Midnight Promises (20 page)

And there it was, he thought. “Of course not. I have no intention of dragging them into this. The other partners will float me a loan. I’ll pay them back as the gym becomes profitable.”

“So, you’re still taking out a loan, just not on the house?” she said. “You’re asking our friends for it.”

“I didn’t ask. They offered,” he said defensively. “And they’ll give me a lot of flexibility for paying it back, Karen.”

“But there will be legal documents?” she persisted. “You’ll owe them this money?”

“Of course.”

“What if you can’t pay it?”

“There’s flexibility in the payback schedule,” he repeated, because she obviously wasn’t hearing him.

“I’m sure there were many deals that Ray convinced himself would be just as easy,” she retorted bitterly.

Elliott’s temper frayed. “I resent the comparison.”

“I don’t blame you,” she said wearily. “But can you deny that I’m right?”

His heart ached at the painful memories he was stirring in her. At the same time, this was his chance to give his family the life he wanted for them. He had to seize this opportunity, and he had to do it on his terms.

“It’s the best option,” he told her. “And it will work out. You have to trust that I won’t let you down.”

She faced him, her eyes brimming with tears. “I know you’d never mean to,” she whispered.

“I won’t,
querida,
” he said firmly. “Never.”

It was a promise he intended to do everything in his power to keep.

11

K
aren was starting to feel oddly isolated. All around her the nonstop conversation was about the new gym. With all of her friends and their husbands involved directly or indirectly with the project and enthusiastically moving full steam ahead, she was the only one, it seemed, with reservations. She hated being the lone holdout, especially when it demonstrated a lack of faith in her own husband.

The papers for the property had been signed yesterday afternoon, and everyone had gathered tonight at Maddie and Cal’s for a celebration. Karen had wanted desperately to beg off, but at the disappointed look in Elliott’s eyes, she’d reluctantly agreed to go.

Kids were racing around the backyard, high on too many sweets. The men were filled with boundless enthusiasm for their project and clustered around plans for the renovations of the property. Karen found herself sitting alone in the shadows on the patio, wishing she could get into the spirit of the celebration, if only for Elliott’s sake.

“Still not convinced?” Helen asked with her usual directness, dropping down onto the chaise longue next to hers.

Karen gave her a half-hearted smile. “I’m trying to be.”

“Want some advice from someone who’s watched a lot of marriages fall apart?” asked the woman who was recognized as one of the state’s top divorce attorneys.

Karen wasn’t entirely sure she did, but she nodded anyway. Knowing Helen, it would be impossible to keep her silent, if she felt this was something Karen needed to hear.

“First, you should know that I believe in this project,” Helen said, putting the weight of her expertise as a lawyer and a businesswoman behind it. “I’ve gone over all the angles and the numbers. I have The Corner Spa experience to gauge it by. Obviously, there are no guarantees, but I’m convinced it will be a success.”

She gave Karen a conspiratorial look. “I also know something that you may not know, that none of the others know, either. Trust me, it’s big news.”

Karen regarded her with surprise. “If you know something that could affect how this goes, why haven’t you told the guys?”

“Lawyer-client confidentiality,” she said. “Today my client released me from that and said I could tell anyone who might be interested, but I’ve been saving it till later.” She grinned. “Thought I’d make a big announcement and get my minute in the spotlight.”

“Can you fill me in now, especially if you think it’s reassuring news?” Karen asked, her curiosity aroused.

“Dexter’s is closing,” Helen revealed.

Even Karen saw how that could impact the gym project in a positive way. “Wow! I had no idea.”

“No one did,” Helen said. “Dexter told me he’s been wanting to retire for a long time, but he knew there were men in town who counted on that dump of a gym of his. He didn’t want to go till there was a viable alternative on the horizon. The minute he heard about this plan, he came to me to handle any legalities involved in closing the place down, putting the space on the market and making some changes to his will to reflect that the business was history.”

Karen blinked at the news. “He’s really doing it? There’s no question about it?”

“None. He can’t wait to get a double-wide in Florida,” Helen confirmed. “He said he and his wife are eager to spend the year in the sunshine, playing bingo and going to the races and the casinos down there.”

Karen felt her spirits improving for the first time since Elliott had revealed the details of the plan to her. “That really could make all the difference, couldn’t it?”

“I think the new place would have succeeded, anyway,” Helen said. “But, yes, this should just about guarantee it.”

“Thank you for telling me. I need to find Elliott. I’m still scared by all this—he’s committed for a lot of money, by my standards—but I’m definitely reassured.”

Helen reached for her arm to hold her back. “One more bit of advice, if I may. It might be better to let him know you believe in him than to say you were only convinced because he won’t have any competition.”

Karen nodded, understanding exactly what Helen was advising. “Good point. And I do believe in him. He’s never once given me any reason not to.”

“It’s just hard getting past what Ray did,” Helen suggested. “I think Elliott understands that, too, but maybe it’s time you thought about basing decisions on the man you’re with, rather than the one who left.”

“You’re right,” Karen concurred. “And the fact that I haven’t driven Elliott away with all my doubts just proves he’s a saint.”

She found him inside, bent over the plans on the dining room table with the others. She inched in beside him. Though he gave her only an absentminded smile, he slipped an arm around her shoulders, then nodded toward the plans.

“Want a closer look?” he asked.

