by Pamela Bauer
Krystal’s mouth dropped open. “Magic? The last I heard he was planning to marry another woman.”
“Oh, that’s over,” her mother said with a flap of her hand.
“Really.” Krystal had trouble believing that one. “And where did they get the money to go to the Cayman Islands? I thought he was filing for bankruptcy.”
“Apparently his parents are going to help him and Carly get back on their feet.”
“Are they going to put a choke collar on him so he can’t go to the casino?” She shook her head in disgust. “How many times are they going to bail him out?”
“They’re good people, Krys.”
She didn’t comment. “Where’s Emily?”
“She’s with her other grandparents.”
“The good people,” Krystal stated dryly.
“I know you wanted Carly to come back to the city so you’d have someone to live with you in that house you rented—” she began, and Krystal cut her short.
“I rented? No, Mom. Carly rented the house, not me. She wanted me to live with her. And now she’s left me with a one-year lease on a place I can’t afford.”
That silenced her mother.
Krystal paced the small space in the trailer home, rubbing her brow. “I can’t believe Carly did this.”
“You don’t want her to try to save her marriage?”
“Yes, but…” She also wanted her sister to be responsible for her obligations and one of those was a house in St. Paul that Krystal was now going to have to occupy by herself. “I can’t believe she did this to me!” she repeated, although it really wasn’t quite true. What she meant was she couldn’t believe she’d been so foolish to even contemplate setting up house with her sister when her life was in emotional turmoil.
Krystal should never have taken her to look at rental houses until Carly had worked through her problems. She should have waited until the divorce was final, until Carly could at least make decisions without weeping.
“I’m screwed,” she said in frustration.
“Watch your language in this house, young lady,” Linda said in a stern voice.
“Well, what would you call it? Mom, I’m six months pregnant, I have no furniture other than the few things in my room at Leonie’s, I have bills piling up, I don’t know what I’m going to do for day care, and now my sister runs off with her ex-husband to some tropical island and leaves me footing the bill for her mistake!”
“I have some money saved. How much do you need?” Linda offered.
Krystal knew her mother saved very little money and what she did have was for those rainy days when illness kept her from working. She couldn’t take away the small bit of security her mother had.
“It’s all right, Mom. I’ll figure something out,” she said. “I’m going to go.”
“You’re driving back to the city at this time of night?”
She nodded. “I can’t stay, Mom. Please don’t ask me to.”
“Don’t be angry at your sister, Krystal. She’s got a child to think about.”
“You know what, Mom? So do I,” she said, and walked out the door.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” Shannon asked her the following day. “I thought you were helping Carly move today.”
“I was supposed to be but she went to the Cayman Islands with Joe.”
Shannon was as shocked as Krystal had been. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m not.”
“They’re getting back together?”
“It sounds as if they might be, but with my sister, who knows? All I know is I no longer have a roommate.”
“Oh, Krys, I’m so sorry. What are you going to do?”
Krystal shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe get a part-time job and see if I can swing the rent on my own.”
“There has to be another solution than for you to work two jobs. I mean, you can do that for now, but what about when the baby comes? If I hadn’t just renewed my lease, Josh and I would move in with you.”
She waved her hand. “It’s all right. I’ll manage somehow. I’ll have to.”
“Maybe if you talk to your landlord and explain the situation he’ll let you out of the lease.”
“Maybe,” she said thoughtfully. “I’m still going to have to find a place to live. I’ve given Leonie my notice and she already has another tenant who has signed a lease. Anyway you look at it, I have to move.”
“Maybe Garret can help you. Have you discussed this with him?”
“I can’t ask him for help. Everything is going good right now. Leonie and I are talking again and I don’t want money getting in the way and messing things up. Besides, I don’t want to look like a charity case.”
“From what I know about the Donovan family, I don’t think any of them would think of you in that way.”
“Probably not, but I do have my pride.”
“Are you sure that’s all it is?” Shannon folded her arms across her chest.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Krys, are you sure you haven’t fallen for Garret?”
“No!” She was quick to deny the accusation. “He is so not what I’m looking for in a guy.”
“Are you sure?”
She wasn’t, but she didn’t want to admit that to Shannon. “You can’t honestly think that I’m falling in love with him? We’re friends for Pete’s sake.”
“Friends who went to bed together,” she reminded her.
“Yes and you know why.”
“Oh Roy shmoy. You were never in love with him.”
“Shannon! How can you of all people say that?”
“Because I don’t think you were. Krys, haven’t you ever wondered why you could go to bed with Garret so easily that night of the ball? I mean, Roy had cheated on you before, yet you never went to bed with another guy to get over the pain.”
Shannon wasn’t saying anything Krystal hadn’t already said to herself, but she didn’t want to be having this discussion. “There’s no point in talking about this. Roy’s gone and out of my life for good and Garret’s attracted to another woman.”
“Again I ask you, are you sure?”
