A Texas Family Reunion

by Judy Christenberry

  “Let me talk to Pete again,” David ordered. When his friend got back on the phone, David said, “Sorry I got so nosy. I was surprised. I wanted to know how you’re feeling.”

  “I’m doing better. No fever and only the occasional headache. They told me I should expect that, though.”

  “Are you getting enough rest? You can tell Susan to go home if she’s wearing you out.”

  “No, she’s taking care of me. Knowing we’re going to the Greenfields’ tomorrow, I thought I should conserve my energy.”

  “Yeah, me, too. Did you talk to anyone at the office yesterday?”

  “I talked to Harry for a few minutes. He said everything was fine, not to worry.”

  “Okay. You think you’ll go in on Monday?”

  “I’m planning on it. I’ll look a little strange with the bandage on my head, but I figure after the first few minutes, everyone will forget about it.”

  “Right. I’m planning on going in on Monday, too.”

  “Good. Do you want us to pick you up tomorrow? Susan has offered to drive all of us.”

  “I guess I can trust her not to get in a car wreck.”

  He heard Susan’s protest.

  “Okay, we’ll pick you up at twelve-fifteen.”

  “All right. We’ll be ready.”

  He hung up the phone and sat there, trying to think about Susan and Pete. He couldn’t remember if he’d warned his friend about his mother. He hoped Susan did before things got too serious between the two of them. Or it might crash and burn when Pete met his mother.

  Alex came back into the kitchen. “How’s Pete?”

  “He says he’s fine, taking it easy.”

  “Good,” she said as she took down a glass and filled it with water. When she turned around, she saw the frown on David’s face. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing!” he exclaimed. When she just stared at him, he said, “Susan was with him.”

  “That’s not a big surprise.”

  “No, but she needs to tell him about Mom before he meets her. Otherwise, there may be a problem.”

  “You mean because your mom’s a snob?”

  “Exactly.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “If Susan doesn’t warn him, he’ll be really angry, and I wouldn’t blame him.”

  “Do you think I should tell her?” Alex asked quietly.

  “Yeah. Do you mind talking to her?”

  “No, of course not. She may not appreciate it, but I’d feel bad if she didn’t warn him about your mother and it ruined what seems to be a wonderful romance.”

  “You think that’s what it is?”

  “Yes. At first, I thought she shouldn’t fall so hard, since he was her boss, but after seeing them in the hospital, I think they’re crazy about each other.”

  “I want Susan to be happy, but I also want Pete to be happy. He doesn’t have any family. I won’t quit being his friend if Susan messes up.”

  Alex nodded. “Okay, how do you want to spend the afternoon? You’ll need to take a nap a little later on. But for now, we can play gin rummy, or some other game, if you want, or you can read or watch television.”

  “How good are you at gin?” David asked.

  “It’s funny, isn’t it? We’ve never played before. But I’m better than either of your sisters.”

  “That’s not saying much. Janet has no head for card games at all. Susan is better, but not much.”

  “Well then, I guess we’ll just have to play for you to judge how good I am.”

  For two hours they played determinedly, each with the intention of winning. When David began to lose, his face showing his weariness, Alex called a halt. “It’s time for you to lie down again. Your shoulder is hurting.”

  “I didn’t say it was!”

  “You didn’t have to. By the way, I won.” With a smile she added, “But I’ll admit, it’s when you got tired that I took the lead.”

  “That was fun. I had no idea you could play that well.”

  “We’ve never spent a lot of time together.” She stood. “Come on. I’ll straighten your bed for you. Do you need some water to keep by your bedside?”

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  He went into the bathroom while she straightened the covers on his bed and fluffed his pillows.

  “It’s all ready for you,” she announced as he entered the bedroom.

  “Thanks. I don’t think I’ll sleep too long.”

  “Sleep as long as you need. I’ve got more laundry to do to keep me occupied.”

