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Tainted: A Novel
Tainted: A Novel
Tainted: A Novel
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Tainted: A Novel

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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Brooke Morgan makes her dazzling debut with Tainted—a novel of unrelenting suspense that immediately rockets her into the upper echelons alongside Joy Fielding, Tana French, Mary Higgins Clark, and other masters of everyday terror. Evocatively set against the seemingly placid backdrop of Cape Code, Tainted twists and turns and constantly surprises with the story of a single mother, her sensitive daughter, and the mysterious man who takes over their lives. Shocking, unexpected, and absolutely riveting, nothing in Tainted is quite what it seems.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 12, 2009
ISBN9780061986949
Tainted: A Novel

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Rating: 3.524193535483871 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

62 ratings15 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was an utterly engrossing book, heavy on the suspense and creepiness. While I was reading, I was completely drawn in by the characters and their actions. I think this is a testament to the quality of the writing, which I never found obtrusive (this is probably how I'd define what I like in a writing style-- effectively captures my attention while never forcing me to pay attention to the actual words).When I stopped reading, I found myself questioning the story. Did I find Holly realistic in her reactions to the events that unfolded? (yes) Was I convinced by Jack? (that answer kept changing over the course of the book, I'm still not certain now I'm finished with the book). These characters stayed with me, as did the secondary characters of Katy (the daughter, occasionally in danger of being more of a plot device than a person, but whose personality does come through), Henry (Holly's grandfather and support system, a crotchety but loving father figure), Anna (Holly's childhood best friend) and Billy (the deadbeat dad).I liked how the book was primarily told from Holly's point of view, but we'd get chapters that were glimpses inside other heads. I want to give this book a Warning: Child in Jeopardy label; since I know several people that would not want to read Tainted due to that aspect of the story. I found it disturbing, but that didn't stop me from liking the book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I initially thought this might be an average chick lit book, but it developed into a fairly good suspense novel. However, I found it difficult to believe that any caring mother would not be alarmed at the very clear "red flags" and protect her child accordingly. I also had to suspend disbelief at how quickly the romance developed and then went to marriage since Holly was a prudent, thoughtful woman with a child to consider. Also, how could so much activity take place in the middle of the night without Holly eventually realizing it?
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I will warn you Tainted starts off slow, but my rule is 100 pages and by that time the story picks up and sucks you in!! The characters are all well developed and you can definitely feel for Holly and envision her overcoming all her problems. The writting once the author found her flow was beautiful and the rich detail to visuals....fantastic!!! I thought the story while flawed in some ways really flowed well mixing between Holly and the other characters. For sure a charming read watching one overcome inner stuggles.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Tainted is a great story about the consequences of a young woman’s poor judgment. Or perhaps it’s a story about the consequences of a born criminal’s evil intent.I enjoyed Tainted, Brooke Morgan’s nightmarish first novel. Holly Barrett is young and almost unbelievably naïve. Jack Dane is handsome, outgoing, has a lovely accent, and loves Holly’s daughter, Katy. What’s more, Holly’s protective grandfather loves Jack. What young woman wouldn’t feel she had struck gold in a big way? Holly starts to get warning signs that something is wrong very early in the relationship, small signs that she chooses to rationalize or ignore. Only Billy, Katy’s estranged father, suspects Jack is not everything he says he is, and Billy’s got his own axe to grind. Holly doesn’t believe him, and pays dearly for her stubborn loyalty to Jack.What happens is unpredictable and engrossing, and kept me reading till the very last page. Yet I left the book feeling something was slightly off. Jack is a villain extraordinaire, yet somehow remains likable, and by the end, even pitiable. Holly is the perfect victim and has suffered trial after trial, yet her naivete makes it hard to completely like her. She’s just too gullible. Yet the book kept me reading from the beginning to the end. Overall a good read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I started reading this book a few months ago and it takes a while to get interesting, so I had set it aside until recently.I'm glad I picked it back up. Like I said, it takes probably a couple hundred pages before it really starts to get interesting and then it really keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what Holly's new boyfriend Jack is hiding.They soon end up married and Jack's behavior becomes even more odd and chilling. He plays catch with Holly's 5 year old daughter, Katy, very late at night and also takes her for drives and plays other games with Katy after Holly has gone to sleep.The only person who is initially wary of Jack is Holly's one-time fling and father of Katy, Billy. Since he has decided he wants to be part of Katy's life after 5 years of not being a parent to her, everyone just thinks that Billy is jealous of Jack.Closer to the end, everyone but Holly can see that there is something wrong with Jack. Since Jack treats her wonderfully, Holly doesn't see it until it is too late.At the very end of the book you see (from the point of view of two other characters) two different points of view of Jack. It really makes you wonder if he was as terrible as he seemed or if he was perhaps even worse.I really liked the interview with the author after the story also. She tells where she got the idea for Tainted and it's very interesting. I had the review copy so I don't know that this was in the final version, but I would recommend this story. My only complaint is that it took so long to get interesting.