Page 68 of The Summer We Started Over

She ended the call and began walking again. Drew didn’t want to take her to a party where his parents were. She hated it that Eddie had been right, that Drew wasn’t interested in something real. She hated it more that Janny had weaseled her way into an evening with Paul.

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Eddie had many sexy and sophisticated dresses in her closet, but Jeff was taking her to have dinner with his parents tonight, and Eddie wanted to look pretty for Jeff and sweet for his parents, although they had to know by now that their son was a grown man who didn’t date women only for their sweetness. She settled on a simple blue cotton dress with low-heeled sandals.

She had butterflies in her stomach when Jeff picked her up at the house. Why was she so nervous, or was she excited? She knew why! Because “meeting the parents” was a big deal. It was a test she wanted to pass and she didn’t know all the rules.

She was certain she’d met Jessie and Howie Jefferson sometime during that first year she’d lived on the island. Howie was treasurer for the town, a demanding and admirable job. Jessie loved to cook andchanneled that love into running bake sales for the local churches and charities. Jessie was, in her own way, famous.

The Jeffersons’ house was off Milestone Road, down a tree-lined driveway to a small ranch house settled in a paradise of flowers.

“Mom takes bouquets to the Saturday farmers’ market in town,” Jeff explained as he helped Eddie from the truck. “She donates the proceeds to A Safe Place.”

Jessie was at the door. “Hello, hello, come in!”

Jessie was a pretty woman in jeans and a floral shirt. Her dark hair was twisted up and held by a silver barrette inset with glittering stones. She was barefoot, and her toenails were painted deep purple.

“Lovely to meet you, Eddie.” Jessie kissed Eddie’s cheek and gave her son a hug and ushered them into the house, past the open-plan room with a TV and sofas at one end and a kitchen at the other, and out the door to the deck.

Jeff’s father was busy at the grill, but he turned and greeted Jeff and Eddie with a wave and a question. “You eat meat, right? Steak?”

“I do,” Eddie said.

“Sit, sit,” Jessie said, indicating two canvas deck chairs. “How are you? Have you had a good day? Eddie, I want to hearall aboutDinah Lavender!”

“You should come by the Book Barn sometime. I know she’d love to autograph a book for you.”

“Thank you for the invitation! I belong to a book club that meets once a month. My friends are very excited that Jeff has met the writer, and they want an up close, firsthand account, because Jeff is hopeless, he just says she’s pretty and she’snice.” She caught her breath. “Would you like a beer? That’s what the men are drinking. I’m having a sparkling pink wine. It’s called Mimi, a perfect name, don’t you think? All the women I’ve met who are named Mimi are sparkling.”

While Jessie went into the kitchen for the drinks, Jeff said quietly, “I was going to warn you, but I thought I’d let you get the real Jessie, full force.”

“She’s amazing,” Eddie whispered.

When Jessie arrived with their drinks, Eddie sat back in her chair and relaxed. They ate sliced tomatoes topped with mozzarella, the tomatoes from Jessie’s plants, and tender steaks, potato salad, and a green salad with arugula and Bibb lettuce that Jessie had grown in her garden. Jeff’s father was not a conversationalist. He obviously left that to his wife and sat happily listening to her, adding sharp remarks now and then.

“Tell me about your father,” Jessie urged. “I’ve noticed him here and there. He’s a terrifically handsome man. I’ve heard that he’s divorced. Is he seeing anyone? Because I have several friends who would be over the moon to go out with him, to dinner or a play. One of my friends, Darcy, has a boat. Do you think your father might enjoy a sail this summer?”

“Leave her alone, Jessie,” Jeff’s father said gently. “The man doesn’t need you prying in his life.”

“Oh,” Jessie said sweetly, “I’ll bet he does.” She jumped up from her chair. “I’ll get dessert.”

Jessie brought out Klondike bars.

“I can’t get enough ice cream in the summer,” she announced. “I hope you aren’t insulted that I didn’t make something special.”

“This is perfect,” Eddie said. “What a marvelous summer meal.”

“The corn isn’t ready yet. It will be a few weeks more before it’s sweet.” Jessie caught her husband’s glance. “I know, I know, I’m such a chatterbox. Eddie, how do you like being back on Nantucket?”

“It’s beautiful here,” Eddie began.

“Summer in the city can be so hot,” Jessie said. “And I could be wrong, but it seems that during summer in New York, the sidewalks become even harder than usual. Maybe the molecules shrink or expand? And I’ve often wondered how any breeze can get to the street between all the tall buildings.”

As if showing off especially for Jessie, a cool, sea-scented breezeslid around them, making the trees at the back of the Jeffersons’ land dip and sway.

Jeff ate the last bite of his Klondike bar, crushed the wrapper in his hands, and stood up. “Sorry, Mom, but I’ve got to work tomorrow.”

Eddie rose, too. “Thank you so much for this wonderful evening.” She smiled at Jeff’s father. “My steak was delicious. Thank you.”

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