“Mmm—what time is it? I fell asleep.”
Mom sat down on the side of the bed. “I can see that.”
She smoothed Maddy’s hair gently. Maddy closed her eyes again. Mom’s soft hand felt nice on her forehead. 56
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“Don’t go back to sleep, honey. We forgot to tell you that we’re having guests for dinner tonight. We’re going to eat out on the lawn.”
“Okay. Who’s coming?” Maddy mumbled.
“Well, I bet you didn’t know we had a famous chef living right down the road, did you? His name is Anthony Shepard and he has a wonderful restaurant in Rutherford. And he asked if he could bring his daughter tonight. She just arrived in town for the summer also—
I think she’s about your age. And there will be us, and Fred and David, of course.”
Maddy opened her eyes. “Fred and David?”
“Well, naturally. This will give you a chance to get to know everyone better. Did you have a good time working with David today?”
Maddy turned and faced the wall. “It was okay.” If she was going to ask about her birthday, now probably wasn’t the time to tell Mom that she hated cleaning, hated being stuck in that shack, and had blown off her work for a spa day.
“Oh, good, honey. But you need to get ready, because we’re eating at nine, and it’s eight already. And I found a little something for you when I went to town for groceries this afternoon. Just look at this darling dress I found at a little boutique called Sun and Moon.” She rummaged around in a shopping bag by her feet and came out with a coral red silk strapless dress. Maddy 57
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couldn’t believe it—it was adorable. Usually Mom tried to get Maddy to wear “classic” outfits—which, translated, meant stiff collars and prim buttons.
“That’s so cute! Thanks, Mom.”
Her mom smiled. “I can’t believe you like it. This may be a first for us.” Maddy grinned back as Mom rose from the bed. “Oh, by the way, honey, when you take your shower, remember, the hot and cold faucets are reversed. You have to turn the cold all the way on first and then off, then turn the hot on, and then turn the cold back on. And don’t worry if the pipes scream a little.” She must have noticed the stricken look on her daughter’s face, because she gave Maddy a reassuring little pat on the knee before leaving.
After her shower in the tiny bathroom, during which Maddy just barely managed to remember the instructions for hot and cold, she combed her hair in front of the vanity mirror in her room. She turned and gazed out the porch doors at the fading sunset. A crimson line burned just above the black silhouette of the mountains. Above the scarlet, the sky had melted into its deepest shade of blue. She could just make out the evening’s first tiny star.
She felt as if the gathering dusk had smoothed her afternoon’s rough edges. Her face was still glowing from her shower, and a touch of sunburn tinged the bridge of her nose and the tops of her cheeks. Her 58
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shoulders shone smooth and brown as she zipped up the red pleated dress. It fit perfectly. The patterned silk slid against her skin and fluttered just above her knees. She decided to skip the jewelry and tucked her long hair behind her ears, letting it hang over her shoulders. Barefoot, she headed down the stairs to the kitchen, where Mom was pulling a giant rack of lamb studded with rosemary out of the oven. “Mmm! That smells great!”
“Remember Mr. Jenkins who owns Jasper the pig? He brought over the lamb this morning. He feels bad that Jasper got out again.”
“Oh. That was nice of him, I guess.” Apparently, in Napa, people apologized with animal parts. “What else are we having?”
“Will you get the corn salad and bring it out back?
We’re going to eat at the picnic table.” Mom’s face was flushed as she carved the lamb. She glanced at the clock.
“Uh, we’re having cold cucumber soup and the tomatocorn salad, and Anthony brought a chocolate-almond torte for dessert.”
“Yum.” Maddy loved cold cucumber soup. She hefted the big white bowl and balanced it on one arm as she stuck a wooden serving spoon in it. The screen door banged behind her and she stepped onto the back porch. The yard was dark, save for the flaring candles on the picnic table and some light spilling from the kitchen 59
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windows. After her eyes adjusted, she could see a little knot of people standing on the lawn with drinks in hand. She could see David’s rangy figure slouching off to one side. Everyone turned at the sound of the screen door.
“Maddy!” Her father waved. “Come and meet Anthony and Rain!”
Anthony and who? She hugged the heavy salad bowl as the cool grass slipped between her bare toes. She felt a little self-conscious with everyone watching as she approached.
Bob announced, “This is my lovely daughter, Maddy.” He gave her a little one-armed squeeze. Fred smiled at her. David faked a look of surprise.
“Wow! You’re here! I thought maybe you’d been kidnapped by grocery baggers or something,” he said, pressing his hand to his chest. “I was so worried.”
Maddy ignored him. “Hello,” she said to the tall, skinny man standing next to her father. He had longish black hair that hung in his eyes.
“Hello,” he replied quickly, his eyes darting somewhere over her shoulder.
“And this is Rain,” Maddy’s father went on.
“Hi,” the girl said casually. She was tall and lanky, with tan arms and sun-streaked light brown hair that hung over her shoulders in wind-tousled strands. She was wearing worn jeans and a white tank top with a couple of string 60
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bracelets looped around one wrist. She looked like a surfer or maybe a lifeguard. Maddy wished she hadn’t chosen the silk dress. It seemed fussy all of a sudden.
“Maddy!” her mother’s voice called from the house.
“Oh, sorry,” Maddy said. “I think I’d better—”
“Go help your mom,” her dad said. “I was just going to show everyone the aging room before we eat.”
The group trailed away across the grass. Anthony, Fred, and Bob talked animatedly in the front, with David and Rain side by side at the back. Their tall, lean figures matched somehow. They could pass for brother and sister, Maddy thought.
She forced herself to stop staring and went over to the long trestle table at the very edge of the lawn, where the grass ended and the grapevines began. She placed the salad bowl at one end and stepped back to admire the surprisingly romantic setting. The table looked gorgeous. Maddy’s mother had used creamcolored linens and scattered flickering candles everywhere. The air was redolent with the scent of the big bunches of lavender arranged in ceramic vases at either end. Maddy couldn’t help tilting her head up, her mouth open like that of a little kid, and gazing at the stars flung like powder across the black velvet sky. The night sky always had sort of an orange cast from the city lights reflecting off the clouds in San Francisco. It never got this purely dark.
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Maddy’s mom came up next to her, balancing the giant platter of lamb. Fragrant steam curled up from the hot, pink meat. “Isn’t it just lovely out here?” she said, moving some of the candles around to make a place for the platter.
“Yeah,” Maddy admitted. “I’ve never seen so many stars before.”
“I thought the same thing the first time Dad and I came up here.” Across the yard, Maddy could see the shadowy forms of the group returning from their tour.
“Oh my goodness, this looks wonderful, just wonderful,” Anthony said, flitting around the table like an excited child.
“Well, we’re ready to eat. Have a seat,” Mom waved her hands over the table. Everyone shuffled around, pulling out chairs and shaking out their napkins. For a few minutes, the only sounds were of the clink of silverware and the rustle of the breeze in the vines just behind them as people concentrated on their food. David sat next to Maddy, and Rain sat across the table.