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“Obviously, some parents do,” Mitch said. “I’ll look forward to meeting her.”
“Okay, so here’s the deal. I need to know if you’re gonna freak out if she stays in my room.”
Mitch sucked in a deep breath and lifted his eyes heavenward. “How about a little help here, Amy?” he murmured, trying to think how she would handle this. He knew as well as anyone that a twenty-one-year-old was likely to be sleeping with anyone he was dating seriously. And he had to assume this was serious if Nate wanted to bring the girl home. And yet he wasn’t sure he was quite ready to sanction such behavior under his roof.
“Sorry, pal. Not acceptable.”
“But, Dad,” Nate began.
“Your mom always had firm rules about this sort of thing,” Mitch reminded him. “You knew them when you went away to college. What you do at school is up to you, but in our house guests stay in the guest rooms.”
“It’s not like she’s a guest exactly,” Nate said. “I wanted to tell you this when we got there, but I guess I’d better do it now. We’re engaged.”
Mitch felt the sudden, unexpected sting of tears in his eyes. More than ever, he wished Amy were alive for this moment. She’d know what to say, how to react. He, however, had to force his enthusiasm. Nate was so darn young. His life hadn’t even started yet.
“Engaged, huh?” he said, trying to inject an upbeat note into his voice. “Congratulations, son. I mean that. I wish your mom were here. She’d be so excited for you.”
“I know,” Nate said quietly. “It’s kinda hard knowing she’ll never get to meet Jo, give her a stamp of approval, if you know what I mean.”
Mitch smiled. “I know exactly what you mean.” Amy had always been careful about sharing her opinion of the girls their sons had dated, but they’d known anyway. She’d been terrible about hiding her feelings. And those feelings had clearly influenced both Nate and Luke. The lousy choices had never lasted long, even though she’d kept her mouth clamped firmly shut.
“So, now that you know about the engagement, can she stay in my room?” Nate asked.
Mitch was still struggling with the idea of his son being ready to make such a huge commitment. The sleeping arrangements seemed minor all of a sudden.
“How about we talk about that when you get here?” He wanted to see for himself just how committed the two of them seemed to be. Or maybe he was just trying to postpone the inevitable—admitting that his son had grown up on him.
“Okay, Dad,” Nate said, conceding the point. “See you tomorrow night.”
“Drive carefully.”
“Always,” Nate replied.
There’d been a time when Nate might have rolled his eyes at the admonition. Luke, too. But since Amy’s tragic accident, none of them took anything for granted when it came to driving. Mitch knew one thing with one hundred percent certainty—neither of his sons would ever drive drunk. And even sober, they’d drive responsibly and defensively. He hated the way they’d had to learn that lesson, but he had to admit he was glad they’d taken it to heart.
Now he just had to pray that Nate had taken to heart everything Amy and Mitch had taught him about the responsibility that went along with love and marriage.
5
“I heard she might have to apply for food stamps,” a woman shopper at Raylene’s boutique said. Her entrance set off the bell that would have let Lynn know she was there. Her voice, unfortunately, was plenty loud enough to carry to Lynn in the back room, stopping her in her tracks. Lynn knew she should make her presence known, but instead, flushed with embarrassment, she waited to see what might be said next.
“You’re kidding!” her companion responded. “Isn’t Ed playing golf at Pinehurst or someplace like that this week?”
Lynn felt a chill. There was no doubt at all that they were speculating about her and the financial mess she was in. How was she supposed to go out there now and wait on them? Unfortunately, Raylene had just left for the bank and Adelia was off today. She had no choice.
She drew herself up, plastered a smile on her face and walked out front as if she hadn’t just overheard the two women talking about her. Worse, as soon as she saw them, she recognized them.
“Good morning, Alicia. How are you? And you, too, Kelly Ann?”
Both women, who’d been in school with her and now had kids about the same ages as Lexie and Jeremy, blushed furiously.
Alicia recovered first. “Lynn, I had no idea you were working here,” she said.
“Apparently not,” Lynn said wryly. Unable to stop herself, she felt compelled to add, “Unless, of course, you set out to embarrass me.”
As soon as she’d uttered the bold comment, Lynn formulated an apology, but to her astonishment, Kelly Ann walked over to her and gave her an impulsive and apparently sincere hug.
“Don’t you dare think a thing like that,” Kelly Ann admonished. “If anyone in this town ought to be embarrassed, it’s that no-account husband of yours.” She said it with unmistakable and obviously heartfelt disdain.
Lynn regarded her with gratitude. “I appreciate the sentiment, but please, if you hear people talking about what’s going on with us, try to quiet them down. I don’t want the kids to hear this kind of gossip. The situation is tough enough on them as it is.”
“We’ll put a stop to it,” Alicia promised, obviously eager to make amends for her careless comments. “I just wasn’t thinking. You know me. If I know something, I tend to blab it. I’ll watch it from here on out. I know how I’d feel if it were me people were talking about and my kids overheard it.”
“When did you start working here, hon?” Kelly Ann asked, thankfully changing the subject.
