by Katie Dowe
Neither woman asked Carolyn what she was doing here without her husband nor her very obvious pregnancy and did not asked what was happening with her. They made her feel at ease as they chatted about the different projects going on. “Your sister is quite the business woman,” Jeanette said looking at Cara with a proud smile. “She has managed to turn this neighborhood into something of worth and has given the people here, especially the expectant mothers and children hope.”
“It’s not only me,” Cara protested as she polished off her sandwich and reached for a slice of the pie. “Matthew had a lot to do with it as well. He cornered several business men and got them to contribute a number of things and to keep contributing. We even got some of them to employ some of the men in the neighborhood and grant scholarships’ to several children.” She turned to her sister. “You remember how we wanted to get out of this neighborhood and go to the big city?”
“That’s one of the reasons I went to the UK,” Carolyn remembered, a whimsical smile on her lips. She had seen how grateful the mothers were for the packages they were handed and had also seen some of the girls who had no idea who the father of the child was. There had been a teenaged black girl with scars and tattoos all over her body and a sullen expression on her face and had seen how Jeanette had dealt with her in love. “You stayed though and managed to get yourself a billionaire husband.”
“I like to think of him as a husband whom I love and who loves me,” Cara corrected her sharply. “The money means nothing to me but as a way of being comfortable and helping others.”
“You are right,” Carolyn said suitably chastened.
They finished eating in silence and went back to work.
Carolyn watched avidly as her sister interacted with the neighborhood women and children and listened as she spoke to her husband when he called. She saw the light on her face as she spoke to him and her body language as she sat back on one of the sofas and had her conversation. She had spent most of last night in her comfortable and elegant suite agonizing over what they were doing in their bedroom. He touched her constantly and she remembered that the only time Clive touched her was when they were in the privacy of their bedroom and that was only one or two times for the week. She had seen how Matthew looked at her sister and knew that she had no problem where that was concerned. She had nothing to worry about and looking around the center, she saw that she had turned their old house into something of worth and somewhere that people with problems could come to and find a solution. She had named the place: ‘The Helping Hands’ and it was aptly named. Her sister had made something of her life and here she was hanging onto her skirt tail.
Chapter 5
“Daddy want up!” Janice said running over to her dad as they made their way over the grounds toward the gazebo.
It was May and the weather had gotten a lot hotter than it had been last week. Matthew had taken the children outdoors to take in some fresh air and to admire the fresh bulbs the gardeners had put in. The childrens’ birthday party was going to be at the end of the month and he wanted to make sure everything was okay because it was going to be held outdoors.
“Up you go baby girl,” he said lifting his daughter and swinging her around much to her delight. Joel had wandered over to the sprinklers and Matthew ran to take hold of his hand before he could get soaking wet.
It was a Saturday and Cara had gone over to the center to help Christine distribute some well needed food for the kids. She would be back at noon. Carolyn had told her she was too tired so she would prefer to stay home. Cara had insisted on shopping for her and in spite of herself she could not help but admire the things her sister had bought for her and the baby. Clive had called her and asked her how she was doing and she had been very abrupt with him. They had also spoken to their mother who promised to come as soon as they both had the babies.
She was walking the grounds with Matthew and for the time being she was pretending that he was her husband and the two children were hers. He was wearing faded denims and a soft green polo shirt that left his upper arms bare and had the shirt clinging to his muscular upper body. He was very handsome and she wished he was hers.
Jennifer stood up at the upstairs window that faced the grounds where they were walking and saw how the girl was constantly touching her brother. She had heard her sister ask her if she wanted to come with her and how she had refused claiming that she was tired but somehow she had found the energy to go on a walk with her brother and the kids. She had also noticed how she looked at him as if she wanted to devour him in one bite and wanted to say something to Cara but the girl was her sister and she had been in bad graces with Cara before. She did not want to rock the boat now. They had settled into a tentative relationship and she did not want anything to mess it up but Carolyn was clearly hitting on her brother, she was wondering how on earth neither her brother nor his wife could see it.
She had made little hints to him two nights ago when they were in the nursery attending to the children. Both sisters had been in Carolyn’s suite having tea together before going off to bed.
“Carolyn seems to have taken a liking to you,” she had said casually as she rocked her nephew to sleep. He had been a little cranky during the day because he was teething and the nanny had given him something to soothe his gum. Matthew had his daughter in his arms and was giving her a late night bottle. Jennifer loved to spend time with them and Cara allowed her to be alone with them as often as possible.
“I like her too Jen, she is my sister in law.” He said without looking up.
Jennifer sighed inwardly at the denseness of men. “Do you think it is a good idea for her to be away from her husband at a time like this?”
This time he looked up at her, his green eyes so much like hers looking at her quizzically. “It is not for me to tell her what she should or should not do Jen and she is welcome to stay for as long as she wants.”
