Page 7 of A Family Affair: The Vow
“Those are questions for another time. But I will tell you about the attitude comment. My guess is Nate thinks Leah’s little sister isn’t going to want help with the business or getting comfortable with our town.” He rubbed his jaw, gnawed on the possibility of the town giving her the cold shoulder. “We’re a hospitable bunch and we stick together, but we don’t like it when someone acts like they’re better than we are because their sweater’s newer or their car’s one of those fancy foreign jobs. Never judge a person by their appearance—” Pop held her gaze, said in a firm voice “—or the car they’re driving.”
Lily nodded. “Or the house they live in. Uncle Harry said it can all be a fake, like a cubic zirconia pretending it’s a diamond.”
“Right. So, we’ll have to see what we think about Leah’s sister and try not to judge, though it might be hard. A lot depends on how she treats us; is she welcoming, snooty, putting on airs? Is she thankful and gracious?”
“That’s a lot to think about.” Lily’s brows pinched together as she considered Pop’s words. “What’shighfalutinmean?”
No doubt, Lily had overheard that word in regard to the sister. “It means acting fancy.”
Pop could guess Nate had commented on the sister’s highfalutin lifestyle, the fancy job and clothes that cost more than most people’s paycheck. Had he said anything about her lack of metal distribution knowledge or interest even though that’s what financed her education? Most likely he’d added that in as well. Pop didn’t know much about Leah Darlington’s baby sister other than her name was Rachel but Leah called her Rae; she lived in Alexandria, Virginia, and her parents thought she was going to be the next CEO of her company. Parents always believed their opinions of their children, but Pop preferred the details such as how she’d only visited a handful of times since she moved to Virginia and hadn’t been back after her parents’ retirement party three years ago. Those details were interesting ones that would lead to a better understanding of who Rachel Darlington was and how she’d fare in Magdalena.
“Fancy,” Lily repeated. “Okay then, I guess it won’t be long before we find out if she’s highfalutin and if she has an attitude.” When Pop frowned, Lily tossed him a smile and said in a knowing voice filled with her own brand of attitude, “She’s on her way.”
* * *
Rae pulledinto the driveway leading up to the house where she’d lived until she left for college. The place didn’t look like it had the last time she’d been here, and it had nothing to do with a different season. The front lawn had been mowed in a haphazard fashion with rows of uneven grass sticking up, patches of brown and yellow indicating a dull mower blade and inconsistent watering. What would her father say if he saw the edging? Or ratherlackof edging? Gil Darlington had always prided himself on maintaining the best edging on the street,one-quarter inch between the grass and the pavement,he’d said. Pristine. Professional. Well, it didn’t look professional now. Apparently, Josh hadn’t understood his grandfather’s words. Or maybe he had and didn’t share those thoughts.
She parked the BMW, opened the door, and stood in front of the two-story that neighbors had once called cozy and charming. How had the place become like one of the houses her father used to complain about with words likeshabby, unkempt,andovergrown? He would not be happy if he saw the state of his beloved lawn or the bits of trash near the garbage can. And why hadn’t Josh bothered to pick up the newspaper from the last few days? Or weed the flowerbeds? Rae didn’t know the difference between a pansy and a peony, but she could appreciate the care that went into nurturing them. Her mother had tended these beds each year, removed shriveled and dying flowers, trimmed shrubs, bagged leaves. But now? Weeds, overgrown bushes, and clumps of leaves scattered the beds, choked out the memory of what used to be there.
Hadn’t Josh told her he had a handle on the house?No problem, that’s what he said each time she’d asked how things were going since the accident.
Apparently, he had a different understanding of what that question meant. Ugh. They were definitely going to have a talk about expectations and obligations because at some point, her parentswouldvisit and then what? This mess hadn’t just happened since Leah’s trip to Florida and the accident. Rae bet Josh had figured out a way to take care of the yard in the quickest amount of time with the least amount of grief from his mother and that had become “normal”.
How had Leah let him get away with it?
There’d been a few vague comments these past few years about Josh’s lack of direction, and Rae hadn’t missed the occasional annoyance in her sister’s voice. But Leah always ended with excuses that didn’t take a psychologist to equate to guilt over a missing father. At least he had a job with Nate Desantro at ND Manufacturing. Nate wouldn’t put up with lateness, poor-quality work, or an attitude. Not that she knew this firsthand, but anyone who knew Nate Desantro understood the man wasn’t big on lack of effort or second rate. Maybe Josh had been working long hours. She heard factory workers could put in 10- or 12-hour days, six days a week. Maybe he’d been doing that and between work and keeping the house, the outside chores had gotten away from him. Itwaspossible.
Not plausible, but still possible. Rae thought about the likelihood of a clean house as she removed two suitcases from the trunk, flipped open the handle and dragged them toward the front door. The brisk air reminded her she was back in the Catskills where fall meant chilly nights and frosty mornings, with snow long before Thanksgiving.