“Just a couple of months ago, part-time. Raylene has Adelia Hernandez working full-time. I fill in on weekends or when either of them is off during the week.”
“Does Raylene have you on commission?” As soon as she’d asked, Kelly Ann turned pale. “Is that too personal? I was only asking because I thought maybe we could make up for being so thoughtless before.”
Lynn nodded. “Salary, plus commission,” she confirmed.
“Well, then, Alicia, we need to whip out our credit cards and get busy,” Kelly Ann said cheerily.
Lynn, who hadn’t bought so much as a cheap T-shirt for herself since the separation, watched in awe as the two women quickly spent more money than she made in a month.
Kelly Ann stood back and surveyed their purchases with satisfaction as Lynn put everything into bags. She gave Lynn a wide grin.
“That ought to make up just a little bit for us coming in here and being so insensitive,” she said.
“I appreciate the sales,” Lynn said. For once it didn’t seem to matter whether the purchases were made out of guilt or pity. She simply focused on what a nice boost they’d be to her paycheck.
“Do you have a regular schedule?” Kelly Ann asked. “If you do, we’ll make sure to come in when you’re working.”
“No. I’m usually here three days a week, but I’m never sure which days those might be. It depends on when Raylene or Adelia need to be off,” Lynn said. Even though she was picking up more hours from Mitch, she added, “And if you happen to hear of anyone else looking for someone part-time or full-time, let me know.”
“We surely will,” Alicia promised.
Kelly Ann gave Lynn another hug before they left. Lynn stared after them. While it grated to recall how the encounter had begun, she felt better about how it had ended. It had been a revelation, in fact.
Maybe people in town really would take her side over Ed’s. She’d wondered about that. He was the son of a beloved insurance executive whose company handled policies for most everyone in town. Ed was now the big shot in charge, a position that commanded a lot of respect. She’d been so intent on running their home and being involved in a few things at school that her own circle of friends had grown smaller.
Just thinking about the possibility that she could have moral support while this awful mess played out buoyed her spirits. It was possible that the deliberate attempts to isolate herself to avoid the judgments she thought people might be making had been unnecessary. It was time to hold her chin up and start facing people.
* * *
When Raylene returned from the bank, she looked at the receipt book and whistled. “Nice sales!”
Lynn chuckled. “Guilt sales,” she said, then explained what had happened.
Raylene shook her head. “I’m glad it turned out okay and you’ll make a nice commission, but I hope those two learned a lesson.”
“I doubt it,” Lynn said with a shrug. “You grew up in this town, same as me. People talk. It’s not going to change.”
Raylene sighed. “I suppose, but I don’t have to like it, especially when I see one of my friends hurt by their thoughtlessness.”
“I’m not hurt, not really,” Lynn said. “In fact, it was eye-opening. I assumed everyone was going to take Ed’s side, so I’ve been avoiding people. He’s the big wheel in town. He prides himself on knowing everybody and taking real good care of them.”
“He’s not taking such good care of you, though, is he?” Raylene said knowingly. “That will matter to people, Lynn. Family counts in this town, and the way a man treats his family says a lot about his own moral character. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit to see him lose business over the way he’s handling this divorce. Carter was saying just last night that once the insurance policy for the police department is up in a few months, he wants to negotiate with another company.”
“You’re kidding,” Lynn said, astounded. “Because of me and the kids?”
“Because a man who screws up his personal life can’t be trusted with other people’s business,” Raylene said. “And that’s just about a direct quote. Of course, Carter is one of those stand-up guys with a strict moral code, which makes him a fantastic police chief but a little tough for those of us with flaws. You remember how we met, the day Sarah’s little boy ran off while I was supposed to be watching him? Carter didn’t think much of me then.”
Lynn recalled the terrifying incident all too well. “Give the man a break. He didn’t understand about the agoraphobia at that point. And he did apologize for his judgmental attitude after Travis filled him in.”
“He did,” Raylene said, smiling, “And proved he had plenty of redeeming qualities.”
“The man adores you,” Lynn said. “Flaws and all, assuming you have any. He certainly stuck right by you while you were fighting the agoraphobia and couldn’t leave the house. I think we all marveled at that.”
“He was a saint, no question about it. And he’s been a rock for his sisters since their parents died, but he has his judgmental moments. Of course, when it comes to dealing with Ed, I happen to agree with his decision. I’m moving all my policies the first chance I get, too.”
Lynn gave her a wry look. “Much as I love the idea of retribution, you do realize that if Ed’s business goes under, my situation will get even worse.”
Raylene stared at her with dismay. “Well, fudge! I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Believe me, I have,” Lynn said. “I have nightmares about it. One second I want the man to wind up a pauper, the next I realize he could drag me and the kids down with him.”
Raylene’s expression turned thoughtful. “Okay, then, we need to find you another job, something better than what I can offer you for now. You’re smart. You’ve been running a household for years, without a lot of help from Ed, I imagine. You have skills that can be used in the workforce. We just have to focus on creating the perfect resume.”
