Read Online The Ride of Her Life by Lorna Seilstad - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lorna Seilstad
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and landed with a plop in the shallows.
They passed the Grand Pavilion and waved to the men putting a fresh coat of white paint on the large building. Further down, she saw a gardener clearing a planter of dried leaves. In another month, the whole park would be teeming with patrons. Most likely, even more people would visit than last year because of the roller coaster.
Guilt tugged on her heart at the thought of the coaster. She’d had another reason to leave this afternoon. Every day about this time, Nick came by, offering to take Levi to finish his snake cage. Even on Sunday, when she’d crossed paths with Nick following church services, he’d asked if Levi could spend some time with him, but Lilly had made a lame excuse to keep her son with her. She hated seeing the two deep lines that had formed between Nick’s brows when he frowned.
“Lilly!” Emily waved from a park bench in front of the Rowing Club and stood with Katie in her arms. “I saw you two coming and thought I’d wait and walk the rest of the way with you.” She turned to Levi. “So, are you excited about your uncle Trip taking you on a boat ride?”
He kicked a stone with the toe of his shoe. “I’d rather be working with Mr. Nick.”
“Levi, you silly boy, you’re gonna love sailing.” Lilly ruffled his hair.
His lower lip protruded. “But I wanted to finish my snake cage.”
“Remember, I told you Mr. Nick is a busy man.”
“But he asked me to go, Mama. You aren’t never gonna let me go, are you?”
“Levi, we’ll talk about this later.” She squeezed his shoulder. “Now, run ahead and let Aunt Emily and me talk.”
He shuffled off with a frown on his face, but spotting several geese, he seemed to forget about being upset and began honking at them to get their attention.
“What was that all about? It sounds like Levi’s grown quite attached to Nick Perrin.”
“Levi is attached to the snake cage, not the man. Mr. Perrin is only helping him construct it. You know how Levi is with anything having to do with slimy, slithering creatures.”
Emily lowered Katie into the wicker baby carriage and tucked the soft wool blanket around her. “I heard you two talking last week when he brought you home. I didn’t say anything then, but I’ve been dying to ask what that means.”
“It doesn’t mean a thing,” Lilly said more forcefully than she intended.
“Okay, don’t get upset.” The wheels of the baby carriage clacked on the boardwalk, and its fringed, cardinal-red parasol swung back and forth with the beat. “So, how did Nick Perrin come to be carrying your son home?”
“It’s a long story.”
Emily grinned. “In that case, hold on to the story until we get to Marguerite’s, because I know she’ll want to hear it too.”
“You’re so thoughtful.” Lilly gave her a fake smile.
“I’m only thinking of you. I’d hate for you to have to tell the same story twice.” Emily giggled.
Lilly tipped her chin in the air. “Maybe I won’t tell either of you.”
“You will.”
“How do you know?”
“If you don’t, you’ll imply there’s something going on that we should know about, and even if there isn’t, you wouldn’t want us to think that, so you’ll have to explain.”
Lilly sighed. So much for her relaxing time away.
When they reached the front of the boat shop, Marguerite met them. As soon as Trip Andrews and a couple of his crew had corralled the children, they took off for the sailboat. The ladies then departed for the yard behind the Yacht Club to enjoy a bit of croquet.
After taking one look at the croquet mallet Marguerite offered her, Emily held up her hand. “I think Kate and I will sit this out. Remember the last time I played croquet?”
Lilly grinned. Even though Emily had overcome a great deal of her clumsiness, last summer had proven the tendency was still there. During a match between Emily and her husband, Carter, Emily had tripped over a wicket and sent her mallet through
They passed the Grand Pavilion and waved to the men putting a fresh coat of white paint on the large building. Further down, she saw a gardener clearing a planter of dried leaves. In another month, the whole park would be teeming with patrons. Most likely, even more people would visit than last year because of the roller coaster.
Guilt tugged on her heart at the thought of the coaster. She’d had another reason to leave this afternoon. Every day about this time, Nick came by, offering to take Levi to finish his snake cage. Even on Sunday, when she’d crossed paths with Nick following church services, he’d asked if Levi could spend some time with him, but Lilly had made a lame excuse to keep her son with her. She hated seeing the two deep lines that had formed between Nick’s brows when he frowned.
“Lilly!” Emily waved from a park bench in front of the Rowing Club and stood with Katie in her arms. “I saw you two coming and thought I’d wait and walk the rest of the way with you.” She turned to Levi. “So, are you excited about your uncle Trip taking you on a boat ride?”
He kicked a stone with the toe of his shoe. “I’d rather be working with Mr. Nick.”
“Levi, you silly boy, you’re gonna love sailing.” Lilly ruffled his hair.
His lower lip protruded. “But I wanted to finish my snake cage.”
“Remember, I told you Mr. Nick is a busy man.”
“But he asked me to go, Mama. You aren’t never gonna let me go, are you?”
“Levi, we’ll talk about this later.” She squeezed his shoulder. “Now, run ahead and let Aunt Emily and me talk.”
He shuffled off with a frown on his face, but spotting several geese, he seemed to forget about being upset and began honking at them to get their attention.
“What was that all about? It sounds like Levi’s grown quite attached to Nick Perrin.”
“Levi is attached to the snake cage, not the man. Mr. Perrin is only helping him construct it. You know how Levi is with anything having to do with slimy, slithering creatures.”
Emily lowered Katie into the wicker baby carriage and tucked the soft wool blanket around her. “I heard you two talking last week when he brought you home. I didn’t say anything then, but I’ve been dying to ask what that means.”
“It doesn’t mean a thing,” Lilly said more forcefully than she intended.
“Okay, don’t get upset.” The wheels of the baby carriage clacked on the boardwalk, and its fringed, cardinal-red parasol swung back and forth with the beat. “So, how did Nick Perrin come to be carrying your son home?”
“It’s a long story.”
Emily grinned. “In that case, hold on to the story until we get to Marguerite’s, because I know she’ll want to hear it too.”
“You’re so thoughtful.” Lilly gave her a fake smile.
“I’m only thinking of you. I’d hate for you to have to tell the same story twice.” Emily giggled.
Lilly tipped her chin in the air. “Maybe I won’t tell either of you.”
“You will.”
“How do you know?”
“If you don’t, you’ll imply there’s something going on that we should know about, and even if there isn’t, you wouldn’t want us to think that, so you’ll have to explain.”
Lilly sighed. So much for her relaxing time away.
When they reached the front of the boat shop, Marguerite met them. As soon as Trip Andrews and a couple of his crew had corralled the children, they took off for the sailboat. The ladies then departed for the yard behind the Yacht Club to enjoy a bit of croquet.
After taking one look at the croquet mallet Marguerite offered her, Emily held up her hand. “I think Kate and I will sit this out. Remember the last time I played croquet?”
Lilly grinned. Even though Emily had overcome a great deal of her clumsiness, last summer had proven the tendency was still there. During a match between Emily and her husband, Carter, Emily had tripped over a wicket and sent her mallet through
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