“Afraid you’ll get fired if your boss hears what you’ve been up to?” Carolina taunted, her voice raised deliberately, obviously in the hope that Raylene would be in her office in the back.
Thank goodness Raylene had left for the bank just minutes earlier, Adelia thought. Not that Raylene would be shocked by anything Carolina might have on her mind, but Adelia didn’t want her exposed to the kind of scene her sister was trying to cause.
“What about Mama?” Carolina pressed. “Does she know the kind of woman you’re turning into?”
Adelia wasn’t sure how to answer any of that since she had no idea what had brought Carolina into her workplace in such a mood. She was the more volatile of Adelia’s sisters, but this was extreme even for her.
“I know that Mama taught us both better manners,” she responded, still keeping her tone surprisingly calm. “We don’t attack family with no provocation and we certainly don’t do it in public.”
“You’re in no position to tell me how to behave,” Carolina retorted. “It wasn’t enough that you disgraced us all by tearing your family apart, but now you’re making a spectacle of yourself.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Adelia said. “And, for the last time, whatever it is, we’re not discussing it here. I want you to leave.”
“Well, I want you to stop humiliating us,” Carolina countered.
Adelia could see that she wasn’t going to get her sister out of the shop without resorting to unseemly bodily force, at least not before she’d had her say. Sighing heavily, she said, “Okay, Carolina, out with it. What is it you think I’ve done?”
“It’s not speculation. I saw you kissing that man, right in the middle of Main Street. Do you even know him? Or did you pick him up in some bar?”
Adelia flinched. So this was about that impulsive kiss she and Gabe had shared. She should have known it would come back to haunt her.
“Gabe is a friend,” she said quietly. “I’m divorced. He’s single. We weren’t doing anything wrong. And just so you know, Mama and Elliott both know him. They approve. In fact, they’ve encouraged me to see him.” That might be a bit of a stretch, but desperate times and all that.
The comment seemed to have the desired effect. It appeared to take the wind out of her sister’s sails. “Mama knows you have a new man in your life when the ink’s barely dry on your divorce papers?” she asked, her skepticism plain.
“The ink may barely be dry,” Adelia said wryly, “but the marriage has been over for years. And I’m not the one who broke my wedding vows, Carolina. Ernesto did. Again and again. You know that. How can you continue to take his side?”
Her sister faltered at the hurt in Adelia’s voice. “I wasn’t taking his side,” she murmured.
“It sure seems that way to me. You’ve done nothing but criticize me since I found the courage to walk out on a man who repeatedly betrayed me.”
To her shock, tears filled her sister’s eyes.
“I should go,” Carolina said.
Adelia stepped around the counter and put a restraining hand on her sister’s arm. “You started this. Let’s finish it. Maybe it’s past time we get all this anger and resentment out in the open.”
“No,” Carolina said in the same petulant tone she’d used as a little girl when she didn’t want to do something.
Adelia smiled. “Now there’s the sister I recognize. You sound like you did when you were ten and Mama asked you to do some chore that didn’t appeal to you.”
For the first time, a faint smile touched her sister’s lips. “Spoiled and stubborn?”
Adelia nodded. “Pretty much.” She brushed a strand of hair from her sister’s cheek. “Talk to me, please. Why are you so angry with me because I walked away from an impossible situation? Staying would have destroyed every last trace of self-respect I possessed.”
Carolina swallowed hard, her gaze avoiding Adelia’s. “Maybe I was jealous,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
The response all but confirmed Adelia’s guess that her marriage, too, was on shaky ground.
“Is Ricky cheating on you?” she asked. Her opinion of Enrique Losado was almost as low as the one she held of her ex-husband, even without her sister’s confirmation that he was cheating. He had the kind of macho, dismissive attitude that no self-respecting woman should tolerate.
“No,” Carolina said a little too quickly. “At least I don’t have any proof that he is.”
“Because you don’t want to know the truth?” Adelia suggested gently.
“Maybe,” she said evasively. “Look, I’ve got to go. The kids will be home from school soon. They’ll be expecting snacks.” She finally dared to meet Adelia’s gaze. “I’m sorry I came in here hell-bent on making a scene. I just saw you last night and lost it.”
“Apology accepted,” Adelia said. “And, sweetie, if you ever need to talk, I’m here. I’ll always be here. And, believe me, I’ve learned not to make judgments. We all did it when Elliott brought Karen home, but now that I’ve had some serious problems of my own, I totally get why Karen made the choices she made. Lesson learned.”
“I’ll try to remember that,” Carolina said. “You won’t say anything to Mama or Elliott about this, will you? Not about me coming here or about my life being such a mess? Ricky and I will be fine.” There was, unfortunately, more resignation in her voice than real conviction.
“Not a word,” Adelia promised. “But just so you know, they’d be on your side, unconditionally.”
“Probably, but I’m still hoping I’ll never have to test that.”
Carolina wrapped her arms around Adelia in an impulsive hug. “Thanks for not tossing me out the door. I know you wanted to.”
