Page 44 of The Summer that Changed Everything
As Kira walked away with the baby, Chet took the wine and motioned Ford inside. The Anthony family’s summer house wasalmost as big as Coastal Comfort but that was the only similarity. Located on the Potomac, not the sea, it was decorated with far more colors and contained what looked like a collection of secondhand furnishings, creating an aesthetic drastically different from Coastal Comfort’s more cohesive, designer-like interior and palette of neutral colors. But it was comfortable and homey. Ford liked it.
“Kira’s made squash soup with cranberries and walnuts to sprinkle on top, which we’ll eat in a sourdough bowl. And we’ll start the meal with a beet and goat cheese salad and end with her fabulous pineapple cake.”
“Sounds delicious.”
“She’s quite a cook,” he confided, patting his rounding middle. “Almost everything she makes is healthy, too—not that you’d be able to tell by looking at me.”
“Too many calories are too many calories, I guess,” Ford said with a chuckle. He couldn’t help being a little surprised that Chet had married someone as tall and elegant as Kira. Chet had always had trouble getting the girls he wanted, because he’d gone for the most popular, beautiful girl around, and that kind of girl never seemed to be interested in him. Although Chet was nice, Ford didn’t get the impression the opposite sex found him all that attractive. It didn’t help that he’d started losing his hair as early as their Atlantic City trip in college.
Eddie brought them a dog toy.
“He’s jealous of the baby. When she’s not around, he knows it’shisturn for a little attention,” Chet explained as he took the stuffed rabbit and threw it across the living room, sending Eddie into a frenzy as he scrambled to collect it.
Ford shook his head. “You’ve really settled down, man. You’ve got a beautiful wife, a beautiful baby and a good dog. I mean... Eddie might be a little hyper, but two out of three ain’t bad.”
Chet grinned. “Eddie’s young yet.”
“You and I, on the other hand, are not so young anymore. Where has all the time gone? It’s great to see you like this, by the way. So happy. So... on track.”
“I haven’t gotten where I want to be in my career yet, but I’m working on it. And I’m certainly satisfied with everything else.”
“You deserve it all,” Ford said.
Chet smiled broadly. “Thanks. Let me get you a drink.”
They decided to save the wine for dinner and have a cold beer while waiting for Kira. Chet showed Ford all the paintings he’d done that were hanging in the house and what he was working on in his studio, which was essentially a spare bedroom. Then they talked about his students, his hopes of spending a summer abroad when Kenzie got older—to inspire his art—and his dream of owning a gallery, possibly in North Hampton Beach, which meant he’d compete with the Clarks.
“We’d have different collections. And I’d have live events with artists and local musicians. I have a lot of ideas,” he explained.
After about fifteen minutes, Ford decided to get to the point of his visit, so they wouldn’t have to talk about “that summer” at dinner. “How well do you know Darren Clark?”
There was a slight pause before Chet answered. “Darren? Fairly well, I guess. He works for a roofing company. Can’t remember which one, not off the top of my head, but he came out to patch the roof on this place a few years back, when it was leaking. I’ve seen him at the local bars over the years. We even went out together once, before I got married, and played some darts.” He drained his beer and got up to grab another one. “We’re friendly with each other. Why?”
“I was wondering if you could give me his number or tell me where he lives.”
Chet popped the top of his second beer. “You need some roofing done? I thought you put a brand-new roof on that place not too long ago.”
“I did. This isn’t about roofing.”
“What’s going on?”
“Darren showed up at Lucy’s last night.”
His arm froze with his beer halfway to his mouth. “Oh, boy. People are already trying to run her off, are they?”
“Surprisingly, not Darren. He went over to tell her he knows her father couldnothave killed his sister.”
Chet nearly choked on the gulp he’d just taken and pounded his own chest as he coughed.
“You okay?” Ford asked.
“Yeah. Just... went down the wrong way,” he managed to gasp as his eyes watered. When he’d recovered enough to speak easily, he added, “Sorry about that.”
“No problem.”
“Was he high? I mean... everyone knows Mick McBride killed Aurora.”
“People might think so, but I’m no longer convinced it’s true. Lucy makes a good case for the fact that it could’ve been someone else.”
