Certainly Sensible (19 page)

Caroline smiled back at him. “Yes.
Very
okay.”

“One more thing, just to complicate matters,” Richard said as he pointed to his desk calendar. “I have to leave town on Sunday for the Guys’ Golf Getaway in Vegas. From there I’m off to Los Angeles to meet with the production company that’s filming that series of TV commercials for Truitt. I probably won’t be back till the first week in August. That’s why I have to have an assistant here who’s familiar with the business. Do you feel comfortable with that?”

“Of course. I may have a few questions, but I can text or email, right?”

“Right.” Richard opened the door for Caroline. He offered his hand in mock formality before she walked out, and when she returned his handshake, he held her hand a bit longer than necessary. “Welcome aboard, Miss Benedict.”

****

Susan glanced at the clock on the dashboard as she drove down College Avenue.

“Mom’s got a D-A-T-E!” Megan had teased her this morning as she tried to decide what to wear.

“Hush, Megan, I’m nervous enough as it is.” Susan straightened her multi-colored blouse, made sure her pink capris were not creased in back, and checked her makeup one last time. “I haven’t been on a date since the Bush administration—the first Bush—so I hope I remember how to do this.”

“Patrick’s nice, Mom. Just relax.”

Relax
, Susan told herself as she drove into the parking lot.
It’s only lunch
.

Patrick was waiting for her inside the door. He smiled at her, that twinkling smile that lit up the corners of his eyes, the one that had so captivated her when they first met.

He extended his hand in greeting. “I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. Shall we eat outside?”

Susan nodded, and followed him to a table on the patio. It was a small, casual bistro, bustling with the lunch crowd. “I guess professors are able to take leisurely lunches in the summertime,” she said as a waiter led them to a table.

“That’s one of the perks.” Patrick held her chair for her and then sat down across from her. “The food here’s good,” he said as the waiter handed her a menu. “It’s close to campus, so Brandon and I eat lunch here a lot.”

As she looked over the menu, she couldn’t quite tell if the twitters in her stomach were nerves or excitement. Either way, a light lunch was definitely in order.

“Could you bring us some iced tea?” Patrick said to the waiter. “Do you know what you’d like to eat?” he asked Susan.

She nodded and handed the menu to the waiter. “Fruit salad, please.”

“Sounds good,” Patrick said to Susan as he turned to the waiter, “but I’ll have the burger and fries.” He winked at Susan.

Susan barely knew this man, yet they had discovered so many mutual interests that talking to Patrick was like being with an old friend. “I love that you teach classic literature. To me, that’s like not working.”

He moved his silverware aside as the waiter set their iced teas on the table. “Yep, everything from Austen to Wordsworth.”

Susan crossed her arms on the table in front of her and leaned in. “I love Jane Austen!”

Patrick laughed as he took a swig of tea. “Spoken like a true English teacher. What’s your favorite?”

Susan absent-mindedly stirred sweetener into her tea while she thought. “Everyone always says
Pride and Prejudice
, or
Emma,
but I really think I prefer
Sense and Sensibility
.”

“Interesting. Why?”

Susan smiled and set the spoon on the table. “Probably it’s those three daughters.”

He laughed. “Your girls keep you pretty busy, I guess.”

“Well, yes, at least Allie and Megan do. They’re both at loose ends this summer.” Susan’s eyes drifted off for a moment while she thought about the emotional upheaval her girls were going through, but then she snapped back. “Caroline’s pretty self-sufficient, so I don’t usually worry about her.”

“I haven’t actually met Allie yet, but Brandon talks about her all the time, about how gifted she is.”

Susan started laughing and almost choked on her beverage. “Gifted? Does that mean high maintenance? Because she is, that’s for sure. Brandon’s a love to put up with all her drama.”

“He’s a good guy, and I’m pretty sure he really cares about her,” Patrick said as he took her hand across the table. “I mean
really
cares.”

Susan suspected as much, but she also was pretty sure Allie was too involved in her budding romance with Mark to give Brandon more than a cursory glance. “Believe it or not, Allie isn’t the only talented daughter I have. Megan’s an excellent artist, and Caroline writes beautifully when she allows herself to. She also has the ability to find any grammatical or punctuation mistake ever written. That’s one reason she’s so valuable to Richard.”

