Judge Long instructed Dave to proceed with questioning Dr. Bogan, and by the time he had finished, there was no doubt that Mrs. Roseman’s condition was worsening and there was no medication that would help. In fact, Dr. Bogan had previously made attempts to convince his patient to enter an assisted care facility for the elderly, but she always refused. It was still his recommendation that she reside in a facility where there were professional staff members who could assist her as needed.
When Dr. Bogan’s testimony was completed, the judge signed the guardianship papers. He would have preferred to appoint a relative, but when Dave advised him that none could be located, he appointed a local attorney as Mrs. Roseman’s guardian and conservator.
“That went easier than I expected,” Dave commented as he tucked the file into his briefcase and escorted Claire back toward his car.
“I guess so. It sure is sad to see someone who’s been an upstanding, contributing member of society end up like Mrs. Roseman, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is. It’s even sadder that she doesn’t seem to have any relatives to help out. Lyle tells me this subject came up last night when you two were talking,” Dave said.
Oh, no, Claire thought. I walked right into that one.
“We talked about it briefly. How are Peg and the kids doing?” Claire asked, hoping to change the subject.
“Fine, fine. What else did you and Lyle discuss?” he asked, obviously unwilling to be deterred.
“I’ll tell you what I told Lyle. I think it’s a mistake for an employer and employee to see each other socially. It can cause friction and hard feelings among coworkers. I also pointed out to him that I had received a speech during my interview. As I recall, that speech spelled out the fact that you and Lyle were opposed to that type of socializing also. When he told me last night that he was interested in dating me, I was stunned. And just in case the thought has crossed your mind, I’ve never done anything to encourage him,” Claire told him.
“That thought never crossed my mind. I know you’re a fine Christian woman, Claire, and basically I agree with everything you’ve said. However, it has been a very long time since Lyle has shown any interest in dating. Personally, I think part of it is because of a bad experience long ago, but I think the other part is that he’s been very devoted to making the business a success. I’m sure he’s fearful of being hurt again, and I would hate to see that happen. However, the only way he’s ever going to find the right person is to get out there and take a chance. He already knows your qualities, and there’s a measure of safety with you,” Dave stated.
“But I’m not interested in a committed relationship, Dave. Quite honestly, I don’t know that I’d ever consider marrying again. My first priority is my daughter.”
“Why does being Michelle’s parent preclude remarriage? Lyle’s a good man. I’m sure he could accept her,” Dave said in his friend’s defense.
“It’s pretty involved, and I’m not sure I want to discuss it right now. So you’re telling me you have no problem with Lyle dating me. You don’t think it would cause problems within the office?” she asked, hoping she had somehow misunderstood his comments.
“I think it’s a great idea. I hope you two hit it off and that someday I’ll be best man at your wedding!” he said.
“You feeling all right?” Gloria asked as Claire walked into the office.
“Not really,” she replied. “Where did those come from?” she asked, stopping in front of a glass vase containing a large arrangement of tinted daisies and baby’s breath, sitting in the middle of her desk.
“Don’t know. Guess you’ll need to open the card,” Gloria suggested, obviously enjoying the moment.
Please don’t let them be from Lyle, she thought as she hesitated and then ripped open the envelope.
“They’re from Jake,” she said aloud.
“Who else would they be from?” Gloria asked, watching Claire tuck the card back into the envelope.
“What? Oh, I don’t know. I just never thought about Jake sending flowers,” she replied.
“Well, why not?” Gloria asked, obviously confused.
“I guess because he’s out in the field,” she honestly replied.
“They do have contact with the outside world,” Gloria replied, just as Lyle walked in the door.
“Is the hearing over?” Claire asked as soon as she saw him.
Looking at the bouquet of flowers on the desk, he stopped in front of her. “Do I have competition, or is it your birthday?” he asked.
Claire could feel Gloria’s eyes riveted into the back of her head. “Is the hearing over? How did it go?” Claire once again inquired.
“Come on in my office; I’ll give you the details,” he said. “Hey, Dave, come here and listen to this,” he called toward his partner’s office.
“Believe it or not, Hackley recused himself,” Lyle said to Dave and Claire as he closed his office door.
❧
“What’s going on?” Gloria hissed at Claire as she walked back to her desk while Dave and Lyle stood in the doorway to Lyle’s office.
“I’ll talk to you later,” Claire whispered, nodding toward Dave and Lyle.
“I’ll be over to your place at seven,” Gloria replied and went back to her typing.
ELEVEN
“All right, just what is going on?” Gloria asked as she entered the back door of Claire’s house at exactly seven o’clock.
“Judge Hackley agreed to recuse himself. The trial will have to start all over; the jury has been dismissed; the case will go to the bottom of this term’s docket; and we get a much-needed breather,” Claire replied as the pair seated themselves at the kitchen table. “Want some coffee or iced tea?”
“I’m not talking about the trial, and you know it, Claire! What’s going on between you and Lyle? I heard that remark he made this morning about ‘having competition.’ Are you two seeing each other?” Gloria aggressively questioned her friend, totally ignoring the offer of liquid refreshment.