She sighed. “Yes. You saw how fast Roy bolted when he discovered I was pregnant.”
“I meant are you sure about Garret. Looks like he’s your man, to me.”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said? He’s attracted to another woman.” She made a sound of exasperation. “Can we not talk about this?”
“I’m sorry, Krys. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Krystal sighed. “It’s all right. The trouble is, this isn’t getting my housing problem solved.”
“Maybe Carly will come back from the Cayman Islands and tell you she and Joe gave their marriage one last chance and it didn’t work.”
“Maybe.” There was still that possibility, Krystal realized. But long after she and Shannon had gone back to their workstations, it wasn’t the housing dilemma on Krystal’s mind. It was Shannon’s suggestion that she could be falling in love with Garret.
Yes, he was different from any man she’d ever known. And they were having a baby together. It was only natural that she’d have some feelings for him. But love? It just wasn’t possible. Or was it?
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE FOLLOWING WEEK Krystal applied for several part-time positions at various department stores, but she knew that even if she worked the extra hours, it was going to be difficult to earn enough to afford the house. Every time she went over her budget figures she ended up drawing the same conclusion. Without Carly, she couldn’t make the rent.
When her sister phoned her after her trip to the Cayman Islands, she tried to keep her emotions under control, but it wasn’t easy, especially when Carly’s voice held a hint of petulance. “Mom warned me you were going to be angry,”’ she told Krystal.
“Can you honestly blame me, Carly? Why didn’t you at least call me and tell me what was going on?”
“Because I knew yo
u’d be upset! You know how awful my life has been these past couple of months. And I didn’t know if you’d try to talk me out of going with Joe.”
Krystal knew her sister had a point, but didn’t comment.
“Would you have been able to be objective at that time?” Carly didn’t expect an answer and continued on. “I went with Joe because I needed to make sure I was doing the right thing for me and for Emily. St. Paul is a long way from Fergus Falls.”
“I know it is, Carly, which is why I suggested we not rush into getting the house in the first place,” she reminded her. She sighed, knowing that it did no good to bring up the reason they were in this mess. It wouldn’t change anything.
“I’m really sorry, Krys. Truly, I am.”
“So are you and Joe getting back together?” Krystal had a feeling she already knew the answer, but she needed to ask the question anyway.
“Yes. I know you’re upset about the house. Mom says you’re worried about the legal ramifications, but you don’t need to worry. I’ll call the landlord and explain the situation. The worst thing that will happen is we’ll lose our deposit.”
“Carly, that money’s not ours. It’s Garret’s. Do you realize what an uncomfortable position you put me in because of this?”
“I know and I’m sorry, Krys, but if you could have seen how Emily cried when she saw Joe. It just broke my heart. For her sake, Joe and I have got to try to make this work.”
As frustrated as Krystal was by Carly’s behavior, she knew that more was at stake than a rental deposit and a lease agreement. “I understand that and I’m not criticizing you for wanting to save your marriage. It’s just that your actions have put us—and especially me—in a big financial mess.”
“And I told you—I’m going to get the mess with the house straightened out,” she insisted.
“How?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve talked to Joe’s dad and he says there’s no lease that can’t be broken. He’s amazing when it comes to straightening out financial messes.”
Krystal wanted to say he must be if a near-bankrupt Joe had been able to take Carly to the Cayman Islands. “Will you do it today?” she asked, needing the peace of mind of knowing that it was resolved without Garret’s involvement.
“Yes. Trust me. It’ll be fine.”
Krystal had her doubts but decided there was no point in worrying until she heard from her sister that there was a problem. To her surprise, Carly called a short while later with the news that the original lease agreement had been voided. Since there was another party interested in renting the house immediately, the landlord agreed to only deduct a cancellation fee from the damage deposit.
“I hope you told him to take it out of your check?” Krystal told her sister.
“Of course I did,” she replied. “It was my fault we didn’t take the place. You can relax. No one lost any money and everything’s fine.”
“It’s not quite fine, Carly. I still need to find a place to live.”
“If you want me to come down and go looking with you, I will,” she offered.
“No, it’s all right,” Krystal said in resignation.
“You were there for me when I needed you, Krys, and I really appreciate it. I only hope you can understand why I went back to Joe and try to be happy for me.”
“I do want to be happy for you, Carly and I hope that this reconciliation with Joe works—for your sake and for Emily’s,” she said sincerely. She didn’t add that she wasn’t convinced it would work. She wanted to believe that her brother-in-law could make changes in his life and be the husband and father Carly and Emily needed, but she’d spent the past five years wanting to believe that Roy could change into something he wasn’t.
“You should be happy I’m not going to be living in St. Paul,” Carly continued. “At least now you won’t have to worry about anything happening between me and Shane Donovan.”
“I wasn’t worried about that,” she lied. “I knew you were just being friends during a time when you both were going through some problems.”
