As the Light Fades (ARC) Page 3

  “So about the loan. I said I’d have the money this week, Nick, but . . . something came up.” A busted headlight and dented front fender on his Jeep, a broken fence, and a whole lot of damage to Evy McIntyre’s front lawn. Not to mention the annihilation of her prized rose garden. Fortunately, the older woman hadn’t called the cops. The threat had been enough though. By the time Matt arrived, his niece was fully expecting to be hauled off in handcuffs. And Matt vowed to never leave his car keys on the counter again.

  “Matt, I can’t give you another extension.” Nick always managed to sound torn up when he was giving bad news. “I know you talked to Tucker Watts about this when I was away, and while I wish I could be more lenient—”

  “I know.” Matt let the spoon clatter against the side of his bowl and sighed. He rubbed his throbbing temple, hoping the headache he’d had all day would disappear.

  When he’d first learned his grandparents had bequeathed their Nantucket home to him, he’d been thrilled. Then he’d come over, taken a look at the place, and realized it needed work. A lot of work. He should have sold it outright, but sentimentality got the better of him, and he decided to make the repairs and rent it out instead. But he’d needed a loan to do that. And it hadn’t been rented long enough to make him any real money. “I’ll get the money by the end of next week. Okay?”

  “That’ll work. You still don’t want to sell?”

  Matt shook his head. “Can’t right now.” Can’t. Wouldn’t.

  Nick didn’t press and Matt was grateful. Loud music blared from the room above him and a door slammed. Matt winced. Maybe things would be better tomorrow. Since school had started, he’d been called in to talk to the principal about Mia at least once a week, which was making a great impression on his new boss. But Matt wasn’t the only one with problems.

  “How’s your dad, Nick?”

  Nick’s sharp inhale said things weren’t good. “He’s hanging in there, thanks for asking. We had to cut our trip short, and he was in the hospital for a while, but we’ve got homecare now. Still has some good days, but they’re rare. Cancer sucks.”

  “That it does.” Matt stared at the clock on the wall. “I’ll be in next week, Nick.” They said goodbye and he clicked off and pushed his bowl away. His hands circled the cold bottle of beer and he took a swig.

  Days like this, he wished he were still back in Boston. He missed his friends, missed the O’Donohues, who were more family to him than his own. He hadn’t planned on having Mia this long, but what choice did he have? He was all she had. He’d thought the move to Nantucket would be good for Mia. Give her a fresh start.

  And here they were, still trying to get used to the new normal. He’d been amazed and thankful there’d been an opening at the high school for him, but Mia hated that he worked there. Not that they ever saw each other.

  The salary was okay, but with having to pay back the bank loan, he’d be dipping into savings soon. Matt’s stomach rumbled and reminded him to eat, so he forced down a few mouthfuls of stew and scanned his messages. Nothing new. He was going to have to let them know about that security job tomorrow. If only it didn’t mean working nights and some weekends. The money would help, but he didn’t like the thought of Mia being on her own. Didn’t relish the thought of working two jobs either, but that was life. He would deal, and he wasn’t in a position to say no. But he’d have to figure out what to do with Mia. Left to her own devices, there was no telling what the kid would get up to.

  His cell rang again and startled him. A number came up he didn’t recognize. Matt steadied his breathing, waited a minute for his pulse to slow down. “Matt Stone.”

  “Good evening, Mr. Stone. I hope I’m not disturbing you. I realize it’s getting close to dinner time.” The woman’s cool, clipped tone did not belong to anyone he knew.

  “Already had it. Who is this?”

  “My name is Elizabeth Carlisle. My brother David gave me your number. He said you might have a place available to rent?”

  Matt hesitated. He didn’t want to sound too eager. “That’s right.” Actually, renting out the coach house had been Carlisle’s idea. They’d been shooting the breeze over a beer last month, Matt had mentioned things were tight, and David remembered the coach house. Asked if Matt had ever thought of renting it out.

