Being Emma Read online

“Hello, Aunt Janie. Would you like to come in?” Janie had to laugh. It was quite a contrast between Colt’s kids who would launch themselves at her squealing with delight and two year old, Sofia, who was so prim and proper. Janie reached over and picked her up.

  “Hello, Sofia. It’s so nice to see you.” She kissed her on the cheek as Meg came up behind them.

  “Sis… Wonderful to see you.” Meg put her arms around both Janie and Sofia in a big, welcoming hug. “Come in, come in. Don’t just stand in the doorway.”

  Janie walked in holding Sofia who announced she wanted to stay with Aunt Janie for her whole trip. Meg laughed and showed Janie into the kitchen.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Oh… the usual. I’m working on a new recipe. Carter thinks I should call the new cookbook, Two Million Things to do with Fish.” Janie grinned.

  “Not very catchy, Meg.”

  “That’s what I told him.”

  Janie put Sofia on one of the kitchen chairs and took off her jacket.

  “The ocean air feels so heavenly here – You must love it.”

  “… I do. It’s incredible.” Janie looked around the house and then back at Meg. She always thought her sister was so lovely with her shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes.

  “Where’s Carter?” Meg moved past the island in the kitchen to stir something in a saucepan on the stove.

  “He’s got classes all day. I thought we’d hang out here today, so Sofia can entertain you,” she smiled at her daughter, “and then tomorrow we’ll go to the Wharf for seafood. Just us…”

  “Carter won’t want to come?”

  “… He will, but he can babysit, while I take my sister on the town.”

  Sofia piped up in her high voice, “I’m not a baby…” Janie put her arm around her.

  “Of course, you aren’t, sweetie.” Meg looked over the counter at her.

  “You said you wanted Daddy to take you down to the park. Wouldn’t you like to do that?” Sofia happily clapped her hands and smiled.

  “… Yes, please. I want to go with Daddy.”

  Meg whispered to Janie, “Daddy’s girl…” and winked.

  “We’ll have fun with Aunt Janie tonight. Will that be okay?” Sofia bobbed her head making her pretty chestnut hair bounce too.

  “She’s such a pretty girl, Meg. You did good...” Meg laughed.

  “Different from Colt’s brood, wouldn’t you say?”

  “And Jesse’s. Did you hear that Audrey’s pregnant again? She told Mandy she wants a couple more.” Meg shook her head smiling.

  “Never thought our older brothers would have so many children and the younger brothers none at all. What’s up with Miles and Joey anyway?” She checked the consistency of the sauce she was preparing and decided to put in the refrigerator. She wanted to talk to Janie without distractions. “Want something to drink?”

  “Sure. Got any Diet Coke?”

  “Right here.” Meg took a can out of the refrigerator and then filled a glass with ice to hand her. She got one for herself too.

  “Anyway… Miles… We saw him briefly last month for about a week and then he had to get back… Something about a launch for his new book… That’s what they call a book signing in London, apparently.” Meg grinned.

  “No women in the picture?”

  “Not since he broke up with Kate, the woman he brought to your wedding. Or she broke up with him… We had high hopes for her.” Janie poured her soda and took a sip.

  “And Joey?”

  “Joey’s stalling for time with Anna, if you ask me. Jesse already went down this road with Audrey and I thought her parents were going to kill him. “

  “…Five years was a long time to go without any sort of commitment on his part.” Meg sipped her Coke.

  “I’ll say…”

  “Joey’s about to take off for New Mexico again to paint. We thought Anna was going with him. Not sure now… That’s a maybe…”

  “So… Two brothers are settled and two brothers are not.”

  “That’s a lot of brothers, Meg.” They both laughed.

  “How about Jeanne and Sam?”

  “I haven’t spoken to them in a while. I think Jeanne and Mandy keep in pretty good contact.” Meg looked at her. She knew exactly what those recent conversations between Jeanne and Mandy were about too – Janie and Craig.

  “Huh… Come bring your suitcase into the guest room. Sofia can carry your purse for you.” Sofia smiled happily, took Janie’s purse with one hand and grabbed Janie’s hand with her other one. Together, they walked down the hallway.

