by Thianna D
“Now, now, what’s going on here?” The priest, Father…Father Henry, who had conducted the archaic ritual over the combined ashes, joined them. “Is everything all right? Mrs. Simms, Teri, you are not yourself.” He cast her a glance and then spoke to Roy. “Perhaps you should take your wife home and let her rest. She’s undergone a huge loss.”
The condescension sent her temper the rest of the way out of control. “Speak to me if you would. I do not need to rest. What I need is to go to my home in the City and get back to work. Every day I am away could cost me clients. They depend on me for their financial well-being.” To her shame, her shrillness wouldn’t stop until she clamped a hand over her mouth. God, would the horrible day never end?
The priest’s kind expression never changed. “Of course you would like to be in your own home. But I hope you will consider Corbin’s Bend a temporary haven while you assess your new situation.” She bit her lip, some remote sense of decency keeping her from swearing in front of a priest. “Roy, I will explain to everyone that your wife was too upset to stay any longer. They share her grief. Melinda and Shane were a big part of the community. I hope you will let me know if you need anything.”
Roy, who had been frozen in place like a ridiculous statue, nodded and lay an arm over her shoulders. “Yes, thank you. I’m sure she will calm down after a bit. Thank you for your understanding. Come on, Teri, Ben.” He tried to guide her away but she shrugged free.
“Don’t talk about me as if I’m not capable of handling my emotions. You have no idea what responsibilities I neglect by being away from my desk. And the money lost by my clients when I am not there to personally manage their portfolios.” Shut up, shut up. She clamped her lips closed.
Father Henry’s voice lowered. “Go home, Mrs. Simms. Take a nap, meditate, whatever you need to regain control of your senses. Family is your only responsibility today. Money can wait.” His gray brows lowered. “Roy, call me if I can be of any help.” His overwhelming presence almost caused her to step back, but she stopped herself just in time. The priest was unlike any cleric she’d ever encountered. Not that she’d met many—her parents had been agnostics, believing in some sort of deity but not worried about who he or she might be. They’d raised their twin daughters to think the same.
Why on earth had Melinda wanted a religious service? Curious, and trying to keep sane, she asked, “Ben, do you go to church on Sundays?” The little boy lifted his eyes to her face but didn’t reply. Of course, he didn’t. “I don’t know what the man believes he’s doing bossing me around. If he calls, let him know we don’t need his interference in our lives.” She waited while Roy got out the keys and clicked the locks on the odious minivan Shane and Melinda left in the garage. “Let’s go. I have to get online and see what’s happening with the Watkins portfolio.”
An older couple in conservative dark clothing paused to offer condolences then moved on down the sidewalk but the man’s words floated back. “A good spanking would calm her down. I have half a mind to offer him the hairbrush from the glove compartment and tell him to take her over his lap right here and now.”
“Oh, no.” The wife giggled. “Don’t do that. How long did it take to find one we like so well for our Sunday drives?”
They wandered out of hearing range, but Teri’s cheeks heated in embarrassment. The memory of the other night flooded in. Calm her down. The spanking Roy had administered had not calmed either of them. Rather it had led to the hottest sex they’d had in years. But they weren’t spankos, like those two. She shuddered. “Can’t we please get out of here? We have time for lunch, then to drop Ben at Saundra’s before the reading of the will at the attorney’s office.” And children needed regular meals. She didn’t know much about them, but, of course, they had to eat. “How about the Mexican place?”
Roy piloted the minivan down the wide, clean street, admiring the neat buildings they passed. The small community seemed to offer everything a family would need. Restaurants, stores, even a theater. The co-op had a small town feel he liked. Lunch at Endelé had been good, although Ben had picked at his food. But the doctor had warned he might not have much appetite right away. As long as they kept him hydrated, he’d be okay for a few days. And since the server, a woman in her mid-thirties who seemed to know him, had refilled his lemonade three times, he stood more at risk of drowning than dehydrating.
