Newton Neighbors (New England Trilogy) (14 page)

Jessie looked embarrassed and gave a mute nod. He handed the baby back to her, but Alice protested.
 

“Sorry, baby, Daddy has to go to work.” He patted his daughter on the head and then looked at Jessie. She was one good-looking woman—no girl. “College life good here?” he asked, lingering more than was necessary.

She smiled.
 

What a smile.

“I love it. I have a crazy roommate from South Carolina, and life is always fun with her around.”

“No big American football player stolen your heart yet?”
 

Jessie blushed. Her eyes hit the floor, and she shook her head.

“Ah,” Rick said. “That’s a surprise. You’re such a”—what could he say?—“lovely girl.”
What am I doing here? Get out of here, Rick boy
.

“Well, I have to go,” he said with a sudden urgency, and headed for the kitchen door. He didn’t mean to turn back, but he couldn’t help himself.

“It’s good to see you again, Jessie.” He tried to make it sound casual.

“Great to be here,” she said. Her smile was broad and open. She had no idea what he was thinking. Rick nodded and left. He went to the study and grabbed the file he’d come home for.

I’m an idiot! She sees me as an old guy, not a possible—what? Boyfriend? Is that what you’re thinking here, Rick?

He remembered what his friend Michael had said. Thinking about her would only drive him nuts. It looked like he was right, because his was not rational thinking. Rick knew he had to stay away from Jessie. And he had to get out of the house fast.

Maria thought it quite possible she wasn’t going to make it home. How could she have become so unhealthy? In fairness, she’d never been a runner. Beach volleyball—while she perfected her deep tan—was more her style.
 

She sat down on the garden wall of number two, Crystal Lake, just to catch her breath before she went back to her house. It was remarkable Rick didn’t see her sitting there as he drove out of the neighborhood, but he was on the phone again and he looked stressed. So he had been home. Doing what? He never came home during his work day. She would have to ask him later. Maria didn’t notice the car coming in the other direction until it slowed down and the window lowered.

“Hey, missy. I didn’t know you’d taken up running,” Cathi said in her normal chipper voice. Right now it annoyed Maria.
 

“I haven’t. I was just out for a walk.” The lie came easy.

“Funny, you look flushed—like you were running.” Cathi reached over and opened her passenger door. “Come on, hop in. I need you to look at a house with me.”

“Ah, Cathi, I’m all hot and sticky. I’m so not in the mood for house hunting.” In truth, Maria wasn’t in the mood for anything, but Cathi was her usual unsympathetic self.

“Get in,” she said, and her voice brokered no room for argument. “It’s one of your neighbors—number sixteen. You should know what it looks like inside, because it’ll give you an idea of what yours is worth.”

With obvious reluctance, Maria got into the car, but her mood changed real fast when Cathi told her the asking price for the house. “That’s far too much. These houses are nice, but they’re not in Beverly Hills,” she said.

“I keep telling you that you live on one of the most desirable streets in one of the most desirable areas of Boston. Now do you believe me?”

Maria looked out the window of Cathi’s car and saw her house as they drove by. Jessie had wrapped Alice up in her little coat and was just bringing her outside to play. She was a great babysitter. What a pain she was so pretty.

“It’s the last one on the right.” Cathi was focused on her newest target.

“Why are we even looking? I don’t mean to be rude, but our husbands work together, and I have to say, I don’t really think we’re in the multimillion dollar house bracket, are we?”

Cathi laughed at her friend’s practical streak. “Didn’t I tell you, Maria Belen Sanchez, where there’s a will, there is a way. First let’s have a look at it. We may not even like it.”

“Hi there, Mrs. Palmer,” Jessie said when she saw Maria’s next-door neighbor walking past with her bulldog on his leash. “Out for a bit of fresh air?”
 

“Yes, we are. Hello, Alice.” She tapped her forehead with her fingers. “I’m sorry, but I’ve forgotten your name.”

“I’m Jessie, the one you helped the night the fire brigades arrived here. Remember?”

Noreen chuckled. “Indeed I do. I might forget the odd name, but I wouldn’t forget a night like that in a hurry. I haven’t gotten that fuddled yet. What excitement it was. It was just your name I’d misplaced.” She smiled at Jessie. “How are you, dear?”
 

“Very good, thanks. I’m minding Alice a few mornings a week now, so Mrs. Sanchez can get some things done. She seems to like being outside.” Jessie looked at the little girl, who was sitting upright in her stroller and gurgling happily at Mrs. Palmer’s dog.
 

“Rusty, get down,” the older lady commanded when the dog started to sniff around the baby.

“You call him Rusty? How nice. I left Orga in the house. I didn’t want to have the baby out and the dog on the leash at the same time. The last thing I need is another emergency.”

