Chapter 11
Kayana’s words about her being good for her brother stayed with Leah as she took a sip of Irish coffee Graeme made to accompany mini sour cream pound and red velvet Bundt cakes. Was she, Leah mused, good for her brother, or knowing her circumstances had he felt sorry for her? What Leah did not need was pity. She’d never felt sorry for herself despite what she’d put up with while married. There was never a time when she’d told herself that she couldn’t leave, that she had to remain Mrs. Alan Kent. What she’d done was use her sons as an excuse because of their close bond with their father. And Leah knew if Alan had not been a good father, she would have filed for divorce years ago.
She exchanged a smile with Kayana over the rim of the mug. Her friend looked very chic in a red sheath dress with cap sleeves, and her hair styled in a mass of tiny curls framing her small, round face, while large South Seas drop pearl earrings capped in yellow diamonds dangled from her pierced lobes. Derrick’s sister appeared blissfully happy as Graeme’s wife. She knew what her friend had gone through with her first husband, who’d cheated on her with one of his colleagues. Unlike herself, who had remained in a dysfunctional marriage for three decades, Kayana had ended hers a year before she’d celebrated her twentieth wedding anniversary, while Leah had rationalized and used her sons as an excuse not to leave her husband.
Despite her never being hit by a man before, Alan’s assault had given Leah the courage she needed to dramatically change her life. And it wasn’t for the first time she’d wondered whether she would’ve stayed if he hadn’t hit her, and the answer was she would. After all, she’d spent the past ten years not sharing a bed with Alan and probably would have continued for the rest of their natural lives.
“Leah, how do you like the Irish coffee?” Graeme questioned.
She smiled at the retired schoolteacher. “I like it, even though it’s a little strong.”
“The coffee or the whiskey?” he asked, smiling.
It was as if marriage also agreed with Graeme. Whenever she’d encountered him at the Café last summer, he appeared stoic and standoffish. There had been no warmth in his large gray eyes, and he’d rarely smiled. “The whiskey.”
“I’ll make the next one for you with less whiskey.”
Leah put up a hand. “Please don’t. If I have another one I definitely won’t be able to get behind the wheel of my car.”
“You can always come home with us,” Kayana volunteered.
“Or she can stay here, Kay,” Derrick offered, “because there’s more room here than at your place.”
Leah smiled at Derrick, and then his sister. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m good.”
“We’d serve alcoholic libations during our book club meetings,” Kayana said, “but there were a few occasions when we would get so lit up that it was hard to concentrate on the discussion.”
Leah laughed softly. “It was Cherie that used to complain that the drinks were too strong.”
Derrick touched the corners of his mouth with his napkin. “Speaking of your book club, I told Leah that you ladies are welcome to hold your meetings in the backyard shed.”
Kayana’s smile was dazzling. “I can’t believe we’ll now have a she-shed.”
Derrick slowly shook his head. “Leah called it the same thing. Since when did a garden shed become a she-shed?”
Kayana make a sucking sound with her tongue and teeth. “You guys have man caves, so why can’t ladies have their she-sheds?”
“That’s what I told him, Kayana,” Leah said.
“I don’t have a man cave,” Graeme grumbled under his breath.
“We have a family room, darling,” Kayana drawled, “and that’s the closest you’re going to get to a man cave. If you want one, then you have to be willing to sell the house and build one with enough space to have a man cave.”
Graeme shook his head. “No thanks. I happen to like our little house.”
Leah knew most of the one- and two-bedroom bungalows on Coates Island were more than ninety years old, while Derrick’s beachfront house and the condos were among the newer structures on the island.
Derrick met Leah’s eyes. “Do you really talk about books at your meetings?
“Yes. Last year we read and discussed Octavia Butler’s Kindred, Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.”
Derrick whistled softly. “Slavery, a cheating husband, and sisters on the prowl looking for husbands. I would’ve liked to have been a fly on the wall when you had your meetings.”
“Maybe you should join us, Derrick,” she said.
“That’s what I said to Graeme once he recommended a number of Octavia Butler’s titles,” Kayana revealed.
Derrick waved a hand in dismissal. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’d rather spend my Sunday afternoons watching ball games, and because my brother-in-law is committed to join me, you ladies are on your own.”
Graeme lifted his mug in Derrick’s direction. “Now that I’m no longer teaching, it’s baseball, hockey, and basketball before books. And, Derrick, you’re more than welcome to spend Sunday afternoons at my house while our ladies take over your place for their meetings.”
