Family Dynamics (Pam of Babylon Book Five) (25 page)

The next morning, three hung-over New Yorkers met in the sun-filled kitchen for breakfast.

“Sorry about last night,” Natalie said. “Chalk it up to emotional depravation.”

“I personally enjoyed it,” Ashton admitted, pouring coffee for everyone. “I think I had a wet dream last night.”

“Hey! That’s the mother of my child you’re talking to,” Ted said. Ashton smiled at him, contrite.

“Sorry, Nats,” he said, and she laughed, unfolding the paper and passing around what she didn’t care to read. “Well, we weathered that storm!” They settled down to a long, lazy Saturday morning.

Chapter 29

L
isa pulled out of the driveway of the house of her childhood without regrets and never looked back. She didn’t feel negative about leaving; it was a testimony to her upbringing that her home didn’t bring the same sense of comfort it once had because she was now an adult. It was time to grow up and be on her own. She’d felt slightly anxious during the visit. Her mother was moving on, and although Lisa was happy for her, she’d no longer have to endure being the center of attention. After what Pam had experienced, the lies and deceit, it was amazing that she was able to contemplate another relationship, and Lisa was filled with admiration. She drove toward the expressway, glancing at Ryan out of the corner of her eye. A few short days ago, he’d represented everything she needed to feel safe and secure. Now, seeing his reflection through her mother’s eyes, and in the milieu of her house at the beach, he was just as insecure and frightened as Lisa was.

And Dan! Oh my God
, she hated to admit it, but he stirred something in her, a desire for physical beauty that she didn’t think would ever matter to her. Her father was the most attractive man she’d ever seen, and look what that got her mother! So maybe she’d looked at Ryan’s unattractive exterior as a means for safety. Could she have been so naïve? When they were alone, his inner beauty was evident, but it was scarce right now. She didn’t even
like
him today. She’d just spent a thousand dollars of her money buying him a ticket home. They never discussed who was paying to go back.
Ugh
. All she wanted to do right then was get him to New Jersey; hopefully his strict mother would offer a place for her to stay for the night, and then in the morning, she’d go—but where? The mansion was gone; she didn’t know anyone in the city anymore. Her grandmother went into a nursing home that morning. She’d call one of her friends and see if she could hang out until it was safe to go back to the love nest in Babylon.

While Lisa was debating the wisdom of coming to New York unannounced, Brent Smith was getting off a plane at JFK. Julie had given him an ultimatum, and he’d decided he was going to ask her to marry him. He’d gone to a jeweler on his way to the airport and purchased the biggest rock he could afford—a one-karat emerald cut in platinum He wasn’t going into debt for a ring, and nothing was coming to him from his father’s estate for a while. His mother hadn’t been clear on that topic, but Brent got the feeling it was a lever she used in dealing with him and his sister. It made him sad. He was always the ideal son, and now his mother was cautious about every word that came out of her mouth when she talked to him and felt she needed to threaten him by withholding money.

Before heading to White Plains, he’d go to the beach to see his mother, shower, get his car, and head to Julie’s house. He had a light, happy heart. He was ready to get married, in spite of being afraid to make a commitment to Julie a few days earlier. He thought the revelations of the past two years had something to do with it, but once he was over it, he recognized that his parents had a marriage that was successful, no matter what the outcome. He wanted to emulate their relationship if he was lucky enough. They’d lived together in harmony for many years. He never recalled them having an argument, even raised voices, unless his mother was winning at Scrabble.

“You
look
like a dumb blond, but you’re as smart as a Mensa,” Jack would yell. Pam would shake her head in exasperation while her children laughed hysterically.

“Take your turn before you lose it,” she’d admonish. Lisa and Brent would beam, proud of their beautiful mother and father and the life they’d made for their children. Brent was so regretful that he’d unloaded all the nitpicky garbage about Marie and Jack on his mother. His mother listened to what he had to say, took it to heart, and was devastated. Until she validated him, he wasn’t even sure his suspicions were true. How much can a child’s memory be trusted? Brent decided it’s why parents have to be careful about what they say and do in front of small children. The boogeyman may be there, whispering lies.

