CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MILLY
When the children got home from school, Milly realized she’d been so busy unpacking the last of the moving boxes, she still hadn’t bathed or changed out of her tennis clothes. Debbie and Jack started happily playing with blocks in the living room, so she took the opportunity to freshen up and change.
“Debbie, please keep an eye on your brother until I get back down,” Milly said from halfway up the stairs.
By the time she got out of the shower and heard the Mouseketeers counting off their names in roll call, she was grateful that Debbie had turned on the television for Jack, and she allowed herself a few extra moments to fix her hair. But when she heard a squeal of laughter coming from outside, she rushed to the window. She had made it very clear, on multiple occasions, that the children were not to leave the house without her permission. They were still new to the area and could easily wander off and get lost—especially Jack. She pushed back the curtains to see them both in the yard playing croquet with one of the young men from her guest cottage.
Ducking from view and pulling on a yellow plaid sundress, she rushed downstairs to the yard.
“Jack, Debbie,” she called from the back door, “please don’t bother our guests.”
“Hi, Mrs. Kincaid,” the young man greeted her. His name was Wesley, if she remembered correctly. “They’re no bother at all. In fact Jack’s really getting the hang of croquet.”
“Look, Mommy,” Jack said as he swung the wooden mallet toward the ball and let go of the handle, sending it flying in the air toward the young man.
Wesley quickly stepped aside, out of the way, then bent down to pick up the mallet and hand it back.
“You’ve got to hold on real tight, buddy,” he said, taking Jack’s hands and placing them on the handle again, this time directing his aim. “That’s it, champ,” he said as Jack tapped the ball more gently this time and sent it rolling through the wicket.
“It worked,” Jack called out, jumping. “I scored.”
“Nice work,” Milly said. “But you must leave poor Mr. Wesley here alone. I’m sure he has much more pressing things to attend to.”
“It’s no problem at all, Mrs. Kincaid, really. They are great kids, and we’re having a blast.”
“See, Mommy,” Debbie chimed in, “he said we can stay. I’m really good at this game too.” Milly looked to her guest and he nodded.
“I promise, it’s fine.”
“Well at least let me bring you something to drink.” She remembered seeing a few of Lloyd’s beers in the back of the fridge.
“That would be swell,” he said. “I just rented a board and paddled around the island, so I’m parched. The rest of the boys are sleeping off last night’s fun.”
Milly nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
She grabbed two beers, two glasses of milk, and chocolate chip cookies that she’d baked the night before and placed them on a tray. Before returning to the children, she watched from the window. Debbie and Jack were squealing with laughter as Wesley chased them around the yard, and she smiled at their youthful innocence, how easy it was tolaugh and smile, and how free they were with their limbs as they leapt to escape his reach. She too felt more youthful since her tennis lesson that morning, giddy almost with the promise of what was to come. She had never played a sport before, nor had she had any interest, but she’d loved being so active and was already thinking about what she might learn in her next lesson.
She stayed a moment longer, enjoying the laughter and squeals of delight coming from a home that was in such a state of silent upheaval. Milly had expected her guests to be female and hoped it would be a treat for Debbie, but maybe having these young men around wouldn’t be so bad after all, especially for Jack, since Lloyd wasn’t planning to show his face anytime soon. While she was at the window, she opened the kitchen drawer and put on a touch of lipstick, just to make herself presentable, then she carried the tray out to the yard.
“Those look amazing,” Wesley said, sitting down across from Milly at the patio table and picking up a cookie.
“I think I’ve perfected the recipe,” Milly said, waiting for him to take a bite.
“Oh, you have,” he said, catching a crumb as it fell on his lip. “You definitely have. What’s the secret?”
“I can’t reveal that,” Milly said. “Or I’ll have nothing to bribe you with when I need someone to play with the children.”
Jack and Debbie launched themselves toward the plate of cookies, then took off again running.
“Don’t eat and run,” Milly said. “You might choke.” She shook her head and laughed when they took absolutely no notice of her.
“It’s good advice,” Wesley said. “I’ll heed your warning.” He picked up his beer and held it up. “Cheers.”
Milly clinked his. “Cheers.” She couldn’t help but notice, now that she got a good look, that he was quite a catch, with those dark-brown eyes and disheveled, wavy brown hair. If he wasn’t already going steady with a college girl, he was sure to win one over this week. “So where do you all go to school?” Milly asked.
“UCLA,” he said. “I’m in my final year.”
