“Are you okay?” Avery asked when she found Maddie back in the master bedroom pacing its length.
“No.” Maddie pressed her forehead to the far front window and twisted in an effort to get a glimpse of the limo, which was now idling at the bottom of the driveway with the driver posted outside it. Because of the darkened windows, she couldn’t tell if Kyra and Deranian were in it or still out walking on the beach. “I’m so afraid she’s out there having her heart trampled all over, I can hardly breathe.”
“But he came,” Avery pointed out. “None of us really believed he’d show up, but he did.” She smiled at Maddie. “Maybe it’ll all work out.”
“Maybe,” Maddie said, turning away from the window to face her friend. “But I feel like there’s a rock in the pit of my stomach. Daniel Deranian may play romantic heroes in his movies, but I don’t think that applies to his real life.”
Below, the driver moved to the rear door and swung it open. Kyra got out slowly. She took a step away from the car and stood for a moment, her shoulders set. It was only after the car had backed the rest of the way down the drive and headed toward the bay that she turned to watch it go.
Maddie watched her daughter watch the car. When it was no longer visible, Kyra turned and walked resolutely into the front garden. Maddie raced down the stairs and out the front door. She caught up with Kyra at the newly repaired fountain.
“So?” Maddie asked quietly as Kyra lifted her tear-stained face.
“So.” Kyra squeezed her eyes shut, then scrubbed at the tears on her cheeks with the back of one hand. “He made me a really good offer,” she said. “Considering he’s not getting a divorce or ever planning to marry me.”
“Aw, honey.” Maddie stepped closer, wanting to wrap her arms around her daughter.
“I can go live in L.A. and see him when he feels like it. Tonja’s moving back into their house. She told him it was okay.” Kyra’s mouth twisted in a bitter smile. Tears shimmered in her eyes. “That’s the open kind of relationship they have.” She sniffed. “You were right, Mom. You were right the whole time.”
“No, honey, I just . . .” Maddie’s voice trailed off. “It’s just . . . mothers never want to see their children hurt or even disappointed.” She reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Kyra’s ear. “I love you and I want the best for you. I hope you know that whatever you choose, I’ll . . . we’ll . . . always love you and stand by you.”
Maddie felt her own eyes well with tears.
“He actually thought I’d jump in that stupid car and go with him,” Kyra said. She looked at Maddie, her eyes too old now for her face. “What’s really scary is that if I hadn’t been watching you all summer, I might have.”
“What do you mean?” Maddie asked.
“I’ve watched you deal with all the shit that’s been happening. You took charge when you had to and you didn’t give up on Dad; you just kept going, doing what had to be done. I didn’t realize how strong you are.”
The words settled over her. She hadn’t thought in those terms, she’d just been plowing ahead trying to hang on. But Kyra’s recognition was like a balm to her soul; one she hadn’t realized she needed.
“Me, neither,” Maddie said. “You don’t really know what you’re made of until things fall apart.”
“Well, I want to be strong like you,” Kyra said. “And I don’t think you would have settled for being somebody’s piece of ass on the side.” Her gaze dropped before she looked back into Maddie’s eyes. “I think I deserve better than that. And so does my baby.”
She pulled out a business card from her pocket and handed it to Maddie. “He gave me his attorney’s card and told me there’d be some kind of settlement for the baby. Only I have to sign something that says I’ll never name him as the baby’s father or give interviews or anything.”
“Well, at lest he didn’t try to shirk his financial responsibilities,” Maddie said.
“No. Apparently this isn’t the first time this has happened.” Kyra’s laugh was hollow. “Kind of ironic isn’t it, that Tonja’s trying to adopt all these third-world babies, while Daniel’s just sort of running around creating his own?”
“Yeah.” Maddie put her arm around Kyra and drew her into a hug. “Let’s go get your video camera and get some shots of Bella Flora. I can’t believe how fabulous she’s looking; I know Avery’s not going to want to admit it, but Deirdre’s kitchen is going to be completely to die for.”
