Time After Time (Sweetbriar Cove #14) - Melody Grace Page 0,56

always been friendly and welcoming.

“Stella!” Rita greeted her at the door, dressed in chic workout clothes. “Come on in. The kids are just finishing up one of their computer games, so you know that means they’ll be a while. Bryce! Matty! Your mom’s here!” she turned and yelled up the stairs, before ushering Stella through to the large, sun-drenched kitchen. “How have you been?” Rita asked brightly. “Can you believe it’s been months already since that big Labor Day bash?”

“Don’t.” Stella groaned, smiling. “I feel like summer was a week ago, but I need to start my holiday shopping soon.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” Rita said with a wince. She whipped out her cellphone and tapped a button, speaking into the handset. “Reminder, set a date for the holiday party. Check ski reservations. Have Jules start researching Christmas gifts.” She clicked off. “My assistant,” she explained to Stella. “She’s a lifesaver!”

Stella smiled. “I could use one of those,” she said. “But somehow, I don’t think I’d get a long list of applications to help schedule sewer clean-outs.”

Rita laughed. “Maybe not.”

“So, you’re busy?” Stella asked.

“Swamped!” Rita exclaimed. “It’s tax season, so we’re in a state of constant panic. Still, it’s nice having the kids back, even if it’s only the weekend. They had a great time at the movies,” she added. “I wondered if they might be too young for Rocky Horror, until Kevin reminded me that my babysitter snuck me in when I was twelve.”

Stella smiled. “I’m sure it was fine. If I know Matty, he was too busy trying to figure out the mythology to be scandalized.”

“And Laurie was figuring out how to wear fishnets with her school uniform, and give the headmaster a headache!” Rita agreed.

Rita bustled, making tea, as Stella’s eye wandered around the room. It was large and homey, with photos stuck to the refrigerator showing Bryce and Laurie beaming with accomplishment: playing orchestra, wielding lacrosse sticks, accepting trophies on stage in their private school uniforms.

Rita followed her gaze. “It’s crazy how fast they grow up, isn’t it? I still have all their old drawings in a box somewhere. Every time I take something down, I can’t bear to throw it away!”

“I’m the same,” Stella agreed, nostalgic. “Somewhere, I have a whole archive of Matty’s kindergarten scribbles.”

Her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket, and when Stella checked the message, it was from Aidan.

The real world isn’t half as fun as Halloween.

She smiled.

Who says we can only have fun on holidays? She typed back, as Matty and the other kids came hustling into the room. “You’re early,” Matty said, and Stella laughed.

“Great to see you, too.”

“You know what I mean.” He was smiling, looking happier and more relaxed than she’d seen him in forever – or at least, since Labor Day, when the Johanssons had packed up their summer house and headed back to the city. “Mrs. Johansson said we could stay for lunch.”

“We’d love to have you,” Rita added with a smile.

But Stella gave an apologetic smile. “I’d love to, but we better get on the road. We need to make sure Matty’s done all his homework, and is ready for school tomorrow morning,” she added with a pointed look.

Matty’s face fell.

“Come on, kid.” Stella said gently. “It’s time to go. You’ve already pushed your luck, staying the weekend.”

She thanked Rita, and Matty said his goodbyes. “It’s OK,” she heard Bryce telling him. “We’ll be online tomorrow, and back for Christmas break.”

She steered him out to the car, but the moment he collapsed into the passenger seat, his good mood disappeared. He slumped, watching out of the window as they drove away.

Stella felt a pang of regret.

“I know it’s tough, only seeing them on vacations, but it sounds like you had fun,” she added brightly. “I hope you took a ton of photos. Tell me everything.”

Matty began explaining the midnight show, and the late-night bustle downtown. The trick of treating had been a big success, too, and he still had a massive bag of candy to show for it.

“Pace yourself with that,” she said with a grin. “Remember what happened last time you tried to eat your body weight in candy, all in one go? You vomited it right back up.”

“Mom, that was years ago,” Matty sighed. “I was a kid!”

“You’ll always be a kid to me.” She reached over, and ruffled his hair. Matty batted her hand away.

“What about you?” he asked. “What did you do?”

“Oh, you know…” Stella replied lightly. “I went to the Halloween