It was good to be back in New York. The cab driver drove like a maniac and pulled up in front of the beach house less than an hour later. There was a strange Porsche in the driveway.
Uh-oh
, Brent thought. He didn’t know what kind of car Dave drove and was mildly surprised to see the expensive model. Maybe he’d underestimated him. Dave was a dud, but Brent and Lisa decided it may have been because they were comparing him to the only man they had ever seen their mother with—their father. Brent gave money to the driver, and as he pulled his bag out of the car, his cell phone rang. It was his sister.

“You’ll never guess where I am,” he said instead of saying hello.

“Bangladesh,” Lisa said. “Don’t tell me you’re home.”

“As a matter of fact—”

“Well, get your car keys and get out of there. Mom has a new BF, and if I were you, I wouldn’t interrupt her.”

Brent was at a loss. “What should I do? I don’t have my house keys,” he whined, annoyed.

“Go in through the garage. There’s a door key under that big rock by the bird feeder,” she said. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the door opened, and Pam waved to him.

“She’s at the door,” he said. “Let me call you back.” Brent hung up the phone and starting walking up the walkway. Pam rushed down to meet him, making amends for the way she had greeted her daughter earlier. She was laughing out loud.

“Are you in cahoots with your sister?” she asked, hugging him. “Honestly, she just left here not two hours ago.”

“Mother, I am so sorry for popping in on you like this,” Brent said. And then he noticed his mother was in the front yard in a bathing suit cover up, suntan lotion on her face, and her hair up in a spiky ponytail. When his father was alive, this casual appearance would have never left her bathroom. “Just in from the beach? Is that Dave’s car?”

Pam explained about Lisa and Ryan, about Dan and Jeff Babcock.

“Come in and meet Dan,” she said. Brent told her about Julie and pulled out the engagement ring, and then, surprisingly and lovingly, she began to cry.

“Oh, what a day,” Pam said. “A wedding! It’s the only happy thing we’ve had in a while, don’t you think?” They embraced. “Let’s go in the house and you can meet Dan and then get your shower. You’re going to see Julie tonight, correct?” They continued their conversation as they walked the path to the house. Brent saw Dan, a strikingly handsome man, not much older than forty, he guessed, walking in from the veranda. Jeff Babcock was behind him. Pam introduced everyone and then excused herself to change.

Dan and Brent hit it off. And Brent was so relieved that his mother found someone other than the bland Dave. He didn’t get the vibe that his mother was serious about this guy, but it was OK, because he was obviously smitten with her. It was almost embarrassing. A moment of concern that Dan might use her for money surfaced, but Brent ignored the feeling. She was an adult. She survived the death of his father and the betrayal that followed; she’d be OK. He excused himself to get ready for his trip to see Julie.

After everyone left, Pam and Dan sat side-by-side on the veranda. She was going to ask him if they should stay in for dinner when the phone rang.

“I think I’ll let the machine pick up,” she said. “Everyone I care about is accounted for.” But the words were no sooner out of her mouth that she heard Bernice’s shrill yelling into the phone. As she ran to answer it, the only words she could make out were “terrible accident.” Bernice hung up before Pam could pick up. She immediately called the direct line into the ladies’ room. Bernice told her the news, Pam hardly able to believe it.

“How do we know for sure it’s our Steve?” she asked, immediately regretting it as Bernice began a tirade.

“Call the police! Your mother is beside herself about Miranda. What will happen to her?” Bernice started crying, so rather than question her any further, Pam promised to find out what she could and call back. She hung the phone up and turned to Dan.