“I kept imagining Mama’s reaction,” Adelia told her. Then she warned, “Next time, I might not let that stop me.”
“There won’t be a next time,” her sister promised. “I’ll think twice before throwing around accusations.”
Adelia gave her a squeeze. “I plan to hold you to that.”
She watched as her sister left and walked away, her shoulders slumped. She’d never seen Carolina looking so miserable. Adelia’s heart ached for her. One thing she’d learned from her own experience, though, was that the only person who could make Carolina’s life better was Carolina herself. And she clearly wasn’t ready.
* * *
“You kissed Gabe!” Raylene emerged from the office and regarded Adelia with delight.
“You were eavesdropping?” Adelia said, humiliated. “I thought you went to the bank.”
“I did, but I got back for the big show,” Raylene said. “And I didn’t intentionally eavesdrop, but you know how thin these walls are and your sister’s voice wasn’t exactly on mute. I knew you were aware I might get back at some point, so you could have insisted she leave or take her accusations outside or whatever.”
Adelia regarded her with amusement. “Or once you realized she was determined to have her say, you could have slipped out the back door to give us some privacy.”
“After I heard her mention that kiss?” Raylene asked incredulously. “Come on. I’m only human. So, how was it?”
“I am not discussing that kiss with you.”
“Hot, I’ll bet,” Raylene said, undeterred. “It must have been if you didn’t even notice there were witnesses.”
“It was late. The street was empty,” Adelia corrected. “Except for one car that came along.” She groaned. “What kind of bad luck was it that my sister happened to be in that car? It had to have been her, since she claimed to see us.”
“Oh, so what if she did?” Raylene said. “You’re entitled. Too bad she wasn’t half as indignant when Ernesto was flaunting his affairs all over town.”
“Yes, that is too bad,” Adelia agreed. “But I
think she had her reasons.”
“You mean that it was hitting too close to home?” Raylene guessed. “It sounded like that to me, too, not that I know your sister all that well. And that said, I will now butt out of your business, especially if you’re not going to spill all the juicy details about that kiss.”
“I’m not even confirming there was a kiss,” Adelia said. “You didn’t witness it. You can’t prove it. And anything else you might have heard in here just now is hearsay.”
Raylene laughed. “Helen should hear you right now. She’d insist you go to law school.” She held up a hand. “Not that I’m saying a word to her. You’re indispensable around here.”
“Thank you for that.” She gave her boss a speculative look. “Maybe this would be a good time to ask for a raise.”
“I just gave you a raise. If those commissions of yours keep mounting up, pretty soon I’ll have to make you a part owner just to keep my costs down.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Raylene’s eyes lit up. Her expression turned thoughtful. “You know, that might not be a bad idea.”
Adelia simply stared at her. “You’d consider letting me buy part of the business?”
Raylene nodded. “It might be a smart move for both of us.”
“I don’t have the cash to pay you,” Adelia said, though she couldn’t help being intrigued by the idea. Wasn’t that exactly why she’d studied business, with the hope of owning her own retail store someday? But was she anywhere near ready to claim such a dream?
Raylene waved off her concern about money as if it were of no consequence. “Let’s keep mulling this over,” she suggested. “We’ll talk about it again after I have the baby. If I need to cut back my hours dramatically, this could be the perfect solution. For now, though, I’d better get back to that mountain of paperwork on my desk.”
Adelia hesitated, then said, “I could start learning how you handle some of that. If it would help you out, that is. I’m familiar with the accounting program you use.”
“I hired you to sell pretty clothes,” Raylene reminded her, though her expression was hopeful. “Are you sure you want to deal with something that boring?”
Adelia laughed. “What can I say? I like making sure numbers add up.”
Raylene threw her arms around her. “Bless you, bless you, bless you. This partnership idea is sounding better and better.”
Adelia held up her hand. “You need to give it a lot more thought.”
“Oh, believe me—I will,” Raylene said.
The bell over the front door tinkled merrily.
“Go,” Raylene said. “I’ll deal with the paperwork for now. We’ll have another talk about all the rest later.”
Adelia stared after her. A part owner of her own business? How astonishing would that be? Even if it never happened, that the idea had even crossed Raylene’s mind meant the world to her. Sure, she knew she was a good saleswoman. And the committees she’d organized for the schools had always run smoothly. But this was something else, proof that she was truly capable of making a real life for herself and her kids, that she’d been right all those years ago when she’d studied so hard and envisioned a shop just like this one for herself.
A morning that had started out leaving her shaken and questioning her actions by sharing that impulsive kiss with Gabe had turned around dramatically to boost her self-esteem.
“Yay for me!” she murmured, then went out to wait on the customer who’d wandered in.
After she’d sold the stranger an expensive handbag, she went back to straightening a display of colorful cashmere sweaters she’d encouraged Raylene to order. More than half had already sold in less than a week, yet more proof of her business instincts.
She sighed. If only she were half as confident about the personal choices she was making.