  When Matt’s grandparents had lived here, in their last years on the island, they’d had a live-in caregiver in there. It was small, but nice enough. He’d slapped on a fresh coat of paint, cleaned it from top to bottom. The place was in pretty good shape. He’d been meaning to list it, and if he couldn’t get a full-time renter, he’d look into putting it on VRBO, but maybe now he wouldn’t need to.

  “David said you’re near Jetties Beach?”

  “Correct. It’s not a big place. It was the original coach house. Been used for everything since then. But it was fully renovated a few years back, looks like new. One bedroom, eat-in-kitchen, bath and a good-sized living area. There’s a path to the beach, and you’ve got ocean views.”

  “Okay.”

  She didn’t sound impressed. Well, duh. He’d seen the Carlisle place. If that’s where she was currently living, why would she be? Come to think of it, why would she want to live anywhere but there? As if to answer his question, a blood-curdling scream sailed into his ear.

  “What was that?”

  “Sorry. My nephew. Apparently the twins do not like bath time.” She sighed and he heard the sound of a door closing. “Is it furnished?”

  “Yep. Bedroom and living room. Kitchen table and chairs. But if you want it empty, that can be arranged.” There were enough vacant rooms in the house to store stuff in.

  “Furnished is fine. How much are you asking?”

  He told her his price, low balling it, and waited through the silence.

  “Well, it’s a bit more than what I hoped, but may I come take a look?”

  “Sure.” If she’d been standing in front of him he might have hugged her. Though she did sound a tad on the frosty side. “Saturday morning okay? Around nine?” Mia would hopefully still be sleeping. He didn’t want his niece scaring off a potential tenant. She agreed, he gave her directions, and they hung up.

  A grin pushed across his mouth and Matt allowed it.

  Maybe things would start to improve. Maybe he wouldn’t have to regret his decision to move here after all. Maybe Mia would settle down and start respecting him.

  And maybe it wouldn’t snow in Siberia this winter.

  “Who was on the phone?” Mia trudged into the kitchen, her eyes red and rimmed with smudged mascara.

  Matt’s heart clenched as he looked at his niece. “Somebody wanting to look at the coach house. I’m thinking of renting it, get some extra cash.”

  “Oh. Guy or girl?”

  “A woman. Sister of a buddy of mine.”

  She looked skeptical. “You know her?”

  “Nope. She used to live in New York.”

  Mia snorted. “Why the heck would she want to move to this rock?”

  Matt inhaled and clenched his fingers. “I’m sure she has her reasons. Her family lives here.”

  “Sucks to suck.” She opened the fridge, stuck her head in, and stayed there a while. Matt fought the urge to inform her she was wasting electricity. She emerged with a can of coke, a yogurt, and a bar of chocolate he didn’t remember buying.

  “I made stew.”

  “I don’t eat meat. I keep telling you that.”

  “Sorry.” Right. It was such a foreign concept to him that he kept forgetting. “But you can’t have that for dinner.”

  She shot him a dark look. “What do you expect me to eat? Not the crap you make.” She hoisted her slender frame onto one of the bar stools and popped the top on her soda. Dark hair hung around her pale face. If he remembered correctly, her natural color was closer to his own sandy brown.

  “There’s salad. Pasta. Make something healthy.”

  “Yogurt is healthy.” She swung her legs back and forth
and looked around the old kitchen with disdain. If they were going to stay, he should probably think about doing some upgrades in the main house. But right now he didn’t have the cash. The wind had picked up, and rain started to hit the long windows.

  “This house creeps me out. I bet it’s haunted.”

  Matt shook his head. “It’s big and it’s old, but it’s not haunted.”

  “Just because you don’t believe in ghosts doesn’t mean they don’t exist.” She twisted the small diamond stud in her nose and he clenched his jaw. That grossed him out big time, and she knew it.

  “Cut it out, Mia.”

  She laughed and the gold stud above her top lip flashed. Why in the world would anyone want to pierce their lip? How unhealthy was that? One of these nights, he might give in to the strong temptation to sneak into her room and pull it out while she slept. Except she’d probably wake up, scream bloody murder, and accuse him of assault. Matt still wasn’t used to this grown-up version of his niece. He wanted the little kid in pigtails back.

