Читать книгу Midnight Promises - Sherryl Woods - Страница 11

4

Despite his best intentions, Elliott fell asleep on the sofa before Karen got home from work. In the morning, both he and Karen overslept, and in the ensuing rush to get Daisy and Mack off to school, he never did have a chance to talk to her about Daisy’s school dance. After that, it slipped his mind.

It was two days later, again over a rushed breakfast, when Daisy was the one who mentioned it to her mother.

“I’m going to need a new dress for the dance, Mom,” she said.

Karen regarded her with a perplexed expression. “What dance?”

“The father-daughter dance next Friday.” Daisy turned an accusing look on Elliott. “Didn’t you tell her?”

“Sorry. I forgot,” he admitted, chagrined by the omission. “Your mom and I will talk about it after I drop you and Mack off at school, okay?”

Daisy gave him a panicked look. “But we’re going, right? You promised. I already bought the ticket.”

“We’re going,” he assured her, avoiding Karen’s gaze as he said it.

As soon as he’d driven the kids to school, he returned home to find Karen waiting for him at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in hand and a frown on her face. It was obvious she was ticked off…again.

“Please don’t make too much of this,” he said. “Daisy told me about the dance a couple of nights ago. She was so afraid she wouldn’t be able to go, but I said I’d take her. We both intended to discuss it with you first, but I fell asleep. You didn’t wake me when you came in and I just forgot.”

She sighed. “I see.”

It was evident she was still upset. What he couldn’t be sure about was why. Was it the fact he hadn’t discussed it with her or because he was overstepping by agreeing to go? Too many conversations these days seemed to be minefields for which he held no map.

“Okay, Karen, I can tell you’re not happy about this,” he began. “Does it bother you that I agreed to go to a father-daughter dance with Daisy? Was I out of line to agree?”

She shook her head at once. “Of course not. What bothers me, once again, is that you didn’t mention it to me.”

“I just explained what happened.”

“And I understand how easy it is for things like this to slip through the cracks,” she admitted. “I really do. I don’t know why I let it make me so crazy. It’s a dance, for goodness’ sakes. And I can see how badly she wants to go. Elliott, I’m sorry for turning it into some kind of issue. I really am.”

He watched her closely and, despite the careful words, realized that there was more going on. It finally dawned on him what it was. “This dance involves buying a fancy dress,” he said with sudden understanding. “A dress that’s not really in our budget.”

She nodded. “That’s definitely part of it. I know the whole money thing worries me way too much, Elliott. You’re nothing like Ray. We’ve even been able to save for a baby, but the dress on top of the whole gym thing? It’s like the straw that broke the camel’s back. I guess it’s just a knee-jerk reaction, but I don’t know how to respond any differently when these unexpected expenses come up. Panic just crawls up the back of my throat and I can’t seem to stop it.”

Though money had never been plentiful in his own family, Elliott and his sisters had never wanted for anything. It was harder for him to grasp just how terrible things had been for Karen, especially after Ray had walked out on her. She’d been in danger of being evicted from her apartment more than once, in danger of being fired from Sullivan’s because she’d had to bail on her job too frequently due to crises with the kids that she’d been left alone to handle. Because of the debt Ray had left behind, she’d teetered at the edge of bankruptcy. It had taken all of her emotional resources and her energy to avoid it.

When they’d married, she’d insisted they plan their combined budget down to the penny and obsessed over every expense that had exceeded their projections. He understood her need to feel in control, but he also understood that with kids they needed wiggle room for things like this dance.

“We have a contingency fund,” he reminded her.

“For emergencies, not a dress.”

“For Daisy this amounts to an emergency,” he said reasonably. “Going to this dance really matters to her. It’s not about a party. It’s about having a dad.”

Karen met his gaze, looking chagrined. “I know you’re right.”

He was struck by a compromise. “Why don’t I ask Adelia if Selena has some party dresses she’s outgrown?” he suggested. “That child has a wardrobe fit for a princess. Since Daisy idolizes her, maybe she won’t feel as if she’s being given a hand-me-down dress. What do you think?”

