“Wow,” Eddie said softly. “Bobby, Duke likes you a lot.”

  Eddie took a moment to study Dove. She had always been slender, but now she was almost emaciated. She had dark circles beneath her eyes and no color in her cheeks—she was so pale beneath the strong light of the sun.

  Eddie said, “Hey, Bobby, we have a big bunch of children’s books in the barn. You might like to read some of them. They’re free, and there are chairs just your size. Let’s go into the barn and your mommy and I can talk and you can look at the books.”

  The little boy looked up at his mother. Dove nodded, and they all went into the barn. Bobby sat at the table. Duke lay at his feet.

  Eddie gestured to a chair for Dove to sit in—it was one of the old leather chairs, soft and enveloping. Dove looked like she could use something soft.

  “Dove,” Eddie began to speak, but emotion broke through and she knelt before her old friend and hugged her tight. “Dove, I’ve missed you so much.”

  Dove hugged Eddie back, hard. “Me, too.”

  Eddie released her and went to sit in the other leather chair. “Barrett and Dad have missed you, too. So much has happened. We don’t understand why you left like that, why you didn’t stay with us.”

  “I’m sorry.” Dove’s voice quavered. “I’m so sorry. That was such a horrible time.”

  “Mommy!” Bobby hurried to his mother with several books in his hands. “Read!”

  Dove quickly flicked tears from her cheeks and smiled at her son. “I’m talking to Auntie Eddie right now—”

  Eddie watched Dove. Something was wrong. How could she help Dove? Maybe she and Bobby wanted to live with them?

  Eddie stood up. “Hey, Bobby. I have some lemonade in the house. And some cookies. I’ll bring some out.”

  Bobby nodded his head. “Okay,” he said.

  Dove whispered to Bobby, “What did we talk about?”

  Bobby nodded quickly. “Yes, pwease.”

  “Good. I’ll be right back.” Eddie headed for the house.

  She heard Bobby say, “Read.” Bobby’s part of our family for sure, Eddie thought.

  Her head was spinning. Should she tell her father? Should she interrupt his work? Would he have a heart attack when he saw Dove and her child?

  As soon as she entered the kitchen, she called Barrett.

  Janny answered the phone. “Nantucket Blues,” she trilled.

  Eddie rolled her eyes. Janny sounded so sweet and so fake on the phone. But today she was glad Janny was in the shop.

  “Hi, Janny. I need to talk with Barrett.”

  “Okey-dokey.”

  When Barrett said hello, Eddie said urgently, “I need you to come home. Now. Dove is here with Bobby and he looks just like Stearns. Dove looks terrible, skinny and jaundiced, and I don’t know what to do. We’re in the Book Barn. Should I bring Dad out here?” Eddie finished, her panic easing as she talked.

  Barrett was decisive. “Don’t tell Dad yet. I’ll come right away.”

  Eddie made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for Bobby, piled Oreo cookies in a bowl, poured lemonade into three plastic tumblers, set it all on a tray, and carried it out to the barn.

  Dove said, “Bobby, look. Auntie Eddie is bringing us lunch.”

  They settled Bobby with his sandwich, cookies, and lemonade at the small child’s table. Eddie and Dove took tumblers of lemonade and went to stand just inside the barn doors, out of range of Bobby’s hearing.

  Dove sipped her lemonade. Her hands trembled.

  “He’s beautiful,” Eddie said. She couldn’t take her eyes off the little boy. It hurt to see Dove so thin, so fragile. Their old best friend, their almost-sister, the woman Stearns had loved. What had happened? Tears welled in Eddie’s eyes. “Oh, Dove, Dovebug, are you okay? Why did you go away? Why didn’t you keep in touch? We wanted to be with you. We would have taken care of you and your baby.”

  “I know that.” Dove bent her head, speaking softly. “But I needed to leave. Look around, Eddie. Look at all you have. Your father, and Barrett, and a home.”

  “Dove—”

  “What if it all disappeared? Your home, your family, the man you have loved all your life…” She flicked tears from her cheek. “I lost it all, Eddie. I lost my parents, and the feeling of being a good person from a good family—”

  “You are a good person, Dove!”

