White Lace and Promises (23 page)

Thanksgiving arrived, and Maggie’s parents flew out from Florida. The elder Kingsburys had reacted with the same pleased surprise as Glenn’s family had when Maggie phoned to announce
that she and Glenn had married. The gathering at Denny and Linda’s was a spirited but happy one. Neither of Maggie’s parents mentioned how brief her and Glenn’s courtship had been, nor that they were shocked at the suddenness of the ceremony. The questions were in their eyes, but Maggie was so radiantly happy that no one voiced any doubts.

The traditional turkey was placed in the oven to be ready to serve at the end of the San Francisco 49ers football game. They ate until they were stuffed, played cards, ate again and watched an old movie on television until Maggie yawned and Glenn suggested they head home. The day had been wonderful, and Maggie looked forward to Christmas for the first time since moving to the beach house.

Glenn’s days were filled. He started work at Lindsey & McNaught Brokerage the Monday after his arrival in San Francisco, and continued to work long hours to build up his clientele. More often than not, it was well past seven before he arrived home. Maggie didn’t mind the hours Glenn put in away from home. She understood his need to secure his position with the company branch. The competition was stiff, and as a new boy on the block, the odds were against him.

“How are things going at the office?” she asked him one evening the first week of December.

“Fine,” he responded absently as he sorted through the mail. “How about a game of tennis? I need to work out some of my frustrations.”

“Everything’s fine at the office, but you want to use me as a whipping boy?” she joked lovingly.

Glenn raised his gaze to hers and met the teasing glimmer mingled with truth in her eyes.

“Are you sorry we’re here?” she asked, on a tentative note. In Charleston, Glenn had held more than a hundred million dollars in assets for his firm, a figure that was impressive enough for him to have quickly worked his way into a managerial position. In San Francisco, he was struggling to get his name out and establish himself with new clients. Some of his previous ones had opted to stay with him but others had decided to remain with the same brokerage. From the hours he was putting in during the day and several long evenings, the task must be a formidable one.

“I’m not the least bit sorry we’re living in San Francisco,” he said. “Where you and I are concerned, I have no regrets. Now,” he added, releasing a slow breath, “are we going to play
tennis or stand here and chat?”

Just as he finished speaking, the telephone rang. “Saved by the bell,” Maggie mumbled as she moved across the room to answer it. “Hello.”

“Hi, Maggie,” Denny said in the low, almost whiny voice she had come to know well.

“Hi. What’s up?” She didn’t want to encourage Denny to drag out the conversation when Glenn was in the room. Denny was a subject they avoided. She knew her husband disapproved of her handing over large sums of money to her brother, but she didn’t know what else she could do—Denny needed her. The money wasn’t doing her any good, and if she could help her only brother, then why not?

The argument was one Maggie had waged with herself countless times. As long as she was available to lean on, the opposing argument went, then Denny would be content to do exactly that. He hadn’t accomplished anything worthwhile in months. From conversations with her sister-in-law, Linda, Maggie had learned that Denny did little except decry his misfortune and plot ways of regaining his losses. Yet Maggie could understand his circumstances well enough to realize he was in an impossible position. He didn’t like it, she didn’t like it, but there was nothing that either of them could do until the court case was settled.

“I just wanted you to know that I’ll be meeting with the lawyers tomorrow afternoon.”

“Good luck,” she murmured.

A silence followed. “What’s the matter? Can’t you talk now?”

“That about sizes up the situation.” Glenn was studying her, and Maggie realized her stalling tactics weren’t fooling him. He knew exactly whom she was talking to and did nothing to make the conversation any easier by leaving the room.

“Maybe I should phone you tomorrow,” Denny suggested.

“That would be better.” Maggie forced a carefree note into her tone. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, then.”

“Okay.” Denny sounded disappointed, but there wasn’t anything Maggie could do. She wanted to avoid another confrontation with Glenn regarding her brother.

Replacing the receiver, she met her husband’s gaze. “You said something about tennis?” Her voice was remarkably steady for all the turmoil going on inside her.

“You’re not helping him, you know,” Glenn said calmly. “All you’ve done to this point is teach him to come to you to solve his financial problems.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she was aware of that. She had seen it all herself, but she was caught in a vicious trap where her brother was concerned. “He needs me,” she countered.

“He needs a job and some self-worth.”

“I thought you were a stockbroker, not a psychologist.”

Maggie could tell by the tightness in his jaw that she had angered Glenn. “Look, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. Denny’s in trouble. I can’t let him down when he needs me the most. If you recall, I did ask you to stay out of it.”

“Have it your way,” he mumbled, and handed her a tennis racket.

Their game wasn’t much of a contest. Glenn overpowered her easily in straight sets, making her work harder than ever. Maggie didn’t know if he was venting his frustrations from the office or if he was angry because of Denny. It didn’t matter; she was exhausted. By the time he’d finished showering, she was in bed half asleep. Glenn’s pulling the covers over her shoulders and gently kissing the top of her head were the last things Maggie remembered.

With the approach of the Christmas holidays, Maggie felt a renewed sense of rightness. She was in love with her husband, they were together, and her world seemed in perfect balance. Glenn worked hard, and so did she, spending hours in her studio doing what she enjoyed most—painting. With her marriage, Maggie had discovered that there was a new depth to her art. She had once told Glenn that color was mood and brushwork emotion. Now, with Glenn’s love, her brush painted bold strokes that revealed a maturity in her scenes that had been missing before their wedding. She was happy, truly happy, and it showed in ways she’d never expected.