“It appears that my mother-in-law heard a newscast that my sister’s boyfriend was killed Friday night after he dropped my niece off at Sandra’s house. I need to contact her because she’s expecting him to come back eventually. How do I find out if it was really him?” Pam sat on a stool at her kitchen counter with her head in her hand. She knew it was irrational to worry about taking care of Miranda when they weren’t sure Steve was killed. Dan came to her and hugged her.

“Relax if you can, and I’ll see what I can find out,” he said. Pam nodded her head, thinking
How can peace be so elusive?
While Dan went back to the veranda to make his calls, Pam struggled between feeling guilty about not wanting to start over with a baby and fantasizing about what it might be like to raise another child without Jack’s influence. In a few minutes, Dan came back looking grim.

“It was your Steve Marks, living in your house in the Village. A friend is going to look for a will, but if there isn’t one, the baby would be your mother’s responsibility. It would be up to her to designate who the caregiver would be.” Pam put her head down on her arms, attempting to control the emotion she was feeling. She’d barely tolerated Steve. But his absence would change so much.

“I guess I need to go back into the city. Sandra needs to be told. Out of respect for her, my mother probably should have some input,” Pam explained. “This is not how I wanted to spend my weekend. Run! I’ve got too much baggage and am too selfish to get involved with.”

“Yeah, well, let me be the judge of that, OK? It’s too late to do anything now. I’ll take you in the morning.” He absentmindedly rubbed her back, thinking about what lay ahead of them. “Hey! I just had an idea. Let’s go out. I know just the place that will get your mind off all this sadness.”

Pam was usually in bed by ten, but not on this night. Thanks to her attorney, she discovered she loved midnight bowling.

Chapter 30

L
isa navigated the streets of Mount Holly. She couldn’t get over how quaint it was.

“Oh, my God! A Friends Meeting House in the center of town. Look at the library! And that old prison,” she exclaimed, each block exposing more and more of the city’s historic charm. “And a synagogue?”

“Turn here,” Ryan directed. “My house is down on the right.” Lisa drove slowly along, amazed at the mixture of architecture: First Colonial, then Victorian, then post-war. The contrasts were making her dizzy. “Here it is.” Lisa looked up at the little colonial house, white painted wood with dark green shutters that really closed, a perfectly groomed lawn, and flower boxes already planted with early summer annuals, red geraniums, and variegated ivy.

“What a cute place!” she said as she stopped the car right in front. Ryan looked at her with suspicion. When the cab had pulled up to her family’s beachfront property, he almost peed on himself. She never came across as being a spoiled rich girl, but after an hour with her mother, he could see that was exactly what she was. How had he missed it? “How many kids in your family?” she asked, astonished that an entire group of people could live in such a dollhouse.

“Five. Why?” He asked.

“It’s so little,” she answered. “I mean not little bad. Little cozy.”

“There’s a difference?” he asked sarcastically. She grabbed his hand and laughed.

“Oh, don’t take offense. I love it! I could be happy living here,” she said. They walked up to the front door. His mother was also unprepared for a visit from her son. She would be unable to hide her dismay. Ryan tried the door, and it was unlocked.

“Mom, surprise!” he said, opening it. Gladys Ford walked out of her kitchen, wiping her hands on a paper towel just as Ryan and Lisa walked through the door. She was not happy.

“Why are you home?” she asked. “And how’d you get here?” Ryan went to her and tried to embrace her, but a limp pat on the back was all he was getting until some explanations were forthcoming.

“Mom, this is Lisa. She offered to pay my airfare, so here we are! I missed everyone,” he lied. “And I could use a break.”

“Oh no, no, no!” she exclaimed. “You are not spending the summer here lazing around while everyone else works.”

“I didn’t say I was going to be here all summer,” he said defensively. He looked at Lisa, embarrassed. Lisa stuck her hand out to Mrs. Ford.

“Your house is wonderful!” she said. “I love this town.” Ryan thought she might be laying it on a little thick. The Village of Babylon was quaint, too. Gladys looked back at Ryan.