Sugar Creek (22 page)
“Believe you me, I can understand
that
,” Walter assured him. “Thinkin’ about her sorta…keeps her alive. I did the same thing with Judy.” The chief’s late wife, who’d died a long time ago, back when Mike was a teenager. “I kept pictures of her all through the house, in my wallet, everywhere—until I met Anita. Right around then, Jenny helped me see that it wasn’t about forgettin’—it was about sayin’ goodbye and lettin’ yourself move on.”
Mike drew in his breath. He remembered when the eight by ten of Judy had disappeared off the chief’s desk one day last year—but he hadn’t given it much thought. He hadn’t even realized until now that it was around the same time Walter had started seeing Anita Garey. And Anna had been gone even longer than Judy.
But in Mike’s mind, there was a big difference. Walter knew exactly where Judy was. And he’d gotten to say goodbye to her. With Anna…it was all question marks.
Everybody in Destiny assumed she was dead, and Mike had been a cop long enough to know anything else was highly unlikely—but until he got a real
answer, closure
, someday maybe…hell, he couldn’t say goodbye. He just couldn’t.
Finally, he said, “I appreciate your concern, Walter. And I’ll try to take your advice to heart.”
“Seems hard, I know,” Walter said. “Puttin’ the pictures away.” Pictures, he’d said—plural. It was almost as if he knew Mike had pictures of Anna all over his house, too, despite never having been inside it. “But once you let go, son, it starts gettin’ easier.”
On Tuesday, a few days after the Romo family party, Rachel sat at Dolly’s Café on Main waiting to meet her old group of high school friends for lunch. She’d come early and brought her laptop—after finding out from Amy that, amazingly, Dolly’s had WiFi! Destiny
was
changing, and she looked up from her screen from time to time to find herself surprised by the busy lunch crowd and the midday traffic on the streets that circled the town square. An elderly waitress named Mabel had even managed to seat her at one of a few umbrella-covered tables out on the front walk.
Rachel had barely used the laptop—only once at the Destiny library; she’d brought it home forgetting she couldn’t access the Internet from Edna’s house. Thank God for her Blackberry, which at least allowed her keep up with e-mail—whenever Edna wasn’t hiding it from her.
Although she’d discovered, to her surprise, that since getting the Natural Girl account nothing much at Conrad/ Phelps had really required her direct attention. But she still wanted to keep an eye on things and she had occasionally chimed in where she’d felt her insights were warranted. And she’d shown up at the café early today with the idea of doing some work.
Opening her e-mail program, she found a message from Chase and quickly double-clicked on it.
Not sure if you’re checking e-mail, Rachel—but Stan Harriman from K&K called. As you know, he planned to take their business elsewhere, but has found he isn’t as impressed by the larger agencies as he expected to be. He’s considering coming back, so I’ve put your team to work on some new campaigns. A call from you to let him know we’re committed to serving them might be a good idea. In other news, we miss you around here. The office is too quiet.
Oh God—K&K! The makers of everything from baby wipes to laundry detergent were up for grabs again? This was big.
Really
big. She hit R
EPLY
.
Great news about Stan. I’ll call him this afternoon and work my magic—if I still have magic left to work.
Rachel bit her lip, thinking. About flirting with Chase. It seemed like a good time for that. Since she’d decided, very firmly, that Mike Romo meant nothing to her. Other than great sex, of course—because it would just be silly to deny that part.
But quit thinking about Mike. Flirt with Chase.
She started typing.
I miss you guys, too. Mostly you—and your muffins.
Rachel was notorious—back in Chicago anyway—for never eating breakfast, so Chase frequently brought her muffins, surprising her with different flavors. Satisfied, she hit S
END
.
A moment later, an IM window appeared—along with a real-time message.
CALEXANDER: Oh, don’t worry, you’ve still got plenty of magic. How’s the apple business?
Rachel sighed. The apple business was actually pretty good. But she didn’t really want to discuss it with her boss. Her other boss besides Edna, that is. Still, she decided to be honest.
RFARRIS: The apple business is…tiring. But not a bad way to spend pretty fall days. Anything else going on there I need to know about? Like…do I still have a job?
CALEXANDER: I’m working on that, singing your praises constantly. No decision yet, but I’m doing what I can for you. You’re going to owe me.
Rachel pursed her lips, pleased that Chase was still flirting with her, even from afar. It reminded her there was more to life than Mike Romo.
But quit thinking about him already!
RFARRIS: What will I owe you exactly?
CALEXANDER: Dinner at the very least. Maybe even a good bottle of wine.