  “We should have a séance.”

  “Are you kidding?”

  “Why not?” She stirred her yogurt and plopped a spoonful in her mouth. Strawberry stuff dripped down her chin onto the countertop. He pushed a napkin toward her as a memory skipped across his mind. Mia at about a year old, in her high chair. He’d been trying to feed her, most of it ending up in her hair and on the floor. She’d been a messy eater back then too.

  “Is having a séance against the law?”

  “We’re not having a séance.”

  “Oh, right. I forgot. God wouldn’t like it.”

  Matt ran a hand down his face and prayed for patience. “No. Neither would I.”

  “You don’t even go to church. What’s the big deal?”

  “That doesn’t mean I don’t believe. That I don’t have a faith.” He spun his bottle of beer around in a slow circle. He wasn’t in the right frame of mind to discuss what he did and didn’t believe with her.

  “But you can drink, that’s fine, I guess.” She sat back a bit, her eyes glinting.

  He knew when he was being baited. “In moderation, Mia.”

  “You shouldn’t drink at all.” Mia chomped on chocolate. “What if I got sick in the middle of the night and you were too drunk to drive me to the hospital?”

  “Seriously?” Matt grinned. But he pushed the beer aside anyway. “Where do you come up with this stuff?”

  She arched a thin black brow. “It could happen. My appendix could rupture, or I could have a heart attack or something.”

  “Mia, you’re fifteen. I don’t think you’re going to have a heart attack.”

  “Kids drop dead all the time. Playing football or hockey or whatever. It could happen.” She tapped black-painted fingernails on the red Formica countertop.

  “Have you ever seen me drunk, Mia?” He grabbed a cloth from the sink and wiped up the mess she’d made.

  She rolled her eyes. “No. But I haven’t been around you that long.”

  “I think you’ve been around me long enough to know you won’t. Okay?” Matt waited until she made eye contact again and offered a smile. He wasn’t Joe Giovanni. Unfortunately, Mia’s stepfather had done more damage than Matt could ever hope to repair. Earning his niece’s trust was a tenuous task, one he wasn’t sure he’d ever accomplish.

  “Can I go out on Friday night?”

  Matt gaped, propped his elbows, and rested his chin on his hands. “Were you physically present yesterday afternoon when you stole my Jeep, plowed through a fence, destroyed a garden, and rammed into Evy McIntyre’s oak tree, or was that your evil twin?”

  “Just kidding.” Her grin came and went too soon. “Who would I be going out with anyway? I don’t have any friends.”

  The sad statement settled over him. He’d been thinking the same, just hadn’t wanted to say it. “So, about yesterday . . .”

  “I don’t get why she was so upset. It was just a few flowers.” Mia huffed, like causing irreparable damage to someone else’s property was something every kid did, no biggie. “It wasn’t like I was on the main road that long. I stuck to the neighborhood roads. I would have been back before you finished your run if it wasn’t for the cat.”

  Matt stared. “Mia. Do you get how lucky you are that Mrs. McIntyre didn’t call the cops? You’re not sixteen! You don’t even have your learner’s permit! What in the world were you thinking?”

  “I just wanted to see what it was like.”

  Tension tightened his neck as he tamped his temper. “Well, now you know. You’re grounded until further notice. And we’re going to go see Mrs. McIntyre so you can apologize again and ask how you can make it up to her.”

  “What? I already called her. You heard me.”

  “You left a message on her voicemail. I want you to see her in person.”

  She muttered something under her breath he wouldn’t ask her to repeat. “You suck. I wish I didn’t have to live with you.”

  Matt went to the sink and poured out the rest of his beer. “At this moment, that makes two of us.”

  He didn’t turn around until he heard the slamming of her bedroom door.

  ___________

  He was ready for Miss Carlisle too early on Saturday morning. The coach house smelled fresh and clean. New white lace curtains fluttered against the open window, and the sun shone against sparkling glass. He might suck at parenting, but he knew how to scrub dirt.

