Make Quilts Not War (4 page)

She had known from the moment Aiden asked her on this date
that whatever he had planned would happen someplace where
there would be a good chance someone she knew would bear witness. Foggy Point just wasn’t that big, and its selection of event worthy restaurants was limited.

James not only owned the restaurant Aiden had chosen but was also the head chef. There would be at least one witness.

Mr. Jones led Harriet from the parking lot to the door of the eatery, opening it and then handing her off to the hostess.

“I hope you’re having a wonderful time,” the thin redheaded woman said with a smile. “Your table is ready.”

She picked up a leather-bound menu and led Harriet to a table
that overlooked the cove marina. Harriet tried to interpret the
meaning of the single menu. Either Aiden was waiting at the table or, more likely, hadn’t arrived yet. Being a veterinarian, it wasn’t unusual for him to have to deal with last-minute emergencies.

Her stomach clenched as the hostess seated her at an otherwise unoccupied table.

The woman offered to bring her a drink, and Harriet asked for
sparkling water with lemon. When fifteen minutes had passed
without any sign of Aiden, a waiter—Joshua, he said—clad in black trousers and vest and a white open-necked shirt, brought a small white plate with thin-cut carrots and celery and several small pieces of cheese.

“Compliments of Chef James,” he said as he set it in front of Harriet. “Can I bring you anything else?”

“No, I’m good,” she mumbled. Anyone with eyes could see she wasn’t good, but Joshua left without saying anything.

At thirty minutes, Joshua brought warm crusty Kalamata olive
bread and fresh butter. Harriet went to the ladies room and
splashed cold water on her face, hoping her absence from the table would cause Aiden to arrive but knowing in her heart that she was indulging in magical thinking.

Forty-five minutes brought James to her table.

“Hi,” he said. “Do you mind?” He pointed at the chair opposite hers.

“Please,” she said, waving absently at the chair.

“This is awkward,” he began.

“Oh.” Harriet sat straighter. “Do you need this table?”

“No, no, I didn’t mean to suggest…I’m sorry, what I meant to ask is, can I do anything? Call someone? Dr. Jalbert made the res
ervations, and I assume he sent the limo for you, which means
you’re stuck here until he shows.”

“You’re assuming he’s going to show,” Harriet said, her face
flaming red.

“I’m sure he’s just been detained at the animal hospital,” James offered.

“And he’s alone, without a phone or anyone who could call for him?”

“I’m sorry,” James said again, and looked down at his hands.

They sat in silence for a moment.

“I didn’t bring my cell phone,” Harriet finally said.

“Would you like to use mine?”

“No. If he’s so busy he can’t call me, I’m not going to bother
him.”
A dark part of Harriet wondered if this had been the plan all
along.

“I can take you home, if you’d like,” James offered.

“I can’t let you do that,” Harriet said. “You’ve got a restaurant to run. I’ll call my aunt or one of my friends. Do you mind if I sit here a few minutes to steel myself for the explanations?”

“At least stay long enough to eat. I cooked a special beef dish just for you.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t possibly eat dinner.”

“How about some Death by Chocolate?” he offered. “It might be just what you need.”

Harriet sighed.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said. “Be right back.”

True to his word, in less than five minutes, James came back with two dishes of the warm, dense chocolate cake.

“I hope it’s okay that I’m joining you,” he said.

“Thanks for not making me suffer through this alone.” She took a bite of cake.

“I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation,” James started.

“Can we not talk about it?” Harriet took another bite of cake. “I’m going to have to go through all this until I’m ready to scream with the Loose Threads, and then I’ll still have Aiden to deal with whenever he surfaces. And frankly, at the moment, I can’t think of any excuse that’s going to make this okay.”

“Can you taste the hint of chili in the cake,” James asked her with a crooked smile.

“Tell me about it.”

“I
f you don’t mind waiting until the dinner rush is over, I can
take you back to my place,” James said, stabbing his fork into the
last piece of cake on his plate. “Not for anything,” he added in a
rush. “I mean, if you want to hide out for a while. This all might be easier to face in the morning, or next week.” He gave her his crooked half-smile.