  “You have no idea what it was like to live in that town with everyone hating my parents. Those cheerleaders gossiping together about how my father was a thief. I couldn’t stay, Eddie. Especially not with you and your perfect family.”

  “God, Dove, we were never perfect!” Eddie protested.

  “Yeah, right.” Dove sniffed. “You had Barrett. She had you. You never had to walk down the hall at school and hear someone say, ‘Watch out that she doesn’t steal your bracelet. Her father’s a crook.’ On Instagram people called me a criminal, criminal girl, jailbird. You saw those posts.”

  “We did, Dove, and remember, Barrett and I stood up for you! We told them they were lying, being stupid. But you disappeared—”

  “—and became the town drunk.” Dove knocked her head against the wall. She breathed deeply, trying to get in control. “The night they took my father to jail? Mom went to her friend’s house and I was alone, the last night I would ever sleep in my house. And I—”

  “You should have come to our house!” Eddie cried. “I can’t believe you didn’t come to our house. Or at least called us. We could have come to be with you.”

  Dove shook her head. “I knew something was going to happen. I heard my parents talking. You can’t understand, Eddie. What my father did—those men in suits coming to our house—I felt ashamed. I wanted to hide. I didn’t want to be me, the Criminal’s Daughter.”

  “But, Dove—” Eddie cried, holding out her hand to touch her old friend.

  Dove moved out of reach. “I didn’t feel like I was good enough to be with you.”

  Before Eddie could speak again, Barrett tore into the driveway, scattering the shells. She turned off the engine, jumped out of the Jeep, and ran toward Dove.

  Barrett smashed into Dove, crushing her in a hug, crying, “You’re here! You’re really here!”

  Dove let Barrett hold her as the two women cried together. Eddie watched, tears running down her face.

  “Mommy?” Bobby had left his coloring and come close to his mother. He looked worried. Even frightened.

  “Oh, wow!” Barrett fell to her knees to face the boy. “You’re Bobby. You’re really Bobby.”

  Bobby edged closer to his mother. He reached out and grabbed a reassuring handful of her jeans.

  “Calm down, Barrett,” Eddie said softly. “You’re freaking us out a little bit.”

  “Sorry.” Barrett took some deep breaths. “Bobby, these are happy tears. Because I’m so happy to meet you. I’m so happy to see your mommy.” She stood up. “Dove. Dove, sorry to manhandle you. I’m just so thrilled to see you after all this time.”

  “I’m happy to see you both, too.” She cradled her tumbler of lemonade to her chest and clutched the wall with her free hand. “I have to sit down.”

  Eddie exchanged a worried glance with Barrett.

  “Yes, of course. You must be tired after your trip. Let’s go in the house. Do you let Bobby watch TV?”

  “Pete the Cat,” Dove said. “Bobby loves the book.”

  Eddie walked over to Dove and put a bracing arm around her, helping her stand. With a swift nod to Barrett, she signaled for Barrett to take care of Bobby.

  “Bobby,” Barrett said. “Would you like to come into the house and watch Pete the Cat?”

  “YES!” Bobby shouted. He caught his mother’s reaction and spoke more softly. “Yes, pwease.”

  “Go on with Auntie Barrett,” Dove said. “I’m coming, too. You know sometimes I walk more slowly than you do.”

  Bobby took Barrett’s hand. They crossed the yard, climbed the steps, and stood on the porch. Bobby turned back to see his mother.

  Barrett stifled a gasp. Dove was walking slowly, and it looked as if she wouldn’t be able to walk without Eddie’s help.

  “It’s okay,” Bobby said. “Sometimes Mommy gets tired.”

  Barrett tried to sound calm. “Let’s wait and open the door for your mommy and Eddie.”

  Barrett and Dove struggled up the steps to the porch and through the open door into the kitchen. Barrett followed, holding Bobby’s hand.

  Dove collapsed into a chair. “Thanks, Eddie. Bobby, Auntie Barrett will take you to watch Pete the Cat.”

  Barrett took the child to the family room and settled him in front of the television. She streamed Pete the Cat and handed the remote to Bobby.

  “You can adjust the volume, but don’t touch any other buttons. Aunt Eddie and I get confused with those buttons.”

