Summer of Two Wishes

by Julia London

  “Aren’t you going to say something?” Wyatt asked. “I’ll be right with you, or no, I’ll order a pizza, or…or, hey, how about this one? Wyatt, it is so good to see you.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said instantly. “It is good to see you.” She put the vase down and smiled sheepishly. “But I don’t think I should go out.”

  He blinked. His smile faded. “Look, Macy, I’m not going to pressure you. I’m not going to ask you how long this is going to go on, or what we’re doing, even though I am dying to know. I came out here because you are my wife and I miss you. Let’s go and get a bite to eat and talk about…about the big Project Lifeline fund-raiser. That’s not off-limits, is it? I saw Sam this afternoon and she filled me in on some of the stuff that’s been going on.”

  He looked so hopeful. What could it hurt, really? In truth, Macy could use a break from Laru’s house. “Nothing fancy, okay?” she warned him. “Just a burger or something like that.”

  “Whatever you want,” Wyatt said, his relief evident. He’d always said that to her, too—whatever you want. Wyatt Clark was a good guy. No matter what secret desires lay in her heart of hearts, he’d been really good to her and deserved her kindness and respect at such a difficult juncture in their lives. Everything will be all right.

  Macy smiled affectionately. “Give me thirty minutes. There’s beer in the fridge.” She walked past him and touched her fingers to his hand as she went.

  A quick shower was all it took to transform Macy into a goddess. She looked fantastic in a summer dress and sandals. She’d tamed her hair; it was bouncing around her shoulders. Wyatt hoped he’d never taken her for granted, because that would have made him a fool. Dammit, he had a very pretty wife.

  The sun was sliding toward the horizon in a sea of burnt orange. It was a gorgeous evening, the sort of evening that reminded Wyatt why he loved Texas. At least he’d won the battle for some decent food, and frankly, Macy looked a little wan. For the sake of keeping the evening relaxed and pleasant, he kept the conversation confined to work.

  He asked her about the fund-raiser she’d been planning the past three months. She’d been stuffing envelopes, she said, and there was a big committee meeting late this week where they would approve the program. The event, to be held at the Salt Lick Barbeque outdoor venue, would have music and dancing, casino tables and a cash bar. For the kids there would be a petting zoo and big jumpers and artists to paint their faces and draw their pictures. Macy was going to be the evening’s host and preside over the silent auction for which they were collecting an array of great stuff.

  Wyatt could imagine Macy hosting the event. She was charming and funny and everyone loved her. He was really proud of the work she’d done. When she’d first told him about the organization she and Sam wanted to create, he’d thought it was a huge undertaking and privately wondered if Macy really understood what she was getting into. But Macy and Sam were naturals at it. They’d gotten Project Lifeline off the ground fairly quickly and had gone straight to work lining up volunteer services. For the gala, they’d promised that one hundred percent of the proceeds would go to the families of the men and women who had given their lives in the war or were critically wounded.

  Wyatt had given five grand to the effort, but with all the turmoil in their personal lives he’d lost track of the progress of the gala. He’d had coffee with Sam one night when she was closing up shop and she’d told him what was going on with the fund-raiser. But what Wyatt remembered most about that night was when he’d stood up to leave, Sam had said, “Sorry, Wyatt. I know how hard it is to feel like you’re losing someone.”

  The remark had made him flinch. “I’m not losing anyone,” he’d said.

  Sam had shrugged a little. “Look, if you ever need to talk…I’m here.”

  Wyatt looked at Macy now. Was he losing her? He remembered their first date. She’d just gone back into social work, some really awful job with Child Protective Services that involved taking children from their homes. He thought it sounded dreary and depressing, but Macy had been passionate about it. She’d told him about a little girl who’d been neglected, and how smart she was, how she deserved everything the world could give her. Macy had truly believed she could make a difference.

  That sentiment had astounded Wyatt. And it had moved him. He remembered thinking even then that he had to have this woman.

  “Hey, are you remembering to take your blood pressure medicine?” Macy asked him. Wyatt had to think about it, which made Macy sigh and smile. “What am I going to do with you?” she asked with some affection.

