Читать книгу The Good Mother - Shelley Galloway - Страница 9

“Watch your toes!” Evie cried to Missy as the toddler pulled herself up onto a big rock and scrunched her tiny toes in the powder-soft sand next to Evie’s towel and umbrella on the edge of Cascade Beach. “The sand’s hot!”

“Hop,” Missy mumbled, squishing her toes again in the sand before plopping down on her bottom.

Evie rolled to one side and watched her baby girl giggle as she scooped up a handful of sand and looked at it in her palm before letting it flow through her fingers. “Oh, Missy. You bring me joy.”

“She’d bring anyone joy,” Tanya said from her left. “Missy is such a sweetheart.”

Evie couldn’t deny it. From the moment Missy had been born, she was Jenna’s polar opposite. Easygoing, sleepy at night, happy with life. Evie could only imagine what life would have been like with two Jennas. Most likely, she’d have white hair and be talking with a stutter. “I’m lucky.”

“You are that. You have two adorable girls while I’m still trying to find Mr. Right.”

Thinking about John, Evie now knew there was a whole lot more to people than labels. “‘Mr. Right’ isn’t as easy to find as you might think. Actually, ‘Mr. Right’ might not even exist.”

Tanya’s shoulders slumped. “I suppose not. But, still…”

“But still…I know.” Evie knew what Tanya meant. It would be nice to find someone who was as good as his first impression. Someone who lived up to expectations.

As Tanya stretched out her legs on the beach towel, she smiled at Missy and her handful of sand. “She’s so adorable, she makes me want to have a baby.”

“Be careful what you wish for. Missy’s a good girl, but she had me up for almost two days straight when she was getting her front teeth. You may like sleeping.”

“I hadn’t thought about that.”

“I have a feeling there’s a lot about raising a kid that you might not have thought about,” Evie said with a smile.

“Maybe so.” Tanya chuckled. “I do like eating adult food…not things with cartoons on their containers.” As she picked up a bag of fruit snacks, she shook her head. “I can’t believe you eat these.”

“I don’t, Jenna does.” Well, Evie had been known to eat through a whole box when there was nothing else in the house. “And speaking of Jenna, I hope she’s not driving my mom batty at the grocery store.”

Tanya winked. “I bet she’s only asking for one thing in each aisle.”

“You do know my daughter.”

“I learned a thing or two from my visits to Texas over the years.”

Tanya had visited her and John at least one weekend a year from the time they’d both graduated college. Every time, their friendship had seemed to pick up exactly where it had left off. Consequently, Tanya had been the only person who hadn’t been surprised when Evie announced her separation.

Laughing, Evie said, “If my mom only has to deal with food requests, she’s getting off pretty easily.”

Still rummaging in the beach bag, Tanya pulled out a box of Goldfish. “Now these, I like.”

“You’d look at them as a gourmet treat in no time,” Evie commented. “You’d have a good feeling about juice boxes, too.”

“I would if I could add a shot of vodka on occasion. Hey, speaking of drinks, we’re probably due for something cold and wet, too.” Tanya popped open the cooler she’d brought from home. “I’ve got Diet Coke or iced tea. Which one?”

“Sweet tea?”

Tanya looked properly horrified. “Is there any other?”

Evie smiled at their old joke. “Tea, then, please.”

Tanya unscrewed the top of a large glass jar, poured out two cupfuls, added some ice out of a plastic baggie, and handed the cup to Evie, who smiled appreciatively. “You are a sweet tea genius.”

In a ridiculous Elvis impersonation, Tanya bowed. “Thank you, thank you very much.” After closing the cooler, Tanya sat down next to Evie. “So, you’ve been here two days. Are you relaxing yet?”

“Getting there. My body’s going through shock, I think, from getting so much rest and relaxation.” Not wanting to discuss her health with one more person, she sipped her tea and turned the tables. “What’s new with you?”

After handing Missy a juice box, Tanya shrugged. “Not much. I’ve moved next to my mother and teach ballet at her old studio.”

“Do you like that? You always had dreams of going to New York.”

Tanya smiled. “I think every dancer has that dream. To answer your question, I do like it, but I don’t love it. I’m not the teacher my mother was.”

“You might be.”

“I’m not. My mother was a born instructor—I wanted to perform. The two are pretty different entities.” Curving her legs underneath her, Tanya said, “I’m having to learn a lot about patience.”

The confession made Evie realize that they’d all given up some dreams at one time or another. Obviously, that was what growing up was all about—picking and choosing the path to take. “August told me you’re helping him, too.”

“I am…well, I work at the resort as much as August asks me to.”

“Asks you? What’s up with that? The Tanya I know takes what she wants when she wants it.”

“We both know I haven’t been that demanding in years. Besides, I’ve been trying to give August some space. He’s still trying to get over his breakup with Erin and, well, he feels a lot of responsibility for Silver Shells. It makes him grumpy at times.”

Erin. For a second, Evie thought about asking about August and Erin, but decided against it. She focused on the easier subject instead. “Grumpy, that’s hard for me to imagine.”

“Oh, he’s not mean, August just likes things how he likes them, and forgets to ask for help. But with Silver Shells doing such good business, he can use all the help he can get. Especially with Mom. She can be trying at times.”

Remembering August’s frequent glances at his mom while they were setting the table, Evie nodded. “August seems worried.”

“He is. We both are. Neither of us wants to see her go through some of the procedures my dad was subjected to.”