Karen’s expression immediately brightened. “That’s perfect.”

“You don’t think Daisy will be disappointed about not going to shop for a dress with you?” he asked.

“Maybe a little,” she admitted. “And so will I, but this is the way it needs to be. Check with Adelia and see what she says.”

“Will do,” he promised, dropping a kiss onto her forehead. “One more crisis averted.”

“Do you think there will ever be a day when there isn’t one?” she inquired plaintively.

“With two kids and the hope for more, it’s not likely,” he told her candidly. “But life is unpredictable. That’s what keeps it interesting.”

She laughed. “Sometimes I’d like things to be a little less interesting.”

“Why don’t we talk about that over dinner tomorrow? Something simple that won’t break the bank,” he suggested impulsively. “I can give Frances a call, see if she’s available. How about you? Are you off?”

She nodded. “As far as I know.”

“Then it’s a plan,” he said. “Love you.”

She smiled as he kissed her. “Love you, too.”

He was counting on that love to help them weather these rough patches. Big or small, it didn’t seem to matter, because each one was a test, and he intended to see to it that they passed. Anything less was unacceptable.

* * *

Frances had been delighted when Elliott had called to ask her to sit with Daisy and Mack. These days any distraction was a good one. She hadn’t been able to push the whole conversation with Liz and Flo out of her mind for long. She had, however, successfully avoided making that call for an appointment with her doctor. Each time one of them reminded her of her promise, she brushed them off. She was feeling just fine now, and there hadn’t been any more disturbing incidents. She convinced herself they were all worrying over nothing.

She did, however, ask Elliott to pick her up. “I don’t much like driving at night anymore,” she confessed. Left unsaid was the fact that she found the new suburban neighborhood just outside of Serenity where they’d bought their small home confusing with its many cul-de-sacs. It was difficult enough to navigate in the daytime. At night, for anyone unfamiliar with the street names, it was impossible.

She was ready for him when he arrived, a box of freshly baked cookies in her hands. Elliott smiled when he saw them.

“You do know their mother’s a chef, don’t you?” he teased.

“And when was the last time she had the time to bake cookies at home?” Frances replied. “I know your mother probably has a batch ready for them after school, but Daisy and Mack love my oatmeal-raisin cookies.”

“So do I,” Elliott said, giving her a wink. “Last time you sent them over, I gained two pounds.”

She gave him a wry look. “Two pounds? Lucky you. I usually gain five if I don’t ration them out.”

“The kids are really looking forward to seeing you tonight,” he told her. “And Karen and I are incredibly grateful that you’re willing to sit with them for a couple of hours.”

“It’s my pleasure,” she assured him. “I miss them. Just be sure to fill me in on the rules, so I don’t let them get away with any mischief. I haven’t forgotten how sneaky children that age can be. They tend to torment substitute teachers and babysitters by trying to stretch the boundaries.”

“As if you’re ever likely to let them get away with that,” he teased. “I know your reputation. You’re probably a better disciplinarian than either one of us.”

“That was a long time ago. I’m a softie now,” she said. “Especially when it comes to those two.” She sighed. “They’re getting so big. I remember when Karen first moved in across the hall. They were little more than babies. Times were so tough for her then.”

“And you were a godsend,” he said. “I’m not sure how she would have managed without you. Seems to me, you’re rushing back to our rescue now.”

Frances regarded him curiously. “Are things still not quite right, then?”

“Mostly they’re fine,” he said at once. “We’re adjusting, that’s all.”

“You do realize that’s what marriage takes, don’t you? You have to constantly adjust as your family grows and priorities change. Being rigid can be the kiss of death.”

“I wish Karen understood that,” he said. “I understand why she feels the need to keep such a tight rein on expenses and such. I don’t even disagree. I just see her worrying herself sick over every dime, and I don’t know how to reassure her that we’re in good shape. She sees the bank statements and writes the checks, same as I do, so she knows that.”

