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“She’s been pestering me about doing events here for years,” Valerie admitted, smiling at Esme.
“We have to put something together by the end of the summer,” Rebecca urged Valerie, and Valerie nodded even though they all knew it was a losing game. Even if Rebecca concocted a gorgeous fundraising event for the Sutton Book Club, no amount of money was truly sustainable. The state no longer provided; the world didn’t care about books anymore. It was probably better to close the Sutton Book Club slowly and with dignity.
Very soon after, Ben and Doug arrived. If Rebecca wasn’t mistaken, Ben had dressed up slightly and even styled his wild hair. They strolled through the Sutton Book Club and took their usual seats at one of the long, wooden tables. Valerie set up a Bluetooth speaker to play hits from the fifties and sixties, which got Doug’s foot tapping. “I love this one,” he said, smiling mischievously.
“How’s it going?” Ben asked Rebecca as she floated out of the hot kitchen.
“Not bad!” Rebecca placed her hands on her hips. “We have quite a feast back there.”
“You’re too good to us.” Ben’s eyes glinted. “And you have to come by to see the work Victor’s done on the house.”
Esme’s smile waned. “Victor was always such a handyman. I think he could have been happy working as a carpenter, but his parents were very hard on him. The Suttons were quite rich on the island, and they needed their boys to go into something prominent.”
“Well, Victor Sutton certainly has made a name for himself,” Doug said.
“An infamous name,” Valerie said under her breath.
“Oh!’ Rebecca snapped her fingers, remembering. “Mom set to work on drying out the old German books.”
“I dried them out in front of fans yesterday,” Esme explained. “And then placed some large paperweights on them this morning. I want them to sit for a good week before touching them.”
“What a process,” Ben said. “We can’t thank you enough.”
Doug was misty-eyed. He kept his lips shut as though he didn’t want to acknowledge how much it meant. Rebecca knew he was ashamed for having allowed the books to fall apart like that in the first place.
It had occurred to Rebecca to look up what each book was worth, but she’d decided against it. Since the books were unusable, it was better not to know.
The rest of the veterans arrived by seven. The remaining Suttons and the veterans in the area sat at the two long tables, piled their plates with food, drank soda, coffee, and tea, and exchanged stories and laughed. One veteran asked Esme, “Two dinners in a week? Why did we get so lucky?” And Esme answered, “My daughter wants to cook for as many people as she can. It’s a blessing and a curse for my waistline.”
When they finished the dinner, Rebecca carried a stack of plates into the kitchen. Ben followed her with an even larger stack when she turned back. His smile was playful and endearing.
“You know, you should really open a restaurant,” Ben said. “Nantucket could use your talents, and I could use a job washing dishes.” He winked to make sure she knew he was joking. Still, Esme had explained to Rebecca how difficult it was for Ben to hold down a job.
“I used to have my own restaurant,” Rebecca said, surprising herself. “But we had to close down.”
“That’s a surprise,” Ben said. “I mean, it must have been crowded every night!”
“It was.” Rebecca couldn’t control herself. “But my husband died in January, and since then, it’s just felt too painful to be there. I tried one night in May, but I completely fell apart.” Relief flooded her. It felt wonderful to tell her story to someone who hadn’t known her before this.
Ben’s face fell. Before she knew what had happened, she found her face against his chest and his arms around her. Nothing about it was romantic. There was just the warmth of his body and the firm beating of his heart. They were two broken people struggling to go forward.
Suddenly, from the main room came the sound of Esme’s voice. The rest of the veterans quieted. Rebecca lifted her head from Ben’s chest and listened intently.
“Thank you for coming tonight,” Esme began. “I can’t begin to describe how much the Veterans’ Dinner has meant to me over the years. As you know, my father was a veteran of World War II, and the men and women who served and continue to serve this country were very near and dear to his heart. Nobody quite understands the sacrifices you’ve made. And it’s been my privilege to know you over the last several decades.”
Rebecca lifted her eyes to find Ben’s. Again, the tremendous pain within them struck her. What had he seen? What couldn’t she ever understand about him?
Rebecca and Ben stepped toward the door that separated the kitchen from the rest of the Sutton Book Club. From the doorway, they watched as Esme continued her speech.
“This Veterans’ Dinner is very special for me,” Esme continued, “because all three of my daughters are here. Rebecca’s in from Bar Harbor, Bethany’s in from Savannah, and Valerie’s in from San Francisco. As many of you know, my family hasn’t had it easy. I don’t suppose we’ve been very kind to one another all the time, either. But these days, we’re doing our best to move forward with empathy and love. And that’s something I’m grateful for.” Esme placed her hand over her heart and locked eyes with each of her daughters.
Rebecca nearly collapsed with sorrow.
“The next thing I’m going to say is something of a surprise,” Esme said. “I’m afraid that the Sutton Book Club itself is under tremendous pressure. There is a possibility we won’t survive past the end of the summer.”
The veterans in the room looked panicked and shocked. They eyed one another, incredulous. An older man raised his hand and asked, “Hasn’t the state been providing for you? Aren’t you a public service?”
Esme shook her head. “The state funds are no longer approved for the Sutton Book Club. It’s anyone’s guess why they were taken. Personally, I feel that community centers like this are no longer regarded as important, not when things like sports exist. It’s not that I’m against sports. It’s just that I think reading is the closest thing we have to magic, and I can’t understand why parents and our government don’t push our children toward books and libraries.” Her eyes glinted with tears. “I’m sorry. I’ve done what I can here at the Sutton Book Club. I hope we can have a wonderful summer together. And then, whatever will be, will be.”
