Moondance Beach by Susan Donovan Read Free Book Online Page B

everyone. Let’s just keep things in perspective.” The police chief held out his hands in appeasement. It reminded Duncan of his three-day visit two years ago, when he’d watched his little brother coax a knife from an intoxicated festivalgoer. In fact, Duncan wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to hear his brother say something like, “Hand over the bimbo before someone gets hurt.”
    Mona’s deep sigh broke the silence. “I’ll get Sally a plate.”
    That was Duncan’s cue. “Bringing a date to a familycelebration is piss-poor decision-making, Da. It’s disrespectful to your wife, children, grandchildren, friends, and Sally as well. I think the honorable thing would be to go and to take Sally with you.”
    “Dunkle just said
piss
!”
    “Sssshhhhh!” Evelyn hissed.
    “I think I’ve had enough awkwardness for one night.” Sally turned to go.
    “I’ll drive you.”
    Sally shot Frasier a nasty glance. “I’d rather walk. In the pitch-dark. In a freakin’ blizzard.”
    And with that, Sally slammed the Safe Haven’s massive front door and was gone. Frasier stood about five feet from the dining table, seeing for the first time all the effort his family had gone to in his honor, eyeing the mound of roast beef that was front and center. A wave of sadness crossed his face.
    “Don’t worry,” Mellie said. “I’ll send a Baggie of leftovers to your apartment.”
    “I’m . . . I’m sorry.” Frasier didn’t know where to look, so he stared out the windows while he summoned the courage to explain himself. “It was my birthday, and I just thought . . .” He looked at Mona. “I didn’t think you’d be here.”
    “I’m your wife.”
    “Well, I mean, because we’re separated, I didn’t think you’d want to spend time with me.”
    “I’ve already spent half a century with you. That’s counting everything—forty-five years of marriage, four years of dating, and even that year you were dating me
and
Sally at the same time.”
    “Oh boy,” Nat muttered.
    “Mona!” Frasier looked around at his children,grandchildren, friends, and finally Mellie, who gave him the evil eye. “That was forever ago, and I’ve already apologized a hundred times. I was a stupid college boy, and I thought juggling two girls made me a big man. You know she meant nothing to me—she was just an island girl and you were my college sweetheart. I chose you.”
    Mona crumpled her trifolded napkin and tossed it to her empty plate. “And yet here you are on your seventieth birthday, Frasier, still dating the same Sally, who’s now the head of the fairies! You couldn’t have insulted me more if you tried. Maybe you
did
try!”
    Duncan wasn’t privy to all the details, but he knew the Fairy Brigade and the Mermaid Society were mortal enemies. Apparently, Sally had once been a mermaid but had split off and started her own group after some kind of smackdown with Mona. Years later, when island landowners had to decide whether to sell to developers or preserve the island’s quaint-but-broke status quo, Sally and Mona went to battle on opposite sides of the issue. Duncan had missed most of it, but Clancy had told him it had been ugly at times.
    Duncan reached into the pocket of his pants to check his cell phone. Six thirty. This party was just getting started.
    “But we’ve been separated for nearly three years!” Frasier glanced around the table again in search of support, but didn’t find it. He stepped closer to the table, now standing right behind Christina. “Mona, you won’t talk to me. You avoid me. You won’t answer my phone calls. I see you in person about twice a year, and even then I don’t know what is going on in your head. What am I supposed to do?”
    Clancy made a move toward his father, but Frasier stopped him.
    “I don’t need a police escort,” he snapped, turning away.
    Everyone stayed silent, listening to the slam of Frasier’s car door, the whine of the engine, and the sound of him