Page 57 of Red Mountain Burning
Teenage Bliss
The ups and downs with Carly went on for another week, and almost every time Margot and Remi thought they were getting somewhere, Carly would fall back to her old routine, the gloomy life of a lost teenager. Margot had been doing everything she could to take it on the chin, but it was no easy task. Her ex-husband had been a much easier target to manipulate.
Tonight was truly perfect, though. Margot had asked the Foresters to dinner and spent all day cooking. They’d gathered in the lobby of the inn with six of her guests for an impromptu jam session between Jasper and Jake. Jasper sat at his piano with a huge smile on his face, listening intently to Jake, who was expertly strumming his acoustic guitar. Margot and Remi had carried chairs in from the dining room, and everyone sat quietly, nodding their heads and tapping their feet. When Jasper and Jake sang in harmony, Margot’s spine tingled.
She delighted in seeing the two musicians play. What made her happiest of all was seeing how much Jake enjoyed playing with her son. It had never once been about Jake trying to help Jasper. They’d always been on the same musical plane, both exceptional at their craft, and as they played tonight, it felt as if they had always been destined to unite.
When they finished their session, everyone beamed, knowing the rest of the mountain would have killed to have been there. Then off they went to Margot’s house across the way for dinner, where Margot had everything prepared.
Opposite Carly at the table, Jasper and Emilia were doing their best to make conversation with her. Luca was “working on a new invention.” Remi sat across from Jake, and they seemed to be getting along well. And Carmen helped Margot bring the dishes to the elaborately set table, which was covered with fresh flowers and her finest china.
“What are we having, Margot?” Emilia asked. “This looks amazing.”
“Oh, let’s see. A radicchio salad; a fava bean puree; fried Brussels sprouts with shaved ricotta salata; and pasta with a celery leaf and parsley pistachio pesto. Lots of green tonight. I hope that’s okay.”
“I’m moving in,” Emilia joked.
Though Carly wasn’t speaking much, the conversation bounced around comfortably as the platters of food quickly emptied. Jake and Jasper talked about writing songs for a new album. Remi told everyone about the many trials and tribulations of learning to farm down at his property by the river.
“How about you, Emilia?” Margot asked, sprinkling sea salt on her small serving of Brussels. “How’s your new job?”
“Kind of amazing, actually. Brooks is a great teacher.”
“I can only imagine,” Margot said, noticing Carmen stiffen.
Remi, who had aged quite a bit in the two weeks since his daughter had arrived, asked, “Do we have a budding winemaker on our hands?”
“Maybe so,” Emilia said, obviously enchanted by her new job. “It’s a lot of fun. I could totally do this for a living.”
Carmen tapped her fingers on the table. “Yeah, but honey, you never know what you’re going to do for a living after your freshman year of college. Don’t even try to make that decision now. Just keep taking as many classes as you can, and you’ll figure it out. You’re not exactlywinemakermaterial.” She saidwinemakerlike it was an occupation punishable by death.
Emilia shrugged and breathed through her mom’s words. It was obvious she was already tired of her mother’s not-so-subtle steering. “Anyway, I’m loving it so far.”
“That’s great,” Margot said, thinking she’d better not push it.
“How about you, Carly?” Jake asked, leaning back and sniffing his red wine. “What are your plans for the summer?”
Carly looked up from her plate like someone had doused ice water on her, and Margot wondered if Carly was starstruck. As normal and kind as Jake was, he could be intimidating.
“I don’t really know,” Carly said, dropping her eyes again.
The entire room felt so cold all of a sudden, and all the anger Margot had felt toward Carly vanished for a moment. She’d been so preoccupied with herself—wishing the wicked stepdaughter away—that she’d forgotten Carly was just a young girl trying to get by. How sad it was that she could open her mouth for one second and strip all the light from a room. Margot wanted to get up and hug her and tell her she was sorry for being such a selfish bitch.
In the silence, forks pinged the plates, and the stemware rose to everyone’s mouths as if the glasses were oxygen masks.
The gem that she was, Emilia broke the silence. “Carly, I’d love to show you around. That is, if you’re interested. I remember being the new kid around here. It took a while to figure things out.”
Carly whispered a thanks and then dropped her eyes back to her plate.
“That’s so nice of you, Emilia,” Margot said, once again, finding the sound of her own voice terribly annoying. Why did she talk so much when she was nervous? And why was her voice so high-pitched all of a sudden, like she’d tapped into Julia Child.That’s so nice of you, Emilia.
Apparently, Margot wasn’t the only one who was annoyed.
Carly dropped her fork. “Oh my God. I just can’t do this.” Without any further explanation, she pushed away from the table and stomped up the stairs.
As Carly’s footfalls faded away, Margot looked at Remi. He pressed his lips together and inclined a shoulder.
“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to—” Margot started.