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Holly is a terribly shy 23-year-old single mother who has never had a boyfriend. Her beautiful daughter Katy was conceived with Billy, her best friend's ex-boyfriend, during a one-night stand on the beach near her parents' summer home in Shoreham, NY. A couple of years after Katy was born, Holly's parents died. Holly retreated from Boston and moved to the summer home permanently. Her grandfather Henry lives next door and takes care of his girls. Holly is lonely for romantic companionship and Henry worries about how isolated she is. That changes suddenly when a handsome, English stranger sits next to her on a bus trip from Boston. When Jack asks her out on her first ever date, Holly is swept off her feet. She gives into the warmth of being loved and cherished, overlooking the fact that she knows nothing about him. At what cost does she give her heart away to a stranger?Here are my thoughts about Tainted:Tainted is a cautionary tale about moving too quickly into a relationship. Holly is the prime target for a controlling man: she's shy, she lacks self-confidence, and she's lonely. It is such a relief to her to have found love that she puts up with behavior other women might not. Men who would take advantage of this seem to pick up on that so quickly. In that respect, I found Jack and Holly's relationship very realistic. It made me think of how important it is to instill a healthy self-esteem in our daughters.When I thought of Holly, these lyrics from U2's "So Cruel" kept coming to mind:Desperation is a tender trapIt gets you every timeKaty and Henry were the characters that made this novel for me. I loved their relationship. I can see a lot of my father-in-law in Henry as a person and as a grandfather. I also wish that my father lived close enough to be that close to my daughters. Grandparents and grandchildren are such treasures to each other.Up until last night if you had asked me how suspenseful I thought this novel was, I would have said somewhat. There was enough suspense to keep me reading, but nothing that would keep me up at night. Subconsciously, it really did get to me:First, I was reading the book and about 2/3 of the way through around 11:30 the other night. Allison woke up with a growing pain in her leg and knocked on her bedroom wall to get our attention. The girls do this all the time, but I was so startled that the book flew out of my hand and landed on the other side of the couch.Second, I had a dream last night about going along with two friends on their honeymoon to make sure that everything went okay. Bizarre!There were a couple of things that didn't work well for me in this novel:My biggest issue was with internal dialog. Every time a character talked to his or herself, it was printed in italics. There was a great deal of internal dialog in this book and I found it very distracting. As the story picked up, I was able to get past it. Still I couldn't help noticing it even on the last page.I had some difficulty with the way that characters seemed to overreact to things. It was as if everyone was unnaturally on edge from the very beginning of the novel. The example that comes to mind is when Billy, concerned with how little anyone knows about Jack, calls his friend, Jack's boss to find out more about him. While Billy was invading Jack's privacy and putting his friend into a tough spot, it was overkill to have this friend tell Billy that he was acting "creepy." In some ways, this took away from those things that truly were concerning.It took me a while to get into this book. About a quarter of the way through, the story picked up substantially. I wanted to know what made Jack tick. I wanted to see how long it would take Holly to open her eyes. I was truly concerned for Katy and needed to know what happened. It was a quick read and I am glad I finished it.Despite a few quirks, I enjoyed reading Tainted. As this is her first novel, I think that Brooke Morgan has a lot of potential.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Holly Barrett has lived a hard life. She was never popular, always somewhat of a nerd. She was not noticed until she got pregnant in high school by a guy who didn’t speak to her after she told him about the baby. Little Katy was a blessing, but a few short years later, Holly’s dad died of a heart attack and three days later her mother was crying so hard driving down the road, she lost control and also died. Holly moved into her parents summer home right next to her grandfather, Henry, and things were going… well, just going. That was until she met Jack Dane. Gorgeous, English, need I say more? They have a steamy date but Jack tells her he can’t see her anymore when Holly tells him about 5-year-old Katy. A little trickery goes a long way when Henry asks Jack to go fishing. 6 weeks later and the couple is married and things get fishy. Katy’s father comes back into the picture and questions Jack. There’s just something not right about him. When Henry starts believing and uses Google to find out Jack’s past, it gets messy.I got this book from Librarything.com. When I got it in the mail, I actually forgot that I’d signed up for it and had to re-read the back cover because I had no idea what it was about. The synopsis reminded me a lot of the J-Lo movie Enough which I absolutely loved. It’s a book that makes you question your judgement. You always hope that the charming guy you fall for isn’t a murderer, but people are sneaky and sometimes, you don’t know until it’s too late.The book was absolutely amazing. The copy I had was 400+ pages. I started it late Friday and finished it up by Sunday. I just couldn’t get enough. For the first few chapters, it keeps you reading, but once the drama is revealed, it just keeps coming. Even the very last line in the book made my jaw drop.There were characters you’ll love in this book including Little Katy AKA Chicken. But then there are also characters you’ll start to hate then love like Billy and one that you’ll surely love at the beginning because your heart is pitter pattering then hate by the end.I was just talking to a co-worker about this book and realized that the one I have is an “uncorrected proof”. I am going to have to track down the final copy and see if any changes were made in the end. For the books sake, I hope not. I loved it the way it is and think Brooke Morgan did an amazing job. I will definitely keep my eye out for her books in the future.You should know by now, Tainted is getting 5 bookmarks! Go out, find a copy and read it NOW!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Brooke Morgan's debut novel, Tainted, is a thrill ride in a small, shoreline town in Massachusetts -- Shoreham -- as Holly Barrett meets the man of her dreams on a bus. Jack Dane is dashing, charming, and British -- an accent to die for -- but there is something below the surface that is not so inviting."Tell your heart lies enough times and it will fashion them into the truth." (Page 34)Holly's had a tough youth from getting pregnant at a young age to losing her parents and struggling as a single parent. Jack swoops in and casts a spell that she is unwilling to break, despite the objections of her family and friends and only knowing him for about three weeks. Morgan's writing is upfront and engaging, though at times chapters shift from the point of view of Holly, her five-year old daughter, her grandfather, and others."'Jesus, Holl. You're traveling faster than the speed of love.'" (Page 106)Readers will eat up these pages, trying to uncover Jack's dark secrets, while at the same time wishing they could shake Holly into her right mind. At times, Holly is very naive about Jack and moves too quickly into a relationship, which can be attributed to her inexperience with men and her self-imposed isolation. However, there are a number of occasions where Holly sees clear red flags in Jack's behavior and chooses to ignore them, reminiscent of abused women. Morgan's debut novel, Tainted, is a solid thriller with many twists and turns that will have some readers guessing until the very end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    There was a lot of suspense in this story-so many twists, I couldn't put it down wondering what Jack's plan was and what secrets were in his past. I didn't want it to end and was left wanting the story to continue. Look forward to more from Brooke Morgan.