Family Reunion, Nancy Thayer [the kiss of deception read online .txt] 📗

when she snuggled into her bed, she fell asleep at once.

—

For the rest of the week, Ari was grateful that the never-ending chaos of Beach Camp kept her from dwelling on the pregnancy. Most nights she spoke with Beck, who was in Plymouth. He talked in general about the sort of work he did, the sense that people these days had what he called “free-floating anxiety,” suddenly hit by an anxiety attack brought on by the world news or a friend’s accident or simply by living in this curious world. Ari didn’t tell Beck she had a very specific reason to be anxious.

Friday night, Cal and his cousins were having a cookout for the Beach Camp crew. Cal asked Ari to come and to please bring her grandmother. Ari wore a blue summer dress and Eleanor wore a lavender caftan, and they were both lighthearted as they drove toward Sunnydale Lane. It was a warm evening with clear skies and a light breeze. Sometimes Nantucket could seem like heaven, an idyllic island with soft sea air, magnanimous old trees creating patches of shade, rose-covered arbors over slate walkways to historic homes. On the way they passed a Jeep carrying a laughing family with their black Lab sticking his nose out the window to catch the breeze, and a father on a tandem bike, with his young son pedaling like crazy, the mother behind, pulling a child’s bike trailer. Summer evenings on Nantucket were very much I’ll think about that tomorrow.

“Ah,” Eleanor said when they turned onto Sunnydale Lane, “a new person’s street.”

Newly built modest homes set among slender saplings planted to take away the naked look of the landscape. Most houses wore shingles that were golden instead of gray, meaning they were recently built, because all old Nantucket buildings, even if only a year old, had turned gray from the weather.

Three cars already filled the driveway and more cars were parked by the curb. Ari neatly angled hers between a van and a Jeep. As they walked toward the house, they heard laughter at the back. They went around the side of the house to the backyard.

Cal was standing at the grill, turning hot dogs and flipping burgers.

“Hi, Ari,” Cal said. He handed the spatula to Sandy, who waved, and walked toward them. “Mrs. Sunderland,” he said. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so very much for the tees.”

“Please call me Eleanor. And you’re most welcome. I admire what you’re doing.”

“Well, it’s exhausting, but it’s fun. And Ari is a star. The children are crazy for her.”

“They certainly are,” Ari joked.

Sandy, pretty in pink, arrived. “Ari! Hi! And you must be Mrs. Sunderland. Gosh, we love the tees. You’re so clever. Would you like a beer? Or a soda? Sparkling wine? They’re over here in the cooler. Or what else would you prefer?”

Ari and her grandmother followed Sandy to the cooler, where Ari poured sparkling water into her plastic cup and poured wine into Eleanor’s.

“Hello, Ari.” The woman was older than Ari, but not by much, and she was enchanting.

It took Ari a moment to recognize Cleo without her balloon earrings and clothing, but she remembered just in time. “Oh, hi, Cleo.”

“I work at Our Island Home.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“Sometimes people don’t recognize me.” Cleo came close so she could speak softly. “I think some people are afraid I’m going to check their pulse or stick them with a blood sugar monitor.”

“I know,” Ari replied soulfully. “That happens to me all the time, too.”

Cleo laughed so loudly, others looked over at her.

Ari introduced Cleo to Eleanor. A large handsome man with a bushy red beard joined them.

“Ari, Eleanor, this is my husband, Scott.”

Eleanor and Ari shook his massive paw.

“So,” Eleanor asked, “is this where Cal lives?”

“It’s where Poppy and I live,” Cleo answered. “Cal lives in the apartment above the garage.”

Scott added, “I stay here when I get a chance to come down from Boston.”

“What do you do in Boston?” Eleanor asked.

“I’m a lawyer for an exceedingly boring firm,” Scott said.

Before Ari could ask what firm, Cleo chirped up. “Tell her how we met, Scott. You guys, it’s such a funny story.”

Ari listened with a smile on her face as Scott described in detail how Cleo accidentally smashed her ice cream cone onto his best shirt at the Harvard Square Brigham’s that doesn’t exist anymore.

Poppy, Cleo and Cal’s cousin, came over to say hello. This evening her glasses had pink frames, Ari noticed.

“Oh, what a detail to remember!” Poppy laughed. “Of course, you’re young. My eyes are only slightly bad, for reading, and I tend to be a little absentminded—”

“A little?” Cleo teased.

“I accidentally leave them down the corner of the sofa or on the kitchen counter. You know how it is,” Poppy admitted. “So I just buy in bulk and have them all over the house.”

“Poppy’s divorced,” Cleo explained. “I think her husband couldn’t stand all those glasses everywhere.”

Poppy wasn’t bothered by Cleo announcing that she was divorced. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the reason,” she agreed with a grin.

Some of the younger volunteers joined their group and introductions were made. Ari thought her grandmother must be overwhelmed by all the new names, but Eleanor seemed to be having a wonderful time. Soon the food was ready. They piled hamburgers, potato salad, and coleslaw on their plates and strolled over to sit at the several picnic tables. Eleanor and Ari sat at a table with Cal, Cleo, and Scott.

“Oh, delicious,” Eleanor said. “There’s nothing like a burger grilled outside.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Cal said.

“Thanks for asking us,” Ari said. “It’s fun talking with your cousins.”

“Oh, they’re all right,” Cal said, knowing Cleo and Scott could overhear, “but a bit boring, I find.”

“Come on!” Cleo said. “I jumped off the roof of the boathouse up at the lake and hit my head.” Leaning forward, she pulled back her hair to show her scar. “Sixteen stitches!”

“I stand corrected,” Cal said. “You’re a daredevil.”

“I’d have to