Chapter 15 #2
“Thank you,” Mac said. Every nerve in his body was on fire as he walked Maddie out of the clinic, her face turned into his chest so no one could see her.
Thankfully, he didn’t see anyone he knew in the waiting room as they left.
He got her into the SUV and fastened her seat belt.
They’d come back to the clinic to get his truck later and take it to the mainland.
His parents would need the SUV with the car seats in the back.
While Maddie cried softly and quietly, Mac made his calls.
“What’s wrong?” Joe asked after Mac told him he needed a spot for the truck on a boat later in the day.
Mac couldn’t bring himself to say the words out loud, especially with Maddie sitting right next to him. “I’ll, um, I’ll tell you later.”
“I’ll get you on the six o’clock boat.”
Grateful that Joe hadn’t pressed for more information, Mac said, “Thanks.”
Next, Mac called his mother. “Can you meet me at my house?”
“Why?” she asked. “What’s up?”
“Could you just come? Please?”
“Mac… You’re frightening me. The kids—”
“Are fine. I’ll meet you there, okay?”
“Of course. I’ll be right there.”
“Bring Dad.”
“Okay…”
Mac ended the call before she tried to pump him for information he was incapable of giving. He would call Tiffany and Francine later, when Maddie was out of earshot.
“The kids,” Maddie said. “We need to get them from my mom.”
“I’ll take care of everything, sweetheart. Don’t worry about a thing.”
“Don’t want them to see me upset.”
“They won’t.” He grasped her hand and held on tight, giving as much as taking comfort. He would get her through this, and then he’d fall apart.
With her mother’s assistance, Katie was able to take a shower without getting her injured foot wet.
The entire thing required an inelegant balancing act that had her constantly on the verge of falling.
Somehow she managed to wash her hair and condition it, which was critical to controlling her propensity for frizz near the ocean.
While Katie sat on a chair with her foot propped on a footstool, Sarah blow-dried her hair. “I feel very pampered,” Katie said.
“I haven’t done your hair in ages. It’s fun.”
“Remember when Cindy was eleven and decided she was going to cosmetology school? She ‘practiced’ on us?”
“I recall several unfortunate haircuts before I had to take away her scissors.”
“Oh my God! I thought Julia was going to kill her.”
“The pageboy,” Sarah said, cringing. “Not a good look on Julia.”
“That’s not a good look on ninety-nine percent of all women.”
“As Cindy soon discovered.” Sarah brushed Katie’s hair until it was soft and shiny. “I’m glad to know that not all your memories of growing up are awful.”
“They’re not. Of course they’re not.” She grinned at her mother in the mirror. “We had deployments.”
Laughing, Sarah rested her hands on Katie’s shoulders and met her gaze in the mirror. “That we did.”
“So how’s it going over at Charlie’s?”
“Good, but…” She shook her head when she seemed to think better of whatever she had planned to say.
“But what?”
“Your father is being bullheaded about the divorce.”
“Naturally.”
“Charlie says it doesn’t matter, that we can live in sin for the rest of our lives if we have to.”
“What does your lawyer say?”
“Dan Torrington handled everything for me, and he’s on it. But he can’t make your father sign the papers, and he’s holding out because I get half of his pension. He’s so bitter about that.”
“What right does he have to be bitter about anything when you did the real work of raising seven children, often on your own and frequently with his rages to contend with?”
“Part of me wants to tell Dan to forget about the pension because I don’t really need it now that I’m going to be with Charlie, but the other part of me thinks…” She met Katie’s gaze. “I earned that money. I earned it.”
“You’re damned right you did, and I know everything is great with Charlie, but what if, down the road, you change your mind? You should have your own resources to fall back on.”
“I don’t think anything will go wrong with Charlie or that I’ll change my mind about him, but you’re absolutely right about having my own money.”
“The whole thing makes me furious. Why doesn’t the general just set you free once and for all?”
“I didn’t tell you this to upset you, honey.”
“I know you didn’t, but still… Where does he get off stonewalling you when he’s put you through hell for more than thirty years already?”
“He doesn’t think he put me through hell. In his mind, he was keeping a tight rein on the little woman.”
“I’m so glad you’re free of him, Mom. Even if he doesn’t ever give you the divorce, you never have to spend another second in his presence.”
“And for that I’ll be eternally grateful.”
“I’m so happy for you and Charlie. From what everyone says, he’s a really nice guy.”
“He’s amazing, and one of these evenings, I’d like to have you over for dinner so you can get to know him better. Bring Shane with you, if you’d like to.”
Katie felt her face heat at the thought of inviting Shane to dinner at her mother’s new home to spend time with her mother’s new fiancé. Four days on Gansett and her life bore no resemblance whatsoever to what it had looked like a week ago. “That would be fun. We’ll do that sometime soon.”
“You look beautiful, honey. Go have a nice time with a wonderful young man and let your hair down a little.”
“My hair is down.”
“Don’t be obtuse with me, Katherine. You know exactly what I mean.” Sarah leaned in closer. “Go a little crazy. It’s high time, wouldn’t you say?”
“What’s with you and Gram today? Who are you and what have you done with my mother who’d never allow me to talk to a boy, let alone go wild with one?”
“Your mother wants to see you happy. I want to sit back and watch you fall madly in love with an incredible guy and have him love you back the way you deserve to be loved.”
“Mom! It’s our second date. You’re going to jinx me.”
“I never said you had to fall madly in love with Shane, but if you do… Well, I’d be thrilled to be that lovely man’s mother-in-law.”
“Mother!”
Sarah laughed heartily, and even though Katie was a little horrified by the assumptions her mother was leaping to where Shane was concerned, the sound of her mother’s unfettered laughter was music to Katie’s ears.
A knock on the door interrupted the revelry.
“Oh, let me get that.” Sarah moved to the door before Katie could stop her.
“Hello there, Shane. Don’t you look so handsome!
” He did look really nice in a light-blue dress shirt rolled up over his tanned forearms and khaki shorts.
The shirt did crazy things for his blue eyes.
The word “dreamy” came to mind, which made Katie feel like a simpering teenager.
“Thank you, Sarah. You’re looking quite lovely yourself this evening.”
“You don’t have to suck up to my mom,” Katie said. “She’s already in love with you.”
Shane laughed at Katie’s saucy comment. “What does Charlie think of that?”
Sarah patted his chest. “He approves wholeheartedly.”
“Mother…”
“My beautiful daughter is ready to go. What do you have planned for the evening?”
Before Katie could intervene and tell him he didn’t need to tell her, Shane said, “Dinner to start with, and then we’ll see.”
Katie felt a shiver of anticipation go through her at the thought of what “and then we’ll see” might entail.
“Well, don’t let me keep you,” Sarah said. “I was just saying to Katie that Charlie and I would like to have you two over for dinner. Maybe tomorrow night?”
“We’d love that. Wouldn’t we, Katie?”
When had her mother become so brazen? “Sure,” Katie said. “That’d be nice.”
“Great!” Sarah clapped her hands gleefully. She came over to kiss Katie and then kissed Shane on the way out. “You kids have a great evening, and we’ll see you tomorrow. Is six thirty good for you?”
“Fine by me,” Shane said.
“Wonderful! I’ll see you then.”