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Holly Barrett is a single mother to her 5 year old daughter Katy. They reside in Cape Cod near Holly's grandfather and, although her life isn't ideal, she is definitely a survivor and has made the best out of her situation in life. The three of them are a family.Then one day Holly meets handsome, Englishman, Jack Dane. She is utterly charmed by him and after a whirlwind courtship he moves into her home and they are promptly married. Everything is fantastic for Holly... not only is she in love, but her daughter and grandfather both love Jack just as much as she does. But then Katy's father comes back into the picture and he is quickly suspicious of Jack's true motives. Where did he come from? Where is his family? Who are his friends? By the time Katy realizes something is amiss, it just might be too late.I will forewarn you that Tainted starts off at a slow pace, but about 100 pages in you become quickly enmeshed in Holly's struggle to take control of her life. The characters Ms. Morgan creates are all fleshed out and you can definitely envision them as being someone you might know. Her descriptions of Cape Cod were fascinating.I thought Holly was a great character although she did have her faults. I found her frustrating and too forgiving at times. There were many red flags indicating that Jack might not be as "wonderful" as he seemed but she carelessly looked them over. I did feel that she matured throughout the story, redeeming herself in my eyes. I also really liked some of the secondary characters. Holly's grandfather, Henry, was a favorite of mine. He was old and grumpy, but still a loving and caring fatherly figure towards Holly.I was definitely taken in by this story and found myself at the edge of my seat... and I will confess that I found myself having a hard time putting it down... I mean, I had to sleep, but I picked it right back up the next morning and didn't put it down until I finished it. I thought the ending was superb and made up for any flaws I found along the way. This is a fantastic read for lovers of suspense and one I would definitely recommend.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the story of Holly Barrett. She is a single mother of a five year old daughter. Her parents are dead. She lives next door to her Grandfather who has raised her as a daughter since her parents' death. She meets handsome Englishman, Jack Dane. She falls in love and marries within a month. Then the people in her life notice strange things about Jack. Holly defends him until the bitter end when she shoots Jack and he dies. The way Ms. Morgan wrote this story. I really felt like part of the family and easily felt all of the emotions of the main players. I could not put this book down and can't wait until her next book is published.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Holly made a mistake at 17, but the mistake resulted in Katy, her precious daughter. Five years later, Holly lives in her deceased parents' beach house on Cape Cod, just down the beach from her beloved grandfather, Henry. Together, the three of them have created a peaceful existence.Then Holly meets Jack, a handsome and charming Brit. They fall in love; Jack moves in quickly and even more quickly, they are married. All seems wonderful, with Katy as much in love with Jack as Holly.But Holly's friends become suspicious as they wonder where Jack came from, where his family is, who his friends are. Katy's father, Billy, begins to investigate and convinces Henry that there is something wrong. And now Henry, Katy, and Holly will pay the price for Jack's past crimes.Highly suspenseful, "Tainted" explores the idea of what could happen if a woman unwittingly married a man who was a criminal. Fast read for those who like suspensse.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Holly Barrett meets Jack Dane on the train from Boston to Shoreham. She is instantly attracted to him and totally surprised when he seems equally interested in her. To make things better, her grandfather, Henry, and her daughter, Katy, both seem to love Jack. But Katy's father, Billy, doesn't trust Jack and he is appalled when Holly and Jack marry. Jack seems perfect on the surface, but Billy suspects that he isn't all he appears to be.The book starts a little slowly, but really picks up speed along the way. The characters and setting are well-developed and the plot is very suspenseful, with an unexpected but totally relevant ending.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Holly is an extremely insecure young mother who lives an isolated life in Cape Cod. Her parents died unexpectedly, and her inheritance is such that she is not required to work. Her only family is her grandfather Henry, who lives nearby, and her five year old daughter Katy, the result of an unexpected sexual encounter with her best friend's ex-boyfriend who has no interest in seeing his daughter. One day she meets an extremely attractive Englishman Jack Dane, who sweeps her off her feet. After a whirlwind courtship, they marry. Katy's father has returned seeking a relationship with his daughter. He doesn't trust Jack, and Jack's odd behavior toward Holly and epecially Katy is such that even Henry begins to investigate his past. Is Jack misunderstood or a monster?The writing is enjoyable. I thought Ms. Morgan created an interesting group of characters. Unfortunately for me, Holly is the weakest link. I didn't understand her choices and therefore lost interest in the situation she creates for herself and her loved ones. [Warning - The Rest of the Review May Be a Possible Spoiler] The courtship was ridiculously fast, especially with all the red flags Holly chooses to ignore. For example, when she first meets Jack he quickly berates an exhausted young mother who is struggling to control her unhappy toddler. Holly sees the mother is trying and knows how embarrassed the mother is, but she still finds Jack charming when he calls the mother "bloody useless" as she is apologizing to him for her son's behavior. Most mothers I know would sympathize with the mother and quickly lose interest in Jack after the scene he makes. Instead, Holly is giddy that he wants her to move with him to another section of the bus. Another time, Jack complains that Katy is just being a drama queen when she complains of an earache and demands that Katy shut up and Holly not "baby" her with medication. Again, most mothers I know would show Jack the door. Holly doesn't. I lost interest in Holly's dilemma when she is so deliberately clueless and reckless with the lives of her loved ones.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Holly, an insecure single mother meets Jack Dane on a bus. He is gorgeous and witty. They start a relationship and quickly get married. Holly thinks she has everything she has ever wanted. Then the father of her child, Billy shows up. He quickly sees that something isn't right with Holly's new husband. Holly's friend Anna visits and notices odd behaviour around Katy, Holly's child. They speak with Holly's grandfather and he starts investigating Jack's past. Holly is so in love, she doesn't want to believe anything bad about her new husband, but things start adding up and they don't look good.