With Ben in Saundra’s care, they arrived at Sam Edger’s office and found parking just a couple of doors away. Teri’s silence had become nearly as overwhelming as Ben’s and he wanted to break it and resume normal communications as soon as possible. “Shane and Melinda were smart to make a will. So many young couples put it off.”
She snorted. “I was surprised to learn they had.” They left the van and walked side by side toward the storefront. “My artistic sister and her road crew husband didn’t seem to think much of the future.”
“Don’t be so judgmental. We didn’t see enough of them to know their plans. They certainly had a nice home, their vehicle runs well…and Ben is alive and healthy. Not neglected in the least.”
He held the door for her and followed her into the compact waiting area of the attorney’s office. Two short couches and a receptionist’s desk comprised the furnishings. Simple, neat, nothing like his fiftieth floor luxury. “I wonder if anyone is here.”
Teri shrugged. “Maybe they’re at lunch?”
“Wouldn’t they have locked the door?”
“Maybe not. There’s not much to steal.” She dropped onto one of the sofas. “I guess we wait.”
“Hello, anyone here?” He grabbed a magazine from the secretary’s desk and joined her. “I guess we do.” Five minutes went by, then ten, while he flipped through the pages without really seeing anything. “I thought we’d meet the attorney at the funeral.”
“Me, too. Do you think we missed him?” Teri stood and paced to the front door and stared out. “Such a crowd. And they all seemed to know my sister better than I did.” She rested her forehead on the cool glass. “Roy, do you think anyone would come to my funeral? Besides you and the people from work?”
The sadness in her voice twisted something deep inside him and reminded him for a second of the woman he fell in love with before all the softness peeled away. But before he could offer reassurance, she faced him again and any sweetness had departed, leaving modern-day Teri.
“I cannot understand why the man is so late. Doesn’t he know how valuable people’s time is?” She stalked back to sit next to him. “Imagine if you kept your clients waiting, the cost to the company would be astronomical, and you’d never make senior partner.”
And what a disaster. The ultimate failure might cost him…what? He already made enough as a junior partner to support their extravagant lifestyle, to replace their couches and occasional tables every year. The health club and country club memberships. Both of which served as convenient meeting places with clients and colleagues. Hell, he could even afford the cancellation fees for the vacations they never went on.
As Teri emitted a deep and annoyed sigh, he let his gaze take in their environs. The walls were a pale green and a golden pothos extended its leafy branches across them, twisted around thin wires to create a jungle to the right of the small, pale wood, Ikea-style desk and file cabinet. The blue and white flowered sofa they sat on could have come from anyone’s grandmother’s house. The patterned linoleum floor, while clean, was ordinary linoleum.
Back in his city office, maroon leather, burnished metal, and exotic woods offered his clients a luxurious experience. Deep carpets absorbed sound, creating a hushed atmosphere. And he had no idea what decorated the walls, other than his framed credentials. Some kind of prints…or were they actual paintings? When would he have time to notice?
“Can you try to call his cell phone, Roy? I think the man has forgotten our meeting.” Teri’s tight voice warned him. She’d reached the edge of her limited patience. “Or maybe go back to the house and I can get some work in while th
is lawyer finishes his egg salad sandwich and pie at the local diner.”
“Sure, I—”
A bell clanged and an older man in a polo shirt and slacks burst through the door. “So sorry, folks. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.” He stopped in front of them and Roy rose to shake hands.
“No problem.”
“Yes,” Teri bounced to her feet with irritated energy, “it was a problem. If you couldn’t make our appointment, why did you agree to it?”
Why did she have to start their conversation in such an argumentative way?
The lawyer, Sam Edger, released Roy’s hand and took Teri’s in both of his. “I am sorry for your loss, Mrs. Simms. Your sister was one of my wife’s favorite people and she’s been beside herself since the accident. She wanted me to be sure to invite you over for dinner, if you’re up to it.”