As if they somehow understood that this moment required privacy, the other men backed off one by one, leaving them alone.

Karen listened to Elliott’s description of the space and what it would be like once it was completed, but her gaze remained on his face, not on the papers spread across the table. There was no mistaking his enthusiasm, his faith in what he was about to do.

“You’re really excited about this,” she said, even though it was hardly a surprise. Why hadn’t she been able to accept how much it mattered to him? How had she allowed her fears to undermine her belief that she could trust this man with anything, even their money?

“It’s our future,” he said simply. “Maybe I didn’t start our life together with such a big dream, but once it was put out there by Ronnie and the others, it seemed tantalizingly within reach. It will make all the difference for us, Karen. Maybe not right away, but in a couple of years, there will be no more scrimping, no more worry.”

She smiled at his optimism. “There will always be worry. With kids and family, there always is.”

“But not about finances,” he insisted.

She gave his hand a squeeze. “I think maybe I’m finally starting to believe that.” She met his gaze, unable to stop a grin from spreading across her face. “I have news,” she told him.

He chuckled at her expression. “And where did you come by this news of yours?”

“Helen told me. She’s going to fill the others in later, but I think it would be okay if I told you now.”

He regarded her curiously. “Sounds as if it might be good news. Is it?”

“You tell me,” she said, then added with a dramatic flourish, “Dexter’s retiring and closing down his gym as soon as yours is up and running. Maybe even before.”

It seemed to take him a minute to absorb the revelation, but then his eyes lit up. He picked her up and spun her around, then set her on her feet, delight giving way to dismay. “What will he do, though? I guess I never thought about driving him out of a business he’s had for years. I used to go there to work out when it was the only place in town. It was run-down and disgusting, but he’s a good old guy.”

“Not to worry,” she assured him. “Apparently he wants to retire to Florida with his wife and play bingo. You all are giving him that opportunity. It’s an unintended benefit to your plans.”

Elliott chuckled. “Now that’s a sight I’d like to see, Dexter and a bunch of old ladies playing bingo.”

“Maybe one of these days when money’s not an issue, we’ll pack the kids in the car and go visit,” she suggested, aware even as she spoke that it was a huge breakthrough for her to look ahead and foresee the possibility of a vacation. “I wouldn’t mind seeing the ocean or the Gulf of Mexico.”

“And we can take the kids to Disney World,” he said enthusiastically. “Just imagine how much fun they’d have.”

“Don’t mention it now or we’ll never hear the end of it,” she cautioned, though she couldn’t seem to stop grinning at yet another dream she would never have dared to imagine a few years ago, or even a few weeks ago.

For the first time in a very long time, she realized she was actually looking forward with excitement, rather than back in despair, just as Helen had so recently advised.

* * *

As Adelia drove home from her PTA committee meeting at the school, she couldn’t seem to stop herself from detouring a few blocks past Ernesto’s lover’s home. Sure enough, his car was in the driveway. The knowledge soured her good mood.

“Well, you asked for it, didn’t you?” she muttered as she kept driving. Why had she deliberately tortured herself by checking? Was she a glutton for punishment? Had she somehow convinced herself that this time might be different, that he had come home to make a commitment to honor their wedding vows? He’d certainly made no such promises, which meant she was the delusional one.

Her eyes stinging with unshed tears, she walked into the house and went straight to the kitchen to get a belated dinner on the table. A few minutes later, Selena came in and found her unsuccessfully fighting tears.

“He’s there again, isn’t he?” Selena asked angrily. “At that woman’s house?”

Adelia turned to her daughter in shock. “What do you know about that?”

“I’ve seen him. It’s where he was staying when he left. I snuck over there at night and saw his car,” she said defiantly. “I know I was grounded, but I had to know. If you want to ground me forever, I don’t care.”

Instead, Adelia opened her arms and gathered her daughter close. “Oh,
niña,
these are not things you need to know about. I’m so sorry.”

“But I do know, and I hate him!”

“Shh. He’s your father. You don’t hate him,” Adelia said. No, all the hating was left to her, along with the mess he’d created. Thank goodness the other children were too young to have figured out as much as the observant Selena had.

She held Selena until she’d calmed down, then said quietly, “Get your brother and sisters. Make sure they all wash their hands. I’ll have dinner ready in five minutes.”

Selena’s gaze narrowed. “Will
he
be here?”

“I don’t know,” Adelia said candidly.

“Do I have to stay at the table if he is?” Selena asked, her gaze pleading.

Adelia sighed, relenting from her usual rule that the entire family ate dinner together, no exceptions. “No. If your father comes home tonight, you may be excused and I will bring you a tray later.”

And then she would spend the rest of the evening trying to figure out how she and Ernesto were going to make things right for their children.

* * *

When Frances arrived at the town’s senior center, which was set up—with a touch of irony—in what had once been a funeral home, there was a stir in the parlor, which had been set aside for card games. The few men who were there seemed to be clustered around the refreshment table, while the women were buzzing off in a corner and casting sour looks in the direction of Flo and Liz, who were the only ones actually seated at a table.

Frances took her place with them, then nodded toward the others. “What on earth has everyone in such a tizzy?”

Liz tried to keep a solemn expression, but couldn’t seem to stop the chuckle that burst forth. “Jake Cudlow asked Flo out,” she said, when Flo remained silent.