  Bobby giggled. “So does Mommy.”

  Barrett returned to the kitchen. Eddie sat next to Dove, holding her hand.

  “Bobby’s happy with Pete,” Barrett announced, trying to sound upbeat.

  Still holding their friend’s hand, Eddie said softly, “So, Dove, you look terrible. What’s going on with you?”

  Dove lifted her head. “I’m dying,” she said.

  fifteen

  For a moment, the sisters sat in stunned silence.

  Eddie asked softly, “Dove, why would you say something like that?”

  Dove smiled weakly. “Because it’s true. I have end-stage cirrhosis of the liver.”

  “But how?” Barrett demanded. “Why?”

  Eddie moved her chair closer to Dove’s. “Tell us.”

  Dove closed her eyes. She seemed infinitely weary. “It was hell when my father went to jail. I was an outcast, and Curt took care of me. That was my first introduction to the bliss of being drunk. I drank until I blacked out. Slept, woke up, drank some more. Stearns saved me. He helped me get sober. He rescued me. But when Stearns died…when Stearns died, I lost everything. I had always loved him, and of course I had always loved you two, but Stearns, Stearns was everything to me.” Dove leaned toward the sisters. “I promise you, when I got pregnant with Bobby, I wasn’t drinking. I hadn’t had a drink for months. And I didn’t drink during my pregnancy. I loved Stearns so much, and we were going to have a child and a home and a family. I would never have endangered that. And Bobby was born. We were so happy. But the motorcycle accident…” Her breath hitching, Dove went quiet. After a moment, she asked, “Could I have a tissue?”

  Barrett jumped up, got the box, and set it before Dove. “Go on.”

  Dove wiped her face. “I was lost. Confused. I didn’t want to return to Williamstown, where my father was sent to jail and my mother abandoned me. I called my uncle in Denver. My father’s brother. I told him that Stearns had died, and I had a baby. They sent me a plane ticket. My aunt Ruth and uncle Howard met me at the airport. They gave me a room in their house. They took care of me and Bobby. They knew about my father, about my mother taking off to Florida with another man. They didn’t know I’d had a few months of drinking myself silly. After Stearns died…even in Colorado, even with my beautiful little baby…I didn’t want to live. I was like a ninety-seven-year-old shut-in. I never left the house. I took care of Bobby and slept.”

  Eddie stood up, filled a large glass full of water, and handed it to Dove.

  “Thanks.” Dove stared down into the glass. “They suggested I get a job. They thought it would do me good to get out of the house. Aunt Ruth was crazy about Bobby. So, I took a job at a grocery store, putting stock on the shelves. And I met some people, and had some friends to hang out with after work…and I started drinking again.”

  Dove paused to drink water. Suddenly, she smiled. “In the mountains in the winter, there are so many stars in the sky, you can’t believe it.”

  Barrett took a moment to go into the hall to check on Bobby.

  “He’s still watching TV,” she reported.

  “He’s an angel, isn’t he?” Dove’s smile was anguished. “Here’s the deal. I spent the past two years drinking heavily. Passing out. Once I start drinking I can’t stop. Add the months I spent out of control with Curt and his gang when my father went to jail. Add the nights when we were kids and I helped myself to my parents’ gin so I could fall asleep.”

  “We didn’t know you were drinking!” Barrett cried.

  “It was only late at night. And it was a lot…It’s why I have end-stage liver cirrhosis. Also, hep B.”

  “You can have a liver transplant,” Eddie suggested.

  Dove shook her head. “I’m not a good candidate. Believe me, I’ve seen doctors. I’ve had tests.” She made a circle with her hand over her torso. “You don’t want to know what’s going on in here.”

  “Dove, this is horrible.” Barrett put her hand on Dove’s. “I’m sure doctors here can do something. We’ll take you to Boston. There are first-class hospitals in Boston.”

  Dove gripped Barrett’s hand. “Please, listen to me. I’m not here because I want to be cured. I can’t be cured. Look at the color of my skin. Look at how thin I am. It took all my energy to get here. I came because of Bobby. I want you to have Bobby.”