Roy watched with amazement as his brittle wife sagged and tears swam in her eyes. “How kind of you, Mr. Edger. Melinda loved living here. I don’t think we’ll have time for much socializing…we have to get back as soon as the doctor says Ben is ready to travel, but please thank your wife for us.”
Another glimpse of the woman he’d fallen in love with. What magic did the community hold?
The older man led her toward the back of the office. “My secretary attended the funeral. I wanted to go, but we had a little emergency at home and I hope you’ll forgive my absence.”
Roy trailed after the two, listening to his tamed wife murmur in response to the man’s statements. Perhaps they would get through the meeting without her creating a scene. He didn’t, however, believe they would be leaving as soon as she thought. Little Ben’s trauma wouldn’t heal overnight. And he rather liked the idea of going to dinner at the Edger’s house.
Although he’d spent his adult life in the bustle of the City, his childhood in a small town in Idaho had been a much different world. He’d never even considered moving to the big town until he met Teri. He hadn’t realized how her passion would color every aspect of their days and nights.
“Roy? Are you going to sit down and join us?”
He settled into one of the bent metal and upholstery guest chairs in front of Sam’s battered wooden desk. “Sorry.”
“So, Mr. Edger—” Teri began.
“Sam, please. I don’t stand on ceremony here.”
She settled on the edge of the chair, tense again. “Sam, then. Let’s get right to the point. We need to move as quickly as possible to get back to our responsibilities, so we need to get a copy of the will. I know it’s traditional to have a reading, but my husband is qualified to handle it from here.”
“Mrs. Simms, Teri, I am the executor of the will and your sister has made some specific requests. It is my job to see they are carried out.” He opened a desk drawer and drew out a small envelope. “Here is the will. No, I’m not reading it. Melinda and Shane made a video outlining their wishes for you to view at home.” He stood and handed Roy the envelope. “After you have, call me and we can meet again and discuss the best way to move forward.” He picked up a manila envelope and herded them back to the front of the office and held the door open. “Everything else you need is in there. Including the temporary resident application. If you’re staying in town longer than a week, you’ll need to fill it all out. I took the liberty of making an appointment for you this evening. The sooner the better.”
“What? “ Teri dug in her heels and her voice rose. A warning to those who knew her, but the small-town lawyer didn’t. “Then we do need to get approval to stay for the few days until Ben can travel? While the estate is in probate? Roy, is that right?”
“Teri, we might be able to fight it, but it’s easier just to speak to the people in a courteous way and see if we can’t come to a meeting of the minds,” Roy said. “We don’t know it will be a few days.” He accepted the packet and shook Sam’s hand. “Thanks, is the location of the meeting in there?”
“Sure is. I have to tell you I was impressed with your sister and brother-in-law. They made their will right after Ben’s birth, everything thought out. Most young couples put off making these decisions. Now…now, I wonder if one or both had some kind of inkling they might not have long.” He rubbed his face with his free hand. “Pardon me, I’m still a little shaken by their deaths.” As they stepped onto the street, he let the door fall closed.
They stood side by side on the sidewalk for a moment. “He must have liked Melinda.” Teri faced the minivan. “She never mentioned him. I don’t think.”
Roy clicked the lock and opened her door. She’d never allowed such gestures before and he liked it. Liked doing little things for her. “You don’t think?”
Teri slid in and he moved to the driver’s side and joined her in the van. “I don’t remember, but she talked about so many people and mostly I tuned it out.” Her voice fell to a whisper. “I tuned her out…I never thought we wouldn’t have lots of time for skyping. Roy, my sister is gone and we will never talk again and I wasted so much of our time together.” Dropping her face into her hands, she went silent.
He drove out onto the street and, at the stoplight, considered which direction to go. They needed to pick up Ben, but Teri needed to mourn. But they needed to pick up Ben. He was theirs and had nobody else to depend on. Somehow, he had to be there for both of them.