Book preview

Tainted - Brooke Morgan

Chapter 1

Holly liked to sit at the front of the bus. The wide windshield gave her a feeling of space and a view forward which quashed any potential travel sickness. And she liked watching the bus driver swing the heavy front door open and closed. There seemed always to be big men driving the route between Boston and Cape Cod; heavyweights with gruff voices and a palpable command over their vehicles. Sometimes they’d crack jokes and talk to her. This is my ship of the road, one had once commented. I’m the captain, sailing her over the highways. He must have been in his fifties and over three hundred pounds, but there was such a wistful romance in his voice as he said it, she gave him a nickname: the Poet. Every subsequent time she boarded a bus, she hoped she’d see the Poet again, but he’d disappeared. To another highway, another ship.

She was early enough for the eight-thirty a.m. bus to be the first on and snag the front seat, the one beside the window. If she was lucky, no one would come and sit beside her and she could stretch out, have the front all to herself. People trickled on behind her: an elderly couple who went straight to the back, a lone middle-aged woman who took a seat a few rows behind her to the left, two teenage girls who wandered down the aisle toward the middle. Keep going, she thought. Keep going past and down the aisle. Maybe I’ll get lucky. But then she looked out the window and saw a line beginning to form. It was going to be pretty crowded, she gauged. She probably wouldn’t get away with two seats to herself.

She almost didn’t see him. He had been stooping over, pushing his bag into the cavernous luggage holder and she had almost turned her gaze away from the queue of people when she caught sight of him as he straightened up. Faintworthy. That was the expression Anna had come up with to replace drop dead handsome. Look— Anna had pointed at a guy in the bar the night before. Look, Holly—there’s a faintworthy over there. At least, he’s close to being faintworthy. Let’s go talk to him. Holly had laughed and told her to be quiet. She wasn’t going to go talk to some stranger in a bar. Anna could, and Anna usually did. But last night Holly had managed to rein Anna in and they’d stayed where they were, finishing their drinks and then leaving to get some supper.

He was tallish, dark, thin and tanned. He’d rolled the sleeves of his white shirt up over his elbows. Clean-shaven, straight-nosed, strong-chinned. Wearing khaki trousers and loafers. No sunglasses. An old watch with a leather strap. Looking serious and nonchalant at the same time. So, so handsome she felt his looks hit her in a punch of pleasure. Like the first sight of a beautiful painting. He was staring ahead, not up. He couldn’t see her looking at him, so she allowed herself to and was reminded of the time she’d been sixteen, in Friendly’s, waiting to get an ice-cream cone and seeing, suddenly, at the front of the line, a man she thought she recognized as Noah Wyle, one of the actors in ER. She’d stared and stared, taken aback by his looks. He was more attractive in person than on TV and for a second, when he’d bought his cone and turned, he’d caught her eye and she’d blushed. He’d smiled and walked out. Later, she’d learned he was filming a movie around Buzzards Bay, so it was definitely him. When she’d told Anna, all Anna could say was, Why didn’t you get his autograph, Holly? God, how could you let that opportunity slip? and she’d thought she was much happier with that one fleeting smile than a tangible piece of paper.

Faintworthy had handed the driver his ticket and was climbing the stairs. Quickly, Holly turned her stare to the floor of the bus, feeling that same blush she’d had at Friendly’s begin to rise. A blush is like being sick to your stomach, she found herself thinking. You can’t stop it. You have no control. It just happens. But he’ll walk by and not notice me and as long as I keep my eyes down, I’ll be all right.

Do you mind if I sit here?

Sure. She had to look at him. I mean, I don’t mind, no. You can sit here. I don’t mind. She knew she was sounding supremely inarticulate. Her whole body was blushing.

Thanks. He sat down.

Her eyes dived back to the floor.

I know there are other seats, but I like to sit at the front, he explained. I like to see out.

Right.

He had an English accent. So his voice was as attractive as his looks. It wasn’t fair. She’d have to spend an hour and fifteen minutes with him beside her and she’d doubtless be hot and sweaty and monosyllabic the whole time. She hadn’t brought a book, she had nothing she could do to pretend to be engrossed. He was empty-handed as well, sitting there quietly, his arms crossed.

Holly had yet to meet one person who didn’t say he or she was shy as a child; even the most outgoing, rambunctious personalities, even someone like Anna, would say, Oh, but I was such a shy kid. You wouldn’t believe it. And Holly always felt like saying, No, I don’t believe it. Because I was a shy child and I’m still shy and I don’t see how you grow out of being shy, ever.