  ALEX ENJOYED HER AFTERNOON, puttering around the apartment, doing chores. She also did some cooking, putting on a pot roast with vegetables and baking a cake, chocolate with white icing. It was so much more enjoyable to cook for someone, rather than simply feed herself. More inspiring.

  She found herself humming as she worked. Sometimes, on the weekends, she felt dissatisfied with her life. But not today.

  Tomorrow, when they went to the Greenfields’, she hoped everything would go well. She’d have to find time to talk to Susan. David had asked her to, and she believed it was important.

  But she could admit to herself that it wouldn’t have assumed the importance it had if David hadn’t asked her to talk to Susan. And that bothered her. As soon as David found a place to live, she was going to have to put some distance between the two of them. She responded to him more than she should.

  When he was well. And found somewhere to live.

  That could be a long time. With a sigh, she finished icing the cake.

  DAVID SLEPT LATE AGAIN the next morning, but Alex woke him up at ten. “I’ve got your breakfast ready. Come to the kitchen in five minutes.”

  When he got there, she slid a plate of hotcakes in front of him and passed the butter and syrup.

  “Mmm, these look great,” David said.

  “Good. Here’s some sausage, too. Do you want coffee?”

  “Of course. I need to wake up.”

  She sat down with a glass of milk for herself after she’d served David.

  “You still drink milk?”

  She looked up, startled. “Yes, I do. Don’t you?”

  “No, I’m an adult.”

  “I am, too, but milk is still good for you.”

  He shrugged and then winced. The movement aggravated his shoulder.

  They didn’t have any more conversation at the table. When breakfast was over, she told him to go take his shower and not to use all the hot water.

  She did the dishes and tidied the kitchen before she went to her bedroom. When she heard David’s shower turn off, she went into her bathroom to take her shower. It took her half an hour to finish and blow dry her hair. Then she donned a simple but flattering dress. She usually wore pants for her job, and so the biggest sacrifice for her today was the panty hose she had to wear.

  When she came out of her bedroom, she found David sitting at the kitchen table. He was playing solitaire with the cards they’d used to play gin.

  “Are you winning?”

  “Sure am. Almost done.”

  “We’ve got about half an hour before they come. Want to play some more gin?”

  “Okay, if you’re up to it.”

  They played cards until they heard a car horn honk. Alex got up to look out the window. “They’re here. Guess the game’s over.”

  “And you’re happy because you’re in the lead.” David threw down his hand. “I was going to take the lead with one more card!”

  “That’s what you think,” Alex said with a laugh. “Come on, they’re waiting.”

  “Okay. I hope Susan doesn’t drive like a madwoman, though.”

  “I’m sure she doesn’t,” Alex protested.

  At the car, David opened the back door for Alex and got in after her. “Thanks for picking us up.”

  “We’re happy to pick you up. You know where we’re going.”

  “Good thinking, Susan,” David said. He gave her directions.

  Pete chatted with David a couple of times,
but Alex didn’t talk much. She didn’t want to distract Susan from her driving.

  When they parked in front of the Greenfields’ home, Pete ducked to get a clear view. “I guess they do have enough room for us. This place is a mansion.”

  “It’s not like that,” David said. “It’s a real home. Come on, I’ll introduce you to Betty and Peter.”

  “Who are they?” Susan asked.

  “Betty is the housekeeper and Peter is her husband. The two of them take care of the family.”

  As David got out of the car, he said, “Betty worries about feeding everyone. She makes too much food every time.”

  “A woman after my own heart,” Pete said, getting out of the car.

  “We’re right on time,” David said moments later, leading the way to the front door.

  It opened and he introduced Peter to everyone. Then Peter led them down the hall to the morning room. There, they found Will and Vivian, Rebecca and Jeff, and Vanessa, waiting for them.

  “Where are Jim and Carrie?” David asked.

  “They’re on their way,” Vivian said. “When you’re pregnant, all kinds of things can delay you.”