Leah lowered her eyes and stared at the residue of cake crumbs on the dessert plate. Graeme had referred to her and Kayana as his and Derrick’s ladies. She wanted to tell him he was mistaken. She wasn’t Derrick’s lady in the literal sense; she was his employee.
Derrick lifted his mug, acknowledging Graeme’s offer. “By the way, what titles have you ladies selected for this summer?”
A beat passed before Leah said, “We’ve scheduled The Alienist, Love in the Time of Cholera, and Memoirs of a Geisha for the first three weeks.”
Graeme’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Don’t you think it’s odd that you’ve selected period novels that have been made into movies?”
“No.”
“Not at all.”
Leah and Kayana had spoken at the same time. “Although we may have seen the movies or the miniseries, we’ll still read the books and discuss them in depth,” Leah said. “I just finished The Alienist, and there are scenes in the book that were left out in the miniseries.”
“I’m still reading my host selection, Love in the Time of Cholera,” Kayana admitted.
Leah continued to sip the whiskey-infused coffee with sugar and topped off with a froth of whipped cream as the topic of conversation segued to a growing scandal involving several elected state officials who had been caught up in a sting involving high-priced call girls.
Without warning, a wave of indescribable joy swept over her, filling her with an emotion she had long forgotten. The dinner was reminiscent of the ones she’d had with her family as a child. It hadn’t mattered to Leah whether she lived in a trailer park, apartment, or the rental house, just being with family members during holidays had become an indelible memory stamped on her brain like a permanent tattoo.
After setting the table and arranging the flowers, Leah had assisted Derrick making the Greek salad, halving grape tomatoes and kalamata olives, thinly slicing red onions, and cutting cucumber into half-moons, while he made the dressing with fresh basil, oregano, garlic cloves, the juice of fresh lemons, Dijon mustard, sugar, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. She noticed he made the dressing even creamier by slowly adding the oil to the blender while running it on a high speed.
She compared working with Derrick in his kitchen to her childhood home that was filled with delicious aromas whenever her mother and grandmother baked pies and cakes, while she had been relegated to snapping the ends off green beans or peeling potatoes. She especially liked when her grandmother made cole slaw, because she’d use thinly cut strips of collards, cabbage, and carrots to give the slaw extra crunch and bite as she tossed it with her secret dressing. And once she was old enough, she was given the task of scoring and decorating the ham with cloves.
What she did not want to remember were the Easters at Kent House, where Adele compiled the guest list, conferred with the chef for the menu, and sat at the head of the table opposite Alan as she monitored when each dish was to be served. At first Leah resented being usurped, because after all as Alan’s wife she was to be mistress of the house, but after a while she was glad to relinquish the position because it meant she could spend more time with her sons.
Leah sucked in a breath, holding it until she experienced constriction in her chest. She had to stop reliving her past, even if only in her head. She had turned a corner the instant she’d loaded the trunk of her car with enough clothes and personal items to last her through the spring and summer and drove from Virginia to North Carolina. However, her plan to return to Richmond to live changed with Erin’s phone call telling her that she’d lost her position as headmistress at the prep school.
A part of her wanted to sue the school board for what she thought was an unlawful dismissal, while as a realist Leah knew it wasn’t worth her time or resources to challenge them when she knew she would be in the fight of her life once Alan was served with divorce papers. After all, she was an experienced teacher and could apply for a position at a public or private school.
“I think I ate too much,” Kayana announced.
“I know I did,” Leah confirmed. She’d taken one bite of the herb-crusted lamb and had to suppress a moan when the tender, deliciously seasoned meat literally melted on her tongue. She’d had seconds of everything: lamb, macaroni and cheese, Parker House rolls, and Greek salad, along with a glass and a half of rosé. It had taken herculean restraint not to have a second serving of cake. She had baked four sour cream pound, four pistachio pound, and four red velvet mini Bundt cakes.
Derrick pointed to the cake platter. “There are a few of those guys calling my name, and I know if I answer them I’ll have to work out twice as long for the rest of the week.”
Kayana reached with a pair of tongs and placed one of the cakes on her plate. “Damn you, Leah, for making these little babies so freaking good.”
Leah smiled. “The babies have lower calories, and therefore less guilt.”
