Almost Perfect

Melissa and Abby were arguing about who got to use the phone next, with Abby pointing out Melissa could just as easily use her cell phone, while Tyler resented the limit on his computer game time.

“Dad would let me play longer,” he whined as she reached for the controller.

“You don’t know that.”

“Uh-huh. He let’s me do lots of stuff you don’t.” Tyler’s lower lip jutted out.

She didn’t doubt that Ethan wasn’t into things like limits right now. He was getting to know his son.

She told herself to be patient and understanding. That everything would even out eventually.

“I’m glad you’re getting along with your dad, but right now your computer game time is up.” She took the controller from him. “We’re heading out, so please put on your swimsuit.”

“I want to go see Dad instead.”

She ignored that and walked to the stairs. “Fifteen minutes,” she yelled over the girls’ bickering. “Be ready or be left behind.”

Abby ran to the landing. “Where are we going?”

“The pool. We’ll spend the whole day there.”

“Can we have hotdogs for lunch?” Abby asked.

“Yes.”

Melissa joined her. “I’m too old for the pool.”

Liz was less sure about leaving the teenager home alone. Not that she was afraid Melissa would get into trouble, but more because she would brood. Better for her to be out with people.

“Call one of your friends and invite her along,” Liz offered. “Be ready in fifteen minutes. I mean it.”

The two of them turned and ran down the hall. Liz went upstairs to put on her own bathing suit. She didn’t have big plans to get in the water, but the odds of being splashed were huge. Better to be prepared.

Tyler slowly climbed the stairs, muttering something about preferring his father.

It took nearly a half hour to get out the door, but it was worth it. Although there were several families at the pool already, there were still plenty of spots in the shade.

“How about over there?” Liz asked, pointing.

“I see Jason,” Tyler said, already moving away. “I’m going to see if he wants to go on the slide.”

“Brittany’s with her mom,” Abby stated. “May I sit with them?”

“Madison’s waiting for me by the snack bar.” Melissa was already inching away.

Liz gave permission for Abby to visit with her friend and found herself carrying everything over to the bit of grass she’d selected and laying out towels. She put on sunscreen, plopped a hat on her head and opened the romance novel she’d brought with her. Less than a minute later, her cell phone rang.

“Hello?”

“It’s Pia. I’m at your house. Where are you?”

“At the pool.” She hadn’t talked to Pia since Crystal’s wake. “What’s going on?”

“I have printouts of the posters,” Pia explained. “I wanted to make sure they’re okay with you. After all, you’re our star.”

Liz frowned. While she appreciated the concern, the posters weren’t her business. Pia’s job was to promote the entire signing and the town. Besides, Liz had seen the posters at the meeting.

Then she realized that maybe it wasn’t about the posters at all, but about missing Crystal.

“I’d love to see them,” Liz told her. “But I’ve got all three kids here. Why don’t you put on a sassy bikini and join us?”

Pia sighed. “No, thanks. I’ll just go home. I’m not feeling very well.”

“All the more reason to slather on sunscreen and pretend to tan. Come on. I desperately need an adult to talk to.”

Pia hesitated. “Maybe,” she said. “Okay. I’ll be there. Want me to bring anything?”

“Wine?”

Pia chuckled. “I don’t think they’ll let me open a bottle by the pool.”

“Probably not. Then just bring yourself. See you soon.”

Liz was concerned that Pia would change her mind, but in less than a half hour, the other woman had shown up with her towel and a cooler full of cold water.

As Pia peeled out of her shorts and tank top, Liz tried not to be envious of the other woman’s long, lean legs. Height was required to look that good, she decided. While she wasn’t exactly vertically challenged, Pia topped her by a good three inches.

“This is nice,” Pia said, settling on the towel next to her and looking around. “It’s been years since I’ve hung out at the pool.”

“I’ve been here on and off since school was out,” Liz told her. “The hotdogs are good.” She glanced at Pia. “How are you doing?”

“Okay. I miss Crystal a lot, but work is keeping me busy, so that’s good. I bought a collar for Jake. Sort of as a way to let him know we’re committed to each other, now that Crystal is gone.”

Liz blinked at her, not sure what to say.

“I know he’s a cat,” Pia added with a smile. “We don’t actually have those conversations.”

“Good. Because I would have worried about you.”

“I was all set to put the collar on him when Dakota scared me off.” Pia paused. “She’s one of Ethan’s sisters.”

“I’ve met her a couple of times.”

“She said a friend of hers put a collar on a cat who’d never worn one and he about ripped his head off, scratching to remove it. He nicked a vein or something and there was blood everywhere. The last thing I need is to come home from work one day to a scene in a horror movie.”

Liz winced. “Are you sure Dakota wasn’t trying to be funny?”

“I don’t think so. Anyway, Jake won’t be getting his collar anytime soon.”

“Probably a good plan.” Liz thought about Ethan’s sister. “Doesn’t Dakota work at the camp?”

“She’s the head counselor, which doesn’t sound as important as it is. She has a PhD in childhood development. Raoul Moreno owns the camp. While it’s just a summer place now, he wants to expand it into a year-round facility. Dakota is helping him with that.”

Liz frowned. “Raoul Moreno. Why is that name familiar?”

Pia grinned. “Oh, honey, you haven’t seen him? He and I haven’t actually had a conversation, but I’ve spotted him around. Talk about yummy. Tall, dark and very pretty. In a macho, Latin kind of way. He played football for the Dallas Cowboys. Quarterback. Smart and athletic. Does it get better than that?”

“Sounds like someone has a bit of a crush.”

“Only from afar. I’m not interested in having a relationship right now.”

“Why not?”