  When the doorbell rang, they weren’t surprised to see Jim and Carrie come into the room a minute later. Almost at once, Betty came in and announced that dinner was served.

  David fell in beside Jim. “When will we get a chance to talk?”

  Alex, walking beside Susan, whispered to her, “We need to talk.”

  Jim whispered to David, “Later.”

  Susan looked at Alex. “Why?” she asked.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dinner was quite enjoyable. Alex was beginning to feel at home in the midst of Will’s family, which was amazing to her. As an only child she’d been a loner. But she found this family thing very comfortable. In the past, the only relative she’d been close to was Susan, because they were the same age and in the same class at school.

  Susan had complained about her mother and sister constantly. From what Alex heard, if Susan was even halfway honest, she’d suffered a lot. So it was amazing to see such a large family group talking, sharing, laughing and happy. Occasionally, she looked at Pete, Susan and David to see if they were feeling even part of what she was feeling. It was hard to tell, but they seemed content.

  When dinner was over, Vivian suggested they go back to the morning room so they could visit. When they got there, Alex noticed that David and Jim were absent. She wondered what they were doing, but it didn’t concern her that much. After all, they had a lot of years to make up.

  She’d hoped she could talk with Susan sometime this afternoon when Pete wasn’t beside her, but that didn’t look as if it would be possible. So she turned to her neighbor, Vanessa, and began a conversation. The two of them had a lot in common.

  “DO YOU THINK anyone will notice we’re not there?” David asked. “I don’t want to offend Vivian.”

  “I told Will we needed a couple of minutes alone. What do you want to talk about?”

  David stuck his hands in his pockets and turned to walk across the room. Finally he faced Jim. “I…I have certain feelings for Alex. I don’t know how to deal with them…or her.”

  “You mean sexual feelings?” Jim asked, not smiling.

  “Yeah. They’ve kind of taken me by surprise. We’ve never been all that close until the past couple of weeks. Now I’m living with her! She practically tucks me in at night.”

  “Have you let her know what you’re feeling?”

  “No! Do you think I should?”

  “Not until you move out of her place. It would be pretty awkward if she wasn’t interested but she still had to have you as a guest.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe I should go to a hotel or something.”

  “That’ll hurt her feelings. Have you looked for a house yet?”

  “No.”

  “Why don’t you do that and maybe you can find one you can move into at once.”

  “That’s a good idea. Okay, I’ll start looking tomorrow. Do you think it will hurt if I let her go look with me?”

  “I think that would be a good idea, because if you work things out, she’d have a house she likes.”

  “Okay, I can do that.”

  “Good. Let me know how it’s going, okay?”

  “Yeah. Thanks for helping me out,” David said, sticking out his hand to shake Jim’s.

  “Did you forget we’re brothers?” Jim asked with a laugh, then hugged David. “Makes me feel good that you trusted me enough to ask for help.”

  “It’s nice to have a big brother again, Jim. Thanks.”

  “Let’s go join the family.”

  IN THE CAR GOING HOME, Pete said several times what an amazing family David had. “You are so lucky, David.”

  “Yeah, I am,” David agreed.

  “Too bad our family isn’t like them,” Susan said.

  “But now you know the kind of family you want, Susan. When you marry, you can make your own family as nice as theirs,” Alex said.

  “I agree, if I find the right person.” Susan glanced at Pete, sitting beside her, before she looked at the road again.

  It reminded Alex of the conversation she needed to have with Susan. She’d ask when to call her before they dropped them off.

  When they reached Alex’s condo, she waited until she was ready to slide out of the car before she said, “Are you going to be home later, Susan? I thought I’d give you a call.”

  Susan stiffened. Then she turned around and said, “I’ll be at Pete’s. Just call me there in a little while.” She didn’t meet Alex’s eyes. “David has his number.”

  “Okay, I will,” Alex agreed, and got out of the car.

  “Something wrong?” David asked softly as they watched Susan drive away.

