by Melody Anne
Katherine looked at him, saw the truth in his eyes, and she knew she had her friend back.
“I’ve missed you, George.” She let it go. Continuing to hold a grudge against him for making a stupid bet before he knew who she was made her no better than the fool he was when he made it. His true colors had shown when he’d befriended her, spent hours talking to her and brought excitement into her life. He’d never been anything but respectful to her. She’d missed him.
“I don’t deserve your forgiveness, nor your friendship, but I’m not going to refuse it. I’ve missed you, too, Katherine,” he said as he moved over and engulfed her in a bear hug. She returned the hug, glad to have one wrong in her life fixed.
“Katherine, you always have been too forgiving,” George admonished, bringing Katherine back to the present, reality hitting her hard.
She looked at the bed where her husband was lying so still. He looked as if he was doing nothing more than taking a nap. If it wasn’t for all the monitors hooked up to him, she may be able to actually believe that’s all it was.
“Hi, George, I didn’t hear you come in,” Katherine said with a fond smile.
“I had to sneak so I could listen in. I think you’re making me out too well, actually. I was so horrible back then,” he said with remembered pain in his eyes.
“I forgave you from that moment, George Anderson, and I’ve never regretted it. You’re a great man and you haven’t deserved the moments of unhappiness in your life. I’m so glad you and Joseph finally came around,” she told him.
“We probably never would’ve if it hadn’t been for you.”
“Why, what happened?” Cassie questioned, sitting on the edge of her seat. “Please tell me you’re not stopping again. You always leave us hanging.”
“Sorry, sweetie, but I’ve had enough remembering for one night. We’ll continue the story soon,” Katherine promised.
It was both joyous and painful to remember the past. Even though it had been many years ago, it seemed like only yesterday to her. She’d fought so hard to keep her heart safe from Joseph, when all along he only wanted to cherish her.
“We understand, Aunt Katherine,” Cassie replied, and the others in the room agreed as they rose from their chairs, each stopping and kissing Katherine on the cheek before they exited.
“Goodnight,” Katherine told them, then walked out on George’s arm. He was still a great friend, and support system in her life.
Chapter Eleven
“I caught the two of them kissing behind the garage last night. I almost stumbled right into them. Thank goodness I looked up at the last minute. I quickly ducked behind the wall. Then I was stuck there for about fifteen minutes while the two of them giggled in between kisses. They were acting like teenagers who’d gotten away with sneaking out of the house,” Lucas said with a smile.
The entire family had gathered to discuss the secret romance between George and Esther. The two of them wouldn’t admit they were a couple for some reason, and none of the family understood why.
“Why do you think they won’t tell us they’re dating? It seems pretty serious,” Trenton asked.
“I’d say it’s serious. Last night when I left the hospital, I found the two of them smooching in the stairwell. I had to quietly go back upstairs and then go down the elevator, so they wouldn’t know I was there,” Austin said.
“When’s the first incident any of you can recall? Let’s try and figure out how long they’ve been together,” Max suggested.
“The first time I got suspicious was about six months ago at Jasmine’s birthday party. They were giving each other flirtatious looks all night, and then went into the house to bring out some extra chips, and didn’t return for thirty minutes. It doesn’t take that long to open a bag of Doritos,” Amy said.
“Can anyone remember anything earlier than that?”
“Ooh, yes, I do,” Emily eagerly replied. “It was last year at Mom and Dad’s anniversary party. George leaned down and said something to Esther that had her turning scarlet. I thought it was kind of cute, so I watched as George gave her a wink then left the room. About two minutes later, Esther glanced around, so I looked away, and then when I looked up again, she was going through the same door. Neither of them came back until it was time for dinner. I think it was about an hour. A lot can happen in an hour.”
“That’s definitely suspicious,” Cassie said with an animated smile.
“Anything else?” Max asked.
The room full of siblings and cousins looked at each other while everyone shook their heads.
“Okay, so it looks like they’ve been dating for at least a year, probably longer if they were already sneaking out of the room for over an hour at a time,” Alex said.
“Then the big mystery to solve is why they’re keeping it a secret from us,” Jennifer said.
Everyone was silent for a few moments.
“You don’t think he believes we’d be upset because of mom, do you?” Bree asked. They looked at one another perplexed.
“No, I honestly don’t think that would be it. He knows we all adore Esther. I think he’s scared,” Mark said, quite enjoying his thought.
“You mean to tell me after all the grief both him and Uncle Joseph have given us, he’s afraid to take a walk down the aisle,” Trenton said in disbelief.
“Sounds like Mark might be on to something,” Max agreed.
“Well then, what are we going to do to get them to come out in the open?” Austin asked with evil delight.
“I think we start beating them at their own game. Instead of hiding when we run into them, let’s not give them a single moment of peace. Then we’ll see how much longer they’re able to keep things a secret,” Alex said.
“I love that. I’d hate to never get to be alone with Chad,” Bree said while clapping her hands. Chad leaned over, giving her a kiss, and she snuggled into his arms.
“Come on, you two. We’re trying to work here,” Austin grumbled.