Thirty-seven
On the day Tropical Storm Bernard’s little sister Charlene began to form, Bella Flora’s scaffolding was dismantled and hauled away, leaving her luscious pink walls glowing and unobstructed in the late afternoon sun. The next morning shortly after sunrise Avery rolled off the chaise in the master bedroom where she’d been sleeping, pulled on shorts and a T-shirt, and went into the bathroom to wash up as the first carloads of garden ladies began to arrive.
After taking a few minutes to tuck her pajamas and toiletries into the back of a closet and eradicate all signs of her occupancy, she hurried outside.
Madeline, Kyra, Deirdre, and John Franklin sat at the wrought-iron table that now anchored the loggia. Deirdre, who had kept her distance from Maddie since the recent tongue-lashing, gave Avery a raised eyebrow, which she ignored. Maddie scooted her chair over to make room and passed Avery a still-steaming cup of coffee.
Avery sipped the coffee gratefully and helped herself to a hunk of coffee cake as they watched Renée Franklin organize and deploy her troops.
John nodded at Kyra’s video camera, which sat on the table within easy reach. “You know those videos of yours have caused quite a stir in real estate circles. Posting pictures and video online isn’t new, but the way you’ve added the human element to the renovation has really built interest. I had to add on office staff just to handle the calls and emails. It would make a great television show.”
Kyra looked pleased at the compliment, and Avery saw Maddie reach over to squeeze her daughter’s hand. Although Daniel Deranian had apparently proven he was not the hoped-for Prince Charming, Maddie and Kyra seemed on much smoother ground.
Kyra got up to shoot video as Renée and an assistant began to fill the first of six huge containers with bright tropical blooms. “I must say you all have far exceeded my expectations.”
“Why, thank you, John,” Deirdre said. “It’s been incredibly gratifying to see Bella Flora blossom back to life.”
Avery looked at Deirdre, who’d already done her hair and makeup and gussied up in a white linen pantsuit. It was barely seven A.M. “I hope you’re going to remember to thank all the ‘little people’ who helped make your achievement possible,” Avery said.
“But of course,” Deirdre said smoothly as Avery winced at how petulant she’d sounded. “No one could have done this alone. Though there are those who would have tried.” She gave Avery a second eyebrow then stood regally like the Queen of freakin’ England. “I’m going to go double check today’s delivery schedule and then see if the mural in the living room is dry.” She left, leaving a scent of gardenia in her wake and Avery feeling unvindicated.
“You know, I keep wondering where Nikki is and whether she’s okay,” Maddie said in an obvious effort to change the subject. “I mean maybe she was telling the truth about being a victim.”
“Even if she was, she could have at least told us about the connection to Dyer,” Avery said. She did not plan to admit that it just wasn’t the same at Bella Flora without Nikki. “But then maybe dishonesty runs in her family.”
“Like stubbornness runs in yours?” Chase had come up behind Franklin. He popped a piece of coffee cake into his mouth.
Avery snorted and sneaked a peek at Chase through her bangs. He’d never brought up the night she’d told him off, but ever since he’d been less combative. Sometimes he even listened to what she said. Once he’d actually agreed to do something her way. Which had left her feeling like she was having some sort of out-of-body experience.
Now she caught herself thinking about how his lips had felt and how much she’d liked his arms wrapped around her. She shook her head to clear it. “Do you think they’ll ever catch Malcolm Dyer?” she asked. “Or figure out where he stashed all that money?”
“I sure hope so,” Maddie said. “I mean it would take a while to sort everything out and return even a portion of the money, but it would be such a relief to have that to look forward to.”
“I think we’re going to sell Bella Flora before any of that happens,” Chase said. “Don’t you, John?”
The Realtor launched into an explanation of the interest they’d received to date and his plans for marketing the property. By the pool Renée Franklin was already on the second planter. She patted the bird-of-paradise into its center and then began to tuck in several poppy red geraniums and sprays of purple and yellow lantana to trail over the edge. Her straw hat bobbed up and down as she answered questions and dealt with problems presented by her minions. By working on all sides of the house at once, they hoped to be finished before the temperatures grew too hot. Tomorrow sod would be laid along the edge of the driveway and on the western side of the house.