  “Do you…I mean, are you aware of how close Pete and Susan are?”

  David looked at her in surprise. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m not sure. I asked Susan if she’d be home later so I could call her. She said she’d be at Pete’s, and said I should call her there.”

  “Maybe she has plans later that she doesn’t want to tell Pete about.”

  Alex didn’t believe that. She was thinking that Susan might already be living with Pete. If so, David’s concern and advice wouldn’t be a minute too soon. In fact, it would come close to being too late.

  “Maybe,” she said, and walked to her front door.

  Once they were inside, she asked, “Will leftover roast beef make a good sandwich for you later?”

  “Sure. And I know I don’t need it, but I wouldn’t pass up another piece of that cake, either.”

  “Good. I don’t really feel like cooking this evening.”

  David frowned. “I could take you out to eat. You don’t have to cook all the time.”

  “We’ve got the leftovers for tonight. Maybe we could go out to eat tomorrow night.”

  “Sure. That would be great. Do we still have the Sunday paper?”

  “Yes, I think so. Why?”

  “I’m going to start looking at what’s available in housing.”

  “Oh? Are you in a hurry to move?”

  “It’s nothing against rooming with you, Alex. But you’ve been more than generous, and I need to get settled somewhere.”

  “I see.”

  “If you don’t have anything to do, why don’t you help me look?”

  “Are you sure you want to involve me in your future? I’ll understand if you want to do this by yourself.” There was a stiffness in her voice she couldn’t hide.

  “Sweetheart, what happened to the woman who demanded to help me furnish my house, own part of my dog and help me pick out the house itself?”

  Alex could feel her cheeks burning. “I may have overstepped the boundaries. I’m sorry, David.”

  “I’m not, and don’t think you’re going to get out of helping me. I need you. You have better taste than me.”

  “Maybe,” she said, grinning, “but i
f I get too pushy, you need to tell me to butt out.”

  “Yeah, right,” he said, and bent down to plant a kiss on her cheek. “Now, where’s the paper? We can divide up the listings and read out loud any that sound possible.”

  They spent a companionable afternoon. David circled approximately ten houses that he thought might do. “We’ll make some appointments to see one each evening. Or maybe two if you think we can tell that quickly.”

  “I think you can eliminate some of them if the family is still in the house. If you’re hoping to rent it until you close, that would be impossible.”

  “Good point. Thanks, honey.”

  “You’re welcome. Are you ready for supper?”

  “Yeah, but let me fix it while you go call Susan. I think she needs to deal with the mom factor real quickly.”

  “Oh, you’re right. I’d forgotten.” Alex got up and headed into her bedroom where she’d have a little privacy. When she picked up the receiver, she realized she didn’t have Pete’s number. “David?” she called.

  “Yeah, hon?”

  “I don’t know Pete’s number.”

  He supplied it and returned to the kitchen.

  When Pete answered the phone, she said hello and asked to speak to Susan.

  “Hi, Alex,” Susan said.

  “Hi, Susan. I’ll just get right to the point. David and I were talking about you and Pete. He said your mom would have a problem with Pete’s last name. Susan, we all know she’s a snob. David felt it would be very important for you to talk to Pete honestly about your mom before he meets her.”

  Defensively Susan said, “I intend to.”

  “Good. I just didn’t want you to forget. It seems sometimes that you and Pete are very happy together. I want it to stay that way.”

  “Me, too. Thanks, I guess. It won’t be easy.”

  “But I think Pete will understand.”

  “I hope so. I’ve got to go. My secret recipe is about to boil over.”

  “Okay. Good luck.”

  When Alex returned to the kitchen, she found a pot of tea steeping, the table set and a delicious-looking sandwich at her place.

  “Oh, that looks good.”

  “Thanks. What did Susan say?”

  Alex sat down and poured a cup of tea. “She said she knew she needed to talk to Pete, but it wouldn’t be easy.”