“It is my experience that having two women in the house is never a good idea.” There she had said it.
“You are in the house as well,” Matthew told her dryly. “So what are you saying?”
“I happen to be your sister so I am definitely not a threat.”
“Are you saying that Carolyn my sister in law is a threat?” Matthew looked at her incredulously.
“It’s the way she looks at you,” she had protested beginning to regret that she had brought it up. Joel had closed his eyes finally and was sleeping. She stood up to take him to his room but was stopped by her brother’s voice.
“I don’t want you to start making trouble Jen,” he warned.
“I would never dream of doing that.”
Now she watched with narrowed eyes as the girl touched his arm and laughed up at something her brother said to her. He would do well to watch himself with that girl.
*****
Jennifer was not the only one who noticed how Carolyn was making eyes at Matthew. Marissa had been invited over for dinner that Sunday and she had gratefully accepted because John had gone on another business trip for a day to check out a restaurant of his that was not turning a profit and she had not wanted to go with him. “He is going into the country area honey and I am going to be stuck in some hotel room and being bored out of my mind.” She had told Cara. The two girls had become very good friends and she had taken some items of clothing and food to leave at the center a week ago and had met Carolyn.
Cara had given her the tour of the place before dinner was served and she had told her friend laughingly that there was no way she could finish the tour in just one day. She had noticed that her sister had chosen not to accompany them but had stayed with Matthew and the kids in the playroom. Cara had told her a little of what was happening with her and she had been a little wary and suspicious from then. She had been around enough women to know when someone was pining after another woman’s life and her man and she wanted to warn her friend.
She watched her closely during dinner. She had taken a seat on the left side of Matthew who
instead of sitting at the head of the table was sitting at one side with his wife on his right. Jennifer had taken the seat at the head of the table. The maids served them discreetly and left as quietly as they came in and the conversation started.
“So what are the plans for the childrens’ birthday party in a few weeks?” she asked as she sipped her cream of pumpkin soup appreciatively reminding herself to get the recipe from the chef. It was delicious!
“Matthew and Jennifer are insisting on going all out even though I keep telling them that they are not going to know what is going on.” Cara said with a shake of her head.
“You are only one year old once,” he said teasingly reaching out a hand to cover his wife’s on the table. Marissa noticed that he touched her constantly as if he could not keep his hands off her. She watched out of the corner of her eyes as Carolyn’s eyes were drawn to them and the expression on her face.
“You two make such a lovely couple. Don’t they Carolyn?” she stared at the girl pointedly forcing her to respond.
Jennifer looked at her quizzically and realized that the woman had also noticed Carolyn’s interest in her sister’s husband. Good! Maybe she could talk some sense into the girl.
“I think my brother has found his soul mate,” Jennifer felt led to say, meeting the girl’s eyes in mutual understanding.
“They belong together,” Carolyn said in a suffocating voice. Very soon after she excused herself from the table claiming she was tired.
Cara offered to come up and sit with her for a little bit but she told her sister that she would probably be asleep by the time she got upstairs.
Later that evening as Marissa was getting ready to leave she tucked her hand in Cara’s and they went outside for a minute. The breeze was stirring the leaves on the palm trees that lined the driveway and there was the heady scent of magnolias and jasmines on the air. There were benches at strategic places along the front lawn and they sat there taking in the atmosphere.
“Have you spoken to your sister’s husband to find out what the position is with your sister?” she asked her friend casually.
Cara turned to look at her friend curiously, not sure she wanted to discuss that aspect of her sister’s life with her. “No, I don’t want to interfere.”
“I know you love her and all that sisterly bond that I have no idea about because I never had one, but you need to find out what is going on.”
“She does not want to talk about it and I have no intention of going behind her back to ask Clive anything.” Cara said firmly.
“You have something wonderful going on here.” Her hands swept the grounds and its environs. “Your husband sets off feelings of lust in other women pregnant or not and you have to open your eyes and be aware of it. We are human and we tend to want what other people have especially if that thing looks sensational.”
Cara stared at her friend in shock. “You are not suggesting that my sister has the hots for my husband are you?”
“I am not suggesting anything. All I am saying to you is that you open your eyes.” She stood up. “I think I have dispensed with enough pearls of wisdom for one night. I will be on my way.”
“You are wrong,” Cara told her quietly as they walked towards her car. “My sister loves me.”
“I will take your word for it,” she kissed her friend lightly on the cheek. “See you sometime this week.” And she was gone.
She sat out there on the bench her expression thoughtful as she felt the breeze against her skin. Marissa was wrong. She has to be. Carolyn was feeling alone and abandoned right now but there was no way she would be making eyes at her husband, she would never do that.
She tried to think of some indication that what Marissa was saying was true but she could not and she was sure the girl was wrong. She had seen the way other women looked at him when they were at a function but he had never given any indication that he was in the least bit interested.