Harriet reached across the table and touched his hand; her own shook in spite of her effort to steady it.

“Thank you, that’s very sweet of you, but I’m afraid this won’t
get easier with time. If I’m not home tonight, it will only make
things worse. Besides, it’s not exactly the end of the world as we know it. I was stood up. It happens to people all the time, maybe without quite this spectacular of a setup but all the time, nonetheless. If you don’t mind, I’d just like to sit here a few more minutes and then call a cab.”

“At least let me have someone drive you,” James pleaded. “You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“Thanks, but I think an anonymous taxi is what I need.”

“You do realize that nothing’s anonymous in Foggy Point, don’t you?”

“You’re right, but I don’t know the taxi guy yet. And thanks again for this.” She pointed at her now-empty dessert plate.

“It was the least I could do. I would have never done this to you or anyone else, but somehow, since it happened at my place, I feel like a coconspirator or something.”

“You’ve been wonderful,” Harriet said and looked at him. “I
mean it. This could have been so much worse if you weren’t here trying to make me feel like less of a loser.”

“Well, the next time the good doctor calls for a reservation, he’s getting a table by the kitchen door.”

Harriet looked toward the kitchen.

“You don’t have a table by the kitchen door.”

“I’ll set one up just for him,” James said and looked at Harriet. “Was that a smile?”

She tried to look serious but failed and ended up laughing.

“See, you
have
made it better.”

The hostess came in their direction, hovering a discreet distance away and clutching a stack of menus to her chest.

“I think you’re needed,” Harriet said with a nod to the hostess. “I’m going to go powder my nose, and then, if you could call the taxi, I’ll be out of here.”

“As you wish.” James stood. “Call me if you need anything.”

Harriet went to the restroom and, after using the facilities,
splashed her face with cold water again. She was not looking forward to the next hour. If she didn’t call her aunt and Lauren by midnight, they would call her, so there was no getting around it. They’d made it seem like it was up to her, but she knew they expected a report.

She looked at her face in the mirror. She was pale, with two unnaturally bright spots high on her cheeks. Tears came unbidden to her eyes. She’d been a fool to agree to such a big date, given how things had been between her and Aiden these last two months. She should have known. She’d never make a mistake like this again. She sighed. There was no more stalling.

She went back out into the restaurant.

“Harriet,” a soft female voice called to her from just outside the restroom door.

“Carla?” Harriet said. “What are you doing here?”

“Aiden’s not coming,” the young woman said, looking everywhere but at her.

“Yeah, I figured that out.”

“I came to get you,” Carla continued. “I’m sorry, I would have been here sooner, but I had to take Wendy to Connie’s house first.” She referred to her toddler.

“Oh, great, so Connie knows already?” Harriet said.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I didn’t think I should bring Wendy with me this late.”

“No. No, you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t have come at all. I’ve got a taxi coming.”

“I told the lady at the front that I was here to get you, and she went to the kitchen and talked to the guy, so I think he didn’t call the taxi.”

“Aiden sent you to get me?” Harriet said a little too loud.

Carla looked down.

“Can we talk outside?” she murmured.

Harriet looked around and realized that people were staring at her. She turned and went to the door, brushing past the hostess be
fore she could hold it for her. She heard Carla apologize to the
woman before following her outside.

“If Aiden didn’t send you, why are you here?” Harriet asked as she rounded on Carla. “No offense, I guess I’m glad you’re here. What I meant to say is, why
didn’t
Aiden send you?”

“Aiden has his hands full—”

“Aiden always has his hands full,” Harriet yelled. “He can’t ever seem to pick up the phone and tell me himself that he won’t be coming. He could even text me. Or he could have called James.”

Carla stared blankly at her.

“James owns this place. The point is, I’m important enough for Aiden to send a limo to bring me here, just not quite important enough for him to call when he decides to call it all off. Or maybe it was the plan all along. If he wanted to make it clear we’re not going to make it as a couple, this did it.”

“It’s not like that,” Carla said, her face turning red. “He wanted to be here.”

