The Husband Maker Boxed Set

by White, Karey

  I didn’t know what to say. What had been a dizzy spell in the restaurant now settled into a dread I couldn’t speak aloud. Kyle was quiet, too, and I wondered if he was feeling the cloud of fear I felt. I’d just made a scene.

  I leaned my head against the seat and closed my eyes, but when all I could see behind my eyelids was the restaurant spinning like a top, I opened them and anchored them on the dashboard in front of me.

  “What happened in there?” Kyle asked.

  “I’m not sure. At first I just felt trapped and claustrophobic, but then I got so dizzy I couldn’t stand up straight.”

  “Are you okay now?”

  “I’m still a little dizzy,” I admitted. “But it’s getting better.

  Kyle nodded. I wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but I didn’t dare.

  Kyle walked me up to my apartment and unlocked the door for me. Mia and Graham were sitting on the couch watching television when we walked into the room. When Mia saw me leaning on Kyle, she hurried over to meet us.

  “I’m glad you’re home,” Kyle said. “I didn’t want to leave her here alone.”

  “What happened?”

  “I’m fine.” I wanted to go to bed.

  “She had a dizzy spell at the restaurant. Nearly went down.”

  Kyle led me to my room, Mia close behind him. “I’m going to lie down for a few minutes before I get ready for bed.” I pulled a blanket over me, and Kyle pulled it up to my chin while Mia tucked it around my feet.

  I reached for Kyle’s hand, and he sat down on the edge of the bed. Mia slipped out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. Kyle held my hand in both of his. He didn’t answer, just sat there looking at my hand between his. “I don’t think I’ve ever apologized as much as I have lately.” Kyle still didn’t respond. He seemed deep in thought. “Please don’t be angry at me,” I whispered.

  “I’m not angry.” I wanted him to look at me—not at my hand. At me. But he didn’t for a long time. Finally, he turned to me. “Are you okay? If I go, I mean.”

  I was glad he was now looking at me, because I was afraid if I tried to speak, I might start to cry. I nodded.

  Kyle leaned over and kissed my forehead. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Get some rest.” I nodded again.

  He turned off the light and closed the door as he left. I could hear his voice outside my room. He was talking to Mia. And then he was gone, and Mia was peeking through the door.

  “Do you need anything?”

  “No. I’m good,” I said, even as tears soaked my pillow.

  “Call me if you do.” She closed the door softly.

  I rolled over and faced the wall. I couldn’t bear the thought of what Devon and Polly would think of tonight or the worry I’d cause Donald and Roberta. I ached when I thought of Kyle and how he must feel. Did he regret ever letting Jayne set us up? Did he still love me, or did he wish he’d never said those words? I had to do better. I couldn’t have panic attacks—or whatever that had been tonight—if I was to be a good wife for Kyle. I needed to carry myself with grace and dignity, and I needed to control my emotions. I’d have to watch my words and keep them above reproach. I’d need to dress appropriately, just like Roberta had explained. McKayla was right. Tomorrow, I was throwing away the “slammin’” sweatpants. And a whole lot more. I’d take a whole garbage bag full of clothes to the Goodwill—everything that was too casual, too flashy, or too immature. Goodbye, Tweety t-shirt.

  I could do this. I would make Kyle and his parents proud. I’d become a political asset instead of a liability. Starting tomorrow, I’d become a new Charlotte. Maybe I’d even go see Jean Paul, and he could help me with both my hair and my overall style.

  I finally fell asleep hugging my new resolve close.

  Thankfully, the rest of the week went according to plan. I skipped lunch the next day and had time between work and dinner to purge my closet of all clothing that might embarrass a senator. Anything a little too ragged, short, or outdated went in the bag. I put the bag by the front door so I could drop it off on my way to work the next morning. Then I dressed for dinner.

  Kyle had texted me with the dinner plans, and my stomach had been celebrating ever since. It was a popular place called The Farmhouse and it was famous for the generous plates of organically grown meats and vegetables. It sounded delicious, and it was. I ate baked chicken, roasted vegetables, and even had a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream.

