A Vineyard Morning by Jean Stone

Author:Jean Stone [Stone, Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2020-10-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

It had been years since she’d allowed herself to “let it out,” as her dad had instructed her the night Brian had been killed, years since so many tears had spilled down her face, since her insides had felt as if they were doing battle with each other. She rocked back and forth and back and forth.

At some point, Claire left her chair and went to Annie, encircling her arms around Annie’s trembling shoulders and gently saying, “It’s okay, Annie. You’re going to be all right now.”

It was a while before she was depleted, her heart and her soul dissolved into a tidal pool the size of Poucha Pond. Her posture remained slumped, but her breathing finally quieted, her tremors eased. The numbness of crying had provided needed relief.

Then Claire smoothed Annie’s hair. “Tell Kevin,” she said. “And tell your mother. Earl and I are your island family, but they should know, too.”

Annie had seen the tender side of Claire when baby Bella had landed on the Vineyard. It had taken Annie aback; before then, she’d been intimidated by the untamed hair and the wild look Claire could get in her eyes if she felt she or her family were being wronged.

Pausing, Annie waited to gather herself. Then she said, “I shared the basics with them, but that’s all.”

“If they only wanted the basics they could read the bio on your book jackets.”

“I don’t have the patent on misery, Claire.”

Claire returned to her chair, her pearl-gray eyes looking softer now, her mouth turned up in a small grin. “Oh, my. Sometimes life is shit, isn’t it?”

The gravity of the moment fell away, and Annie laughed. Cussing—as Earl called it—was not commonplace for Claire. “That it is.”

“What do you want, Annie? What are you hoping will happen next?”

“I want it all to go away. I want Donna to be fine, and I want to find out tomorrow that the skull belonged to a British sailor who went down with his ship in the eighteenth century and we are therefore free to rehire our crew and finish construction so we can pay our bills, get our occupancy permit, open the Inn, and provide a home to the people we’re already committed to. Of course, even if that all happens, we won’t have Jonas back.” As soon as she’d said those last words, Annie wished she hadn’t.

“Where’s Jonas?” Claire’s penchant for being a busybody quickly resurfaced.

“I heard he left the island. I guess he went back to New York, to show his paintings.” It seemed kinder than sharing the rest. Besides, the day had already been emotional enough.

“I don’t expect Taylor’s happy about that. Is Lucy upset that he’s gone?”

Annie had had no idea that Claire knew he and Lucy had spent time together. “Yes, they’re friends. I’m sure she’s sad to see him go.”

Claire laughed. “Friends? Well, it’s just as well he’s gone. The age difference between them isn’t good. Especially since Lucy’s still a child.” She sighed.

“You have the wrong idea,” Annie said.

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