The last passengers were boarding the bus. A woman came on holding a toddler in her arms and sat down in the seats behind them. She looked tired and stressed and so grateful for a chance to sit down she hadn’t even noticed this impossibly handsome man she’d just passed in the aisle. Children do that, Holly thought. They make you concentrate on the really important things—like collapsing into a seat and taking a break from the constant demands for an hour or so.

She could feel her blush finally subsiding as the bus driver climbed into his seat and swung the door closed. Pretend you’re Anna, she told herself. Say something feisty and funny. Make him think you’re completely comfortable in this situation. As if it happens every day. A gorgeous man sits beside you and you start a scintillating conversation.

As if.

She remained mute.

It’s interesting. The word ‘mind.’ In England, in London, at tube stations, they say, ‘Mind the gap,’ meaning, ‘Watch out for the gap.’ Between the train and the platform. And then there’s ‘mind’ in the sense of, ‘Do you mind me sitting here’ like I just asked. And then there’s ‘mind’ as in ‘brain.’ Not that . . . he paused. Not that you’re interested in me banging on about a word. Sorry. I’m going for a job interview. I’m a little nervous.

"No. It is interesting. I promise." His anxiety immediately wiped out hers. She allowed herself to look up, into his eyes. They were a dark shade of blue, the same color as the sweater Billy had worn when she’d danced with him. Bad memory. Cancel it out and move on. She smiled and he smiled back, offering his hand.

Jack Dane.

Holly Barrett.

A brief, strong squeeze.

My grandfather always shakes hands with his left hand. He says it’s closer to the heart.

Makes sense. Jack Dane nodded. But it might be difficult to retrain the entire Western world.

I don’t think he’s trying to convert anyone. In fact, I think he likes it being his private idiosyncrasy. Anyway, what job are you interviewing for? Or is it bad luck to talk about it?

Bad luck? No. I hope not. It’s not a big job. Just a waiter at a new restaurant in a small town. But it’s by the sea and I’ve always wanted to be by the sea.

Where by the sea?

A place called Shoreham.

You’re kidding. Figs? Is that where you’re interviewing? That’s where I live. In Shoreham.

That’s the place.

Figs is the first fancy restaurant we’ve ever had. It’s big news in town. We’re used to diners and clam shacks and Dunkin’ Donuts and pizza places. I looked at the menu in the window just a couple of days ago. It’s seriously grown-up.

Seriously? Jack Dane laughed.

Very, very seriously. They have exotic sauces. They have pomegranate cocktails. I think I even remember some herb-encrusted salmon dish.

The restaurant I used to work at in Boston has salmon cocktails with herb-encrusted ice cubes.

That’s ridiculous. What are they think— Holly saw his sly smile and another blush started. Oh, God. I can’t believe how stupid that was.

No—it wasn’t stupid at all. Yes, I was teasing, but I wouldn’t put salmon cocktails past that place. Or herb-encrusted ice cubes either.

You’re just being nice.

No way. I worked there, remember?

You’re from England, aren’t you?

"Yes. But I’ve never met the Queen, Prince William, Prince Harry or David Beckham. I’m such a disappointment to Americans. I’m beginning to think either I should pretend that I have met them or I should lose my accent. Not raise false expectations."

Oh, no, you shouldn’t lose your accent, it’s—

A child’s wail came from behind them and then a woman’s voice saying wearily, Stop it, Tom. But Tom wasn’t stopping. His cry moved up a pitch and Holly could hear him pummeling the seat—Jack Dane’s seat—with his little legs. Jack turned and rose, putting his face over the seatbacks.

Could you control your child, please? he asked.

He’s tired and irritable, the mother replied. Holly could hear her exasperation. I’m sorry. Tom—stop that now.

Jack Dane turned back and sat, frowning.

What were you saying? he asked.

Only that you shouldn’t lose your accent.

He flinched as another bout of flailing legs hit the back of his seat.

Tom, Tom, stop. I mean it.

Holly peered through the crack between the seats and saw the mother struggling to keep hold of the squirming little boy, but he was determined to keep kicking. You’re bothering that man, Tom. Stop it or I’ll put you to bed as soon as we get home. Do you hear me?

Bloody useless, Jack Dane muttered.

She’s trying.

Not hard enough.

Whack, whack, whack—unrelenting tiny feet pounded the seat.

He stood up.

This is really annoying and it’s not going to stop. I’m off.

Don’t go. Please don’t go. Can I say I’ll move with you? No. I can’t. I’ll sit here like an idiot and you’ll be sitting beside someone else, teasing someone else as this bus hits Route 128.

Come on. He leaned over, took hold of her hand and pulled her up. There are two seats in the middle back there. Let’s go.

She followed him as he led her down the aisle, not looking at the mother and child, knowing how embarrassed that mother would be. He motioned for her to go in first and take the window seat, a row behind the two teenage girls she’d noticed before.

That’s better. Settling in beside her, he immediately relaxed. I hope you don’t mind me dragging you with me.

I don’t mind, she smiled. And we’re right back where we started—with that interesting word ‘mind.’

The secret of a good dinner party is a running theme—or two. Some story or joke the table shares and then can refer back to, embroider on. Food and drink count, but it’s the conversation that really matters.

When had her father told her that? She had to have been young, maybe eleven or so. He’d been sitting with the Boston Globe on his lap; it was in the morning and her mother was in the kitchen. Preparing for a dinner party? Holly didn’t know. She remembered thinking she’d have to try to create running themes when she gave dinner parties. Whatever running themes were. Now that she did know what they were, the other part of the equation was missing. She’d never given a dinner party. She couldn’t imagine ever giving one.

