Read Online A Measure of Happiness by Lorrie Thomson - Free Book Online Page B

and goofy, prone to mess and insecurity. In short, they were human. So why had she expected unrelated boys to be anything special? Why had she expected unrelated boys to act as though she was special?
    Her mother’s latest chipper message kicked into gear. “You’ve reached Davey and Delilah.” Davey? Really? “We’re busy playing golf, swimming laps, and sipping tequila. Leave a message and we’ll get back to you after we’re off the course and dried out.”
    â€œHi, guys,” Celeste said. “I’m back in Hidden Harbor. Just thought you’d want to know. . . .”
    Had her parents even realized she’d gone to New York? She’d told them she was going to culinary school—of course she’d told them—but had they even remembered? Her brothers and their families were scattered across the country; each of the once-self-described black T-shirted high school slackers had aced college, married a girl with long hair and a tiny waist, and then promptly convinced that tiny-waisted girl to push out a kid or two. Celeste’s mother sent cards on the appropriate birthdays, Christmas, and Easter. According to Celeste’s brothers, their parents occasionally visited, breezing into town on a Thursday, leaving on a Sunday, and preferring to stay at a hotel rather than “bother” a daughter-in-law.
    In the last four years, Celeste’s parents had returned to Hidden Harbor and “bothered” her exactly twice.
    Didn’t they miss Hidden Harbor? Didn’t they miss her?
    The cold pleather cushion stuck to her jeans. The chill slid to the small of her back, reminding her how fast the seasons changed in Maine. Today’s cloudy, early fall sundown was giving her a taste of winter, the Earth spinning and cooling. No one had ever accused Hidden Harbor of moving fast, but Celeste could see it now, the world barreling forward, while her life was destined to move one step forward, two steps back. Thanks to first Katherine and then Matt, circumstances beyond Celeste’s control.
    Even Abby was moving forward, sort of, by getting back with Charlie. Maybe Charlie had changed. Anything was possible, right? Maybe Celeste was more than a little jealous of Charlie, because Abby forgave him again and again, whether he deserved it or not. That’s what Celeste liked best about Abby, her ability to ignore faults and see the best in people. After all, Abby saw the best in Celeste.
    Celeste snatched up the receiver and dialed Abby’s number.
    â€œBriar Rose B&B,” Charlie said, and Celeste’s grin deflated.
    â€œHello?” Charlie said. “Anybody there?”
    The left side of Celeste’s upper lip rose in a sneer. Unlike Abby, Celeste couldn’t assume the best in Charlie. She needed proof.
    â€œWho is it?” Luke’s voice in the background, little-boy shrill but carrying a hint of huskiness. “Can I talk on the phone?”
    â€œAnybody there?” Charlie repeated. And then to Luke, “Nobody’s there, buddy, no one—” The connection cut out.
    At all.
    Celeste rubbed her hands together, but the cold remained. She went into the kitchen, spooned the yogurt down the drain, and ran the disposal. She leaned against the counter, and the machine vibrated through her back, a rumble against a low ache. She was impossibly tired, the sound almost soothing in its repetition. Her eyes drifted shut, and her head jerked up fast and hard. No sleeping until she showered. Steam off the last couple of days, and then—yes!—oblivion.
    She let the shower run and undressed before the bathroom sink. First kicking off her bakery clogs and pulling her long-sleeved white T-shirt up over her head. Next came the chignon Katherine had fashioned. Each pin released a reciprocal sigh. Celeste rubbed the soreness from her scalp. Hair around her shoulders, she unhooked her bra, but the removal offered no relief. Her breasts