He was the only one in the room without someone in his arms. Kinsey was working at the hospital and he was already missing her. He would’ve been there at that moment if his family hadn’t called an emergency meeting.
After another hour of planning, they had it worked out. If they didn’t have George and Esther come out in the open within a week, two at most, they’d come up with plan B. They didn’t see that happening, though, because what they had planned for the couple was going to drive them batty.
Day One
“I’m so glad I caught you, Esther. I need your help,” Amy said as she walked into the family den and spotted George and Esther on the couch. She had to hide her smile when she saw the two of them quickly jump apart.
“What do you need, dear?” Esther asked, her voice sounding a bit breathless.
“I’m filling in for Lucas’s assistant this week and it’s been so long since I’ve worked there, I’m simply lost. Would you please come into the office and give me a hand? You know how my husband is when the paperwork starts stacking up,” Amy asked, very proud of how sincere her voice sounded.
In reality, she was excited to spend the week in the office. Plus, she could do the work with her eyes closed. She always filled in when Lucas needed her. After all, that’s how the two of them met. She almost blushed thinking about last month. She’d filled in for the day, and Lucas had in turn, filled her. She clenched her thighs remembering him clearing the desk and taking her for hours. Neither of them got much work done.
Sometimes with the children and family schedules, they didn’t get to make love as often as they had in the beginning. Her day at the office had made her feel desired again. She was hoping for a repeat performance that week, but Monday was her day to run interference between George and Esther. That was okay, though – she always had Tuesday.
“Now Amy, Esther’s retired. She may not feel like going in,” George grumbled. Amy made herself widen her eyes like she was just about to break down if that were the case. She tur
ned her pathetic look on Esther, who looked at her like a deer caught in headlights.
“Nonsense, George. Of course, I’d love to spend the day with Amy at the office. It will be like old times,” Esther said. She sounded both happy and disappointed at the same time. Amy wondered what the two of them had planned that day.
“I can give you a ride there and pick you back up if you want. That way you only have to work a half day,” George offered hopefully.
“Oh no, Uncle George. There’s a huge file Lucas was talking about. I guess it’s a really old account, but one that Esther knew well. I can’t exactly remember, something about Mercer Wents,” she said, acting clueless.
“Do you mean Mentor West?” Esther asked.
“Yes, that’s it,” Amy said.
Esther sighed, her shoulders sagging a bit before she straightened them.
“Yes, no need for a ride, George, but thank you for the kind offer. Mentor West is a very old client, and they’re quite picky. They insist on having multiple copies of the contracts sent throughout the day. They take an actual red pen and cross words off, then fax it back and make you redo it. The worst day I had with them was when they sent it back thirty-two times. I was at the office until midnight that day,” she said with a sigh.
If Esther knew that it was Lucas on the other end of that fax line this time, she’d take his head off. Amy turned and coughed to hide her laugh.
“Why don’t you go ahead and see if Bree wants to have lunch at that new little Italian diner by the water?” Esther asked George.
“Oh, it’s too late for them to get a reservation. Even with connections, it takes at least a month to get in. I heard the food is so fantastic it practically melts on your tongue. The service is supposed to be five-star plus,” Amy said.
“I actually got reservations a while back that I was telling Esther about. I was going to… um… figure out who I was taking, and Esther was giving me ideas,” George said.
“Oh, Bree will love that. Great idea, Uncle George. Come on, Esther. We don’t want to be late,” Amy said, sticking out her arm.
Amy could see Esther was struggling with how to get two seconds alone with George. When she finally figured out Amy wasn’t leaving without her, she stood up, nodded at George and followed Amy from the room.
As they walked down the hall, Amy almost felt guilty about making her miss a very romantic lunch. She had to remember all the kids were more than a little suspicious their father’s had done plenty of their own meddling in their lives. Payback was justified.
“You and George have become such good friends. I’m glad he has you to lean on,” Amy said as they entered the car.
“Yes. He’s a good man. I’m glad I’m friends with all of your family, dear,” Esther said, not giving even an inch.
Amy smiled to herself. They’d break them, one way or the other. If for some reason they couldn’t, well, they’d have a heck of a fun time trying.
Day Two
“I have plans for a picnic today. I missed you yesterday. You were at the office all night,” George grumbled.
“I’m sorry. I knew the second she said it was that account, it would take forever,” Esther said, leaning in for a gentle kiss.
“I understand, but now we have the entire day to ourselves. I want to stop by and see Joseph and check up on Katherine first,” he told her.
“Dad, glad I caught you,” Trenton said as he stepped into the room. “Hi, Esther, nice to see you.”
“Hello, Trenton. Good to see you, too,” Esther politely replied.
“What do you need, son. I was just getting ready to give Esther a ride to the hospital. She wants to visit with Katherine,” George said as he took a step back from Esther.
Trenton smiled. He knew his dad wasn’t going to be happy in a few moments.
“There’s a problem with our division in Dallas. Normally, I wouldn’t ask, but I need you to come with me. We’ll be gone for two nights, so pack a bag.”
“What? I’m sure you’re more than capable of handling it,” George said as he looked at Esther with a bit of panic.