“Hmmm, Richard. I think I remember Phillips saying something about him,” Patrick mused. “Her boss?”

Susan nodded. “Caroline really admires him. More than admires him
,
I’m afraid.” Susan shook her head but allowed her hand to stay intertwined with Patrick’s. “Tell me, do you have children?”

“Here are your orders, sir,” said the waiter as he set their lunches in front of them. “Do you need anything else?”

Patrick looked up at the waiter and squeezed Susan’s hand before releasing it. “Thanks. I think we’re fine for now.” He poured a glob of ketchup onto the side of his plate next to the fries and shoved the bottle aside. He glanced over at Susan and said, “You were asking about children.”

Susan stopped mid-bite when she realized her mistake. “I’m sorry. I guess I overstepped.”

Patrick swirled a fry in the ketchup. “No, it’s fine, it’s just that it never seemed to be the right time for us to start a family. First our careers, then buying a house, fixing it up. My wife was from a huge family, and every year it seemed like one of her siblings had a new baby, so we didn’t miss having our own. Then she got sick.”

Susan set her fork down. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

He looked her in the face and smiled, a trace of sorrow in his voice. “We had a good life, and I don’t regret a thing.”

“I guess I didn’t realize how different things were for me. Getting divorced was painful, but what you went through…” Susan shook her head.

Patrick reached across the table and took Susan’s hand once again. “I’m ready to move on,” he said.

****

Susan’s cell phone rang while she was in the backyard pulling weeds in her flower garden. “Hi, Em! How’s Allie doing?”

“Not too well, actually. Brittany can barely get her out of the bedroom. She doesn’t seem interested in eating, and only came out last night to watch a DVD downstairs with Brit. Then she went right back up to bed.”

Susan sighed as she tossed her trowel aside. “It’s only been a few days, Emily. Caroline finally told me what happened with her and Mark. Her heart’s been broken, so she’ll probably wallow for a while. Just give her some time and she’ll snap out of it.”

“Well, okay, if you think so. I’ll call you back in a few days.”

“Thanks Emily. Let me know if I need to come get her.”

Susan had no more hung up with Emily and picked up her trowel again than the phone rang a second time. She glanced at the caller ID. “Hi, Brandon. How are you?”

“Fine, thanks. Well, not so fine really. Susan, I’ve been trying to reach Allie, and she’s not answering her phone. Is she coming back any time soon? I’m concerned about—about the practice sessions she’s missing.”

Susan could hear his real emotions in his voice. “Thanks for calling, Brandon. No, Allie probably won’t be back for a week or so. She and Mark had a falling out up in Chicago, and she’s mourning Allie-style. Anyway, I’ll have her call you first thing when she gets home.”

“Well, all right, but if you talk to her, could you ask her to call me? And Susan?” he said before she could hang up, “Is she really okay?”

Susan wished Allie could see how much
this
man cared about her.

****

Caroline picked up the ringing phone. “Richard Meadows’s office.”

“Caroline! I’m so happy to hear the news, that you accepted Richard’s offer.”

Caroline was still pinching herself at her good fortune. “I hear I have you to thank, Mrs. Meadows. I haven’t told my family yet, but I’m sure they’ll be pleased.”

“Just a warning, dear. Sharlene and Misty are on the warpath. The two of them can be a devilish force of nature, you know.”

Don’t I know.
Caroline hung up the phone and felt a bit queasy. She glanced at the clock and realized it was well past quitting time, so she turned off her computer, grabbed her handbag out of the bottom desk drawer, and headed to the reception area. Even Lucy had already gone home.

On the drive home, she went over and over her day—the harassing phone call from Misty, getting the job offer she’d dreamed about, and Adele Meadows’s warning about Misty and Sharlene. Five miles of rush hour traffic coupled with worry didn’t solve anything. She walked into the house and tossed her handbag on the coffee table. “Mom? Megan? Anyone home?” Honey came bounding in from the kitchen, her tail wagging. Caroline reached down and patted the dog’s head. “Mom, I’ve got great news!” At least she hoped everyone would think it was great.

Susan appeared from the kitchen, a dishtowel in her hand, the smell of fresh lasagna wafting through the air. “Hi, Car. What news?”

“Mom, Richard offered me a job today!”