  “I don’t know…come home?”

  She smiled. “What about your work? How’s it going?”

  “Pretty good,” Wyatt said. The truth was that he didn’t know. Thank God for Linda Gail—she was keeping things on track for him, because Wyatt hadn’t been able to think about what he was doing. Funding for the Hill Country Resort and Spa was constantly on his mind. He didn’t have it cobbled together just yet, especially since he couldn’t rely on the sale of the Lockhart land, and his investors were getting antsy. He hoped Caroline would really sell and wasn’t just trying to get in his pants, and that Randy would really buy and wasn’t looking for some sweetheart deal. Frankly, he didn’t trust either one of them.

  “Did you make the call?” Macy asked.

  “The call?”

  “You know…to cancel the closing on Finn’s ranch.”

  He’d managed to survive the dinner by just enjoying Macy’s company and not hearing her say that man’s name. But just a mention of him was enough to bring the truth about Wyatt’s life crashing down on an otherwise pleasant evening, and he had to work to keep from popping off and saying something he’d regret. “Yeah,” he said, although it was a lie. It was the last thing on his mind, and he didn’t want to hear about it from Macy now.

  Macy smiled with gratitude. “Thanks, Wyatt. I know how hard this must be for you. I really appreciate what you’re doing for Finn.”

  That was enough to ruin what was left of the evening. Wyatt pulled out his wallet. “Let’s get out of here,” he said. He turned to signal the waiter and found David and Aurora Bernard walking toward them.

  “Look who’s here!” David called out. “Good to see you two together. After all that news coverage, I thought you’d flown the coop, Macy,” he said jovially.

  “Ah…” She looked at Wyatt.

  Wyatt stood up. “Great to see you guys. We were just finishing up.”

  “Don’t run off! I hear you’ve got some prime real estate you’re hoping to flip. And I’m not talking about the land,” David said with a wink.

  At Wyatt’s puzzled look Aurora said, “I think he means Caroline Spalding?” She shifted her cool gaze to Macy. “Macy, you look so pretty tonight,” Aurora purred. “David, I think we interrupted a date.”

  “No,” Macy said at the same moment Wyatt said, “Yes.” They looked at each other.

  “Come on, won’t you have one drink?” David asked.

  “Not tonight,” Wyatt said, and put his hand under Macy’s elbow, helping her to her feet.

  David laughed as Aurora studied Macy from head to foot. “All right. I know when I’m not wanted. Tee time tomorrow morning at eight, Wyatt. Are you going to come?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” Wyatt said. “Good night, David. Aurora.”

  Aurora waved her fingers at them as Wyatt escorted Macy out of the restaurant.

  Neither one of them said much on the ride back to Laru’s for a while. But then Macy said, “Caroline Spalding?”

  “What of it?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” Macy said. “I think she’s after you.”

  “How can she be after me? I’m married,” he said irritably.

  Macy snorted. “That never stopped Caroline. And Aurora would like nothing better.”

  “Personally, I don’t give a damn what Aurora thinks, but if you do, living away from me isn’t helping matters.”

  “What?” she s
aid, turning in her seat a little to stare at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means, get off the damn dime,” he said angrily as he pulled up to Laru’s door.

  “Wyatt—”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “I tried to do it, Macy,” he said. “From the moment you told me Finn was alive, I’ve tried to be supportive. I’ve stayed calm, I have given you the space you claim to need, but you know what? It’s been almost a week since you left, and in that week, I’ve had to struggle to get you on the phone, I haven’t seen you, and dammit, you even took my dog. So I came to you. And you balked at going out with me, and now you act like you can’t wait to get out of the car. Now, if we were just dating, I’d take the hint and you wouldn’t hear from me again. But we’re not dating, we are married. We need to file your divorce papers from Lockhart and get back to being a married couple.”

  “Do I have a say?” she asked tightly.

  He groaned with exasperation. “Look, how long is this going to go on? Because I’ll tell you right now, I don’t intend to live away from my wife and I want it straightened out.”