  “Dove? Is that really you?”

  William stood in the doorway. He’d gone white with shock.

  Dove smiled. “Hi, Mr. Grant. Yes, it’s really me. Or what’s left of me.” She laughed and stood up and trembled all over and collapsed back into her chair.

  “Dad,” Eddie said. “Bobby’s in the family room, watching Pete the Cat. Maybe don’t go meet him right now. Dove has some…news for us all.”

  William joined them at the table. He listened to Dove tell him how sick she was and how it had happened. And what she was asking of Eddie and Barrett.

  “Good God, Dove,” William said. “I’m so sorry. Okay, so do we have a timeline?”

  “Dad!” Barrett was shocked.

  William ignored Barrett and spoke to Dove. “How can we help you? How can we make you comfortable? What have you told Bobby?”

  “Thank you, Mr. Grant.” Dove smiled at the sisters. “He’s asking the right questions. The necessary questions. No, I don’t have an exact timeline, but I probably won’t last through the year. I’d like to be connected with a doctor here. The last few days…whenever they come, won’t be easy. I was hoping I could stay with you for a few weeks, get Bobby feeling safe with you, help Bobby realize he’s part of your family. He’s very young. After a few years, he won’t remember me.”

  “Mommy?”

  They all jumped a little when they heard Bobby’s voice. He was standing in the doorway, looking around.

  “Mommy, Pete the Cat is over.”

  Dove held out her arms. “Bobby, come here. I want you to meet your grandfather.”

  Bobby ran to his mother and climbed on her lap.

  William bent down to face the child.

  “Hello, Bobby,” William said. “I’m your grandfather. You can call me Pop.”

  Bobby’s eyes went wide. “I’ve never had a grandfather before.”

  William kissed the boy’s forehead and managed to smile, although the rest of his face was scrunched up as if he were in pain.

  “Cheese and crackers,” William said, blinking away tears.

  “Helloooooo!” Dinah’s greeting carried to them as she came in the front door. “My darlings, I’ve had such a wonderful day.”

  Dinah swept into the room, all frills and perfume. Her lips were pink, her cheeks were rosy, her white summer dress was very low-necked.

  Bobby’s jaw dropped. “Are you an angel?”

  Dinah didn’t skip a beat. “No, but you are.” She came close to Bobby and Dove. She put out her finger and gently pressed Bobby’s arm. “Oh, wow! You’re real! I thought you were an angel, but you’re a real little boy. Would you like to test me?”

  Bobby gently touched Dinah’s arm. “You’re real, too.”

  “Extremely real,” Dinah told him. She pulled a chair up to the table. “You must be Dove. I’m so happy to meet you and your son. I’m Dinah Lavender. A friend of the family.”

  “Bobby,” William said, “I want you to meet Dinah. She writes wonderful books.”

  “I like books,” Bobby said.

  Barrett sniffed loudly.

  “Good grief,” Eddie said. “What a day. I’m going to heat up a pan of mac and cheese.”

  “I’ll make a salad.” Barrett went to the refrigerator to take out lettuce and vegetables.

  The sisters worked side by side, listening to the conversation at the table. Eddie took the large pan of homemade mac and cheese from the freezer and pre-heated the oven. Barrett tore up the romaine with shaking hands.

  Dinah said to Bobby, “Your grandfather is writing a book about men who write poems.”

  Bobby crinkled up his nose. “Does it have monsters like Shrek?”

  William glanced at Dove.

  “He likes monsters,” Dove said.

  William stuttered, “Monsters…well, let me think.”

  “He’s writing about Lamia,” Dinah whispered. “Lamia is a woman but she’s also a snake.”

  “Cool!” Bobby yelled.

  “And sweet old Wordsworth called his wife a phantom of delight.” She explained, “A phantom is like a ghost.”

  “You’ve been reading my book,” William said.

  “Yes, of course,” Dinah replied. She winked at William. “Have you been reading mine?”

  Barrett muttered to Eddie, “Dinah winked at Dad!”

  Dinah focused on the little boy. “Bobby, do you like poems?”

  Bobby blinked and shrugged.

  “Twinkle, twinkle, little star.” Dinah recited the short poem.