The Vineyard by Barbara Delinsky Read Free Book Online Page A

that Natalie and Alexander weren’t still together. That was part of the image.
    â€œHe died.”
    Olivia gasped. “When?
How?”
    â€œSix months ago. Heart attack.”
    Olivia pressed a hand to her chest. “I’m so
sorry.”
She had never met the man, yet she felt his death as if he were an old friend. He had played a part in nearly every Natalie story she had created. Now he was dead, and there was a new man in Natalie’s life. It was a lot to take in.
    â€œWhen were you and she together?” she asked Otis.
    â€œA long time ago. And it was more my initiative than hers.” He tapped the invitation. “Obviously.”
    Olivia was still trying to process the abrupt shift in her image of Natalie. She was trying to conjure up the face of a man who wasn’t Alexander, but kept coming up blank. “When is the wedding?”
    â€œLabor Day, which coincidentally is her deadline for this work.”
    That quickly, Olivia resumed her quest. “She needs help meeting it. She’s in a bind. I can help.”
    Otis sighed. “Again, I have to ask about the source of the attraction. I know what it was for me. Natalie thought I was an artist. She loved my work. But that isn’t what’s appealing to you.”
    â€œShe just seems nice—you know, a grandmotherly type.”
    His voice grew chiding. “She isn’t your grandmother, Olivia.”
    â€œOf course not.”
    â€œOf course not,” he mocked. His eyes were bloodshot this morning, but they remained knowing. “You’re chasing a dream, my girl. You imagine spending the summer at the ancestral home with a grandmother who takes care of everything, but Natalie isn’t that way. Natalie takes care of Natalie.”
    Of
course
he would say that. Natalie had shot him down. He wouldn’t be normal if he wasn’t a little bitter or hurt.
    Olivia, though, saw only generosity in Natalie. Granted, she had no way of knowing how a new husband might affect the picture. But marriage or not, the facts didn’t change. “She’s offering room, board, and a stipend. A
handsome
stipend, she says.”
    â€œHer definition of ‘handsome’ may differ from yours.”
    Olivia didn’t blink. “Maybe, maybe not. I need that money, Otis.”
    â€œBut this isn’t a career move,” he complained. “It’s just for the
summer.”
    â€œI
know
that,” Olivia said, desperate to convey her belief that it was the right thing to do. “That’s what’s so
perfect
about this. I’ve thought it all through, Otis. Really I have. I can finish up here and get out of your hair. I can let you retire without a guilty conscience, because I’ll be in another job that I want. I don’t even have to give up my apartment. I can sublet it for the summer, and then I’ll have it if I want to come back here in the fall. Tess finishes school in two weeks. We can pack up and be in Rhode Island the next day.”
    â€œHow do you know Natalie’ll want Tess?”
    â€œWhat’s not to want? She says it herself in that letter—there’s plenty of room at Asquonset. Tess is one little girl. She’ll be nearly invisible. I’ll find a tutor. I’ll give her tennis lessons. I’ll hire a teenager to be with her while I work. Between the river and the ocean, there’s plenty for a little girl to do. Natalie’s used to grandchildren. I’ll bet they’re swarming all over the place. She may even have
great
-grandchildren by now.” Olivia had another thought. “Tess could baby-sit the great-grandchildren. For
free.”
    Otis looked unimpressed. “I don’t think there are any great-grandchildren. As far as I know, there aren’t even any grandchildren running around. They’re grown and on their own. Why do you think she has extra room in that house?”
    â€œBecause it’s