Derrick took a bite of his third cake. “Now you see why I hired Leah as the Café’s baker.”
“It’s only going to be for the summer season,” she said quickly.
A rumble of thunder shook the earth, following by an ear-shattering crack of lightning. Seconds later fat raindrops pelted the windows. Kayana pushed back her chair, Graeme rising with her.
“I’m going to help you clean up, then Graeme and I are leaving before it starts coming down too hard.”
Derrick also stood. “You guys should head out, because they’re predicting a lot of rain.”
“Are you sure?” Kayana asked.
“Yes,” Derrick replied. “I’ll call you tomorrow before I come by and drop off some leftovers.”
Kayana kissed her brother’s cheek. “Thanks.”
Graeme shook his hand. “Thank you for the invite.”
Derrick smiled, flashing deep dimples. “Any time.”
Leah hugged Kayana and then Graeme, waiting until Derrick walked them to the door before she began clearing the table.
“You don’t have to do that.”
She peered over her shoulder when Derrick walked into the kitchen. “Do what?”
“Clean up. You’ve done enough, Leah.” He closed the distance between them and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Thank you for being an incredible hostess.”
Leah smiled up at him, her eyes caressing the lean jaw and lingering on the strong, masculine mouth she wanted to feel against hers. “Thank you for asking, because I really enjoyed everything.”
Derrick stared at her from under lowered lids. “I really don’t want to put you out, but it’s best you leave now before the roads flood. Unless . . .”
Last summer when it had rained steadily for three days, some roads had become impassable, forcing people to remain indoors. “Unless what?” she asked when his words trailed off.
“You’re welcome to stay over if you want.” He smiled. “Unlike Kayana and Graeme, I do have guest bedrooms.”
Under another set of circumstances Leah would’ve taken Derrick up on his invitation, if he’d indicated he wanted more than friendship. Emotionally, she was starved for companionship; she needed a man to hold her close; kiss her with tenderness; touch her body until she trembled with ecstasy; and she needed to feel his erection inside her while reminding her she was a woman who had come to recognize the strong passions within herself. But it wasn’t all about sex. That she could temporarily assuage with a battery-operated device.
She wanted at forty-nine what she hadn’t had at nineteen, twenty-nine, and thirty-nine. She wanted to date. Have a man call her up and ask her if she wanted to share ameal, a movie, or even a long drive where they’d feel free to talk about any and everything. And she wanted to know what love was. Not the love she had for her family, and not the unconditional love she felt for her sons, but a love where she felt fully alive and willing to see both sides in order to make the relationship work. It couldn’t be all her way or no way. But, more important, there had to be respect. The lack of it would be the deal breaker.
Leaning in closer, she kissed his cheek. “Maybe another time.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Yes, Derrick, it is a promise.”
The rain was coming down in torrents by the time Leah backed out of the garage. A minute into the drive she regretted declining Derrick’s invitation to spend the night. She turned the windshield wiper blades to the highest speed, decelerated to less than ten miles an hour, and maneuvered into the parking lot at the Café without encountering a single vehicle. It was obvious the locals knew to stay off the road during a storm.
Leah unlocked the door, tapped in the code to disarm the alarm, and then armed it again before she removed her shoes, left them on the mat at the foot of the stairs, and walked on bare feet up the staircase.
She opened the door and entered the apartment to warmth and soft light from the living room floor lamp. Her pet peeve was walking into a dark house, and Leah had made it a practice to leave a light on whenever she knew she was not coming home until nightfall. She retrieved her cell phone from the crossbody and saw that she had two text messages. Both were from her sons wishing her a happy Easter and asking her to call them.
Leah knew Aron and Caleb were concerned about her because they were calling and sending her messages at least once a week, and each time she responded, she’d reassure them she was doing well. And she was. She lived in a charming apartment above a restaurant where she would become the resident baker for the summer season. She decided to take a shower and change into something less dressy before calling them, but first she had to charge her phone, because whenever she talked to either Aron or Caleb they tended to have lengthy conversations, while Leah would always tease them saying they’d chosen the right profession, because as lawyers they were definitely long-winded.
Thirty minutes later, Leah crawled into bed in a pair of strawberry dotted cotton pajamas and red fluffy socks, with her face slathered with a rich moisturizer. Reaching for the fully charged phone, she tapped Caleb’s number. He answered after the third ring.
“Happy Easter, Mom.”