  After settling into the guest room, they went out to Meg’s back yard to swing Sofia and chat about whatever. Janie relaxed finally in the garden area with all those fabulous flowers in bloom around her. She smelled wonderful scents of lilac and honeysuckle. The roses were all blooming in vibrant pinks, reds, yellows and whites. It was an oasis of calm in the busy city. She told Meg a little about Mike Church -- That they had had fun together, but he was gone to Alaska… He wouldn’t be coming back either. That was a relief to Meg – No one knew what was going on with her and Mike, and she was glad that relationship wasn’t serious.

  The elephant sitting in the room was Craig… Meg wasn’t about to bring him up – just yet. She was hoping to get Janie alone tomorrow by the bay and just let her talk it out. She knew Janie needed to unwind first, so Sofia was helping with that duty. By the time Carter arrived home, Janie was feeling good. She loved her sister and her family – Their time together was always too short.

  They were playing with Sofia in the living room when Carter came in the front door.

  “Janie? That your car out there?” He came down the hallway and Sofia ran to him laughing. He picked her up and kissed her cheek.

  “See what I mean?” Meg winked at Janie and then walked up to greet Carter. He leaned past Sofia in his arms to kiss Meg. She got a longer, deeper kiss than he gave Sofia, of course, and the look that passed between them was soulful. He was truly happy to be home and with his girls. Janie saw that Carter look again – And she was envious…

  “How was your trip, Janie? No problems, I hope.” He came over to hug her, and then sat on the couch by Meg with Sofia on his lap. Janie smiled. Carter was so cute with those glasses and he wore the best looking suits ever… Craig had one like that once. Craig?

  “… Uneventful, which is fine by me. There was an accident on the Bay Bridge right before I went on it. Luckily, it was cleared up by the time I went over.” Janie took another sip of her soda.

  “How’s the archery practice going?” Too late, he saw Meg shaking her head at him. Uh-oh. Wrong subject.

  “It’s good. I just felt like getting out of town for a few days.”

  “Sure… all right. Ah… what are we doing for dinner? In or out?”

  Meg smiled at him. “In. I’m making something new for the cookbook and you three will be my guinea pigs for tonight.” Carter looked over at Janie.

  “It’s not as bad as it sounds. Her recipes are fabulous, really.”

  “That’s nice of you to say, honey.” Meg turned his face to her and kissed him. Janie laughed so she wouldn’t sigh…

  The rest of the evening was taken up with cooking, talking, laughing and eating. Meg and Carter were happy to see her and it showed. Of all the places to go when she was feeling so down, this was the best… They made her feel welcome and entertained her nonstop.

  Meg knew there was something wrong. They had grown up together and she could usually read Janie like a book. Not this time though – There was a new chapter being written here and Meg knew it. She’d have to wait until tomorrow, but that was all right. She knew Janie wanted to talk or else the visit wouldn’t have been so impulsive. Janie usually planned things and talked out every single intricate detail until they were all ready to kill her.

  Tomorrow would be fine…

  ####

  The next day they took a cable car to Fisherman’s Wharf. Meg had a cable
car stop not far from her house in Pacific Heights, so they got on and rode it to the end of the line – the Wharf. The line took them past Lombard Street, the curviest street in the U.S. – It’s a stop, so all the tourists can get out to take a look. Only the brave ventured to drive down that curvy part of Lombard, but the views from Hyde Street were incomparable. San Francisco Bay was in the background with Alcatraz Island just peeking into sight. Looking over the bay was Angel Island State Park. Treasure Island was to the right and Janie looked over various hills dotted with houses as far as you could see. The sky was layered with blues and whites. Quite a sight…

  After getting off the cable car, Meg and Janie walked past the Buena Vista Bar. Meg remarked that they needed to come back there for an Irish coffee later. Janie nodded. They were joking and laughing as they walked through the park by Ghirardelli Square. Vendors had set up kiosks all up and down the sidewalks, and they enjoyed seeing the various wares sold. There was an art exhibit also being displayed in the park and street musicians were playing on the street corners. People were everywhere, enjoying the day.