The sound of vans and trucks arriving out front reached them and Chase popped one last bite of coffee cake in his mouth, chewing it with relish. “I’m going to do a final walk-through today and put together a punch list. Dad and I are going to take the boys camping up in the north Georgia mountains later in the week. We’ll be back in time for the opening cocktail party Labor Day weekend.” He smiled, pleased, and Avery’s lips stretched into a smile, too.
“You’ve done a really great job,” she said, surprising them both. “And your subs have all been first-rate.”
He stilled. “You didn’t just give me a compliment, did you?”
“Apparently.” She felt her cheeks grow hot.
He looked around, an expression of mock desperation on his face.
“What are you doing?” Avery asked.
“I’m checking to see if hell has frozen over. But it seems pretty toasty out.”
The others laughed. Avery gave him an exaggerated eye roll, but her own mood lightened.
“Anybody who’d like to come camping with us is welcome. It’s probably a good fifteen degrees cooler up there right now.” Chase looked right at Avery, and she could feel the heat creep up her neck to spread across her cheeks. Again. “I figure anyone who survived the pool house floor all these weeks can handle a tent.”
“I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one,” she said, sending him a look meant to quell. “But I’ll give you my remaining three hundred dollars and the keys to the Mini Cooper if you’ll take Deirdre with you.”
When he went off laughing to meet Enrico, Avery couldn’t quite hide her own smile. It was possible that her quelling look could use some work.
On August 23, the day the house at Ten Beach Road was pronounced “done,” Tropical Storm Charlene dumped rain over the Turks and Caicos and headed toward the Florida straits. On the twenty-fourth, Kyra posted her final video to YouTube. It was cut to the theme from
Rocky
and was a stunningly powerful recap of Bella Flora’s renovation from the day Kyra had first arrived through that morning’s formal guided tour, with comments from Chase, every Dante family artisan who’d worked on the job, and a small plug for their personal plumber, Robby.
It was hosted by Deirdre Morgan and Avery Lawson, who did
not
appear on screen together but were skillfully edited into what felt like a seamless narrative by the filmmaker herself. The last frames were of the Designer Show House Opening Soon sign and the For Sale sign being hammered in.
“You’ve got talent, kid,” Maddie said that night as they screened the piece on the new HD set the salon’s design team had tucked into a marvelous Deco reproduction armoire. The audience, which erupted into cheers and catcalls at regular intervals, included the entire Hardin clan as well as the Franklins, whose affection for each other Kyra had also managed to capture. “You need to be making movies.”
Kyra rubbed her stomach and hit the rewind when the audience demanded to see the piece again. “I will,” she said with a certainty that filled Maddie with pride. “I’ll just be shooting newborn video for a while, first.” Pushing the Play button, she added, “I’m going to need a crash course in motherhood. Do you think you could put together a syllabus?”
Madeline smiled at her daughter, thinking of the sonogram they’d seen at Kyra’s last ob-gyn visit. The months until Kyra’s D-day were slipping away. “Sure. Although your dad was always the calmer of the two of us.” She sighed. “It’s going to be hard doing this all alone, Ky,” Maddie said. Just as getting through this time had been so much harder without the man who’d always been her best friend at her side.
“Have you heard anything from Dad?” Since the cessation of hostilities between them, Kyra often seemed to be on the same wavelength.
“Just a text that he was at Aunt Emma’s and another apology.”
“You’re not really thinking about divorcing him, are you, Mom?” Kyra looked about five when she asked the question.
“How did you . . .”
“I heard Nicole and Avery talking about it one day.” She looked at Maddie’s face. “They didn’t know I was there. But . . .”
“At the time, it seemed like the only threat that might motivate him. But it’s been so long since we’ve spoken, I really don’t know where things stand or what to do next.”
“I don’t blame you, Melinda,” Kyra teased, using the wrong name as her grandmother so often did. “Won’t Edna be upset when she finds out you’ve spent a whole summer with both Avery Lawson and Deirdre Morgan? Maybe we should bring her back some autographs.”
Maddie smiled, relieved to be on firm footing with Kyra, even more relieved that the renovation of Bella Flora was done, each ant-sized bite thoroughly chewed and digested. Did she have the energy and strength to apply the same approach to her marriage? She now knew she could do whatever needed to be done without Steve. What she didn’t know was if she’d have to.