She hefted the suitcases up the front steps, lifted the mat to locate the key Josh promised he’d leave for her. No key. Great. Rae tried the handle, found it unlocked. She opened the door and lifted her suitcases into the foyer. The smell hit her first: sour, fried, burned. The pile of footwear to the right of the door was the next thing she noticed. Tennis shoes, work boots, more tennis shoes, a pair of women’s sandals. When had Leah started wearing three-inch heels with sparkles? Rae shrugged out of her jacket, moved into the tiny kitchen, stared at the piles of dishes everywhere. In the sink, on the counters, the kitchen table… Food-crusted plates, forks, spoons. Takeout bags, pizza boxes, beer bottles. Ugh and ugh.
The place was a disaster.
She’d called Josh two days ago and while he hadn’t sounded delighted about her visiting, he did admit he could use her help. Right. Maybe he thought she was going to be a live-in maid who cooked, cleaned, took out the trash—while he and Miss Three-inch Sandals did whatever it was they did, which wasnotcooking, cleaning, or taking out the trash. While Rae had hoped she and Josh could have an easygoing relationship and spend time getting to know one another better, she could already tell they were going to have issues.
Why couldn’t people ever just do the right thing? Why did they have to skate around issues, act as though they weren’t responsible or interested in doing the right thing? Why didn’t theyknowwhat the right thing was, for heaven’s sake?
The living room was smothered with more takeout containers, beer bottles, plastic forks... And was that a black lace thong on the arm of the couch? Rae sucked in air, made her way to the bathroom that was equally gross with toothpaste and spit splattered in the sink and on the mirror. No doubt he didn’t shave because if he did there’d be hair in the sink. Why bother to rinse it out when he hadn’t rinsed the blobs of toothpaste dried to the sides of the sink? Rae’s condo was pristine, and while she did employ the services of a cleaning person, there were all the days between visits when she had to keep it neat and organized. She’d found a certain sense of calm living in a place where she could find things without looking through five different drawers and where sinks weren’t gobbed with dried toothpaste and mirrors weren’t splattered with spit.
She eyed the toilet. That was the first thing they were going to discuss.Do not leave the seat up. One peek inside the bowl saidgrossandnot acceptable. The shower smelled like coconut and tangerine, a sign that he wasn’t the only one showering here. Well, if Josh thought he was having sleepovers while Rae was here, he could think again. She was not going to watch him and Sandals Girl play house, though, if the girl had any interest inkeepinga house, Rae could give her a few tips.Rinse the dishes, put them in the dishwasher, scrub the pots and pans. Clean the stove. Wipe out the bathroom sink. Pick up your darn towels from the floor.
It took another half-hour to work her way through the rest of the house, which proved equally disgusting. Rae had never been one to lecture or nag, probably because she’d never been responsible for someone who didn’t follow instructions. But now she was and Rae had a lot to say to Josh that would fall under the category of a lecture, and no doubt there’d be some nagging tossed in, too.
5
“She is such a pain in the butt.” Josh dragged both hands over his face, frowned. “Wash, dry,andput away the dishes? Do the laundry? Change my sheets?” A muttered curse followed by “Does she think I work for a friggin’ cleaning service?”
Shewas Rae Darlington, Josh’s aunt. The kid had been on a rant about her for the past twenty-two minutes, almost his entire lunch break. “Aren’t you going to eat?” Vic eyed the sub sitting on Josh’s thigh, probably the ham, salami, and provolone with a double order of banana ring peppers. The kid sure could eat, but today he’d been too busy complaining about the intruder who’d messed up his life to think about the sub.
A shrug, a big sigh, and the most pitiful look. “She’s destroyed my appetite.” A shake of his shaggy head, another curse. “And she’s trying to destroy my life.”
“Isn’t that a bit dramatic?” The woman was definitely strong-willed with a lot of opinions and rules, but Vic bet she had a reason for this one. “You mean she’s destroying your life because she’s asked you to straighten-up the place, or does this have to do with Hannah and the sleepovers you’ve been having?”
The dull flush told him it was the second. Yeah, he’d heard rumors about those two from Betty who was friends with one of the neighbors. Seems the neighbor had a habit of watching the comings and goings on the street, especially when it had to do with “sleepovers”. Why couldn’t people just mind their own business? Why did they have to make everyone else’s lifetheirbusiness?
“I’m twenty-two, not a kid, and if I want Hannah to stay over, so what?”
“So, you have to respect your aunt’s wishes since she’s in charge.” Vic didn’t particularly want to defend Rae’s actions, but she’d accepted responsibility for the house and her nephew, and that meant she got to make the rules. “Look, if you don’t like the way things are going, move out. Nothing says you have to stay there. Like you said, you’re not a kid.”