  “Look, Meg. I want to see the jewelry over there.” Janie steered her over to a kiosk with handmade jewelry of semi-precious stones. Janie saw several necklaces with amethyst and jade that she really liked.

  “Janie, look at this necklace. This is you.” Meg held up a necklace made of citrine, a yellowish variety of quartz. Several round cut pieces of citrine made the necklace itself with the centerpiece being a five-carat square of golden yellow. Janie held it up and marveled at the way it reflected in the sun. Rays bounced through the middle of the stone like a prism.

  “Wow! You’re right – I love it!” She turned to the vendor. “How much is it?”

  “It’s one hundred dollars.” Janie didn’t even hesitate. She didn’t buy much jewelry, but she wanted to treat herself today.

  “Sold.” She fished the money out of her wallet and the vendor handed her the stunning necklace. Janie put it on immediately, while Meg moved it around to hang correctly on her neck.

  “It’s gorgeous, Janie. Don’t you love it?”

  Janie grinned. “I do… It’s fabulous.”

  They continued walking down Beach Street, the main street in Fisherman’s Wharf, checking out the stores and restaurants as they went by.

  Souvenir stores selling tee shirts and refrigerator magnets tempted them.

  “No, you really don’t need another tee shirt.” Meg dragged Janie out of one shop as she headed into another.

  “But I need to bring something back for Colt and Jesse’s kids. They’ll be upset if I don’t.”

  “I sincerely doubt that, but buy some if you must.” Janie smiled, heading for the shirt area. She started combing through the children’s shirts.

  “What size are Sammy and little Sandy?” Meg peered around the corner at her.

  “Probably a size larger than Sofia. They’re a year older, and both boys are bigger than she is.”

  “And what size are the twins? They’re the same age as Jesse’s little girl, Emily, right?”

  “Yep…” After rummaging around for a while, they decided on the right sizes for all their nieces and nephews. Janie paid and they left the shop.

  “Now you have too many bags to carry and we don’t have a car to put them in.” Meg frowned at her.

  “That’s okay,” Janie smiled. “You can carry some for me.”

  “Great…” She gave her an exasperated look.

  Walking down by Alioto’s and some of the seafood restaurants, Janie and Meg bought clam chowder in small bread bowls to eat by the harbor where all the boats were docked. Meg pointed out the Richardson boat in its slip. It was a huge, double-mast sailing boat named Julia, after Carter’s mother. They leaned by the railing and took in the smell of the ocean while they spooned some soup.

  “How was it learning to sail?”

  “It’s wonderful and Carter has been a great teacher. We sail out in the bay usually, circle Alcatraz Island and then go on out to Sausalito. Sometimes we dock there for lunch and sometimes we go the other way towards Treasure Island. I love being out on the water with Carter.” Meg took another spoonful.

  “Did you ever think you’d be sailing in San Francisco after growing up in small town, Nevada?”

  “No, but I love both places.” Meg laughed and then was serious for a moment.

  “… You know, I never really wanted to live anywhere else but San Francisco. The first time I visited, I knew it was the place for me. And then I was hired for my first job as assistant chef.” She looked over at Janie.

  “How about you?”

  “How about me what?”

  “You going to stay forever in Naples?” Janie took another spoonful of the chowder, and thought about that.

  “… I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t be opposed to relocating… If it was someplace I really wanted to go.” Meg nodded at her.

  They walked all the way down to Pier 39 and saw an old sailing ship from the 1800s docked there. The ship had become something of a tourist attraction and allowed tourists to come aboard to visit. Janie smiled at the people in period costume selling tickets and having fun. A mime street artist came up and pretended to pull a coin out of her ear, making Janie laugh. After taking in the aquarium at Pier 39, with its panoramic views of ocean life, Janie had shrugged off all her troubles and woes. Meg had bought some kettle corn from a street vendor and they munched contentedly, as they started walking back toward Cannery Row.

