by Knupp, Amy
Katie laughed and couldn’t help looking around for Noah one more time.
“Are you the reason he’s here?” Eve said, acting as if the light had just gone on in her head.
“Who’s here?”
“Dr. Noah is here, and let me tell you, that’s like finding a polar bear in the middle of the desert. He’s gotta be here for a reason.”
Katie tried to make her heart slow down and played dumb. “Why would I be the reason?”
“You know how offices are. Word gets around.”
“There’s really no word to get around. He bought my dad’s house.”
Eve’s smirk said she knew better, so Katie changed the subject. They moved closer to the bar, discussing the band and the bartender that Eve was pursuing. It took a conscious effort on Katie’s part not to look for Noah every two minutes, but she told herself that once she got back to her table she’d be able to spot him.
She finally got to the counter, ordered and waited for her pitcher. Eve’s attention switched to the man behind the bar.
“You’re a hard woman to track down.”
The words, inches from her ear, sent a shiver down her spine and caused her pulse to skyrocket.
Katie turned her head to Noah, who was still just a whisper away from her. “What are you doing here?”
He took her injured hand, since the other one held a pitcher of beer, and pulled her gently out of the crowd.
“Trying to have fun,” he said, directly into her ear again since that was the only way to be heard.
Katie looked at him, wondering whether that statement meant what she thought it did. His slow smile convinced her she was right.
“It’s girls’ night,” she said full of regret. No matter how much she’d rather escape with him, this was her only chance to spend time with her sisters away from their families. “Salinger girls’ night.”
“So I heard.”
She looked at him questioningly.
“Michael,” he said.
“You went to Savannah’s?”
He nodded. “I couldn’t very well start my quest for fun if I didn’t first track you down, could I?”
“You’re scaring me,” she said.
“Welcome to the club. Where are your sisters?”
She nodded her head toward their corner. Noah took her pitcher from her and forged ahead through the crowd, holding it high so it didn’t spill. When they arrived at the table, he set it down.
“You’re my hero,” Savannah said, practically lunging for it.
“See?” Katie said to him. “You are a hero.”
He squeezed her hand and said hello to her sisters.
“Wait. This is girls’ night. And you—” Savannah squinted at him “—are not a girl.”
“She’s the brilliant one in the family,” Lindsey said.
“I’m not staying,” Noah said, smiling. “Which one of you drove?”
Lindsey raised her hand. “I have a feeling we’ll be walking home, however.”
“I have Katie’s birthday presents from the other night in my SUV. Mind if we put them in your car?”
“Feel free.” Lindsey dug her keys out of her purse and handed them to Katie.
It was a relief when they stepped outside and the door shut behind them, closing in the nonstop clamor. It hadn’t bothered her before, but Katie was glad to be able to talk to Noah without having to shout.
He continued to hold her hand as they walked slowly toward the Tahoe.
“Savannah’s having a good time, I see,” he said.
Katie nodded. “I think she needs it. I’m worried about her.”
“She’s the reason you’re still in town?”
Katie eyed him. “Absolutely.”
He unlocked the back door and handed her several boxes and bags before grabbing the remaining ones himself. She led him to Lindsey’s Civic, which was parked behind the bar.
Once they’d set her loot in the trunk, Katie slammed the lid shut and turned to Noah.
“So.”
“So?”
“What’s this about you being out to have a good time?”
He suddenly looked less sure of himself. Leaning against the trunk of Lindsey’s car, he grasped Katie’s hands and wove their fingers together. “I know you have to get back inside...”
“I’ve got time.”
Instead of saying any more, Noah pulled her closer and kissed her. Katie’s heart dropped into her stomach. He slid his hands around her back, leaving a trail of warmth wherever he touched her.
Katie wrapped her arms around him, wanting him nearer. She ran her fingers through the thick hair at his nape and over his broad shoulders.
Noah’s hands circled her waist.
“You make me crazy,” he whispered into her ear.
“I could say the same.” Her breath was so shallow she could barely get the words out.
He pulled her into a tight hug, a groan in his throat. “You have to go back inside. I have to go home.”
Katie smiled up at him. “I’m glad you came here. I figured you’d decided to blow off my challenge.”
“I won’t lie. I thought about it.”
“What made you change your mind?”
“That’s something we can discuss at a later time. Right now, you need to go babysit your big sister.”
Katie chuckled. “She’s in rare form.” Her expression grew serious. “When you talked to Michael, did he seem upset?”
“He seemed...apathetic, really. Not at all upset she was gone.”
“That’s even worse.” She chewed on her lower lip. “I have a very bad feeling about the two of them. He’s hardly been home since I started staying there. Drags in after dinner. And Savannah’s sleeping on the couch.”
Noah frowned. “I hope they can work it out.” He kissed her forehead. “Go have fun.”
“Thanks for interrupting.”