He came outside to find her. “Hey you okay?” he asked her softly as he came and took a seat beside her. She turned to look at him and realized that Marissa was right. He was a very sexy and handsome man and on top of that he was also very powerful and rich, attributes that any red blooded woman would find hard to resist.
“Have you ever been tempted to cheat on me?”
He looked at her frowning. She had been lost in thought when he came out and had not noticed that he was there until he was almost upon her. “What?”
“You are incredibly handsome and every woman’s dream. I am pregnant and bloated most of the time. Not to mention gassy at odd times. There are women out there who would throw themselves at you given the slightest indication.” She pressed looking into his amazing green eyes.
“I never give you any reason to doubt my love for you,” he said quietly. “What’s going on?”
She shrugged and looked out over to where the moonlight was shimmering on the deep blue of the water in the pool. The pool guy had taken off the covering and had cleaned it and now it was ready for the season. “I am just wondering that’s all.”
“Don’t give me that,” he told her sharply causing her to look back at him. “We are always honest with each other. What’s going on?”
“Marissa seems to have the insane idea that Caro is interested in you.” She admitted.
“Jen thinks the same thing,” he told her slowly.
They stared at each other in silence. “Maybe they are wrong,” Cara was the first to break the silence.
“And if they are not?”
“She is my sister and the only one I have,” Cara bit her lip and looked at her husband. “Has she- I mean – did she make you feel uncomfortable or was there any indication that she was interested in you that way?”
“You know I would have told you baby,” he told her gently trying to think back to the times he had been with her. He had never been with her alone, the children had always been there but he had noticed that she seemed to touch him a lot.
“Look before we start assuming the worst let us remember that she is going through a lot and let us give her the benefit of the doubt. I am not interested in anyone other than you and I have proven that to you a number of times. I don’t know if she has been making a move on me because frankly the only way I think of her is as my wife’s sister who is in trouble and who needs us. I thought her being here with you would make you happy, if that is not the case then it is up to you to do what you think is best.” He cupped her face and looked down at her. “I will never allow anyone or anything to get between us and I mean that.”
*****
She paced and stared at the phone in her hand. It was early morning and Matthew had already left for the office. Even after he had made love to her and they were curled against each other, they were both thinking of her. He had not said anything else to her but had kissed her gently and told her he would be home later. He was supposed to be going to Japan for a couple of days again and she was not looking forward to him leaving. She was going to the center to deal with some contributions along with the others but she had to do this first. She figured as it was now almost eight it would be about two in the UK. She made the call. “Mom how are you?”
“Honey good to hear from you.” She said warmly. “How is your sister? I have not heard from her in awhile.”
“She is-“ she hesitated. “Mom what happened with her and Clive?”
There was silence for a moment before her mother answered. “She refuses to tell me honey and Clive is not saying anything either. He said I should ask her. She hasn’t said anything to you?”
“She just told me he is cheating on her and she could not take it anymore.”
“I have never known Clive to do anything like that.” Her mother’s voice sounded anxious and Cara was beginning to feel sorry that she had called her. Now she was going to worry.
“Mom do you need anything?” she asked her suddenly.
“Like what dear?”
“Like money or anything like that.”
>
“You and your husband have been pretty generous to me and I could never ask for anything more. I see more money in my bank account than I ever saw when I was employed. Your husband insists on paying for the trips I take with my friends so I have to say that I am more than okay.” Her mother assured her.
“I don’t think Carolyn has been happy in a long time and she is not talking to me about it.”
“The only thing you can do is wait on her to open up to you. She will eventually but please do not call Clive. I have a feeling that they are going to have to work out whatever it is between them.”
She went to look at her children and saw that they were eating and spent some time with them. They were so beautiful and looked so much like their father and she could not help but wonder if Carolyn was right. She had told her she had everything and she had nothing. Had she been there for her sister in the way she should have been?
She smiled absently as Janice popped a pink cereal into her mouth. Joel had finished eating and was on his way to take his bath. She spent another few minutes with them and then went downstairs to discover that her sister was still up in her suite.
“I have to rush out now Cara but Caleb said breakfast is ready,” Jennifer told her putting on her coat. “I knocked on your sister’s door but I did not get an answer. I think maybe she is still sleeping.”
“I will go on up and check on her.” Cara reassured her.
She knocked several times before she heard the muffled, “Come in.”
Her sister was curled up onto her side with her back to the door. “Breakfast is ready and it is just you and me, the others have left.” Cara came around to the side of the bed where she was facing. Her breath caught as she saw that her sister’s eyes were red and swollen as if she had been crying for a long time. “Honey what’s wrong?” she exclaimed sitting on the edge of the bed.
“I have messed up,” she said disconsolately. “I cannot go back to Clive and the life I had because I made a big mess of everything and I don’t know how to fix it.”