Susan put her hands on her hips. “You already have a job with Richard—one that doesn’t pay very well. What about that agency you interviewed with awhile back? Did you hear from them?”

Caroline went to the picture window and began adjusting the curtains that were already in alignment. “Yes.” She swallowed hard and turned to face her mother. “I just didn’t feel comfortable there. It’s so big and, well, corporate. But this morning Richard counter-offered and I accepted. I’ll be his assistant with a title and office, plus salary and benefits.”

Susan tilted her head to one side. “Caroline, is that wise? Turning down that other agency?”

Caroline looked away. “I don’t know what you mean, Mom. I accepted the best offer I received.”

“You accepted the offer from Richard.”

Caroline sat down on the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. “I know how to be professional, Mom. I can do this.”

“I know you can do the job, but what about the emotional baggage? Maybe you’d be better off working in an office where”—Susan cleared her throat—“where Richard
isn’t!
”

Caroline’s shoulders slumped. “I’ll handle it, Mom. Don’t worry.”

“That’s just it, Caroline. I do worry. This is going to be hard on you.” Susan wiped away a tear on Caroline’s cheek, gave her a quick hug, and whispered in her ear, “Congratulations on your new job.”

Megan walked into the family room just in time to see her mother and sister hugging. “Hi, Car. Heard about your new job!”

Caroline looked at Megan in surprise. “What? How?”

“Sharlene. And she told me she already told Dad,” Megan said over her shoulder as she headed to the kitchen. “When’s dinner, Mom?”

“News travels fast,” Susan said. “I guess the only person who doesn’t know is Allie.”

“By the way, have you heard from her?” Caroline asked.

“No, but Emily’s keeping me up to date. I guess Allie’s still grieving over Mark.”

****

Susan’s cell phone rang, waking her out of a sound sleep. She glanced at the bedside clock which read 2:00 a.m. before drowsily checking the caller ID. “Emily?” she said hoarsely.

“Susan, I hope I’m not overreacting, but Allie’s not doing well. She doesn’t eat, she’s pale, and she hardly comes out of the bedroom.”

“I’ll try calling her again in the morning,” Susan said with a yawn.

“No, don’t call. You’ve got to come up here as soon as possible.”

Susan heard the worry in Emily’s voice and was instantly wide awake. “How about first thing in the morning?”

“The sooner the better.”

Susan stared at the phone for a minute, then felt panic rising in her throat. This didn’t sound like Allie’s usual melodramatic reaction to a romantic breakup. She had to get to Chicago right away.

Chapter Seventeen

Susan was running on adrenaline. She’d never gotten back to sleep after Emily’s phone call, so at first light she got up and got ready to make the drive to Chicago. She tossed her handbag in her car’s passenger seat, concern for Allie’s health weighing heavily on her mind. Megan followed her out, Honey skipping playfully alongside.

“Mom, when will you be back? I want to go to the mall this afternoon.”

Susan gave her daughter a quick hug and got into the driver’s seat. She adjusted the rearview mirror and checked the gas gauge. “Not today, Megan, unless you can get Caroline to take you. By the time I get to Chicago, get Allie loaded up and start back, I’ll probably hit evening rush hour. Did you feed the dog?”

“Yes, I fed her,” Megan groaned in that juvenile tone Susan hated.

“Then if there’s nothing else, I’ve got to go. I need to get gas, which means I’ll be even later getting on the freeway. If you need anything, call Caroline.” Susan got into the car and waved at Megan as she drove off.

She’d left early enough in the morning that she made good time to Chicago, especially since she was driving about eight miles over the speed limit all the way. It was noontime, when most people were at their offices, so Susan easily found a parking space in front of Emily’s condo building. Emily let her in with a worried look on her face.

“Susan, I’m so glad you’re here,” Emily told her with a quick hug, as she waved her up the stairs to the guest room.

Susan opened the door and gasped. Allie looked terrible, extremely pale and thinner than usual. But what worried Susan the most was that her eyes had that dull, glassy look she always got as a child when she was running a fever.

Susan went to her daughter and hugged her while feeling her forehead. “Allie, why didn’t you call and tell me you were this sick?”

“I don’t know,” Allie groaned. “I didn’t want to worry you.” She gently massaged her right side and winced. “It’s probably just the flu.”