Part 17 (2/2)
arriage. ”it burned itself out. Dad was right about Janine. She wasn't in it for the long haul, any more than my mother had been.”
”Did you love her?”
”Pa.s.sionately but briefly.” Which, on a physical basis, described Chelsea's own affair with him, she realized. She wondered whether it had to be that way with Judd. He had a capacity for caring; what he did for his father attested to it, as did the way he related to men at the quarry. But he hadn't had the best of luck with women. 377 Har6mrs Degngky He lifted his arm. ”I could use aspirin.” She found some in the bathroom and returned with a gla.s.s of water. When he'd swallowed them she said, ”I'll see what's for dinner.”
”Gretchen will make something.”
”I can make something.”
”I pay Gretchen to cook.”
”You pay her to watch Leo. Let me cook.”
”I've tasted your cooking.”
”That was breakfast. Breakfast isn't my best meal. You've never tasted my dinner. I'll be back,” she said, and left feeling more directed than she had in months-incredible, given all she'd done in that time, but true nonetheless. She spent a fortune on food at Farr's and, after that, at the bakery. She went slightly overboard, she knew, but was feeling too benevolent to care. A good part of what she bought- was for Wendell's family. Cutters Comer was out past the hospital, fifteen minut Ies and a world away from the center of town. The roads here were pitted, the homes little more than shacks in need of paint and repair. Most had front porches, but they were a far cry from front porches in town. Some sported frayed beach chairs, others were crudely enclosed for added living s.p.a.ce, still others sagged with age. Shrubbery was little more than brush that was wild and hardy enough to survive in front yards cluttered with junk cars, worn tires, rusted bicycles, and scattered toys. Where gra.s.s managed to grow, it had turned to hay in the summer's heat and had never revived. Still, there was something lived in and loved 378 The raswong of cbelmw AMW ut the place. Whereas Chelsea could drive ugh finer streets in town and pa.s.s homes with . painted rockers on their porches, expensive mountain bikes in their driveways, gracefully symmetrical clotheslines and neatly stacked wood in their yards, those streets were often empty. Here, there were people. Young children darted through the clutter in the yards, while their mothers took down wash from makes.h.i.+ft lines that ran from a hook on the house to a tree. Some of those mothers looked too young to have children. Others looked too old. Still others were pregnant again. Whether because she, too, was pregnant, or because the odds were strong that one or both of her biological parents came from the Corner, Chelsea felt a connection with the place. She could face George Jamieson or Emery Farr or Oliver Plum without batting an eyelash, but her palms were damp when she pulled up at Wendell's address. Chelsea guessed the girl who answered her knock to be no more than ten. She was a pretty girl, clean and simply dressed.
Looking out curiously from behind each of her legs were two younger children, both dark and tousle-haired, looking incredibly alike. ”Hi.
I'm Chelsea Kane. Is your mom here?” The girl shook her head. Her eyes were large and as dark as her hair. She looked frightened. ”She's at the hospital. My daddy was hurt.” ”I know,” Chelsea said gently, though she hadn't thought the children would be left alone. ”That's why I'm here.”
The girl's eyes grew larger. ”Is he gonna die?”
”Oh, no. He'll be just fine. But I thought that since your mother will be busy taking care of him, you 379 BWtwa Definsky could use some extra food in the house.”
She glanced at the handle of the screen door. ”May I come in?” ”What's in the bags?” asked one of the little ones. ”Good stuff,” Chelsea said, ”like roasted chicken and lasagna and fruit.”
”That's not good stuff,” declared the second little one. ”And cupcakes,” Chelsea went on, ”and halfmoons and gingerbread boys and cookies with pumpkin faces.”
”Pum'kins?” asked the first little one with interest. ”Pumpkin cookies,” the older girl put in. The second little one was tempted enough by that to leave the shelter of her sister's leg and push open the screen.
Chelsea caught it with an elbow and slipped inside. She easily found her way to the kitchen, but the table was covered with the remains of lunch, so she put the bags on a chair. Reaching inside one, she came up with three pumpkin cookies. The two little girls took them instantly, but the older one shook her head. Chelsea looked around. She could understand why the table hadn't been cleared. The sink was already filled with dishes. Putting a gentle hand on the older girl's shoulder, she said, ”Your mom will be tired when she gets home. How about you and I do some cleaning here, so she won't have to worry about doing it herself.”
