Page 107 of Summer of '69
David slows down when the road curves to the left and Jessie sees a dilapidated barn with its roof caving in.
“This is Red Barn Road,” Kate says. “And that’s the barn.”
Is this the surprise?Jessie wonders. Because if so, it stinks.
“Do I keep going?” David asks. He sounds wary. What are theydoingout here?
“Up ahead,” Kate says. “Pull into that driveway.”
David turns to her. “Katie Nichols, what have you done?”
“Welcome home,” Kate says.
There’s one other house up ahead. It’shuge—bigger than All’s Fair and Little Fair put together, bigger than their house in Brookline, bigger than Exalta’s house on Mt. Vernon Street.
“Holy moly!” Kirby yells. “Did you buy this? Is this ours?”
“We did,” Kate says. “It’s ours.”
Kirby pushes Jessie out the door. “Go, go!”
Jessie climbs out and stands in front of the house, taking it in. She starts another letter in her head, this time to Tiger.
We have a new house on Nantucket. Wait until you see it.
“Holy moly!” Kirby cries out. “Did you buy this? Is this ours?”
“We did,” Kate says. “It’s ours.”
Blair and Angus pull up behind them in the Galaxie. Blair gets out of the car and closes the door gently so as not to wake the babies. “What is this?”
“This,” Kate says, “is our new house.”
“What?” Blair says. “Our new house?”
David looks at Kate the exact same way he looked at her the first time he saw her—when Kate, newly a widow, had opened the door to welcome in the lawyer who was going to defend her late husband’s life insurance claim. David had later confessed that his knees buckled at the sight of her.I didn’t know God made women as beautiful as you.
“Katie?” he says.
“I bought it,” she says. It’s intoxicating to know that she has done the right thing—not only for herself, but for David, for the children, for her grandchildren.
Jessie says, “Can I pick out my room?”
“Go ahead,” Kate says. Her heart is filling her chest; it’s hard to breathe.
“Wait,” David says. He leads Kate up the walk by the hand and then he scoops her up in his arms and carries her across the threshold like they’re newlyweds. It feels like a fresh start.
How many do you get in one life? Kate wonders.
David kisses her cheek. “Thank you,” he whispers.
The dynamics of Tiger’s family are a lot to learn, but by the time Thanksgiving dinner rolls around, Magee has them figured out. She thinks.
Kate prepares the turkey and assigns Kirby, Jessie, and Magee to tasks in the kitchen but everyone is on an equal footing because no one knows which cabinet holds the plates or whether or not they have a potato masher or which drawer holds the silverware. Kate bought the house furnished, but they’re going to replace what’s here with new things, hopefully by summer.
When they all first arrived here, Kate led Magee upstairs and informed her that the bright, spacious room with two windows overlooking the water would be hers and Tiger’s.
“Think about what color you’d like to paint it,” Kate said.
