Dancing in the Dark

“Pommier, I’m sure this is all fascinating stuff, but I’m freezing my tail off. Plus, I have to go home and get ready to—”

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve got a date. You already told me. The thing is, you’ve got a date with the wrong girl.”

“What?”

“I said—”

“I heard what you said. I’m just trying to figure out what you’re talking about.”

“The column I wrote for the girl who left school? It was called ‘Aunt Agatha’s Advice.’ Ever hear of it?”

“Mercifully, no.”

Rod opened the door to his truck, got inside and put down the window. Seth did the same.

“I’m just giving you my credentials so you’ll know the truth of what I’m about to tell you.”

“And that is...?”

“You’re not over this girl, Castleman. This Wendy Monroe.”

“Ten minutes ago you were an orthopedist, not a shrink.”

“I’m still an orthopedist.” Rod flashed a smile. “I’m also a former Aunt Agatha, and I’m telling you, you have a thing for Wendy.”

“You’re wrong.”

“I’m right. One hundred percent.”

Seth searched for a clever comeback, but all he could come up with was the memory of Wendy, sitting on that bench at Jiminy Peak the day he’d first set eyes on her.

“You’re wrong,” he said again, but so softly that he knew Pommier couldn’t hear him. He turned the key to fire the ignition, and drove off into the rapidly encroaching night.

CHAPTER SIX

GINA MONROE WAS WORRIED.

She was ecstatic to have her daughter back home, but she could see that Wendy was unhappy. The lunch with Alison hadn’t improved things. If anything, Wendy had come home looking even more depressed.

“Hi, honey,” Gina said when Wendy came in the door. “Did you have fun?”

“Yes.”

That had been Wendy’s entire answer. Just “yes,” and Gina hadn’t believed it, not for a minute. Her daughter had looked emotionally drained. Gina had wanted to follow her to her room, take her in her arms and ask her what was wrong, but instinct had warned her not to. When Wendy reappeared a couple of hours later, she’d still looked upset. Her mouth had been turned down, her eyes had been shiny with...what? Tears? All Gina knew for certain was that her little girl was unhappy, but about what? Surely not about Seth. Wendy had shown nothing but anger when she’d dealt with him that morning.

After a couple of days, Wendy seemed better, but she was still quieter than usual. Gina knew better than to ask questions. Instead, she whispered her concerns to Howard as they sat reading in bed one night.

“I’m worried, Howard,” she said softly. “Wendy’s unhappy. She says she’s fine, but she’s not.”

“Well, of course she’s not happy, honey. Her leg—”

“It’s more than that.”

“She’s impatient, that’s all. She wants to meet Dr. Pommier. I’m doing everything I can to get five minutes alone with him, but—”

The last thing Gina wanted to discuss was Dr. Pommier. She and Howard were on completely opposite sides of that issue.

“I’m sure you’re doing your best,” she said carefully.

“Oh, I am. We just never seem to be in the same place at the same time.” Howard sighed. “He’s driven up to Vermont to ski a couple of times, and now that he bought a house here—”

“What house?”

“Not a house, exactly. The old Sullivan place, up on Dragon Mountain. Seems like he’s up in Pittsfield, checking out kitchen appliances and such, more than he’s in Cooper’s Corner.”

“How do you know all that?”

“I bumped into Clint at the hardware store before I came home. He mentioned it.” Howard’s voice took on an edge. “Would you believe Pommier’s turned the whole job over to Seth Castleman?”

“Yes. I would. Seth’s talented, Howard. And he’s a good organizer. Just look how he’s built up that business of his.”

“I suppose.”

Gina closed her book and put it on the nightstand. Howard had always been polite to Seth when he was dating Wendy, and Seth had been respectful to him, but she’d sensed the tension between them.

“Wendy’s too young to tie herself down,” Howard would say, and Gina would remind him that she’d been exactly their daughter’s age when she’d started dating him. But she’d known he wasn’t really talking about Wendy being too young. He was talking about her burgeoning success as a skier, and its inevitable end if she married Seth.

There was no reason to get into that discussion anymore. Wendy’s career was over, and so was her relationship with Seth.

Howard put his book aside. “I’m going to try to talk to Pommier at Twin Oaks.”

Gina frowned at the change of subject. She didn’t want to get into this discussion, either, but there wasn’t much choice, not with both her husband and her daughter so determined to buttonhole the doctor.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll find a pretext to stop by there one of these evenings. Maybe I’ll get lucky and the doctor will be sitting in the gathering room.”

“I don’t know what you expect to accomplish. Dr. Pommier’s already told Wendy no.”

“He read a letter she sent him. That’s a lot different from actually talking to her.”

“I just want to go on record that I still think this is a bad idea,” Gina said stiffly.

Howard reached for her hand and squeezed it. “It’s what our girl wants, honey.”

“That doesn’t make it right. There are a dozen things she could do with her life besides ski.” Gina tugged her hand free and looked at him. “She’s got a quick mind. And she’s creative. Remember those pictures she used to draw? Those stories she used to write?”

Howard sighed. “Wendy could do a lot of things. She will, someday. But first she wants to—”

“I know what she wants, Howard. What if it turns out it’s not possible?”

“Then she’ll have to accept the inevitable. She’ll need our support either way,” he said gently. “Isn’t that right?” The springs creaked as Howard settled under the covers. “I’d never let our girl do anything that would be bad for her. The doctor will tell us if he thinks the operation is right or wrong for Wendy.” He ran his hand up and down Gina’s arm in slow, comforting strokes. “Don’t you think I’m worried about the risks, too?”

Gina looked at him. “I know you love her as much as I do. That’s why I can’t understand—”

“It’s because we come at this differently. I can put myself in Wendy’s place. I remember what it’s like to have a shot at big-time skiing, and I never even got as close as she did. I never made the nationals, but Wendy—”

“Big-time skiing isn’t everything.”

“You’re right. It isn’t. It’s doing whatever you can to reach for a dream that’s everything. And if getting back on skis is our daughter’s dream, I’m going to do my very best to help her achieve it.”

“No matter what the cost?” Gina said bitterly. It was the first time she’d let the full extent of her anger show. She saw the shock on her husband’s face and didn’t know who she’d shocked the most, him or herself.

“Gina, how can you say that? Didn’t I just tell you I’m worried, too? My God, do you really think I’d encourage her to go ahead with an operation if the doctor says he’s not one hundred percent sure it’s safe?”

Nothing in life was safe. Hadn’t Wendy’s fall proved that? Gina almost said as much to Howard, but she knew she’d already hurt him enough, that he was torn between wanting to protect Wendy and wanting her to be happy. She sighed, put her arms around him and held him until he fell asleep. Then she rose quietly, slipped on her robe

and went down the hall to Wendy’s room. She stared at the closed door, then leaned her forehead against the cool wood.

Howard was right. Wendy was upset because of her impatience to meet the doctor—and yet there was more to her withdrawal. Gina was sure of it. Something else was worrying their daughter.

The next evening, Howard said he was going out for a while. To Twin Oaks, Gina suspected, though he didn’t say it. She made some popcorn, put the bowl between Wendy and her on the sofa in the family room and clicked on the TV. She surfed the channels until she found a news show. After a while, she hit the mute button, put her feet up on the coffee table and looked at Wendy.

She’d planned how to approach this. Subtly. Carefully. She wouldn’t say anything to put her daughter on the defensive.

“Wendy? What’s troubling you, baby?” So much for subtlety. Still, she was glad she’d finally asked the question.

Wendy looked at her, then back at the silent picture on the TV screen.