“Nothing is going on between Lyle and me,” she answered while moving toward the refrigerator. “I think I’ll have tea. Do you want some or not?”
“No, I don’t want any tea or coffee or anything else to drink. I want some straight answers. Am I going to get them or not?” she demanded.
“Not if you talk to me in that tone of voice,” Claire answered, sounding as though she were instructing a toddler.
“Okay, my apologies. Please tell me what is going on.”
“First, let me say that I wouldn’t divulge any of this to you if Lyle hadn’t made that off-handed remark within your hearing,” Claire began.
Gloria gave her an offended look. “Just why wouldn’t you tell me?”
“Because until there’s actually something to discuss, there’s no reason to spend a lot of time on any particular subject. Besides, you know that I like my personal life to remain personal. Anyway, after we were through in court yesterday, Lyle asked me to go to dinner. Actually, he didn’t wait for my agreement. We ended up at The Circle, and during the course of our conversation he asked me if I would consider seeing him on a social basis.”
“You’re kidding,” Gloria remarked before she could go any further. “What did you tell him?”
“I explained that I thought it could cause problems for employees and employers to date. Then I reminded him of the speech he and Dave gave during my interview about being opposed to intraoffice dating, and I suggested that he probably should discuss the matter with Dave.”
“What? Why should he discuss whom he dates with his law partner?” Gloria asked, giving Claire an amazed look.
“He shouldn’t discuss whom he dates. But I think if he’s going to date someone that works in the office, he should see if Dave has any objections. If it creates friction within the office, it affects both of them,” Claire explained.
“You aren’t seriously thinking about dating Lyle, are you?” Gloria asked.
“What’s wrong with
Lyle?”
“Well, nothing, I guess. I just never thought about him dating anyone. Besides, you’re dating Jake,” she reminded Claire.
“What has Jake got to do with any of this? I keep telling everyone that I’m not interested in a serious relationship with anyone. Occasional dating is fine, but I’m not interested in anything more than that. Unfortunately, nobody seems to hear me,” she said.
“I think Jake’s more your type. Besides, he likes Michelle,” Gloria stated, ignoring Claire’s remarks.
“For goodness sake, Gloria. Lyle doesn’t even know Michelle. Don’t you think it would cause problems if one of the guys were dating an employee?” Claire asked.
“Yeah—Dave’s married, remember?”
“Cute! You know what I’m asking! Think about it—what if I were dating Lyle and the guys decided to give bonuses. What if my bonus check were larger than yours? Wouldn’t you think it was because I was dating Lyle?”
“Your bonus check is always bigger than mine, and you’re not dating Lyle,” Gloria answered.
“Are you jealous about that?” Claire inquired.
“No. You work lots more hours than I’d ever even consider working. Besides, we do different jobs. I don’t make the same salary as you either, but that’s because we perform different work. If you were dating Lyle, I don’t think they’d give you preferential treatment. Besides, Dave wouldn’t stand for it—even if Lyle were swayed by his emotions.”
“You’re a big help. One minute you’re telling me I shouldn’t even consider dating Lyle; the next minute you’re telling me it wouldn’t create problems within the office.”
“They’re two entirely separate issues. I don’t think you should date Lyle, just because I don’t think Lyle is the right guy for you, not because he’s our boss. I think Jake is a better match,” Gloria explained. “Speaking of which—Roger called me this evening, and they’re going to get back from the field early. Jake wanted me to relay a message to hold the weekend open for him. Maybe the four of us can go somewhere together,” Gloria suggested, her voice full of enthusiasm.
“Maybe,” Claire answered, glancing at the vase of daisies she’d brought home from the office. “We’ll see.”
❧
Lyle had been unexpectedly called out of the office to attend top-level corporate planning sessions being conducted by Platino Corporation, one of their largest clients. Dave would have attended in Lyle’s place had the land condemnation trial continued. But, clearly, Lyle was Platino’s first choice, their “fair-haired boy” as Dave lightheartedly referred to him.
Upon hearing the news that Lyle would be in Kansas City the remainder of the week, Claire experienced a sense of relief. She wanted some time to evaluate her thoughts and consider the pros and cons of the dating concept. To date, the idea invoked nothing but thoughts of disaster.
Lyle had given her Friday and Monday off to compensate for the overtime she had worked while preparing for the trial. It was a beautiful day, and she was finally getting to spend some much-needed time pulling weeds out of the flower beds.
“Need some help?”
Claire jumped. She had been totally engrossed in the work and hadn’t heard anyone come up behind her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Jake said, stooping down beside her and pulling at a weed.
“Guess I must have been deep in thought,” she said, turning to look toward the street. “I didn’t even hear you drive up.”
“Hope some of those thoughts were about me,” he ventured, throwing some weeds into the growing pile beside her right hand.
“Gloria said you were supposed to be back early.” she said, deliberately not giving an answer to his comment.
“We were told they cut it short because performance levels were so high. I don’t know if that’s the real reason or not, but I’m always glad to get out of the field. Did Gloria also mention that I’d like to spend some time with you this weekend?” he asked.
“Yes, she mentioned that.”