  We didn’t “run into” anyone for dinner, and Kyle was relaxed and happy. It felt like a date we’d have had three weeks ago. I put his political plans out of my mind and enjoyed being with him.

  On Saturday morning, we met with Devon and Polly at the Aldsworths’ house. It was a mostly positive meeting. Of course, they weren’t thrilled that I’d had a near-death experience at Posh (okay, that was an exaggeration), but it hadn’t been too devastating. I hadn’t even known what had happened because of my “spell,” and I was surprised it had been both discussed and handled.

  “Someone who had dinner at Posh called into The Kat and Teegan Show.” I must have looked confused because Polly explained. “Kat and Teegan have a morning talk show on AM radio. Anyway, someone called in and wanted to know if Kyle Aldsworth’s girlfriend was a lush.”

  I gasped. “I don’t even drink.”

  “We know,” Devon said. “Don’t worry. I had Tammy from my office call in a few minutes later. She made an unofficial statement for the Aldsworth family, letting listeners know you don’t drink, and you’ve been putting in long hours at work, as well as helping your sister-in-law through her pregnancy, and making public appearances with Kyle. Once she hung up, Kat and Teegan had a whole conversation about how hard it is to keep up with everything, and how much more difficult it is when you’re in the public eye. Teegan mentioned the stress of celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus, who have had public breakdowns because they’re so worn out, and how embarrassing that must be for them to have the public watching them during their difficult times. They encouraged everyone to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

  “So that little dizzy spell actually worked to our advantage,” Polly said.

  “But don’t think we want it to happen again.” Devon was such a warm fellow.

  At first, I was disturbed because they already knew I didn’t drink. And then I wondered how they knew I’d been helping Gina. Worst of all, though, was being compared to Lindsay or Miley. I was glad they were happy about an averted crisis, but I was starting to feel like my life had become the victim of a hostile takeover.

  “I think you two can go about living your lives for now.” Polly was smiling like we’d all scored a major victory. “Of course, be aware of what’s going on, watch what you say, and use good judgment, but for the time being, I think you’re in good shape.

  Kyle practically floated out of the house. His step was light, and he kissed me before we got in the car. I didn’t want to spoil his good mood by asking how they knew about Gina, so I let it slide.

  It was nice being back to normal. I still saw Kyle almost every day, but instead of worrying about being seen, we did what we wanted. We went to a movie. We made brownies at my apartment. We even ate fast food one night when Kyle was craving a bacon cheeseburger. I tried to look nice and put together whenever I left the apartment, and I was careful not to talk to strangers, but mostly, I didn’t worry too much.

  I’d just snuggled under my covers when I heard the apartment door slam. Then I heard Mia crying. I got out of bed and opened the door. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” Mia said between sobs.

  I ignored her and put my arms around her. She cried into my shoulder for a couple of minutes and then pulled away and headed to the box of Kleenexes on the coffee table. I sat in the corner of the couch and pulled my legs up under me. “Do you feel like talking?”

  “Not really.” She blew her nose. “I’m so stupid.”

&
nbsp; “No you’re not.”

  “I am, too. I don’t know why I can’t just be patient.”

  “Because some of us struggle with patience,” I said. “It’s not our fault. It’s our nature to be impatient.”

  “Oh, Charlie, I did a dumb thing tonight. I pushed him again.”

  “Pushed him how?” We hadn’t turned the light on, and I wasn’t about to now. Mia seemed to feel more comfortable spilling her heart out to me in the dark.

  “We were having such a nice time. We’d been talking about some problems he’s been having with some employees at work, and I was giving him some suggestions. He said he was glad he could talk to me about things. It made it easier to know what to do. And then I said we make a good team, and he said he was glad I was on his side. And then I said I knew a way he could be sure I’d always be on his side. Why did I say that?”

  “Is there something wrong with saying that?” I asked.

