Сьюзен Мэллери: Summer Days

Rafe pulled up in front of the two-story apartment building and studied the parched lawn, the leaning palm trees by the sidewalk. A couple of windows had aluminum foil as a stand-in for curtains, and there was a car up on blocks in the carport. He looked at the address on his cell phone, then back at the building and knew he’d found the right place.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this, he thought grimly. He should have done a better job of protecting those he was responsible for. He wondered if Evangeline would agree.

He got out of his car, then locked it. The Mercedes stood out on the quiet street, a flashy and unwelcome reminder of his wealth. He crossed the lawn, climbed the steps to the second floor and knocked on the door of apartment 220.

A busty blonde opened the door and smiled up at him.

“Hi. You must be lost, because we don’t get guys like you in the neighborhood. Not that I’m complaining.”

She wore tiny shorts and a cropped T-shirt, makeup for five and her toenails were covered with orange polish that glittered.

“I’m here to see Evangeline.”

The blonde gave him an exaggerated pout. “Can I get you to take me out instead? I’m much more fun.”

“No, thanks.”

The blonde motioned for him to step inside, then turned toward a closed bedroom door.

“Evie, there’s some guy here to see you. If you don’t want him, can I have him?” She gave Rafe a sassy eyebrow wiggle as she posed the question.

The bedroom door opened. “A guy. I’m not expecting—”

Rafe hadn’t seen his sister in nearly seven years. She was tall and slender, with a dancer’s build. Unlike May’s other children, she had green eyes and honey-blond hair. But he could see May in the shape of her face.

Her expression was more resigned than excited—not a surprise, considering their last conversation. But it hadn’t been a conversation, he remembered. He’d yelled, and she hadn’t said a word. Then she’d walked out, and he hadn’t seen her again until now.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“You know him?”

“He’s my big brother.”

The blonde started toward him.

Rafe shook his head. “Still not interested.”

“Why not?”

“I’m with somebody.” At least he hoped to be. Very soon. But first he had some fences to mend.

“Can I buy you a cup of coffee?” he asked Evangeline.

He suspected she wanted to say no, but also didn’t want to risk his talking in front of her roommate. She nodded once and disappeared into the bedroom. Seconds later, she reappeared, a small handbag with a long strap slung over her body. Unlike the blonde, she wore jeans, and her T-shirt actually covered her waist. She’d stepped into loafers.

“I won’t be long,” she said, as she followed him to the door.

They didn’t speak as they got in the car. He’d already located a Starbucks nearby and drove directly there. They went into the shop, ordered, picked up their drinks and a couple of scones, then settled in a table in the corner.

Rafe studied his sister, taking in the defined lines of her face. Evangeline had always been thin. It was her natural build, and her dancing had only emphasized the leanness of her body. But now she was almost gaunt, and there was something in her eyes. Wariness? Or desperation?

“Are you getting enough to eat?” he asked, before he could stop himself.

She looked at him, her eyebrows rising. “Really? That’s where you want to start this conversation?”

“Sorry. No.” He sipped his coffee. “It’s good to see you.”

She leaned back in her chair. “Why are you here?”

“I’ve been thinking about you and wanted to know how you were doing.”

“You could have called.”

“I wanted to see you.”

“Why? We don’t stay in touch.”

He wanted to point out that she’d been the one to walk away, to disappear. He’d gone after her.… Okay, technically, he’d sent an assistant to talk to her. Evangeline had said to stay the hell out of her life. That was a direct quote. So he had. He’d told himself she would come around when she was ready. That she knew how to find him. Or their mother or Shane or Clay.

What he’d chosen to ignore was that she’d been all of eighteen. She’d walked away from Juilliard with no skills, no experience in the world, and he’d let her. Because it was easier than dealing with her directly. He’d dumped a few thousand dollars into a checking account and, through the assistant, had told her to come see him when she wanted more. She’d taken the money and closed the account the next day.

“How are you?” he asked.

“Fine.”

“Are you dancing?”

She glared at him. “Why are you here? What do you want?”

“To talk. To reconnect. We’re family.”

“No, we’re related. A family is a collection of people who care about each other. Who look out for each other. I have a mother who has ignored me from the time I was born, and an oldest brother who’s spent my life disapproving of every decision I’ve ever made. I guess Shane and Clay are my family.”

She stood. “Thanks for stopping by.”

“Wait,” he said, coming to his feet. “Please.”

She stared at him. “Please? Can you say that word without turning to dust? I wouldn’t have thought it was possible.”

He felt her anger and understood it, but what bothered him more was the sadness lurking underneath. The profound sense that she was completely alone in the world.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Please stay for a few more minutes.”

She reluctantly sank back into the chair. He settled across from her.

“I’m sorry,” he began slowly. “I was wrong to walk away from you. I was wrong not to listen or try to understand. You were a kid, and I turned my back on you.”

“So did Mom.”

He nodded. “So did Mom.”

He’d always thought about his sister in terms of the trouble she caused, and how her dancing consumed her. He’d never considered what it must have been like from her point of view. Growing up an obvious afterthought, the result of a single night spent with a stranger. He and his brothers had been born to a couple very much in love. They’d been the family Evangeline had talked about. But she was a constant reminder of the pain they’d felt after their father had died. Odd man out.

May had been uncomfortable with Evangeline from the beginning. The woman who loved her children unrepentantly had kept her only daughter at a distance. Rafe had been too busy being the man of the house to worry about a little girl. It had fallen on Shane and Clay to parent her, and they’d only been kids themselves.

“It was your birthday a few weeks ago,” he said. “I thought of you then.”

“Did you? You thought of me?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, Rafe, that makes everything so much better. Knowing you took the trouble to think of me. I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Dammit, Evie.”

She stood again. “Go to hell. I don’t want you around, and I sure don’t need you. Maybe I did once. But you weren’t there. Not you or Mom. I had to figure it out on my own.” She narrowed her gaze. “Whatever you want, you’re too late. I’m not interested.”

“I don’t want anything.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because I was wrong before. Because I want us to be a family again.”

“We were never a family.”

“Then let’s be one now.”

She turned to leave.

He stood. “I need you.”

She stopped, but didn’t look at him.

He circled around the small table and stepped in front of her. “I need you,” he repeated. “I was such a jerk. I never asked why you left school. I never asked what went so wrong. I never bothered to find out where you went or what you did. Hell, I didn’t even teach you to ride a bike.”