Leah smiled. “Happy Easter to you, too. It sounds as if you’re having a good time.” She could hear music and laughing in the background.
“I am. I’m taking a little time off while the judge is on vacation. Right now I’m unwinding in Costa Rica.”
“What made you decide to go to Costa Rica?” Caleb normally vacationed on St. Thomas or the Dominican Republic.
“I decided it was time to see another country. I wanted you to call me because I want to give you some good news. I proposed to Marisa, and she accepted. We came here to celebrate and for her to get some rest and unwind before she has to take finals. Right now she’s asleep, and I don’t want to wake her so you can talk to her.”
Her mouth dropped, and she was unable to speak for several minutes. “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it!”
“Should I assume you’re happy?”
“I’m deliriously happy. When’s the wedding?”
“That’s not going to be for a while, Mom. We want to wait until she completes her residency.”
“But that may not be for another three to seven years.”
“I know. We’ve talked about it and both agree it’s better if we wait. And if it were up to me I’d marry her tomorrow, but it’s her parents that are adamant that we wait. Both are doctors and Marisa is their only child, so it comes down to three against one.”
“You’re both young, and I don’t mind waiting to become a grandmother.”
A beat passed. “You want grandchildren?”
“Of course I want grandchildren.” Leah sobered. “Are you saying you haven’t talked about starting a family?”
“We’re thinking of adoption. Why bring more children into the world when there are tons of kids languishing in foster care waiting for a family to call their own.”
A swell of pride eddied through Leah with Caleb’s pronouncement that he and his fiancée were planning to adopt. “It doesn’t matter how many you adopt; they will still be my grandbabies.”
“So, you approve of us adopting?”
“I don’t understand you, Caleb. Why are you always surprised when I go along with whatever decision you make? I raised you and Aron to not only be independent of each other but to also think for yourselves. If you’d decided you wanted to become a teacher, veterinarian, social worker, or even an artist I would’ve supported you. And if you’d fallen in love with a man rather than a woman, you still would’ve had my support and approval. All I’ve ever wanted for you and your brother is for you to be happy, because there may come a time when you may be faced with something over which you have no control, so try and make the most of what you do have and can control.”
There was a pregnant pause before Caleb said, “You know you didn’t have to stay with our father as long as you did if you were unhappy, Mom.”
“I know that now. But that’s the past, and I don’t intend to dwell on it.”
“Have you filed for divorce?”
“Not yet.” She told him how she’d taken time to compile a list of firms and planned to begin contacting them the following day. “I’m not certain how they’ll react once they realize I’m suing Judge Alan Kent.”
“Maybe I can help you out on this end, Mom.”
“How?”
“I know an attorney well versed in matrimonial law who is licensed to practice in Virginia. She’s earned a reputation as a rottweiler going directly for the throat on behalf of her clients. Most of her clients are women who were married to wealthy or powerful men, so there’s no doubt she would relish representing you. All you have to do is tell her what you want, and she’ll make it happen.”
“I’m not looking to embarrass or destroy your father, Caleb. I just want my freedom and enough money to cover my salary for the next sixteen years.”
“What’s up with your salary?”
Although they were adults, Leah loathed involving her sons in her marital discord with their father. She told Caleb about Alan’s interference and failure to notify her of the letter addressed to her from the school board.
“Why didn’t he call and tell you about the letter?” Caleb asked.
“Because he knew I would tell him to open it, read it to me, and that would’ve given me enough time to have Dr. Brady fax the medical update to the school.”
“He’s a fool, Mom. Doesn’t he realize you being unemployed means he will have to pay you more alimony?”
“It’s apparent he’s fixated on being vindictive, and much to his detriment, because I intend to go through with the divorce and see it to the end.”
“Whatever you decide or do, just remember, Mom, that Aron and I have your back.”
“I hope what I’m going through with your father won’t force you to take sides.”
“He did that when he decided to use your face for a punching bag. Aron didn’t want me to tell you, because you’d asked us not to do or say anything to Dad, but Aron did warn him not to go after you once he figured out where you were going.”
A wave of apprehension swept through Leah, gnawing away at her confidence. “How did he find out?”
“He claimed he found the rental agreement for the vacation house in North Carolina and then called the agent who gave him the information he needed to figure out where you may be staying.”