  “I just asked for a little time. I’m sorry I couldn’t wrap up one of the greatest traumas of my life in a matter of days, Wyatt, but I couldn’t.”

  “What the hell is there to wrap up? Either you file the divorce papers or the suit to declare our marriage void. One or the other, Macy.”

  She didn’t say anything. He studied her a moment. Her expression was inscrutable—too inscrutable, too calm. “Have you seen him?” Wyatt asked bluntly.

  There was a slight shift in her expression and she instantly shook her head. “No.” But Wyatt knew Macy, and his gaze narrowed slightly. She said again, “No,” but guiltily averted her gaze. “I’ve run into him a couple of times, but it’s not like I am seeing him.”

  “What do you mean, you’ve run into him a couple of times?” Wyatt demanded. “I thought you were out here thinking and trying to decide what to do.”

  “I am,” she said, glancing up at him again. “But he saw me at the gas station on the way out and stopped to say hello to Milo. It was just a few minutes.”

  Wyatt waited, but Macy said nothing more. “You said a couple of times. When was the other time?”

  She suddenly glared at him. “You know what, Wyatt? I don’t have to tell you or anyone else who I see or when or where.” She reached for the door handle.

  He leaned across her and put his hand over hers. “I am your husband. Don’t I have a right to know?”

  She sighed irritably and stared out the front window.

  “You’ve left me, Macy. I’d be stupid not to ask if you are seeing him.”

  Macy turned her head and looked at him, her eyes flicking over his face. “I am not seeing him. I have seen him, but I didn’t seek him out. Nevertheless, I…I don’t know that I want to divorce him, Wyatt.”

  Stunned, Wyatt reared back. “You’re serious,” he said.

  “I love you, Wyatt. But I love him, too. I always have.”

  Those words cleaved him in two. Wyatt moved his hand to the nape of her neck, beneath her silky hair. “Listen, Macy. I am not going to beg you. If you want to be with Farmer Finn, then go.” He let go, reached across her, and opened the car door.

  “Wyatt, let’s not end the night like this.”

  “Go on, Macy. Do what you’ve got to do. But go.” He expected her to argue, to beg him for more time. But Macy got out of the car. Wyatt suddenly felt like he was going to hyperventilate.

  Macy leaned down and looked inside the car. “Will you please try to understand, Wyatt? This is difficult for all of us.”

  He was starting to wonder if he’d done something to piss God off. One day everything was great and the next, his whole world had exploded. “You’ve made your decision for now, I guess. I need to go. Shut the door, would you?”

  “Wyatt…I am so sorry—”

  He reached across the car and pulled the passenger door shut. He had to get out of there before he did or said something he would regret.

  Sorry. The word clanged like a death knell in his head. He revved the engine and spun his tires on the gravel drive. As he barreled up to the main road, he got out his cell phone and flipped it open, dialed a number. His pulse was pounding.

  The phone rang. “Caroline?” he said when she answered. “How about that drink?”

  20

  Macy went from feeling awful to feeling as helpless as a pig in quicksand, as her father used to say.

  She’d never seen Wyatt look so angry, so distraught, so hurt, and she couldn’t bear that she was the cause of it. Her guilt—a new and faithful companion to rival Milo, who was sprawled on the end of her bed—made for a sleepless night. She was awake at six, lying on her back, staring blankly at the ceiling. Wyatt…he’d given her so much, had adored her so completely. Was she being too hasty, rushing toward a decision? Had she really thought everything through? Could she imagine life without Wyatt?

  About three months ago, Wyatt had seen Macy at the daycare where her cousin Chloe took her toddlers, which was just around the corner from his office. Macy liked to stop there from time to time when she saw them outside playing. Wyatt had come into the yard and sat on a bench, watching as Macy helped the boys swing, then down the slide, catching them when they came down.

  Finally, exhausted from chasing two eighteen-month-olds, she’d fallen onto the bench beside Wyatt and put her hand on her knee.

  “It might be a good thing you lost your job,” he’d said.

