28. Mike #2
“I did. And over the course of those three pregnancies, she began to confide in me. I might have been the only one who knew that she wanted to leave Patrick.” Una is silent for a moment as a bus comes in and disgorges its passengers.
“I’m certainly the only one who knew that she encouraged his interest in Louise Jones. ”
I stare at her in shock and she smiles sadly.
“Consider your father’s nature, Mike. He wants what he wants when he wants it. He doesn’t compromise. Dianne knew he would never agree to a divorce so long as he wanted her.”
More than that, Dad has never been tolerant of divorce or the gossip that might ensue. And I would bet that any insinuation that the split was his fault wouldn’t sit well.
“Don’t think she planned it all out or anything.
She just saw that he noticed Louise when he came to pick her up at the salon.
Louise was a pretty thing and she had a touch.
Everyone in town tried to get a hair appointment with her, and Dianne had a standing appointment each week.
Any man would have noticed Louise, with as sweet a nature as she was lovely, and Dianne knew Patrick well enough to guide him along a path he already wanted to follow. ”
I’m so fascinated by this new-to-me story that Una has my undivided attention.
“And then, because God likes a good joke now and again, just as Dianne’s plan was coming together, her father died.
Dianne came from an affluent family and the will made her a rich woman in her own right.
Around about this time, Louise realized she was pregnant, which likely meant she had some expectations of Patrick.
He went straight home to consolidate his marriage with Dianne, no doubt to secure that money for the expansion of Cavendish Enterprises.
There was a kind of a reconciliation, though Dianne wasn’t happy. She did, however, conceive Abbie then.”
“Another rough pregnancy?” I guess.
“Terrible,” Una says with a shake of her head.
“Nothing helped. There were new complications, I’ll spare you all the details, but Dianne spent months in Havelock General.
I visited her a couple of times a week – Doc Miller took me – and she was determined to bring her baby into the world.
Abbie’s delivery was pretty much Dianne’s last accomplishment.
She died a few weeks later, just a shadow of her former self. ”
“Couldn’t they help her?”
“I don’t know that she wanted to be helped. I remember how despondent she was, and just sad.” She smiles up at me. “I took you along the last time I visited her.”
“I don’t remember.”
“No, I doubt you would. You were so young. But she smiled at the sight of you and you played I Spy out the hospital window with her and she hugged you so tightly when we left that I thought she’d never let you go.”
A vague memory stirs of a lady in a hospital bed, the smell of disinfectant mingled with that of a lemon shampoo.
“She asked me to look out for her chicks, and I promised her that I would.” Una wipes away a tear. “I didn’t think that would be the last time I saw her. I was sure she would regain her strength, almost by force of will, and come home again.”
“She didn’t.”
“She didn’t. And your father had Candace on his arm before Dianne was six months buried. It was as if he associated Louise with Dianne and had to be rid of both of them to move on.” She pauses, then nods at the arriving bus. “There’s our girl, I think.”
I smile. Our girl.
“I never had much opportunity to keep that promise to Dianne,” Una says.
“Patrick didn’t want old friends of hers around, and Candace never had any use for me.
I’ll tell you that your mom saw Patrick clearly in both Jake and Austin, and she knew they’d fend for themselves well enough.
She thought they might be lonely, but it would be by their own choice, if so.
But you.” She looks up at me, eyes bright.
“Jake used to tease you something awful, but you always went back for more. You always stood up for him when he found trouble, and you always defended Austin when he provoked a response from someone bigger than he was.”
“Can’t change how I am, Una.”
“No, but you can keep your eyes open.” She pats my arm. “Don’t stand aside and let someone you trust hurt you, Mike. You deserve better than that kind of betrayal, but only you can put up your defenses to keep it from happening.”
“Are you warning me against Sylvia?”
“Goodness, no!”
“Then who?”
“Oh, Mike.” She shakes her head and smiles indulgently at me. “You have such a trusting heart. Just promise me that you’ll listen to your instincts and protect those you love.”
I make the promise, then Sierra comes charging toward the truck, holding out her phone.
“Mike, Mike, Mike!” she calls. “I saw you on The Empire Chronicle.” She grins as I get out of the truck so she can jump in from my side.
She slings her bag into the back, kisses Una, then shoves her phone at me again. “And I saw this .”
It’s a picture of Sylvia and me, locked in the kiss that still has my blood simmering.
We’re clearly oblivious to everything around us, the crane operator holding his hands to heaven while he waits on me, Una smiling in the Subaru and Cameron looking grumpy about it all. Sierra, in contrast, is delighted.
“Maybe it didn’t take even fifteen minutes for everyone to learn about that,” I say easily. “Let’s go home.”