Pia hesitated. “I’m not very good at them. I want to be. I want to be nurturing and know fifteen different ways to stylishly cut a sandwich. But it’s not my thing. I like kids, in theory. I don’t know much about them. But getting serious and having one of my own? I don’t really think I’m the right person for that.”

There was something about the way she said the words. As if there was more, but she wasn’t comfortable telling the story. Liz didn’t want to press. Her friendship with Pia was still new. But she couldn’t help wondering what secrets her friend was keeping to herself.

“I don’t think skilled sandwich cutting guarantees great nurturing,” she said instead. “I only know two ways.”

“That’s one more than me. Besides, you’re a natural parent. I’ve seen you with Tyler. You two have a great relationship.”

“I’m a parent because I got pregnant,” Liz told her. “I was eighteen. Instinct or not, I was a kid and I know I made a bunch of mistakes. I spent the first year terrified I was going to drop him or something. I think loving is a whole lot more important than anything. Children need to know they’re wanted.”

“That’s true,” Pia said. “Not being wanted sucks.”

“I know.”

“It’s a nonissue,” Pia said flatly. “I’m between men and I intend to keep it that way. I have Jake the cat and that’s enough.”

“At least he won’t leave the toilet seat up.”

“Exactly. I heard from Crystal’s lawyer. She wants me to come in and talk in the next few weeks. She said there was no rush so I’m assuming there’s something in Crystal’s will about a formal transfer of ownership.”

“Be sure to tell the city,” Liz teased. “There’s paperwork with pet transfers.”

Pia lowered her sunglasses and glanced over them. “You’re not all that. You know that, right?”

Liz laughed.

Pia smiled at her. “I’m glad you came back.”

Liz groaned. “Don’t say that.”

“Still being harassed by the elderly?”

“They’re not all old.” Thinking about Fool’s Gold left her feeling confused. “There are some things about being here that I really like and some that make me insane.”

“Where does Ethan fall on the list?”

“He’s on both sides.”

“See? Men are a complication.”

“Tell me about it,” Liz grumbled. “I know he wants a relationship with Tyler and I encourage that. But then he goes and does something stupid like the injunction and I want to bitch slap him.”

“Can I watch? It would be the highlight of my week.”

Liz smiled faintly. “Probably not his.” She sighed. “I just don’t know what to do.”

“Because you don’t know how you feel about him? How could you? It’s been years, but you were in love with him once and now you have Tyler together. It’s got to be complicated. Trying to decide if you still love him.”

Liz felt the world tilt to the right. She grabbed on to her towel to keep from sliding away. Only nothing was really moving—it was all happening inside of her.

“I don’t love Ethan.”

Pia’s expression turned pitying. “Speaking as a professional, I can tell you that denial is a dangerous place to live. It really messes up any long-term planning. I’m not saying you love him, I’m saying you have to decide if you might.”

“No. I don’t accept that. He denied me in public—twice! He never tried to find me. I’m sure he hasn’t thought about me in years.”

“Interesting. So your feelings are dependent on his? I wouldn’t have thought you were that shallow.”

Liz sputtered. “Excuse me? That’s not what I’m saying.”

“It’s what you said.”

Liz sucked in a breath. “The point is I’m not interested in Ethan that way and he’s not interested in me. We have a child together. There are details that have to be worked out. Nothing more.”

Care about Ethan? Love Ethan? Not on this planet. She barely liked him. Okay, sure she wanted him, but that was different. Having a sexual connection was hardly significant.

“You’re wrong,” Liz added. “You couldn’t be more wrong.”

Pia picked up a bottle of water and opened it. “Isn’t there a line in Shakespeare about protesting too much? I can’t remember, but then, I’m not the literary one here.”

“No. You’re the crazy one.”

Instead of getting upset, Pia only smiled.

Liz glared at her, then crossed her arms over her chest and stared out at the pool. Love? That was just plain stupid. She didn’t love Ethan. She refused to do more than like him and that was just for her son’s sake. Anyone who implied otherwise needed some serious mental therapy.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

TALK ABOUT A BAD IDEA, LIZ thought as she stood in front of the house where Ethan had grown up. Denise had called to invite her and the kids over for dinner. Sort of a family bonding time. Liz had wanted to say no, but hadn’t been able to think of an excuse. Ethan’s brothers were out of town, but the triplets would be there. Which meant five members of the Hendrix clan to face down.

Liz kept telling herself that Denise had been perfectly friendly the last time they’d talked. That everything would be fine. The problem was she couldn’t quite believe herself.

She clutched the flowers she held tightly, then led the way to the front door and rang the bell. The children clustered behind her, talking about the newly installed shower in the upstairs bath back home. For reasons Liz couldn’t understand, the glass blocks around the window had been a big hit.

The door opened.

“You made it,” Ethan said.

“Was there any doubt?” she asked, trying not to let her nervousness show.

“We were taking bets.”

“Great.”

“I’m kidding,” he corrected, stepping back. “Come on in.”

She walked inside. Tyler came after her and hugged his father, while Abby and Melissa huddled together. Denise appeared, looking relaxed and pretty in a matching light green crop pant and T-shirt set. There was a rhinestone pink flamingo filling the front of her shirt, and she had pink sparkles on her flip-flops.

“Come in, come in,” the older woman urged as she hugged first Tyler, then the girls. She took the flowers Liz offered. “Aren’t you sweet? They’re beautiful and I have just the right vase for them.” She frowned. “But it’s up high and I can’t reach it. Melissa, honey, can you get it for me?”

“Um, sure.” The teen followed her into the kitchen.

“I always wanted to be tall,” she could hear Denise saying. “You’re so pretty. I don’t even want to think about all the boys you have interested in you.”