“And?”
“Well, it depends on what you have in mind, I guess. Gloria said something about all four of us getting together. You know anything about that idea?”
“Roger and I were thinking you two might like to go to Worlds of Fun. That is, if you like amusement parks. Do you?”
“Sure, I like amusement parks, but I don’t ride anything that goes around in circles. Makes me sick to my stomach. Besides, they usually have some good entertainment at Worlds of Fun, at least on the weekends,” she responded.
“We were thinking about going early tomorrow morning. Gloria thought maybe we could take a picnic instead of eating in the park. Either way is fine with me,” he quickly added.
“When did Gloria make all these plans?” Claire suspiciously inquired.
“Roger got back before me; sometime early this morning. He met Gloria and took her out for coffee this morning, and they discussed it. Roger gave me a call just before I left to come over here. So what sounds best to you? A picnic or eating at the park?”
“Tell you what. I’ll talk to Gloria, and we’ll get that part arranged. Exactly what time did you have in mind to leave?”
“We thought about eight-thirty. The park opens at ten, and it’ll take us a couple hours to get there. Sound okay?”
“Sounds fine,” she replied.
“Tomatoes need water?” he asked as she continued weeding.
“As a matter of fact, they do.”
She didn’t look up as he rose and moved away. “Your hose is missing,” he called from inside the garage.
“Sorry—it’s hooked up out back. I didn’t put it away last time I watered,” she exclaimed as he walked toward her.
“I won’t give you the speech that it’s really better to put things away,” he joked as he walked toward the backyard. Shortly, she heard a banging noise followed by a crash.
“What’s wrong?” Claire yelled, running toward the backyard. Jake was sprawled amidst the tomato plants; a metal rack and small clay pots that were used for an herb garden were scattered around him.
“Hope those didn’t have anything in them,” Jake remarked as he pointed toward the pots that had fallen to the ground.
“Not yet,” she answered. “What happened?”
“I tripped on the hose,” he replied. “Now you get the speech about putting things away!”
Claire couldn’t help herself. She laughed until tears streamed down her face. It was just such a sight to see him lying there surrounded by all that mess. Slowly he lifted himself up, using the water spigot to lean on. She didn’t notice his hand turning the handle until the hose was aimed at her, a stream of cold water causing her to let out a shriek.
“Jake! That’s cold! Turn it off!” she screamed, running to the side of the house and finally out of the water’s reach. “Look at my clothes. I’m soaking wet,” she chastised him, standing just beyond the spray of water.
“You’re only damp. I hardly got you at all,” he said. “Come on back here,” he urged.
“Oh, sure. Why would I want to come back there? So you can douse me again?”
“Okay, I quit. I’ll go turn it off,” he said, “but we better get this mess cleaned up.”
Hesitantly, she followed and then peeked around the corner of the house until she was sure he had put down the hose. Once assured, she gingerly walked toward him while leaning down and picking up several of the small planters. As soon as she turned away, he picked up the hose, once again squirted her, and just as quickly dropped the water hose. By the time she turned around to scold him, he was directly behind her.
Just as she opened her mouth to reprimand him, he gathered her into his arms, his lips covering hers. She could feel the warmth spreading throughout her body as he held her.
“Jake, I think we should talk,” Claire said, her voice serious. “Why don’t you come inside?”
Grabbing a towel from the laundry room as they walked in the back door, Claire dried h
erself off as best she could.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d be so upset,” he began.
“I’m not upset about the surprise shower,” she said. “Sit down,” she offered, motioning toward one of the kitchen chairs.
“I don’t know how else to address this subject, except straightforwardly. And I’m ashamed of myself for not doing it sooner. Jake, I need to know if you’re a Christian.”
“Well, my folks sent me to church on Sundays when I was little. Does that count?” he asked, obviously trying to make light of the subject.
“No, Jake, that doesn’t count,” she said.
“I’m sorry. I tend to joke around when a question makes me uncomfortable,” he replied.
“So I’ve noticed,” she responded.
He hesitated for a moment and then met her gaze. “I believe there’s a God, but I realize I don’t have whatever it is you’ve got. Believe me, Claire, I know there’s something different about you. The way you’ve been able to accept the things that have happened in your life, the fact that you haven’t turned bitter or cynical in spite of it all. You seem to have an inner peace, a kind of joy. It’s what first attracted me to you and, to a certain extent, why I can’t stay away from you.”
“Those are very flattering statements. I’m not sure they’re entirely true, but you need to know that I would never consider becoming involved with a non-Christian. When we first met, I told you I wasn’t interested in a serious relationship and you told me that you weren’t either. We agreed to a friendship. I’m afraid that’s all I can offer,” she told him.
“I see. Well, how about if I go to church with you on Sunday?”
“Going to church on Sunday is fine. You’re more than welcome, but understand that going to church doesn’t change anything. Walking in the door of a school doesn’t create a scholar, and entering the doors of a church doesn’t create a Christian. Both take desire and a willingness to have your life molded and reshaped,” she told him.
“I’m willing to give it a try,” he said.
“May I ask you another serious question?”
A Trusting Heart Page 10