  Matt strolled through the small house for the fourth time and stopped to fluff a pillow on the couch. The dark brown leather set was pretty new. She might like that.

  If she wanted the place.

  He left the door unlocked and went back to the main house. It was almost nine. As he walked through the back door toward the living room, a rap on the front door sounded. Matt nodded. Punctual. He approved.

  He rubbed his jaw, realized he forgot to shave, and waited a moment, strangely nervous.

  Then he blew out a breath and yanked open the door.

  And sucked in air the next second.

  The woman standing on his front step was not what he’d been expecting. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but not this.

  She was taller than he’d imagined, just a tad shorter than his six-foot frame, blond hair pulled off a finely sculpted face. She wore navy slacks, a white blouse, and a green cardigan, gold hoops in her ears, slender neck bare. The faintest hint of floral floated around him.

  She took off her sunglasses, and eyes the color of a stormy sea studied him suspiciously. “Good morning. Mr. Stone?”

  All he could do was nod, his lips inching upward. And that’s a wow.

  Matt cleared his throat and summoned maturity. “Hi, I’m Matt. You must be Miss Carlisle.” He should probably stop staring. “Come on in.”

  She followed him inside, heels clicking on the wooden floor. He’d been up since the crack of dawn doing last minute and, possibly unnecessary, cleaning and dusting and polishing. The house was already clean—they mostly spent time in the kitchen and family room—but Matt hated dust.

  “What a lovely place. I’ve always wondered what it was like in here.” She glanced into the spacious living room they never used. “Your grandparents owned it, correct?”

  “Yeah. They both passed away several years back, within months of each other, actually. Did you know them?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m sure my parents must have. David said you used to spend summers here when you were a kid. Did we ever meet? I wasn’t one for the beach, though, and they had to force me to sail.”

  “Yeah?” So she wasn’t the outdoorsy type. Shocker. “I don’t recall, but it’s possible. There were always so many kids around. Those summers seem like a lifetime ago.” But they’d been some of the best times. “Anyway. My grandparents moved to the mainland in their later years for health reasons and decided to rent this place out.”

  “And now you’re here.” The way she said it almost made
it sound like a good thing.

  “We’ll go out the back door to the coach house.” He led her through the house quickly. “There’s room for an extra car out here, and . . .” Matt stopped in his tracks when he reached the kitchen. “Hey, Mia.” His heart began to beat a little faster. “You’re up early.”

  “Uh huh.” His niece sat at the counter in red and black-checkered pajama pants and his old Metallica sweatshirt he could have sworn he’d thrown out years ago. She stared down Elizabeth Carlisle in classic Mia fashion, sat back, and crossed her arms. “′Sup.”

  “It’s you.” Their guest seemed to stiffen slightly and Matt caught Mia’s eye roll.

  “It’s me.”

  “You know each other?” What the heck? Matt looked from Mia to Miss Carlisle.

  “Not exactly.” Miss Carlisle sent him a cursory glance. “I happened to witness her unfortunate incident with Evy McIntyre’s rose garden the other day. Your daughter is very lucky she wasn’t hurt or didn’t hurt somebody in the process.”

  “I see.” A laugh scraped his throat. “Well, yes. My niece is very lucky. You, uh, weren’t around when I got to Mrs. McIntyre’s place.” He’d definitely remember if she had been.

  Miss Carlisle shook her head. “I made sure she was okay, then Evy came out and seemed to have it all under control.”

  “But you saw the cat,” Mia said quietly. “Didn’t you?”

  “The cat?” Miss Carlisle frowned. “Oh, you mean the cat that ran in front of your car. Yes, I saw the cat. But that doesn’t excuse the fact.”

  “See? I told you there was a cat!” Mia slammed her hand on the counter and grinned triumphantly.

  “There was really a cat?” He couldn’t help ask.

  “Yes. But she was driving erratically before the cat scooted across the road. I thought it might have been a drunk driver.”

  Matt acknowledged a twinge of relief. So she hadn’t been lying.

  “I wasn’t drunk!” Mia squeaked. “I hate alcohol.”