RFARRIS: That can be arranged. Whether or not I keep the job.
CALEXANDER: Hey now, no negative thoughts allowed. But…when are you coming home?
Oh crap. She bit her lip.
RFARRIS: Unfortunately, my grandmother still needs my help and I don’t feel I can leave her. Can you keep singing my praises a little longer?
CALEXANDER: I’ll keep hitting those high notes as long as I can. But get K&K back and it’ll make my performance easier.
RFARRIS: Understood. And Chase, thanks. I appreciate your support.
Just then, Sue Ann arrived. “Hey,” she said with her typical upbeat smile.
“Fab dress,” Rachel said, taking in Sue Ann’s cream-colored frock with tiny gold and rust leaves embroidered at the neckline and hem. Then she typed.
RFARRIS: Chase, sorry, I have to run—am meeting friends for lunch and they just showed up.
CALEXANDER: Have fun—and let me know what happens with our man, Stan. And hey, Rach, it was nice chatting with you, even if not in person.
She sighed happily.
Take that, Mike Romo.
Not that she was thinking about him or anything.
RFARRIS: You, too. And I’ll be expecting a whole BASKET of exotic muffins upon my return.
Just as Rachel powered down and closed her laptop, Amy and Tessa showed up, Jenny arriving directly behind them.
“This is so great,” Amy said, smiling brightly as they settled around the table. “All of us together again! Who’d have believed it could happen?”
Who indeed,
Rachel nearly quipped but held her tongue. Frankly, her discussion with Chase had her feeling a little indignant again about being back in Destiny. Her life was in Chicago, and the online chat had been a good reminder.
However, that didn’t mean she shouldn’t enjoy this time with her girlfriends.
“So what did everyone do over the weekend?” Amy asked after they’d given Mabel their drink orders and gotten menus.
Jenny, looking vibrant in a teal sweater set and coordinating skirt, merrily replied. “Well, Mick finally finished my balcony.”
“Your balcony?” Rachel asked, and Jenny explained that her handy bad boy of a husband had built a balcony onto their bedroom, facing Blue Valley Lake.
“For stargazing.”
Ah, Rachel remembered Jenny being into astronomy back in high school—apparently it had become a lifelong love.
“And they christened it when it was done,” Sue Ann chimed in.
Amy smiled across the table at Jenny. “Oh, so you finally got to check out the stars from your side of the lake?”
“Yeah. Before, pointing the telescope up through all the trees was a lost cause.”
“But that’s not what I meant by christen,” Sue Ann said. “I meant that she also got to check them out while under Mick on a lounge chair.”
As Jenny’s jaw dropped, she smacked Sue Ann’s arm. “Sue Ann! For God’s sake.”
“Sorry—I just can’t help myself sometimes,” Sue Ann replied, actually looking remorseful. “Your sex life is too fun not to talk about.”
Jenny crossed her arms. “Well,
you
had a good sex life this weekend, too—shall I spew
those
details in the middle of the café?”
Rachel just laughed quietly—she’d forgotten how much she loved Jenny and Sue Ann, best friends to the core even when they bickered like sisters.
“Or I can just do it myself,” Sue Ann announced. “Because unlike you, I have no problem talking about sex to my friends.” Then she told them that she and Jeff had just had a Grandma weekend, explaining to Rachel that this was when her mom took Sophie for the whole two days. “This time they went to the Bob Evans Farm and Sophie got to pet baby goats. But where was I?”
“Sex,” Tessa reminded her.
And Sue Ann smiled. “Ah, yes. We did it all over the house, and in the bathtub, too. And late Saturday night, we did it in the backyard, in Sophie’s playhouse.”
“That’s gross,” Amy said.
“Sophie wasn’t there at the time,” Sue Ann pointed out, defensive. “It was fun—and it felt kind of…
risky
, wondering if the neighbors would hear.”
Amy made a face, and everyone else laughed, and Jenny clearly thought it was a good time to change the subject. “What did
you
do, Tessa? Anything fun?”
“Well, I did
not
have sex of any kind this weekend—gross, risky, or otherwise, I’m sorry to say. Instead, I went to Amy’s for a Jane Austen movie marathon with her and Mr. Knightley.”
“And we had a perfectly nice time,” Amy added, “even if we don’t have any torrid tales to tell.”
“We did,” Tessa agreed warmly. “I’m glad I have you to hang out with. But sue me if I wish you and I both could find a man.”
Rachel continued to feel depressed on Tessa’s behalf. With Amy, it was different—she seldom dated, yet it didn’t seem to bother her. But Tessa it bothered.