“My pleasure.” He walked her to the door and kissed her again quickly. Katie was already contemplating the next time she could see him.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
KATIE HERDED LOGAN and Allie through the back door after a trip to the city pool the following day. Normally Savannah took them swimming, but she was paying for her night out in more ways than one. Not only did she admit to a raging headache, but Katie doubted she’d gotten much sleep. She’d heard Savannah arguing with Michael for a good half hour after they’d gotten home.
Not knowing what else to do, Katie had offered to take the kids to lunch and then swimming. They’d been gone for several hours and she hoped that Savannah had grabbed a nap.
But clearly, Savannah hadn’t. And clearly she didn’t feel better.
Katie was the first through the doorway connecting the kitchen to the living room. Her sister was slouched on the most uncomfortable chair in the room, her eyes red and full of tears.
Katie’s stomach dropped. “What’s wrong?” she asked, then quickly held up her index finger and turned to Logan and Allie. “Kids, get your swimsuits off and then head out to the backyard. You can play outside until dinner.”
They were too revved up to pay attention to their mother and bounced through the hallway to their rooms. But Katie had a premonition of disaster.
“Savannah, what’s going on?”
“He left.”
Katie kneeled on the floor in front of her sister. “He left,” she repeated, confused. “Michael? Where’d he go?”
Savannah shrugged. “I don’t know. He left me.”
Understanding dawned. “Left you left you? Oh, Van. What happened?”
For the first time in her life, she watched Savannah break into quiet sobs. Katie grasped her hand and rubbed her forearm, her heart aching for h
er sister.
“Don’t...wanna...talk,” Savannah said between gasps.
Katie soothed her for a long time. When the kids emerged from their rooms, she made sure they went straight outside, blocking Savannah from their sight as best she could. One thing at a time. If Michael had left, the kids would need to know. But not this second.
“Are you sure he’s not coming back?” she asked once the door had slammed. “Maybe he was just mad.”
“He wasn’t mad. He was calm. So horribly calm about walking out the door...with all his clothes in suitcases.” Savannah sniffled loudly, then blew her nose. She sat up straighter. “No more crying.”
“Cry all you want to. Get it out.”
“I’ve been crying for the past two hours. Lot of good it’s done.” Her voice was stronger, as if she was now determined to stay in control. That was more the Savannah Katie knew.
“Did you guys have a fight or what?”
Savannah shook her head, dazed. “I messed it up.”
“Messed what up?”
“My entire freaking marriage.”
“No. You didn’t, Savannah. It takes two.”
Savannah shook her head more emphatically. “Nope. This was all my doing. And now he doesn’t love me anymore.”
“I don’t believe that.” Katie’s response was automatic, but when she thought of the interaction between her sister and Michael lately, she wasn’t so sure she was right. “Why don’t you tell me what happened.”
Savannah stood, making a frustrated, angry grunt. She paced across the room and back. “A couple months ago, Michael told me he didn’t love me anymore. It came out of nowhere.”
“I don’t get it. Is he involved with someone else?”
“Not that I know of.” She pulled her long hair up with both hands, sighed deeply and then let it fall again. “He said he can’t stand the way I control every bit of our lives. I’m a control freak.”
“You’ve been a control freak since you were born. He knew that going into your marriage.”
“Yeah, well, apparently at some point he decided he couldn’t live with it.”
“Why now?”
Savannah tried to laugh, but the sound came out bleak and defeated. “He’s grown to resent me so much that he couldn’t stand to stick around any longer. Not even for the kids.”
“Oh, Van.” Katie wanted to hug her sister, but Savannah’s stance told her she wouldn’t be receptive to any kind of contact right now.
“When he first told me all this, I convinced him to stay. We tried counseling a couple of times. But it didn’t work out. The counselor basically said that we had too much to overcome and Michael didn’t have the will to try. He really hates me.”
“Why didn’t he bring this up five years ago, so you wouldn’t end up like this?”
“Oh, he may have tried. He’s told me I’m too controlling before.”
“And?”
“And nothing. I just didn’t realize it was really a matter of, ‘You’re a control freak and you need to change or I’ll come to hate you.’ I know, I’m an idiot.”
“You are not. He should’ve tried harder to make you understand.”
“I should’ve backed off.” Savannah sprawled on the couch. “I thought I was doing it right. He didn’t want me to work until the kids were older. So I made this house my job. Our lives.”
“You’ve been super wife,” Katie admitted. “Look at this place. You do everything, coordinate everything, schedule, cook, clean, plan. Savannah, all he had to do was come home from work and be a part of the family. Was that so horrible?”
Savannah nodded and leaned forward, running her hands through her hair again. Her head was bowed, her face hidden. Katie wondered if she was crying again. Then Savannah pushed back her hair and stood in one quick motion. She strode to the doorway. “I’m so stupid!” As she said the words, she punched the doorjamb with the side of a fist. Hard enough to make Katie flinch and wonder if she’d damaged the wood.
“You’re not stupid, Savannah. If you say that again, I’m going to kick you.”