Laying her blazer over the back of a chair, Chelsea pushed up the sleeves of her sweater and went to the sink. The girl remained behind.
It wasn't until the dish drainer was filled that she took a dish towel and began to dry what had been washed. 380 old are your sisters?”
Chelsea asked. :-Four.”
”Are they twins?”
”Yes.” Mft must be fun to always have someone to play ”I guess.” She didn't look either enthused or comfortable. Chelsea wasn't sure what to say to make her relax, so she tried, ”What's your name?”
”Caroline.”
”And your sisters?”
”Charlotte and Claire.”
”Charlotte. That's a big name for a little girl.”
”Charlie.” Chelsea smiled. Charlie was better. She glanced back at the little girls. They were standing beside the chair with the grocery bags and had chocolate rings around their mouths. They had gotten into the cupcakes. ”Hey, you two. That's all for now.”
”I wanna moon,” one said. ”I wananother pum'kin,” said her twin. ”You have to help clean up first,” Chelsea said. ”I need you to bring me all the dishes from the table so that I can wash them. Can you do that? Very carefully? One at a time?” She figured that would keep them busy for a while. When she had finished doing the dishes, she wiped down the counters and, fully expecting another mess, opened the refrigerator. It wasn't too bad, largely because there wasn't much food inside. She neatened what was there, wiped up the worst of the spills, then unloaded her purchases, and all the while the twins were beside her with a steady stream of talk while Caroline stayed off to the side. 381 Barbwa Demnww ”What's this?”
”What's that?”
”Where do you live?”
”I don't like ham.”
”Claire dirtied your jacket.”
”I did not.”
”I'm gonna to be a mouse for Halloween.”
”Mommy has pants like those.”
”Can I have ' cookie?”
For lack of a better approach, Chelsea treated Caroline like the grown-up in the house. ”There's orange juice and fruit punch,” she instructed softly. ”The chicken is already cooked. You can either eat it cold, or heat it a little. I've brought pita bread and wheat bread, so there's plenty for sandwiches. Here, let's wash this fruit. It'll be good if you get hungry later. Do you like strawberries?” The girl nodded somberly. ”Good. Why don't you find a bowl. I'll hull them.” Caroline stood on her tiptoes, took a chipped bowl from a cabinet, pa.s.sed it to Chelsea, then retreated. ”I don't like strawberries,” one of the twins complained. ”What's these?” asked the other, emerging from the grocery bag with a miniature cheese wheel in either hand. ”Look inside the bag, Caroline,” Chelsea said. ”There are several boxes of crackers. In a pinch, if you're starved and your mom hasn't come home yet, you can put the cheese on the crackers-”
”They'll be fed proper,” came a voice from the door. Chelsea turned to face a large woman, to whom the twins instantly bounced. 382 The ralwons Of Chelsea Kane e brought cupcakes-”
pum'kins-” d half-moons-” ham.” @,l hate ham. helsea wiped her hands and offered one. ”I'm Isea Kane.” know,” said the woman. She was wearing jeans a jacket and had her thin, straight hair drawn a high ponytail. By bending over the twins, she able to ignore Chelsea's hand. Glady Beamis,” Caroline said in a quiet ce from the far end of the counter.
@Chelsea shot her a grateful smile. To Glady she d, ”Do you live nearby?” Th- -man straightened. ”Next door.”
”Ahhh. Good. Well, I just wanted to make sure ere was plenty of food in the house.”
”We'd have made sure there was.”
”I'm sure you would have. I guess I just wanted to o something to help.”
Glady looked at Chelsea's stomach. 4That ”Judd's?”
Chelsea wasn't showing any more than she had at morning, and the wind wasn't blowing here in e house, which meant that the men had already ked. She sighed. ”No. I conceived before I came here. The baby's due at the end of January.” The baby was actually due at the beginning of February, but her case against Judd being the father was more convincing this way. ”January's a bad month to have a baby up here. There's nothing but snow and ice.” I Chelsea chuckled. ”It's a little late to be telling me that.” 383 zarbwa Demnsky The twins started in again, each holding one of Glady's hands. ”I like snow.”
”'Specially making angels.”
”'Specially making s...o...b..a.l.l.s.”
”When was I born, Glady?”
”My ear hurts.”
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