  “There must be, because he said, Mia, don’t start on me. Please. And I said, I’m not starting anything. Just pointing out the obvious. I thought I was being funny, but he got all serious and said you’re not going to start nagging again, are you?” I tried not to laugh at Mia’s impersonation of Graham’s voice. “I told him I wasn’t nagging. He said things were going great between us, and he thinks when he does feel ready to get married, he’ll want me to be the one, but he isn’t interested in listening to me whine about when he’ll be ready. So I told him he didn’t need to listen to me whine or do anything else ever again, if he didn’t want to. So he brought me home and that’s that.”

  Mia started sniffling again. “It doesn’t sound fatal. I’ll bet he calls you tomorrow, and things will be fine.

  “No, he won’t.” I could see Mia’s head shaking in the dark. “He said maybe he’ll call when he’s ready to get married and maybe he won’t. What if I’ve blown it this time?”

  “If you can’t even have this conversation, I’m not sure why you want him. Why is he so sensitive?”

  “I’m sure it’s his parents. His mom has been married three times, and his dad’s been married five.”

  “Whoa. I didn’t know that. I guess that explains a lot.”

  “Which is why I shouldn’t be so stupid.”

  I walked over to the chair where Mia was sitting, pulled her up, and hugged her again. “You’re not stupid. He missed you last time. I’m sure he’ll miss you again. Get some sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

  It was almost time to leave the office when my phone vibrated on my desk. It was a text from Will.

  WILL: CHUCK, CAN YOU GO DOWN TO ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL? ANGUS’S DAD IS GOING IN FOR SURGERY AND ANGUS IS THERE. I CAN’T GO TONIGHT, BUT SOMEONE SHOULD.

  ME: OF COURSE. WHAT’S UP WITH HIS DAD?’

  WILL: STOMACH PAINS. THEY FOUND A TUMOR AND HE’S IN SURGERY RIGHT NOW. ANGUS IS DOWN THERE WITH HIS MOM.

  ME: I WAS JUST LEAVING WORK. I’LL GO STRAIGHT THERE.

  WILL: THANKS, CHUCK.

  It took me almost an hour to get to St. Mary’s, and then finding a parking place took another twenty minutes. The waiting room was crowded when I arrived. Angus and his mom were sitting in a back corner. Janice’s eyes were closed, and her head was leaning back against the wall. Angus was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, studying the carpet.

  I touched his shoulder when I reached him, and he looked up. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he looked tired. As soon as he saw me, he stood and pulled me into his arms. “How did you know?”

  “Will texted me. Angus, you should have called me.”

  “You’ve had a lot going on. I didn’t want to bother you.”

  I pulled back and smacked him in the chest. “Don’t be stupid. You know you can always call me. Hi, Janice.” She stood and hugged me.

  “Thanks for coming, Charlotte.”

  “Of course.” We all sat down, Angus in the middle. “So tell me what’s going on.”

  “Dave’s had some pain in his stomach for a while now. He thought it was probably indigestion, so he didn’t want to go to the doctor. But this morning, it was hurting so bad he was doubled over, and I finally told him I was calling an ambulance if he didn’t let me take him to the doctor. Stubborn man.” Janice shook her head. “The doctor sent him to get a CT scan this afternoon. They found a tumor.” Her voice broke, and she stopped talking. Angus reached over and took her hand.

  “They’re doing surgery right now to remove the tumor. They’ll biopsy it and hopefully tomorrow we’ll know if it’s cancer or not.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “They should have been out of surgery more than an hour ago. We’re not sure what’s taking so long.”

  Janice rested her head against the wall again and closed her eyes. I watched the headlines scroll across the muted television mounted on the wall. Angus watched too, but I don’t think he was actually reading the captions. His eyes were looking through the television, and I could tell his thoughts were far away.

  Almost two hours later, a doctor stepped into the waiting room and looked around. When he found Angus and Janice, he motioned for them to join him in the hall.

  “You want to come?” Angus asked.

  “That’s okay. I’ll wait here.”

  About ten minutes later, Angus walked back into the waiting room. His face was the color of chalk, and his eyes were distant and unfocused. I hurried to meet him. “Angus?” He looked down at me. “Where’s your mom?”