“Knowing it intellectually and coming from the emotional place she’s been are two different things,” Frances reminded him. “Cut her a little slack. Every month that the bills are paid and you’re all fed and happy will reassure her. The fact that you understand why she worries will help you keep this in perspective. It would be a shame if her past caused problems for you in the present.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Elliott vowed as he pulled into the driveway.

Frances reached over and touched his arm. “I’m counting on you to make her happy, Elliott. She took a huge leap of faith when she allowed herself to fall in love with you.”

He nodded. “I know that, and I intend to do my best never to let either of you down.”

“Just for that, I’ll see that the kids leave at least a few of these cookies for you,” she promised.

* * *

Karen stood in the doorway as she and Elliott were about to leave for their midweek date, her gaze on Frances, who was on the sofa with Daisy on one side and Mack on the other. As they munched on cookies, they vied for a chance to fill her in on their lives, their words tumbling over each other as Frances chuckled.

“Look how much they adore her,” she whispered to Elliott. “They’re so lucky to have her in their lives.”

“I think she counts herself as the lucky one,” he said. “It’s such a shame that her grandchildren don’t get here to visit very often. She was meant to be surrounded by kids. Her students used to fill that void, but she’s been retired a long time now.”

As they drove into town for a casual dinner at Rosalina’s, Karen voiced the concern that she’d kept to herself for a while now. “How much longer do you suppose we’ll have her?”

“There’s no way of predicting such a thing,” Elliott said. “We just have to be grateful for every minute we do have.”

“I think she’s slowing down, though. I never noticed it before, but tonight she just seemed a little tentative to me.”

Elliott frowned. “Tentative, how?”

“I’m not sure I can explain it. Even though she’s been to the house before, she seemed a little uncertain about where things were. Didn’t you notice that? And just having you pick her up was a change. Usually she drives herself everywhere.”

“She told me she doesn’t like driving after dark anymore. A lot of people her age have vision problems at night. The streetlights and headlights bother them. And let’s face it, our neighborhood isn’t the easiest to navigate.”

“I suppose that’s all it is,” Karen said, then regarded him with a grin. “Enough doom and gloom and trying to anticipate something that’s in God’s hands. You and I are actually having a date night. How amazing is that?”

He gave her a slow once-over that had her blood stirring. “A date night, huh? Does that mean we get to park and make out before I take you home?”

She grinned at him. “Depends on how good this date is,” she said. “Do you still remember how to woo me?”

He winked. “I’ll definitely give it my best shot, especially with that payoff you hinted could be mine.” He reached for her hand, brought it to his lips even as he kept his eyes squarely on the road. After the kiss, he rested her hand on his thigh, covered by his hand. She felt the involuntary bunching of his muscle, the heat of his skin. It made her feel not only very feminine but powerful, knowing the effect she had on him.

After Elliott pulled into a parking space and cut the engine, he turned to her. His expression stern, he said, “Remember, no trying to figure out the secret ingredients or trying to sneak a peek into the kitchen. This is a date, not an undercover op to check out the competition.”

Karen chuckled. “I figured out all of Rosalina’s secret ingredients years ago. I don’t do any culinary spying here. I can just relax and enjoy my meal.”

“Ah, so it’s only in the restaurants in Charleston and Columbia I have to worry about what you’re up to when you claim to be going to the restroom,” he teased. “And whether you’re more interested in the food than in me.”

“I will always be more interested in you than anything,” she assured him, then added thoughtfully, “Unless somebody happens to have the perfect chocolate soufflé on the menu. I’d love to get a handle on that one.”

“Don’t let Erik ever hear you suggest that his isn’t perfect,” Elliott warned. “The man’s pastry skills are supposedly legendary, at least around South Carolina.”

“Pies, cakes, cobblers, I’ll give him all of those,” Karen said. “But making a soufflé is an art. And if you’ll think about it, Sullivan’s doesn’t have it on the menu, not ever. It’s because Erik knows his isn’t perfection. I’d love to surpass his skill at just one thing someday.”

“Google it,” Elliott suggested. “Find the finest chocolate soufflé maker in the state, and I’ll take you there.”

