Chapter Forty-Two
Jessica
“What’d your mom say?” Alan asked when I came out of Lainey’s office.
I felt my eyebrows crease as I replayed the conversation in my head.
“She said to have fun,” which shocked the heck out of me. “And asked me to invite you and your parents to dinner on Sunday.”
“I’m sure my parents would love that.”
I slowly shook my head. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. As you know, my parents have some pretty staunch beliefs.”
“I know, but they were welcoming to me last night at dinner. There’s no reason to believe they won’t be as inviting to my folks.”
“I guess…”
I still had my suspicions.
They’d almost been too accommodating last night. And then my mother told me to “have fun” tonight? Not to mention she’d almost sounded excited when I’d called her earlier to see if she was available to go dress shopping tomorrow.
When I’d mentioned to the ladies that my mother had been too cooperative about dress shopping, Jade offered, “Don’t go looking for problems that might not exist. Take it at face value until proven otherwise.”
I didn’t mention I’d had several years’ experience of being proven otherwise. But maybe Mama and Papa were turning over a new leaf, and I should give them the benefit of the doubt.
The anxious feeling in my stomach, however, didn’t go away.
“What time are you dress shopping tomorrow?”
“We have an appointment with a boutique in Fowlerville at one.”
“Do you think we could go look at a house in the morning then? It’s one street over from Brian’s house, where I’m staying right now. We can drive by it tonight.”
I blinked up at him. “You want me to look at a house?”
“Yeah, I told you that last night.”
“I guess I just thought you would choose something.”
He scoffed. “I’m not making a decision about where we’re going to live without your buy-in.”
Add that to the list of things I was not expecting. “O—okay. Then, yeah—I can be available tomorrow.”
We walked toward Lainey’s office where Ruthie was sleeping, and he explained, “It’s for sale, but the realtor said the owner would entertain a lease offer.”
“That’s good. I would hate for you to buy something and not be able to resell it in three years.”
“I’m not worried about that. I was thinking we should lease because we might want to move to Lancastle someday.”
Lancastle?!
“But you said you only wanted us to visit occasionally—for publicity purposes.”
“It’s good to keep our options open.”
I blurted out, “Why?”
****
Alan
Did she just ask why?
“Well, that’s where my house and my business are. Plus, it’s close to the beach house.”
“I thought you didn’t want me and Ruthie to move?”
“You don’t have to move. I was just saying we should keep our options open.”
She looked like she wanted to say more, but instead mumbled, “Okay.”
I wished she’d argue with me and pressed her a little.
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Her candid response surprised me—in a good way. “I’m thinking I don’t understand why you’d expect me to leave my family and friends if we’re just going to get divorced in three years.”
“Maybe I’m hoping you won’t want to end things.”
****
Jessica
I didn’t know what to say.
I thought I understood what he was suggesting, but I was scared to say it out loud because if I was wrong, I’d die from humiliation.
So, I mumbled, “You’re right, we should keep our options open.”