“That’s great,” Caroline said. “I know I couldn’t do it, so thank goodness someone is tough enough.”
She held out a simple black knit dress with scallops around the neck and hem. It had short sleeves and a bit of flare at the waist, which most women in middle age seem to need, myself included.
“That’s perfect with the shoes,” Emerson said.
She had done my makeup already. Dolled me up with eyeliner and the whole lot. I couldn’t remember ever wearing eyeliner.
“Well, go try it on,” Sloane said. “He’s going to be here in like twenty minutes.”
There it was again. The racing heart. The pounding pulse. But then there was the smile, too. I could feel the smile. I hadn’t gotten to wear that smile since 9/11. Maybe it was time.
“Can we have a glass of wine with Jack before you leave?” Emerson asked.
“Oh, yes!” Caroline chimed in. “I have three hours before I have to feed Preston.”
I gave her a look. I didn’t like her drinking at all when she was breastfeeding, although Hummus had assured me that the alcohol cleared before feeding time and was actually good for Caroline’s milk production.
I was so glad no one breastfed when I was having babies. It seemed awful. No one could argue with the benefits, though. I wasn’t sure about it making the baby healthy and all that. But Caroline was almost back to her prebaby weight, and it had been only a couple of weeks. And she wasn’t eighteen anymore. It was impressive.
“Girls,” I said, “I know you’re excited, but I don’t want you getting attached to Jack. That’s too much pressure on all of us.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “Mom, we’re grown. It’s not like you’re choosing a stepdad to come live with us.”
I raised my eyebrows, looked from one to the other of them, and said, “Well . . .”
They all cracked up. “We’re pathetic,” Sloane said. “Our mother can’t go on a date twenty years after our father died because we are all living at home again.”
I smiled and slipped on the dress. The girls deemed it perfect.
That was all I needed to hear. I was ready. Now was my moment. “Speaking of dates, Em,” I said. “What’s going on with Mark?”
She waved her hand. “Oh, nothing. We had ice cream with the kids, Caroline went into labor, end of story.”
Caroline raised her eyebrows.
“No, for real,” Emerson said. “I don’t think he’s even interested in me like that. Even if he was, you know my career has to be the priority right now.”
I wanted to argue with her, but just because we had a difference of opinion on that matter, that didn’t mean she was wrong.
The doorbell rang downstairs before I had a chance to continue the conversation, which struck me as funny, because no one ever rang the doorbell, preferring simply to walk right in.
“I’ll get it,” Vivi called.
I rushed down the stairs, surprising myself at how excited I was to get my date started. When I peeked into the foyer to get a glimpse of Jack, my mood instantly soured.
“I see you up there,” Mr. Solomon yelled through the glass storm door. “Four hydrangeas are missing off my bush, and I want to know where they are.”
I walked down the stairs and flung the door open. Man, that guy could get my blood boiling. In the bad way. “Do you seriously think that I wouldn’t know better than to cut your hydrangeas? Besides, I have three bushes in my own backyard.”
Jack appeared at the door and clapped Mr. Solomon on the back. That infernal dog barked.
“Another day, another grievance to address with the neighbor, huh, Mr. Solomon?” Jack said.
I couldn’t help but smile.
Frank wagged his finger at me. “I know you took my hydrangeas, and I’m not going to stand for this anymore. I’m having cameras installed.”
I crossed my arms. “Fine,” I said. “Then I’ll have cameras installed, too. I know you let that yippy rat relieve herself on my cucumbers, and I will sue you if I see that again.” Poor Biscuit. I felt bad again for calling her a yippy rat. She was sweet.
He glared at me. “Fine,” he said. “Maybe I’m ready to order that survey.”
“Fine,” I replied, hoping like hell that I was right and the fence was on my property. But Hal had built it for me, and if I knew him, I knew that he would have triple-checked that survey line before he installed it.
Mr. Solomon turned. Needless to say, I didn’t tell him good night.
“Well,” Jack quipped. “Our date is off to a great start.”
“Come in and have some wine,” Caroline said.
I grabbed Jack’s arm. “No, thank you. I have had enough of all of you, and we will be leaving now.”
“We’re going to be waiting up for you, young lady,” Sloane teased.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” I heard Emerson yell, as we headed down the front walk.
“So what exactly does that eliminate?” Caroline asked.
“Precisely what I was thinking,” Sloane added.
“Hey,” Emerson said. “I am a career woman now.”
As Jack slipped his arm around my waist and whispered, “Let’s take a walk on the boardwalk before we go to dinner,” I wondered if I could let him in. Just a little.
But that was what I was here to find out, wasn’t it? So, sure, we had loved each other all those years ago. And I could pinpoint moments in between. But what about now? Now was the big question.
“Tell me about the girls,” Jack said, as we walked down the wooden planks. “I hope I’ll be lucky enough to really get to know them myself one day, but in the meantime I’ll settle for your expert description.”
I smiled. Oh, those little girls. I couldn’t believe they were all grown-up. I really couldn’t believe they were all grown-up and all living under my roof.
“Caroline is a force of nature,” I said. “She has the strongest personality. She is stubborn and headstrong and a hair obnoxious.” I paused. “But she loves like crazy. Once you’re in with her, you have everything. But when you’re out, you’re out.”
“So things aren’t looking good for poor James, then, huh?”
I looked out over the dark water, the mast lights of the sailboats shining like stars fallen closer to earth. “For one, James brought this on himself. For two, he knows how unyielding his wife can be. I don’t know why he would dare to think that she would have him back after what he did.” I paused. “He doesn’t deserve her. He never has.”
“I think Caroline is the easiest to figure out,” Jack said. “She seems very authentic, like you always know where you stand.” He squeezed the top of my arm. “Reminds me of someone else I know.”
I almost protested. How could he possibly think I was like Caroline? She was so loud and opinionated. But I guessed I was highly opinionated, too. Just more Southern about my delivery of those opinions. There’s that old saying that the people you have the most trouble with are the ones who are most like yourself. So maybe it was true. Maybe Caroline and I were alike. I certainly couldn’t see Sloane arguing with her elderly neighbor over four hydrangeas.