Thinking of Beverly’s robust laugh at the barbecue, Evie said, “I thought she looked great.”

“She does. All those years of ballet have helped her bones. But her cholesterol’s off the charts. She’s ornery, too.” Tanya shrugged. “I don’t want to bore you, but taking care of someone who doesn’t want to be taken care of gets tiring, especially now that I’ve moved next to her. Sometimes I just want to tell her to remember her age.”

That sounded like trouble. “Maybe she’ll settle down soon.”

Tanya laughed and stretched out her legs, flexing her poor, calloused toes. “Maybe she will. And maybe one day the perfect man will appear out of the surf and take me away.”

After righting Missy’s lopsided juice box, Evie scanned the horizon. “I’ll be on the lookout.”

“Believe me, he hasn’t had the nerve to come around yet. I’m kind of ornery myself.” After a moment, Tanya said, “I’m kind of surprised you aren’t.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“After everything you’ve been through, you don’t seem bitter or angry.”

“That’s because I’m not. Just tired,” Evie replied, telling the truth. All she wanted to do was sleep and sit on the beach and watch the tide come in and out.

“Luckily, you have someone lying in wait.”

Evie glanced at the horizon again. “You’re completely confused, T.”

“Stop. You know who I’m talking about.” Tanya batted her eyes at Evie. “I mean my brother would love to be your knight in shining armor, and I bet you might just let him be that again.”

“Again?” As close as they were, August was the one subject Evie never discussed with her friend. Just how much did Tanya know about their past?

“Yes, again.”

For a split second, Evie recalled their frantic phone calls when her period had been late and his vows that he’d take care of her.

The sinking feeling she’d had, not wanting to be taken care of. The relief when she’d called him and told him that everything was fine and there would be no need to plan futures again…or, at least not for four more years.

“There’s something, Evie. August doesn’t just pop over to your parents’ house for breakfast any day of the week.”

Evie bit back a wave of irritation. Suddenly everyone around her was expecting she and August to take up from where they’d left off. “I don’t know why August came over.”

Tanya kept talking. “There always was something special between the two of you. Could be again.”

“No chance. I can hardly take care of myself and the girls. I couldn’t take care of a boyfriend, too.”

“I don’t think August is going to want to be taken care of. Probably the opposite. If I know him, he’s going to want to take care of you.”

“Then that worries me, too. I never want to feel obligated to a man ever again.”

Tanya curved her arms around her bent knees. “Maybe you should, just a little. I always thought you were a little too standoffish around John.”

Evie stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She kept her gaze on Missy, who was using a beach chair to pull herself up.

“Sure, you do. Remember when I came out to visit when Jenna was two and you had a cold?”

Evie remembered. John had wanted her to go to the doctor and get a strep test. She’d pretty much told him to mind his own business. Tanya had had trouble keeping her mouth shut.

“I don’t want anyone taking care of me. Besides, August lives here and I’m in Texas. Getting involved in a long-distance relationship would be a pretty dumb move on my part, if I was looking to get into a relationship.” Which she wasn’t.

“I suppose.”

Suddenly, Missy tumbled and fell, taking in a mouthful of sand. Spitting and crying, she rubbed her mouth and eyes, which of course got more sand and salt in them. Then the wailing began.

Hastily, Evie wiped down the baby’s face while Tanya searched through the humongous straw tote for baby wipes. Still Missy cried on.

“Uh-oh,” Tanya said, her face filled with panic. “What does she need?”

“To get cleaned off,” Evie said around Missy’s crying body, which had attached itself to her chest and neck like a giant starfish. “Get me some bottled water, please.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

After Evie got a bottle of Aquafina and practically drenched Missy’s face, the tears finally started to subside.

When she was sure she’d gotten all the sand out of Missy’s eyes she held her daughter close and murmured, “Poor Missy. I’m so sorry that happened.”

Missy’s thumb popped in her mouth in record time, her eyes slowly drifting shut. Now that the mini-crisis was over, Evie leaned back against the canvas chair, breathing a sigh of relief. “I think we’re all better now.”

“Barely all better. That scared the life out of me. I think I need a drink.” Tanya opened her cooler again, so quickly that Evie couldn’t figure out if she was teasing or not. “Maybe I have some beer in here.”

“It’s eleven in the morning! You don’t need a drink, you just need to breathe deep.”

“Breathing’s not working.”

“It will. This wasn’t a disaster.” Evie couldn’t hide the amusement in her voice. If Tanya could have seen her and the girls when she’d slit her hand open slicing a tomato and both girls in hysterics at the sight of all the blood, she’d know what a real state of emergency was.

“I can’t believe you were so calm,” Tanya continued. “I was freaking out.”

“That’s because you don’t have any kids.”

“Now I know why. I’m taking back everything I said about wanting a baby.”

Though Missy was now sleeping soundly, Evie wasn’t in a hurry to set her down. Instead, she shifted Missy and made sure she was protected by the umbrella’s shade before relaxing. “You’ll get used to it.”

“I suppose.”

Though outwardly calm, inside Evie could privately admit to being a little shaken up, too. For a moment, she hadn’t been able to remember where the bottled water and clean towels were and had been frustrated when Tanya simply stared at her instead of acting quickly.

Closing her eyes, she rolled her head and tried to loosen the knot that had formed along the base of her neck. Tried to pretend that she didn’t mind all the responsibility. Tried to relax. Once again, it was easier said than done.