* * *
“Well, as I live and breathe, if it isn’t Gabe Franklin,” Grace Wharton exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips and regarding Gabe with a surprising amount of affection.
“You aren’t planning to kick me right back out the door the way you used to, are you?” he asked, only half in jest.
“That depends. You here to start trouble?”
He laughed. “My days of stirring up trouble are behind me,” he assured her.
She didn’t look as if she entirely believed him, but she nodded. “Then you can stay.”
“I’m glad because I’ve had a hankering for one of your burgers ever since I got back to town.”
She regarded him skeptically. “There’s that charm I remember. Too bad you didn’t use that to talk your way out of trouble back then, instead of using your fists.”
“I have to agree with you,” he said. “I’m glad to see you still don’t hesitate to speak your mind, Grace.”
“Never saw any point to it,” she replied. “What would you like to go with that burger? Are you ready now or will Mitch be joining you?”
“He’s on his way,” Gabe told her. “You can put my order in when he gets here, but I’ll take a large soda now.”
“Will do.” She started away, hesitated, then turned back, her expression filled with sympathy. “I’m real sorry about your mama, Gabe. I wanted to tell you that when she died, but you took off before anyone could let you know how much we cared. A lot of folks in town did.”
Funny, he didn’t remember much evidence of anyone caring, not about either one of them. Grace’s expression suggested she knew exactly what he was thinking.
“It probably didn’t seem that way to you,” she told him. “People talk, sometimes without thinking. I’m one of them. It’s a curse as much as it’s a blessing. You’ll always know what’s on my mind, even when I should be wise enough to keep my mouth shut. It was one thing to say cruel things about your mama. She chose her own path. It was quite another to say them openly where a young boy would hear them. I regret that. I really do.”
The sincerity of her words resonated in a way they might not have years ago. “I appreciate your saying that,” he told her.
“None of the gossip was meant to be malicious,” she told him. “But it must have seemed that way to you.”
“Grace, I know you mean well now, and maybe you did back then, but not everyone was the same as you. Even as a boy, I recognized the joy some people took in spreading rumors about my mom. She did plenty to cause talk, but I always wondered if things would have been different if anyone had reached out to help her. The only ones who did were after what she had to offer them, a willing body.”
Grace might pride herself on being candid, but she looked uncomfortable at his straight talk. “I’m sorry,” she said again.
Gabe merely nodded. “I’d like that soda now, if you don’t mind.”
“Right away,” she said, clearly eager to have an excuse to leave.
Mitch showed up in time to note her relieved expression. He frowned at Gabe. “What was that about?”
“Just catching up,” Gabe claimed.
Mitch didn’t look as if he bought that, but he let it go. When Grace returned, he ordered his own burger, then sat back in the booth with a sigh.
“Problems on the job?” Gabe asked him. “I mean other than those I already know about.”
“Not on Main Street,” Mitch said. “I may have mentioned, though, that I have a customer in town who’s changed his mind at least once a week about what he wants done. Then he goes crazy when I tell him the change is going to cost him.” He shook his head. “My bad. I should never have taken the job. I’ve regretted it practically from day one.”
“Anyone I know?”
“Ernesto Hernandez,” Mitch admitted, his expression rueful. “And you don’t need to say a word. I’ve already gotten an earful from my wife and every one of her friends.”
Gabe bit back his own indignation since M
itch looked as if he’d already paid a heavy price for his decision. “Why’d you take the job?” Gabe asked curiously. “You don’t need the work.”
“The call originally came from Mary Vaughn Lewis. She said she had a client who wanted some renovations done and she’d told him I was the best. You know how persuasive Mary Vaughn can be when she wants something.”
“You let a little flattery get you to take a job working for a piece of slime like Ernesto Hernandez?” Gabe made no attempt to hide his incredulous reaction. He’d never thought his honorable, upstanding cousin could be flattered or bought.
“I told you, it was Mary Vaughn who got me to take the job. She took me to look at the house, told me what the client wanted and that money was no object. It wasn’t until I saw Ernesto’s name on the contract that I realized who I’d be dealing with. By then, it was too late to back out. I’d given Mary Vaughn my word.”
“Didn’t it occur to you that it was odd that the Realtor was setting up the deal instead of the client? Hernandez must have known you’d never agree to work for him.”
Mitch flushed. “Of course it occurred to me,” he said. “Unfortunately, though, not till after I’d agreed to do the job.”
Gabe frowned, still confused about how a smart man like Mitch could have been taken in. “You didn’t realize it was Ernesto’s house when you went there to check out what he wanted done?”
“It’s not his house,” Mitch revealed. “To top off a lousy situation, it belongs to his mistress. He apparently wants to get top dollar when she sells it and moves in with him.”
Gabe could only think about how that scenario must feel to Adelia, knowing that her husband’s mistress was about to move into her old home. His opinion of Ernesto sank a little lower, which he’d thought was pretty much impossible.
“I suppose you could take some comfort by charging him an arm and a leg for everything you do,” Gabe suggested.
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