Read Online Summer People by Elin Hilderbrand - Free Book Online Page B

find.”
    “A catering company,” Beth said. “That makes sense. So the girls are all right with this, then?”
    “They appear to be. Piper just turned seventeen, and she’s developed a very independent, very empowered personality. She’s thrilled that her mother has broken free of male domination.”
    “Oh,” Beth said. “What about the younger one?”
    “Peyton still loves me the best, thank God,” David said. “But she wouldn’t admit it in front of her mother or her sister. She’s not brave enough. She’s not brave at all.”
    “How old is Peyton?”
    “Thirteen.”
    “I can’t believe you and Rosie split,” Beth said. “I just can’t believe it.” This was dangerous news. Beth stared at the stick ’em on the dashboard, wishing for clarity. David Ronan had split from his wife, and now he was driving around Nantucket with Beth’s name on his dashboard. “How are you doing?” she asked. “Are you … are you angry?”
    “Shit, yeah, I’m angry,” David said. “And heartbroken and discouraged and deeply incredulous. I loved Rosie. She saved my life.”
    This comment, Beth knew, was aimed at her. What David really meant was:
Rosie saved me from you.
Beth heard the old pain, the old intensity in David’s voice and she knew where the conversation was headed if she didn’t stop it—blame for Rosie that was really blame for Beth. The first woman who’d left him.
    “We’ll have to cancel dinner,” Beth said, cringing at how hardhearted, not to mention
rude,
that sounded. But the whole point had been to invite the Ronan
family.
To prove to the kids and Beth herself, and Arch, wherever he was, that this was just a normal friendship.
    “I already told the girls. They’re excited to come. But I guess you don’t want us now? I hope you don’t think I’m on the prowl.”
    “No, I never—”
    “My girls,” he said. “They think this is a date, even though I
assured
them it’s not. I mean, I told them about your husband. But I haven’t been out, anywhere, well, in six months, so they’re hopeful.” He smiled. “They want me to move on. I explained to them that I’m not ready to move on, and that even if I were,
you
weren’t ready to move on.” He glanced at her. “I’m embarrassed telling you all this. I came to find you because I knew it was unfair to spring it on you tonight. So we won’t come.”
    The world’s most awkward situation. What should she
do
? If she disinvited David, what did
that
say? That she didn’t trust herself? That it wasn’t okay for two old friends to have dinner together? “Forgive me,” Beth said. “It’s just that this took me by surprise. You could have told me at the store.”
    David tucked his chin guiltily. “You seemed upset at the store,” he said. “About Arch, I mean. I didn’t want to burden you with my problems.”
    “It wouldn’t have been a burden,” Beth said. “It would have been useful information.”
    “I guess subconsciously I wanted to come to dinner, and so that’s why I didn’t tell you,” David said. “Since Rosie left, the whole island has treated me like an untouchable.”
    “You’re not an untouchable.”
    David held out his hand. “Prove it.”
    Beth stared at his hand, the knobby knuckles, the golden hairs, the clean, clipped nails. How many years had passed since she’d noticed David’s hands?
    She squeezed David’s pinky. “I’m sorry Rosie left.”
    “Thanks. It makes me feel better to hear that opinion expressed, even by a summer person.”
    Beth smirked. She’d only spent ten minutes in David’s presence and already they’d resumed their old roles. Year-rounder versus summer person. How old would they have to be before they rose above. “I hereby cancel my cancellation,” she said. “Please come to dinner. I’d like to meet your girls and it’ll be good for Winnie and Garrett. Just come at seven and we’ll have a good time.”
A good time
. It sounded so refreshing that Beth almost