Noreen laughed again. “Oh, you’re okay on Crystal Lake Lane. It’s a cul-de-sac, so the dogs are safe wandering about. Orga and Rusty are great friends.”

“How did you come up with the name Rusty?”
 

Noreen looked at the dog. “We’ve always had bulldogs because my husband was English. We started with one called Churchill, then Charlie. The list goes on, but this is Rusty because he’s a mix of rust and white, so it seemed like a good idea. I also thought if one of us has to be rusty, I would rather it was him and not me. I’m rather forgetful, you see.”

Jessie saw.
 

“Did you tell me the other night you were living here?”
 

It saddened Jessie a little. She’d talked quite a bit with the older woman about the fact she was English. Noreen had told her she was American-born, but her late husband had been British. They’d moved to Crystal Lake fifty years ago. “I’m English,” Jessie said now, knowing what was going to come next.

Noreen’s face lit up. “You’re English. You know, so was my late husband, Joe.”

That’s when Jessie realized just how forgetful Mrs. Palmer really was. How very sad. She was such a nice woman, so sweet and kind, but it seemed she was beginning to lose touch with reality.
 

Noreen cut into her thoughts. “Are you married?”

“No, not yet.”

The older woman looked surprised. “But why ever not? You’re such a pretty thing. I’ll bet they’re lining up for you. You’re not too fussy are you? That’s not wise.”

“No, it’s not that.” She thought about Dan and the fact he hadn’t phoned her in the two days since their date. “It’s just I never really seem to meet the right guys.”

“Well, you know what they say . . .” Mrs. Palmer looked conspiratorial. “If you can’t find Mr. Right, you may as well play around with Mr. Wrong.”

Of all the things she could have said, that was the least expected. Jessie burst out laughing. “Mrs. Palmer, you wild woman. Who’d have thought?”

Noreen smiled. “I know my mind is slipping, but it’s nice to still make people laugh. You’re a lovely girl, and you’re even prettier when you smile.”

Jessie blushed.
 

“What were we talking about again? I really must focus more. Either that or start taking those darn tablets my son, Greg, gave me. Joe, my late husband, wasn’t half as bossy as Greg is.” She looked at Jessie as if this explained everything. “Tell me, angel,” she said. Jessie guessed that the endearment was Noreen covering for the fact she had forgotten her name already. “Would you and Alice like to come in for a glass of milk and a cookie?”

The baby didn’t have many words yet, but she knew the word cookie, and so did Rusty. Suddenly Alice was clapping, and Rusty was yapping about the idea of a treat. It made Jessie smile.

“That sounds perfect. Let me just leave a note in Maria’s kitchen so if she comes back she doesn’t worry. Then we’ll be right over.”

“Bring Orga,” Noreen said. “Did you know
orga
is the Irish word for gold? Now how did I remember that nugget?”

Maria hadn’t wanted to see number sixteen, Crystal Lake Lane, but she was glad she had. “That house is probably the nicest I’ve ever seen in my life.” She was gushing as they walked out and said good-bye to the realtor.

Cathi, it seemed, thought likewise. “I can’t believe the views. I thought you’d have to live on the lake to get that, but oh, the master bedroom—it was heaven,” she said.

“What about the kitchen?” Maria sighed. “I’ve never seen so much white marble. It was so light and modern.”

“I know. I always thought I wanted a traditional kitchen,” Cathi said, thinking about her own galley-style one. “But seeing that, I’ll have to do a total rethink.”

Maria had cheered up since Cathi forced her to get into the car. Seeing the new house had taken her mind off her own bad mood. “Do you want to come back to my place for coffee?”
 

“That sounds great. Thanks. Where is Alice anyway?”

“I left her with the sitter. Do you remember Jessie? I got her back. She was just so good with the kids.”

Cathi frowned. “I thought she was too pretty and you were never going to use her again.”

“I know, but what the heck? I trust Ricky, and Jessie is so damn capable.”

The other woman shook her blond bob. “You’re putting temptation in your husband’s path,” she said. “Look, I trust Rick as much as I trust Michael, but I think you’re putting a great big doughnut right in front of Rick while he’s on a diet.
You’re
his diet. Don’t flaunt what he’s not allowed to have in his face.”

Maria looked at her own rather extended waistline. If anybody was at the doughnuts, it was her, but maybe Cathi was right. Her plan had been to keep Jessie and Rick apart, but judging by his movements this morning, that wasn’t working. Even if she got her figure back, she still wouldn’t be able to compete with Jessie’s incredible beauty—or worse, her youth.
 

“Okay, I hear you. It’s just so difficult to get a good sitter, but I’ll go back to the website and get a different one.”

“Good girl,” Cathi said. “Wise decision—and over coffee at your place, you can help me to figure out how the heck I’m going to get my hands on Noreen Palmer’s house.”