flat as it had been the
last time she checked, about an hour ago.
She wanted to look great for Shawn when she met him at the Stone
Pony later. He wasn’t the best looking guy she had ever dated, but
there was something about him that really appealed to her. Shawn had
the sweetest way about him. He actually listened when she talked—not
like other guys, who were more concerned with what they had to say than what was on her mind. Carly
really liked Shawn, and she could tell he felt the same about her.
Another thing she appreciated about Shawn was the fact that he
didn’t make her uncomfortable. He didn’t leer at her, making her feel
so uneasy. Not the way Mr. Richey had when she’d arrived tonight.
The only thing that bothered her about Shawn was the fact that he
hadn’t looked for Leslie Patterson. Just because they’d broken up
didn’t mean he shouldn’t be concerned about what happened to his old
girlfriend.
Going back to the front of the tent, Carly curled up in the wicker
chair and opened the new issue of InStyle
. She was engrossed in the pictures of Cameron Diaz’s lean legs
when she heard the screen door creak.
“It’s me, Carly.” Helen Richey whispered the announcement as she
tiptoed into the tent. “We’re home.”
The mother went directly to look at her sleeping girls. “How were
they?” she asked softly as she gently pulled the thumb from her younger
child’s mouth.
“Fine. They were great, Mrs. Richey. We played a couple of rounds of
Candy Land, and then they actually asked to go to bed.” Carly looked at
the screen door again. “Where’s Mr. Richey?”
“He’s looking for a parking space. He dropped me off.” Helen
continued tucking in the cotton blankets on the bunk beds.
Carly began to gather up her paraphernalia. “Okay, Mrs. Richey. I
guess I’ll be going then. Call me again whenever you need me.”
“Oh no, Carly.” Helen straightened up from her bent position and
went to open her purse. “You have to wait for Jonathan. I want him to
walk you home.” She pressed the folded bills into Carly’s hand. “Thank
you so much,” she said.
The thought of walking alone with Mr. Richey creeped Carly out.
“That’s okay, Mrs. Richey. Really. It’s such a short walk. I’m fine
going by myself.”
Before Helen Richey could utter another word, the babysitter bolted
out of the tent.
Jonathan found a place to park right around the corner from the
tent, but he took his time getting out of the car. He was in no rush. The thought of going back to the tent
made him claustrophobic.
He stared out the windshield trying to summon up his resolve. He was
going to break the news to Helen tomorrow. This would absolutely be the
last summer vacation he would spend in the tent. If his wife wanted all
of them to be together next year, they should spend this week looking
for a real house down here.
He opened the car door and got out but decided not to go to the
trunk and get the portable TV. There would be time enough tomorrow to
have a fight. No sense having one tonight—not that they could have
anyway, considering how everyone lived cheek by jowl in these damned
tents.
As he was about to come to the corner to make the turn onto Bath
Avenue, he saw a figure sprint across the street in the moonlight. It
was Carly, her blond hair flowing behind her. He had forgotten he was
supposed to walk her home. It would have been nice to have a little
harmless fantasy, getting to spend a few minutes alone with her.
Jonathan was about to call out to her but thought better of it.
Instead he just followed her.
CHAPTER
19
The bath didn’t help. Neither did the cup of herbal tea. Diane just
couldn’t fall asleep. She lay alone in the darkness and wished that
tonight, more than any night since he’d gone, Philip was lying beside
her.
She turned over and pulled the pillow from his side of the bed,
holding it close.
Visions spun through Diane’s mind, things she hadn’t thought much of
when
last time she checked, about an hour ago.
She wanted to look great for Shawn when she met him at the Stone
Pony later. He wasn’t the best looking guy she had ever dated, but
there was something about him that really appealed to her. Shawn had
the sweetest way about him. He actually listened when she talked—not
like other guys, who were more concerned with what they had to say than what was on her mind. Carly
really liked Shawn, and she could tell he felt the same about her.
Another thing she appreciated about Shawn was the fact that he
didn’t make her uncomfortable. He didn’t leer at her, making her feel
so uneasy. Not the way Mr. Richey had when she’d arrived tonight.
The only thing that bothered her about Shawn was the fact that he
hadn’t looked for Leslie Patterson. Just because they’d broken up
didn’t mean he shouldn’t be concerned about what happened to his old
girlfriend.
Going back to the front of the tent, Carly curled up in the wicker
chair and opened the new issue of InStyle
. She was engrossed in the pictures of Cameron Diaz’s lean legs
when she heard the screen door creak.
“It’s me, Carly.” Helen Richey whispered the announcement as she
tiptoed into the tent. “We’re home.”
The mother went directly to look at her sleeping girls. “How were
they?” she asked softly as she gently pulled the thumb from her younger
child’s mouth.
“Fine. They were great, Mrs. Richey. We played a couple of rounds of
Candy Land, and then they actually asked to go to bed.” Carly looked at
the screen door again. “Where’s Mr. Richey?”
“He’s looking for a parking space. He dropped me off.” Helen
continued tucking in the cotton blankets on the bunk beds.
Carly began to gather up her paraphernalia. “Okay, Mrs. Richey. I
guess I’ll be going then. Call me again whenever you need me.”
“Oh no, Carly.” Helen straightened up from her bent position and
went to open her purse. “You have to wait for Jonathan. I want him to
walk you home.” She pressed the folded bills into Carly’s hand. “Thank
you so much,” she said.
The thought of walking alone with Mr. Richey creeped Carly out.
“That’s okay, Mrs. Richey. Really. It’s such a short walk. I’m fine
going by myself.”
Before Helen Richey could utter another word, the babysitter bolted
out of the tent.
Jonathan found a place to park right around the corner from the
tent, but he took his time getting out of the car. He was in no rush. The thought of going back to the tent
made him claustrophobic.
He stared out the windshield trying to summon up his resolve. He was
going to break the news to Helen tomorrow. This would absolutely be the
last summer vacation he would spend in the tent. If his wife wanted all
of them to be together next year, they should spend this week looking
for a real house down here.
He opened the car door and got out but decided not to go to the
trunk and get the portable TV. There would be time enough tomorrow to
have a fight. No sense having one tonight—not that they could have
anyway, considering how everyone lived cheek by jowl in these damned
tents.
As he was about to come to the corner to make the turn onto Bath
Avenue, he saw a figure sprint across the street in the moonlight. It
was Carly, her blond hair flowing behind her. He had forgotten he was
supposed to walk her home. It would have been nice to have a little
harmless fantasy, getting to spend a few minutes alone with her.
Jonathan was about to call out to her but thought better of it.
Instead he just followed her.
CHAPTER
19
The bath didn’t help. Neither did the cup of herbal tea. Diane just
couldn’t fall asleep. She lay alone in the darkness and wished that
tonight, more than any night since he’d gone, Philip was lying beside
her.
She turned over and pulled the pillow from his side of the bed,
holding it close.
Visions spun through Diane’s mind, things she hadn’t thought much of
when
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