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Maude smiles when I pour her a glass. “Well, we heard you were going to spend the holiday with us! We had to come by and see you, of course!”
I freeze, the water in the jug sloshing slightly. “Oh. Right. Um…”
“Desmond is a good man,” Arthur shouts at me, using his liver-spotted hand to pat mine. “We’re happy he found you.”
“He doesn’t open up very easily, our grandson,” Maude says fondly. “He’s like his late father that way. Al was always on his own, keeping to himself. But out of the three kids, he was the one who felt the most deeply.” She smiles sadly and touches her chest. “We’re so, so happy to know that Desmond has found someone who understands him.”
Sliding into a chair, I try to hide the trembling in my hands by clasping them together. “Look, about Thanksgiving…” I hesitate.
These two are absolute sweethearts. They’ve been ripped off by their property manager for years. They’re old and Arthur is in failing health. They basically gave me my life back when Bailey was born, allowing me to get on my feet and start a business.
It’ll break their hearts if I cancel Thanksgiving.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” Maude says decisively, sipping her water. “Desmond told you about the race, I gather?”
I let out a surprised chuckle. A part of me still didn’t believe about the three-legged race until this very moment. “He did,” I say, “but—”
“It’s just a bit of fun. I know he wants to beat Vince this year, but honestly, who wouldn’t? With the way Vince struts around like a peacock with his feathers out, it’s a wonder he hasn’t been put in his place yet.”
Another surprised laugh falls from my lips. “Right. Desmond mentioned that Vince and he had some sort of rivalry.”
“Vince has been spoiled since the day he was born,” Maude states, rolling her eyes. “I love my daughter Wendy, but she did that boy a disservice. Coddled him far too much, and now look.”
“Does she know about the race?” Arthur shouts, leaning toward his wife.
Maude smiles at her husband, nodding. “Yes, darling.”
“Good,” Arthur says. He meets my gaze, his eyes clear and surprisingly fierce. “You win that race with Des this year, Mia. I’d like to see my grandson smile again.”
“Hush,” Maude says quietly. “You’ll scare her away.” She squeezes her husband’s arm, then makes to get up. We both help Arthur out of his chair, and I walk them back to their car, which is parked outside the back door. Maude can still drive, but I know she doesn’t drive at night.
I glance at the purple sky as I help Arthur into the passenger seat. “Would you like me to drive, Maude? It’s getting dark out.”
Maude straightens, then wraps me up in her arms with surprising force. “You’re such a dear, Mia. I’m so, so pleased that you and Desmond are together. Yes, I’ll let you drive us back. And Desmond will drive you home.”
“No, that won’t be necessary—”
Her phone is already at her ear. “Des, honey, it’s me. Yes, yes, everything’s fine. Mia is driving us home, so can you come by to pick her up and bring her back? Great. Yes, ten minutes is fine. Okay. You too, honey.” She hangs up and beams at me. “Let’s go!”
Ten minutes later,I’m lingering in their foyer when Maude returns from getting her husband settled in his armchair. She finds me looking at family pictures in the hallway. Hobbling over, Maude smiles at the photo I’m staring at and points to a young Des, probably twelve or thirteen years old and as brooding as ever. “You recognized him, of course.”
“I’d know that solemn expression anywhere.”
Maude laughs and pats my arm. “He’s been smiling a lot more now that he’s with you. Arthur and I have been wondering what’s put him in such a good mood.”
I frown. I’ve been experiencing Desmond in agoodmood? And why does Maude think this has anything to do with me?
She tugs me over to an older photo. Two parents hold a child. They have huge, backcombed hair and sweaters that scream the early 1980s. The man is wearing humongous glasses to frame his dark eyes.
“Is that Des with his parents?”
Maude smiles sadly. “They loved him so much. Al and Lorelai loved each other more than any couple I’ve met before or since. Completely devoted to each other, and when Des came into the world, you could just sense the happiness pouring off of them.” She touches the frame, letting out a soft huff. “My eldest grandson was such a happy baby. So giggly and always curious—and he turned into such a serious man.” She drops her hand from the frame, shaking her head. “I wanted to take him in after Al and Lorelai left us, but we’d just moved to Heart’s Cove, and Wendy—my daughter—had just married her husband Eric. He came from a family that claimed to be ‘comfortable,’ which really just means ‘wealthy.’ They had that big house on the mountain, and we thought it would be best if Des could stay at his same school with all his friends. We wanted to keep things as steady as possible for him, but sometimes I think…” She snorts and shakes her head. “Oh well. That’s all in the past, now.”
“How did they die?”
“Car accident. They hit a patch of black ice and ran into a tree. Killed instantly, which was supposed to be comforting, somehow, based on how everyone kept repeating it. Desmond was at school. I’ll never forget the look on his face when I finally made it back to Lovers’ Peak. He was just sitting on the sofa in Wendy’s living room, staring at the rug, not moving. The grandson I knew was gone.” She clicks her tongue and wipes her eyes. “No sense going over sad, old memories right now. You’re here, and he obviously adores you.”
My throat grows tight. This is too much. She’s reading into our relationship and seeing things that aren’t there.