Savannah slowly turned around to face her, breaking into a semihysterical laugh. “No, you’re not. Because I’m a control freak and you will not touch me!”
Katie wasn’t so good at handling hysteria. “Why don’t we call Lindsey and have her come over?”
“Why? So she can ask me twenty questions? I’m pretty much talked out.”
“Have you spoken to a lawyer at all?”
“Yeah. That was my secret errand in Topeka.”
“You could’ve just told me, you know.”
Savannah’s head drooped and she leaned against the door frame. She held up her hand and was clearly in pain. It was as if she’d just now noticed how much it hurt.
“Your wrist’s already swelling. That’s not good,” Katie said.
Savannah shrugged.
“Go sit down or lie down. Put some ice on it. I’m going to make sure the kids are okay, then we’ll figure out what to do next.”
Katie nearly fell over in shock when Savannah actually did as she’d been told. She hurried to the back door and looked outside. Allie was in the sandbox making a sand castle, and Logan was swinging upside-down on the old metal play set, hollering at his sister, who was ignoring him. All was right in their world. At least for now.
Not so in Katie’s, however. She needed to be the strong one for Savannah. But—the thought of losing Michael from their family, of Savannah losing her husband, of Logan and Allie losing their father...
She leaned against the kitchen wall for support. She hated thinking about all the changes there were likely to be in everyone’s future. Closing her eyes, she forced that line of thought away for now. This wasn’t a good time to lose it.
Straightening, Katie picked up the phone and carried it around the corner, onto the top landing of the basement stairs. She dialed Lindsey and, speaking in a rushed whisper, asked her to come over, telling her only that Michael had walked out.
When she returned to the living room, Savannah was sitting on the edge of the couch, her injured wrist resting in her lap and her attention obviously elsewhere.
“Savannah, we have to have that checked out. Your wrist is already twice its normal size.”
Savannah glanced down at it and shrugged. “What am I going to say to the kids?”
Good question. “We’ll figure that out. Lindsey’s on her way over, and she’s good at that kind of thing. But first we need to take you to the doctor.”
“You’re just looking for an excuse to see Noah. He’ll love that bikini top.”
Katie laughed in disbelief while realizing she did need to put on some clothes. “I don’t need an excuse. I do, however, have a little experience with injured wrists and I’m thinking that yours could be broken. We’ll take you in.”
“It’s Sunday. They’re not open.”
“I’ll call Noah.”
“I need to talk to the kids.”
“We’ll tell them when we get back. Go wash your face and get a drink.”
“Oh, that’ll solve all my problems.” But Savannah got up and walked tiredly to her bedroom.
“I’m going to change clothes. We’ll leave when Lindsey gets here.”
Katie went downstairs and put on a halter and some shorts, ran a brush through her hair and then headed back upstairs. She heard Lindsey come in the back door.
“Hey,” she said in a hushed voice, trying to catch Lindsey before she got to Savannah. “Thank goodness you’re here.”
“What in the world is going on?” Lindsey asked.
Katie filled her in on the few details she had to work with. “I’m taking her in to have her wrist checked out. Maybe wait till we get back to question her? She’s...not exactly in a ta
lkative mood.”
“I can just imagine. Do the kids know anything yet?”
Katie shook her head no. “I don’t have the first clue about what to say.”
“We’ll take care of that later. Go get her wrist examined.”
The clinic was deserted and Katie was pretty sure that coming in on a Sunday for a minor emergency wasn’t the norm. But when she’d called Noah, he told her to meet him there in fifteen minutes.
“Hello, ladies,” he said, and the private look he gave Katie melted her insides. “What can I do for you?” He led them back to one of the exam rooms.
Katie pointed to Savannah’s wrist. “She punched the doorjamb. Hard.”
“I’m going to throw up.” Savannah bolted out of the room.
“Her husband left her today,” Katie told Noah, when Savannah was out of earshot.
“Your suspicions were right, then.”
“Not even close. I had no idea it was this bad.”
“Sounds like she’s taking it hard.”
“That’d be an understatement. Savannah has a huge amount of pride. I expect that’s hurting her as much as suddenly being alone, a single parent. A divorcée-to-be. I don’t think those things have even hit her yet.”
“How are you holding up?” His voice was so gentle and caring, she shivered.
“I’m okay. Well, a little messed up, but I’ll be okay.”
“Messed up?”
Katie stood and stuck her head out the door to see if she could spot Savannah. “They’ve been together forever. Michael’s always been like an older brother to me. Especially when I was still living at home.” She stuck her hands in the back pockets of her shorts. “If they can’t make it work...” She shook her head, not wanting to voice the thought that maybe no one could.
Noah could see that this was weighing on Katie more than she admitted. He couldn’t relate to what she was going through, being an only child and having had no experience with divorce, but just from spending time with her family on her birthday, he knew Savannah’s failed marriage would affect every single one of the Salingers.
His main concern was Katie, though. And Savannah’s wrist, of course. But Noah hated to see Katie so sad and so involved in her sister’s problems.