So tell me. What’s Shoreham like?

Wonderful. At least I think it is. It’s basically a one-street town. You know, like you see in old movies. A bank, a fire station, a hairdresser’s, a grocer’s, a liquor store, a diner and that’s it—we used to have a movie theater but that was ages ago. And now of course we have Figs.

Shut up, she told herself. You’re babbling. You’re so used to being the one who listens, you get nervous when someone asks you a question.

So he’s like asking me out on a date, but I don’t know if it’s a date date or just a going-out thing. It’s so not clear. And I’m like trying to figure him out.

The obnoxiously loud voice came from one of the teenage girls in front of them. Holly waited for the other one to reply but the first one kept talking.

You think so? I mean, I’m with Teresa on the bus here and she’s been saying it’s a date date but I’m not so sure and what does that mean anyway? I mean, what do I wear?

Oh, no. Jack Dane shook his head. We know how to pick them, don’t we?

No way. The pink top sucks.

They have cellphone-free places in the trains, but not in the buses, Holly said apologetically, thinking, And I’m just as bad as she is. I’m acting like a teenager too. When you asked me to move seats with you, when you just said we, my heart did a little dance.

OK, OK, I hear you. Look, I gotta go. Teresa is handing me a sandwich and my stomach’s like empty. Talk later. Yeah.

Jack Dane scrunched down in his seat so his head was level to hers; he leaned over and whispered, She’s going to eat. We’re saved.

His breath was warm, clean, so intensely male, she held it inside her as if it were a drug.

Which is worse? she whispered back. The little boy kicking the back of your seat or the cellphone screamer?

It’s a tie. Although I should be used to cellphone screamers. They inhabit restaurants too. Someone like me who hates noise shouldn’t work in restaurants—but I do, so I should be used to it. Anyway, tell me, Holly Barrett. How old are you?

Twenty-three.

The tones of their voices, the softness of the whispers and the proximity of their heads made Holly feel as if they were side by side in bed, plotting something. Except she’d never been side by side with a man in a bed. But this was how she’d imagined it would feel.

I’m twenty-six, so those days are even longer ago for me—but what were you like when you were a teenager? he asked. Did you have a group of friends who all talked too loudly and too fast?

No. I didn’t have a group. Aside from one friend, I was pretty much a lone wolf.

I doubt it. Jack Dane was studying her face so intently, from so close up, it took all the courage she had not to turn away from him. No, you weren’t a lone wolf. Lone wolves are the ones who get kicked out of the wolf pack. They straggle along behind, at a distance, hoping to gain re-entry into the pack. Whereas you, Holly Barrett, were the quiet, shy one who was serious at school, who studied hard and who didn’t go in for silly teenage stuff. Which may have set you apart from the pack, but it wasn’t a pack you wanted to join. You had a different world, a world of your own, a much more adult one. You’re an old-fashioned girl.

Yeah, it’s me again. Yeah, it was a fucking tiny sandwich. So what do you think? If I wear that black top with the pink pants—you think that will send the right signals?

He threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender and drew back from her.

It’s useless. No one knows how to put a sock in it. Wankers. Listen, I think I’m going to take a kip for a while—a nap, I mean. He put his hand in his pocket, pulled out a small iPod. We can’t talk properly with the cellphone screamer in full flow, so I’m going to tune out. I don’t mean to be rude. But I had a late night last night. I need to recharge. Sorry.

You don’t have to apologize, she said quickly. No problem.

You don’t mind? he smiled.

I don’t mind.

Putting his earphones in, Jack Dane leaned back in his seat, fiddled with the iPod controls and closed his eyes.

Holly was still feeling his physical presence, the closeness of him. She’d felt something almost like it once before, the time she danced with Billy. Billy’s sweater had smelled of autumn leaves; he’d held her close to his chest, she’d breathed in the scent, she’d felt herself melt into him. When they’d had sex a few weeks later, there’d been no melting, only his rank desire and her desperation.

Looking out the window, she saw that they were passing the Foxboro racetrack, so they’d reach the junction with Route 495 soon. Which meant they didn’t have that much farther until they arrived in Shoreham.

There were certain types of people who took pleasure in telling you about yourself, Holly knew. Anna being a prime example. I saw this great ad for white-water rafting. I might go. You’d hate it though, Holly, I know. You never take risks, or, Hey, Holl—I was going to buy you a skimpy top for your birthday but I knew you’d never wear it.

Exactly how, Holly wanted to ask, did Anna know? Maybe Holly would have liked white-water rafting, or the skimpy top. I took a risk, she’d wanted to yell. I took a huge risk with Katy. But Anna had her typecast as a mouse from the age of thirteen and nothing Holly could ever do would change that.

Jack Dane was different. Out of nowhere, he’d looked straight into her and pulled out the truth of her early teenage years. Aside from her unlikely friendship with Anna, Holly had been apart from the pack. She had had her own world—with her parents, her books, her imagination. And yes, it had been largely an adult world, although she’d never thought of it in that way before.

The only part Jack Dane was wrong about was her not wanting to join the pack. She’d wanted to, all right. But she hadn’t known how to. She was so self-conscious, she felt paralyzed. Other girls could be wild and fun and funny, but she felt as though she was outside herself, watching, and would appear foolish if she tried to join in. Every time she had worked up the courage to make an effort, she’d been ignored. Not rebuffed exactly—no one bullied her or was mean. They just didn’t notice her, except as Anna’s friend.

