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Authors: Sarah Addison Allen
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painter painter.”
“I teach art at Orion.” He moved some newspapers from a chair and set them on the floor. “Sit, please.”
“How long have you been in Bascom?” she asked as she went to the chair.
“About a year.” He looked around for another place to sit, running his hand through his hair again, pushing it off his forehead.
“You know, I could trim your hair, if you want me to.”
He turned to her with that chagrined look again. “I keep forgetting to get it cut. You could do it?”
“You’re looking at a bona fide beauty-school graduate.”
“Okay. Sure. Thank you.” He moved a box off the couch and sat. “I’m glad you came by. I don’t really know any of my neighbors yet. Well, except maybe Mrs. Kranowski, who seems to spend half her day chasing her dog, Edward, around the neighborhood.”
“I remember Mrs. Kranowski. What is she, one hundred years old now?”
“And surprisingly fast on her feet.”
Sydney laughed and congratulated herself. This was a good idea. “I’ll bring my case over tomorrow to give you that trim. Do you mind if my daughter comes along?”
“Not at all.”
Sydney studied him a moment. “So, you like my sister.”
She’d caught him off guard, but it didn’t seem to occur to him not to answer. “You cut to the chase, don’t you? I don’t know your sister very well. But I…yes, I like her. She fascinates me.” He smiled and leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees, open and enthusiastic. It was contagious, like a yawn. He made Sydney smile back. “I had this dream about her. It was like nothing I’ve ever dreamed before. Her hair was short, and she was wearing this headband—” He stopped and leaned back. “I’m going to stop now before I sound any more ridiculous.”
He didn’t sound ridiculous. He sounded nice, so nice it made her a little envious of Claire. “My daughter likes her too.”
“You don’t sound happy about that.”
“No, I didn’t mean it to sound that way.” Sydney sighed. “It’s just not what I expected. Claire and I fought a lot as kids. I think we were both thrilled when I left town. She didn’t like me very much. I didn’t think she’d like Bay.”
“How long were you gone?”
“Ten years. I never thought I’d be back.” She shook her head, as if to shake away the thoughts. “Do you mind my coming over? You like my sister, not me, so no pressure. I just need to get out of that house sometimes. Want to order pizza? My treat.”
“Sounds good. I don’t think I’ve eaten today.” Tyler looked at her thoughtfully. “You can come by any time you want, but ten years is a long time to be away. There aren’t any old friends you want to see?”
Old friends. She almost laughed. Two-faced, weak-willed backstabbers, yes. Old friends, no. “No. It’s a part of that never-thinking-I-was-ever-coming-back thing.”
“Burned bridges?” Tyler asked astutely. He wasn’t nearly as oblivious as his lifestyle made him seem.
“Something like that.”
CHAPTER
4
T hat night, across town, Emma Clark had no idea her world was about to turn upside down as she got ready for the fund-raiser ball. She was, in fact, looking forward to the evening because of the attention she always received.
Clark women craved the spotlight. They loved attention from men, particularly. And it wasn’t hard to get, considering their legendary sexual prowess. They always married well.
Emma Clark’s husband, Hunter John Matteson, was the biggest catch in town and everyone knew it. He was outgoing, handsome, athletic, and heir to his family’s manufactured-housing empire. Emma’s mother, shrewd woman that she was, had positioned Emma to be his wife since Emma and Hunter John were toddlers. Their families mingled and traveled in the same circles, so it wasn’t hard to plant suggestions and nudge them together. Their families had even spent a month together on Cape May one summer when Emma and Hunter John were ten years old.
“I teach art at Orion.” He moved some newspapers from a chair and set them on the floor. “Sit, please.”
“How long have you been in Bascom?” she asked as she went to the chair.
“About a year.” He looked around for another place to sit, running his hand through his hair again, pushing it off his forehead.
“You know, I could trim your hair, if you want me to.”
He turned to her with that chagrined look again. “I keep forgetting to get it cut. You could do it?”
“You’re looking at a bona fide beauty-school graduate.”
“Okay. Sure. Thank you.” He moved a box off the couch and sat. “I’m glad you came by. I don’t really know any of my neighbors yet. Well, except maybe Mrs. Kranowski, who seems to spend half her day chasing her dog, Edward, around the neighborhood.”
“I remember Mrs. Kranowski. What is she, one hundred years old now?”
“And surprisingly fast on her feet.”
Sydney laughed and congratulated herself. This was a good idea. “I’ll bring my case over tomorrow to give you that trim. Do you mind if my daughter comes along?”
“Not at all.”
Sydney studied him a moment. “So, you like my sister.”
She’d caught him off guard, but it didn’t seem to occur to him not to answer. “You cut to the chase, don’t you? I don’t know your sister very well. But I…yes, I like her. She fascinates me.” He smiled and leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees, open and enthusiastic. It was contagious, like a yawn. He made Sydney smile back. “I had this dream about her. It was like nothing I’ve ever dreamed before. Her hair was short, and she was wearing this headband—” He stopped and leaned back. “I’m going to stop now before I sound any more ridiculous.”
He didn’t sound ridiculous. He sounded nice, so nice it made her a little envious of Claire. “My daughter likes her too.”
“You don’t sound happy about that.”
“No, I didn’t mean it to sound that way.” Sydney sighed. “It’s just not what I expected. Claire and I fought a lot as kids. I think we were both thrilled when I left town. She didn’t like me very much. I didn’t think she’d like Bay.”
“How long were you gone?”
“Ten years. I never thought I’d be back.” She shook her head, as if to shake away the thoughts. “Do you mind my coming over? You like my sister, not me, so no pressure. I just need to get out of that house sometimes. Want to order pizza? My treat.”
“Sounds good. I don’t think I’ve eaten today.” Tyler looked at her thoughtfully. “You can come by any time you want, but ten years is a long time to be away. There aren’t any old friends you want to see?”
Old friends. She almost laughed. Two-faced, weak-willed backstabbers, yes. Old friends, no. “No. It’s a part of that never-thinking-I-was-ever-coming-back thing.”
“Burned bridges?” Tyler asked astutely. He wasn’t nearly as oblivious as his lifestyle made him seem.
“Something like that.”
CHAPTER
4
T hat night, across town, Emma Clark had no idea her world was about to turn upside down as she got ready for the fund-raiser ball. She was, in fact, looking forward to the evening because of the attention she always received.
Clark women craved the spotlight. They loved attention from men, particularly. And it wasn’t hard to get, considering their legendary sexual prowess. They always married well.
Emma Clark’s husband, Hunter John Matteson, was the biggest catch in town and everyone knew it. He was outgoing, handsome, athletic, and heir to his family’s manufactured-housing empire. Emma’s mother, shrewd woman that she was, had positioned Emma to be his wife since Emma and Hunter John were toddlers. Their families mingled and traveled in the same circles, so it wasn’t hard to plant suggestions and nudge them together. Their families had even spent a month together on Cape May one summer when Emma and Hunter John were ten years old.
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