  Macy didn’t think so. A statewide shortfall had led to cutting the staff back to bare bones. The last ones in were the first ones out, and Macy had gotten her pink slip on a Friday afternoon with instructions to hand over her caseload. She’d been trying to get on with a nonprofit since then. “Why?” she asked.

  “Because I think we need to have our own kids,” he’d said, covering her hand with his.

  She must have looked uncertain because he twisted toward her and said, “Macy, let’s have babies. Let’s do a nursery and all of that. Let’s bring little Macys and Wyatts into this world.”

  “I can still work and have kids.”

  “It’s a thankless job. And being a mother is a fulltime job.”

  He’d talked her into it, maybe because Finn had said essentially the same things at one time. “Can’t save them all, baby,” he’d said.

  So Macy had stopped looking for work and started thinking about having babies.

  And now, she had to stop thinking of the past and get her life moving again.

  She made herself get up. She’d missed the last two or three weekly weaving classes. Not today. She showered and put on a silky floral skirt, a linen top, and a little bit of makeup. She had just slipped on her sandals when her cell phone rang.

  “Hello, Macy?” a woman’s voice asked pleasantly when Macy answered it. “It’s Lucy Simms.”

  Uncomfortable with her mother’s legal advice or that of any of her mother’s friends, Macy had contacted Lucy Simms about her unique marital situation. “Hi, Lucy,” she said. “How are you?”

  “I’m great! Sorry to call so early, but I’ve been doing some research and found something I thought I should pass on. Have you decided which paperwork you want to file?”

  “I, ah…I’m still weighing things.”

  “Sure, sure,” Lucy said, sounding like she was in a rush. “Here’s a little wrinkle for you to think about. Your first husband’s estate must be restored to him, and I remember you said it was on the block. Have you sold it?”

  “No,” Macy said. “It was scheduled to close, but my hus—Wyatt has cancelled the sale.”

  “Good! Because if it had sold, you’d have to pay your first husband the value of the real property, but unfortunately, he’d not get the real property returned to him. I remember you said you wanted him to have the land. This all has to do with the buyer being held harmless. Following?”

  “Yes,” Macy
said.

  “That’s it. Just let me know which way you want to go at your earliest convenience and we’ll get it going.”

  “I’ll call you soon,” Macy said, hoping that much was true.

  She hung up and stared at the wall. If Finn had escaped just two weeks later, there wouldn’t have been a ranch for him to come home to. He would have lost it all. That was too close for comfort.

  Macy shook her head and called Sam. “I was thinking, maybe we could have lunch before weaving class? I could really use someone to talk to. It’s been complete craziness since Finn came home,” she said.

  “Craziness. Why?” Sam asked.

  “Why? Well it goes like this: I have to divorce Finn to make my marriage to Wyatt legal, or declare my marriage to Wyatt void so that my first marriage stands.”

  “Uh-huh?” Sam said.

  Uh-huh? What was up with Sam? “Okay, well, this decision is sort of a life-altering event, and I could use a friendly ear.”

  That was met with silence. Macy waited. “Hello?” she said softly.

  “I really can’t, Macy. It’s my only day off this week and I have a ton of errands to run.”

  Macy blinked. “Okay,” she said carefully. “But I’ll see you in class?”

  “Sure,” Sam said. “See you.” She hung up, leaving Macy feeling confused and wondering what was wrong with her friend.

  Samantha was already seated at their table when Macy walked into the Hill Country Weavers in Austin. Samantha thought Macy looked very fresh and put together with her cute skirt and top and sandals for a woman with two husbands.

  It was a rude thought, and that bothered Samantha, because she’d had several of them lately. Macy was her best friend. Maybe her only friend. Samantha hadn’t been very social since Tyler died.

  But since the news about Finn broke, Samantha hadn’t been able to look at Macy the same way. She kept finding things wrong with Macy, and that bothered her, too, because she really wasn’t a fault-finding person. Samantha liked to believe she was a good and loyal friend. And Macy had been so kind to her the first time she met her at the survivors group. Samantha had not wanted to go, really, because it seemed impossible to share that kind of grief. But at the same time, she felt like she was drowning in it.