“I know, but you know this division like the back of your hand. I think you need to come. I’ll visit with Esther while you get ready,” he said, not allowing his dad to say no.
“Well…” George hedged. He’d never told his kids no when they truly needed his help, so Trenton knew he was going to cave.
“Don’t worry, George, I’ll give Esther a ride to the hospital,” Jennifer said as she joined them in the room.
George and Esther looked at each other like lost puppies, as Esther gave him a, what can we do look.
“Thank you, Jennifer, but if you’re too busy…” Ether trailed off.
“Nonsense. I was on my way there, anyway,” Jennifer insisted. “We can leave now, as a matter-of-fact.”
Jennifer walked over to Trenton and gave him a deep kiss, and he put on a bit more of a show to make the other two even more envious they weren’t coming out in the open. As Jennifer’s breath hitched, he forgot for a moment they weren’t alone.
She took a wobbly step away while waiting for Esther to gather her coat and purse and Trenton’s heart raced as he sent a longing look to her.
“Have a safe trip, George,” Esther said as she slowly turned and followed Jennifer from the room.
George watched her leave with a lost look in his eyes. Trenton smiled, thinking, at least he wasn’t the only one in the room suffering.
“Okay, Dad, the jet’s ready so we better get going,” he finally said.
“I’ll be right down,” George told him before he went to pack.
Trenton picked up his phone and dialed Lucas.
“Plans going great, Lucas. You should’ve seen their faces. They had plans today for a romantic picnic. It’s only day two and I think we’re already breaking them,” he said as he finally let some of his laughter free, knowing his father wasn’t in hearing distance.
“Good. Bree’s ready for her turn with dad when you guys get back.”
“See you in a couple days.” He hung up and waited for his father to come back downstairs. He’d called the manager in Dallas already, and he had a slew of ‘problems’ for George to fix. He wouldn’t even have time to sneak off and make a phone call.
Day Five
“I’m sorry I haven’t been in, Katherine. There was an emergency in Dallas that Trenton needed help with,” George said as he bent down and gave his sister-in-law a kiss on the cheek. “Are there any changes?”
“No. The doctors are concerned about some test results that came in last night, though. They haven’t told me anything, yet. They wanted to verify a few things first,” Katherine replied with worry in her eyes.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. You know Joseph will come out of this. He wouldn’t dare leave you,” he reassured her.
“Thanks for your patience, Mrs. Anderson. We did get those results back, and it’s good news. We were concerned about his kidney function, but everything looks good. He’s still steady at the moment, and we’ve actually seen an increase in his brain activity. We often see this before a patient wakes,” Dr. Kirby said as he stepped into the room.
“That’s wonderful news,” Katherine said, her shoulders sagging in relief. Bree sat next to her, holding her hand, glad to be there for support.
“Can we take him home soon? If he’s stable, he can receive the same care at home as he’s receiving here, right?” Bree asked.
“Yes, that’s true. Let us run more tests and I’ll consult with the Neuro Surgeon who operated and see if we can release him for home care,” Dr. Kirby replied.
“Thank you,” Katherine said before he left.
They sat for a while before Esther walked in the room, her eyes slightly widening in pleasure at seeing George. Bree could see she wanted to make a beeline straight to him, but somehow managed to hold herself back.
After another hour passed, Bree watched as the two of them gave each other a look. It was a code of
some sort, she was sure.
“I better get going. I’ll come visit tomorrow, Katherine,” Esther said as she rose from her seat.
“I can walk you out. I’m pretty exhausted after my trip. I need to head home and get a hot shower and rest,” George eagerly replied as he jumped from his seat, not looking the least bit tired.
“Actually, Dad, I needed to talk to you, so I’m glad you’re ready to leave. Did you get dropped off?” Bree asked.
George looked at her with surprise, and then at Esther, who was looking at the floor, before meeting Bree’s eyes.
“Yes, Trenton dropped me off on his way home,” he reluctantly said. “I figured I could catch a ride with Esther since it’s on the way home.”
“Oh, you don’t have to put Esther out. I’ll give you a ride. Chad’s out of town tonight and I want you to come over. There’s been some stuff going on in our neighborhood that’s really frightening me. You and I can visit and I’ll feel more secure having you there,” Bree said.
She saw the indecision in her father’s eyes as he looked at Esther once again. How could he possibly refuse his only daughter? She felt the tiniest bit guilty… but not enough to stop. The two of them could just admit they were a couple and the kids would stop messing with them.
“Do you have other plans, Dad?”
Here was the perfect opportunity for him to fess up and say, Yes, I’m taking Esther on a romantic date. His shoulders drooped seconds before he responded.
“No, of course not. I’d love to come over,” he said, his voice sounding anything but pleased.
“Great. Thanks, Dad. Come on, Esther. You can walk out with us,” Bree said as she put her arm in Esther’s and led her from the room. Bree made sure to stand in the middle of them, so they wouldn’t even have a chance for a secret touch.
When they arrived at the cars and the three of them stood around awkwardly, George finally sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to get even a moment alone with Esther. He told her a polite goodbye, then climbed in with Bree.