  Meg noticed that Janie was so much happier than when she had showed up at her doorstep yesterday. What a difference a day could make! They decided to bypass the chocolate mike shakes at Ghirardelli’s and go straight to Buena Vista for that Irish coffee. It was a long day of shopping, eating and sightseeing, so Janie wanted to sit for a while. And she was ready for some coffee. Meg totally agreed…

  The Buena Vista was located on the corner of Hyde and Beach Streets. The original building where the bar sits now was a boardinghouse in 1916 when the landlord had converted the first floor into a saloon. That saloon was called Buena Vista, meaning ‘good view’ in Spanish, and the view was good indeed. In the early 50s, a writer and then owner came up with the recipe for Irish coffee and the rest, as they say, was history.

  Meg and Janie walked into the bar and were pleasantly surprised to find seats. The place had always been so popular, that seats were rare and waiting outside in a line was the norm. The bar was narrow with tables on one side by picture windows that opened up to the street. And the view was good… Janie could see across the street to the park and on into the bay. Wonderful! Across from the tables was the bar where two bartenders were very busy. Janie sank into one of the few booths towards the back and Meg joined her.

  Janie blew out an exhausted breath. “Why is shopping so tiring?” She plopped her bags down on the bench seat by her.

  “… Not sure, but it is.” Meg smiled at her and arranged her bags as well.

  A waiter came up to take their orders. He was dressed in a white waiter’s coat with a black tie.

  “Would you like to order now?” Janie glanced at Meg who nodded.

  “Two Irish coffees please.”

  “Very good,” he said and left.

  “I understand,” began Meg, “that the Irish coffee served here was the result of much experimentation.”

  “Oh, really? Let’s hear it.”

  “…Okay… A travel writer and the owner in 1952 decided they wanted to recreate the Irish coffee that was served at the Shannon Airport in Ireland. They experimented but had problems.”

  “Like what?”

  “They had to select the perfect Irish whiskey, which took a while, and then there was trouble with the foam. At first, it wouldn’t sit on top of the coffee – The foam kept sinking to the bottom of the cup.”

  Janie laughed. “So what happened?”

  “Well, the problem was solved eventually when the mayor of San Francisco at that time was also a prominent dairy owner
. They finally figured out that the cream had to age for forty-eight hours, so it would froth to the precise consistency.”

  “Just another bit of information for trivia lovers everywhere,” Janie started laughing and Meg joined her.

  Their Irish coffees came. Janie picked up hers and held it up to toast.

  Meg did likewise.

  “So here’s to… what, Meg?”

  “Here’s to sisters…”

  “I love it.” They put took sips of their hot drinks and put them down on the table.

  “Excellent…”

  “… Fabulous…”

  Janie looked around the bar and remembered how much she enjoyed being in San Francisco and with her sister. She decided to come up more often. The City just made her feel good… Then she looked back at Meg who was waiting for her.

  “… Ready now?”

  “Yeah…. I suppose so.”

  “As Jeanne would say, ‘Tell me’.”

  “Oh, Meggie. I’m not sure where to start.”

  “How about with Diane and Ethan?”

  “Okay… that’s way back, but I guess it’s a good starting place.”

  So Janie took a deep breath and explained about trying to set up Diane with Ethan… How miserably it failed. Then she launched into the Mike Church business and how she thought Craig was probably hurt over it. She mentioned the call with Sharon Anderson and what she learned from that. She finally got to the dance and told Meg about Craig rescuing Diane. Apparently, that had special meaning for Diane, which threw her for a loop and was the reason Janie had practically dropped out of the sky at her house yesterday.

  Meg’s head was soon spinning, and she took another drink of her Irish coffee. It didn’t help clear her head, but sure tasted good.

  “So Ethan snubbed Diane at the dance?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you had influenced Diane to refuse John Marston?”

  “Thanks for reminding me, but yes.”

  “And Craig knew all of this?”

  “Of course, he did. I can’t keep much from that guy.”

  Meg looked sharply at her. “What about Mike Church?” Janie frowned.

  “It just happened. He was on the property and we were attracted to one another… We went out a few times… That was it.”