She regarded him with amazement. “You would, wouldn’t you?”

“If it would make you happy, anything,” he said. “Don’t you know that by now?”

She smiled. Mostly she did, but it didn’t hurt being reminded of it every now and then.

* * *

Date night was a huge success all around. Karen felt revived after an entire evening with her husband with no crises. The kids pleaded with Frances to spend the night, so Karen found her a nightgown and settled her into the guest room. Frances promised to make them all French toast for breakfast, before sending everyone off on their busy days.

When Karen crawled out of bed in the morning, she found Frances in the kitchen, already dressed. She’d gathered the ingredients for French toast, something she’d made as a regular treat for the kids when they’d lived next door. Now, though, she was just standing there regarding everything with a vaguely perplexed expression.

“Frances?” Karen said softly, trying not to startle her. “Is everything okay?”

Frances jumped slightly, her expression filled with dismay. “Oh, my goodness, dear, you scared me. I didn’t hear you come in.”

Karen gave her a hug. “You looked a little distracted.”

“I suppose my mind wandered there for a minute. I’m perfectly fine.”

Though her words were reassuring, something still felt wrong to Karen. Trying to act casual, she slipped past her and started the coffee, then asked, “How about some help? I could whisk the eggs, cinnamon and milk together for you.”

Her offer seemed to trigger something for Frances. “Absolutely not,” she said briskly. “I’ve been making French toast for years. I can handle it.”

But despite her confident words, she seemed to hesitate as she went to work, her movements deliberate as if she was giving extra thought to what she was doing.

In the end, the French toast was perfect, and the kids gobbled it up with noisy exuberance. Elliott, who normally stuck to healthy egg whites or a high-fiber cereal in the morning, ate his share of the breakfast treat, as well.

As soon as the dishes were in the dishwasher, he offered to drop the kids at school. “Frances, why don’t I drop you off, too?”

“I’ll take her,” Karen said, wanting a little more time to see if she could pin down why things seemed so off with Frances on this visit. “I need my fair share of Frances’s attention before we let her get back to her normal routine.” She looked at her friend. “Is that okay? Are you in a rush? I’ll be ready in a half hour.”

“Actually I think I’d better go with Elliott,” Frances said, avoiding Karen’s gaze. “I have things to do this morning.”

Karen saw the lie for exactly what it was, an excuse to evade Karen’s questions.

“Sure, if that works better for you,” she told the older woman. “Next time maybe you can stay with us for the weekend. We’d all love that, wouldn’t we, Daisy and Mack?”

The enthusiastic chorus of responses from the kids brought a smile to Frances’s lips. “Then that’s exactly what we’ll do,” she said readily. “Mack, you can teach me how to play that video game you were telling me about. And, Daisy, I’m going to want to hear all about the father-daughter dance you’re going to with Elliott.”

Elliott urged them all to the door, then cast a last curious look back at Karen. “Everything okay?” he murmured.

“I’m honestly not sure,” she said, not even trying to hide her frustration. “You’d better go, though. We’ll talk about it later.”

He kissed her, his lips lingering against hers. “Great date,” he murmured against her mouth, a wicked sparkle in his eyes.

“Coming home was even better,” she replied, thinking of how tenderly he’d made love to her before they’d fallen asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.

He grinned. “Yeah, it was.” He cupped her chin in his hand, held her gaze until heat stirred. “I’ll call Adelia today about the dresses, or would you rather do it?”

She gave him a wry look. “Asking your sister for a favor? We’re not quite there yet. She still hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you,” he protested. “She’s just overly protective of me. I’ll call.”

Just then, someone in the car hit the horn to urge him to hurry. Elliott chuckled.

“I’d better go before one of the kids decides they’re old enough to take the car for a spin.”

“Not to worry. Frances would never allow them to get away with that,” Karen said, but even as she spoke the words, she wondered if they were true. She’d seen signs that Frances was changing, and, though she had no idea just what those signs might mean, she suspected it couldn’t be anything good.

