Chapter 24
Mondays were always crazy busy for Maddie. This one was no exception. Her author Shelley had accepted the highest offer in the auction and called several times with detailed questions about the process. She’d been surprised when Maddie told her it would still be several months before they received the contract from the publisher. They’d agreed to terms in writing over email but now contracts had to be drawn up and gone over by the lawyers. It took time.
The author who wrote the Jack Reacher–like story that Maddie loved—about the female sheriff in the small town—also had other agents offering to represent her and needed more time to decide. Maddie made her best case and told the author truthfully that while she would send the story everywhere, she had one particular editor in mind for it. She had a good feeling that the author might choose her, but she’d thought that before and had been wrong. She’d just hung up with her when Kathryn called.
“How’s your Monday going?” Kathryn asked. Maddie smiled, picturing her boss in her corner office at the agency, sitting behind her giant desk with her chair spun around the opposite way so she could look out the window at the Hudson River view while she talked. Kathryn always did that when she was on a call.
“Typical Monday. Full of surprises. How about you?”
Kathryn chuckled. “The same. We just had a publisher that we thought would up their bid and win an auction decide to stay put. Nothing makes sense today.”
“Oh, that’s frustrating.”
“It’s just perplexing. The author will be fine, two of the other houses are coming up quite a bit.”
“Good. You just never know.”
“No, you don’t. Anything new with Richie?” There was a tone to Kathryn’s voice that seemed off.
“New? No. I haven’t talked to him since I came home to Chatham. We agreed to take the summer apart.”
“Right. Awkward question, but does that mean the two of you are free to date other people?”
The question caught Maddie off guard. It hadn’t crossed her mind to date or that Richie might want to. But she supposed maybe she should have considered it since she was the one who wanted more time apart.
“Honestly, I don’t know. We didn’t discuss that. I know I’m not even thinking about it. But I don’t know what Richie is thinking.”
“Okay. Well, I just thought maybe you should know this. I don’t know if it’s what it looked like or totally innocent, but I saw Richie out Friday night. We went to the same restaurant and he was at the bar having drinks and dinner with a woman. It didn’t necessarily look romantic but it was just the two of them, and they seemed really comfortable together. Like they knew each other really well. There was a lot of laughing. Maybe it’s just a coworker, but it was a Friday night, so I wasn’t sure what to think.”
Maddie tensed up. She was pretty sure she knew who it was. She described Laura, Richie’s colleague.
“That sounds like her. Do you know her?”
“I think it is Richie’s coworker. The one I told you about. She’s married, but she and Richie totally connect. I think it’s just work related, though. They both love their jobs. It can get a little intense at times.”
“And it was a Friday night. I wonder how her husband feels about it?”
“He’s pretty easygoing, but I can’t imagine he’d like it if it happened often.”
“Maybe you should give Richie a call and see how things are going with him?” Kathryn suggested.
“I probably should.” They chatted for a few more minutes and then Maddie sat there and stewed, her mind going in a million different directions. Maybe she was a complete idiot, but she just didn’t feel in her gut that there was anything inappropriate going on. She’d never worried before about Richie cheating. She knew this was most likely nothing. But it was a concern when it was starting to look like something else to other people, and it was a little embarrassing, too. Though Kathryn was a friend and Maddie knew she was just worried for her. She knew Kathryn would want to know if Maddie ever saw something like that.
Maddie made herself a cup of tea and tried to focus on work. She still had a pile of emails to go through and a Zoom call in a half hour. She’d call Richie later that evening when she knew he’d be home from work.
Maddie waited until after she and Hannah had eaten dinner and Hannah went off to take a bath before settling down for the night. She went into her bedroom to make sure she wasn’t overheard and dialed Richie’s number.
He picked up immediately and sounded surprised to hear from her.
“Maddie. How are you? Is everything okay?”
“I’m good. Everything’s fine. How are you?”
“The same. Just busy working.”
“Oh, did I interrupt you?” She thought he’d be done for the day by now.
“No, not at all. I just meant work has been busy. I just got home a half hour ago. I worked late at the office and then grabbed a bite with one of the guys.”
“Did Laura go with you?”
“Laura? No. Why do you ask?”
Maddie sighed. “Kathryn saw you Friday night when she was out to dinner with her husband. You were at the same restaurant sitting at the bar with a blond woman.”
“Oh, yeah, that was Laura. We worked late and decided to stop for an after-work drink and some food.”
“She thought you two looked cozy together like it was maybe a date. Laura’s husband doesn’t mind if she goes out to dinner with other men on a Friday night?” Maddie sighed, then added, “Kathryn thought it was a little strange. And I was a bit embarrassed, to be honest, to get that call from my boss.”
“Laura’s husband didn’t care. He was out with coworkers, too. It’s nothing, Maddie. Really.” Richie sounded frustrated and a little annoyed.
Maddie felt somewhat relieved to hear him confirm that there was nothing going on. “Okay. She also asked me if we have an agreement that we’re able to date other people during the separation. We haven’t discussed that so I didn’t know if maybe that’s what you wanted?”
There was a long silence before Richie spoke. “That’s not what I want. Truthfully, Maddie, I’m lonely here and Laura is good company. That’s all it was.”
“Okay. I didn’t think there was anything else to it. I do trust you. But the two of you have such a close connection, and I don’t know her as well as I know you.”
“Maddie. I’m really sick of this.” He sounded angry with her.
“I’m not trying to fight with you, Richie,” she said quickly.
He sighed. “I know you’re not. I mean I’m sick of this. Of being here, while you’re there. I want to come home.”
His words took her by surprise.
“When?”
“This weekend. I want to take my wife on a date and I want to sleep in my own bed… or my own guest bed. My own house. I want to come home to Chatham. Let’s see if we can make this work, what do you say?”
He sounded so sure that it made her pulse race. She thought he’d wanted the separation as much as she did. And she’d missed him, too. The thought of him dating someone else was too painful for her to consider. And she couldn’t fathom dating anyone else. Maybe they could give it a try and see if they could get back to where they were.
“Okay. We can give it a try.”
“Great. I’ll book a flight to come back Thursday night. I’ll never get a flight on Friday at this point. Even Thursday might be tight, but I’ll find one.”
“Let me know what time you’ll land in Hyannis and I’ll pick you up,” she offered.
“I will. And Maddie, I can’t wait to see you. I’ve missed you, missed us.” She heard the emotion in his voice.
“I’ve missed you too,” she said softly.