Please let him have what it took. Because nothing in his or Teri’s past screamed fabulous parents. And though his passion not to allow their vacation to be cancelled had stemmed from his plan to make one more plea for them to have their own baby, it would have been the last time for the topic. He wanted a family, but Teri’s insistence on a delay had begun to sink in. No, they didn’t have time to devote to the welfare of a little baby—even with the obligatory nanny it might be a selfish choice. His heart ached every time he pictured them growing old without the blessing of a family.
And even if it nearly destroyed him to consider the possibility, their sterile life destroyed him a bit at a time. If something didn’t change soon, he could see them going the way of so many of the couples in their circle who had married about the same time they did. Two high-profile careers did not make for the optimum mom-and-dad lifestyle. But he wouldn’t give that up.
Driving a minivan to pick up Ben from a kind neighbor, cruising past the small businesses of other neighbors felt more right than he wanted to admit. What a shame they couldn’t close the door on everything in the City and pick up where Melinda and Shane left off.
A sudden image of himself wearing a hard hat and gesturing some kind of asphalt truck to back up, or maybe holding a flag and directing traffic on the interstate filled his head and he blanched. No, the only thing more ludicrous was Teri picking up Melinda’s brush and finishing the painting on the canvas in the sunlit studio. Little Ben’s face was nearly complete, but the picture would never be done.
Poor little guy needed to be their focus, not their own problems. Suddenly orphaned, he’d inherited Roy and Teri for parents. He wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
Chapter 4
Teri cast a glance over her shoulder at the somber-faced little boy in the booster seat. Wasn’t he kind of old to need one of those? But he’d scrambled in and fastened the belt all by himself, so he must know what he was doing. Facing forward again, she grabbed her cell phone and sent a text to the office requesting a client portfolio by e-mail.
“Let’s get ice cream, shall we?” Roy’s forced cheer distracted her from work. “What do you say, guys?”
Not a sound issued from the backseat. Not that she expected one.
“Teri,” he arched a brow, “sound good to you?”
“Oh, sure.” As if she had time. “Sounds great.” How long could it take, anyway?
“Perfect.” Roy steered out through the gates and onto the highway. “I saw a creamery a few miles down the road. Let’s go see what they have to offer.”
“Are you sure we have time? I have to get some work done this afternoon.”
“Yes,
I think we have time.” How could she spare the time? But his firm tone cut off her instinct to argue. “I’m having chocolate. How about you?”
Fine. She could play along. “Maybe they have pistachio? I wonder what kind Ben would like?” The sooner they got there and ate, the sooner she could get some work done. After all, they had a ridiculous interview with the Board later on. To receive permission to stay in her sister’s home. “Roy, you don’t think we can skip the meeting, maybe tell them we won’t be here long?”
“Doesn’t sound like it,” he said in a cheerful tone entirely inappropriate to the situation in her opinion. “We’re not in any hurry to leave, are we Teri?”
What?
“Ben, we’re almost to the creamery. Hope you like ice cream. I like it a lot.”
Ohh. A hint. “Me too, Ben. Maybe we can get some extra to take home and put in the freezer, if it’s good.”
And it was good. Crazy good. The homemade ice cream came in over twenty flavors, not one low fat, fat free, or made with soy milk. “Oh, my God. There must be thousands of calories in my scoop.”
Roy grinned and took another big spoonful of chocolate ice cream, hot fudge and, of all things, chocolate whipped cream. He crunched on toffee chips. “Yep, how is yours, buddy?”
Ben sat across the table from them with a banana split. The pretty, high-school aged girl in the paper hat had assured them, despite his small size, his parents bought him one every Saturday afternoon when they all came in for their weekly treat. Judging by the dent he’d made in it so far, there wouldn’t be much left when he finished. But he didn’t lift his eyes, just continued to shovel it into his mouth. At least he was eating. Maybe the familiarity of the dish appealed.