“Yes, we were. How are things between him and Jennifer?” Carly asked.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t seen Shane recently,” Krystal answered, not wanting to discuss Garret’s brother and his wife. She changed the subject, asking her sister about Emily. By the time they said goodbye, the tension that had been in their relationship at the start of the call was gone.
Carly’s last words were, “I’m glad everything’s okay between us, Krys.”
Krystal expressed the same sentiment and hung up the phone, relieved that Carly had taken care of the problem involving the house. It was one less worry for her and meant she wouldn’t have to feel indebted to Garret. She only wished that the rest of the issues she had with him could be resolved so easily.
GARRET WASN’T ONE to surprise people. He himself didn’t appreciate getting caught unaware so he seldom sprang anything on anyone. Only sometimes the surprise was warranted, which was why he was on his way over to 14 Valentine Place with a trunk full of moving boxes to give to Krystal. It was not what she would be expecting to have dumped on her doorstep on a Monday morning.
Actually, she wouldn’t be expecting to see him, either. It had been a while since he’d last seen her, and not because busy schedules had kept them from running into each other. He was fairly certain she had deliberately been avoiding him. Why else wouldn’t she have told him about Carly wanting out of the house lease?
If it hadn’t been for the fact that his name was on the rental agreement, he doubted that he’d even know there had been a problem. That made him all the more determined that today she would be the one getting the unexpected news.
When he pulled into the alley behind 14 Valentine Place, he parked next to her car, then opened his trunk and removed the cardboard boxes he’d stowed there last night. When he went inside he found Krystal and his mother in the kitchen eating breakfast.
“Well, good morning,” his mother called out when she saw him. “This is a surprise.”
“A good one, I hope,” he answered.
“Of course,” she said with a smile. Seeing the startled look on Krystal’s face, he was fairly certain she didn’t share his mother’s opinion. “We’re having muffins and coffee. Want to join us?”
“Sure, but first I need to get rid of these.” He raised the boxes slightly. “They’re for Krystal.” Seeing the quizzical look on her face, he added, “My neighbor was going to toss them but I thought they’d make good moving boxes.”
“They’re the right size—not too big so that you won’t be able to lift them once they’re full,” Leonie commented. She looked at Krystal and asked, “Do you want him to take them upstairs right away or should I put them in the storage room until you’re ready to use them?”
“I should probably take them upstairs,” Garret answered for her, then gave her a pointed look. “Now that Mom’s found a tenant for your room, you’re probably going to want to move before the weather turns nasty and cold.”
She looked reluctant to take him up on his offer, but she finally said, “You can put them in my room.”
He followed her up the steps, admiring how slender she looked from the rear. Unless she turned to the side he couldn’t even tell she was pregnant. She held her door open for him as he carried the stack of boxes into her room and set them on the floor.
“Looks like you could use some help. You haven’t started packing,” he said, glancing around.
She bit on her lower lip, then said, “It’s probably a good thing you came over this morning. I need to tell you something. Carly and I aren’t moving into the house.”
He feigned innocence. “Why not?”
“Joe convinced Carly they should give their marriage another chance. She decided to stay in Fergus Falls, so she won’t be needing a place to live here.”
“Well, maybe she doesn’t, but you still do,” he pointed out.
“An apartment maybe. Not a whole house. But you
don’t have to worry about the money you put down. Carly called the landlord and explained the situation. He was very understanding and let us out of the lease agreement.”
“Is that right?”
She nodded eagerly. “He said you’ll get your damage deposit back within ten business days.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
Krystal looked puzzled. “Sure you will. I told you, Carly was able to cancel the lease.”
“No, she was able to get her name off the lease because I was willing to keep my name on it,” he told her.
He had definitely surprised her with that information.
“What are you talking about?” She eyed him suspiciously.
“When Carly called the landlord and asked to get out of the lease, he called me. I assured him that even though Carly didn’t want to live at the house, I knew someone who did.” He wiggled his brows. “You.”
“But I can’t afford that place!” she protested.
“Maybe not, but I can.”
“Are you saying the reason Carly was able to get out of the deal was because you absorbed her responsibility?” He could see she was flustered. Her cheeks had more color than he’d seen in a long time.
“Yes. So you’ll still be able to move in next week. The only thing that’s changed is that you won’t have Emily and Carly as housemates.”
He expected her to smile and say thank you, that it was a very thoughtful thing for him to do, but she frowned and looked at him as if he’d done something to personally offend her.
“I wish you hadn’t done that,” she said stiffly.
“I thought you wanted to live there? Carly said you especially liked the place because it had the nursery for the baby.”
“It’s a great house for a baby, but I can’t afford to pay that kind of rent.”
“And I told you I would take care of the rent for you.”
She was more than flustered. She was upset. She folded her arms across her chest in a defiant stance and shook her head. “No, I can’t let you do that!”
“Why not?”