I can’t figure out why Anna hangs out with Holly Barrett, she’d overheard a girl named Debby say in the gym one afternoon. I mean, what’s the deal? Holly Barrett isn’t exactly a winner. What’s Anna doing with her?

She probably does Anna’s homework for her, another girl, Wendy, had replied.

And Wendy had been right.

Hey. Jack Dane nudged her, offering her one of his earphones. Listen to this.

Holly took it, placed it in her left ear. It took her only a second to identify the song: Coldplay’s Fix You.

Brilliant, isn’t it? he said when the song ended, holding his palm out. It’s possible, you know.

What’s possible?

To get fixed. Hang on, don’t look so frightened. I didn’t mean drugs. I meant, it’s possible to feel better. You looked sad staring out the window, that’s all.

She put the earphone into his outstretched hand, smiled.

Thanks.

He rearranged the earphones in his ears, closed his eyes again. Was he going to sleep for real this time? Holly wondered. Or would he be watching her as she stared out the window?

She wasn’t wearing nice clothes; instead she had on her usual worn jeans and black T-shirt. No make-up. No jewelry. No perfume. Dirty white sneakers. Who dressed up for a bus trip? Holly wished fervently she had. She wished even more fervently that she had figured out somewhere along the way how to flirt, but most of all, she wished she knew what was supposed to happen next. Would he ask for her phone number? If he didn’t, could she ask for his? No. Definitely not. It would be way too embarrassing. The odds were he was already going out with someone anyway. Spoken for as Henry, her grandfather, would say. He’d been making conversation, he’d been having a little fun. He’d probably call his girlfriend in Boston straight after the interview and she’d meet him at the bus station when he got back.

Closing her eyes too, Holly tried to recapture the smell and texture of his breath when he’d whispered to her. She wanted to put herself back into that moment of intimacy and stay there for a while, savoring it. Instead, images of him walking hand in hand with a tall willowy blonde appeared. Her eyes flew open and she turned to look out the window again.

Way too quickly, the Mill Pond Diner was in sight. The bus driver signaled, braked and pulled into the car park.

Holly touched him on the arm; his eyes opened, he disengaged the iPod.

We’re here?

Yes.

Excellent.

The pneumatic door swung open with a swishing sound of air and Holly and Jack both stood. They appeared to be the only two on the bus getting out at this first stop. Jack Dane stepped into the aisle, motioned for Holly to precede him. She did, conscious of her sloppy clothes. Neither spoke as they climbed down the bus stairs then grabbed their bags from its underbelly.

Nice meeting you, Holly Barrett. He extended his right hand. No Can you give me your cell number?, no other words followed. Once again, they exchanged a brief, strong shake.

I can take a risk, Anna. I have to take a risk.

If you need a lift into town, my car’s here. I can drive you to Figs.

Thanks, but the manager said he’d meet me. He put his hand over his eyes to shield them from the summer sun. There’s a man over there, by that blue car. Looks like he could be waiting for me.

Charlie Thurlow. Yes, I heard he’s the manager. Wanting to say more, but knowing he was anxious to leave her, Holly said, Good luck, Jack Dane. I hope you get the job. It was nice meeting you too.

By the time she had reached the It was nice part of the farewell, Charlie Thurlow had waved to Jack, Jack had started off toward him and her final words ended up directed to his back.

I don’t mind, she said to herself, hoisting her bag on her shoulder and walking to the other side of the car park where her car sat baking in the heat of the sun. I was crazy and deluded to hope for anything more. I don’t mind at all.

Chapter 2

After the ten-minute drive from town, Holly arrived back home in Birch Point and found a note on the kitchen table: We’ve gone down to the Back Beach clamming. Join us if you feel like it. All is hunky dory, H.

She put down her overnight case, went up to her bedroom and changed into a black one-piece bathing suit. Old-fashioned Jack Dane had called her. Before not asking for her number and walking away without a backward glance. At least this bathing suit wasn’t flowery with a ruffled skirt at the bottom. But if he’d known how old-fashioned she really was, he’d probably have sprinted to Charlie Thurlow’s car.

Today was a perfect one for him to come to Shoreham; one of those June mornings with endlessly clear skies and just enough warmth to make swimming an attractive prospect. In the dog days of late July and August the heat could be wet, muggy and stifling. She would go to the beach for relief only to be attacked on the way by swarming mosquitoes and find the water invaded by jellyfish when she got there. Jack Dane might want to live by the sea, but he might not know there were times when the sea was as uninviting as city pavement.

Grabbing a towel and a baseball cap, she left the house and walked the fifty yards to the beginning of the dike. Each time she reached the rusty gate where the dike began, she silently thanked whoever had come up with the incredibly brilliant idea all those years ago to make the Cape Cod Canal.

In the process of digging out a channel cutting through Massachusetts to shorten the shipping route between New York and Boston, the U.S. Corps of Engineers had inadvertently given her family a two-mile, effectively private, beach. Holly still hadn’t figured out the mechanics of it, whether they’d simply dumped the sand in one long stretch or made some kind of rock foundation for it first, but whatever the logistics, they’d fashioned the dike—a long sandy finger sticking out from the end of Birch Point—built a small lighthouse at the far end and declared it government property.

The left side of the dike fronted the canal; the right side created a bay and met up with the original beach at the end of the point. Holly’s family had always referred to the canal side as the Back Beach, the bay side as the Front Beach. On the Back Beach the water was colder and there could be dangerous undertows from passing boats, so most people swam on the Front Beach. But Holly liked the Back Beach better: as a child she’d spent hours watching the boats go by, inventing stories of where they were going, where they’d come from, and what the people on them were like.