* * *

Elliott called his older sister at midmorning during a break between his spinning class and his jazzercise class. She answered the phone with the same harried, impatient tone she’d had at his mother’s a few days earlier.

“Things sound less than cheerful at the Hernandez casa this morning,” he said lightly. “What’s going on, Adelia?”

“Nothing,” she said, her tone clipped. “Why are you calling?”

“Actually I need a favor,” he said, “for Daisy.”

“Of course,” she said at once. Though she might not have totally welcomed Karen into the family, she had opened her arms and her heart to Daisy and Mack. “What does she need?”

“You know about the father-daughter dance at the school?”

“It’s all Selena’s talked about,” she said. “She says it’s lame, but she’s still begged her father to take her. Ernesto’s not thrilled, but he’s agreed. Now it’s up to me to keep him from backing out at the last minute and disappointing her. Are you taking Daisy?”

“She asked me to,” he said.

“I’m so glad. I was afraid she was going to feel left out.”

“The thing is, she needs a fancy dress. Our budget’s pretty tight these days.”

“And Selena has a whole closetful of dresses,” Adelia said, immediately understanding. “Why don’t I pick out a few and bring them by the spa? She can try them on at home tonight.”

“You could just take them over to Mama’s if that would be easier,” he suggested.

“And have Selena notice and make some thoughtless comment about Daisy getting her hand-me-downs? Bad idea.”

“Of course,” Elliott said, wishing he’d thought of the potential for hurt feelings. “I’ll be here the rest of the day. Drop them by, anytime. You can use the spa while you’re here, maybe have a workout.”

Silence greeted the offer. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you suggesting I’ve put on a few pounds?”

Elliott had the sense he’d just inadvertently wandered into another of those minefields the females in his life were known for. “I would never suggest such a thing,” he said quickly. “Has Ernesto said something to you?” If so, he’d have a little chat with his brother-in-law about showing some respect to his wife. So what if she was carrying a little extra weight from those close-together pregnancies? Those were Ernesto’s babies she’d been carrying.

“Ernesto seems to have a lot of opinions lately,” Adelia said with rare bitterness. “I’ve stopped listening.”

Now Elliott knew he was smack in the middle of the minefield. No matter where he stepped, there was danger. “Want to talk about it?” he asked carefully.

“I do not,” she said tersely. “I’ll be by later with some dresses.”

Taking his cue from her, he let the matter drop. “Thanks.”

She hesitated, then said in a quieter tone, “It’s sweet, what you’re doing for Daisy.”

“It’s not sweet. I just don’t ever want her to miss out on things because her dad’s not around,” he said.

“And that’s sweet,” Adelia insisted again. “When are you and Karen going to have a child of your own?”

It was a question she, their sisters and their mother had been asking regularly practically since he and Karen had said, “I do.”

“When the time is right for us,” he said as he always did. Telling her simply to mind her own business was useless.

At least this answer seemed to silence her, though not for long, he realized, when she asked, “And when will that be?”

“Adelia, as my oldest sister, you will be among the first to know,” he assured her. “Right after Mama.”

“I want to be first,” she teased. “Who taught you everything you know about girls? Who else protected you from the bullies at school?”

“Not you, for sure,” he said, laughing. “You were all talk, and almost got me in more trouble than I could handle with that sassy mouth of yours.”

She laughed, the first genuinely carefree sound he’d heard since the conversation began. “It made you strong, didn’t it? And you were a huge hit with all the girls because I told you what women like.”

“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it. See you soon.”

“Te amo, mi hermano.”

“I love you, too.”

Even though his sisters had the ability to drive him crazy in less than a heartbeat, he couldn’t imagine his life without them. He wanted Karen to benefit from being surrounded by all that love, as well, but it had been slow going so far. Though their open hostility toward her had faded, his sisters’ caution was still firmly in place. One of these days he’d have to find a way to bridge that gap.

Karen had her share of friends, counted on them as she would family, but he knew from a lifetime of experience that the support of love and family made all life’s problems just a little easier.