“And he has no idea how you really feel?”
“He’s a man. They never know how we really feel, do they?”
“Girl, you’ll get no argument from me there.” Des flashed a smile at her. “Only, Spence claims he’s mad about someone in New York.”
“Who, Natalie? She’s nothing. A brief infatuation. That’ll blow over. Believe me, there’s only one woman in this world for Spence, and you’re looking at her. When he called me to say that the studio was sending him up here for Ada’s tribute, I was ecstatic. We hadn’t seen each other since last summer and I’ve really, really missed him.”
“Last summer?”
“Well, yeah. Supposedly, he was coming out to Dorset to sail. But he ended up staying here with me for the whole week instead. Des, that was the most romantic, perfect week of my entire life.” Jory studied Des carefully from across the table. “He didn’t mention it to you?”
“No, he didn’t,” Des replied, wondering why Spence had purposely downplayed how deep into Jory he was. Not that she’d expected him to tell her the whole truth. No one ever actually did that. Still, this was an awfully choice morsel to omit from the telling.
“He stayed here with me for a whole week.” Jory sounded tremendously hurt now. It bothered her that Spence had neglected to mention their idyllic interlude. “Every morning we woke up in each other’s arms.”
“How did you manage to pull that off? Without Norma getting hip to it, I mean.”
“He slept out in the cottage with me. Norma hadn’t a clue. No one did.”
As Des thought this through for a moment, she realized that there could actually be no doubt in Spence’s mind that Jase knew all about him and Jory. Jase did share that cottage with Jory, after all. Again, Spence had been less than straight with her. Why? “How does Jase feel about him?”
“Who, Spence? He’s fine about him. He always worries, naturally.”
“About what?”
“Losing me. Not that he has any earthly reason to worry. I’ve told him a million times that no matter who I marry he’ll always have a home with us. Jase knows that. It’s written in stone. Still, he worries. Do you have a brother or sister?”
“I’m an only child.”
“Well, then it’s hard to explain. But there’s a bond between Jase and me, a blood thing. And that bond can never, ever be broken.” Jory stirred herself and transferred the sandwiches from the cutting board to the platter. “I’d better deliver these. Spence seemed awfully hungry.”
“Sure. I just have one more question.”
“Absolutely. What is it?”
Des polished off the last of her own sandwich, leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath before she said, “Who slipped the digoxin into Norma’s cocoa-was it Les or was it you?”
CHAPTER 15
“Eight ball in the side pocket,” Mitch announced as he proceeded to sink it. “That’s game.”
“Yet again,” Aaron grumbled sourly. “This means I must owe you… how much do I owe you now?”
“Well, you’d climbed your way up to a hundred sixty dollars. Double or nothing makes it three hundred twenty, unless my basic math skills went out the window when I got whacked on the head.” Actually, he felt fine, aside from the steady ache. “Mind you, that’s only if we’re playing for real money.”
“Oh, we are,” Aaron assured him, shooting a nervous glance over at Carly and Hannah, who were seated in charged silence together before a kerosene heater. The two women in Aaron Ackerman’s life were behaving very snappishly toward each other. Clearly, Aaron was concerned that a full-fledged bitchfest was about to break out.
Spence, seemingly unaware of the tension, sat there with them while he waited hungrily for Jory to bring out a fresh supply of sandwiches from the kitchen. Des was apparently asking her some follow-up questions while she made them. Mitch didn’t know what about. He did know that he sure could go for one or more sandwiches himself.
“I pay my honest debts,” Aaron insisted, opening his wallet.
“Whatever you say, Aaron.”
“But I’m afraid I’ll have to write you a check,” he apologized, beating a hasty retreat. “I don’t have nearly that much cash on me.”
Over at the bar, Teddy let out a mocking laugh.
“Have you got something on your mind, Teddy?” Aaron demanded.
“Hardly ever,” Teddy replied, sipping his Scotch. “And when I do it usually turns out to be a dreadful idea.”
“Therein lies the secret to your success, or lack thereof,” Aaron said unpleasantly. “How about one more game, Mitch? Double or nothing?”
“Rack ’em up.” Mitch moseyed over to the bar, where Isabella lay on her back with her paws in the air, yearning for a belly rub. Mitch complied, missing Clemmie and Quirt.
Over by the window, Jase continued to stare anxiously out at the dozens of trees that had come down. Which was all he’d been doing ever since Mitch had dragged him back in, per Des’s orders. Jase hadn’t wanted to come back in. There was much work to be done, and he’d been thrilled to be out there, doing some of it. Mitch had never seen anyone have quite so much fun plowing a parking lot before. But standing there now in his wool checked shirt, stocking cap pulled low over his eyebrows, Jase seemed caged and agitated. His right knee was jiggling.
“Your break, Mitch.” Aaron had finished racking the balls.
“Blue sky,” Jase said suddenly, hunched there at the window.
Mitch went and joined him for a look. In the western sky out beyond the Connecticut River, he could make out breaks in the clouds and actual patches of blue. At long last, the storm was passing. “We did it,” he exclaimed. “We survived.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” exulted Carly. “Maybe we can actually get out of this awful place. I want to be home”
“I’d settle for a hot shower,” Hannah said, shivering.
“What’s that?” Carly snapped at her. “What did you just say?”
“I’ve never been so cold in my whole life,” Hannah answered sharply. “I feel like every bone in my body is about to shatter. I will never be this cold again, I swear. As far as I’m concerned, this settles it.”
“Settles what?” asked Aaron, arching an eyebrow at her.
“I’m moving back to Los Angeles.”
“Oh, are you now?” Carly said, well aware that they were talking about something more than Hannah’s weather preferences.
“This is rather sudden, is it not?” Aaron was caught off guard, and flustered.
“I’m making the move.” Hannah’s voice was filled with resolve. “I’m packing my bags as fast as I can, gassing up my clunker and going.”
“What will you do for work out there?” Aaron’s own voice had taken on a rather unappealing whiny tone.
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Hannah replied. “I’ll sling beers at a bowling alley in Pacoima if I have to. Just as long as I’m warm. Anything is better than this.”
“Your mind’s objectively made up?” Aaron pressed her, as Carly glared right at him.
“All made up,” said Hannah, effectively slamming the door shut on whatever it was that the two of them had together.
“Hannah, I hope you won’t give up on your dream to make a film about Ada,” Mitch said. “You’ve got so much talent, and she’s such a great subject.”
“She’s also dead,” Hannah pointed out. “I needed on-camera face time with her, Mitch. She was the last of her generation. Her contemporaries are all dead and buried. With her gone, I have no one to put on film. Where’s my documentary?”
“Who says it has to be a documentary?”
Hannah widened her eyes at him. “I should write her life story as a bio-pic, is that what you’re saying?”
“Why not? She led one hell of a life, and it’s a great part for the right actress.”
“It’s an Oscar part, are you kidding me?” Hannah said excitedly. “Nicole Kidman could play the hell out of her, or Cate Blanchett or, God, Streep. There’s Ada young, Ada old. There’s triumph, tragedy… Wow, Mitch, you’ve really given me something to think about on my long drive west. Thanks.”