Because parking on Birch Point was illegal unless you lived there, the only way to access the dike was by foot or boat. Holly’s house was the next to last on the Point, so it took her approximately one minute to get to the beginning of the Back Beach. She headed off down a small path leading to the shoreline, careful not to touch any of the red-leaved poison-ivy plants which bordered it. She could see that the tide was low, the only time it was possible to dig the clams out of their hiding places in the sand. Henry and Katy would be having a field day digging in the area of sand on Widow’s Cove to her left, so she sped up, anxious not to miss any more time with them.

Within a minute, she’d caught sight of Henry, bending down, and Katy, squatting beside him, her little hands clawing up mounds of wet, gray sand. Stopping, she watched them for a moment, her heart melting with pride and love and a yearning to halt time and keep everything exactly the way it was for eternity. Her happy blonde little daughter digging sand in the sun with no worries, no fear, nothing difficult or sad or bad ever happening to her.

Hey, she called out, waving, and Katy turned, looked up, waved frantically.

Mommy! Come here. Look at all the clams!

Wow! Holly ran over, picked up Katy, hugged her. Let me see the bucket.

Putting her back down, she peered into the bucket beside Henry.

Monster haul! There’s been some serious clamming going on today. Looks like I’m not needed.

Hi, sweetie, Henry gave her a kiss on the cheek. How was Boston?

Fine. She pulled Katy to her, gave her another hug. Thanks for taking care of her.

It’s a great-grandfather’s privilege. We had a whale of a time. You should leave us to our own devices more.

A not-so-subtle hint, Henry.

Subtle or not, you should take it. You need to get out more. And I’m perfectly capable of looking after Katy.

I know you are. She squeezed his arm, turned her attention back to Katy. So what are we going to do with all these clams, chicken?

Henry says we’re going to make clam chowder.

Excellent.

But it has to be perfect.

Holly shot Henry a look. Katy had been, for the past month, on a mission to make everything perfect. It was her new word and had become like a mantra to her. At five years old, she wanted perfection in everything: the perfect amount of milk in her cereal, the perfect bedtime story, the perfect day. Henry shrugged and rolled his eyes.

We’ll try, Katy. That’s the best you can do with perfect—try.

I think we have the perfect number of clams, Katy said, staring into the pail. Don’t we?

Definitely. Henry stretched, rubbed the small of his back. She’s a taskmaster. Wouldn’t let me take any breaks. She kept saying, ‘Don’t stop, Henry,’ and I kept telling her what’s easy for a five-year-old isn’t necessarily easy for a seventy-five-year-old.

But she didn’t listen.

She’s a serious girl, you know. No fucking around.

Henry.

Oh, come on. She’ll hear it in the playground.

We’re not in an inner city, Henry. We’re in Shoreham.

And people don’t swear in Shoreham, do they, sweetie? God forbid. Henry laughed and picked up the pail. I’m going back to the house. Why don’t you come by after lunch and we’ll start on the chowder?

OK—and thanks again for having her last night.

My pleasure. He put his hand on Katy’s head. She was the perfect guest.

Bye, Henry, Katy said. See you and Bones later.

You will indeed see us both, young lady. He walked over to where the beach met the long grass and picked up a light jacket. Meanwhile I’ll look up recipes for perfect clam chowder on the Web.

Any excuse, Holly smiled, picturing Henry hunkered down at his desk, surfing the Net. She was constantly amazed at how computer-friendly he was and figured he spent at least three hours a day on his Apple. When he had gone, she crouched down in the sand so that she was Katy’s height.

What do you want to do now? Would you like to spend some more time on the beach or go back up to the house?

Can we stay on the beach and look for shells?

Absolutely. Let’s take a walk.

They strolled down the beach, picking up the odd shell, until Katy asked if they could stop for a while and watch the boats go through the canal. Holly spread her towel out and they parked themselves on it—a front-row seat for the canal traffic. Tugboats, speedboats, yachts and cargo ships passed by, heading from New York to Boston or vice versa.

Henry had told her that in the old days boats would pass on their way through the canal at night with people in evening dresses and tuxedos dancing on board. Now there were whale-watching trips in a nearby town called Onset and day cruises, but the glamor of those overnight trips from Boston to New York had gone. People flew, took trains or drove.

Look, Mommy. There’s an Australian flag. Katy pointed to a beautifully sleek racing-green yacht. She was right about the flag, but then Holly knew she would be. Henry had given her a book of national flags for Christmas and Katy took the task of learning which flag was which seriously; also she had a phenomenally good memory for a five-year-old.

Holly wasn’t one of those mothers who saw signs of genius in every single thing her child accomplished, but she knew Katy’s ability to remember verged on the special. For a while, she even feared that this was a sign of autism and started to research autism on the Web, until Henry caught her doing it and told her she was being an ass. But still, she worried whether Katy was normal and totally adjusted. Did she laugh enough? Was she too introspective? Too serious?

She’d obviously had fun digging the clams, so she was clearly capable of joy; she just didn’t jump up and down and let herself go wild very often. Was that bad? Holly looked at her daughter staring intently at passing ships, searching for the flags.

How do you ever know as a mother? There are landmines everywhere, waiting to blow up in your face. Am I too strict? Not strict enough? Should I tell Henry, for example, that he really has to stop swearing in front of her or is that being overprotective and silly? Will Katy be sitting in a shrink’s office some day, blaming me for everything wrong in her life? Will she make the same mistakes I did?

Holly turned her gaze

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