“I did snag another part-time job just yesterday,” Lynn admitted.
Raylene’s eyes lit up. “Really? Tell me.”
“Mitch hired me to handle his billing and payroll. I just started learning his system this morning. We’re going to go over a few more things later this afternoon when I get home from here.”
A grin spread across Raylene’s face. Lynn suspected that the twinkle in her eyes had nothing at all to do with Lynn having found more work.
“Mitch, huh?” Raylene said, clearly fascinated. “How’d that happen?”
Lynn didn’t want to mention her foolish decision to check out a clerk’s job in a dangerous section of town, so she said simply, “He knew I was looking for something part-time and mentioned that he could use some help. The best part is I get to work from home.”
Raylene’s grin spread. “The best part, huh? I’d have thought that would be spending more time with Mitch. The man is a serious hunk.”
“So Grace has mentioned,” Lynn said wryly. “That seems to be the consensus in certain circles.”
“And you hadn’t noticed?”
“I’ve known Mitch since grade school. He’s an old friend, that’s all.”
“Maybe that’s what he was in school, when you were gaga over Ed, but circumstances have changed,” Raylene reminded her. “You could do a lot worse. And don’t forget I’ve seen the way he looks at you when you’re both at the house for dinner.”
“That’s concern, nothing more. He’s worried about the toll the divorce is taking on me and the kids. That’s the kind of man he is.”
“And there’s something wrong with being thoughtful and compassionate?”
“Of course not, but it’s not exactly the basis for some big romance, the way you’re hinting.”
Raylene laughed. “Honey, I’m not even hinting. I’m telling you flat-out you need to take another look at the man before someone else comes along and snaps him up. He’s been immune to most of the passes I know have been directed his way, but you can’t count on that resistance to last forever.”
“Come on, Raylene,” Lynn protested. “How can I even think about him that way? He’s still grieving for Amy, and my divorce isn’t even final. For all I know, we could wind up losing the house and having to move to be closer to one of my sisters. Why start something that doesn’t have a chance?”
Raylene gave her a chiding look. “I am way too familiar with that defeatist attitude. I kept trying to let Carter off the hook. I worked really hard not to fall in love with him, because I thought my situation would never change and I refused to have him tied down to a woman who couldn’t even leave the house. The thing was, he didn’t want to give up. He fought for what we had. I think you and Mitch could have that same kind of staying power.”
“Based on the way he’s looked at me at dinner?” Lynn said skeptically. “You’re still lost in some romantic fog. Not every situation has a fairy-tale ending.”
“I’m just saying you shouldn’t give up without a fight. Assuming you’re even the tiniest bit attracted to him, that is,” she said, regarding Lynn slyly. “Are you?”
Lynn hesitated, then said, “Okay, I am the tiniest bit attracted.” She held two fingers maybe an inch apart. “This much, anyway.”
Raylene laughed. “Couples have started with a lot less. Come to dinner tonight. Mitch usually stays, as you know. Let me get the lay of the land.”
“No way,” Lynn said, shuddering at the thought. “I do not want to sit there with you studying us like we’re specimens under a microscope. It would be too embarrassing.”
“Are you saying that you’ll never join us for dinner again?” Raylene asked with a frown. “The last thing I meant to do was scare you off.”
“You didn’t. Not entirely anyway. I just don’t think I can pretend it’s simply another casual dinner after all this talk of attraction and looks and such. Maybe in a couple of weeks, but not tonight.”
Raylene relented and backed off. “If you change your mind or Mitch talks you into it, the offer’s open. You’re always welcome.”
“What makes you think Mitch will even attempt to talk me into it? When would he do that?”
“You did say he’s coming over when you get home from work, right? I imagine I can plant the idea in his head before then,” Raylene said with confidence. “I promise I’ll be more subtle about it than I was with you.”
“Have you caught some kind of matchmaking fever? I hear it’s been going around in Serenity.”
“What can I say? It’s a community curse,” Raylene said unrepentantly. “Now go on home and freshen up so you’ll be stunning when Mitch drops by. You’ve done more than your share of selling in here this morning. You’ll have a nice fat commission in your check this week.”
“I am not setting out to impress Mitch,” Lynn said with what she hoped sounded like suitable indignation.
“Of course you’re not,” Raylene said innocently. “I’m just thinking a little eyeliner to go with that mascara you put on this morning, a touch of gloss on your lips and maybe another swipe of that blush.”
Lynn groaned. “Was I that obvious?”
Raylene laughed. “Not to Mitch, I’m sure. He probably just noticed you looked more beautiful than ever. Only women pay attention to the little, telltale details like extra makeup.”
“I am so humiliated,” Lynn said. “I feel like a teenager who got caught drawing hearts and initials on the front of her school notebook. And I know exactly how that felt, because it happened way too often when my crush on Ed first developed. I do not want to be that lovesick girl ever again.”
“How about a strong woman going after what she wants?” Raylene asked. “I think that would demonstrate a whole new level of maturity and intelligence.”