  “They said she could go into the ICU with him.”

  “You can go with them, too. You don’t have to stay out here with me.”

  “They’ll only let one person at a time back there with him. It should be mom.”

  “What did they say?”

  Angus looked around the crowded waiting room. “Let’s go for a walk.” I followed him out into the hall, and we walked down several long corridors. Everywhere we went, people were sitting in the scattered seating areas. Finally, we walked through the doors of the hospital to a courtyard outside. Light from the hospital windows made bright, yellow patches on the concrete. No one was out here. I followed Angus to an empty bench, and we sat down. “It’s not good,” he said.

  “What did they say?”

  He swallowed hard and leaned forward, putting his head in his hands. “They need to biopsy it, but they could already see where it’s spreading, and the doctor is pretty sure it’s cancer.”

  “Oh, Angus, I’m so sorry.”

  “He hopes we caught it in time so we can treat it, but they won’t know for sure where things stand until sometime tomorrow.”

  I sighed and put my hand on Angus’s back. He stiffened at my touch, and then his body started to shake as he cried. I continued rubbing, back and forth, until the shaking stopped, and he relaxed. He leaned on the bench and put his arm around me, pulling me close into his side. “What will Mom do if he doesn’t make it?”

  “Don’t think about that right now. Just have faith he’ll make it.” I felt Angus nod against my head.

  It was a perfect San Francisco night. Above us, a few bright stars bravely fought to be seen over the city lights. A soft breeze gently disturbed the leaves in the trees around us. The air was warm and heavy.

  “If you need to go, I understand. You probably had a date tonight.”

  I shook my head. “The only thing I have tonight is keeping you company. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Angus sighed and leaned his head against mine. I could tell when he relaxed, because his arm and head felt heavier.

  We stayed like that for more than an hour. Angus fell asleep and I let him rest. When his phone rang in his pocket, he jerked awake. He answered his phone, and I pulled out mine. It was almost ten.

  “We’ll get you something,” Angus said into his phone. “Yeah, I am too. Charles is probably hungry, too. I doubt she ate before she came.” When he was off the phone, he turned to me. “Dad’s sleeping. Mom doesn’t want to leave, but she hasn’t eaten since breakfas
t. She’s so hungry she’s getting shaky. Have you eaten anything?”

  I shook my head. “I’ll bet you haven’t either.”

  “Not since lunch. Let’s go get some sandwiches and bring them back.”

  When we returned to the hospital, Janice came out to the waiting room, and we ate together. Janice had been crying, but she did her best to sound positive. I watched as each of them tried to make it easier on the other and felt my chest tighten. They were such good people, and I loved them so much. It hurt to see them worrying like this. It also hurt to think of Dave behind the doors of the ICU. I wanted to march back there, tell him a joke, and ruin the punchline. I wanted to hear him tell me I was the worst joke teller he’d ever heard. I wanted him to tease me about being one of the guys, and tell me how surprised he was that one of the boys had turned out so pretty. I wanted him to be okay, so they could all go home together.

  Janice went back in with Dave after we ate, and Angus and I prowled the hospital waiting rooms for one that wasn’t so crowded. We finally found one in a tucked-away corner. We turned the television to a home remodeling show and watched in silence as a team of workers remodeled a kitchen, and then infomercials started.

  We didn’t talk. We just sat together on the little couch. “You don’t have to stay with me,” Angus said sometime after midnight.

  “I’ll go home when you do, or when your mom comes out of the ICU.”

  “She probably won’t come out unless they kick her out.”

  “I’m not leaving you out here alone.”

  He didn’t say anything else.

  I curled up on one side of the little couch and watched a pressure cooker infomercial until I fell asleep. When I woke up, Angus was asleep on the other end of the couch, his head back against the wall and his legs extended out in front of him. One of his arms was propped on the armrest, the other rested across my ankles.

  I freed my legs slowly and deliberately, so I wouldn’t awaken him. When I was sure he was still asleep, I ran my fingers through my messy hair, grabbed my purse, and headed to the cafeteria to get us some breakfast.