“Now you’re going to defend him?”

“No, I’m not defending him, but you don’t understand.” Carla hit the button on her key fob, and the doors to her car unlocked. Harriet went around to the passenger side and got in. Carla joined her and started the car.

“He
couldn’t
come,” she said. She left the car in park. “He was getting ready for your dinner. He’d laid a tuxedo out on his bed and was polishing his shoes when Michelle called—”

“Of course it would be Michelle. She’s been the problem all along.”

“She’s in the hospital.”

“What?” Harriet sank back into her seat, her fury deflated.
“What happened?”

“I’m not sure anyone knows for sure, but Aiden was getting ready and his cell phone rang and Michelle said she was at the end of his driveway and she said goodbye and he ran out and went to her car and she was unconscious. He called nine-one-one and they came and got her. He said there was an empty prescription bottle on the floor of the car. He’s at the hospital.”

“That’s all?” Harriet asked. “No explanation as to why she did this?”

“Wendy and I went out to wait with him for the ambulance, and she was moaning and talking, but she didn’t make any sense. When they were gone, I went back in the house and gave Wendy her dinner, and when I took her upstairs to get her pajamas, I saw his tuxedo and realized you were waiting for him. I called your house, and when you didn’t answer, I was going to call your aunt, but I didn’t think you’d want me to.”

“Thank you for that,” Harriet told her.

Carla turned her face away and continued.

“I went into his office and looked at his scratch paper. He has this big tablet on his desk, and he writes notes about everything he does. There were three different restaurants listed; I got lucky on the second call.”

“Exactly what did you say to the restaurant?”

“I told them the truth,” she said. “I said I was trying to find my friend, who was waiting for her date, and that he had been called away on a family emergency.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to take this out on you. I really do appreciate you coming and getting me. And I’m sorry Michelle is in the hospital. I don’t like the woman, but she’s obviously disturbed if she staged a suicide attempt in her brother’s driveway.”

“She really did take the pills,” Carla protested.

“I know. I’m sure she did. It’s just that she did it in such a way there was no chance she wouldn’t be found before it was too late. She made sure Aiden was home and nearby before she took the pills, didn’t she?”

“I guess so,” Carla said. “That’s really sick, isn’t it.”

“Indeed, it is,” Harriet agreed.

Carla drove her home in silence.

“You want to come in for a cup of tea?” she asked when Carla had parked.

Carla hesitated and then agreed.

“I guess Connie won’t mind a few more minutes.”

“I’m sure whatever time you arrive, you’re going to have to pry Wendy out of Rod and Connie’s clutches.”

“I’ll start the water,” Carla said and headed for the kitchen.

“I’ll get the cups and tea,” Harriet said and followed her.

H
arriet sighed for the third time, and Carla looked at her
through the curtain of dark bangs that skimmed her eyebrows. Neither woman wanted to reopen the wound that if not yet healing was at
least not bleeding as profusely, so they sat in Harriet’s yellow
kitchen, hands wrapped around mugs of tea, steeling themselves for what was to come; whatever that turned out to be.

A soft knock sounded on the quilt studio’s exterior door, followed by the noise of the door opening.

“Honey, are you home?” called out Mavis.

“We’re in the kitchen,” Carla replied immediately.

Harriet smiled to herself. Carla knew her too well; she probably thought Harriet would try to pretend she wasn’t there, but Mavis would have seen Carla’s car and know they were inside.

Mavis came through the connecting door, followed by Connie and Aunt Beth. Connie busied herself dumping the hot water from the kettle and refilling it before setting it on the stove to heat. Aunt Beth set her purse on the counter and started digging in the cupboards for mugs and tea. Mavis went to Harriet, sat down in the chair beside her and enclosed the younger woman in her arms. Carla got up quietly and drifted over to the sink.

“Grandpa Rod has Wendy tucked in,” Connie told her in a quiet tone

“Why don’t you let her spend the night with us so you can go back to Aiden’s to see what you can find out about Michelle? We’ll take her out for pancakes and drop her back by around eleven, if that works for you.”