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“Thank you, Rene. Life is full of complications.” Her anxiety level was on the rise, worried that the brother-sister connection would be the next topic of conversation. Then, salvation.
“Oh, look! There’s Cara with the boys.”
An impromptu party ended up on the beach, with everyone dragging down their beach chairs. Dan and Ryan got Lisa’s cabana up so they’d have a place to hide from the sun. It wasn’t until later, when the sun began to go down, that Rene realized all of the women at the gathering had at one time been Dan’s lover.
Chapter 9
Approaching autumn in New York meant more surfing and beachcombing opportunities with fewer tourists, wonderful restaurants locals could finally enjoy, antiquing, apple picking, cider mills and more. But for Pam, facing the end of summer, a sense of dread permeated the air. Alone, she had passed a milestone, an entire summer without a man.
Pam couldn’t believe the year was going by so quickly; on her hands and knees in the front yard, pulling up spent annuals that should still be blooming and trimming back perennials that had seen better days meant summer was over already. How was that possible?
“Why don’t you get the gardener to do that?” Hocus asked, standing over her.
“He doesn’t know a dead plant from a dormant plant. It’s okay. I’ll get some aggression out this way.”
Hocus squatted down next to her and pulled out a wizened zinnia. “Why are you feeling aggressive?”
Shaking her head, Pam had to fight back tears. “Remember when I said I was going to try going it alone? Well, it’s not like I have an option to do anything else. This might be the longest I’ve been alone since Jack died. An entire summer.”
“You seem to be doing okay though. I see you every day, and you’re busy with Ryan, planning things and giving away your money. I’m really impressed with that.”
“Oh, Hocus, don’t be. Jack and Randy did so much more. Ryan said he feels like he has to use the jaws of life on me to part with a dime.”
Hocus howled out a laugh. “I never got that feeling from you at all. You’re so generous.”
“With friends and family, but I want some control when I give it to strangers.”
“That seems reasonable. I’ve never had any money to give, so I wouldn’t know.”
“How are things with Damon? I might as well think about your love life since I don’t have one.”
“Damon is great. He’s kind and gentle. He’s a driver, so not exactly a go-getter. But that’s okay because neither am I. He’s open to spiritual things, so I can talk to him freely. So many American men are afraid of the spiritual because they think they’ll go to hell.
“Also, the idea that neither of us have been married is a big deal. We don’t have any baggage, no kids, no ex-spouses. It’s a rarity.”
Gathering the courage to ask about Dan, Pam missed him, her friend and confidant. He was busy with a new relationship. They’d run into each other at the gym and on the beach, and the meetings always evoked powerful feelings of loss that were troubling. Why did Dan have such a hold on her?
“Have you heard anything about Dan and Rene?” Pam finally asked. “Since you are in touch with the nannies, I thought maybe they’d made an observation or two.”
“Daniela said that Rene’s keeping a low profile with the kids. She lets Dan do the work. I guess that’s smart. She doesn’t want to be his babysitter. But the funny thing is that they are evidently the most boring couple in town.”
“What does that mean?” Pam asked, her interest piqued.
“They never go out. Daniela said Dan is over at Lisa and Ryan’s almost nightly to see the boys.”
“Hmmm.”
After being together all summer, Dan and Rene had settled into a routine, and Rene loved it, but Dan had confided in Ryan that he felt like a zombie and didn’t know how to extricate himself from it. She worked her three twelve-hour shifts a week, and Dan worked Monday through Friday like any good lawyer.
Friday night was their date night unless she had to work. Saturday revolved around the children; they took the boys to the farm and had dinner with Dan’s family. Sunday was spent on the beach, and the community of friends that revolved around Pam gathered, but she was rarely there.
“I wonder if they’ll make it permanent,” Pam said, a little sadness creeping in.
“It looks like they are ready to let it run its course. I imagine if she wants to have a kid, they might get married, but she’s pushing forty. It might be too late.”
“How sad,” Pam said, not sad at all. The thought of Dan and Rene having a family together seemed a little too solidified.
Pam and Dan hadn’t had a coffee date since Rene had moved into Dan’s house. It felt final, so she dealt with it that way. She wasn’t going to pretend he was her dear friend any longer because he’d dropped her as soon as he found someone else. It was so Dan, so typical. But she knew he was trying to make a go of it. Trying to be faithful.
