The Girl From Summer Hill Read online

  “Love affair?”

  “Of course,” Casey said. “Only deep love could make two people as snotty as they are to each other. Will Jack be back for breakfast?”

  “Last night he got a call that so upset him I thought he was going to burst. I think it was from his new girlfriend.”

  “I…” Casey began. She’d sent Gizzy the email saying she was wrong. Maybe Gizzy had called Jack and he got angry. “I think that was my fault.”

  “Which of course means that my ex had a hand in it. Rage trails behind him like damage after a forest fire. Whatever happened, Jack must have left very early and we haven’t heard from him since. My guess is that right now he’s with Gisele.”

  Casey was washing a stockpot. “Tate must hate me,” she said softly. When Nina didn’t say anything, she turned and looked at her.

  Nina’s pretty face was serious. “I’m not going to lie. He got his male pride hurt and he’s not happy. But I think if you’re patient he’ll get over it.” She paused. “Between you and me, his pride could use some bruising. All that fawning isn’t good for anyone.”

  “Thanks.” Casey gave a bit of a smile. “And thank you for all the work you did to show me how I misjudged him.”

  “Oh, well. His pride and your prejudice against him. It’s a perfect match.”

  They looked at each other and laughed.

  Tate didn’t show up for the rehearsal. Frowning, Kit said he was the only person who didn’t need to work on his part, so he could stay home.

  Everyone groaned. They’d been at this for weeks and had seen Kit change from easygoing affability to scowling tyranny.

  One of the scenes Casey had to endure was where Wickham told lies about Darcy. Somehow, Casey was supposed to look as though she believed him.

  As they got into position to say their lines, Casey saw the bandage on Devlin’s left hand. “Did you hurt yourself?” She put as much innocence as she could in her voice.

  He gave a sheepish look that she’d seen before, as though he’d been caught doing something he’d meant to keep secret. “You know the saying. No good deed goes unpunished. Let’s just say that I won’t ever again try to help a woman who is carrying too many packages. She misunderstood my intentions and slammed the car door on my hand. I gave her a couple of tickets to the show, so I hope that made her forgive me. But…”

  “But what?” She was gritting her teeth at his lie.

  “We all know where the spotlight will go in this play. You and I, as regular people, won’t be noticed beside Landers.”

  Now that Casey knew the truth, she marveled at the way this man twisted the facts. It was as though he were a human balance scale. If Tate, his nemesis, went down, he went up. She forced a smile. “But what about your fans from Death Point? If a pretty girl like Rachael would fly out here just to see you, I’m sure more of your fans will show up on opening night.”

  Devlin gave a genuine smile. “Maybe you’re right.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Have you seen Lori today?”

  “Not yet. Maybe she—”

  “Quiet!” Kit bellowed. “Wickham and Lizzy! Take your places.”

  It wasn’t easy for Casey to play the scene with wide-eyed innocence, but she did it—and afterward she felt as if she needed a shower.

  At four, Kit called a halt to the rehearsal. By then everyone was worn out from the tension on the set. Casey couldn’t keep from glancing at every movement offstage, wondering if it was Tate. Jack and Gizzy had shown up, and she was dying to ask them how they were. During a family scene, Casey had whispered to her father, “I want to hear all about Ace.” Unfortunately, that had made Dr. Kyle let out a laugh—which Kit heard.

  “Miss Reddick! Is it too much to ask that you do not try to entertain the players while onstage?” Kit said through clenched teeth.

  Yet again, Olivia stepped forward. “She only recently learned that her father was Ace, and she wants to know about it.”

  Kit’s face went white and he looked away. When he turned back, he wore no expression. An hour later he let everyone go. “There will be a dress rehearsal tomorrow, so I want all of you here at ten A.M. And, Casey, we’ll want lunch. Send me the bill.”

  “Double it,” Olivia muttered as she walked past Casey and Dr. Kyle.

  Casey glanced at her father. “Do you know what this is about?”

  “I know they had a mad, passionate affair during the summer of 1970. I was only five then, and Letty’s and my main goal was to spy on them. We were like Native Americans counting coup. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized what was happening that summer.”

  “Who dumped whom?”

  “I don’t know. I just remember that Kit left in a big black car. I think Letty and I told Livie that his father had come to get him. One thing I remember is that after Kit left, Livie refused to go into the well house. She said Letty and I could have it. We were joyous, and we filled it with treasures from all over the house.” He smiled in memory.

  “How was Olivia after Kit left?”

  “Angry. Quiet. Letty and I missed Kit and kept asking where he was, but no one knew. That fall, my mother…” He shrugged. “I quit thinking about Kit and Olivia, and I didn’t see her again for years.” His cell buzzed and he looked at it. “Sorry, I have to go. Medical emergency.” He went down the stairs. “Invite me to dinner and we can talk for hours.”

  “Wait!” Casey said. “Did you find a diamond ring in the well house?”

  Dr. Kyle grinned. “Maybe. Who knows? To Letty, everything was made of diamonds that had been mined on the moon. To her, everything that she saw and touched was magical.” He was walking backward.

  “Wish I’d known her,” Casey said.

  “Wish I’d married her.” Turning, Dr. Kyle ran to his car.

  “Then I wouldn’t have been born,” Casey muttered. “Or Tate would be my brother. Not good!”

  She went back to her house and began making out a menu for the big lunch the next day. It was going to take a lot of work, and she needed to go to the grocery. When she got to the door, she saw Nina and Emmie coming toward her.

  “How did the rehearsal go?” Nina asked.

  Casey rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if my lack of concentration or Kit’s bad temper was worse. Whichever, today was a bad experience.” She held up her list. “I have to do lunch tomorrow, so I’m off to the grocery. Tell me what you need.”

  “Fruit, sandwich makings, milk. The regular stuff.”

  “I want to go with you,” Emmie said.

  “To the grocery? That’s pretty boring,” Casey replied.

  “You have enchanted her. Would you mind?” Nina asked.

  “No, of course not,” Casey said honestly. “Ready?”

  Emmie, wearing a very cute pink dress with a matching shrug, was already on the way to the car.

  Shopping with a child was new to Casey. She was used to concentrating and giving her mind over to what she needed to buy. But Emmie wanted to learn, so Casey answered a lot of questions.

  Emmie was intrigued when Casey said she did nearly all her shopping against the walls, not on the inside aisles.

  “But my mom buys everything from the middle.”

  Casey didn’t reply to that; she just talked about produce ripeness and cheeses and meats. When they finished shopping, the car was so full that she said it might be too heavy to drive.

  “We should have brought Uncle Tate’s truck. Do you still like my uncle?”

  “Very much.”

  “Good,” Emmie said. “Mom is talking to him.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Emmie shrugged. “Mom says that sometimes Uncle Tate acts like the men in his movies.”

  “I’ve never seen one, so I’m not sure what that means.”

  “Me neither. Mom says I can only see them when I’m thirty-five and have three kids.”

  They looked at each other and laughed.

  “So, uh, what’s he been doing?” Casey wanted to sound like