Leah closed her eyes. She wanted to tell Caleb that his father was a liar. He didn’t find the rental agreement but had come into her bedroom suite and read it while she’d been asleep. She opened her eyes and stared at the colorful crocheted afghan on the foot of the bed. Luckily for her, she hadn’t signed the agreement to rent the vacant bungalow where she’d stayed last summer but had found refuge at the Seaside Café. Once she’d confirmed with Derrick and Kayana that she did not have to move from the apartment, she’d sent her sons the address where she could be reached in an emergency.
“Just make certain Alan doesn’t goad you into telling him exactly where I’m staying, because if he starts trouble I will have him arrested and locked up.”
“Let’s hope it won’t come to that.”
“I’m going to let you go so you can finish celebrating with your fiancée. Let her know I can’t wait to meet her because I’ve always wanted a daughter.”
“I will. As soon as I get back to the States I’ll send you the contact information for Sabina Gagnon, because I don’t have her number on my personal phone.”
“Thanks, Caleb. Love you.”
“Love you back, Mom.”
Leah ended the call, smiling. She had been able to hear the excitement in her son’s voice when he’d talked about the woman with whom he’d fallen in love and who had accepted his marriage proposal. And she admired his willingness to wait for his fiancée to establish her career as a doctor, which would also give them time to get to know each other, unlike it had been with her and his father.
Leah hadn’t been married a year when she’d discovered the Bramble House was where Alan conducted his adulterous affairs. She never knew the names of the women who’d slept with her husband and did not want to know. Derrick had asked her if she’d wanted more children and she was forthcoming when she said yes, but only if she’d been married to a different man.
She tapped Aron’s number, and he answered after the first ring. “Happy Easter, Mom.”
“Happy Easter, sweetie.”
“How is North Carolina?”
“Wonderful. How’s it going with you?”
“I’ll start my new position at the Kings County DA’s office in a couple of weeks. It took a while to hear back from them until one of my law professors put in a good word for me. I’ve always heard it’s not what you know but who you know.”
At least he didn’t have to rely on his father’s influence, Leah mused. She was proud of her sons, who’d decided not to trade on the Kent name to advance their careers. Alan had been visibly upset after Aron and Caleb announced they were applying to law schools other than Georgetown Law, where generations of Kent men were alumni; however, his disappointment was lessened because they’d chosen his same career.
“Congratulations, Aron. I am so proud of you.”
“Thanks. Have you spoken to Caleb?”
“Yes. He told me about his engagement.”
“I shouldn’t say this, but I am jealous of my brother. Marisa is incredible. She’s smart and beautiful.”
“I can’t wait to meet her. What about you, Aron?”
“What about me, Mom?”
“Are you seeing anyone?”
Aron chuckled. “Do you know this is the first time you’ve ever asked me if I was seeing someone?”
“I never asked because I didn’t want my children to think I was a busybody.”
“It’s Dad who’s the meddler, because he’s always trying to set us up with some of his colleagues’ daughters or granddaughters. I keep telling him I don’t need help finding my own woman, but it just doesn’t seem to register with him.”
“It’s been that way for generations of Kents. Many of the marriages were arranged.”
“Well, that archaic tradition is going to end with me and Caleb.”
Leah wanted to tell him it had ended with her. Unwittingly she’d been snared in a trap that had befallen so many vulnerable young women when they’d found themselves impressed and involved with older men. “Good for you.”
“And to answer your question about me seeing someone, I was.”
“Was it serious?”
“No. She played too many head games for me. She’d flirt with other men because she wanted to make me jealous. And then when I didn’t react she’d throw a hissy fit.”
“She sounds very immature, Aron.”
“I realize that now that I’ve stopped seeing her.”
“When did you break up with her?” Leah asked.
“A couple of weeks ago.”
“The only advice I’m going to give you is to take some time for yourself before you begin dating again.”
“I’m going to take a lot of time, Mom. I don’t need any distractions now that I’m starting a new job. Hold on, Mom. I have another call, and I need to take it.”
“That’s okay, sweetie. We’ll talk again at another time.”
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too.”
Leah ended the call, lowered the ringer, and set the phone on the bedside table. It wasn’t often that she spoke to both her sons on the same day. Caleb now had a fiancée, while Aron was scheduled to begin a new career as a prosecutor.
She would also wait for Caleb to send her the contact information on the lawyer he’d recommended to take on her case. The sooner Alan was notified of her intent to dissolve their marriage, the sooner she would be able to plan her future.