Page 6 of Lost Dreams

Lorelei laughed gently. “Where’s Janie?”

Alexander pointed across the wide green lawn at his wife, who stood with Conor, Gwen, and Xander, eating appetizers and chatting. Gwen was wearing an arm cast already covered in designs made by members of the Whitmore family.

“Roberto is a brilliant chef, sis,” Alexander said now, reaching for another parmesan-and-oregano-covered appetizer. “It’s a little taste of Italy right here in Nantucket. You said he went to culinary school?”

“All over the world,” she said. “Tokyo. London. New York.” She felt a swell of pride, which surprised her. It had been ages since she’d felt anything but fear and reticence about her husband. She hated to admit that. “I’d better check on him, actually. I’ll catch you later?”

Lorelei made her way past Allegra and Tatiana, smiling hello, before moving past the pool. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Aurora, who seemed deep in conversation with the two men who worked in the stables. Lorelei knew that Oren and Kenny had been instrumental in making sure Gwen’s pain was minimal, and it had been Oren, Kenny, and Aurora who’d ultimately driven Gwen to the hospital, where they’d met Janie and Alexander.

By the looks of things, Aurora had already captivated both Oren and Kenny. Oren was more garrulous, moving his arms around as he spoke, while Kenny hung back, looking a little moodier, a little less convinced of the situation.

It had been ages since Aurora had had a proper boyfriend, Lorelei knew. Lorelei knew Aurora deserved love, that she was a beautiful, free-spirited human who could make someone’s life complex, interesting and happy. But Lorelei knew, too, that Aurora’s past would make it difficult for Aurora to find true and everlasting love with someone.

Lorelei felt a spasm of regret. They should have forced her into therapy after everything that happened. They should have explained to her how incredibly important her feelings were.

As it happened, all they’d done was help her get into business school.

Lorelei was no longer sure that had been the right move. In fact, it seemed increasingly clear that it wasn’t. But Roberto had sounded so certain. “She needs solid ground. She needs a plan.”

All Lorelei knew for sure was that she’d spent the majority of her parenting life worrying about Aurora. For whatever reason, Pino and Nadia were easier. They didn’t make messes. They moved through the world with ease.

What Lorelei would never admit, of course, was that Aurora reminded her far more of herself than either of her other children. She wondered if Roberto sensed that, too.

In the kitchen, she found Roberto and a team of sous chefs, making platter after platter of appetizers and boiling pounds of pasta, all in preparation for tonight’s dinner. Roberto was red-faced and sweating, and he frequently barked a mix of Italian and English orders across the room, despite the sous chefs being American. Lorelei hesitated, wondering if she should bother him at all. But before she could leave the kitchen, he spotted her and came over.

“Ciao,” he said, pulling his fingers through his sweaty hair. “Shoot,” he muttered, because now he would have to wash his hands yet again. “How are you? How are people responding to the food?”

“Everyone adores it,” Lorelei said. She was sensitive to his feelings and knew she had to say the right thing.

“But specifically,” Roberto asked. “What are they saying specifically?”

Lorelei knew that saying everyone thought the food was “delicious” wouldn’t cut it. So, she spent a bit of time telling him that her mother loved the spices he used, that Alexander had loved the textures, that her father had said the sauce was “exquisite and sophisticated.” She used enough superb language to calm Roberto until he seemed recharged and ready for a few more hours in the kitchen. But throughout her descriptions, Roberto’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Texts kept pinging in.

“Do you need to take care of something?” she asked finally, annoyed.

Roberto grunted and turned his phone on silent. “It’s just restaurant stuff back home,” he explained.

Lorelei’s heart pumped with what felt like doubt. This had been happening frequently lately. Roberto seemed unwilling to answer the texts and calls he got when Lorelei was around. It felt like he was hiding something.

She knew she needed to give him the benefit of the doubt.

She knew that was what a good wife would do.

She rose on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips, then whispered, “Good luck.” She turned on her heel and left the sweltering kitchen, returning to the pastel lights of the early evening. Just as soon as she’d filled her lungs, she nearly ran headfirst into Jack, her little brother, the one who’d been missing, the one who’d called himself Seth Green.

Jack wore a sloppy, happy smile. Aurora guessed that he was thrilled not to be living a double life anymore. Often, she wanted to pester him for details about his past, about the difficulties of hiding everything from his wife. Now, she wondered what Jack would say about Roberto’s strange and secretive phone calls and texts. Would Jack say that Roberto had a double life, too?

“Happy opening party!” Lorelei said, hating how stringlike her voice sounded.

Jack raised his beer bottle. “Can’t believe it.”

“I hope you won’t go missing after this one wraps up?” Lorelei said, immediately hating herself after saying it. She was on edge.

But Jack took it in stride. “I think we’re in the clear,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere. The kids and Addison love Nantucket. I’ll probably grow old and gray here.” He sipped his beer, then added, “I guess there’s no use in trying to get you and Roberto to move over here?”

“We have three restaurants to take care of,” Lorelei said, her stomach twisting. It was true that she’d fantasized about living part-time in Nantucket, if only to reconnect more with her family. There were so many wounds to mend. It was like they’d gotten a second shot.

“I’d love to get over there and see them,” Jack said. “I hope you’ll tell Roberto how much I love this food. Almost as good as Mama’s.”