about two sizes too big and he seemed almost swallowed up in a ratty brown bathrobe. His long hair was streaked with gray and touched his shoulders. But his brown eyes held a familiar sparkle.
“Dad.” Lynette cast a nervous glance at Nick. “I thought you’d gone to bed. Were you watching television?”
“Well, I . . .” The old man scratched his head and chuckled. “I don’t rightly know. I may have been, but I dozed off.” He faced Nick with a blank stare. “Who are you, then? Don’t just stand there, boy, introduce yourself.”
Lynette cleared her throat and took her father by the arm. “This is Nick, Dad. You remember.”
Nick prepared to head for the door.
Drake’s face split into a smile, and he let out a deep laugh. “Of course, Nicholas. Gracious, are you home from college already? Studying architecture, is it? Doing very well too, I hear. How’s your mother?”
“Sir?” Nick caught Lynette’s eye in question, but she glared at him so fiercely that he slapped on a smile and nodded. “She’s just fine, sir, thank you.”
“Good, good. Tell her I’ll be calling her about my roses soon. Got that blasted black spot again. She’s got all the tricks, your mother.”
Nick scrambled for words, the vacant look in Drake’s eyes more than worrying. “Yes. She . . . uh . . . sure loves her roses.”
“Well, Gray isn’t home yet, if that’s why you’re here. That boy can never keep a curfew. Looks like I’m going to have to ground him again.” Drake gave an affable smile and turned to Lynette. “I can’t find the sugar. I want tea, but you know I can’t stand it unsweetened.”
“Mr. Carlisle!” Cecily rushed into the room and let out a disgruntled sigh. “I thought you were up in bed.”
“I want tea.” Drake’s exasperated expression matched Cecily’s, and they engaged in a stare down Nick might have found comical any other night.
“It’s all right, Dad,” Lynette said, nodding toward Cecily. “You go on back up to bed and we’ll bring you some tea. Okay?” Lynette smiled, but the tremor in her voice said the effort pushed her toward tears.
Drake shuffled away, Cecily following after him in a flurry. Nick and Lynette were left alone. He tried to process the last few minutes, and the weight of it sent him to a chair.
“Nick?”
“What?” He jerked up his head and found Lynette watching him.
She drew in a breath and folded her arms, recovering quicker than he did. “I’m going into the kitchen. To make the tea. Will you stay?”
Common sense told him he should go. Go before this place and all its memories sucked him in again. Go before it was too late. Go now, and never look back.
But Lynette’s anxious tone and the way she pulled her arms over her chest like she was trying to shut out the world made it impossible.
“Yeah. I’ll stay.” He thought he caught a flash of relief in her eyes.
“Good. Take the dogs out back for me, would you? I’ll put the kettle on.”
Nick did as she asked, grateful for the fresh air as he paced the lawn and thought about Gray, who might well be on his way back to Nantucket.
Maybe his coming home would be a good thing. Maybe they’d be able to talk.
Put the past where it belonged and start over.
Nick kicked at a rock and shook his head.
There was little chance of that, but it didn’t hurt to hope.
The sound of the ocean soothed him as the breeze blew through his hair. The moon slid out from behind the clouds and lit the old
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