Maggie didn’t mention Glenn’s grandmother’s antique ring, confident that he’d gift her with it on Christmas morning. And she would react with the proper amount of surprised pleasure.

She wore her wedding ring continually now, even when she worked. Glenn glanced at her hand occasionally to be sure it was there. It was an odd quirk of his, but she didn’t really mind. The ring meant as much to her as their marriage vows and that was all he wanted. They had come a long way from the night she’d arrived in Charleston.

For their first Christmas, Maggie wanted to buy Glenn a special gift, something that
would show the depth of her love and appreciation for the good life they shared. But what? For days she mulled over the problem. She could give him one of her paintings for his office, but he had already asked her for one. She couldn’t refuse him by telling him that that was what she planned to give him for Christmas. He took one of her seascapes and she was left without an idea. And she so wanted their first Christmas together to be special.

For the first time in years Maggie went Christmas shopping in stores. Usually, she ordered through the mail or over the Internet, but she feared missing the perfect gift that would please Glenn most. Janelle joined her one day, surprised at the changes in Maggie.

“What changes?”

“You’re so happy,” Janelle claimed.

“I really am, you know.”

“I can tell. You positively glow with it.”

The remark pleased Maggie so much she repeated it for Glenn later that evening.

“So you were out Christmas shopping. Did you buy me anything?”

How she wished. Nothing seemed special enough. She had viewed a hundred jewelry display cases, visited the most elite men’s stores, and even gone to obscure bookstores, seeking rare volumes of Glenn’s favorite novels. A sense of panic was beginning to fill her.

“You’ll have to wait until Christmas morning to find out,” she told him, coyly batting her long lashes.

With so many relatives on their list, Glenn and Maggie were in and out of more department stores the following Saturday than Maggie cared to count. Soft music filled the stores and bells chimed on the street corners, reminding them to be generous to those less fortunate. The crowds were heavy, but everyone seemed to expect that and took the long waits at the cash registers in stride.

While Maggie stood in line buying a toy farm set for Glenn’s nephew, Glenn wandered over to the furniture department. Lovingly, Maggie’s gaze followed him as he looked over cherrywood bookcases in a rich, deep-red color. Bookcases? Glenn wanted something as simple as bookcases? Maggie couldn’t believe it. After days of looking at the latest gadgets and solid-gold toys, she stared in disbelief that he could be interested in something as simple as this. When the salesman approached, Glenn asked several questions and ran his hand over the polished surface.

“Did you see something?” she asked conversationally when he returned to her side. He wanted those bookcases, but she doubted that he’d mention it to her.

“Not really,” he replied, but Maggie noted the way his gaze returned and lingered over the cases.

Maggie’s heartbeat raced with excitement. At the first opportunity, she’d return and buy Glenn those bookcases.

“You’re looking pleased about something,” Glenn commented over dinner Wednesday evening.

His comment caught her off guard, and she lightly shook her head. “Sorry, I was deep in thought. What did you say?”

“I could tell,” he chided, chuckling. Standing, he carried his plate to the sink. “Do you want to talk about it, or is this some deep dark secret you’re hiding from your husband?”

“Some deep dark secret.”

“What did you do today?” he asked, appreciating anew how beautiful his wife had become. She was a different woman from the one who’d met him at the airport months ago. He liked to think the changes in her were due to their marriage. He was different, too, and credited Maggie with his renewed sense of happiness.

“What did I do today?” Maggie repeated, her dark eyes rounding with shock. Swallowing back her unease, she cast her gaze to her plate. “Christmas cards.” The truth nearly stuck in her throat. She had written Christmas cards, but in addition she had penned a long letter to Angie, thanking her for everything the other woman had shared the day of their brief visit. In the letter, Maggie told Angie how improved her marriage was now that she’d told Glenn how much she loved him, and was confident that he loved her in return.

As impractical as it sounded, Maggie would have liked to continue the friendship with Angie. Rarely had Maggie experienced such an immediate kinship with another woman. Impractical and illogical. Of all the people in the world, Maggie would have thought she’d despise Angie Canfield. But she didn’t. Now, weeks later, Maggie felt the need to write the other woman and extend her appreciation for their afternoon together and to wish her and Simon the warmest of holiday greetings. The letter had been interrupted by Glenn’s homecoming, and she
had safely tucked it away from the other cards she kept on top of her desk.

“I still have several things that need to be done before Christmas,” she said in order to hide her discomfort.

Glenn was silent for a moment. “You look guilty about something. I bet you went out shopping today and couldn’t resist buying yourself something.”

“I didn’t!” she declared with a cheery laugh.

Later, in the den, when Glenn was looking over some figures, Maggie joined him. She sat in the chair opposite his desk. When Maggie glanced up she found her husband regarding her lazily with a masked expression, and she wondered at his thoughts.

On the other side of the desk, Glenn studied his wife, thinking that she was more beautiful that night than he ever remembered. Her eyes shone with a translucent happiness, and a familiar sensation tugged at his heart. Something was troubling her tonight … no,
troubling
was too strong a word. She was hiding something from him. Which was natural, he supposed. It was Christmastime, and she had probably cooked up some scheme for his gift, yet Glenn had the feeling this had nothing to do with Christmas.